Fourth Anniversary of Twenty-Nine

Today we celebrated Zach's fourth anniversary of turning twenty nine. It is rare to be in the motherland, much less in the exact city of his birth, so birthday shenanigans this year were rather extravagant compared to the past. A good chunk of the family turned up for the pool party/BBQ/cheesecake fiasco.

Unlike me, Zach is nonplussed in regards to his birthday. It is a day. He is happy to go out to eat, nothing more. However, he was extremely excited by the end of these festivities as his Timbers collection grew exponentially (as did his UK.)

Auctions

Auctions are fascinating. It brings together the most eclectic people vying for a motley assortment of goods by means of a grunt, a "heeeyyyyy", a head nod or even the flick of a hand while the auctioneer literally talks miles a minute, inserting snarky comments in hopes of getting bidders to buy. I love them.

Many of my childhood memories somehow involve a Saturday morning at an auction. Mom (and I, by proxy) were crazy, where our purchasing powers leaned more towards grouped items such as a box of linens or a heap of quilts.

Initially, we said we would drive by and gawk, but mom did not hesitate to pull into the field-turned-parking lot at a neighborhood estate auction today. The husband and wife died within four weeks of each other, both to immediate heart attacks. We knew them fairly well. It was tragic, but made one wistful that all love stories could end that way. No agony. No drawn out years as a widow or widower. As we perused the goods, snippets of reminiscent memories were heard. Yet for the sadness, there was laughter, handshakes, greetings and trash talk of who was going to outbid who.

I fear auctions are a dying event, especially since I have never seen nor heard about one outside farmland country. Nonetheless, I will always love them for the way they bring a community together and provide a unique way to spend a Saturday morning.

In the Country...

There are stories to be told in regards to our pillaging and plundering of the Caribbean, which I will write. However, for the past couple of days I have been basking in country living, piddlin' and snapping photographs of country moments that I rarely get to see.

The pumpkin patch: A story that began with a couple glasses of iced tea and ended with a plot of land plowed and primed for planting.

Broccoli direct from the garden

Thanks to the farm, lilies have always been a favorite flower of mine.

Dad's diesel fix

Tom prowling the grounds

Uncle Mac and Dad solving the problems of the world or discussing the best tactics to catch a raccoon in a trap

Lone stalk of corn at sunset

Sunflowers

On a Ship...

On a ship, we reunited with family.

On a ship, we basked in the sunshine and spent a lot of time twisting and twirling on water slides.

On a ship, we dressed up and ate too much food.

On a ship, we were surrounded by 4,498 other guests and 1,500 crew members.

On a ship, we played a boisterous game of putt putt.

On a ship, (at least) 16 chocolate melting cakes and 50 soft serve ice cream cones were consumed by our party alone.

On a ship, the comedy club was our favorite evening activity.

On a ship, life was amazing.

Jet Lag Recovery Plan

Our jet lag recovery plan was simple: First day, stay awake until 7pm and not do anything so silly that Colin could blackmail us for years to come. Second day, go crazy at Star Wars Weekend at Disney's Hollywood Studios (formerly known as MGM.)

It actually worked.

Our first day, though hazy-minded and plagued with slow responsiveness, we shopped for needed cruise items. Plus, Zach and Colin had mandated a man date for pulled pork. Zach was extremely happy for the date upon discovering the restaurant had Ale 8. The workers immediately knew he was a Kentucky boy with his purchase; they also immediately knew I was a vegetarian when I chuckled before ordering.

By seven, we were practically comatose and the bed beckoned. We didn't feel too horrible about an early bedtime since there was a vicious storm raging outdoors.

We awoke our second morning pre-sunrise and rested. I swam. Zach drank coffee. Colin woke up. We went to Disney. Nicole joined mid-day.

From what I understand, Star Wars weekends have been an annual event at Disney for over ten years and it has been a bucket list item for Zach since its inception. I learned quickly that Colin has geek tendencies, I am a geek by proxy and Nicole needed an excuse to leave work early, so we had a spectacular day.

