(Actually, we came on Friday, but thank you anyway, Neil. I guess it's my own fault I'm a little behind.)
Yes, here we are back in the United States, God bless them every one. Land of the free, home of the brave. Where every public restroom has hot water in the taps (woo hoo!), and where you can buy soda and chewing gum at the gas station, hardware store AND Circuit City (why?).
It's great to be back. I'm not nearly as mortified by all the gigantic SUVs as I thought I'd be, maybe because I had mentally prepared for it. And it's great to be able to walk into a supermarket and know exactly where we'll be able to find the peanut butter. (Got your Skippy Extra-Crunchy, Harro!) And where, even if we didn't know where to find the peanut butter, we wouldn't hesitate to ask because most everyone here speaks English!
And it's good to be back in my in-laws' house, although I realize I'm not pulling my share. They're hosting dinner tonight for us, my sister-in-law and her husband who are also staying here, and my parents who are driving up from Pinehurst. Uhmuhni, who started cooking immediately after we ended dinner last night, got up again from midnight to 4am to cook some more because she was afraid there wouldn't be enough time this afternoon. I am a bad daughter-in-law; I should have helped her out last night after dinner instead of watching The Sound of Music and discussing the merits of "Climb Every Mountain" and "Something Good" with Andrea. (There are so few compared to "The Lonely Goatherd.") Maybe I can make it up to her this afternoon.
I thought of you and MCH on Saturday evening while watching Sound of Music... Nothing like thinking about Julie Andrews being toasted while spinning at the top of the mountain...
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Posted by: Amanda | December 25, 2006 at 10:59 PM