Three weeks without a server

Argh. It was only a few days into our three-week trip when our server crashed. So no blogging from the road and no e-mail either. I know you missed me.

Our trip was great. I'll backfill a few entries with things I want to remember (and to share, but 'remember' is the more important aspect these days), but to tide you over while I get caught up, here are some highlights:

Week 1
A November week on a North Carolina beach wasn't nearly as cold as I thought it would be. Most mornings, I dashed outside to the beach in my pajamas. While I was inside, I cooked a lot and I knit a hat and scarf in anticipation of the winter weather in NYC. Among all the McQuillin family, we filled up a whole customer appreciation card (in 24 hours) at the local shoe place and got a free pair of shoes. Seven of those pairs returned to Tokyo with me & Tod.

Week 2
Home for Thanksgiving was a once in a decade event. It was fun, even if we did have to cook two of almost everything - a vegan version for us and a regular version for everyone else. Jenn made an amazing raw foods cherry cobbler for our dessert. We helped Mom design and build hats for a 12 Days of Christmas program at the theatre. While I was in Ephrata, I bought a gown for the Australia Day Gala Ball; it's gorgeous and I can hardly wait to wear it. None of my new shoes go with it, though.

Week 3
Who could say anything bad about a week in NYC? Christmas in New York is a good time to visit; so many bright lights and pretty decorations. We went to the Radio City Christmas show, the Botanical Garden Train Show, shopped (briefly) at Macy's, sent gifts from Santa to some kids in Washington Heights and I am completely full up with holiday cheer now. We walked the city as much as we could which counterbalanced doing eating as much as we could. I managed to return home weighing the same as when I left, despite some stunningly large and delicious meals. I even ate cheese - no way was I going to pass up NY pizza.