Bakersfield

So, K and I flew back to Arizona.

We stayed at my mother’s condo, which was kind of fun. We managed to see two cousins and one brother in the day we were there, and then left very early Sunday (in our car, which we had previously left there — don’t ask) to drive back to California.

It is a very long, dull, dry drive. I actually like the desert, but there’s just an awful lot of it.

We spent last night in Bakersfield, and then drove home this morning. I’m already back at work!

Bakersfield was kind of fun, actually. We stayed in a very fancy hotel right down town — the restaurant was full of people eating and drinking and playing pool until late at night — and ate a Basque restaurant which was really good.

Then we got up early and drove home up 5.

The Central Valley kind of mystifies me. We came to California from the east and settled on the coast, but a lot of people who are from here are either from the valley or have relatives there. It’s agricultural, with a string of cities up the middle. I suspect it’s worth investigating. Well, anyway, Bakersfield was.

And now we are home.

It finally feels like Christmas is over and we can get back to normal life. I’m actually kind of overjoyed about that — I’ve got stuff to do, and I’m eager to get down to it.