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!