Sunday, January 2, 2011

Greetings from California

I didn't bring the camera with me, so don't look for any photos of this trip.  I figured I'd be spending most of my time in a hospital room with my mom, or in her apartment so I didn't bother.  I did however bring the GPS with me.  The GPS that I won't be using because I lost my license at the airport in Providence before I even got to the security check.  I checked my baggage with the skycap outside and got my boarding pass, and a split second after he handed my license back to me, I lost it.  I made it through security because I had my social security card and my Sam's Club id with my picture on it.  I'm getting lots of info about calling airport security, or the local police to get a temporary id so I can get back on the plane, but so far I'm running into a lot of dead ends.

The flight itself was very smooth.  After I dried my tears, said goodbye to my boys and cleared security, I heard my name being called on the intercom telling me that my plane had boarded and that they were waiting for me.  I made it on board and found a seat with two really friendly women.  We chatted for a bit and they helped me to relax about the whole ID thing.  Then after arriving in Chicago, we re-fueled and re-boarded.  I ended up with a teenage crocheter sitting right next to me, working on a pineapple blanket from a chart that she sketched of her grandmother's couch throw.  She was working with a skein of Cascade 220 in light blue (and if you know me, you know that I love the Cascade 220), but her skein got tangled into a mess.  Since we were on such a long flight, and because I took a liking to her, I untangled the skein and wound it into a ball for her.  I worked on my husband's sock and read a book I picked up from the library.  There was no food to speak of on the flight and instead of giving me a can of soda, I got a very small cup of flat soda, but other than that the flight was smooth and we got in a little early.  I ended up taking a shuttle home (to the tune of $53) as I couldn't pick up the rental car.  After getting settled in and eating some of the worst Chinese food I've ever had, I passed out at 7:30 PST.

The next morning I woke up at 4:45am, stiff and sore.  My mom's neighbor took me to the grocery store and I got groceries to last me for a little while.  I forgot how cheap fresh fruit and veggies are out here, but gas was more expensive.  We stopped at the gas station and the cheapest gas was $3.15 a gallon!  And also, I got carded when I went to get cigarettes for my mom...and I don't have my ID, lol.  So I just got some cash back and sent her in to get them herself.  You know, I was just really depressed by how bad this place has gotten.  I don't remember it being this bad when I lived here 10 years ago.  It's like no one had done anything to take care of anything since I left.  It's so bad.  I wonder how people I knew in high school can still stand to live here.  After I go home, if I never had to come back here again it wouldn't break my heart.

I went to church today at my old ward where I was baptised.  I went with my old friends the Knudson's and it was so nice to see them.  It was like I just saw them yesterday, only the kids grew into giants.  We went in and everything was so much smaller than I remember.  We sat in the meeting and I watched their boys pass the sacrament, and I was thinking about how Dante might have been doing that today too at home.  I always thought it would be relaxing be at church without the kids but it wasn't.  I really missed them.  Then Rebecca asked me if I would go up and bare my testimony with her and I said "okay".  After we got up there she said that she didn't think I'd do it, lol.  It was really nice to be able to share my testimony with the ward where I first joined the church, even if most of the members had moved away by then.  When the meeting was over, I stayed for Sunday School and got my brand new lesson book.  It was fun to be starting off fresh with everyone else.  The class was really enlightening and I enjoyed it.  Then it was off to Relief Society where we talked about the theme for the year, and listened to a talk from the Bishop.  Lastly, I was able to sit in on the ordination of a new Deacon.  I stood next to Rebecca's middle son and discovered that he towered over me (he's 16 and 6'3"!).  He's been frozen in my mind at 6-years old.  Then they took me home and now here I am, updating this blog.  I'll be knitting while I'm here (thank goodness I packed a suitcase full of yarn!) and I'll be working on school.  I'll be taking advantage of my time without a 4-year old to sleep in a little bit, and hopefully I'll get a chance to see a few old friends.  Stay tuned and I'll try to post regularly while I'm here.

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