Rambling on about Turkeys, Old Friends, and Smog

Now that I'm more awake and have had more coffee, here's a more coherent version of my visit with the folks in LA:

• Arrived in LA just in time for Thanksgiving dinner. Can't beat that with a stick. Turkey and cranberry jelly . Mm-Mm-Good.
  
• Found out that my brother-in-law has nipple piercings. Yikes. Not for me, man.
  
• The town I grew up in is growing like a weed, and not in a good way. If there is any green area, it's very well hidden from view.
  
• Found out that overall, I'm not doing all that bad. How do I know this? Olivia and I went to the drugstore to develop some film while we were visiting and there was this guy in line off to the side of us with, it turned out, his mother. This was a guy named Cal with whom I'd gone to elementary school and junior high school. When I introduced myself to him and asked if he recognized me, the light bulb over his head took a long time to warm up, if you know what I mean. Now, I know it's been decades, but he eventually put two and two together. The thing is, when I asked him how he was doing and what he was up to, he was very vague. "Umm, okay" was the response I received when I asked him what he was doing (i.e. what do you do for a living?). Now, Cal was always the big dumb one in my group of friends. Very likeable, but someone who needed to be watched out for. Looks like he didn't get too far after high school. I felt bad for him, but I also was hit with a shudder of insight: if not for meeting Olivia, that might have been me. Minus the big and dumb part.
  
• Another thing I don't miss about Los Angeles: SMOG. After the third day there I could feel my chest getting tight with all the pollutants I had to breathe.
  
• Rewind to about 11:45 last night: Olivia and I are just getting out of the baggage claim and are getting a taxi. Found out that it's much cheaper to get a cab coming into the airport than it is to get a cab coming from the airport. Looks like it's some sort of city ordinance. On the cab ride home, the driver apologized to us several times about the fare and that it wasn't his fault and that he was going in for "the cancer surgery tomorrow so I no work anymore." At this last bit of news, Olivia and I both looked at each other with a look that said "Geez, what the hell is he doing working tonight?! I hope he stays alive long enough to get us to our apartment!"

That ought to do it for now. Hope you all had a Happy Thanksgiving!

~Rob