December 15- January 15
I wanted to pause for a moment and offer a word of thanks to all those who have taken time out from their busy schedules to offer up their hospitality to a couple of vagabonds. We were back in the states for a month and even though we are technically "homeless" we never felt like it. We enjoyed the holidays with family and friends in Massachusetts before heading west to Phoenix and LA and somehow managed to stay in 9 different places!
So here's to Shaun's sister Karen, who took us in for Christmas eve and Christmas night. It was a lovely place to spend the holidays. And to the many "one-night stands" we had as we visited friends and family on the East Coast. Jackie and Carl Schneider, Greg and Amy Hughes, Kathy Pacia and Kevin Fitzpatrick and Gina and Ted Martin all took us in for a night.
Then we headed west to see my family in Arizona. We stayed with my parents in Fountain Hills, John and Doug in Phoenix and Sheila and Joe in Tempe. We had great meals and enjoyed the wonderful Phoenix weather and hiked and walked and ran and swam for ten days. It was a great way to start to acclimate to the western time zones before heading out.
Hanging with a few of my brothers and sisters in Arizona. That's John, me, Brendan and Sheila
Finally we ended in LA, where we stayed with my old boss and mentor, Bill Page and his wife Susan. Bill and Susan's hospitality is legendary and this was no exception. We joined them for a dinner party at the house on Saturday night. The Beef Bourginion was delicious. Then on Sunday morning they hosted a brunch for us so we would have a chance to catch up with old friends. The final touch was when they granted Shaun's "last meal" request by taking us to In and Out Burger for dinner on our last night!
Our last American meal for the next few months was In and Out Burger!
But the biggest thanks has to go to my sister Maura, her husband Tom and their kids Amber and Ted. We have been using their house as our home base during our travels which means they not only gave up Tom's office, but they have been sorting through our mail, keeping my car running, paying stray bills and putting up with our bins of clothes, shoes and other miscellaneous items in their house. We truly could not have done this without all of their help and support. Their kids, Amber and Ted, have also been a great source of entertainment for Shaun and me. We can never get too much Phineas and Ferb!
Since we are pretty much portable beings these days, moving around has become second nature, but there's a difference between a room and a home. So to all of you who have offered up your rooms but made them feel like home, we want to say thank you! We will see when we get back in April for "Spring Break"!
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