California

My sister Annette had moved to California, probably 30 years before I did. In fact she died before I actually moved here. I talked about doing it for a while and soon my friends began joking about it with me "sure - what year?" In fact the year I surprised them all was 1998 - in June.

I had planned to drive my nice little Acura across the country, but wrecked it in Connecticut only a few months before I planned to leave. At the time I was already living at my good friend (and radio ham buddy) Jose's house. Jose had a son and a daughter by an earlier marriage, and also several adopted children including the little girl (Julia) seen in this picture.

When I wrecked my Acura Jose gave me an old Mercedes he had in his yard. It sort of ran but his daughter had used it and ruined the transmission. It was also badly rusted - but it got me around Boston at the end. He wanted me to fix it and take it across the country, but mostly because of the rust I did not accept. Instead I packed up my stuff, and with my two kitties in tow, booked a one-way flight to California. I had already given away all of my furniture so most of my necessary belongings were allowed onboard as excessive luggage. But for the price - which was reasonable at the time - I arrived with everything I needed to get started in a new place.

When I first arrived I moved into a motel, not far from where I now live. I believe I was given my niece's old Tercel (by then a surplus vehicle) since I had a car immediately. But it was a bit dicey at the motel where pets were not allowed. I stayed there for at least a month, so I told them I did not want my room cleaned for 2 days, and only on the third day did I hang out my "clean room" sign. Those mornings, before staff arrived, I had to gather my kitties (Willy and Melissa) and tote them downstairs to my car which I parked in and inconspicuous and shady spot in back. Then, later - sometimes in the early evening I brought them back. It was tough.

Shortly after I arrived my nephew Steve - who at that time worked at the Lexus dealer up the street - asked me if I wanted to be a paid picket for his IAM union. The idea was that the workers did not walk out and strike, instead they hired pickets (who picketed the place) instead of having the mechanics themselves walk out and loose their income. Relatively the pay was pretty good - at least it was over minimum wage, and this to walk back and forth on the sidewalk with a small sign. I did this for a while - I arrived in June - which, was unusually cold and usually cloudy that year. But inevitably summer arrived and the typically broiling Concord summer days started.

One day it was 104° and I said to the union rep that I could not take this kind of punishment. So I quit. Sometime before that I had taken a walk directly down the street from the Lexus dealer and noticed a nice looking apartment complex with a "for rent" sign - so I inquired and got a small studio apartment. That was a big saving over the motel and pets were allowed.

After I got settled down I started looking for things to do, although I was essentially retired at that point. It was tough living just on Social Security so after the picket job I went to a place down the street called East Bay Works (EBW) - a state funded job agency. When I was interviewed they asked me what my skills were and I said that mostly I like to tinker with computers and go on the Internet. Without realizing it I got myself a job there immediately.

East Bay Works, in addition to its social service function, had banks of PCs on which clients looked for work at designated websites. They also made their resumes on the PCs using MS Word. So I was all set. This worked out great at first and I was a very popular PC tutor there for over a year, possibly over two years.

Things were going well when in (I think) 2002 I had a terrible experience with a routine colonoscopy. While the procedure went well, a large (but non-cancerous) growth was cauterized from my colon. Not too long afterward, when I came home and ate, the small cauterized wound broke inside of my gut causing immediate peritonitis. I was taken back to the hospital where that was fixed, but - a complication ensued that nearly killed me. I developed drug resistant pneumonia, an often fatal illness.

After extensive treatment (4 months in a drug induced coma), I woke up. I was totally disabled unable to get out of bed for at least another month which I spent in the hospital then in a nursing home. After a while I did recover, with some side effects (I lost a lot of hearing in my left ear and also had lost some feeling in my left hand). Since I was unconscious all that time I don't remember anything of it but I was told that was lucky to survive.

After recovery I went back to work at EBW. One day on the short walk back home I was tired and looking forward to getting home. In front of my apartment house entrance decided to go to my truck first - beyond the entrance. When I changed my destination I tripped and fell on a utility box that was recessed in the sidewalk. The result was that I broke my left hip.

I tried to get up but obviously couldn't so an ambulance was called for me and back to the hospital I went. What broke was the top of my femur. So a (very good) orthopedic surgeon drilled some holes and put in some screws. And back to the nursing home I went - this time a different (and better one).

I'm not sure how long I stayed there - it was several months. I remember it well. My poor roommate had broken his back in a construction accident - he would never walk again and needed assistance. He was a nice guy but I didn't have much in common with him. I spent most of my time in the back yard which was pleasant and had a nice shade tree. I read a lot of long books there.

When I again finally got home it took a while to wean myself off the walker I still needed as a minimum. Then I was OK until I about a year ago (around 2005) I started having pains and trouble with my hip. I went back this time to a different orthopedist and she said "didn't you notice your left leg is shorter than your right leg?" Actually I didn't. How often do we look at how long our legs are?

She told me I had suffered from a condition called vascular necrosis, and basically that the top of the femur that had been re-attached had died (dead bone) and that it had collapsed a little - two inches in fact! She issued me crutches that I still need today (November, 2006). I have been considering a hip replacement but am yet to do it.

All-in-all I have loved living in Northern California. I have been all over the Bay Area and (at least for a while) had enough friends. I also did not mind traveling by myself, something I always did when I didn't have a companion. It is hard to put it all in chronological order, but I have been enjoying living here (although I would have preferred to live either in San Francisco or Berkeley) since in my opinion Concord leaves something something to be desired for my tastes. But I cannot afford those places.

Anyway here are some of the things I did which I enjoyed a lot. Of course outdoor activity figures in a great deal for me.

You can also hike up (which I have done 1/2 of) and - something I don't know if I could ever do, cycle up, which a whole lot of people do. Having been a biker most of my life I find it hard to imagine! Finally, while it almost never snows in Concord, the big winter event around here is a snowstorm on Mt. Diablo.





Snow is a big deal around here !!

Oaks on a hill

Welcome to Muir Woods National Monument!

"This is the best tree-lovers monument that could possibly be found in all the forests of the world," declared conservationist John Muir when describing the majestic coast redwoods of Muir Woods.

Steep Ravine is a wonderful place to get away to. It is entirely isolated on the Pacific Ocean north of San Francisco, and boasts snug 2 room cabins with wood-burning stoves for heat. There is no electricity or running water (in the cabins) so it is roughing it with a wonderful without the real rough. The area is closed off for all but guests so there are only your few neighbors around.


Julie and I at Steep Ravine		Typical Cabins - looking North

View looking South with Stinson Beach way in the background (past boulders)		Another view of our cabin looking back up

Me at the table		Nice breaking wave

Posing for the camera		Pretty flowers