Last week, my wonderful penpal, Camii, and her new hubby moved. Now, instead of living 5 hours away, she lives 45 minutes away. I'm super pleased :) She moved for school and will be taking classes to get her M.A. in Psychology.
When they arrived, I drove over to help them unpack the UHaul. I must say, I didn't know just two people could have that much stuff. Between the three of us, we spent three hours hauling things from the truck to their second-floor apartment and got them all moved in. There was much talk of, "Screw this, the next time we're hiring movers" and "Wow, we need to get rid of more stuff."
Over the next couple of days, my body told me that all that lifting and climbing stairs was a really good workout. My calves were sore for three days after. I still have two bruises, one on my left bicep and one on my right thigh, from boxes. But, the pay off is well worth it. Now, for the first time in eight years, she and I can meet up for the odd cup of coffee or lunch. I love it :)
Showing posts with label Travel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Travel. Show all posts
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Monday, May 17, 2010
The Wedding, The Ambivalence, The Problem, and Time
A day after I got home from Florida, Mr. Curls and I were on the road to my penpal's wedding. A six-hour drive later, we arrived in my penpal's city and met up with her for dinner. Friday, she and I spent the afternoon together running some pre-wedding errands.
Saturday morning started out rough. I woke up feeling ill - delayed altitude sickness it turned out. Mr. Curls was real sweet about making a couple of runs, first for a bit of medicine for my nausea, second for a light breakfast. Still, I felt pretty bad the whole morning and most of the rest of the day. Awesome, lemme tell ya.
By wedding time, I was mostly okay again, but my mood was less than stellar. Add to that the excitement of a wedding and the emotions entailed, plus being at the wedding of one of my best friends with a date who's exchanged those same vows twice already, and, well... I was stressed. The wedding itself = beautiful and sweet. Going with Mr. Curls = "What am I doing?!"
He's so sweet to me and all kinds of nice things, but he's got so much drama in his life. I had a crisis. Here I was, watching my friend marry a guy she's crazy about and all I could think was how I couldn't picture myself tying my life to Mr. Curls' life that way. All I could think was, "This guy has too much mess. How could I ever marry him?" That thought quickly ushered in the follow up thought of, "Then what am I doing with him?"
I was tired, I felt sick, and my emotions were all akimbo. I was cranky during the drive home, despite my best intentions not to take out my stress on Mr. Curls, because I knew that a lot of what I was feeling about him had more to do with everything else going on than it had to do just with him. I apologized about the crankiness and was surprised when he understood where it was coming from - not every detail, but understanding that all the travel and close quarters had taken their toll. He wasn't excited about my bad mood, but he got why I was in it and let things be quiet for a time while I pulled myself out of it. The way he reacted was an unexpected relief and it reminded me that there are good reasons why I like him.
Today, I talked with Amanda. I told her about my worries about Mr. Curls. I told her that during the wedding I thought, "What am I doing with this guy?"
Amanda replied, "Oh, that just means you're going to break up with him. It's okay though. He was a good experience for you."
Then, of course, Mr. Curls tells me he's officially quit smoking. His last cigarette was five days ago and he's determined to stay off the cancer sticks. Then, today, he got fired (long story short, his boss is a dick who fired him for taking Thursday off, aka the day Mr. Curls requested off a month ago, got approval for, and then got told the paperwork was "lost" and that he had to work on his approved day off). Today, Mr. Curls came over and even though he was embarrassed to admit that he needed help, asked for my help on overhauling his resume. Then, even more significantly, when I told him we needed to redo his resume from scratch (the one he had was an unfocused, 5-page mess) he just nodded and said, "Okay, where do I start?" It wasn't easy for him and he was very uncomfortable being that vulnerable, but he did it because he knew he needed to do it. I tore his resume apart, helped him put it back together again, and he said, "Thank you" and meant it.
On one hand, I've come to the stark realization that Mr. Curls is something of a train wreck. He's well-intentioned and passionate and sweet, but his life, in short, is not in order. I'm not looking for a millionaire, but it is important to me that my Mr. Right has a fairly good grip on his life. Let's face it, right now, Mr. Curls doesn't. But, with a couple of things that have happened the past few days, maybe he's started to head in the right direction?