Most of the activities focused on the recent Clone Wars cartoons rather than the movies and it was fascinating. The majority of the celebrities present were the voice actors from the cartoon series, but we were lucky to see the Bobba Fett from the original trilogy, as well as the young Bobba Fett from the most recent trilogy.

In between riding Star Wars Tours and taking part in the seminars, we meandered the park, bumping into random Star Wars characters as well as enjoying the atmosphere and perks of the park.

At the end of the day, I was satisfied and pleased with our decision to combat jet lag with Star Wars. (Initially, I had been skeptical.) The events were informative, intriguing and well timed. Though Colin and Nicole vowed that the park was busier than normal, Zach and I were not overwhelmed by the crowds. (We thank China for that.) Ultimately, the Clone Wars propaganda worked well. All of us want to watch the cartoon, especially since we got to see a sneak peak of what next season holds.

Days of Travel

Zhanjiang Airport: The journey begins.

For some reason the ticket agent didn't check us through our entire journey. We had to pick up our baggage and check in at the counter at every stop.

A beautiful site and smell

Our last picture in China

Hello America! It has been a while.

Lost in Beijing

I don’t know how we did it and it is heartbreaking. Blame cannot be given; both forgot and both thought the other one had it. Somewhere around the check in counter is a lonely cardboard tube filled with Chinese calligraphy. It is replaceable and it was not a huge monetary loss. Nonetheless, we are heartbroken. They were specially made for friends and family. We went from having plenty of souvenirs to having nothing to give. In weeks, this will be a funny story. Now, we are sad and bewildered.  

Coming Home

After a year and a half, we are coming home.

A lot has happened in a year and a half. We moved across China. We added four new countries to our been-there list. Survival Chinese has turned into actual phrases, sentences and even conversations on a good day. RMB feels normal as money. We completed a year of employment at a university.

Our journey across the big pond has been highly anticipated. After two years, we get to see our families. We get to reunite with dear friends and walk the streets of Portland once again. I am excited to use an oven. I am excited to sit in a coffee shop. I am excited to enjoy smoke free restaurants. I am excited not to see garbage strewn across streets and paths. I am excited to introduce Kaden to new adventures. I am excited to meet the new additions to the world. I am excited to be a part of the Timbers Army again. I am excited to be a farm girl for a while.

Yet, for the all the excitement, there is apprehension. What will it be like to be surrounded by English? How badly will our stomachs revolt against American food? How have we changed and don’t realize it? Inevitably there will be culture shock, but how bad will it be?

 
Of course, the excitement outweighs the apprehension at this point. I am really ready to eat sushi or a fat sub sandwich.

Ode to the Water Bottle

Five years. 

I became the owner of this bottle during a tradeshow. Ironically, it was being distributed by my company’s competitor, but it was Camelbak and it was free. It was a few weeks before anyone in my office noticed the logo. I added the sticker to squelch their complaints and snide comments. The water bottle lasted longer than my employment with that company.

Over the past five years, she became the constant companion. She traversed the globe with me. She is in numerous photos—cruising on a canoe to sitting in the sand of a Hawaiian beach. She has become rather tatty around the edges and the mouthpiece has been involved in mysterious disappearances, as well as in a ferocious battle against mold lately. 

With Zach’s water bottle going completely kaput, we decided to purchase new ones. It was hard to pack and not include her. It may seem silly, but I have a deep appreciation for what this water bottle has provided for me. Hydration.  A conversation starter. Reminder of memories. She will be missed on this journey.

 
I need to find a new sticker.

Finally

 

Pigs are flying. Hell has frozen over. The fat lady has sung. 

It has been a brutal battle and a constant fear over the past month and a half. It came down to the wire, yet our Foreign Affairs Officer came through with it. 

It is beautiful. It is comforting. It is a visa for another year.