has been well spent. Here are pictures of some firemen from the Ontario Airport Fire Dept. They came to the USO yesterday to help move a donated air hockey table. I got to spend and hour with these fine gentlemen. They came a little early and were able to enjoy the center at the USO including the game room and a quick snack. I got the feeling that they wanted to stay the whole day, they were having such a good time. They were a great group of guys and we were very thankful to have their help.

A friend at work is leaving. Tomorrow is his last day. He's not only leaving the company, he's leaving California and moving to North Carolina. The other side of the country. I'm totally happy for him but I'm definitely going to miss our morning conversations about our kids and other things. If I looked like I was having a bad day he somehow would mangae to make me laugh or smile and I wouldn't feel bad anymore. He's one of those rare kinds of men who know how to talk to women. My husband is like that too. He just gets us better than most men do. Many of the other men I deal with at work say things that are either stupid or inappropriate and I end up walking away wishing I had missed running into them.

It seems my friend has started a trend though. Several other people that we know are leaving the state for better lives. We've thought about it several times in the past when living in California began to feel like a burden more than a privilege. I know this is a great place to live but it's gotten to the point that we may not be able to afford it anymore. Housing alone has skyrocketed in the past few years and gone beyond what we can handle, while our paychecks have stayed pretty much the same. I think that if we had other family members that were willing to move with us we would go. It would be so much easier to have that support network to rely on in a new environment. Going alone would be very stressful and I think we would end up regretting the decision. It's still on the table though. The main thing that has kept us from leaving besides family is not knowing where to go. We haven't traveled the country much at all and finding a state with temperate weather is difficult. I like cooler weather and not the heat, but my husband is the opposite. California just seems to be the best place to live and so we stay. So, today I'm feeling very down and melancholy about all of these changes. Maybe it's just having to say goodbye that bothers me so much. I wish him the best though, he's going to have a great life.