Over here, it's already tomorrow!

Jaime, it's your birthday right now, and I am thinking of you. I miss you my sister, and I wish I could have been there with you to play "True Colors". I was thinking about that game actually . . . were you still "a cactus" I bet not. Anyway . . . I so miss you and had a low moment today after spending quality time with Rachael for two days when she dropped me off at Bruce's and I walked into an empty house and the homesickness for my own sister, my phone, my reality TV shows came crashing in . . . did you know there are 3 whole channels here? And they show the exact same thing on 2 of them at the same time! And it's stuff like Extreme Home Makeover from 5 seasons ago and last season's Grey's Anatomy. They've never even heard of TiVo . . . and when I tried to convince them it was the wave of the future they thought I was crazy.

It's been a wet 2 days. It poured all day yesterday and Rachael (Bruce & Margaret's youngest daughter) came to get me in the morning for some girl time. I hadn't seen her since my last trip and when she came to the door her first words were "my, you're gorgeous!" then we hugged like old friends. She thought I was pretty entertaining when I tried to get into the car on her driver's side- "my dear," she said, "this is a New Zealand car!"
We spent time at the Westfield Mall (yeah they made it here) and then walked downtown through the shops there hopping in & out of the rain. A local vendor stopped me after looking at the wool-lined Ugg boots that Jaime gave me before I left. "Aren't your feet hot then?" He asked. Nope. If it's under seventy degrees and raining where I am from this is how I dress. "Okay then" He said. "Staying long?"
Rachael just smiled at the exchange as if she was dying to ask me the same questions. I, on the other hand was incredibly comfy! (Thanks Yaim).

It was great to spend time with Rachael. We haven't ever hung out together alone before now. She told me a little bit about how having Brandon at 16 has affected her life - how she missed out on growing up and finding out who she is. Now she's identified as "Brandon's Mum" or "Shane's partner" and that she's always studied things in school subjects that might impress her parents so they could forgive her for having a baby so early. "That didn't work." She wasn't sad about it when she spoke, it was just as if she was telling me about a piece of her personality- something simple . . . I loved her for it. I've always been dying to know her side of things. She doesn't think she'll have more kids. She's eager to go back to school when Brandon is more independent to become a speech therapist. She loves teaching & working with special needs kids.

We stopped in on Brandon's school and I got the full tour, then we went to her home and she reluctantly showed me around (she hadn't cleaned it up for visitors). It was very cute and small. Her dog Tyson, a Rottweiler/Lab mix greeted us and shoved his 100lbs. body onto my lap then moaned when her cat Diablo came over to demand our attention. I LOVED that dog. I loved him because I knew my brother would have instantly been rolling around on the floor with him, my sister would have scratched his rump and squealed "pooch!" while Tyson (my brother in law) would have politely smiled and quietly resented the fact that this big annoying dog shared his name.

Today was spent at Shakespear (spelled with no "e") Bay with Margaret, Rachael, Brandon & all the kids from Brandon's school. It was this incredibly large reserve with tons of grass and rolling hills littered with cows, sheep, and peacocks - all surrounding a beach (my first kite-surfer spotting). The kids were from 5 yrs to 12 and they gathered to play rugby and cricket and they were all different colors, mixed with Maori, Asian, Indian, Black . . . absolutely uninterested in anything but sports- pausing for the occasional snack. The girls who weren't batting for cricket were building sand castles on the beach while the older boys crashed face first into each other, skidded, plowed, and tackled without one fight, complaint, or tear.

Not one kid ever complained even after being dragged through the grass and thrown hard onto the ground. I made a mental note that if I ever have boys I would remember this day. I am always worried that I'll be one of those annoying mom's that freak when her kids get hurt. Today reminded me that kids- especially boys are grid-iron tough.

I asked Brandon to take a picture of me and his Mum and he said "Ah- This is a flash camera." I told him well we won't need the flash, and Rachael again giggled at my expense translating that "flash" meant "fancy".

Rachael brought Natalie's album from her trip to LA to me and told me I could keep it. I spend a good hour going through everything and there were pictures of us at an incredibly awkward age with HUGE t-shirts, scrunchy socks, and high top shoes at Disneyland when Aladdin was the newest attraction. Yikes. And she thought I was "cool". Right.

Natalie'd kept my first letter I'd sent to her introducing myself and Mom's letter to her that she gave her before she boarded the plane. I shamelessly read both. Also surprising were a series of pictures Natalie'd taken of my brother dressed up in my sister's night gown, slippers, and baby blanket- and then pictures of me and Jaime beating him up for it. Poor Brian. But what were you DOING in Jaime's clothes in front of a guest? Obviously we all felt REALLY comfortable together. HA!

It's rainy and gloomy still, but it's been a good few days. I am adjusted to the time, and helping make dinner every night and doing all the dishes everyday. The Vedder's don't protest.

Here is Lesson #2 for those of you who appreciated the first:

counter top= bench
closet= wardrobe
lazy=slack
take it easy=blob out
a little= wee bit
a lot= heaps
fancy=flash

Oh and Melinda & Shannon, don't get excited about the kite surfer. I am positive it wasn't Matt.