Back home in Canada...

Ron Terada,
You Have Left the American Sector, 2005.
 National Gallery of Canada,

By most accounts, we had a good visit with family (Michelle's brother and family). All are doing well (or much much better). Lot's of good humour and nobody got their eye poked out. People in the US were very nice to us (in addition to family, of course 😉). Everything is quite expensive down in the USA (except gas), especially for Canadians with C$. Even groceries. One thing that surprised us was that craft beer and hard liquor (such as our favourite rum: El Dorado 12-year) was more costly down here than back home in BC (definitely taking into consideration the US-Canada dollar difference, but sometimes even without); however, large-market beers (such as Bud) and many Californian wines were cheaper.

In so many ways, it was like going back in time. Back to Long Island NY not that far from the Bronx where David worked in the late 80s to mid-90s. Back to where recycling (and god forbid, composting) doesn't really happen. Back to quaint, archaic measures such as gallons, miles and Fahrenheit. Back to a time and place where credit cards don't have any security (they don't have chips on US cards) and they haven't heard of "the machine" that a waiter brings to the table to pay (When David described it to our waiter at a fancy restaurant on Long Island, he was incredulous, not really believing...).

Technologically, and in so many other ways, so far behind. We had a good time with family, but it is good to be back in Canada.

Entering New Brunswick, back home in Canada...