Today, I got to see Mr. Curls' work history. It's, well, spotty. A few months here, a year there, eighteen months at that other place. He says he knows it makes him look like a flake. He knows that's not a great thing, neither for an employer nor for me to see. He explains, he justifies, blah, blah, blah. Yeah, sure, the last few years could just be a run of bad luck. Fine. The thing is, I'm getting worn out with some of his talk. He over-explains. He complicates. He preemptively defends the things he's embarrassed about. All this chatter does him more harm than good and I'm just waiting and watching, tuning out the jabber and focusing on the action.
Between bad choices and bad luck, Mr. Curls has had a bad run. Whatever. There's a lot I can forgive about the past. It's the present, the future, that I'm most interested in. I'm conflicted in figuring out the present. On one hand, he's done some things lately that I'd classify as problematic. On the other, he's done some things lately that have been very positive. I just can't figure out which is more weighted.
I think I have to give this more time. I need to see if/how much he's learned from past mistakes and the only way to really do that is to see if/how he repeats them. Some time in the not-too-distant future, I foresee a talk regarding my concerns. The time is not now. I want to see how he handles the situation he's in now and see what that tells me.
All I know for sure is that, unless Mr. Curls gets some things in his life under control, I'm not optimistic about this relationship's lifespan.
Saturday morning started out rough. I woke up feeling ill - delayed altitude sickness it turned out. Mr. Curls was real sweet about making a couple of runs, first for a bit of medicine for my nausea, second for a light breakfast. Still, I felt pretty bad the whole morning and most of the rest of the day. Awesome, lemme tell ya.
By wedding time, I was mostly okay again, but my mood was less than stellar. Add to that the excitement of a wedding and the emotions entailed, plus being at the wedding of one of my best friends with a date who's exchanged those same vows twice already, and, well... I was stressed. The wedding itself = beautiful and sweet. Going with Mr. Curls = "What am I doing?!"
He's so sweet to me and all kinds of nice things, but he's got so much drama in his life. I had a crisis. Here I was, watching my friend marry a guy she's crazy about and all I could think was how I couldn't picture myself tying my life to Mr. Curls' life that way. All I could think was, "This guy has too much mess. How could I ever marry him?" That thought quickly ushered in the follow up thought of, "Then what am I doing with him?"
I was tired, I felt sick, and my emotions were all akimbo. I was cranky during the drive home, despite my best intentions not to take out my stress on Mr. Curls, because I knew that a lot of what I was feeling about him had more to do with everything else going on than it had to do just with him. I apologized about the crankiness and was surprised when he understood where it was coming from - not every detail, but understanding that all the travel and close quarters had taken their toll. He wasn't excited about my bad mood, but he got why I was in it and let things be quiet for a time while I pulled myself out of it. The way he reacted was an unexpected relief and it reminded me that there are good reasons why I like him.
Today, I talked with Amanda. I told her about my worries about Mr. Curls. I told her that during the wedding I thought, "What am I doing with this guy?"
Amanda replied, "Oh, that just means you're going to break up with him. It's okay though. He was a good experience for you."
Then, of course, Mr. Curls tells me he's officially quit smoking. His last cigarette was five days ago and he's determined to stay off the cancer sticks. Then, today, he got fired (long story short, his boss is a dick who fired him for taking Thursday off, aka the day Mr. Curls requested off a month ago, got approval for, and then got told the paperwork was "lost" and that he had to work on his approved day off). Today, Mr. Curls came over and even though he was embarrassed to admit that he needed help, asked for my help on overhauling his resume. Then, even more significantly, when I told him we needed to redo his resume from scratch (the one he had was an unfocused, 5-page mess) he just nodded and said, "Okay, where do I start?" It wasn't easy for him and he was very uncomfortable being that vulnerable, but he did it because he knew he needed to do it. I tore his resume apart, helped him put it back together again, and he said, "Thank you" and meant it.
