A (Relatively) Technology Free Vacation

This is the longest I've spent without my computer or cell phone since I can remember. It's been wonderful, but being without my connection to the world has made me feel somewhat lost and behind on everything at the same time.

We've just arrived at my mom's house in California and have, for the first time in a week, a high speed internet connection and a laptop to borrow. I am taking advantage to update here before spending yet another glorious day outside and doing something other than type and surf the net.

Ricardo and I had a great time in New Mexico with my dad and his family last week. We spent a beautiful night camping, hung out in Santa Fe and stayed at a bed and breakfast, drove in the Sandia mountains and checked out the house where I used to live, had a Labor Day barbecue at my Dad's house in the country, and ate as much New Mexican food as is humanly possible in one week. Ricardo learned the hard way that jalapeno peppers are not meant to be eaten whole, although he did also figure out that green chile, when ingested in controlled portions, is truly the food of the Gods.

We have many pictures but as I'm having a break from technology I will only get around to downloading and posting them later this month when I'm back in Mozambique.

We flew early this morning from Albuquerque to Oakland and have been enjoying the warm sun since arriving. My mom made us a healthy breakfast (to balance out all those enchiladas and sopapillas from last week), and Ricardo and I picked figs off the tree in their backyard to have along with our cottage cheese and eggs.

I've been reunited with my cat Azul, who for the time being doesn't seem to recognize me. Perhaps she does, though, and this silent treatment is just her way of letting me know exactly what she thinks about having been left in a house full of lowly dogs. My mom and her husband have 2 huge Australian Shepards who Azul has learned how to deal with quite well considering that the last time she saw a dog she bit me and drew blood. My mom has been taking really good care of the cat in my absence and Azul basically has free reign in this house, including a cat door that leads to the deck.

In addition to the cat and the 2 dogs, there is a new animal resident at my mom's urban California house: a rooster! A small Japanese Bantam has installed itself next to the garage and struts around eating cracked corn and reject produce from my mom's kitchen. He's beautiful, his little feet are completely covered in big showy feathers.

Well...we are getting ready to go to Costco to buy food, then I have an eye appointment so I must finish my tea and find my purse.

I hope you are all doing great!!! Tell me what you have been up to in my total absence from the blog world.