I'm going back to Cali, to Cali, To Cali...

Heather Irwin
Jul 26, 2014
5 min read

Since meeting my friend Lori who lives in the bay area of California. We have tried to make it a point to see each other once a year.

A couple years ago ago we tried to meet up in Maui, same with the following year. But it never worked out. Prior to that I would spend some time in Cali for various reasons and we would manage to see each other perhaps once for a drink.

Well as much as life has gotten busier with two kids in school and my work being over all busier. This summer and last we have managed to carve out a week for one another. I basically have to fit our time in, between two events.

July 19th (saturday), I got out of work around 1:00 am Sunday morning. Hoping I would get to sleep early was foiled by one of the board members from the event I was running, getting into a serious accident. So myself and a few co-workers sat around the warehouse having a couple cocktails as we waited for details on his condition. I pulled in my driveway at 3:00 am. Finally I was given some updates and felt that I could go to sleep.

After waking and spending the day packing, my husband came home from work and I went to take a nap. I always drive at night. I hate traffic! When my parents own a place on Lake Shasta, I always left around 1 am and drove all night to arrive there bright and early. Well old habits die hard. So around 10:00 pm I packed up the boys and we left dad behind and hit the road.

I am a bit of a creature of habit. Since I have been driving to California for the past ohhhh 15-ish years. I always take the final exit at Ashland before heading across the pass. There is an Arco gas station right there. Easy to get into, decent prices on gas, and literally the last stop. Well in the past I never pumped my own gas, being an Oregon gal. So the habit started because in going to Lake Shasta. I could get down there, and get back to Ashland without having to get fuel in Cali. Even tho I do now like pumping my own fuel, I do it so rarely there is still that pathetic fear of having to do it on my own. So... I still stop at Ashland. To my benefit, this means I dont have to stop again, until Dunnagan which is the exit before the cut off to go to San Fransisco. Last year I fueled up at Dunnagan. Spent an entire week, driving around down there and had to get gas my final day upon departure.

Anyway, we set our sails, and at midnight it is my birthday. Some people think I am crazy for driving all night with two young boys, some think it is crazy to drive all night with two young boys on your birthday. But I will tell you this much, getting away from work and hanging out with one of my BFF's is totally worth it. A case of wine tucked away in the back of my SUV, I was getting my butt down to Cali!

The Bay Bridge was hell. Now in the past it has been busy, but having the new bridge open, I expected LESS of a wait. I was wrong. So we arrived at Lori's around 8:30 am, no thanks to traffic.

This year, her son JJ did not have a broken ankle and Jaxson my son did not have a broken leg. Which meant the kids could enjoy running around and playing on her property in the hills. This meant the moms could kick back with our wine and not worry that Jax was being left out because he couldnt get up or down the stairs, or go outside with the others.

Well, once I got there and settled in. I had work to be done. So we both pulled out our macbooks, placed them on the bar, poured ourselves a glass of wine (Yes it was 10 am.. dont judge lol), and began to work. I suppose you could say I am a bit of a workaholic. Anyway, there was no better place to work than with my friend at my side, who totally understands, and having a glass fo wine together.

This particular trip we didnt do too much. We mostly hung out at her house, and one of the days we went into SF and took the kids to the zoo. We had a sitter one night so we could go out. Bless Amy! However, due to perhaps a tiny hang over, we decided to just go to the diner and have a glass of wine. Realizing we had zero desire to go out. We thought maybe we will sneak back and hang out by the pool. The pool house has wine. The only problem.. no wine glasses or wine key. So we borrowed from the bartender two wine glasses and a wine key. Promising they would be returned.

We returned home, it appeared my two were still awake but soon the lights dulled. Lori texted Amy and she confimed all children were asleep. After about 30 min, we felt guilty. Amy is like 22 years old, successful and just a wonderful person. So Lori told her to bring a wine glass up tot he pool so she could join us. The firepit on, us 3 gals just kicked back and enjoyed one anothers company.

Unfortunately my time came to an end too quickly. I had arrived Monday morning but need to be back by Friday. As I had an event to work both Saturday and Sunday. This time leaving was easier. Not only because I didnt have a child with a spiral fracture to his femur and only two weeks post op. Mainly saying goodbye was not as hard.

You know when you have a BFF, you just love them and when you are apart it sucks. So when you see them it is perfection but when you have to seperate again it is hard. Well, yeah that is my situation. Previous year, I had no idea if I would make it back or if she could make it up to us. Until our schedules actually match up where we can find a week together. We have no idea when we will see each other again. She, and her children are my family, or so I view them. Somehow tho this time, I just knew... we would make it happen again.

So, yet another long trek back home, we arrived in time for me to catch a little sleep and skip off to work another event.

One of these days I hope that we can see each other more regularly than once a year, but in the meantime this will suffice!