back in action, take 2

Well, I started the recent impromptu California trip post, I guess I might as well finish it, right?

So from SFO, where I was picked up by my sister, mom, and grandma, we went to P.F. Chang's in Pleasanton—across the street from where I used to work, incidentally—at which point I attempted to teach my mom and hers how to use chopsticks...

This endeavor would ultimately fail. No great surprise there.

Following lunch, my grandma set out for Fremont, while the latter two generations of Dunnet/White(Brown) women made the trek over the Altamont and into Tracy, aka home of the Dry Bean Festival.

From there followed a week chock full of ups and downs the likes of which I've rarely if ever seen. Random highlight: I now know that the local funeral home looks suspiciously like a McMansion spliced with a veterinary office—both of which are hopelessly trapped in the early 1980s, wood paneling and all.

Oh, and the Alameda County coroner's office?

It smells funny.

I also ran some errands with the best big sis in the world...



Bonus: Got to see my first California sunset in a long, long time....

I also got to hang out with tons of family members, some of whom I'd seen at least fairly recently, others whom I hadn't seen in years.



Got to play a round of what is quite possibly the greatest board game of all time...


But like all good and bad things, this, too, had to come to an end. So I said goodbye to one of my favorite pups in the world...


After some delicious hot chocolate with Vanessa, grabbed some dinner with my mom and sis at my favorite restaurant, hands down...


Said goodbye to my hometown once again....


With a quick wave to my favorite church to drive past (why, I have no idea)...


Some biplane-curiousity en route to my gate at SFO...


A ridiculous amount of this (thank you, flight delay):


Quick layover in Boston...



And a short hop, skip, and jump of a flight to DC....


Where I soon found that snow & Converse do not mix.

Then hopped the Metro over the semi-frozen Potomac...



Spent several hours at work, and then eventually, finally, thankfully was reunited with the love of my life:


The Bard said it best: All's well that ends well.