we are really having a great time in berkeley. one of the byproducts of the girls' being the [victims? product? affected parties?] of divorced parents is that they often are required to spend their time off from school with their non-custodial parent. They have both complained to me - they don't want to spend every school vacation LEAVING to be with their father. they want to spend some off time with me. this is a school vacation. and the sweethearts are with me. their father was oh-so-gracious to allow me to take them on this trip. i am infinitely grateful.

We woke relatively early today, and spent the morning on a nice walk to our old favorite cafe. The walk was fun. We got to pass our old house [we had the bottom front 3/4ths of the house]:

and i walked by an old neighbor's house, which contained my old favorite Berkeley-Scent - my favorite flower of all time (it's jasmine .... which has this wierd way of not emitting an odor until you're walking past it. you can't sniff the flower and catch the scent ... you must be strolling down the street, and notice it wafting around you as you pass .... really beautiful):

We had a nice time on our early morning walk, the kids happily picking flowers and enjoying the crisp air:

I found it odd to remember that there is a place, in this country, where trees and flowers are blooming in February - as I know Beloved is dealing with 8 degree weather:

Thing One has a lot of friends here, still, and her dance card is quite full (that just struck me as the cliche of an old woman .... i am my mother). Thing Two was a very popular child in kindergarten .... but it was kindergarten. the friendships were just infants when we left, and it just so happenedd that a few of her closest friends from Kindergarten (the year she finished when we left) moved when we did.

So Thing One went to a friend's house this a.m, and Thing Two hung out with Sis and Boy and I for the day. We went for a drive, and on the way back, saw my old Hill:

When Ex-Schlurg was in grad school, we lived in student housing located up on the hill in the distance. We would get off the highway, and drive as pictured above. The Things were super-small .... 2 and 4 ... and would not be very happy with me for forcing them to sit in uncomfortable seats with much restraint (uh, yeah ... carseats seem really constricting now that they are old enough to just sit in the car ... no special fancy seat with special 5-point harness systems). So if we were traveling afar, by the time we got off the highway, the girls' patience was long -expended, and i would try to keep them happy and quiet by pointing out "our hill." They became quite accustomed to looking for and celebrating the hill.

I also used to hike up one of the trails that can be barely detectied in the photo .... with my dear friend A whom I have visited and will visit this week.

Then we replaced a hat that Beloved lost - we had gotten the original at this store, and had to go back in order to find the same hat.

Then we went to Telegraph Ave., shopping at an old favorite bookstore - Moe's. i bought the girls a few used books - Double Fudge by Judy Blume, the Oxford Book of Children's Poetry (which is really nicely illustrated and NOT dumbed down with poems like "roses are red and violets are blue" and it contains the Walrus and the Carpenter, which Thing One recently memorized but discovered upon an attempted recitation that she needs to polish it up); and I purchased myself a NEW copy of Everything is Illuminated, and I purchsed Beloved _________. (surprise cannot be spoiled).

Then we got some Indian food at an old favorite place -- Naan & Curry:

We ordered way too much Naan, especially since Thing Two chose garlic Naan, but the garlic was so beautifully fresh and plentiful (mmmmm) it ended up too spicy for her. So she shared plain naan with her cousin while Sis and I scarfed garlic naan and palek paneer.

The stroll continued - checking out street vendors and thrift stores. one street vendor was doing these hair weaves, and Thing Two had wanted one forever. So she did that while the three of us stood around waiting and watching the very flavorful Berkeley foot traffic. There was a debate meet on campus, which we were 1 block from, and there was this odd phenomenon of young people in suits buying hippy hemp jewelry. trying to stuff the necklaces down under their ties.

We then were on our way back home to deposit the other 3 in a place with facilities (the kids had to pee) and i was goign to pick up Thing One from her "very best friend forever"'s house - when we ran into some old friends in the park. Their son was in Thing One's class, and their daughter and Thing Two used to play a lot. So after I picked up Thing One, we went to their house for an hour or so while the kids played and really enjoyed each other. We're going back to their house for dinner on Friday.

The dad in that family was a Stay At Home Dad when our kids were in school together, and mom was in school. i honestly had never met the mom - even though the dad and i had gotten together many times iwth the 4 kids. MANY times. worked out childcare swaps, went places with them all, etc. Last night, mom was home - she's done with school now - and we had the best time talking. I wish I had gotten a chance to know her when we lived here, b/c she was the kind of person i coudl really connect with. turns out the same people drive us crazy, and the same types of behaviors bother us, and i think we could have had some fun bitch-fests going on if the opportunity had arose.

ah well.

A wonderful trip, we're having, I think.

posted by Zuska @ 1:25 AM

2 Comments:

At Tuesday, February 21, 2006 3:17:00 AM, Filch said…

Now you're making me want to move to Berkeley.
At Tuesday, February 21, 2006 11:40:00 PM, Mieke said…

WELCOME HOME! Sounds like a great vacation for you. I booked my ticket for this Friday. I am very excited. Staying in Walnut Creek. The jasmine is blooming in our yard. I love it too.

I am so glad you are having such a wonderful time.