Pushing String

I’ve been traveling a fair amount lately, constructing mini-vacations out of quick visits to various family members and pals. In Colorado I found myself…

…yes, bowling with my sister and her kids. Not that rock ‘n’ bowl stuff, just POBO. One of my nephews is now a giant of a young man; those are size 15 shoes he’s got on, and at 6′4″ he’s fond of patting his mother on the head and calling her a dwarf.

And in Los Angeles I got reacquainted with the Fairfax neighborhood where I spent the first few years of my life, only to find that…

…the quaint old Farmers Market I remember has been colonized by Starbucks and now features just-about-mandatory valet parking. Like, wow.

I also visited the Back Door Bakery and Cafe, whose proprietress is a lifelong family friend and very (make that extremely) good at what she does. If you’re in that part of the world, it’s a must-visit — even my London-based travel guide (also highly recommended) said so.

But now I’m home again and have turned my full attention back to more workaday matters…