Leaving San Francisco

It's a dreary day here in San Francisco. I am at the end of my 2 and 1/2 day trip up to see my parents and to see some of my old stomping grounds. It was a very, very quiet trip. I flew in on Sunday night and am leaving today, wednesday, to return back to LA. I am very, very glad that I have chosen to fly out of LAX instead of SFO. My community is truly in Los Angeles.

My dad and I had some good breakfasts together--well, 2--- but they were full of fun and good food. However, dinner with my grandmother was another story. She's 85 and refuses to admit that she's getting older. My dad serves as an antagonist to her and bothers her to the point of her getting flustered. We went out for an ok Italian meal. Besides the awful behavior of my 6 year old sister, not much happened. Ariella entertained all by smacking her lips, chowing down on a loaf of bread, ordering veggie soup and then loudly saying she didn't like it and lastly, asking for an order of chow mein. I'd try to ask her to behave and she'd look at me and say, "I know, I know, you were smacked in the face when you were a little kid but daddy doesnt care now." I know that my dad cares but I think that he's too tired to deal with her. I appreciate that the majority of meals are eaten in silence in Boston --that way you arent forced to make inane chit chat. We do talk on Saturday night, all day sunday and all day monday and other feast days.

I have spent more time with my step sister Sarah who is 17 and a senior in high school. I basically lived in her room as it has the internet, a good bed and a tv. Sarah was very curious about holy hill and even went on line to check it out. Sarah and I watched mtv and then went and rented The Ring 2---dont bother to watch it. We turned it off after a half hour.

Otherwise, I've spent a lot of time in Borders Books and at Starbucks. As I told a friend, it was almost retreat like at times. My trusty ipod kept me company. I did discover a great book about Hildegarde of Bingen. More on that later but it must have been funny to see me at Borders slumped in a chair with a high calorie drink reading all the gay magazines and then switching to Thomas Merton and Dorothy Day. I felt more at home at Borders than I did at my dad's house.

SF is being attacked right now by Tropical Storm Max. Who comes up with these names? I'm sure that this will make my flight time be pushed back.