Shock Culture Reverse

Jay and I arrived back in the Home of the Brave on Dec. 19. Since then, Diane, Jay and I have:

• Moved into temporary housing, a two-bedroom apartment of recent vintage that Diane refers to as a "white box."
• Marked Christmas Eve with my mom with dinner at the Second Avenue Deli in New York City's Lower East Side. Pastrami heaven, but a large group that included a lot of rambunctious kids made for a not-so-relaxing meal.
• Visited my father-in-law in the hospital on Christmas Day, then went to my mother-in-law's house for a take-out dinner of Chinese food. Dinner was really good.
• Bought a car, a new Toyota Camry. We had originally planned to buy a Corolla but found the ride too bumpy for our middle-aged bodies. This car is a little bigger but it handles nicely and feels good.
• Helped my mom move out of the apartment she had lived in for 47 years. I grew up there. She was the last Oatis to move out of New York. She now lives in a two-bedroom apartment below my brother's place in Middle Island, N.Y., on Long Island.
• Acquired New Jersey drivers' licenses.
• Bought two beds. I spent more time yesterday lying down and trying to sleep than I have in a while.

Today, we will be getting cellphones (that's mobile phones if you are reading in Europe or Asia.

What fun! This is nowhere near as fascinating as my Bangalore blog.