Listening: Really Really Happy by The Muffs

Reading (perhaps quality): Slogging through The Motorcycle Diaries by Che Guevera

Reading (definitely pulp): Nothing.

Drinking: Lots of water.

November 28, 2004
10:08 pm

Had a great time home in California for Thanksgiving.

Left Wednesday morning. So early on Wednesday morning that it was almost Tuesday night. At least it made the traveling easy.

(above) The empty hallways I was walking at Dulles. And yes they really were that dark.

(Above) And the masses of empty chairs.

(Above) Perhaps because it was Four Forty Two in the morning.

Uneventful trip (skated through the airport with no waiting for electronic check-in, having security mysteriously move me through the easy line, and just walked through to the gate to wait). Dad was amazingly actually waiting when I arrived in Oakland (he's always late to pick me up). Then spent the rest of the day catching up with the fam and catching up on a little extra sleep.

Thursday hung out with my living-in-Oregon-sister, her husband Mike and their kids (along, of course, with my dad, stepmother, and the fam's foreign-exchange-student-from-about-20-years-ago-who-now-lives-in-CA-with-her-nice-husband-and-sweet-daughters who were also staying at dad's). Carmen (my stepmother), Lori (my sister), Kayla (my niece) and I went for a walk in anticipation of the feast ahead.

(Above) At the start of the walk, the main kind of leaves changing I remember seeing growing up.

(Above) Kayla and Carmen on the swing sets

(Above) Kayla, hanging out in a lion's mouth. She's sweet and also adorablecute.

(Above) Kayla making her mark on a sidewalk

What to say about the rest of the weekend? Thanksgiving dinner was incredible delicious (but with my sister Janice and her husband Jim doing most of the cooking its no wonder) and everyone was there (of course everyone from dad's house, Jan and Jim's kids, my grandmother, my brother David and his wife Heather and their two adorable boys, Jim's parents, and assorted other friends of the family). Friday the guys went to play golf, we ladies went for manicures and pedicures (cheap and fun), then all converged again on Jan and Jim's house for another great dinner. Then on Saturday I flew back to DC. Flight back was late, we had to circle in the air for 40 minutes making us later, ground transportation home from Dulles was ridiculous. Made it home at like 10:30, met up with Marie and 3-String for drinks, then headed home and caught up on some sleep.

So it was great great great being home and seeing everyone and very difficult to leave. Felt more homesick there than I do here, knowing that the family's all there, and thinking about how much I miss living in that area. But as always its good to be back home in DC., back in my (really pretty great) life here.

(Above) The Bay View from Dad's House

(above) Kayla, Mike, a blurry Blake and a hiding Josh. Also known as some of the things I miss living a country away from the family.

Doing (life and related tasks): Unpacking bags, grocery shopping, and cat reassuring (since I've been back she's been beyond clingy).

Doing (crafty stuff): Taking a brief break.

Wanting: Nothing much more right now, I think.

Anticipating: the fun plans this week I've likely forgotten to record in my date book.