WE'D KILL TO LIVE AROUND SW6 WITH SOMEONE LIKE YOU.
Ben and I got back from L.A. on Wednesday. Unfortunately I had to come back to work the next day, and now two days later I am still feeling fairly jet-lagged. The cool thing was that I didn't feel it going to L.A.! The trip was great. The flight wasn't too bad going there or coming back. Neither of us really enjoy it, but it wasn't awful. I watched 4 movies on the way to L.A. (Anchorman, Shrek 2, The Bourne Supremacy, Spiderman 2) so that passed the time fairly well. On the way back I slept most of the time, which was fortunate. I think it was due to the fact that I took an anti motion sickness tablet before we left and it made me a bit drowsy. When we were getting of the plane I almost fainted. I don't know why I am so sensitive these days, I am sure that I used to be tougher. Is it just the resilliance of youth?
It was great to see my family. We spent a lot of our time at my parents' house, and helped them put Christmas lights on their house and up in the trees. This year, they had the guy who trims their 60 foot palm tree string some red and clear lights up the tree and Ben and My dad wrapped them around like a giant candy cane. It looks very cool, the lights go up so high! It almost looks a bit phallic, especially because of the ridge at the top where the palm fronds start forming! Hee hee! The lights look great this year. I am really glad that we were there to help.
Thanksgiving was good, too. It was funny because we usually make our Christmas wish lists and bring them with us to Thanksgiving Dinner so that we can draw names for the family gift exchange. However, I think Amber was the only one who was prepared. We all made our lists there at my parents' house and drew the names. Ben and I managed to buy all the presents for our recipients online and we're having them sent to my parents' house, so that worked out really well for us. I did a lot of clothes shopping while we were there, which was really great. We ended up coming back with 2 extra suitcases. I had been reserving my purchases especially for this trip. I also brought back a few things that I had left at my sister, Amber's. Slowly but surely I'll get all my stuff moved!
It was so nice staying with Amber and Vicky. It was weird at first since we used to live there and things are sort of the same in the apartment, but sort of different, too! We slept in the living room and it was real comfy. Vicky's kitty, Jesse, was very cute and friendly and hung out with us a lot. It made me really want to get a cat, but we can't have pets where we live. It was our first time meeting Jesse, and Rhonda seems a lot calmer now that there is another cat in the house. She is still a fuzzy cootie.
Driving was odd! I haven't driven since April, and at first it seemed awkward, but I got used to it again really quickly. The car we rented was an Oldsmobile Alero and it was pretty nice. It was nice to drive around again, but it also made me appreciate how much easier it is to get around in London, and it made me feel inspired to get out and see more things here.
It was funny going to see my grandma and grandpa. It's about a three hour drive from where my parents live. My parents and David (my younger brother) and Ursula (his wife) and my parents' dog, Eva, went in one car and Tony (my older brother) and Tiffany (his wife) and me and Ben went in Tony's new car which we hadn't seen before. When we got to my grandparents' house, my grandma was sick and she was losing her voice, which was very frustrating for her. Grandpa was in good spirits and he even put in his false teeth for the occasion! Grandma found out that she has to have both hip, both knee, and both ankle joints replaced, so she was pretty bummed out. It will be a 3 year process. But it's either that or be confined to a wheelchair, which would be a bummer, too. Uncle Bill, Cousin Megan and her boyfriend Joey were there, too, so it was a real "family reunion". Megan told everyone that she and Joey are engaged to be married, and I think Uncle Bill was a bit shocked (she hadn't even told her dad yet!) Everyone seemed to be happy about the news, though.
Overall, it was great to see people I hadn't seen for a while, like my family, Vicky, Chris & Annie, Andrea E, Carla, everyone at Sexy Hair (we visited the old workplace!), Julie (who I haven't seen in something like 10 years!) It is nice to be able to get away from everyday life and spend some special time with the people I miss.
I think the thing I wish I could have done while we were in L.A. was to spend more time with Amber and Vicky, but they had to work most of the time we were there. I feel like I haven't spent good quality time with Vicky in ages. It makes me sad. I think I'm going to have to try to make more of an effort to keep in touch with her. I've been way too lazy in that department. She's knittling lots of cool scarves for gifts and it was fun because the night before we left, Vicky and Ben and I went to Andrea E's house and had dinner, and Vicky was talking to Lupe and Andrea about knitting. I think they are going to go to some knitting circles together. That makes me wish I still lived there so I could go, too. I'm sure I can find some crafty groups in London, too, though!
I was afraid that I'd miss L.A. a lot more after this trip and want to move back, but I don't really feel that way. I feel sort of like I still have a period of adjustment to get through, because I don't really feel like I belong in L.A. or London. It's nice to be home. It's nice to visit home, and it's nice to be home, too. I guess home is really an abstract concept.