Thanksgiving

I've been back in the States for a week now, visiting family and friends. Some notes:

1. I've had really bad jet lag this time, perhaps owing to the cold I had before I left. Usually I'm fine by the second day, but this time, I keep waking up at 7:30a.m. I thought I had it beat yesterday when I went to sleep before 10p.m. and woke up at 10a.m., but alas, I was up again around 7 today. Maybe it's also that when I do wake up, I think of all the things I ought to do in my limited time here and can't sleep anymore.
2. My family seems to like Neil, and what's not to like? He's personable and well-mannered, while in my family, I'm affectionately known as (and as my brother Galen has called me), "Miss Cranky-Pants."
3. Portion sizes are HUGE. Last Sunday Neil and I shared a sandwich order and dessert at Applebee's for a late lunch with his family and friends. That managed to tide me over through dinner, and irritated my digestion. Too rich, I suppose. What we share and lasts two meals for us is sold as one person's portion here. Ai-yai-yai.
4. Trader Joe's is such a good value. If they sell the supplements, don't get it at GNC or anywhere else.
5. Neil and I made a lovely two-day trip to Santa Barbara and the Santa Ynez Valley wine country. Very relaxing and scenic. The California coast is so different from Taiwan's eastern coast. Here, the hills gently roll and mellow into the ocean, while in Taiwan, the mountains dramatically drop off into the sea.