Why hello!!

First of all I would like to tell everyone that I was going to comment back on my last post, but since this post is really just the extended reply to what I wrote I'm not going to. And secondly I have comment moderation on as I always have and I just recieved a weird comment in some sort of Asian caligraphy and didn't accept it because it had a creepy link that was basically a million ...... in a row. Okay, back to the subject. If you don't want to hear about my whole trip back to Chile, I would just scroll down and completely skip this next oversized paragraph.

Here I am in Chile again. My last post was, well, a post that someone would write after living at "home" for 6 months and remembering how much they loved living there. Yes, I forgot what it was like to be in Rodrigo's arms, I hated the entire trip down here, except the landing and taking off, I always love that. I was sad to be leaving, I was not in the mood to get up at the ass crack of dawn to go to the airport 3 hours early, (if it would have been up to me we would have gotten there just an hour early) I wasn't in the mood to sit in the Atlanta airport from 2pm until 8:20pm before my little over nine hour flight to Chile. When I was in Atlanta I found very little to keep myself entertained. I tried reading, but got distracted by everyone that walked by, so I ate some food and it was really gross, I don't know what I was thinking when I ordered it, the lack of sleep probably had something to do with it... or that I had already remembered 4 things!!! that I forgot!! 2 being some new summery shirts I bought for the occaision...and my new toothbrush and Crest toothpaste that I love! Yes, I love toothpaste and I am very particular about my toothbrush! I have no cavities and I would really like it to stay that way! Anyways, I get sidetracked easily, it must be the heat. So I ended up falling asleep for an hour on a bench and it was actually a good nap except I think I may have jumped awake, I don't know what exactly it would be called, like when you are half sleeping and you think you are going up steps and you trip, but you are really laying down so your whole body jumps like you just tripped on the step.... The flight to Chile wasn't rough at all, it was nice, except the holes where the headphones go didn't work and I really wanted to watch the movies because they usually keep my mind off of things so I was SOL, no Harry Potter movie for me... And I hardly slept either. That was the main problem. I had gotten maybe 10 hours of sleep in the previous 48 hours and I was planning on sleeping the whole flight so it would go by faster. I debated in my head over and over again whether or not I should pop the Benedryl I bought to put me to sleep, not for allergies...  In the end I didn't have water so I didn't take it. I slept maybe 2 hours and very uncomfortably! My neck is still sore, very very sore! It looks like I have man neck muscles! We landed and I was so looking forward to booking it and getting the hell of the plane, but then I realized that someone stole my carryon storage space and I had to put my lil suitcase like 5 rows back....good luck going to the back of the plane when everyone else is going to the front. So I was the last person off the plane, but that didn't stop me from instantly enforcing my gringa-I-walk-fast-you-walk-slow-moves and passin like 15 people before we got to the customs line. I flew through all those lines, didn't get stopped at all, it was great. I was all worried they were going to take away my wild rice, not sure why they would, I just imagined them just talking it away from me. And now to where all that didn't matter anymore. Nor did the person directly in front of me. Sorry for shoving you out of the way. There's no reason for one to stop in those final doors out!!


And there he was. Waiting for ME! I saw him just 2 seconds before he saw me and that look in his eyes while he was searching for me will be burned into my head for the rest of my life. He grabbed my little cart thingy and pulled it far enough out of everyone elses way that we could stop and hug. :o) This is why I came back to Chile. That one man is the reason I am here and you know what I really don't care about all the bad experiences I have had that last few times I have been here. They don't matter anymore because I am finally with my husband again, finally after EXACTLY 4 months of being separated we are together again. And it all feels right. Every tiny bit of it. When I got here on Thursday I was completely exhausted. Ro took me home and put me to bed like a little kid...kind of...I woke up and he was laying there on our bed next to me!! Right there right by me!! I could reach him, I could see him, I could touch him!! So that is why I am happy to be back in Chile. I am also happy that I am not in the usual pressure of finding a job ASAP, because Rodrigo has a steady job now and he can take care of us for now. He is working now obviously or I wouldn't be on the computer, I probably still wouldn't be in my sweet pjs (that I love more than any other clothing item I own)either. I am planning on finding a job when the summer is over. I don't think I can sit here and be all housewifey when his mom and sis get back from the beach. But for now I am content, yesterday I did the dishes (Ro and his dad have been living at the house alone for the entire month of January...neither are skilled in washing dishes...I had to rewash dishes that were put away "clean" it was gross, but now they are clean.) i made myself coffee. Real coffee. I found this cool little one cup coffee maker thing when I was home and HAD to have it. I don't know what kind of coffee is really good, but I bought Foldgers Classic because that's what my dad drinks. And I bought Foldgers French Vanilla. I think the plastic airtight containers are what sealed the deal, anyways it tastes good I guess, but like I said I don't know anytihng about coffee. I don't even know how to order at Caribou or Starbucks.... We had a minor technical problem yesterday, the power went out from like 12 until 5 I had to transfer the cheese and milk from the fridge to the freezer, and I couldn't get online, and I couldn't remember how to call Rodrigo's cell phone from the home phone. I think I called the same lady 2 times and got some strange Telefonica recording a few times too. Oops. Anyways I am getting sidetracked and getting off the point of this whole post so I'll just stop while I'm ahead now.

