Oh happy day!

I had a most happy reunion today, after a morning of walking the girls to get Peet's coffee with Mr. Y and seeing him off to work (yes, on a Sunday. again.). I decided it was time to treat my feet to a fresh coat of Opi "High Maintenance," so I called my favorite place for pampering, Capri Nail Spa in Mountain View. They had an open slot at 1 p.m., so I only had to wait 20 minutes or so before hitting the road on my way to blissful toes.

Traffic was unfathomably bad, because I must get past Costco to get there and apparently half of the peninsula was in need of super-sized foodstuffs today. But when I arrived, the place wasn't nearly as hopping as I had expected for a Sunday afternoon (seems I wasn't the only one stuck in traffic). I had just enough time to find my color and a couple of magazines, before I was approached by TRACY!!!! Tracy is my most favorite manicurist EVER. I absolutely adore her, but hadn't seen her in almost a year, since she went on maternity leave last November.

I first met Tracy when she was somewhat new to the US from Vietnam. She is tiny, a little shy, and very sweet. I adore new immigrants (well, legal ones anyway). Immigrants are refreshing, in that they know and appreciate the United States in a way many of us who were born here forget to do sometimes. As bad as things get here, as ridiculous as the government acts, as bad as the economy is, and as completely hopeless as we tend to feel at times, immigrants know this is still the best place on earth to live. And seeing their admiration for this country in their eyes gives me hope.

So thus began my complete attachment to a manicurist who goes by Tracy (definitely not her birth name) several years ago. Every time I saw her, her English was just a little bit better and we started getting to know one another. I wouldn't even consider going to get a pedicure unless Tracy would be there, and she always seemed happy to see me.

Last summer, Tracy told me she was pregnant, and that she would be going on leave in November. I saw so sad to see her that last time, knowing she would be gone for awhile (and might not even come back), but of course I was extremely happy for her and glad to get a chance to give her a baby gift on her last day.

And then she was gone. Because of her profession, she went on maternity leave 2 months before the baby was even born, then she extended her leave after giving birth, leaving everyone wondering if she would be back. In the meantime, while I would stop in and ask about her every once in awhile, I couldn't bring myself to actually get a pedicure there. After all, it's bad enough to "cheat" on Tracy by going somewhere else, but it's even worse to "cheat" on her with one of her friends! So I stayed away until August, when I finally gave up on ever seeing her again. I ventured back that one time, because I do love Capri, and learned it wasn't so bad without Tracy.

Tracy saw me before I saw her today, and gave me the biggest hug a tiny person like her can muster. It was so good to see her!!! She showed me pictures of her adorable son, Johnny, and we caught up on each other's lives while I received the best pedicure I've had since last November. And now I have her schedule, so I will never have to "cheat" on her again. Well, not for awhile anyway. Today I learned that Tracy has just started her first semester of college because her English has improved enough that she can take some basic classes. Some day, Tracy might just decide to have a different career, and I hope that when she does, we will find a way to keep in touch.