The week after D*C... Georgia and beyond.

It was so difficult to wake up in the morning, but we got up and got Lila to her flight (well, almost - she had to queue and missed it but made a later one...) then we headed back to Alabama without my precious Mei Mei and the two Micks from Scottland! I had wished them a fond farewell in the hotel room - though I didn't wake the boys, to be honest! I did hug and kiss and shed a tear over my Mei Mei though! (she didn't remember it later - I suspect she was 'sleep farewelling')

We drove back to Tom's where the shindiggery was well and truly winding down and coffee was flowing free! It was delcious stuff and really hit the spot! I chatted with folk for a bit, then gave out a few little Aussie nick nacks and hid a couple of things in the house for him... we were good friends for a long time, and I hoped that would happen again. I had made Laura earrings, and brought shot glasses and keyrings and bookmarks for others, and managed another tube of Vegemite (the camping package - no glass...) for Tom as he'd said he really enjoyed it. It's a comfort food for me so I was pleased he did. Eventually we hit the road - taking with us Frank and Ken and since Frank didn't have to be at the airport for a few hours we headed to an Italian restaurant for lunch, and I appologised for my behaviour the previous night... it seems he didn't mind one bit... hmmmmm...

We dropped Frank at the airport and took Ken back to his place then headed back to Jimi's parents place! Their home is beautiful and I love the garden and was thrilled to see humming birds!! I am still being in awe of everything here... there are so many little differences that you simply don't think of when you imagine life in the USA, the driving on the other side of the road thing still freaks me out and I wonder if it will ever seem OK to me to do so, but there's a million different foods they take for granted that I have never heard of, and drink flavours and phrases... then again I say things that are everyday to me but my American friends look at me and sometimes ask me what I just said or what it means... it's funny to think we're so alike in so many ways, and yet so different in so many others!

Jimi was exhausted from all his driving folks around, and he fell asleep on the couch for about an hour, before Jane and I woke him, and he had something to eat and then we hit the road again with Aiden and Zachary in the back... I expected the boys to fall asleep in the back but they didn't! It was a bit hairy driving back as Jimi was still extremely tired and was afraid he'd fall asleep at the wheel, but we pulled over for a 20 minute power nap and he continued... I honestly don't think I could have driven without having a complete stress out about it all or I would have been happy to do so...
The week that followed was quiet... I slept a lot, relaxed a lot, helped Ami with the kids, learned to love corn dogs for lunch! Enjoyed mozarella sticks with salsa! Went for a walk most days, usually to the large chemist (or Drug Store) as they called them in the US... played with Aiden and Zachary and read them books etc... Before I knew it, it was Friday and the next morning Jimi and I set out for Asheville, North Carolina so that I could spend a few days with my precious friend Erin (Whimsy) and Jimi could visit Asheville for himself! It was a long drive, made longer by the car radio and CD player not working, but Jimi and I passed the time singing lots of songs off the top of our heads, including several from 'Into the Woods' which it turns out Jimi is a fan of too! We met Erin in the car park of a restaurant called 'Fudruckers'... I got the giggles every time we drove past it after that!