Crashbox

A little over a week, just under three thousand miles, and a somewhat violent stomach flu later, I am back in the Golden State and nearly home. And though California is now home for me, (and I am glad to have it so) I am still sad that it is all over and I will miss my Northwest loved ones much. Christmas was excellent. I spent a day helping Dad fix his van, spent a lot of time with my siblings, and went snowboarding for the first time in over two years. It's not as if I didn't already love them tons, but it seems I continue to grow in love and understanding for my family every time I go home, no matter how many times I travel back and forth. Then came the flu, which would have really sucked, but I had lots of sympathy and a warm bed with blankets and things to snuggle, so it wasn't too bad. Unfortunately I was no longer in a condition to eat all the delicious home-cooked food, but there were French films and careful cups of tea to soothe the pain. On the last day Popsicle Toes and I sang and played guitar in a freezing parking lot and at the end of the song my chord fingers wouldn't work anymore; but I didn't mind, that's the stuff the very best memories are made of. Fifteen hours of rainy freeway and then six hours of ten-mile-per-hour traffic on the way back to So-Cal just about did me in, but I had a warm car and warm thoughts...Thank the Good Lord for a wonderful trip