On one hand, I've come to the stark realization that Mr. Curls is something of a train wreck. He's well-intentioned and passionate and sweet, but his life, in short, is not in order. I'm not looking for a millionaire, but it is important to me that my Mr. Right has a fairly good grip on his life. Let's face it, right now, Mr. Curls doesn't. But, with a couple of things that have happened the past few days, maybe he's started to head in the right direction?
Today, I got to see Mr. Curls' work history. It's, well, spotty. A few months here, a year there, eighteen months at that other place. He says he knows it makes him look like a flake. He knows that's not a great thing, neither for an employer nor for me to see. He explains, he justifies, blah, blah, blah. Yeah, sure, the last few years could just be a run of bad luck. Fine. The thing is, I'm getting worn out with some of his talk. He over-explains. He complicates. He preemptively defends the things he's embarrassed about. All this chatter does him more harm than good and I'm just waiting and watching, tuning out the jabber and focusing on the action.
Between bad choices and bad luck, Mr. Curls has had a bad run. Whatever. There's a lot I can forgive about the past. It's the present, the future, that I'm most interested in. I'm conflicted in figuring out the present. On one hand, he's done some things lately that I'd classify as problematic. On the other, he's done some things lately that have been very positive. I just can't figure out which is more weighted.
I think I have to give this more time. I need to see if/how much he's learned from past mistakes and the only way to really do that is to see if/how he repeats them. Some time in the not-too-distant future, I foresee a talk regarding my concerns. The time is not now. I want to see how he handles the situation he's in now and see what that tells me.
All I know for sure is that, unless Mr. Curls gets some things in his life under control, I'm not optimistic about this relationship's lifespan.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Pina Colada Brain Freeze
On Monday, I turned in final grades for the semester. Tuesday I hopped on a plane and flew to Florida to visit my brother. Right now, while he's off doing pilot training, I'm sitting on the lovely screened in porch drinking a pina colada. Today, is a good day. I've got warm summer air, plenty of TV to watch on my laptop, and a whole lot of nothing in particular to do.
I'm having a lovely slacker vacation.
I'm having a lovely slacker vacation.
Friday, April 30, 2010
What Worries Me, Part One
Mr. Curls has a lot of good qualities. He's kind, he's honest, he's considerate of others, he makes me laugh, he's loyal... All of them are things that are important to me in a partner. Plus, I adore the curly hair, of course.
The thing is, while in a lot of ways he's had to mature quickly because of the proverbial school of hard knocks, in some ways he's still painfully naive. The more I learn about certain things, the more I doubt his judgment in certain areas.
For starters, we've got ex #2 and the part where he thought it was a perfectly good idea to marry someone he'd only known for five months. Then he defends the decision by saying she "seemed" like the right gal. Even overlooking the obvious red flags that popped up, like she was 20, living with (i.e. mooching off) her grandmother, a single mom who wasn't motivated to hold a job, and had never supported herself independently... getting married to someone you've only known for five months is a bad idea. We're talking about making a the-rest-of-your-life kind of commitment to someone before celebrating both of your birthdays (or Christmas, or whatever) with them. If you can't make it a year, how can you expect to make it the rest of your lives?
But, whatever, I figure everyone's allowed at least one big fuck up in their lives, right? What worries me most is two things:
1. His reluctance/inability to say "no" to people, even when he really should (see previous example).
2. Some of his habits, i.e. money management, are not as mature as he thinks they are.
The two kind of tie together, too. He tends to overrate his ability to take care of things, especially when it comes down to the difference between telling someone else no or making a sacrifice to tell them yes. Lemme give you the short version.
The past couple of years have been bad years for Mr. Curls. There was a divorce, a re-marriage, the break down of that marriage, and a bankruptcy in that time. It all added up to result in Mr. Curls currently working for a trash company and living on a shoestring budget. He's got a plan to get started in real estate (and since he's worked as an appraiser, I'm not as wary of this plan as I might be otherwise) which, among other things, will require a start up fund. The plan is to get started on this within 16 months. Me, hearing that, I assume he'd be working on building up a savings to go toward that start up. Um, as it turns out, not so much. He told me he might sell his Jeep to get the money (he'd still have the truck he inherited from his grandpa).
