Monday, June 9, 2008

Home again, home again

We went away to my parents' house for the weekend, and I committed the crime of all blog crimes: I forgot our camera. BLURG! Thus, I found about 11 different things that I would love to have blogged about or shared with you. All of them would have been better with pictures, so bear with me as I try to recreate the moments for you.

Historical moment: We took a train ride in the Nevada County hills that led to an interesting destination -- a Chinese Cemetery. The people that run the rail there have more recently fixed it back up after it was vandalized and broken up by some local kids. On a more recent tour, our guide told us that some boys were playing close by when they came up with a bone. A closer look by a doctor on board showed that it was a human femur, and so they put it back where they found it, thus proving that there are still bodies buried there. Interesting to learn was that back in the day (1870's to early 1900's) they would carefully wrap the bodies in rice paper, and bury them for 3-5 years, until they could then take out the bodies and send them back to China where they could have their remains laid to rest in their family cemetery. The people who exhumed the bodies were called bone pickers. Suddenly my job as an Executive Assistant looks better and better.

Humorous moment: My parents live in a 3 bedroom modular home that my grandparents bought back in '82, and then my parents added on to it with another living area in '98. The bathrooms are part of the original modular, and the wallpaper in the guest bathroom is the original vinyl looking material that has been there since it was built. What cracked me up was that while I was in the shower on Saturday, I got a look at the paper up close. As I leaned in, I suddenly realized that someones name is actually written ON the wallpaper, in between some blue flowers. Someone didn't just paint the design for this wallpaper -- they put their name on it and copyrighted it for all to see! Way to go Dean something-or-other. (This story would have been more interesting with a picture. *sigh*) I'm sure this isn't unheard of in the design world, but it was something I'd never noticed in all my years of visiting my grandparents.

The drive home was relaxing -- God bless the portable DVD player! The kids watched a movie, I finished a book, and Hubby did his usual great job of getting us home safe and sound. He rarely asks me to drive, and I appreciate that, as I commute so much during the week. As my parents love to say, "What luck! I am so happy!" (Must be said in a hillbilly voice.)

The rest of the pictures I might have included would have been of the beautiful hills...the vast solid redwoods on the train ride...the windmill from Back to the Future 3 that they railroad had on display...many many dogs that join us and our daily walks up in the mountains. (I kid you not -- here are their names: Aurora and Simba, naturally, plus CJ, Lupin, Casey Jones, Lily, Sprig, and Rolie. It was crazy, but fun. And my daughter couldn't have been happier.

And this I vow -- I shant go anywhere without my camera again.

2 comments:

Ali said...

Amen to the portable DVD player! Ours recently stopped working and we're planning a 2.5 hour trip for Father's Day :(

Ranch Girl said...

Even without pictures you did a great job describing the trip!

And, I have to admit, we travel back and forth from where we live now to where we used to live and we do not have a DVD player - it's anywhere from a 5-6 hour drive depending on potty stops, but M does awesome. The only thing we recently started doing was listening to books on CD - although I do miss spontaneous conversation - listening to the books makes that kind of hard. And, remember, just one child - that does make it easier (although my hubby loves to bug M just like a sibling would!)