so it's been a while

We've finally gotten settled in our new house. It took a lot longer to close than expected but we're here now. Things are going well and now that everything is quieting down I finally have some time to write again.
We were without internet, and tv for several weeks and oddly enough I didn't miss it. I'm usually kind of a current events junkie. I like to know what's going on in the world but I really didn't miss it. I'm getting caught up on my news now though and trying to find a balance. Yes I should have some idea what's going on with the healthcare debate but no, I probably don't need to know the details of Jon and Kate's divorce.

Hope everyone is well and had a happy summer. Hard to believe it's fall already.

I don't like shopping. I find it stressful and annoying. I like to shop online. Lately though since I've been living with the inlaws in their not very child proof house, I find myself looking for excuses to go shopping. And since I don't have a house to buy stuff for, and we don't have much room in the fridge for food, I buy clothes. I have more clothes now than I can fit in the dresser we're using, and more than I can fit in the suitcase I brought. I need to stop shopping. But it's so nice to have an excuse to get out and do something.

Apparently there is a lot of paperwork involved in buying a house. Who knew.

We'll be staying with relatives until August at least. This is great for my checkbook but not so great for my sanity.

The weather has been nice so far. It's spring. Spring would mean more if I'd had to go through the winter here. Next year.

I haven't been writing as much as I should. It's hard to find time. (I know that's a just an excuse, but there's some truth to it.)

The kids are getting used to things here; I'm not looking forward to having to move them again in a few months.

I've missed Western New York. You don't think you'll miss the place you grew up. You know all its faults. You know it has no jobs and high taxes. You know the weather is terrible over 6 months a year. You know the canal is insanely polluted. But damn if I didn't miss that canal. I missed the old stone buildings, I missed the sense of history, I missed living in an area I "get." I liked California and it taught me a lot, but it wasn't "home." I'm happy for now to be back in my quaint little canal town with a church on every corner (even though I'm agnostic.)

So in summary: I'M HOME!!

I'm back in Upstate NY only a day later than planned. I got to spend Saturday night in Atlanta. We're here now though. Now I get to start looking for a house. But not a house that costs money, and not a house that's more than a few years old, and not one that's more than 30 minutes from where my husband will be working.
Fun

I like travel, but I really don't like airports. I especially don't like airports if I'm flying with my kids. My father-in-law flew with me so that was a big help but it still was a long trip. And everyone on the plane was coughing. I'm starting to think people do it to mess with me. They wait until there's news of a big flu outbreak and they all start coughing just to freak me out. (Not really, I'm not that paranoid. I'm sure they weren't faking. They probably just really had swine flu.)

We're here now though. We're home. Ish.

lazy

I like writing, I really do. I look forward to it all day. I do dishes while turning phrases over in my mind, just waiting for a chance to put them down on paper. I fold laundry while thinking of a perfect word. But then when I finally get a chance to write, all I want to do is sit and do nothing. Know why I'm writing a blog entry right now? I'm trying to put off packing and washing dishes. Sigh.

find yourself

So, people come to California to find themselves. It's like a cliche. The second half of the cliche has them failing horribly and leaving broke and in disgrace. You know the story.

Well I never wanted to move to California. I don't like the beach, I get sun burn, and fires and earth quakes scare me. I didn't have any real interest in "finding myself" either. I was pretty sure I wasn't lost. But to California I went. (The things we do for love...)

Well a funny thing happened one summer- I got happy. Like the content, confident, I have a handle on life sort of happy. It happened by accident. I was living alone (mostly) for the first time in my life, it was sunny, and I was walking every day. I was listening to the music I liked, buying Phish Food ice cream every week, and dancing in my living room with no one to laugh at me. I wasn't supposed to be happy. Based on the other things in my life I was probably supposed to be balled up on the couch crying, but for the most part I was happy. I didn't even notice I was happy at the time. I just was.

Well I'm leaving California in a few days, also not by choice. (The things we do for love.) And while I'll never like its crazy drivers or its constant threats of burning down I think I'm going to miss this crazy place. Thank you California. Thank you for me.