GREETINGS FROM CALIFORNIA!

Well, I finally made it! I got up at 5:46 AM and we were on the road by 7:07. I was so tired, I was standing in the kitchen wondering what I was supposed to remember, and finally I caught sight of my bagel. After I ate, I was more alert. lol

We made it to the airport by 7:45 and I was through security by 8:05. I checked in by computer last night, and had my boarding pass when I got to the airport. I HIGHLY recommend this way of checking in. It was incredibly fast and efficient.

Just for your information (which would have been helpful to the family in front of me) when the TSA agent says your carry on liguids must be in a clear, plastic bag, he does not mean a cute, green bag with holes in it shaped like daisies.

I boarded the plane at 8:40, and asked God to give me nice, well behaved traveling companions. God surrounded me on all sides by teenagers fresh from a mission trip to Peru. They were so excited, telling me about the dry area they were helping to greenhouse and how they were so thrilled to help these people build this system that will help them have shade and water for years to come.

Then the talk amongst them went to how they looked forward to showers with consistent water pressure, and water that wouldn’t shut off while they still had shampoo in their hair. In fact, I heard the word, “shower,” several times during that flight.

One of the girls behind me asked the young man sitting next to me (looked like Mitchell Musso from Hannah Montana) to pass her the Pringles… and to her delight, it was a can purchased in Peru, with the label written in Spanish.

“I am going to keep this can!” she exclaimed. “It will always remind me of Peru!”

And so it went until about fifteen minutes into the flight when all the teenagers pulled out their I-Pods and went to sleep (they had a red-eye flight from Lima to Houston).

At 1:07 we landed, and Sharon was waiting for me at the bottom of the escalator, surrounded by the families of the teen mission group. Again, heard the word, “shower” many times.

Everybody, meet Sharon:

Sharon and I went to Tio Pepe’s for lunch and then came to her house and chilled. After a few hours, I felt the jet lag hit me and so we went out for dinner at China Village.

Then we went cruising in The Cruiser:

And now, we’re home chillin’ until her husband, Thomas, gets home from work. It’s almost midnight in Houston and we’re getting up early to go to Lake Tahoe, so I don’t know how long I’ll last. Fortunately, it will be nice and cool in Tahoe tomorrow!