Soon V.J. is up and about and sees me sitting quietly.

"Uncle Phil, what would you like to do today? We can go into San Francisco and see the sights" he tells me.

"You know, V.J., I've already done the tourist thing - seen Fisherman's Wharf, rode down Lombard street and such. I'm just fine sitting right here and enjoying your fine company."

"Well, I'll brew up some hot tea for you then."

"That'll be just fine, my friend."

He has taken the day off from work just to spend time with me, and I really appreciate it. Miss Mo has to go to work, so she comes down to say good-bye.

"Are you going to fix Uncle Phil something to eat?" she asks him.

"Yes, I am going to make him a Russian Omelet and waffles with strawberries."

I pipe up "Boy that will be just fine with me!"

"He does a really nice job on those, Uncle Phil" she assures me.

"Well, sounds like I'm a fixin to find out here in a little bit."

She's off to the daily drudge, and I feel almost guilty. I know what it's like to go out into the workplace everyday and I know it won't be long till I'm back at it. Soon V.J. has whipped up a fine omelet from his special recipe and some awesome waffles, smothered in delicately cut fresh strawberries with light syrup.

"Wow, V.J., these are mighty tasty" I tell him.

"Thank you, Uncle Phil."

I just have one problem with them, they evaporate too quickly from my plate. After we finish up, we adjourn back to the living room. We both naturally sit down on the floor and I have to chuckle a little bit. I never forget the first time I met V.J. over at Dennis Ryan's house. He came in and I was sitting on the floor with my legs crossed - which is an old family tradition of mine. He told me then

"You're one of the few Americans that I've ever seen do that."

It seems my mother's daddy and further back did it and I just sort of picked up. To this day, I'd rather usually sit in the floor than sit in a chair.

As we sip our hot tea, we talk about our lives and how we were raised. V.J. was one of twin boys born in India, and because of difficult circumstances he was sent out into the country to live with his grandmother. So he spent his early days in a small village, learning to enjoy his own company, rambling through the countryside. I tell him that is kind of how I came up - small country town, nobody much but myself. I too learned early on that I don't need a crowd around me to feel happy. As I tell him -

"I reckon the the country is the country, regardless of which side of the globe it's situated on."

We also have a lot in common in our occupations - he and I both develop software. We both laugh at each other's stories of the insanity of the software business. Then he remembers that he has a chore to tend to -

"I've got to feed my cat out in the garage. Because of the white carpets and the fact that she has long hair, she doesn't come in the house."

So I follow him out the door to meet the Grand Dame of the Manor, Miss Shirley.

"She came with the house and I love cats, so she has the complete run of the garage" he tells me.

"V.J., don't tell my cats about this fancy cathouse and that fancy food you are feeding her, or I will have a rebellion on my hands when I get a back!"

She permits me to rub her back after we are properly introduced. And the old saying comes to my mind -

"Dogs have masters, cats have staff."

I tell her, "Miss Shirley, I can see that you live a very hard life."

She looks up at me with knowing eyes and nods her head as only a cat can do.

"But I suspect you will make it all right" I assure her.

She promptly turns around and wanders off after that insulting statement.

Having taken care of her, we wander back up to the house. V.J. takes me out onto the deck where I get a clearer view of the panorama.

I tell him -

"My wife would just love your house. She's always wanted to live on top of a hill and I have her stuck down in the Holler."

We continue the day, relaxing and chatting about riding, computers and growing up in the country. Then he introduces me to tea biscuits that are specialty where he grew up. They are quite tasty when dipped into a hot cup of brewed tea. It is a great way to spend an enjoyable day with nothing that has to be done and no place that has to be gotten to quickly. But we do have an invite from Rich for BBQ at his house for supper, so when Miss Mo gets home, we grab our shoes and head for the car. They have a Toyota Prius hybrid, so this is very interesting for me. I've read a lot about them and have wondered how they ride and handle, especially in the freeway madness. I must say that I am pretty impressed by the quality of the ride and the get up and go the car has. Soon we arrive at Rich's place and we can't help but notice the sign that he has carefully place on the front door -

He's a good looking boy and one again I've found a friend. Soon the food is ready, and we all dive in. After dinner, Rich tells me -

"Now we want to hear you play the piano. Joe has been practicing also."

So I make my way to the upright piano and run through a few songs that I can remember. Fortunately, they are recognizable so I don't get embarrassed. Then I say

"All right Joe, it's your turn now."

I can tell immediately that he has a good sense of music, timing and touch. I encourage to keep playing as I love to hear other musicians do their magic. After awhile, Rich breaks out the guitars. He has some very nice axes and knows how to play them well. Too soon the evening comes to an end, since everybody except me has to go back to work tomorrow.

I tell Miss Arlene, "Thank you very much for having me over. It was a real pleasure."

And to Joe - "Keep up the playing - you've got a great touch. You just keep practicing and you'll only get better. "

I follow V.J. and Mo out to the car and before we know it, we're at their house. It's been a great day and exactly what I needed. Tomorrow I'll be back on the road again, but I drift off to sleep knowing I am so blessed to be have friends like these that open their homes and their hearts to me.