Highlights of the last 6+ months in MN

The end of "my summer" is over now, even though summer has been long over here in the Land of 10,000 Lakes. I no longer have months or weeks left here, I am down to days. It has been great to be home for such a long time. I haven't spent this much time in Minnesota since my final year of high school 4 years ago. It felt great to see and do the summertime things that I haven't done in a long time, to spend the entire fall here, and to have a nice Minnesota cold and snowy winter, but I think there is going to be a price to pay for all the happiness I have had these past months. I am dreading, really really dreading going back to Santiago. I miss my husband terribly, but I do not miss whatsoever the culture shock. I think its going to hit me again, and this time I think its going to be bad. I don't like to be a pessimist and I would like to fly off to Chile with my head held high thinking that everything is going to be great and peachy perfect, but I just can't seem to do it. Every time I leave my family the goodbyes get harder and harder. Every time I get on a plane I stop feeling the excitement I felt 6 flights ago. I will say that I am looking forward to flying this time because I fly business class for the first and possibly the only time in my life.
I said goodbye to my niece today. The next time I see her she will be walking, will hopefully have some long curly blond curls for me to play with, and maybe she will be talking a little bit.  I say goodbye to my little Yorkie tomorrow and my parents and my brothers. Before I start bawling my eyes out, I'll write my highlights. Maybe they will make me feel a little better.

June 2009
My family finally met my Ro.
We were reunited with our dog Zoe after being away for 5 months, she still remembered me!!
I finally got to meet my little niece Evalie.
My younger brother graduated from high school.
I turned 21 even though it was on a Monday I can now legally buy and drink alcohol in the United States!!
We went to a few family grad parties and Ro was introduced to my crazy family.

July
We took Rodrigo to Lake of the Woods for his first time and my first time in the summertime. We caught lots of fish and had fun celebrating the 4th of July.
We had fun with my friends and celebrated Holdingford Daze.

August
We went to my favorite childhood camping spot with all of the people that used to go with us back in the day. It was fun to take Ro tubing. He didn't like it. I love it.
We entered a fishing contest and didn't catch anything at all, but we still had fun anyways.

September
We stayed at my parents for the rest of Ro's stay.
My cousin was married and we went and had a lot of fun at the wedding.

October
I started working again and I actually enjoyed it. It gave me something to do to keep me from thinking about missing Ro.
We had a family gathering here and carved pumpkins and made skeletons out of milk jugs.

November
I worked a lot more.
Went out drinking with my aunts for the first weekend of deer hunting!
Went shopping with my aunts the second weekend of deer hunting and had a lot of fun!
My aunt had her baby girl!
Celebrated Thanksgiving with the family and ate a lot of delicious food.

December
There was a lot of snow here in Minnesota for Xmas.
I had fun at my mom's family Christmas and my dad's too.

January
I bought my plane ticket back to Chile.
I spent New Years at the cabin and didn't catch a lot of fish, but had a lot of fun hanging out with my mom, aunt, her friend Shannon, and my cousin Shannon. Yeah, 3 Shannons in one fish house :P only good things can come from that!! Hahaha!
Celebrated my aunt's bday and had a lot of fun partying one last time before I leave the country.

And now we are at today. Not a highlight at all.
Chile...sigh....

Dear Chile,

You better get ready because here I come!!!!!

