Happy New Year 2005!!

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And days of auld lang syne?
And days of auld lang syne, my dear,
And days of auld lang syne.
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And days of auld lang syne?

Lots of stuff to write about today...we'll start with the Big Move.

On Monday, obviously, we packed the contents of a house into a moving van. We stayed at the Residence Inn in Folsom that night and Tuesday night. We decided that Tuesday would be a good day to relax before driving to Washington.

On Tuesday, we said an emotional goodbye to our wonderful neighbors, the Friday family, saw a movie, and did some resting and relaxing.

Wednesday morning found us on the road at 7:45 or so. We took I-5 from Sacramento straight North to Washington. It took us 14 hours and several stops to potty, eat junk food, and stretch our legs. Dad drove the whole 14 hours; Mom and I took turns driving my Protege with the cats in the back.

Millie and Maggie were such troopers! They barely cried...just slept and watched the world go by most of the day. I guess they figure we've gone mad, shuttling them from home to a hotel, to a car, to a condo.

We pulled into the condo at about 10:00 at night, exhausted and road-weary. It's a nice enough place--Mom and Dad will be comfortable here for a month or so, until the new house is finished.

Speaking of the new house...Mom and Dad took me to see it on Thursday morning. It is beautiful! It's in a natural landscape--Douglas firs, a creek, a nearby pond...The neighborhood is lovely and the house itself is gorgeous. I took loads of pictures and hope to post them soon. There are three bedrooms, a loft room (Mom's sewing room) and three-and-a-half bathrooms. Next Christmas Mom and Dad will easily be able to accomodate Aaron and Susanne and me.

Now that I've seen the house, I'm certain Mom and Dad will be happy in Washington.

Crash Course in all these places and spaces...

Sacramento, California -- The place we left.

Bremerton, Washington -- Navy town, where Mom and Dad are temporarily staying. About a 1-hour ferry ride from Seattle.

Port Ludlow, Washington -- About a half hour drive from Bremerton, and where Mom and Dad's house is located. It's a tiny village and the population will top off at about 3,000 people.

Seattle

Yesterday, Mom and Dad took me to Seattle. All I can say is, "Wow!!"

I had never been to Seattle, and it is a lovely city.

(I hope to have my photos up soon).

We took the 9:00 Bremerton-Seattle ferry and left in a shroud of fog. The further we got into the sound, the more the fog lifted, and pretty soon I got some gorgeous sunrise pictures. The waterways are pretty intricate, so we could not see Seattle right away. About 30 minutes into the ride, however, we came around a bend and there was the Seattle skyline (Space Needle and all!). It was clear, sunny, and gorgeous out.

The ferry ride took an hour, and I must have taken 50 pictures on my new digital camera. As soon as I can get them up at my Picturetrail account (I'm working on it!), I will post them.

Mom and Dad took me to see Pike's Place Market--a colorful and exciting market with fresh flowers, fresh produce, and fresh fish. It's much like Fisherman's Wharf in some ways. There are also several people selling art, jewelry, you name it.

We spent a couple of hours poking around the market and surrounding shops, and then drove over towards the Space Needle so I could get a few pictures.

I can't get over how clean Seattle is. There's very little litter or grafitti. It is a lovely city, and I would love to spend more time there (but it still doesn't surpass London in my heart...).

On the ferry ride back, the boat slowed down at one point and someone came over the speakers telling us that a pod of orcas had been spotted up ahead. Of course, all passengers rushed to the front of the ferry and cheered as the orcas spouted and dove and coasted along. It was wonderful! A perfect end to a lovely day.

New Year's Eve

Of course, yesterday was New Year's Eve, and we had plans for the evening. We had a couple of hours at the condo to relax, then we drove up to Sequim, about an hour from Bremerton, to visit some old military friends of my parents who were having a dinner party. We stayed until 9:00, opting to beat the drunk drivers and get home at a reasonably safe time. I was home by 10:30, showered and fast asleep by 11:00!

Coming Home...

Tomorrow is the day I leave for England...I'm looking forward to being back in my routine. I have so many stories to tell, and American goodies to share!! I admit, more and more each day I start to feel like Burnham-on-Crouch is home. Every time I leave it, I'm happy to come back to it. And I feel that I'm making a difference at St. Peter's High School--enough that it makes me want to stick around and see what else I can do.

And isn't it funny how you have to step away from a place to realize that it is really where you want to be?

So this is entirely unofficial, but I think I might stay there a while...

I have had a wonderful time on my trip home. It has been crazy and hectic but I have enjoyed it so much. I got to spend quality (if not quantity) time with my girlfriends, a lot of quality time with my parents, and I had lots of Millie cuddles (which always makes me happy).

I also got to visit a state (Washington) I'd never seen, and a fabulous city (Seattle).

I've made a Target run (how I've missed Target...), a Mervyn's run, and I've had some good Mexican food. I've driven a car (and realized I truly did not miss driving one bit in England!!).

I have had good gossips with my friends, hugged the people I care about, said my goodbyes to Folsom, and eaten Hershey's Kisses.

I have gone through my CDs (old friends!!), reunited with my clarinet, laughed with my parents, and marvelled at how huge the grocery stores are.

I have looked the wrong way when crossing the street, and laughed at myself and muttered, "You're sooo English."

It has been a great trip.

And now I'm going home...