Back in Nippon

I am now back. I thought I would list the highlights of being home. I am terribly jet lagged and trying hard to stay awake until 10 p.m. Lot's to accomplish between now and then, but right now, this may be all I can muster the energy for...

California

my nephews

father's turkey dinner

brother's Italian pasta dinner

hiking to Inspiration Point with Kathryn

playing Wii with Julian

wine tasting with Todd

Licky Lila the dog

seeing Anita and John

seeing Jenna (and Robin after 25+ years)

listening to my nephews karaoke

driving the old Merz

long talks with my sister-in-law

annoying my brother Todd

making nephew Ian laugh (a rare occurrence nowadays)

Mexican food

seeing my brother at the studio

amazing salads

Sees assorted chocolates

drinking Carol tea

Virginia

giving Brian and Karen a vacation

learning about my family's history (see some below)

Zach reading to me

Zach's various Zachisms (see next post)

long talks with Lexi

Lexi confiding in me ("Catie, can I talk to you?")

driving a minivan with kids in it to the grocery store and holding hands with Zach in the parking lot

fixing healthy meals for the family 

changing, bathing, and otherwise caring for my mother

treating the family for 10 days

helping to go through the storage unit (sorry I couldn't help more)

annoying brother Brian

the tread mill (didn't gain a pound, but managed to eat many a yummy thing!)

fighting about who is Mom's favorite with Brian (Brian, you know I am her favorite!)

tucking Zach in at night

Lucy the dog

seeing Kate and Jen

the family talking to Hiro on the phone

having Zach read to me or when he wasn't in the mood watching game shows while running on the treadmill (Yes, I am a Loser, but the fun competition, suspense and people loosing their shit when they win something is just so damned exciting)

baby back ribs

lights at the Botanical Gardens

drinking Sam Adams

Things I didn't get to do

go to a movie

eat a steak (but I managed to have Tilapia 3 times!)

eat Ben and Jerry's

talk to Rachael or Megan

renew my license

see Paw-Paw

Things I learned

My sister-in-law needs more support in caring for Mom

I'll probably be a good mother

My family has entered a new stage- the stage of dealing with teenagers

My Mom's mother's family is from Italy (Champione) and Spain (Solis)

Some of our Italian ancestors fought at Waterloo

We have a great grandfather whose family settled in Syracuse NY (where eldest brother, Bob, has settled)

My great great grandmother on my Mom's side was the first female post mistress in Texas

I no longer cringe when I think about moving back to the States

Things I missed about Japan

Hiro

my pillow and bed

sleeping next to Hiro, holding hands while falling asleep

speaking Japanese

EXCELLENT CUSTOMER SERVICE

Things I miss about America:

My family

central heating

dryers