6:17pm, pacific standard time, hotel in Palm Desert, California, USA, Thursday evening, January 26, 2023. Today is my nephew’s 31st birthday. That’s significant because twenty years ago, when I turned 31, we lived close to his family in Valencia. In between jobs, I spent afternoons hanging out with him, doing homework, shooting hoops, and shuttling him to various activities. I look back fondly on those weeks. It was a rare opportunity, before full adulthood, to be carefree and spend quality time with a relative I might otherwise not have known. It was also that age, when shortly thereafter, I took the Utah hospice chaplain job. I consider that period the happiest of my life. Realizing he is now the same age brings back good memories. He’s been through a rough couple of years lately. For the occasion of his birthday, I hope he finds his “Utah” soon. And gets to enjoy a little happiness in his life as well.
Tag: valencia
8:19pm, pacific standard time, apartment in Aliso Viejo, California, USA, Saturday night, December 24, 2022, Christmas Eve. Found a good walk through the Aliso Viejo neighborhood this morning. The trick is to turn left at the bottom of the hill instead of right. This route winds past the community park toward the middle school. At the end there is a short turn about and a small housing community. We (the dog and I) walked along the street and took the final incline to the parkway. After two left turns it was down hill back to the complex entrance. The whole walk took an hour, which is about the right distance. Afterwards, I did some early morning Christmas shopping, picked up mom for a family gathering in Valencia then came back to Aliso for dinner. Now I am going to go to bed early and rest for the Christmas celebration tomorrow.
Wednesday, day 3 in Palm Desert, California
6:17pm, pacific standard time, hotel in Palm Desert, California, USA, Wednesday evening, December 21, 2022. We are still in Palm Desert for a couple more days. I have been going to the office and working. Mom mostly hangs out in the room and goes down to the lobby for breakfast. Though reportedly, she went for a short walk today. My daughter’s mom texted this morning; she was diagnosed with pneumonia last night, which explains the shortness of breath. She is feeling a little better but, needs to take it easy the next couple of days. My daughter feels better as well. She has a cough and tires easily but otherwise is doing alright. Of course, it was reported she plays online until 4am with friends in Australia so, it probably isn’t illness sapping her energy. I look forward to Christmas. We are going to drive up to Valencia on Saturday and spend time with family before officially celebrating the holiday in Orange County.
Thanksgiving eve in Valencia, California
6:04pm, pacific standard time, hotel in Valencia, California, USA, Wednesday evening, November 23, 2022. Left Palm Desert at 12:30pm. Made it to Valencia four hours later after a drive that normally takes two and a half. Once I got here I picked my daughter and the dog up at her aunt’s house, then we drove north toward the amusement park to check into the hotel. We just finished dinner and are now playing a game on her tablet. It is nice to have a moment to hang out, just the two of us. We will stay here until check out time tomorrow then go back to her aunt’s for thanksgiving dinner.
Start of thanksgiving week
6:04pm, pacific standard time, hotel in Palm Desert, California, USA, Monday evening, November 21, 2022. If I stayed in Orange County this week I would have felt I should have left for the desert. But I chose to come out here, so of course I wish I stayed. I guess the saying is true; you always want what you don’t have. I will make the most of the situation and enjoy it best I can. Overall, the day has been fine; the office is slow, the roads are busy and the stores are packed. I will work tomorrow, then head to Orange County or Valencia, California Wednesday afternoon to celebrate thanksgiving with my daughter and her mom’s family. All in all it should be a good week.
December 26, 2021 update
8:32am, in a hotel room, Valencia, CA, Sunday morning, December 26, 2021. Last night ended up being longer than expected. The patient who fell was transported to the hospital before our nurse arrived. The community did not have an update to share this morning so I slept until 6 before taking the dog on my favorite walk. After that, my daughter and I ate breakfast in the lobby with grandma before my wife got dressed and joined us.
Christmas night 2021
8:19pm Pacific, Valencia, CA, at relatives, Saturday night, Christmas, December 25, 2021. We traveled north today and arrived shortly after 2pm. Dinner was Prime Rib with pie for dessert. I took mom to the hotel an hour ago then came back to watch a movie. Work called at 7:30pm (8:30pm Arizona time). A patient had a fall. The nurse who covers area is not answering her phone. I tried the clinical director but she didn’t answer. Finally the traveling nurse picked up. She is calling the community. I have not heard back from her on next steps.
Writing
9:36am We are getting ready to leave for the activity center. It should be a fun time. Right now I am thinking about the creative pursuit of writing and what I do for work. I have come up with a new perspective. In the summer of 2002, well before my daughter was born, my wife and I moved to Valencia, California from Evanston, Wyoming. My wife kept her corporate position but I quit my job as a religious consultant for the state of Wyoming. We moved so I could be an actor and my wife could be closer to family. It was a rash adventurous decision we made as newlyweds who were sure we could conquer the world. The move was not free of tension. My wife was supportive but skeptical. While she looked forward to spending time with her sisters she wasn’t sure of my new plan for work. But I was confident. I envisioned myself auditioning for parts and easily getting jobs to pay my share of the bills. As soon as I got to California I began submitting headshots. I auditioned for some student films and got some parts but not nothing else. By the fall I realized I had neither the drive nor the talent to be a successful actor. I wasn’t terribly heartbroken. I tried and it didn’t work out. I accepted the failure but was left with a creative void. I needed to find a new pursuit. 3:09pm hanging out at the activity center, picking up where I left off. I decided I was going to be a writer. It wasn’t too much of a reach. Starting years earlier in seminary I had written some stories and started a novel. In fact I had just finished an autobiography of my youth titled “The Journey and the Destination.” In the moment I was happy. Writing was my new identity. This is noteworthy because it was during what I consider the most vibrant period of my life i.e. the time I was a hospice chaplain. In reality being a hospice chaplain was not my career choice. It was the job I did to support myself while I wrote. I loved being a chaplain. I cherish the time but I identified as a writer more than a chaplain. Just saying that reduces my anxiety. It changes how I approach work and purpose. For so long I have viewed my situation as facing a choice between sales/operations or being a chaplain. In reality I am facing a choice between sales/operations and writing. I know who I am, what I want to be. I want to be a writer. I am a writer. I simply realize I can’t expect writing to produce sustainable income. So the question I ask is, “What do I want to do to support myself while I write?”
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