Sponge it out

The past few weeks have FLOWN past me with little done but hanging out enjoying the company of family and friends, drinking beers and eating. Pictures were taken but they cant upload yet, so you'll have to picture it via my writing I suppose. It all began with my waiting in the swank air conditioned hotel lobby for my mom and her best friend Marianne; too excited to do anything else. Luckily I was serenaded by enormous groups of Spanish and American tourists floating in and out of the hotel rapidly conversing and organizing various trips. The finally arrived and it was SO amazingly wonderful to get so see my mom! We spent the afternoon laying poolside on the rooftop sippin on Mythos, chatting and waiting for MaKettle and Laurel to arrive, which they did in no time at all. And there I was, surrounded by my family, drinking cold beer sunning in Athens. Just about perfect. The next three days were spent touring around Greece literally. In a tour bus decked out with a tour guide named Mamma. Fully decked in purple every day, down to the headband and eye/lip liner. Resembling the mom/or grandma? in Triplets of Belleville and a troll from the Labrinth and your old ass drama teacher from highschool. She lectured us on Olympia and THE SITE and old fashioned greek birth control aka sea sponges and the Greek Root of just about everything. She huffed and puffed up various archeological ruins whilst having her mingons hold onto her umbrella and fan her and finally would throw in the towel when she got totally exhausted stating "If you need Mamma I'll be in the cafe drinking a nescafe frappe!" We saw the site of the first olypmics, temples to Apollo and Athena, old ass marble gods with missing penises and noses, godesses in draping robes, enormous horses and the very first shin guards, or whatever those were. Theaters where classics were performed, the sites of oracles and tombs of great leaders. The ancient history is thick with agitation towards the turks and romans but still very interesting when you get past, certain peoples biases. I enjoyed just trekking about with my family and spotting mom's day glo lime parison from afar. We ate LOADS of greek salads and drank even more Mythos and ate fresh cold watermelon when we could get it. We took long ass naps on the bus. Marianne and I raced across the Olympic fields. Some got shouted at in museums "NO POSING!" which is NOT allowed, in case you were wondering. Out of respect. After the three day madness we made it back to Athens and again retreated to the rooftop pool. After reuniting with Juli, Jan and Melinda we headed out early on the megafast ferry to Santorini, where I still am and will probably stay here till I'm dead its so beautiful. After a couple of puke and rallies we got there and bused up to our spot. Whitewashed villas on a clifside and ours was seriously a CAVE. Awesome. Laurel Juli and I rocked the smaller spot and moms and auties rocked the other. Jan made us all lovely glass necelaces and we sat around drinking wine and watching the sun go down over Santorini. It had a teeny tiny pool which splashed ALL over Juli when I jumped in, it was too small what can do? Santorini did I mention is gorgeous. Tiny kitties traipse on rooftops and old men set their chairs out to watch the foot traffic in the evenings. All the buildings are white with blue doors or window shades. Bulbous moody blue church tops stick out with Greek Orhtodox white crosses peeping out of them like candles on a fatty birthday cake. The cobblestone streets are tricky. Even in flats and when I see a babe in heels she always has her uber important accessory- the boyfriend to hold her up while she walks. Breakfast can be called for from bed and Christos, the hot older owner (aka Kettle's new boyfriend) will bring it out to the terrace where you can enjoy it. And when I called the morning after we went out I get this good morning from Cristos, then "You were very drunk last night, no?" Yes Cristos, and make that THREE toasties today. We went to the Perissa beach and lay in the shade drinking Sex on the Beach and slipping around in the Aegean sea on all the moss. The water is salty, blue and gloriously cool. Just perfect. I could lay on my back floating Sean style for hours, if I didn't fear waking up and being like 2 kilometers off shore. I read books and ate popsicles. And did the same thing the next day and the moms and auties came as well. I laughed till I cried watching various people get in and out of the slippery shores. I got, eh well not tan cause it doesn't really happen for me. But I watched Laurel and Juli get tan. Does that count? The blues and whites of this country are strong and solid, just like the old widows in all black wobbling steadily through the streets. I feel like it's an unspoken architectural dress code with only white and blue allowed. Otherwise everyone just thinks it looks good(which it does) and adds their flare via bougonvillas and red flower pots. I feel for the first time in a long time that it is time to just relax and read a book. And luckily I am so free and lucky to do just that.
The comfort and stability of being around family is so glorious. No need to do small talk or talk at all if you don't feel like it. They understand me, and they love me and don't care if we just sit around eating pizza on the deck instead of going out.
Many dinners and shots of mysterious greek liqueors and bottles of wine and conversations passed by far too quickly. And now my dear family has returned to America, to their jobs and routines and I am left missing them but oh so glad to have the precious time to spend with them. I am so grateful to have such an incredible family. To come and visit me and bring me a little of that down home love that is so needed when traveling for this long. More soon but I can't bear to be inside in this glorious weather any longer.