October 28, 2007 - Hanging With Holly

So like I mentioned before I was in Southern California all of last week. Boy did I pick a bad week to be there as the entire area was burning. For a while the airport I flew in and out of was closed due to the fires. One morning I went out to the rental car and found it covered with ash and particles. I don’t know about you, but this is a clear sign to me that I am far too close to the fires! The hotel was full of folks that had to leave their homes, some already knew their homes were gone, and some had no idea if they still had one or not. I feel so sorry for them all – can you imagine how bad that must feel? Worse yet, the fires were started on purpose but some low life. GRRRRR!


At last I got to meet one of my heroes from Crossdressers.com – Holly !
Holly is thought of as being sort of a mother to all of us there. She has a kind heart, common sense, and always offers encouragement and good advice. The first night I met Holly alone, and the next night I got to meet her wife.
So Holly and I talked for a long time and found out we had a lot in common. An interest in music, we have both been happily married for decades (she has a couple on me!), and we both served in the Army. Not only served in the Army, but had worked in related areas. It seems she had worked on a mission or two with the missile that started my career – the Pershing! Gotta wonder what the odds were.

The first night we went out to dinner at Mimi’s Café in San Bernardino. Good food, good service, andJ I like to sing but I’m NOT a performer. I stand there like a bump on a log and sing – not Holly. Holly likes to play the crowd! She was all over the stage, looking at every one and including them in the performance. I love that kind of confidence. She sang “It’s my party” and she did it well! I love the song but can’t sing that darn high!
they didn’t bat an eye. If your in the area, I do recommend it.

Then we went to VIP’s where we both sang karaoke!
The next night, I went to dinner at Mimi’s again with Holly AND her wife. (Yeah, I know that just doesn’t sound right!) Talk about a hoot, her wife is a such a cheerful and happy person, and they make a wonderful couple. You just can’t sit with them for any amount of time with out smiling and coming to adore both of em. They have been married for around 40 years and are just perfectly comfortable with each other. It is so neat to know there are couples out there like this – it gives us all hope.
This trip was only supposed to be for a couple of days, but things went poorly with the repair I was there working on and I had to keep extending my stay. It wound up that I flew home to Austin Friday night, and then had to head out for Boston Saturday morning for two weeks of training. (I’m in the airport as I type this)
Talk about a “love/hate” thing. I love the chance to get out and meet all of these folks, but I miss my wife and children. Sigh . . .