Greetings from the Pacific Northwest! We talked to Mom and Dad on Monday night and they were heading from Mesa to meet up with Uncle Pete and Aunt Janet for Pete's birthday! Ground Hogs day, right? Happy Birthday Uncle Pete! From there they were headed to Casa Grande to meet up with some friends and stay a couple of weeks, then back to Mesa to celebrate Kaye's birthday on the 27th. Dad talked like Kaye is thinking of coming back with them for a visit to Spokane. I think they are aiming to be home in early March.

Mom grapefruit picking in Arizona.

Kaye and her son Chris were going out to try to pick grapefruit while it's in season to send home with Mom and Dad. I hope they get a chance to get some - it's absolutely delicious! There is a woman Kaye knows who has about a dozen grapefruit trees that are just loaded. Each year she invites us to pick there and take away as much as we can carry. Since grapefruit are so big it only takes a few minutes for you to have all you can use. Kaye has an orange tree in her backyard and we've scoped out a beautiful lemon tree down the street from Kaye where they usually let us pick. BTW - I'm including myself here because I usually visit while Mom and Dad are at Kaye's home and we all go. This year is different since I'm heading out for two weeks in February to work on the freckle count. (More on that later.)

I got home Tuesday about noon from Olympia. (Olympia is about two hours north of Portland in Washington state, where Tammy, Tyson, Cyndi & Dave and their two sons, Kyle and Jake live.) I went up on Sunday for an impromptu trip to hang out with Tyson. We shopped and ate out, played with Tammy's dogs and watched our favorite tv show together - "Heros". It was nice to be with him. We had coffee with Tammy in the morning on Monday when she had a few minutes from the legislature and lunch with Cyndi and Dave at noon at Red Robin and then went out to the Oyster House for dinner. On our way into the restaurant in the evening Mom and Dad called so we got caught up on their whereabouts. It was like being on a mini vacation with your family! Thanks for having me, guys!

Now I'm furiously packing and getting ready for my trip. I leave on Superbowl Sunday to travel to Guadeloupe for some sunny, tropical relaxation for two weeks. I hope I've thought of everything while I'm away. Glenn will come to water the plants and a teenaged friend, Eric "offered" to drive my car for me...Not so fast Eric! Since Doug speaks French he will be my contact person if anyone needs to get ahold of me - he knows how to reach me. Thanks Doug.

Tammy with Elvis and Charlie!

Well, I'd better get back to my suitcases. I have three graveyard shifts right before I go, so I am trying to get mostly done tonight. Hmm...did I pack the sunscreen? Sandals...bathing suit...shorts...?

I'll send postcards and post some pics when I return at the end of the month. Hope you all are well. Catch you later.