We're definitely not in Kansas anymore, Toto.

Ok. So, it's been a few days since I officially set foot on The Lake. And so far, it has been a whirlwind of changes!

Talk about hitting the ground running!

The first day was just a veritable scramble of making appointments, taking phone calls, answering emails, and trying to set up shop in my new office. Then there was dinner with my girls that I've been friends with since the dawn of time. And I guess I sort of forgot what my best friend looked like the last time she was pregnant. I walked in and saw her across the dinner table and could tell she was about ready go into labor. And the very next day she did!

Just getting to be here for the birth of her second kiddo, Lucie Joy, was such an enormous blessing and such a sweet time to get to bask in the glow of her being a mommy. At one point I forgot what day it was and the fact that I no longer live in SB. I kept thinking, "OK, don't forget you have to leave in a couple days." But I live here now. I kept saying those four words to all our friends in the delivery room whenever the word "babysitting" came up and I got the weirdest stares in return. If I could have I would have cloned my body and given myself the same look. It just sounded so weird and "out of body" to admit to anyone that I live here now.

I've always had mixed feelings about my hometown. On the one hand, it's a great place to grow up. Fresh air, good clean country living, sweet people that are always around (and know ALL your business) who have known you since birth. On the other hand, it's one of the tiniest towns in California. At times you feel like no one, besides the residents, has ever heard of this place and that no one ever will. As I like to say, it's one of those places that you "can't get there from here."  For now, I'm undecided about how I feel about this place.

And on that note, let me just conclude with this little dramatic scene that took place at KMart tonight:

I went into the store to get a rather large list of things (things you would think KMart might sell) for my new office and came out with 3 envelopes. I would get into the details of my wandering around the home decor section for about 15 minutes only to get frustrated with the fact that there are 5 aisles of towels and no aisles of anything that is actually useful in a home, but I won't. It's sad to admit, but I almost cried because of the lack of...well, everything!

Among many, many things, I wish this place had a Target.