Happy xxth Birthday, Kaia!

So without divulging where Kaia stands on the "over/under the hill" debate, I can happily wish her a happy birthday. No, we're still on separate coasts -- she in California, me on Manhattan Island -- but despite this obvious fact we're still somewhere in limbo waiting to be sharing an address, a home phone number and our physical space on a regular basis. It's a kick in the ass that I had to wish her a happy birthday over the phone, but we're hoping to talk via webcam later; basically, as long as I get a chance to see her eyes and see her smile, then it will have been me who gets a gift on her birthday...

Speaking of Cali, it's been as hot as hell there as it has been here; considering it's been in the mid- to high-80's over the past week or so here in NYC, I can't complain that today has been mild, pleasant, breezy and tolerable. With respect to San Fran, the "official" temps are around 86-87, but Kaia's car's outside temp gauge has been clocking in at over 100, and while Cali is devoid of humidity (at least when compared to NYC), that's still pretty fargin' hot.

The other thing that I rarely remember is that because it's so beautiful in Cali for so much of the year, people -- especially in Northern California, and her parents, specifically -- don't have air conditioning in their houses. So despite the fact that it reached 105 at her parents' house yesterday, it wasn't an insignificant factor that could easily be alleviated by a flick of a switch, as it has been for me. Most people I've been running into outdoors have bemoaned the weather, but we all return to the sanctity and pleasure that is A/C. Mine is cranking away happily at about 80%; it keeps my apartment a cool, meat-lockeresque 68.9 if I leave it on full blast. If I didn't ratchet it down a little I'd be sporting nipples that could poke someone's eyes out (sorry for that mental image).

So...back to Kaia...she's had a fairly mellow weekend thus far, especially because of the weather; San Fran people are used to high sixties and low seventies, and -- again, without A/C -- this heat wave is basically inspiring the City to do errands quickly and get somewhere cool and comfortable. For the most part, San Fran is a comfortable city during the day and chillyish at night, so hearing these temps are reaching the century mark is a little strange especially for city residents.

She spent the late morning/early afternoon with her mom and sister, who took her out for brunch; this afternoon, I'm guessing they'll do something together with her dad, and perhaps later with friends. It's all sort of up in the air, and I feel badly not only for not being there but also that I couldn't help make her birthday special, despite the weather. We agreed I would withhold her birthday goodies until she's here (or I'm there, whichever is sooner) but I did manage to send her a bouquet of some of her favorite flowers; she had to do a work function (bowling and pizza party -- lol) so she had to run out Friday afternoon, so I made sure the florist got to her before she left. I would have had 'em delivered yesterday, but I didn't want to trap her in her apartment all day Saturday, and I knew she was going to be up and out early today, so I feel like getting her flowers to her, especially given her extra-busy schedule, was an accomplishment. And -- I hope -- they made her smile, even if I wasn't there to deliver them in person.

I'm looking forward to our next rendezvous; until then, there's twenty months down and an infinite number to go.

Happy birthday! 8-D

-B-