2012 and we are all still here....awkeward!

and a Happy New Year to all of you! Many thought we were not going to make it past midnight of the 1st as the apocalypse was supposedly upon us...apparently not. So I guess this means we can all go about our normal lives until next December which I believe is now the more up to date predicted date of the annihilation of the world? A few more blog posts to go until then so no need to panic;)

I am now back in Santa Cruz after hitching another ride with a randomer, something I said I wasn't going to do again but when faced with lugging 2 suitcases on a train, a tram and 2 buses, personal safety seems to be pushed into the back of your mind. This time it was a woman who turned out to be lovely and she gave rides to 2 other UCSC students so we all had a nice chat on the way from the airport to Santa Cruz. One of the guys would not shut up about accounting, the financial crisis, his job offer in a big firm, and being a downright arrogant prick the whole way, saying patronising things to our driver like "Wow Tammy, that is just so awesome that you managed to keep a job and family going through 2 hard financial times in the Silicon Valley". I think the car let out a huge sigh of relief when he was dropped off.

I feel almost jet lagged at the moment, even though I have not crossed over into a different timezone. I think it is seasonal jet lag. Taking off from cold, rainy, gloomy Seattle and arriving 2 hours later in sun drenched, not-a-cloud-in-the-sky California where the temperature was 18 degrees (65 for my American readers) really messed with my system! I am not complaining, don't get me wrong, but there is something very confusing about it being January 8th and it is not beyond the realm of reason to be wearing shorts!

Since my last post more family things have been going on; restaurants, walks, endless netflix watching etc etc. We did all travel down to Portland for my brother-in-law's sisters wedding (if you follow that) which was nice. It was held at the Kennedy School (a hotel made from a converted school) which is where we all stayed for my sisters wedding 4 years ago! It is such a great place where the bars are named 'The Detention Room' and 'The Boiler Room' and all the bedrooms have a different theme and a massive blackboard along one wall which you can write on in chalk. My brother and I had the Thumbalina room:) The wedding itself was beautiful and we all ended up getting up to dance at the end. I think my brother and brother-in-law were waiting for this moment.

Apart from that, not much else has really happened. I was ill over New Year so spent the night in front of the TV, that was after attaching wire coat hangers to my sister's head so she can be Pip pi-longstocking. It was a lovely Christmas, nice and relaxing and lots of family time. I definitely did not want to leave! Though after sleeping in the lounge on a rather thin futon mattress thing for 3 weeks, I jumped into my bed at UCSC and slept like a baby for 11hours. I will miss being able to do that when classes start. Oh well, roll on 8.45am tomorrow morning when I have to be at the pool. Joy.