Last week, there was a "casting call" in town. One of Mr. Curls' dreams is acting, and he was jazzed to go. He was even more jazzed afterward 'cause he got picked to go to a showcase in June. Here's the part that makes me wary - my city isn't exactly Hollywood and out of thirty people who turned up, the scouting company picked ten. That's one third, not exactly super competitive. Also, it's a scouting agency, not an agent agency. They run a showcase in Saint Louis with an $800 registration fee. At this showcase, agents show up, look at the people who've been scouted, and decide if they want to work with them. This means paying $800, plus travel expenses, to have an agent decide whether or not they want to represent you. Then, if they do, it's a question of whether or not that agent can get you work. In this whole equation, I see a handful of red flags, but the bottom line is that it's a significant chunk of change and no guarantee.
Mr. Curls really wants to go, and I mean REALLY. He sees it as his break. The scout said nice things about him, and there are certainly nice things to be said about Mr. Curls. He's also thinking of a time a few years ago when he auditioned for a spot on a Sci-Fi Channel show and got a couple of call backs, "I was their fourth choice or so for the role, and that's something." He's all optimistic and thinking this could be his big chance and even if it doesn't work out, which at least he admits is a possibility, he's got the real estate plan to fall back on. Maybe I'm just a pessimist, but I think he's being naive. Yes, maybe this could be his moment, but I think that maybe is a pretty far shot. Meanwhile, he just spent a week not working because of his back injury and even though he's partly back this week, he's not back at his usual hours, i.e. little paycheck action going on right now.
Last night, he said, "I need to come up with $500 dollars in the next seven days to pay bills and put a deposit on the showcase." The deposit for the showcase is $300, which leaves him with $500 more to come up with before June. He talked about selling the Jeep this week to get the cash. That tells me he doesn't have anything in savings and he's willing to sell the Jeep quickly, i.e. cheaply, just to have the cash for a long-shot chance at showbiz.
But wait, there's more...
The thing is, while in a lot of ways he's had to mature quickly because of the proverbial school of hard knocks, in some ways he's still painfully naive. The more I learn about certain things, the more I doubt his judgment in certain areas.
For starters, we've got ex #2 and the part where he thought it was a perfectly good idea to marry someone he'd only known for five months. Then he defends the decision by saying she "seemed" like the right gal. Even overlooking the obvious red flags that popped up, like she was 20, living with (i.e. mooching off) her grandmother, a single mom who wasn't motivated to hold a job, and had never supported herself independently... getting married to someone you've only known for five months is a bad idea. We're talking about making a the-rest-of-your-life kind of commitment to someone before celebrating both of your birthdays (or Christmas, or whatever) with them. If you can't make it a year, how can you expect to make it the rest of your lives?
But, whatever, I figure everyone's allowed at least one big fuck up in their lives, right? What worries me most is two things:
1. His reluctance/inability to say "no" to people, even when he really should (see previous example).
2. Some of his habits, i.e. money management, are not as mature as he thinks they are.
The two kind of tie together, too. He tends to overrate his ability to take care of things, especially when it comes down to the difference between telling someone else no or making a sacrifice to tell them yes. Lemme give you the short version.
The past couple of years have been bad years for Mr. Curls. There was a divorce, a re-marriage, the break down of that marriage, and a bankruptcy in that time. It all added up to result in Mr. Curls currently working for a trash company and living on a shoestring budget. He's got a plan to get started in real estate (and since he's worked as an appraiser, I'm not as wary of this plan as I might be otherwise) which, among other things, will require a start up fund. The plan is to get started on this within 16 months. Me, hearing that, I assume he'd be working on building up a savings to go toward that start up. Um, as it turns out, not so much. He told me he might sell his Jeep to get the money (he'd still have the truck he inherited from his grandpa).
