All that glitters is not gold(en)

We got back from vacation late last week. Our triumphant return to California. Though we'd been back once before in April, I don't count that. It was only for a long weekend and was primarily to attend my stepsister's wedding in San Francisco. So this was our first REAL return to Orange County since we moved. Yeah, the same one as in "The OC." Except that we didn't live in Newport. And Chino's not really equivalent to South Central...errr..South L.A. But it does stink pretty badly in the heat. And it was a bit toasty both when we were coming and going from/to Ontario airport.

Anyway, it took me about a day and a half to really feel relaxed and like we were on vacation. I think there was a probably a correlation between that feeling and the fact that I didn't even turn on a computer in that same 36 hour stretch. I seriously cannot recall the last time I went that long without using a computer.

We had a great time visiting all of our family, attending another wedding in San Francisco (this time one of my best friends from high school's), and taking our son to Disneyland. I even got in a round of golf with my father-in-law. Hmmm..Do you think the fact that I played better than usual without a glove, my shoes, and playing with a $5 rental set means anything?!

But almost immediately I knew we had made the right decision to move. I think the freeway is the clincher. It doesn't matter where you go. If you have to go any distance at all you have to get on one of the damn freeways. And there is ALWAYS traffic. To be fair it is not always stop-and-go. But the congestion is ever-present.

We got together with some of our old friends and in the process of catching up on what we'd all been up to, I just started feeling really sorry for them. But only to a point. Afterall, it IS a free country and if you have the desire no one is stopping you from pulling up stakes and hauling ass for greener pastures.

I was kind of surprised, though, that I didn't feel a single pang of longing for our old lives there. We went to the beach, which we never did when we lived there and basically lounged around between our side trips to see family. The weather was very temperate which I like, and the hills were nice to look at. But I live right up against the front range of the fucking Rockies! And the leaves change in the fall, and there is the beautiful snow, but not TOO much of it..And let's not forget the thunderstorms in the summer!

I just don't miss it. Sure, I miss family, but they have been coming to visit regularly, and have plans to continue to do so. I just get more and more convinced that people want to live in California because of either the image or because they don't realize there is a whole country out here, some areas of which have many improvements over the Golden state.

Anyway, I am running out of steam for now but I do want to get to my take on Disneyland and the lovely job those patriots at the T.S.A. are doing in our nation's airports.