6/22 - has it really only been 1 year?

Yesterday, June 21st, marked the one-year anniversary of Jim's invasion into the peace and quiet that was my life before his arrival. It's funny - it doesn't feel like it's been a whole year. I had expected, at the beginning, that it would be a both short and trying visit. As the visit extended and then morphed into a permanent living situation, it felt natural and comfortable. As annoying as he can be at times, I've enjoyed having the little green guy around.

We discussed the options for celebrating this momentous milestone - a big party with all of his friends, a small trip to somewhere special, a present of some sort. For the trip idea, Jim suggested we re-visit all the places we've been in the past year. When I thought about the cost involved in getting us to China, and the fact that my sister, my host in China, is currently in the US, I pushed for present or party. Then Jim talked about how super duper it would be to have a statue 100 feet high erected in his honor next to Gaia the turtle. Not sure the eclectic residents of Ithaca would appreciate that, and I certainly wouldn't appreciate the cost involved, so I started talking about how wonderful a party, a celebration of Jim, would be. I guess I made it sound really good, because he forgot about the trip and the statue and started addressing invitations.



It was a good night. And I actually managed to get everyone to stand still long enough to take a group picture. Left to Right - First Row: Louis, Ophelia, Ivan, Abe, Bonnie, Gus, Kurt (not looking at the camera - there's one in every group), and Steadman. Second Row: Russell, Percy, Violet, Emmett, and Fiona. Third row: Penny, Nigel, Yvonne, Janet (mostly covered by Fiona's ear), and Maurice. Fourth/back row: Mary Sue, Chester and Ulysses (both almost entirely obscured by Yvonne's unruly hair), Noni, and the alien of honor, Jim. What a group, huh?!