because it was probably the second worst year of my life while i was living there. this incredibly picturesque land of milk and honey. everyone stares at me wide-eyed when i say i hate it. the hate has subsided. it’s likely i never hated “it,” but rather, i hated my life during the time i lived there. but it’s true, it’s not the place for me. i prefer a metropolitan area, preferably city life, as opposed to the burbs (though with gas prices and my job being in the burbs, i might end up out there eventually).

i drove down on friday afternoon, after picking up a new camera (i got the tires free and decided to spend the money i was going to use for tires on a camera). i also bought a charger for the car, since i wouldn’t have time to charge the battery, and plugged it all in while driving. cutting open packages, hooking it all up. etc. not very smart from driving point of view, but i was desperate

i didn’t get my digital SLR, because i had bills to pay off (which, i am happy to say, are paid), but i got a very nice stand in until i get to buy the SLR. it’s a camera i will continue to use when i don’t feel like lugging the big one around (when i finally get it).

anyway. it was a hectic race against the clock, because i was scheduled to be the “official” photographer for the band (i linked to them below somewhere). they were playing at 5PM. i made it just as they began to play. the place became very crowded, everyone was dancing, and there were lots of kids around (which is nice they were allowed). the band sounded really really polished. great, in fact. the last time i’d heard them altogether was probably almost a year ago. so they’ve really tuned up their ensemble. i always loved them anyway.

i saw a bunch of my old co-workers from last year, and of course, people were happy for me that i’m back home and happy. i was miserably homesick then (not to mention that both my beloved grandparents died last year when i was away) and i am sure that did not help anyone’s impression of me. i remember thinking that i just wanted people to know me, and no one did. on the drive down, i thought about how i ran into two friends who i’d known peripherally through another great friend, for years, when i was down there alone. there was this incredible sense of relief and the feeling of “they KNOW me.” that maybe was more what it was than anything. my friends who know me, all knew it was a very hard time for me, and it didn’t affect their perception of me, but for the people who were just meeting me, the miserable homesick me would be their lasting impression. that’s how it felt.

i took about 400 photos. i had no idea i’d taken so many until we downloaded them onto A’s mac later that night. the camera has such a quick shutter–that of all things is the best thing about it. it also has 7 mp and that’s going to be a major issue for downloading to my computer. i need an external hard drive. now.

i stayed overnight and yesterday G and A had a barbeque (how do you effing spell that) and it was really nice. i feel at home with them. i always did. they took care of me when i was there. always inviting me over for dinner (G is an AWESOME cook!) and to do things with them and introducing me to their friends–all of whom were very nice too. i saw a lot of them too, yesterday, and that was nice. the party was all married couples and their small children. i was the only single person. that was also hard on me last year–despite how nice everyone is. but now, i felt completely fine with it. i didn’t feel weird or out of place. it was last year that made me feel that way.

so it was nice to go back. next time maybe i’ll stay somewhere on my own, and go hiking and all that. i never did get to take my film shots of the waterfalls, before i moved back home again. and i don’t like wandering off by myself while i am staying with my friends. i think that’s rude.

oh and let’s not forget bootsie the cat. they say i only come to visit bootsie. well, he does love me so. his eyes get real big and makes a beeline for me and my lap. in the morning, i woke up to his meowing. he was locked in the basement. but i had to laugh, because i looked over at the door and saw they’d barricaded him in with a hard drive. apparently, he’s good at opening doors. lol.

i’m home. it’s warm and sunny today. life is good