Just when I thought I was out...

...they pull me back in. What better way to start any blog than by quoting The Godfather, right?

The Don of all dons

It's Sunday morning here in the East Bay and it's been a whirlwind re-entry into our community - in a good way though. After a small delay with our flight from South America, we were whisked back to my sister's house in the Oakland hills Friday afternoopn where we hugged and smiled and played together for the first time in a long time.

Saturday was one of those days where everything just hit me. I'm home. I'm really home. This is home. I can't believe I'm home. Are we home? We're fucking home! We went to saw our house in Richmond and it looked great. I can't believe how big it seemed. Did we really have that much space for all our shit? We still have a month before we can move back in, but I was energized by our private space and I look forward to getting settled back in. That whole experience will be a trip in itself.

After a little hello to our house, we went and got cell phones. I know, I know, plug right back in. It is ok though. I feel ready to embrace my little cellular friend this time around, keep it charged and make use of it. Relying on this technology in the past has always been difficult for me. I like not being reached so easily. We'll see how the new cellular revolution will fit into my new life. Stay tuned...

While buying the phones, I met a nice, mellow guy outside the Verizon office trying to evade hustle of commerce in the small store. We began to talk, like I would with people on the road. Where you from? Where you been? I was much more open to talking to a complete stranger and it felt comforting to know that meeting random, new people is still a possibility, even in my hometown.

Saturday night wound down with a memorable trip to the Oakland Coliseum with my bro-in-law Josh to see the St. Louis Cardinals take on the Oakland A's. We had great seats to begin with and thanks to a 10-run fifth inning by the Cards, we were able to sneak down to the fifth row off first base for the final four innings. I tried to heckle Albert Pujols, but it felt unfair. He's only one of the bets ballplayers ever. "Poo-holes, you suck," just doesn't hold much water. I knew it right after I screamed it and I'm sure he knows it too.

"Poo-holes! Poo-holes!"

So now it's Sunday and Andy and I are getting our car insurance together, sending in rebates for our cell phones, and trying slowly to reorganize our life. It's quite surreal, really. I'm loving being back, but the process of re-activating one's life is like no other experience I've had. I'ts like I was dead to the world for the last year and now I've been thawed out from my slumber to work, play, pay bills and be a aprt of a community. I'm a little rusty, but I'll come around.