the long weekend in california whizzed by much too quickly, but highlights included a drive on hwy 82 through sun-dappled redwood-clad hills to pescadero beach of near-car-commercial-perfection. the beach was predictably 40 degrees and foggy, but i wouldn't recognize it any other way. the seals were unwilling to preen on the rocks for our viewing pleasure, but we stood in the stiff, salty-damp breeze and watched their heads bob in the rough surf. on the way back we stopped at a roadside farm for a flat of fresh strawberries and a pumpkin. the farmer accused us of having brought the fog with us down from san francisco, in spite of our protests that we'd come the other way. a mile back up the road towards palo alto and it was all sunny california again.

the following day's adventure was slightly less successful, as i dragged andy and val and grant all up to ocean beach to go to musée mécanique (see 3/19/01), which, as it turns out, has been temporarily relocated to pier 45. on the other side of the city. which we did not have time to cross. hell, maybe i dreamed up the whole surreal experience - this museum of 18th century mechanical boardwalk amusements, croweded into an old building perched over the sea in the grey, misty fog of point lobos. my companions were good sports about the whole we-drove-from-san-jose-to-san-francisco-for-a-cup-of-coffee thing, and took it all in the good spirit of a roadtrip adventure, but i was still disappointed. oh well. it probably would have turned out complete different from the way i remembered it anyway. those things always do.

the reunion itself held the strangeness of an awkward social situation i've never been in before. people i had almost no memory of came running up to me like i was an old best friend; there were others with whom i had had significant relationships who barely recognized me. i held a most unsatisfactory conversation with my old departrment advisor, who was thoroughly unimpressed and uninterested in my theatrical achienvements since college. damn it, she was the only person i actually expected to give a shit about my career, i'm doing what she trained me to do. whatever. more important than the people i haven't talked to in five years were the people i have spoken to in the past five years, and my vist with them was lovely, long over-due, and much too short. fortunately, we all have the next wedding to provide us with an excuse to get together soon.

Dear April,

This is a hard letter to write, but long overdue. I can't do this any more. I'm sorry, but we have to break up. The distance is just too much for me. We're only together when I come to see you; in more than two years, you've never once made the effort to come to Chicago. I haven't seen you since March.

I want to be totally honest with you, and telll you that I've met someone new. His name is Eric, and he's really wonderful. He really gets me. He lives here in Chicago, and he's always here for me when I need him. My friend Chelsea introduced us. April, I'm sorry to make this so blunt, but: I'm leaving you for Eric.

I want you to know that I will always remember you.

we have the VCR (yeah, no tivo here yet) set to record the next 8 episodes of SNL, featuring new cast member Bill Hader, who also happens to be andy's sister's fiance.

the internet sez: "New guy Bill Hader's gift for impressions should be a real asset; his Al Pacino was uncannily good -- and funny."

yay! i'm almost related to someone almost famous!