Difficult business in a beautiful setting

San Luis Obispo is reputed to be how California used to be. Why is this sentence in the passive voice? Because I have no idea who said or reputed this. Whoever said or reputed this is probably right, though, because SLO is clean, progressive, not overly crowded, and pretty cool.  Even the homeless folks are low-keyed with colorful, stylish tattoos. Everyone has tattoos, including the women. The air is clean, the views are California-rrific with mountains and hills all around, and SLO has more “blondes” than Sweden. SLO has countless quality restaurants catering to the tourists and “sophisticated” locals. It boasts a wonderful college radio station – how college radio stations used to be with lots of genres, especially women’s folk and rock, a personal favorite. Wonderful beaches, including Morro Bay and its iconic rock, are very close by. And the weather. My goodness, the weather is perfect. This is especially true coming to Cali from Vietnam. Of course, there’s a catch. The house prices are how they’ve always been in California as long as I can remember – ridiculously high.  I saw a two-bedroom, one-bath house in a pretty good neighborhood listed for $440,000.  A nice starter home, I guess. Beauty has its price, and it’s quite steep here.

Sadly, my brother is not doing well and has been moved to a facility similar to Friends Care in Yellow Springs. His pain is difficult. I feel stupid whining about bruised ribs when I see and hear my brother. I’m scheduled to leave for Vietnam on Friday, but my lawyers have suggested I stay to clean up his paperwork and get him Medical coverage, which will provide long-term care if needed. I’ll find out more on Wednesday what could happen. I really miss my wife and daughter and, at the suggestion of my son, have asked my immigration lawyer and Sen. Sherrod Brown if there’s any way Phuong can get a temporary visa to join me in the U.S. with Joanna. I’m missing crucial time with Joanna, and Phuong says Joanna misses me terribly. Of course she does. (The lawyer said no-go on Phuong getting a visa. No word from Brown, but very unlikely Phuong can leave Vietnam.)

I want to return to Vietnam. I miss the brutal heat and dirty air. Actually, I miss my family, naturally, and I miss teaching and my students. I found a Vietnamese restaurant in SLO, and had a wonderful seared chicken and pretty good Pho. The owner, Thuy, left Vietnam on a fishing boat with her family in 1975 and has never been back. She’s very nice and a wonderful cook.

I left a bag full of money on a table in Starbucks and drove home. Realizing my mistake, I raced back in a panic and the bag was still sitting on the table where I was eating a bagel. Man, oh man. I also turned in my brother's pistol to the police after a neighbor took it out of the house after my brother fell and went into assisted living. I hate vultures.

Not sure where I’ll be in a week or so. I hope Vietnam, but I’ll wait for instructions from the lawyers. God, I’m all lawyered up. I already miss my brother. He’s a shell of his former self and it’s difficult to see. I hope he dies quickly and painlessly. That’s what he wants and that’s what I want for him.
** Updated with lawyer's bad news and cleaned up some of the typos.