Let me say first off this has been a horrible week. Like a horrible, life-altering week. One of my BFF’s lost her husband in a car crash. Her life is forever, irrevocably changed. Nothing will ever be the same. The last words they spoke to one another are the last words they will ever speak. Her husband was a great guy. He always made me feel welcome in their home and I will miss that wicked, biting sense of humor. I so hate seeing my friend hurting that badly and there is nothing, NOTHING I can do to help. Grief is personal and we take it at our own pace. I hope she knows she can say anything to me, she can lean on me, she can tell me to go away for a while. This is the very beginning and it will take time, so much time. And I hate that.

Then I found out a dear friend of the family back home in Florida passed away earlier this week – in a car crash. She was such a sweet lady, she would do anything for anyone and yet life always seemed to bite her on the ass with razor sharp teeth. Even though bad mojo followed her around like a cloud, you would never meet a more positive or upbeat person. I hope she did not suffer and I hope she is able find peace. She will be sorely missed.

All of that makes this writing challenge seem trivial and ridiculous.    And yet I look forward to sitting down and getting some thoughts out of my head. Like grasping that rope of normalcy during this craptastic time.

Today’s topic is A Place You Would Live But Have Never Visited. I’ve been thinking a lot about the Pacific Northwest lately. I was born and raised in the southeast. Being married to the Army, I’ve lived in awesome and amazing places like Kentucky, Kansas, Colorado and New York. Not NYNY. Northern frozen tundra NY. I’ve been to California for like, 5 minutes a few years ago. My daughter and I did a half marathon at Disneyland over a MLK Jr weekend. We flew in on Friday and flew home to NC on Monday. That’s my only west coast experience. I know people who have lived in Washington and Oregon and they loved it. Mountains and forests and progressive cities sound like heaven to me. If I were to be offered a job out that way and the pay was right, Id sell everything I own, buy an RV and take myself and the pets out west. (My son is grown and lives in Tennessee. My daughter will be in college soon. It’s cool, I’m not abandoning anyone in my fantasy, LOL).

That’s it for me. I feel a glass of wine and an early bedtime for me tonight. Maybe I’ll start looking a little harder at the PNW. It’s not like we have forever on this planet.