Vacation winding down

We have been at Brian's family's house at Lake Michigan for a few days. Everyone gathered together for the graveside service and burying of ashes of Brian's grandmother who passed away in January. Before and after that there has been lots of time to sit, read, go to the beach, hang out with cousins, read on the porch some more, eat, eat quite a lot, go on long bike rides, go to Saugatuck, and just generally relax. I finished reading the first book I brought and am almost done with the second.

I love sitting on the beach at the Great Lake: it is kind of like an ocean, but at the same time you are totally aware you are not at the ocean. Part of this has got to be about salty air but it is partly visual and other-sensual. The house ("cottage" - I think I will never be able to call it that) is part of a neighborhood of houses on a winding hillside road outside of the actual town of Holland (and by the way, is QUITE a hill when you are returning from a run/bike ride). There are other house owners about but one can also stay in some of these places as vacation rentals. It takes about five minutes to stroll down to the Lake Michigan beach. Other highlights include the Big Red lighthouse, the sort of man-made Lake Macatawa (I guess I should call it "man-altered") and lots of trees. Of course there are also lots of bugs, which I pretty much blow off, something I've never done in "real" houses. I like relaxing here. This is our third time hanging out here, and each trip is the same but also different. I was happy to find an independent bookstore in Saugatuck, which has a couple streets of restaurants, art galleries, earthy-crunchy shops, touristy quaintness, and the like. I wanted to buy something from the independent bookstore just to support it but really have no extra space at all since I'm traveling back to Phoenix with only a carry-on (down with checked baggage fees!)

Next up, we will be back in Phoenix through August and then return to the Midwest and attempt to move...somewhere where someone wants to employ us. Lately, Chicago has floated to the top of the possibilities, but we really haven't decided at all. I am still thinking of our next city as just a place to mark time while I try to get a job abroad, so on some level it doesn't matter where it is, except that I really want to try something new.

Meanwhile, the finale of The Next Food Network Star aired last night. I like Melissa but I totally found myself rooting for Jeffrey and especially the show he concocted with Alton -- the "Ingredient Smuggler" -- I so want to watch that show every week! Except now it doesn't exist because he didn't win. Now that TNFNS is done, I officially care about nothing but baseball on television again until the return of Lost.

Also, the 'T' key on my computer keyboard is not functioning properly. His is erribly frusraing.