ammogirl

When we were in So Cal at my seesters the weather stayed beautiful the entire time.  Like, t-shirt weather.  When the entire rest of the country was plunged in a new ice age.  Weird.  Anyway, every day started with Toni and I going on a 5 mile power walk, which included three sets of hills that were about a mile long and as high as Mt. Everest.  This punishment, however, was necessary, because OMG THE EATING AND DRINKING. 

The girls, per their request, got money for Christmas presents this year, necessitating many trips to the mall and resulting in a logistical packing nightmare.  Lindsey?  Can shop.  This situation made for a very quick present opening session and left us with time to catch a Christmas day while dinner was being cooked–the boys went to Valkyrie, and I took the girls to see Marley and Me.  Awww…so good.  I read the book so I knew what happened but still I cried and cried.  I was actually really surprised that Owen Wilson pulled off that role–he’s not so much the serious actor, yeah? In fact, the first ten minutes of the movie found me cringing as he got comfortable with himself, and I was sure I wasn’t going to be able handle seeing manufactured chemistry between him and Ms. Aniston (WHO WAS AWESOME OMG when did Rachel Green become such a great actress) but it worked out.  LOVED IT.  

We played some sort of game almost every night, either Imaginiff (fun) or Partini (…fun the first time), and one night we went to the Indian Casino and did not win.  And that was the first part of my trip, and I know that was not a very interesting or descriptive or funny rundown but A) it’s been awhile and B) a lot of the time, the fun I have while with my sister sort of doesn’t lend itself to description.  In other words, you wouldn’t get it. Trust me.  

We rented a car (or my parents rented it for us) and drove up north on the 28th, thinking we were going to hit miles of traffic, I mean, I-5 on the Sunday after Christmas?  Hello!  But THERE WAS NOTHING.  There was not one inch of traffic.  Oh!  OH!  Do you have any idea, ANY, of how hard it is to drive American speed limits after living in Germany?  My GOD we drive slow in the States.  John thought he got caught at one point, due to the CHP car going in the opposite direction driving through the median to get behind us, but nothing ever happened.  Maybe that’s because the cop knew that we were awesome.  ”Oh, it’s THEM?  They’re too awesome for tickets.  Disregard.”  Anyway, instead of the long traffic-filled drive we were expecting when we left the house at 6am, we made it in record time to the Sacramento airport, where we turned in the rental and John’s dad picked us up and drove us home.  Paradise, in Northern California, was not experiencing balmy temperatures.  We stayed at John’s sister’s house in Magalia, in her and her husband’s awesome place in the woods.  It has a guest house.  EVERYONE should have a guest house.  Because do you know what there is in guest houses?  PRIVATE BATHROOMS FOR GUESTS.  Which makes it so much easier for any guests that might have bathroom issues.  Should there be a guest like that.  

Do you remember last year when I told you about our dear, dear Sam having colon cancer and subsequently passing away?  He was a builder, and he built this house himself, and I know he is happy knowing that Christy and Brian are raising their boys in it.  

Speaking of those boys OMG THOSE BOYS.  You guys.  Remember a while back when I had baby fever?  My nephew Ty is 2 1/2 and Chase was SEVEN WEEKS OLD.  I instantly wanted a baby and started haraunging John.  He stood firm but holy crap, Ty and Chase are awesome.  Little boys are so fun!  Ty is shy, and I worked on him the entire time, trying to get him to soften up towards me, like LOVE ME TY, PLEASE, and finally towards the end, after running around a pool table with him for 30 minutes, copying everything he did, including LOW CRAWLS UNDER THINGS, he decided that I am the BEST AUNTIE EVER.  

The baby, though.  Sighhhh.  You know how some babies don’t like certain people to hold them?  Chase and I, we were homies.  I had no problem giving Christy breaks, and would hold him hold him hold him up until the point that I did not come in handy, i.e. breastfeeding time.

Oh jeez, it’s time for me to get in the shower.  But I swear I think the jet leg is wearing off (I haven’t been up past 8ish the entire week, and on Monday was out for the count on the couch by 6pm)(of course, I had been awake since 1am), and I will finish up my brief synopsis of my vacay, and post pics.  Probably not tonight, though, I have tennis.  I am so over tennis lessons, if you are wondering.  

Tschuss!!