I had told Elaine I would go with her on Thursday to the eye appointment at Seton. Elaine told me yesterday it was Wednesday and was that a problem? I had told Riordan I would volunteer that day. I go two ways in my thinking. Stuff like this now stresses me out. Is mom more important and I will call Riordan or should I have Elaine change the appt. It is a routine appointment. Last night I decide to tell Elaine to change the appointment and this morning I decide mom's appointment is more important. Elaine told me she is going to Chicago on Friday and won't be back until Tuesday when mom has another doctor's appointment. I go home and see Keith laying on the couch and think he has none of these family obligations.
 
Kathleen's email from aberdeen to angela:
I am kind of scared renting a car here. The laws etc. are different. I told Eorl we should try and go away at least for the weekend. I want to explore the United Kingdom. Things I learned while being here already. U get assigned seating at the movie theather they love to stand in lines waiting for the bus and they enter and leave through the same door they love to talk really fast and it sounds like they have a bunch of spit buildup in their mouths the men here are very skinny and hunch over the girls wear tons and tons of makeup .. they are trying to look like they live in LA with all the taning shit they have all over their faces, but it looks horrible, they are orange and broke out all over their faces due to the acess makeupthe food here sucks shit everything is fried. fried fries, chicken, hamburgers, etc.oh and even the chinese here have scotish accents. (email from angela to john, august 28, 2007)

August 7, 2007, I went out for tapas and sangria in the Mission with Gerardo and spoke over two hours in broken Spanish. We finished-up the night at Café Flore at his suggestion where it was 2for1 margaritas night, and we sat on the sidewalk on a relatively warm evening where he told me he wanted to broaden his circle of friends to people who loved the theater, vanguard film and café-life. I hadn’t been to Café Flore since Jim whose last name I forget had outted me to the previous owners as an inspector for the city agency that licenses food and drink establishments – and they suddenly wanted to give me free coffee. I was just a little drunk when I arrived home – and I told Eddie how overwhelmed I was at work and Eddie reminded me not to jump every time someone wanted something – and he used the word “deflect” to suggest a better approach to dealing with work and people. A few days prior I returned from an excursion north to Chico which contrary to its reputation is not a town but a city with 1,000 charming cottages set among oak and black walnut trees, and surprisingly nothing else deserving of praise except for its hot weather which I found agreeable. Its downtown, adjacent to the university, is dull and surprisingly without even a taqueria. Outside of Chico is a non-pedestrian-friendly resort area, and I use the word resort loosely, of Paradise which isn’t paradise but a small hill crowded with pine trees, small homes, bible schools, gun dealers and restaurants serving lousy Mexican food. Needless to say, I was glad to get back to San Francisco where Eddie suggested we take an excursion to the California desert. So we have planned a week in Palm Springs which does feel like a town – a real resort town - full of trashy people who probably drink too much, but ah, that desert sun, makes everything one does appear to be so life-sustaining, ha.