January 24, 2020: UCLA

As a high school student growing up in Eden, a prominent memory includes sitting in the west end of our forty-eight foot living room in late November, near a roaring fireplace, watching the USC-UCLA football game on a massive color tv, while watching the snowy landscape outside the window.

East Church Street had drafty windows, cast iron radiators, antiquated plumbing and an equally antiquated heating system. It was always a bit chilly in the house in late fall, winter and early spring. The lengthy living room even had a second fireplace, but it never came into use while we lived there. The other fireplace -- closer to the television -- was in constant use. Splitting, stacking and carrying in firewood was a regular and often unpleasant chore, but it had to be done.

In the midst of that chill, UCLA in particular earned a warm spot in my heart. The game always included bright blue skies, pretty cheerleaders, and a sense of ambience. Watching the game made me feel that I was actually there, in Los Angeles. Or at least I could envision myself there some day.

Attending college in California was out of the question. A very inexpensive state university was the only feasible option. But the idea persisted. After six years and two degrees in Binghamton, my aspiration to earn a doctorate gave me a chance to consider California once again, and I secured an application to UCLA. Once again, money and certainty got in the way of pursuing a degree at UCLA. Penn State offered me admission, free tuition, and a stipend. After four years of paying tuition and earning no real money, this offer in hand led me to accept and to set aside my UCLA dream.

Jump forward more than forty years and Gaby is looking for schools. She loved southern California and I was happy to help her in her search. In late march of her junior year (2016), we flew west and visited USD, UCSD, UCI, LMU, USC and UCLA. [We lucked into a tour of UCLA; without that timely, spontaneous request I doubt Gaby would be there today.] A year later, she earned admission to UCLA. The next month we attended Bruin Day and pretty well sealed the deal. She went to summer orientation in August and Dena and I accompanied her when she enrolled in later September 2017. The door-to-door trip alone was memorable, from Oak Farm Court to Reiber Hall, via Alaska Air and Uber. Although Gaby and Dena think I'm mistaken, I believed we had twelve articles of luggage, including two items each for the cabin and six in the hold of the plane. After two days we left her, taking an Uber from Gayley to LAX.

Jump forward to this month, January 2020. Gaby and Dena arranged an unparalleled, festive family week end. We had a Friday happy hour followed by a late stop at Lambda, we climbed the Los Liones trail, we had time at Will Rogers beach, we had a great buffer dinner at the Broxton, we attended a hyper after party at Colin and Jack's apartment, we went to a farmer's market and the Melrose market, we saw her apartment, we hosted a dinner at Tocaya and Dena and I ended with a tortuous Uber trip to LAX and an even more tortuous red eye to Minneapolis.

So I think I have fulfilled my dream. Only with Gaby as the Bruin, she gets to do all of the work and I can just enjoy the vicarious college experience, up close and personal.