"Home"

Okay, so there went NaBloPoMo...there really isn't internet in the mountains, and I was there Wednesday - Saturday. Those days were perfect though, and the drive up to the mountain house was beautiful! I arrived just after dinner, Mom and Alan and Matt were already there, so we had a nice, relaxing evening - played the Wii and pool and watched the second half of"The Family Man" with Nicolas Cage on TV.
Thursday brought my aunt and uncle and cousins, and the turkey, and the deep frier! So funny that we do that now - plop the turkey in a vat of boiling oil. Tastes good though, apparently. I, having my annual slice of turkey on the day, am not the best judge of good turkey, but everyone seems to like the flavor and moistness of a fried turkey. That's the good ole southern US for ya - nothing there is to eat that wouldn't taste better fried!

Friday we put up the Christmas tree. I think that's the earliest we've even done it, Matt had to go back to Winston to work, so that was our last chance for everyone to be there until I come back for Christmas. He left, and Mom and Alan and I spent a while analyzing the best way to renovate the kitchen for when they move up to that house. It was fun to talk it out and I think we found a good plan - it's weird to think that in just a couple years they will be up there full time! I love that house more and more every time I go, it's like I've already started moving the place in my heart that is 'home' from the Cary house to there. I think I've been doing that for a while, actually.

We went to a cute restaurant for dinner in Hillsville, and I made the (questionable) choice of eating a steak. Hick town USA is not the place to go for your once-every-six-months steak, just in case you were wondering. So stupid, shouldn't have wasted it on that. Oh well. Tomorrow starts the diet. I don't know what happened, but it's like 10 pounds just sprouted out of nowhere. So aggravating! It wasn't T-day either, they arrived a couple weeks ago.

Saturday I drove through Winston to eat lunch with Matt and check out his new house, which was cool. Then I spent the last bit of my budget for clothes and Christmas gifts at Southpoint on the way home. Okay I spent more than the last bit. I am bah-ro-oke. But shouldn't have to purchase anything to wear for the rest of the season. May WANT to, but I can actually get dressed in the mornign in less than 30 minutes now, because I have things that are warm and fit - wonderful combination!

My trek to DC to fly home was such fun! A co-worker from London who was also in town took me to Smithfield to meet my friend Carmen and her husband, who were driving up from Columbis to Richmond. Then just outside Richmond, we met my aunt Kate, who was in town from Wyoming. She drove me back to her sisters/my other aunt's house, and my cousin came over and we had a good visit - and watched SNF :) I love football. Definitely on the short list of things I really miss!

Monday I went to Montpelier with my aunts - they are renovating it to restore to how it was when the Madison's owned it, so it's cool to see all the stuff they are finding and doing.

After lunch, we packed up, drove to Yoders - coolish country store you'll find - and then on to the airport to fly me home. I love saying that about London. "I'm going home on Tuesday"...so crazy I live here!

I'll have to stop - really freakin tired