When a Plan Comes Together

The first time I visited San Diego it was amazing how beautiful the women were. You expect that in Los Angeles. Nice architecture, probably the best weather in the United States and attractive women- what's not to love?

I know a few people in San Diego. On a quick trip I contacted two. One was busy. It was short notice. The other had plans for the afternoon and evening. Not the morning. She was heading to a Farmers Market close to where I was staying.

That made me glad the hotel I originally wanted was not available. I could have stayed at the US Grant. I'm doing better. Not enough to spend eight hundred dollars tax included for two nights. That is a reason I have not returned to Hawaii. After the pandemic they said they wanted tourists.

I'm game. Looking at hotel rates- they might as well have been the default 999.99. I am not paying honeymoon rates to stay at a Courtyard on my own. My hotel was a little pricier than average.

It's an average- some hotels have really low rates. After reminding myself how indoor pools at hotels are usually great while outdoor pools are hit or miss, I headed to Little Italy. I had not seen this part of the city before.

On this trip I did not make it to Balboa Park. It is lovely. I have seen it. Minimal time was spent in The Gaslamp Quarter which was usually my base of operations. There are many new places to visit.

Plenty of new ground was broken on this day. I had not spent much time along the harbor. With the uncommon opportunity to meet someone in person- it's like a blind date with a married woman.

There was no ghosting. Kimberly attends this Farmers Market every week. She is a customer. Usually I feel awkwardly at Farmers Markets because I am not looking for something specific.

I don't want to get the vendor's hopes up since I have been on both sides of the table. I was a visitor and Kimberly found many good items. She supports small businesses which is the point of a Farmer's Market.

I also went through some of the usual lines. It is interesting how people who walk their dogs are different that the ones who put their dogs in strollers. Sometimes it is for convenience since the dogs are small and the areas are crowded. Other times it looks like they are compensating for not having a baby.

There is no shortage of dog owners in San Diego. Kimberly wondered if I wanted to walk. Sure- there are conversations to be had and sites to see. It was Fleet Week so the crowds around the Nimitz were a little different.

It was a really nice morning. The last time she saw me was at a conference that left me unfulfilled. That's a euphemistic way of saying it. Seeing her and various others were highlights. When she left early to catch a flight- there were no more highlights.

On this day there were many highlights. I had the chance to speak freely which I did not in a room filled with coaches who only cared about making money and appearing on a podcast. It feels like a relief that no hosts patronize me with "You should come on my podcast".

That is Sarah's fantasy- not mine. Why can't she fantasize that I find a relationship? You'll have to ask her. She and many wonderful mutual acquaintances were discussed. Kimberly's husband called. I would not mind meeting him. It hasn't happened yet.

It would be funny if Tim meets Tom Dietzler before he and Kimberly meet face to face. I want Tom and Kimberly to meet. For years they have been connected, have a nice relationship and something causes one or both to cancel before they can meet in person. It will probably happen before The Milwaukee Brewers win a postseason series.

We probably spent an hour together. Sounds like a morning you never want to end. She was not at the first No Longer Virtual which ended with a "Night I wished would never end". It ended when I attended a Hawks game and took MARTA to ATL to spend the night in the airport in preparation for working the next day.

What a life I lead. I never partied all night and trudged to work the next morning. I have flown the red eye or in this case an early flight to work the next day. Push the tempo. It was nice that our plans aligned. Any opportunity to see someone beloved and -dare I say it?- connect beyond the keyboard is good. She made a good trip better. There is no shortage of beauty in San Diego.