California Dreaming

It was dreamier than I could have imagined. But at 2:45am in London I'm so jetlagged. I'm not dreaming at all!!!

I'm "sleeping" in the living room so I can toss and turn and grumble all I want and only bother the poor dog, while the rest of the house snoozes away. I don't get it! How are they sleeping? Tonight I fell asleep at 9. I was bumping into walls all day and I couldn't keep my eyes open anymore. But then woke up at 10:30. Done! Clearly I need more than 90 minutes of sleep. I'm going to be more horribly bitchy tomorrow than I was today! Oh no!

But I do like laying here "dreaming" about California (where it is 6:00 in the evening, by the way).
I got such a wave of sadness sitting on the plane in San Francisco waiting for take off. I didn't want to leave. I didn't want to leave Monique.  Meeting her was so special. She's a nicer person than I could even have imagined. And believe me, I imagined she was. She did NOT have to donate her bone marrow to me.  It took general anesthesia and doctors digging into both her hips for tons of bone marrow for some imaginary person in need somewhere in the world. Not everyone would do that!  Literally.  When I tell people about it, many have said, "Yikes! I wouldn't do that!"


I know if Monique reads this she'll be embarrassed. (Sorry honey, but I just have to gush about you).  But she's simply a good person. Which isn't always so simple! She cares about people. All people. It's just so clear.  It's funny. She used to do intake in an emergency room. And it makes sense, because when you speak with her she has a clear grip on many things medical. But she's also so reassuring in her demeanor. If I was being wheeled in to an ER I'd be so glad to see her face at the front desk.

I know when we first hugged at a pretty beachside restaurant in Santa Monica there were a lot of tears. My friend Susanne said it was so emotional it was like being at a wedding or a childbirth. In a way I feel like Monique gave birth to me. And I would walk down the aisle with her anytime if she'd let me. (Too bad we're both taken). But I feel committed for life to her, just like I do my family and friends. I kept saying to her, "there's no way for you to understand what you did for me, for us, you saved my family!" And she replied, "Ok! Then just live a good life!" I promised I would. I hope that my friends and my family and the party on the beach sufficiently overwhelmed her. I hope it was a big giant hug from us: my handsome grateful family, my gorgeous friends, my beautiful cousins, my extraordinary aunt, that Monique will always remember.

I was so pleased that she accepted an invite to spend the day at Universal and come to a second party in her honor that next evening. I hope it means maybe she liked us too.  We had a fun time. Screaming on the Terminator ride, watching the kids swim in the pool, talking about schools and life and raising 7 year olds. Sipping red wine.

It's difficult being so far away.  I feel super homesick for everyone.
I will now end this 4:00am GMT blog entry. Cuddle with the dog and hope for rest. London is wet and balmy right now. Tomorrow I will head into it. Leading a good life. Thank you Monique. I love you.