As Homer Returned From His Odyssey!!

 

The Battle Zone!!!

  This is my 52nd post.  I never imagined I would write this much, but I have really enjoyed the process and time spent doing this.  So, with that being said please allow just a little bit of poetic license.
  Just as Homer returned from his Odyssey to a home that needed to be put right, so have we.  This last week was all about getting our home put back the way that we like it.  It is also a week in which we struggled with jet lag and had to answer the question, "Are you experiencing culture shock?".

ADVENTURES:  It seems like everyday is an adventure lately, even putting our house back in order is one.  We returned to our home, to find it borderline inhabitable.  As many of you know, we had some people living in our home while we were away these past 10 months.  They were nice people and they did a great job taking care of our pets.  The dogs were happy to see us and were groomed nicely.  The cats were a little skiddish, but warmed up quickly.  The house on the other hand needed some work before it truly felt like home.  So, the next day while Paul and Shannon were with us we began the process of putting our lives back together here in Oakhurst.
  We began by battling the insect hoards that had decended on our home while we were away.  The ants, spiders and cockroaches have put up a strong fight and we had to resort to chemical warfare in order to conquer our foes.  While gassing the insects Paul and Shannon drove us around to pick up our cars and take care of some of the little things like picking up toiletries and such.  After a few hours we returned and began getting ready to have a cleaning crew come to the house, as well as getting new carpet installed.  Cecelia, the girls and I were very tired, but we pushed through because we were trying to get on a regular sleep pattern.  We all worked to get unpacked and begin putting some of the things we had in storage away.
  That evening we had a nice dinner with Paul and Shannon before they headed for home.  It was great seeing them again and we look forward to more time shared later in the summer.
  The next day we headed for Fresno and ran some errands, while the cleaners took care of the house.  We had lunch with our friend Mike Firpo and reconnected in regards to The First Tee.  I am going to become involved later in the year and the girls are going to begin classes again.  After going on a shopping spree at Home Depot to get some necessary items for the house, we headed back home.
  The following morning the carpet guys came and started taking the carpet out of the house.  As soon as they took the living room carpet away, there was a vast improvement in the air quality.  When you have two families living on old carpet, it is time to get rid of it.  By the end of the day we had new carpet, a freshly painted office and a relatively clean house.  It was beginning to feel like home.

Ah, fresh paint and no carpet.  Much better

  The next day was our anniversary and it started in the typical fashion for Cecelia and I.  At two a.m.  I woke up and could not get back to sleep.  I tossed and turned, trying to battle the jet lag but just couldn't do it.  On top of that I was dealing with a little bit of anxiety.  I don't get anxiety very often, but a feeling that I had not felt in over 10 months crept up on me.  The feeling was a combination of not being able to get everything done and an overwhelming stress regarding the things that needed to be fixed at the house.  So, I did what any sane man would do.  I got up, put on my work cloths and started to paint the living room.  It was just something that we needed to get done before the carpet in the living room was installed.  Unfortunately Cecelia wasn't sleeping either and wanted to know why I was having a hard time.  We had a small discussion and then started painting together.  I then wished her a happy anniversary and thrust a paintbrush into her hand.  We both painted from two am until 12 pm.  We finished the majority of the house and only had baseboards to finish, but decided to take a nap before we went out to celebrate our anniversary properly.

Almost there!!!

  After our nap, Cecelia made arrangements with our friends the Archers to take the girls to the lake.  We dropped them off and went to the golf course to play nine holes.  Despite what many of you might think, Cecelia and I have played many rounds together on our anniversary.  It isn't exactly a tradition, but we have a good time together.  If it wasn't golf, we would be playing tennis or something else.  We just like to play together, it is an important part of our relationship.  After playing golf, we had a very nice dinner at Woody's restaurant in town.  Even though we were tired, we were beginning to feel like we were beginning to adjust to home.
  We are still battling the critters in the house, but we believe we are winning the war.  So, just as Homer made things right when he returned home, we have done the same.
  Next week I will share with you our trip to see Cecelia's parents and address the question of culture shock.  I am still doing some research and thinking about the question, so I will discuss it when I am ready.