Wow is it hot!

Finally made it home for a much needed vacation. I have become quite accustomed to working three months and then taking a month off. So, extending this contract and not having my month off has been difficult. Traveling back home across the country was an all day affair. All of my flights were delayed but I managed to arrived only 30 minutes behind schedule. As I walked out of the airport in New Orleans, I suddenly remembered something...heat and humidity. I instantly felt that sticky, hot feeling. My hair screamed and frizzed out. Ah, to be back in the south.

Anyway, moving along. Visiting with my family and friends was wonderful. I just needed some more time. You don't realize how much you miss everyone until you are around them. My niece and nephews are growing like weeds but are so much fun. My dad is up to his nose in tomatoes right now. My mom is enjoying her new dining room table which is so big my nephew designated the chairs at each end as the "king and queen" chairs. My brother is all geared up for football (he is a coach). Life as we all know it, stops during football season. My sister is busy with the boys, and they are a handful-cute-but a handful.

Life in the south is just as I remember it, except for one thing. I cannot forget to mention my house. I have a new tenant in my house that I am currently renting out. So, I wanted to do a walk through to make sure that she was taking care of things. When I left my house a year and a half ago, it was cute, manicured, and one of the nicest houses on the block. Let's just say that I was very disappointed when I did my first drive by. The house is hiding behind all of the over grown plants. The yard needs to be mowed. There is a basketball goal just sitting in the front yard. There are some metal things laying up against the side of the house. And I most certainly cannot leave out the large cement lion statues that are sitting in front of the house at the edge of the sidewalk, my ranch style house. The lions are very out of place. Hopefully my chat with the tenant and the rental company will correct all of that. The real bummer of my whole trip was the gaping hole in my house from rotting wood that now has to be repaired. Oh the joys of owning a home.

I finally made it back to Oregon but only after rescheduling my flights about five different times. Flying across the country is no easy task. I am not looking forward to returning to work but I am looking forward to more exploring. I already miss my family and friends from back home and I am looking forward to returning again in October. Hope everyone is doing well.