Um, maybe this was a bad idea. I was dreading coming to the Huenited States for a couple reasons. First the insane frozen freezingness (why oh why, are we visiting in WINTER???) and also the TSA demons.
When you’re living in the land of frozeness, how do you decide when to take a shower? During the summer we take 2 a day and even in winter we’re swimming or running or cycling so that takes care of the need to shower, but when it is too cold to do anything, how do you decide? I just can’t justify getting even COLDER with water when I just don’t see a need.
At the rate the rain continues to fall we’re going to need an ark. Why is it still dark at 6:30 in the morning here? We have grey sky at 5am and sun at 6, but I’m looking outside at 6:30 pacific time and the sky is black.
You literally cannot drink enough water here. I know people say they drink a lot of water when they come to the Caribbean, and in the winter we generally slack off the water pounding but here in the frozen great north I cannot drink enough water. My throat is constantly dry and everything else, lips, skin, etc. is in the same state. We had super low humidity (65%, 45%) before we left – seriously like DESERT dryness – so I thought I’d be ready for the lack of humidity, but even raining here it is bone dry.
Is it possible to complain and bitch enough about the California frozen north? I think probably yes. My folks are in the REAL frozen north, with my sister in Minneapolis so they will now be given the floor for serious complaining. I’ve been keeping up on the weather at Steve’s blog and it just looks like puffy white stuff to me – I really cannot begin to comprehend weather like that. My sister is healing well. She has had her 2nd opinion with a Sarcoma center and while I know she has many chemicals and more surgery in her future, I am confident she has a good team behind her.
My other sister was a DREAM (as usual) when we arrived. I had been quite worried about the new “enchanced” TSA “patdowns” where they have been accused (and sued) with squeezing testicles, stroking penises, grabbing labia and bruising breasts all in the name of terrorism. I was especially worried about the kids and had reservations in place to drive from DFW (our first US landing) to California if TSA pushed their case with the kids. There were reports that they weren’t being heavy handed with the kids under 12 but I doubt I would have been able to rein in mother bear if they even thought of putting their hands inside my daughter’s underwear (another choice method of theirs). Luckilly for us they were on their best holiday behavoir (and I also researched ahead of time to find out which terminals and gates to go through at DFW to avoid the CancerPornoscan and as such the risk of TSA oh-so-special sexual assault (AKA “pat down”).
So we all made it quite easily, getting up at 2:30 am, driven to the airport by our lovely neighbor, waiting for INS to clear Jesse to fly (we all have FM3s except him and lost his FMM) and sleeping through the flight. Kilo presented no problems at all and American treated us well.
After landing in DFW we had to recheck our luggage and go through customs and immigration. Normally, US Customs and Immigration are staffed with the most sour of the sourpusses. Seriously it seems like a national crime for these guys to smile or act like humans. However, we got an older lovely gentleman for Immigration who had lived in the Bahamas with his family and totally understood what a “stockup” trip was and why were were traveling so incredibly light. I also had the kids hide Kilo (the dog) as much as possible as all our paperwork was in Spanish and while we were perfectly legal and had jumped through both Mexican and US hoops, it would just have been easier if we didn’t have to deal with the dog issue. So he was in his carrier and Pike’s winter jacket flopped perfectly over the carrier making our entry just a smidge easier.
Our SF-bound flight split us up into 3 groups of 2. Ellen and I were seated next to one of the thousands of soldiers who had come through Immigration and Customs at the same time we did and he was dead tired. She was not willing to give up her window seat to this guy but after we took off Jesse and Sissy kindly changed places with us so the solider AND Ellen could have window seats (and he was able to sleep much easier next to the bulkhead). I was happy to see that Jesse was able to separate our shared vitriol for the war from the soldiers fighting it.
When Jamie and the kids had gone north to celebrate Maca’s 100th with her they stocked up on jackets but upon arrival at SFO my sister met us with TWO SUITCASES full of hats and gloves and more warm clothes besides BUCKETS of food and water. I have to say I wasn’t surprised at all. She is such a caring and loving person. Thus fortified with warm clothing and most excellent food in our bellies we headed to her home.
The house was still under construction but they now have a basement that can be reached from the INSIDE of the house (the stairs were fashioned by my brother the day we arrived) and it is really coming together. You really can’t get a good feel for their progress except in person.
Jamie dragged me out for a bike ride about a week after we arrived and if I was not already completely and utterly frozen, I was on the downhill of that ride. I vowed never to leave the comfort of a heated room again, but he got more layers and a baclava to wear under my helmet and the day after Christmas, with knickers and tights on the bottom and 4 layers + windjacket and baclava on top I was not frozen and actually enjoyed the ride. It was up and then 13 minutes down. I enjoyed the up much more than the down but am ready to go again.
And a good thing as I’ve shocked myself at the kilos I’ve packed on in a short week’s time. I cannot believe the abandon I’ve used to attack mounds of cookies and candy and my belly firmly presents FIRST now. So to the hills I must take in the hopes of holding off more holiday damage.
We’re here until just after the new year and just beginning to acclimate – we’ve already switched over to Pacific time and it is going to be incredibly hard going back to Central for we night owls, especially Jesse who gets up at 5:30 am for school. My folks come back from frozen Minnesota tonight so this will have to be the last hurrah for my bitching about the weather. (but dayum it is COLD here!)