Last week, there was a "casting call" in town. One of Mr. Curls' dreams is acting, and he was jazzed to go. He was even more jazzed afterward 'cause he got picked to go to a showcase in June. Here's the part that makes me wary - my city isn't exactly Hollywood and out of thirty people who turned up, the scouting company picked ten. That's one third, not exactly super competitive. Also, it's a scouting agency, not an agent agency. They run a showcase in Saint Louis with an $800 registration fee. At this showcase, agents show up, look at the people who've been scouted, and decide if they want to work with them. This means paying $800, plus travel expenses, to have an agent decide whether or not they want to represent you. Then, if they do, it's a question of whether or not that agent can get you work. In this whole equation, I see a handful of red flags, but the bottom line is that it's a significant chunk of change and no guarantee.
Mr. Curls really wants to go, and I mean REALLY. He sees it as his break. The scout said nice things about him, and there are certainly nice things to be said about Mr. Curls. He's also thinking of a time a few years ago when he auditioned for a spot on a Sci-Fi Channel show and got a couple of call backs, "I was their fourth choice or so for the role, and that's something." He's all optimistic and thinking this could be his big chance and even if it doesn't work out, which at least he admits is a possibility, he's got the real estate plan to fall back on. Maybe I'm just a pessimist, but I think he's being naive. Yes, maybe this could be his moment, but I think that maybe is a pretty far shot. Meanwhile, he just spent a week not working because of his back injury and even though he's partly back this week, he's not back at his usual hours, i.e. little paycheck action going on right now.
Last night, he said, "I need to come up with $500 dollars in the next seven days to pay bills and put a deposit on the showcase." The deposit for the showcase is $300, which leaves him with $500 more to come up with before June. He talked about selling the Jeep this week to get the cash. That tells me he doesn't have anything in savings and he's willing to sell the Jeep quickly, i.e. cheaply, just to have the cash for a long-shot chance at showbiz.
But wait, there's more...
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Looking at Dead People + Tacky Dining + Blizzard = The Birthday Date
Last week, aka Friday of the snowstorm, Mr. Curls and I trekked to Denver to visit the museum of Nature and Science. His birthday was that Wednesday, yup, his Bday is on St. Patrick's. So, our excursion was a kind of birthday field trip, which was cool. (Side note: now that he's officially 33, I may have made an old man joke or two. That is, until he pointed out that while some might call him a cradle robber, it would be just as appropriate to call me a grave robber, and I've made fewer old man jokes since then.)
It was the perfect day, too, lemme tell ya. Driving through snow to get there was fun. Also, I was feeling pretty lousy from the cold/strep, but I didn't want to put it off 'cause I was looking forward to the museum. Yes, I am a nerd. Sue me. Once we got there, I decided to spring for the extra tickets to check out the Body Worlds exhibit. Way cool, and also surreal. Being able to walk through it with Mr. Curls and see him have the same reaction to it that I did was nice. It's not everyone's cup of tea, and certainly not for the faint of heart, but it was fascinating and he gets it.
After the museum, Mr. Curls wanted to go to Casa Bonita (as seen in South Park!) for dinner. The last time I'd been there was a field trip in third grade and I was afraid it wouldn't seem as cool now that I'm a grown up. Luckily, I had nothing to be worried about. It was way fun. We got a table right by the waterfall/diving pool and got to see the diver do his show while we ate. After, we went to the arcade and played silly games to win tickets and get silly prizes. I am now the proud owner of a set of chattery teeth and a rubber pirate ring that lights up.
Then, the drive home was outright blizzard-y for about half the way. It took an extra hour to get home, plus a stop to clean off the wipers so I could see through the windshield again. Mr. Curls was calm enough about me driving through the storm, which was a relief. There's nothing more fun than driving in bad conditions with a freaking out passenger. There was a spot or two where he got nervous, so it's not like he was oblivious, just that I was careful and he didn't think I'd kill us.
He told me later that I'm now on the list of about three people other than him who he trusts to drive in crappy weather. "There have been times when I've been riding with someone in bad conditions," he said, "and I have literally asked them to either let me drive or let me out."
