Um.... Things Could Be Worse

This is a view from the back deck of the house we are in. It is absolutely gorgeous. All you can see is the Mediterranean.

That is Saige and my friend BA's, thats B then A, not Baaaaa. It is short for Bethanne, her real name Elizaeth Anne, have called her BA forever, anyway, that is BA's niece, who has already been here for a long time but who luckily we get to hang with for a few days. Her name is Leah and Saige has loved having a buddy her own age. Saige also loves BA. I have known her for over 35 years. Her home was my second home as a kid, although I was always getting kicked out because she would get in trouble for one thing or another and a famous line that still has to be repeated over and over again is, "I think it's time for Amy to leave now." Her mom actually said it at BA's wedding to make us all laugh. Saige loves coming to visit here and hearing her tell all the stories from when we were little. Some stories might be better left unsaid but after a long dinner and a few glasses of wine they all come out.
Tonight my friend Lisa is coming to stay for the rest of the time with us. She had to take the same path as us to get here so I am thinking she's flying into Istanbul right now. I told a friend of mine she was coming and she laughed and said, "Oh, you're bringing a wing man?" Uh, yeah, the more the merrier. Although Lisa likes to see sights, these are the sights we will see... the pool and the Med. She does have a few things in Istanbul that she is making me go to. I have agreed to fast tracking by a couple mosques or whatever it is she has in mind as long as she knows we traveled over 30 hours to stare at the ocean and have cocktails for a week. She was down with that.
We are still having a little time change trouble although it doesn't really matter here. We are in no rush to go anywhere or to do anything. BA has a hard and fast rule that only heathens eat before the sun sets and the sun doesn't set here until about 9:30 at night. That can make for a late night. Everyone eats and then there is a little town with tons of restaurants and bars and people and kids and dogs outside, listening, to once again american music, and talking in different languages and smiling and laughing and really there is no where else I can think I would rather be at some moments.