Conversating.....

 7:57 am - Sunday - February 25th - GNHS - 56° F, humidity 77%, wind 4 mph out of the southeast.....mostly cloudy today with a forecast high of 74° F.  On this date in 2020 TLE and I rode our electric bikes from our boondock site near Borrego Springs to Galleta Meadows where we viewed numerous steel sculptures for which the area is famous.....

As happens some days I completely neglected to take any pictures Saturday, nevertheless, here is a word pictorial of what transpired.  TLE and I took a day off walking, and just lazed around first thing Saturday morning.  Around 10 am we walked over to the hot pools/tubs to take a soak with Tom and Claire.  We had planned to just be there for 30, or 40 minutes, but the conversation kind of took over, and we didn't head back home until after 12 pm.

After changing clothes TLE and I headed back to the Bombay Beach Bungalow to meet Tom and Claire for some snacks on their veranda, and continue our endless, ever morphing conversation.  Again, we only intended to be there for about an hour, but didn't return to the Newell until after 2 pm.  We agreed to meet up for dinner around 5:15 pm on the 'lido deck' for cocktails whilst I grilled a couple of large New York steaks for dinner.  TLE added a tossed salad, and baked, stuffed mushrooms.  I wish I had taken pictures, but take my word for it, the food was restaurant quality, and was only exceeded in quality by the conversaton!

Around 7:30 pm it seemed we had talked ourselves out, and were getting ready to bid Tom and Claire adieu for the evening, but then the conversation took off again, and all too soon another hour had passed into the rear view mirror.  As we hugged Tom and Claire goodnight our hearts were bursting with love and admiration, and knowing they will be heading back to the San Gabriel Valley in the morning only served to make our parting bitter sweet.

It has been years since Tom and I have had the time to spend day after day with each other.  During our junior high, high school and college days we were inseparable, and even for a few years after college, but then Tom and his wife at the time moved north to the Sacramento area, and our visits became limited to us stopping by to see them when we were traveling to and from Lake Tahoe.  Sometime in the late 90's Tom (he was divorced at the time) moved back to SoCal, and we would meet for lunch, or dinner on occasion, but he was busy reconstructing his life, beginning a new marriage, and raising kids, so our get togethers were infrequent. The last time I saw Tom in person was back in March of 2017 when we both attended one of our college reunions being held in Las Vegas, and even then we did not get enough time together, so this reunion, of sorts, for he and I was so sweet.  Being able to spend the past 3 days talking, reminiscing, laughing, and sometimes shedding a few tears was such a tonic for both of us.  Our 62 year connection and relationship only exceeds that of TLE and I.  When I first met Tom in 1962 I was very shy, and a little introverted, and Tom was extremely extroverted.  In spite of the differences in our personalities there was this inexplicable, immediate connection, which has stood the test of time.  Needless to say, over the formative years in junior high, high school, and college he contributed much to my social development, and his influence has contributed a lot to who I am today.  I don't have words adequate enough to fully describe our time together these past three days.

On a side note, this morning (Sunday) is the first morning in over 2 months that we have not had to turn on any of our heaters in the Newell.  We'll enjoy the next couple of weeks with no heating, or air conditioning running, but by the middle of March I am sure we will be turning on the A/C once again.

Thanks for stopping by!