All together, it was a very eventful day. It was also a day that could have ended with frayed nerves and us snapping at each other, but it didn't, which makes me happy.
It was the perfect day, too, lemme tell ya. Driving through snow to get there was fun. Also, I was feeling pretty lousy from the cold/strep, but I didn't want to put it off 'cause I was looking forward to the museum. Yes, I am a nerd. Sue me. Once we got there, I decided to spring for the extra tickets to check out the Body Worlds exhibit. Way cool, and also surreal. Being able to walk through it with Mr. Curls and see him have the same reaction to it that I did was nice. It's not everyone's cup of tea, and certainly not for the faint of heart, but it was fascinating and he gets it.
After the museum, Mr. Curls wanted to go to Casa Bonita (as seen in South Park!) for dinner. The last time I'd been there was a field trip in third grade and I was afraid it wouldn't seem as cool now that I'm a grown up. Luckily, I had nothing to be worried about. It was way fun. We got a table right by the waterfall/diving pool and got to see the diver do his show while we ate. After, we went to the arcade and played silly games to win tickets and get silly prizes. I am now the proud owner of a set of chattery teeth and a rubber pirate ring that lights up.
Then, the drive home was outright blizzard-y for about half the way. It took an extra hour to get home, plus a stop to clean off the wipers so I could see through the windshield again. Mr. Curls was calm enough about me driving through the storm, which was a relief. There's nothing more fun than driving in bad conditions with a freaking out passenger. There was a spot or two where he got nervous, so it's not like he was oblivious, just that I was careful and he didn't think I'd kill us.
He told me later that I'm now on the list of about three people other than him who he trusts to drive in crappy weather. "There have been times when I've been riding with someone in bad conditions," he said, "and I have literally asked them to either let me drive or let me out."
All together, it was a very eventful day. It was also a day that could have ended with frayed nerves and us snapping at each other, but it didn't, which makes me happy.
Monday, March 8, 2010
Bishop Castle
Mr. Curls and I are both native Coloradans. This means we should've known better than to plan a trip up to see Bishop Castle (Google it!) in March. We especially should've known better than to plan a picnic for said excursion. But, with the gorgeous run of weather we've had lately in the lower elevations, we forgot that the weather in town and the weather in the mountains are two different kettles of fish. As we drove higher and higher up the mountain in Mr. Curls' Jeep, the snow got deeper and deeper.
"Hmm..." he said.
"Indeed," I said.
"We didn't really think this through, did we?"
"Nope."
Then he reached over and turned up the heater to counterbalance the draft coming through the Jeep's battered rag top.
We finally arrived and, after a brief jaunt to check out the picnic area, we promptly decided to picnic in the Jeep instead. Then, after lunch, we bundled up and roamed the castle, pausing often so I could get pictures.
It may sound weird, but I'm kind of glad for the misadventure. In part, because it just makes a funnier story that way, and in part because I got to see how he reacted to things going awry. When plans go sideways, that's when you really get to know people. Most anyone can be pleasant when things are going smoothly, but, throw a wrench in, and sometimes people get all bent out of shape and unpleasant.
Happily, Mr. Curls just shrugged it off, made a couple jokes, then gave me a hug and went tromping around the castle with me like it wasn't cold and windy at all. Then he got into the whole picture idea and even used my camera to get a few shots of his own. I also got to see his rock climbing skills in action when he climbed up the wall on one of the staircases to get a photo. Though, when he started speculating about how he could scale the outer wall of the castle, I asked him to kindly not 'cause seeing him climbing that high without any gear would scare the crap out of me. He was nice enough not to traumatize me.
If you have a chance to check out the castle, I definitely recommend it. It's a one of a kind. However, I'd highly recommend waiting until May-ish to make the trip.
"Hmm..." he said.
"Indeed," I said.
"We didn't really think this through, did we?"
"Nope."
Then he reached over and turned up the heater to counterbalance the draft coming through the Jeep's battered rag top.
We finally arrived and, after a brief jaunt to check out the picnic area, we promptly decided to picnic in the Jeep instead. Then, after lunch, we bundled up and roamed the castle, pausing often so I could get pictures.
