My first post back in California..

The drive: Overall it went well. Driving by myself for about 21 hours over two days and staying in a Comfort Inn alone with three dogs was a bit of a challenge. I drank way too much when I got to Cindi's and paid the price the next day when I was stuck in a car for another 12 hours. It was great to have Cindi there to trade off driving duties, but she is getting quieter and quieter. I'm pretty sure there were hours when we didn't say more than a few words to each other. She turned me on to "the Supreme Beings of Leisure" and I went out and got both of their CDs. Good Stuff, Maynard. I had a good time in Las Vegas though Jackson broke out of his crate (all the anxiety I'm sure) and did some damage in one of the rooms at Cait's. He ruined a set of blinds and scratched up a door frame. Nothing I couldn't have fixed quickly, but I apparently left my Black and Decker Mighty Mouse and my Dremmel at Cindi's in Oklahoma. The house cleaning, packing, and drive did have it's toll though. My shin had already started giving me serious grief before I even left Virginia, but when I woke up the Sunday morning after arriving in Tracy I could hardly even walk. Between my shin and my left hip I was in some serious pain. So much so I went to the doctor and he had to put me on an anti-inflammatory and a muscle relaxer and my shin still doesn't feel normal again.

First Impressions - I think most people would consider Tracy a small town, but to me it's a metropolis. It has most everything I could want and what it is missing I can go to San Jose (about an hour) and get there. The biggest bonus is everything is close by. With the current price of gas I'm thrilled to be no more than 10 minutes away from everything I need. In Virginia I had to use a ¼ tank of gas just to get dog food. Here it's 2 miles away. In fact last week I only used a ½ tank of gas.

I've learned a lot over the last couple of months. I've learned that I really missed my friends and family far more than I had realized. I've learned that too much time alone makes me go a bit crazy in the head. I thought I wouldn't miss Brie and the kids that much, I thought it would be nice to have some time alone. I was wrong. After a couple of days I had had enought and wanted to be with my family again.

I will miss Virginia. I did love living there. I liked the people, the pace, the natural beauty, and of course the cost of living. But, as always I will make the best of where I am now and I will soon love Tracy just as much, I can already tell!