Fifty First Trip to Taft

Friday morning's drive to Taft reminded me of how beautiful California is. I started in Los Angeles, with clear, beautiful sunlight. About 45 minutes later I was driving through the Tejon Pass, with a dusting of snow on the green hills and snow covering areas that had been recently burned. The tops of the mountains had just a smattering of the white stuff, much of it had already melted, and it looked like rivers of white falling down from the hills. After reaching the summit, around 4400 feet, I descended down the Grapevine. About 5 miles from the bottom I encountered Tule fog, my first experience with the thick, soupy fog that sometimes closes the highway. Luckily that was not the case today, although visibility was down to about 20 feet. California really does have it all.

Ron was a little nervous about my driving in these conditions, and so I got a call around 7:45am asking me where I was and when I would arrive. I'm sure he was waiting anxiously for me for the next hour. Since tomorrow will be Ron's one year anniversary at Taft, we had a lot to reminisce about. Where had the year gone? It was exactly one year ago most of our family was together at Fleming's in Woodland Hills eating a delicious prime rib dinner. The feast before the famine! Ron and I both remember it vividly. The best part of our Friday visit focused on the future, and the fact that we have 20 weeks to go. Yeah!

One thing Ron is looking forward to is redoing all the things we did together that he never really got a chance to enjoy because he had so much on his mind. This would include trips to Europe, especially the trips in the late 1990's when the pressure of his work consumed him. He reminded me of a trip we took to London with some friends in 1999. Every moment we weren't out sightseeing, he was on the phone or computer in the hotel room. He remembers a trip to Napa Valley and a balloon ride that he couldn't enjoy because he had so much on his mind. He remembers trips to art museums or concerts, where all he wanted was to have it end so he could get home and back to his work. That's no way to live. He knows that now, but it sure took a long time to learn.

Things have changed. When Ron was growing up his parents encouraged him to work hard and make a lot of money. Whether you like your work or not was secondary. So he grew up without learning about the balance between work and play. Luckily we did not pass that trait on to our kids. We taught our children that hard work is good, but you should work at something you love. You should also balance your life with family and hobbies, and not worship the almighty dollar. I think they have all learned that lesson.

So some of our post Taft time will be spent revisiting places and things we have seen in the past, but hopefully in a different light. The next time around Ron and I will stop and smell the roses. The business pressures of the past are gone. Learning to enjoy leisure time will be a new skill for Ron to learn, but one he is ready and willing to take on.