I can finalllllly say that I have a ticket back to Chile!! I can finally start counting down the days 100% surly, not maybe in .....days I'll be in Chile!
I fly out of Minneapolis International Airport on the 20th of January!! And I HOPE there are no freaking bomb scares or any other dilemmas! Today is almost a perfect day to be writing about this. I was going to write it as my 200th post, but I guess I forgot that I had to write a 199th first... Today is theeeee day, three years ago I first laid my eyes on Rodrigo. The first day that we talked. The day that "WE" began. What's even more perfect is the day I land in Chile, the 21st of January, will be our 3 years together. I never imagined myself counting silly milestones like this, but here I am and as cheesy as it sounds, I just don't really care. I have Rodrigo's 3 years together/Valentine's Day/birthday present almost ready. I just need to put my song to him on it with a couple pictures and it'll be perfect. Now I can only hope that I get on the first flight out of Atlanta as I am flying standby. I try to remember all my flights back to Chile and I really only remember one of them being completely packed and even then a drunk guy got kicked off so there was one open seat.
Well, I'm off to share my happiness with everyone I meet. HA not really, gotta go cram in some auntie niece time and I need to start my lists, it wouldn't be a trip if I didn't make them. I am just a list happy person. :o) 12 more days of my Minnesota winter and off to the smoggy and hot city. Bleh. At least when I get sick from the heat I can lay in bed for a week and have my hubby wait on me hand and foot :oP

I can't help falling head over heels for my Minnesota!

So much so say and I don't know where to begin!!!
I went up to Lake of the Woods this past weekend. It was great! I love it so much and it makes me love Minnesota and the cold and the lakes more and more every time I go up there. We left New Years Eve morning. Before the sun was up. I planned to bring a pen and paper to keep notes of what I wanted to blog about. Well, I forgot so I just texted myself emails all weekend. I wish I would have been able to snap some pics for some of the things I saw, but my dad's not one to stop for pictures... I would like to inform everyone that the farther north you go in Minnesota, the loonier people are. I blame it on the extreme cold and the low population! So here's my list in order of appearance.

1. Forget the house, forget the hundreds of trees in the yard, let's make a new use for that satellite dish. Why not decorate a giant rusty disc of metal with hundreds of twinkly Christmas lights. Let's get festive and decorate the junk car that has no wheels with them too! Now this I really was ready to tell dad to stop to take pictures of! I think these people were off the redneck charts!!

2. The United States Coast Guard has a gigantic tower and office in Minnesota. Some of you may be wondering why. But Lake of the Woods is a pretty big lake, not near as big at Lake Superior, but huge enough. It needs coast guards because we share that lake with Canada. What I don't understand is why is it 38 miles from the lake??

3. Propane, just like gasoline, the price goes up the farther North you go. Gas price at home, $2.55, gas price at the top of MN, $2.72. Propane at home, $14 for a 20 pound thing. up north, $22 for the 20 pound cylinder.

4. This ties in sort of with number 3. On Wednesday morning, my dad left LoTW (Lake of the Woods) and dropped off 3 empty tanks at the gas station in Baudette, MN. He left them in a snow bank with a note on them. Thursday on our way up to the cabin, we stopped to pick them up out of a different snow bank full. There were probably 15 other tanks there that other people have left. Not locked up, just sitting there in the snow. People trust each other so much up there. It amazes me.

5. I don't even know what these are called.

Dad and Steve (somehow related but really close family friend) got out to get some beer and mom and I stayed in the truck. They didn't get very far before they had to stop with the MN man stance (hands in pockets feet away from each other but heads together thinking out loud to each other about how nice this works, how expensive it is, how hard it would be to put those on yourself...at least that's what I think they were talking about.) They stood there til the man came, got in and drove away. More man thoughts as the thing pulled away...

6. Wally.

I think this may be some kind of landmark in Minnesota. I saw it in a book one time. I took a pic of it just for my Ro. He saw it in July, but its a little frostier now. :o)

7. Ice fishing!!

This was before the house was warmed up, I don't usually bundle up this much to fish, I usually just have jeans a sweatshirt and boots on.

Fishing hole.

 

I set the rod down cuz I wasn't getting anything. Must have been a bad hook...

First fish of ice fishing season 2009-2010!!!

And this one was in the slot. 20 1/2 inches. (On LoTW you can keep walleyes up to 19 inches and then from 28 and up. We only keep "bucket fish" long enough to go over the opening of a five gallon bucket. The slot in anything between what you can catch and what you can catch...)

Give him a couple years and he'll be a keeper.


CRACK!!! Just a very little one, there isn't even any water coming out of it.

Morris point village. Hundreds of houses, hundreds of vehicles, and even roads on the ice!!

Drinking in the cabin. :o)

It was a great New Years fishing trip. Had a blast!!

Oh, I forgot to mention the drunk text I wrote....apparently my New Years resolution is to not look at the moon until I cry. So far so good! :oP