Left Coast: Notes from the Field

Saturday 1600 hrs: Darcy and Alli meet me at the airport. They are sunglassed, flip-flopped, smiley. They emit an almost blinding glow. I have been covered in ice for 3 months. I try, unsuccessfully, to remember why I ever left California.
Saturday later: Darcy and Alli demonstrate a remarkable ability to navigate the Stanford Shopping Center with their eyes closed, including ring-polishing stations. However, none of us can figure out 8th grade science. Even those of us who teach it.

Sunday 1000 hrs: Alli channels Billy Blanks, and I realize I can conquer any med school interview, as long as I reach towards a higher power and consider giving my interviewer a left jab.
Sunday 1500 hrs: Darcy asks for directions to the BART station. Worst local ever.

Monday 1320 hrs: I'm talking about Kairos in an interview, again.

Tuesday 1530 hrs: Mike and I talk on the phone for several minutes before realizing we're looking at each other.
Tuesday 1700 hrs: The English Department offers revealing dresses and wedge heeled shoes. Who knew it was so useful?
Tuesday 1730 hrs: True MENSA kids, it takes us more than two hours to answer three puzzles. We get the wrong answers.

Grand total from the weekend:
1 vintage jacket picked out by Darcy
2 Mexican dinners
2 Indian lunches
3 mint brownies made by Mrs. James
1 CD from Ameoba records
5 med school interviews
1 interviewer who tells me we should do the "secret Peace Corps handshake"
4 horses spotted on the streets of Portland
2 beers before tipsilly boarding the redeye home.

Thanks, guys. :)