Avenue R

Been driving Avenue R a lot lately. Don’t know what it is lately, but I’ve been reminiscing. Thinking about the many times I’ve driven down this road. It is much like any road in Palmdale, but it is so much more. It’s the way home for me. It is road filled with memories, good and not so good.

New Shopping Center

Early morning passing 47^th Street I see the new shopping center. Super Target, Panera, It’s a Grind. Across the way is Tom's and my car insurance place. Its where the new 24 Hours is supposed to open. The new site for Vallarta, too.

Heritage Housing Tract

Less than mile down is where Brian’s parents used to live. I remember catching a movie with his sister.  Yeah, I was stupid. Broke up with some girl and well she was familiar and I dunno. Not something that was very smart. 

Mobile Homes

Down the road is where Amanda used to live. She lived at the mobile home park. Used to sneak over to her house early in the morning. Her brother caught us once. She was my first girlfriend. She was something. Smart. Athletic. A go-getter. She was a fighter. Still is, I think.

Her good friend from school is the owner of the dance studio where Lynn, my niece, goes. Amanda moved a couple of times, but still close to Avenue R. Her neighbor was Eric, a good quarterback. First time with watercress salad and cheese sandwiches. Kim was also a good friend of Amanda who also lived in the parks.  I was lucky to be her boyfriend.

Ricky liked her so. My rival who grew to be a friend. He had a thing for my first. I don’t blame him. We fought a little. Used to ride together a lot, too. He had a Trek. His prized possession. A little gawky, but he had a warrior’s heart. Had many pool fights and sleepovers when we were school. We sparred a few times.  Laid him out once.  Thanks Uncle Kidog. Training did pay off.

Seven Eleven and the Blue Building

She lived close to 30^th Street and Avenue R. Right across the street from McAdams Park. This where I spent many a summer day and nights. This where Amanda and I would hang. It was also the place where I played tennis. Courts are run down now. Used to be the place to go. Jumping a top the wall, picking up stray tennis balls.

Justine lived across the street in the apartments. Played a few times, but she liked another. The Booth man. McAdam is where swam, where I did a double back. Where I did a 1 ¾ face plant. Ouch. First time hung out with Jennifer. Had a thing for her. It is where I began to swim again.

I remember this guy George in class was so big that he just floated. Reminded me of the guy from the old movie Dune with Sting. He just floated around. Didn’t sink. He was Thanksgiving float. From under water, It was a sight to see. Hope he lost the weight. Hope he's okay. Kids are mean at times.

McAdam Park was right across the street where my Freshman Biology teach lived. He was/ is a great guy. Why?  Because he fathered the my soul mate. Spent many nights there. Sleeping on his couch. Hanging with Lou. We would talked about Pierce Anthony and the Incarnation of Immortality. Learned how to say grace there, too. “God is Great. God is Good. Let us thank him for our food.” Loved that. It was where I gave the white rose goodbye.

PHS

Down the Street is Palmdale High. Where my brother teaches and coaches. He’s a good man. It’s the road where I ran for wrestling. Its on the corner of 25^th and R.  Used to walk this way with the Emericks from Joshua Hills a long time ago. There was a grocery store long ago. Kids would go there before school started. This was when Sage was junior high. Before the planetarium and before they found they put up the black fences.  Its lot now with a for sale sign. This is where they sell Christmas trees during the holiday. Its kind of sad.

Stretch, 25th and 10th Street East

Further down is the apartment where Scott used to Live. We called him Iceman. Stayed with him one weekend in Boston. He and his wife at the time lived there for the military. Learned they divorced and has since gone separate ways.  I think this were Steve lived too. Ernesto lived in the same area, too. St Mary is up the street  from Avenue R.

Its where I go to church. Its where Christy (not her real name) used to go to school. She was cute. Lived in the Hills, too. Attractive. I was a dork. Brown hair, great smile. She was one, I wish I would have had more courage. One of life's regrets.

Sergio and Krishna live between 11^th and 10^th. A rough area. Rough kids. We all had a crush on Grace. What times? It was time of the Orange Pinto and having my bike stolen. Playing ball all night. One night, I remember Dad asking me if I wanted to offer to give a gun to him. It was a shock. It was the way things were done in the PI. Salvage them. Why? Bad things happens in families that should not happen in families. I wonder how people could do such bad things to people.

Courson Park is where the mayor at the time asked what things I would change in Palmdale if given the chance. "New basketball courts," that is what I said.  Next summer there they were. Its where Sergio, Scott and I played. Its where Scott got jumped. Its where the punk ass ghetto kid, jacked up my left knee. Why? Because I was whooping his ass, embarrassing him in basketball in front of his friends. Took a cheap shot.  Well, that's enough of that. Sergio and Krishna are gone. Not sure where they are now.

Passed the railroad tracks on Sierra Highway. Walked these tracks from Joshua Hills to the Comic Book Shop, where I asked Dana to the movies. Neither of us showed up. 

6th Street

On the following street is where Lynn goes to dance. Where Ricky used to work at Jack In the Box. Where I got my first real job at the KFC. Washing dishes with Al. Using a hose to wash dishes. Soap if we were feeling especially industrious. Where I did a marketing internship at the radio station. Many memories of harder times were there. Where I used to ride my bike with Ricky in the middle of the night. Not sure if he is alive or dead.

We do this at times. Lose touch people we were once so close. We travel by places that had so much history. We watch places that used to have so much health and wealth, just decay and pass away. We see how places change meaning. Some grow. Some fade. There is energy in places we live. There is energy we imbue in the places we live, we inhabit, where memories are made. Where people live in pleasant and hard times. We live in times and spaces that has so much meaning. Sometimes good. Sometimes bad, sometimes very bad. Still, we persevere. 

The roads we travel is not so smooth. It is also not as bad as once thought.

Certain dynamics brings people together. Can't explain why it happens. There is purpose. Our view is limited what we see. Time brings people and places together. We at times to stay there forever. At times we wish leaves these places forthwith. We cannot stay here forever. People change. Places change. Events happen and don’t happen. We do not live standing still. Its not supposed to be that way. Relationship grow strong together. They fade, too. Not everything seems special. But it is. We get so lost thinking something is better. Tomorrow always is.Yesterday is always better, too.  When we realize this looking over all of it we see it is all good.  

10th West, Left or Right?

Would go on Avenue R, but its going to "T" soon. No more straight ahead. Just left or right. New memories must be formed. We need to see where Lynn did the Bee. Need to see where I ran with the team up the hill. Need to experience and leave the times I went back to Kathleen's and Brian finding us. Would talk about the new PRMC,  reminiscing some more. These moments matter. They all do. There is more road to drive. There are more Avenue R’s to live.