Southern California Weekend
For PoPo’s funeral services, we went down to Southern California for a long weekend. We drove down on Friday morning and went straight to the viewing at Rose Hills. It was a long drive (as usual) but we lucked out with a smooth ride and not too much trouble from the toddler. 
Here we are at the truck stop and the video below is our selfie video in the car. Jes was being a papa bird taking the pits out of the cherries for the baby bird.
After the viewing, we stopped at the Magical House for a little rest and some scootering for Kumquat.
On Saturday morning, we all got up early to get to the funeral service. The family had put together such a nice slideshow that ran at the beginning of the service.
We all share stories about PoPo with the congregation and soon it was time for the burial. 
The whole ceremony and service was really nice and we all had the closure that we needed.
Saturday afternoon was spent at lunch and then back at the Magical House to cool off. That weekend was particularly warm and everyone needed a nap. Brother later came over and Kumquat got to hang out with Cousin Alice and even had a tea party in the backyard with everyone.
On Sunday, we went to church and then went back to the Magical House for some more family time. It was nice to just relax and catch up with family. Auntie Jeanie also came over to tell us the rest of PoPo’s life story. She had given the eulogy at the service but had to cut it short due to time constraints. She also went outside with Kumquat for a little more scootering. This kid mastered going down curb cuts that day and kept saying “Fun! Fast!”
That afternoon, I was able to play with Alice more and she had a good time trying to be a big kid with Kumquat.
Here they are “watching” a YouTube video together. So cute…
On Monday morning, we took our time getting up and Kumquat even had enough time to go play at the park nearby. 
We had a smooth drive up to SF with no traffic and we also stopped at Gilroy for some outlet shopping and dinner. So, we ended up getting home around 9pm instead of the estimated 5pm time. Oh well. At least it was a good weekend.
On our way to the Bay Area Discovery Museum, we were talking about how fun it would be to have a GoPro for outings like these. So, to satisfy the itch, we stopped at Sports Basement to check them out.
They had the model we were considering AND it was at a slight discount AND I got 15% off for being a therapist. Woot! Jes sat down in the store and put it together. We charged it on the drive to the museum and when we arrived it was ready to go!
We also captured video, of course.
PoPo was very special to Jesse since she was very involved in his care when he was a baby. I met her a very long time ago at a family function back in 1995 when she was still living by herself and was a fantastic cook. Little by little her health declined until the family had to move her to a place where she could be taken care of 24 hours per day. At that point, she was still rather independent and going to church down the street. Around that time, she still recognized her family and I remember one wedding that we went to in 2005 where we had our last real interaction with her. Here is the 
Eventually, she needed a higher level of care so she moved to a different place. Here was the one and only time all four generations were together. It was in 2012 around Christmas again. It was the last time Jes and I saw her.
We had little party for Ranee who is expecting Baby #2 next month.
Lucy, our lovely hostess, prepared a bunch of yummy cocktails and we all pitched in on food, which is what we do best.
The little girls got to play and even little Henry joined in on the fun.
As with any baby party, there were cupcakes, gifts, and games.
Can’t wait to meet your little cupcake, Ranee!!
Our department got a new therapy dog from Canine Companions and she had her first day today. Her name is Trinity and she’s a labrador+golden mix. I met her this morning on my way to the cafeteria and we got to hang out for a bit in the hall. As I walked away to buy my coffee, I nearly lost it. Tears began to well up in my eyes and I had to take a moment to regroup. I guess I still miss Koa. I guess this therapy dog will be good for not only the patients but for the staff too.
Last Friday, the red warning light went off in the car on my way home. It was overheating and I was still on the bridge. Luckily, I was able to drive it home but it was in need dire need of repair. So, this past week I took public transit to work and it actually wasn’t bad. I liked having about 30 minutes of peace and quiet to read and catch up on emails. I’d get up early, leave a little before 7 (before the kid woke up most mornings) and get to work around 7:38. The reverse commute is pretty cool because it’s never crowded on the trains to and from work. Getting home on time was a little tricky because there was a home game every day this week but work was light enough that I was able to leave just in time to catch the shuttle that usually arrived around 4:20. Here are some photos I took this past week.
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