Sawadee Khrap
other – she’s doing the best and with the best care for the present circumstances – only time is in control now. 
I stayed at the Holiday Inn in San Pablo, California – and rented a car from Budget Rent a Car at the San Francisco Airport – Here is a photo of the place and some shots travelling across the Bay Bridge to the Greater Bay Area – San Pablo. Got to see and have lunch with all my sisters and meet many of the other relatives as they visited my Mother at the nursing home. Haven’t seen them for a long time and the kids are now grown up. Also visited friends “Dan†and “Tin†and his new husband – congratulations 
Then I did a quick run to visit the Castro Area in San Francisco – not much changed since I was living around there – 8 years but little changed – except the prices – Wow
The first thing I noticed was how clean the whole area was – cities, streets, freeways – everywhere you looked – and no smells – relativity clear air wherever I went - San Pablo, Berkeley, Oakland, San Francisco, Pacifica – what a 
delight – traffic was not that bad but I did try to visit areas at low commute times. The homeless are still there – 45F cold while I was there – and getting colder – here they are by the Holiday Inn setting up “home†in the bushes by the freeway.
Had a little problem when I went to the Social security Office in Berkeley – don’t know if I was pickpocketed or just lost the keys to the rental car – but they had to send a tow truck to get it and took me to the Oakland airport to get another rental – Budget was a great company to work with – really helped me out and excellent service.
And Last be not least if you are planning a trip by air check out EVA Airlines – really excellent service and wonderful meals in the Elite Section of the plane – a Boeing 777 – they even offer wine, cocktails or Beer if you like during dinner.- included -
Blood pressure seemed ok during the trip but I do have to admit that I did not check it – just how I felt – Anyway home now and will talk by Skype to my Mother every day while that’s possible.
Ciao
Glad to hear your mom is doing better & glad you’re back home, safe & sound..
j
Glad ur moms doung better &;glad trip was goos for u? Just wondered how it was being away from Tland. Last trip l made culdnt wait to get back home. I missed everything here.. welcome back…
Hi Jim – — well not better, just hanging in there for now – perhaps next month she will pass. Ya, it is nice to get back to my normal routine – but the smells and dirty roadways and no sidewalks do bother me – sticker shock there – prices at least 3 times higher than here – so far everything seem to be OK in the BP realm – holding so the operation is put on hold – getting ready to come back to Chiang Mai – April or May it seems now. I’ll talk to you by phone shortly
Frank, Sounds like you had a great time back home and to see all the family.
And at least with Skype you can keep in contact with Mom. I do have Skype but don’t really like using it. Didn’t even bother to set it up.
You know I quite like the shadow effect on your posted photos. Almost makes them look like they’re floating. I wonder if the effect is just an option in your blog template, or a trick of Photoshop.
David.
Thanks David for the comment – Ya I did have a great time and use Skype every day to keep in touch – as for the shadow – that’s in the WordPress template that I use – does set them apart and makes the blog sharper.