Happy New Year!!!

As you might have guessed, I was too busy to write during the holidays thanks to mom who kept driving me around constantly. Tracy, Cliff and mom rented a car from Plovdiv and we drove to Thessaloniki. Then we went to Halkidiki, where we dropped off Cliff and Tracy, then back to Thessaloniki, then off to visit grandma, then back to Halkidiki, then back to Thessaloniki, and finally, the ride-from-hell to Plovdiv, which took over 12 hours because of the snowed-in roads. Needless to say, I was delirious to walk into our apartment in Plovdiv and reunite with my personal couch!

I had not been in Thessaloniki for 9 years. It's a lot crazier than I remembered it. We even went to the apartment where I spent the first 3 years of my life. On the third floor there was a dog out in the balcony barking his lungs out when he saw me. Mom said he's my brother but I couldn't care less.

Mom had not been to Thessaloniki in Christmas last year, and it felt like an eternity to her. It was almost like a strange place. On New Year's eve everybody was out barbecuing on the sidewalks, a custom that is very recent. Thousands of people downtown, eating and dancing. Crazy! Fortunately I was left home.



Mom's god-daughter Marianna has grown very fond of me. Mom has been using me as scolding agent, when Marianna doesn't drink her milk or go to bed on time. Since then, Marianna keeps asking mom what I have to say about this or that and is all over me constantly. Of course I have no idea what she wants from me most of the time, but I do enjoy all the hugs and petting nevertheless. In addition, I am very proud to report that I had no colitis flare-ups during this trip. This, of course, made mom's life a lot easier, and mellowed down Maria's dislike towards me being in the house.

We got back in Plovdiv after midnight last night. Mom was so exhausted that she did not go to school today. When she finally got out of bed today she took me downtown to buy a charger for her cell phone, since she forgot hers in Greece. I really enjoyed walking in the snow by the river, but the real treat was the yummy bones that mom bought for me after getting the charger.

Now that we're back in the real world, mom has to start working on applying for her new I.D., finding a way to pay her bills and get her mail, and, of course, going back to her beloved 12th graders. Let's hope the new year will make all these processes go smoother.