In Appreciation...

Well this is what could be my final post from California - the house is in disarray, boxes everywhere, various half-finished "To Do" lists about the house, packing materials and tape guns scattered around, however, in the absence of the children and husband (they went out to buy lunch and get a haircut for Thomas), I am taking some brief time to blog a bit.

I'd like to express my thanks for the many things and people who have made our stay here a wonderful and fulfilling experience. It has been a great 10 years, and the other night, Ron and I were actually able to get over our apprehension over the move enough to reminisce a bit, which of course got me to thinking about all the people and things I will miss about California.

Now, most of you know the "things" I will miss, the beautiful vibrant city, the grassy hills, the extraordinary beaches with their breathtaking views, the peaceful and majestic redwoods, the abundant wildlife, the fresh organic produce (you all know about Berkeley Bowl by now), the food!!! But I pay them appropriate homage on a regular basis, sometimes omitting the importance of the people we have known...

So I'd like to say Thank you to all of our friends out here, who have been like family, Janis Ing, Teri Ferrell, Lisa Rivera, and Ed and Donna Manguiat and their kids Jeannine and Peter, all of Ron's extremely supportive Schwab colleagues (Judith, Fe, Carmen), Anna and Isabelle (Thomas first "girlfriend"), Richard, my friends and Thomas' from playgroup, Linda and Alex, Jeanette and Nathan and Dylan and Aidan, Matt and Jonathan and Daniel, Gigi and Gianna, and Alexis and McKenna. And to those friends who were a big part of our lives but we don't see much of or have already moved on, Peg, Paul, Mike and Misty, Paul and April, Dennis and Fran, and of course Val - and especially Lisa Barbot and Erica Bornstein and Elijah Aneesh - whom I rarely see anymore but still miss whole bunches!!! And to Jennifer and Alicia (and George and Derek and Kyla), who regularly made the trip up here while she was still in LA, and who paved the path by being the first brave one to leave Massachusetts - and whom I can't wait to see again.

Thank you to our family, who visited us as much as was possible considering their busy schedules, and kept in touch with phonecalls and lots of support over the years. Of course thanks to our parents, and our sisters. Especially Auntie Cheryl who has been the closest family we have had over the past 10 years, visiting regularly, always bearing gifts, and her own special brand of humor. And while we have had our moments, Cheryl and I, I still appreciate the support she has shown us, and perhaps have never told her how wonderful a sister she is to Ron, and what a great Auntie she is to Thomas and Ethan and how much I appreciate her always being here for us.

But most of all, I need to thank Ron - for so many things...

For getting up that night back in October 1995 and leaving everything he knew to come with me on my madcap adventure to California...

For supporting me endlessly throughout our time here, like allowing me to work for minimum wage at Marine World Africa because I hated being an admin so much...

For putting me through school at San Jose State, and sitting with me while I interviewed all those people for my Master's thesis, for going through the phone books with me, picking out random people using a random number table, for waiting 5 years for me to finish writing it...

For loving me through everything we have been through...

For giving me two beautiful children, and loving them and caring for them...

For some really great *%x!!! (I guess this one should come before the children one)...

For challenging me every step of the way...

For just being him...

And most of all, for making yet another move, at a time where he is even more comfortable than he was when we left Massachusetts. We have some more great times in front of us, and while there will be some tough times too, I know that we can make it through anything... 143...

Oops - timer going off - back to packing - in the words of the immortal Tigger - TTFN!

Pusillanimous Post

So now I have been accused of making "unfair" comments about my in-laws.

Of course the pusillanimous poster signed the comment "anonymous" - but of course I know it can only be one of my in-laws - as my family member are most definately not online at this time - they are both busy (in my Mom's case preparing for her lobster cookout, or in my sister's case taking care of her two kids) - and I can't either of them imagine spending time during the middle of a beautiful Saturday, reading my blog and making such a pithy comment. Plus, they both know of the concerns I have on both subjects as we have talked at length about them. And of course it has to be someone who I know and who knows us intimately, otherwise they wouldn't assume the comments were unfair.

So my assumption is that the culprit is winging her way here as we speak! I could be wrong (Yes I have been known to be wrong a time or two) - it could actually be Ron, he was online at the time the comment was sent - but of course Ron has other tastes in surfing - and I doubt he'd be bothered enough by the minor mention to bother making a comment, if he even cared enough to read the blog. Now, if I am wrong - well then my effusive apologies...

So - what exactly did I say that was unfair? Well - nothing - I merely told the truth - now perhaps it was an ugly truth - and perhaps it was a mean-spirited truth - but the truth it was nonetheless. I am afraid I am nothing if not candid, and isn't that the purpose of a blog? While Thomas was growing up, he was often referred to as a "Mama's boy" - I repeatedly explained to those who used the term that I found the term offensive, and that it was unfair, trying to explain that his clinginess was a natural part of his development. But, my explanations were for naught, and inevitably when he was a young toddler, everytime he went running to me for comfort, that unpleasant comment was uttered, and I had to grit my teeth and listen to it. And of course those of you who know Thomas now, know that he certainly doesn't warrant that awful label!

The only other comment I can construe as being unfair is the "chagrin" of my in-laws in regards to our upcoming move, and perhaps the lucrative comment - now I can't imagine that is unfair, as they have openly expressed their feelings that we should not be doing this (moving that is), and have rarely had a positive thing to say about it. And there are no bones about the fact that it all is about the money, it's what they are concerned about. What will Ron do for work...Where will he work...How will you pay the health insurance...How will you live...What about money...

There have been no comments like - Wow - you are going back to school that's great! You are going to fulfill your lifelong dream and become a doctor!

OR - Wow - you guys will be able to afford a house - and to get out of that rotten apartment life you have lived for SOOOO long!

OR Great - the kids will finally be able to have a yard, and will not have to listen to police sirens, and the people upstairs banging around all night!

OR - Well at least Ron will finally be able to advance his career! - because even those of our friends here who have worked at Schwab admit that he has hit his glass ceiling and will go nowhere within the infrastructure of Schwab, and that (contrary to popular beliefs) Schwab is not the be-all end-all job! They all also think it's a great thing for us to do!

OR - That's great - Thomas and Ethan will be able to visit their Lola and Papa!! Even my mother, who also expresses her fears about our fiscal stability, says - "But aren't they excited that their grandkids will be closer to them" - which as many of you know is one of the major reasons we are moving back East - to be close - or at least closer to our families and so that Thomas and Ethan can get to know their Aunties and Uncles and Grandparents... But for some reason - and perhaps it IS unfair of me to point to cultural biases, they can't get past the money issue.

So I say to you "Anonymous Poster" the only thing that is unfair is that I am brave enough to post my thoughts in the open where everyone can see them, and sign my name to them proudly. And that you censure me behind the behind the guise of an anonymous post.