How you doin'?

The last week has been a whirlwind of New Jersey. North Jersey, South Jersey, grandmothers and uncles, brief detours into Philadelphia for other grandmothers and uncles. Lots of good Italian food. Good lord the Italian food. Lasagne, simple pasta, sausage stuffing, cookies and more cookies. Tony Luke's for lunch and roast pork and sharp provolone and greens. Bruschetta and garlic and sugar cookies, almond cookies, chocolate chips and good red wine.

Be that as it may, one week of family, even split between four branches of two families, is enough to have me crying for my sofa in Seattle. For one thing I'm getting shin splints and I need my new running shoes since the midsoles on my current pair -- which worked fantastically well for the first 250 miles -- are shot to hell. I'm still running but it isn't pain-free, and I don't like that.

Living in Seattle I miss the Italian food, but if I moved back here, which by the way I'd never, ever do for a million non-culinary reasons, I'd miss the sushi.

It has been good to see sisters. Meredith is coming back to Seattle the day after we do to spend a week or two before returning to school. It will be an extravaganza of tacos al pastor, since Meri is newly no-longer-vegetarian. I feel her cravings even if she is just starting to notice them; I've been down this road before, for about the same amount of time.

I so need a vacation. The kind of vacation I can take in my own apartment, my own space. Chris and I haven't exchanged Christmas gifts yet since we figured we get back to town closer to Christmas than it was when we took off.

I am disoriented, glutted, shin-sore, and sleep-deprived. And tomorrow we are taking Noelle bowling.