Finding Home

I was excited to be back in California. I was nervous to see the new place, I mean it wasn’t really MY home anymore was it? I hadn’t seen it, hadn’t lived there or grown up in that place, I wondered if I’d feel comfortable. Nae and Mom came and picked me up, Dad hates that kind of stuff, and we drove back to their place. My parents are so lucky. Nae’s house is maybe a 15 minute drive from them. They are out in farm land and have a nearly 180 degree view of the ocean from their front balcony. It is an awesome house and they set up the pool room as a separate apartment for me to stay in. It was like heaven getting in to their Jacuzzi, it was so deep, you’d sit and the water would be over your shoulders. Most mornings when I got up there would be muddy raccoon footprints all around the pool. At night we would hear and see 3 great horned owls fly around the pine trees. We went for walks pretty much daily, with Mom down to the beach, and Dad and I started doing this loop walk with a killer hill on it. Dad and I even saw a bobcat one day in the parking lot near the beach.
I had hoped to get a job at the local Target until S arrived. I applied the day after I got back. I got a rejection letter from them. Me, who already had experience working there. Me, who had a freakin college degree. I couldn’t get a job at Target! So I applied other places. Nobody called me back so I didn’t work before S came out, I had only a few hundred dollars (like 4?) in my account for Christmas presents, travels while S was here, and money to take back to Oz with me. It wasn’t looking good.
It was really nice to spend the time with my Dad everyday though. We lived at the movies, walking, treasure hunting, and at the dollar store! They have the best chain Mexican fast food place up there, Super Taqueria, I love that place.
It was a pretty stressful time for my parents. They had just moved for my Mom’s work, my Dad had retired for it, then there was rumblings that she was going to get laid off. She was freaking out. She eventually did get laid off, after Christmas, along with a boat load of other people, but she’s managed to get by and find work again so it’s turned out ok.