I powered through yesterday, without a nap and then gave in around 9PM local time. Only to find myself awake at 230AM local time. So, I have been sitting here for the past two hours working, drinking hotel room coffee and patiently waiting to either fall back towards the sleepies or for daylight so I can run out and get breakfast. Somewhere nearby either someone can’t sleep or fell asleep with the TV on. I can’t actually make out the words, I can just hear the sounds.

Technically, I am on vacation days while I am here. However, since I know that if I really ignore everything like a vacationer should, I will come back to regret that and then I will also have too much time here to think and reflect… And we wouldn’t want that 😉

I saw the house last night and walked through with the old tenants. It was very, very emotional. Not because I am attached to them but they were the first people to live there after Mom was gone and I remember doing all of the open houses with Rupert. Rupert and Meredith had lived there when Mom was sick so they could have a little place of their own. Walking back into and seeing all of the places my mom had put so much of her time into was really tough.

The trees that she planted are so big now. The first thing I thought was “Mom, we have really got to get busy with bringing them back into check”. The old lilac tree was in bloom which was heavenly to smell. That’s the one I associate most with my garden there, the lilac blooming. When it blooms, you can smell it from everywhere. The magnolia tree had already bloomed and lost it’s blossoms. The last tree she planted, the Japanese maple by Mikha’s grave is thriving with leaves a bright, bright green. I can’t bring plants back to Amsterdam, otherwise I would be taking cuttings from my garden.

The house is in pretty good shape, all things considered. That was a good thing to see. I would have been really devastated if it had been damaged. The street hasn’t changed other than all of the other little houses have been sold multiple times. Tonight I will go back there to meet some prospective tenants. I also have to get the fence replaced while I am here because the last major windstorm blew a good portion of it down.

When I arrived yesterday, I was through Customs and Border Patrol in record time and out into the rental car. I had forgotten to rent a car before I left and suddenly realized it when we were boarding. Oops! I ended up with a blue VW Jetta that I couldn’t find the ignition for. I was really puzzled and just getting ready to walk back to the counter when I saw a button that said Engine Start and Stop. Being brave, I pushed it and what do you know? Apparently, keys are now an accessory 😉

First place I stopped was Dub Sea to get a coffee and see if I could track down Sybelle. I got the coffee and I got the information of when to find her next 🙂 From there, it was off to track down Jan. I am so glad I did because I needed to refill my emotional charger before going to the house. So, for a good two hours, we sat outside in the sun at C&P Coffee, where my mom’s Dutch porcelain cups are on the wall display and caught up. I let all that good karma and warm-heartedness wash all over me. 🙂 I needed that. Once I was charged up, I was ready to head to the house.

On the way back, I did the all American thing and went through the Taco Time drive-thru. And I ate my bean burrito behind the wheel. I was laughing at myself while I was doing it because it so American 🙂 Taco Time was the exception to healthy eating that Mom and I would do. It was our go to if it was time for a junk food excursion. While it is not great food, compared to other options for junk food, it isn’t too bad. Not like getting a bucket of fried chicken. Which my Mom would always threaten me with. She would ask “What do you want to eat?” And I would say “Fried chicken” which would make her nuts and she would come back with a super sassy “I will get you a bucket and you are going to eat the whole thing”. To up the ante, we expanded the bucket to include disgusting side dishes from pots of gravy to the terrible cakes that they offered as dessert for a while at KFC.

I’ve never actually eaten anything from KFC but I think I had a pretty accurate idea of their menu for a while! That reminds me of how much of a clown my mom was and how I miss that.

Later today, I’m having lunch with the Rose Princess. Or maybe it will feel like dinner to me, with the time difference 🙂 I am looking forward to it, even though I know that they will not be okay with us taking up a table for 8 hours like I can so easily do in Amsterdam!

It is supposed to be 80 degrees today. Wow.