The Vetters in Oz: April 2010

The past three weeks in Houston have been a gastronomic dream. Meal after meal of our favorite foods at our favorite restaurants. Enchiladas, nachos, fajitas, brisket, ribs, red beans and rice, cornbread... The dream skirted nightmare territory as we hit Marble Slab and R.J. Goode's with their chocolate cake from scratch. We are now safely removed from the land of temptation: Vince is back in Perth and I am visiting my Dad in Seymour, Tennessee, a picturesque town in the shadow of Dollywood and the Great Smoky Mountains. It's a respite from restaurants and calories. Not too many dangers here except the occasional Krispy Kreme, which I have avoided thus far. It's been mostly water and salads for the past couple of days as I crawl my way back on the weight loss wagon.

In between feedings, we managed to accomplish a few other things. We brought all of our summer clothes (now too big) with us and donated them to charity, then bought new ones for the coming cooler weather. I found some great bargains at the winter clearance sales, and now my biggest problem is making sure my suitcases don't exceed the 50-pound limit. After our gluttonous indulgences, will these smaller clothes fit? Yes, we'll make sure they do! Fortunately, I was able to work with my former trainer Karla who offered great encouragement while torturing me with squats and ab crunches.

With help and inspiration from the teachers at Lone Star Scrapbook, I finally finished a scrapbook I promised Vince's daughter over two years ago. Now I can move on to the other projects on the list, and of course all the photos I've taken during this trip will need a home too. We also "visited" our house and the folks who are currently living there. Neither of my cats appeared to recognize me after an absence of 5 months. Oscar (dark grey Siamese) was more friendly and settled on my lap for a while. After a few moments of cautious sniffing, Finney (orange striped Tabby) allowed me to hug him and scratch his neck, but quickly grew impatient. On my second visit Oscar remained friendly but Finney scampered off and did not reappear. My heart took a thrashing. Next thing? We sold our cars. At least they went to good homes: Vince's son Greg bought my car (2 months old when we left) and Tom, a longtime friend, bought Vince's Z4. I'm sure Tom will get the same testosterone rush from it as Vince always did. There's just something about a convertible.

I think I'm experiencing some separation anxiety as a result of all these changes. Life in Houston as we knew it no longer exists. Our house is now a home to others and looks completely different, we no longer have our cars, and while our friends and family have been happy to see us again, they're busy getting on with their lives without us. Rather humbling!

One more stop to go on the visit-America train. In two days I'll head for Southern California to visit my sisters and my Mom. Gotta limit my trips to Inn-n-Out Burger. I'll deliver the UGG boots to my niece and free up space for necessities to take back to Perth: towels, Crest toothpaste, Velveeta... I'm looking forward to some girly time and to seeing the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains again.

Home. It's where you are.

We arrived in Houston on April 2nd and I haven't stopped running yet. So much to do, so many friends to visit, not to mention the Mexican dinners to consume... and best of all, a wonderful wedding. Vince's daughter Sharon married Lynn Horne on April 10th on the Riviera Maya in Mexico, just south of Cancun. The reception was held in her brother's back yard this past weekend -- the weather was perfect, food was great, friends and family were wonderful.

The wedding was held on the beach at sunset, the bride wore a beautiful white dress and white flip flops, the groom wore Tommy Bahama linen. It was beautiful. The professional pictures are in process, but I employed my trusty camera to the tune of about 300 shots. I'd love to upload them all, but here are the highlights.

And now I must pack for the next leg of this journey -- 5 days in Knoxville with Dad & Ann. The Smoky Mountains will be beautiful, and it will be a chance to slow the pace. Until next time...

Vince and Sharon at IAH Airport

Rehearsal Dinner: Left to right - Lynn (Groom), Sharon (Bride), Vince (Father of Bride), Anita (Stepmom of Bride), Mark (Bride's younger brother), Greg (Bride's older brother), Melissa (bride's sister-in-law)