I’m sitting at a strange computer in a strange house in a strange land, surrounded by strangers, wondering where to start. So much has happened since November 7, but I can’t remember any of it, because my world shrank so dramatically on the day my Gorgeous Daughter was born in May 2007. And I began to think, “Who reads this blog, anyway? Two, maybe three people. I don’t have time for this. I wanna go play with Sam!”

A few days ago I arrived in this foreign land, and suddenly strangers approached me and said, “Oh, I know you! I read your blog. I love to read your blog, it’s so much fun!”

“Huh???!”

Then my big sister read something I wrote, and complimented my writing. That’s a big deal to me, cause she’s super smart, well educated, well read, and a writer, too! A really good writer! Thanks, Liz! My head’s so big now, I can’t get out the front door, so I’ll sit here at the strange computer and see what happens…

On December 25, 2008, Sean, Anne and Samantha (with seriously impaired judgment and lack of forethought) woke up at 4am and embarked on a 2 day journey that took them to the other side of the world. What person in their right mind would wake up at 4am pregnant and with a toddler in tow and get on a plane??? ME! Thankfully we are blessed with an amazing little girl, who charms everyone, even on her worst days, and seems to be able to roll with the punches much better than her cranky old mother!!

We arrived in Sunny Florida on December 26. Well, it wasn’t actually sunny, given that it was the middle of the night. I think we were in FL for a total of 2 days before we flew off to Pigeon Forge, TN to see David perform in his final shows as Jesus in The Miracle. The was another clear example of our dementia and insanity – to travel to a frozen wasteland before recovering from jetlag and the flu my sister had so kindly shared with us during her visit.

A month has sped by in a blur of sleepless nights, dirty nappies (aka diapers), mountains of Goldfish snacks and the latest family Christmas in History (Jan 30, 2009). And here I am sitting in this strange place, trapped by my ego induced inflated noggin…

Ahhh, California! More specifically, Silicon Valley. Strange place. Strange customs. Not to mention those strange people I count among my friends. I love visiting this place. I love to hang out with old friends, take long walks with my Darling Husband, and now my daughter. Who I love to show off to anyone who’ll take notice. This morning I got to hang out with a cool bunch of women, and found myself wishing we could stay longer just so I could be with them more often. On the surface this place is a Utopia. Then I remember what it’s like to live here, and realize that I’d never get to hang out with that group of women, or walk Samantha & Sean to the park each day. Cause I’d be working my backside off just to keep a roof over our heads and food on the table. Silicon Valley is to me perfection just out of reach. A symbol of the lifestyle you want, but in reality, completely unattainable.

Um, what just happened. This was supposed to be funny, and suddenly turned serious. I think I need to reboot the system (aka – SLEEP) and start over.