Darryl’s dad’s memorial/wake

Lee and I went down together for Darryl’s father’s memorial party at his family’s home in Long Beach. Just a quick overnight trip because Lee was outbound to Colorado two days after the wake. Fun to check out LBC a tiny bit — though the Airbnb on 7th Street was kind of lame. Neither of us got much sleep. But the mood at the party was festive and loving so that was all the energy we needed. I got to catch up with many folks I hadn’t seen in a long time, including Karen Dunn, D’s indefatigable mom. Even managed to get Lee to walk around exploring the Alamitos neighborhood where Darryl grew up — peppered with all kinds of amazing craftsman style bungalows.

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Disneyworld and Kennedy Space Center

Orlando, what a strange place. We did three days at the Disney parks and one at Cape Canaveral. Shuttling around in a rental car, because Orlando doesn’t do transit in any meaningful sense of the term. The highlight for me was the Fantasia minigolf course near one of the resorts. Probably the best putt-putt I’ve ever seen. The fading light of a warm Florida evening, beautifully rendered sculptures, and some amazing tricky shots and water features… just the best. The Space Center was moving in ways (maybe not surprising but still, I was caught off guard by the drama of the old shuttle Atlantis, and all the lost lives in the program’s disasters). I may never go back to northern Florida again but it was good to see it all. Continue reading “Disneyworld and Kennedy Space Center”