vacation home in keeping it postive

Almost 30 years ago, my parents moved to San Diego. When we had the "conversation", it was right before my father got sick. They asked if I wanted the apartment. I said YES. After my mother got sick, there was a friend of my father's who insisted she leave it to me. (She wanted to give everything to the church.) (Yeah, that's how lovely our relationship was... eh!)

For the first few years, I'd come to CA five times a year. Much of the time was spent in cleaning and clearing away my mother's things. MANY, MANY things. I call this the house of multiples. During one of my first visits, I kept finding rubber bands. Two friends suggested I make a rubber band ball. It now measures more than 6" in diameter. I still have bags to bring downtown to a women's shelter for donation.
I can wear some of my mother's clothes, but as she was the queen of polyester... and I prefer natural fabrics... MOST is going for donation.

I have two close friends here. One, a neighbor, takes care of my mail when I am not here. She and I LOVE to go to buffet restaurants - and they're about $10 a pop here (rather than the $15-$20 in NYC). We sit, eat, talk. It could be for 3 hours!! Often we go with another friend of hers. We loan books to each other also... as if I need more books to read... LOL... but I enjoy the books she suggests.

My other friend, I met on gather. We have much the same slant on life and find the same things interesting and funny. I don't get together with her as much, but see her at least once when I am here.

I have cable television - but only pay for the most basic. I get the regular networks, watch some, not others, but miss some of the ones I watch in NYC - such as MSNBC, Comedy Central and History2 (H2). I realized recently, that the shows I enjoy on those channels can be seen through the magic of the Internet. I don't like watching television on the computer, but it's better than missing the shows altogether. Though I am miffed that The Daily Show INCLUDES the commercials!

The main drawback to where I am in SD is that, since I don't drive, it takes various types of public transit to get anywhere. The bus stop is pretty much on the corner, but the bus only takes me but so far, then I have to take the trolley and often another bus to get to the museums, zoo, movies, etc.

Offset that by the fact that SD has the BEST climate in the lower 48 states, I'm set, I'm happy... I'll cope... It's expected to hit 90 degrees today. I'm READY!!