Home again

I'm sitting in my mom's kitchen, on a balmy (it's so nice to be warm again!!!) evening - Maggie and Jed are finalizing the list of RSVPs and Mom is unpacking the dishwasher. It's a big house, but we are all in the kitchen - cause that's what you do. I feel like I have to be in the same room as everyone else - I might miss something!

It's so nice to be back in Alameda. It's all those unspoken things that just feel so right - but I didn't know I was missing. Know what I mean?

We moved into this house in June 1983, and it and this neighborhood haven't changed much. Enough so that it doesn't feel dated, but not enough so that it doesn't feel like a part of me when I'm here. I walked down to the market this evening (for triscuits and pepper jck cheese - YUM!) and just drank in everything. The spot in our neighbor's yard where I 'ran away to' when I was 8 or 9. (I packed a bag and everything, but was home for dinner). The houses that have been added to over the years so that seem to fill up more of the lots than they ever did when I was a kid. The trees that are SO big now - and I remember when they were planted. The elementary school that looks soooo small now. The house where I used to babysit a little boy - remembering the one night I invited my boyfriend over while the parents were still out. The park here we took swimming lessons. It's all still here.

And I've been able to do normal things here - drive the truck, pump the gas, watch a movie on my mom's TV, have a cat to sleep with at night, wash the car. It all just fits.

Granted - there's a little more stress - no, intensity's more the right word, cause it's not really stress (yet) because of the wedding in 5 days, but even that seems okay. At least right now. We'll see how it goes as more family arrives in town and 2pm Saturday gets closer.

The biggest thing I've noticed that's different here from Canberra is how we get in the car for every errand. The Borders is one town, the craft store is at a different mall than the clothe store. Everything is car-based. I walked to the market this afternoon and it was weird - it'd been a while since I'd walked that route. Like since middle school when we walked to school. After high school we drove everywhere. But - the driving's come right back to me - no problem. I even parallel-parked the truck today - like a glove!

Things I've checked off the food list: A real meican burrito in LA. check. A diet Dr. Pepper. (one every day so far). check. Triscuits. check. Pepper jack cheese. check. Real sun tea. check.

Still to do... pizza, lemonade, a real burger. Clothes shopping!!!!

Oh yeah - and a wedding. :)