It may sound weird, but I'm kind of glad for the misadventure. In part, because it just makes a funnier story that way, and in part because I got to see how he reacted to things going awry. When plans go sideways, that's when you really get to know people. Most anyone can be pleasant when things are going smoothly, but, throw a wrench in, and sometimes people get all bent out of shape and unpleasant.
Happily, Mr. Curls just shrugged it off, made a couple jokes, then gave me a hug and went tromping around the castle with me like it wasn't cold and windy at all. Then he got into the whole picture idea and even used my camera to get a few shots of his own. I also got to see his rock climbing skills in action when he climbed up the wall on one of the staircases to get a photo. Though, when he started speculating about how he could scale the outer wall of the castle, I asked him to kindly not 'cause seeing him climbing that high without any gear would scare the crap out of me. He was nice enough not to traumatize me.
If you have a chance to check out the castle, I definitely recommend it. It's a one of a kind. However, I'd highly recommend waiting until May-ish to make the trip.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Stray Dog #3
Here's an Isla Mujeres stray. The facial expression seems very mournful, or is it more a bored look? Mysterious dog.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
After the Storm
I'm not usually a huge fan of centered photos, but I like this one. This was right after a mild storm, and I liked the look of the dark bird and shelter against the blue-gray sky. A limited color palette can be fun sometimes, and here it feels like it's just half a step away from being black and white.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Back Porch of the Florida House
Confession time: I'm jealous of the house my brother & Mike found. It's nice, it's spacious, and an amazing find for anybody's very first place. Hell, I'm living in my fourth place and it's way nicer than mine :( Being in the military does have its perks, like a housing allowance.
Here's one of the house pictures I took. Look at that wonderful screened-in porch and back yard. I wouldn't have minded spending some more time on that lovely porch.
Here's one of the house pictures I took. Look at that wonderful screened-in porch and back yard. I wouldn't have minded spending some more time on that lovely porch.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Last Night in Florida
The boys met with the realtor this afternoon and traded cash for a key. We got all their stuff moved in, though not all unpacked, and I helped break the new place in by cooking dinner. I also made some extra food for the boys to eat over the next couple days. The extra cooking is my housewarming gift to them, and they are very appreciative of it.
My brother and I were back to good terms today, but I'm still looking forward to being on my own again. Watching the boys struggle to navigate such complex problems as shopping or communicating with civilians has its entertainment value, for sure, but the novelty's worn off. Though, I have to say, I wouldn't mind staying in Florida a bit longer now that I'd be able to stay in the house vs. the "cozy" hotel suite. Oh well, maybe I'll have to come back for a visit.
My brother and I were back to good terms today, but I'm still looking forward to being on my own again. Watching the boys struggle to navigate such complex problems as shopping or communicating with civilians has its entertainment value, for sure, but the novelty's worn off. Though, I have to say, I wouldn't mind staying in Florida a bit longer now that I'd be able to stay in the house vs. the "cozy" hotel suite. Oh well, maybe I'll have to come back for a visit.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Close Quarters
I'm currently on my sixth night in close quarters with someone. This is probably the first time I've spent so much consecutive time without a space totally my own in... three years, at least. I'm holding up pretty well, but I've got to say I'm already looking forward to getting back to my own house with my dog, my space, and no other people.
Friday night-Monday morning = My brother's girlfriend crashing at my house in order to spend as much time with him as possible between his return from Europe and departure for Florida. I invited her to stay with me Friday night because I was feeling sympathetic to the whole young love thing, and because some uncomfortableness has developed between her and my parents. Short version - she's young (read: clingy) and my parents think she should give my brother more space. Come on, she's 20 and my brother is her first all the way grown up relationship, of course she's going to act a little silly. So, yeah, I invited her to stay with me Friday night and that snowballed into the whole weekend of having a 20-year shadow. She's a nice girl, but, that's a lot of time to spend entertaining her.
Monday morning - now = Driving with my brother to his new home in Florida. Gotta love my brother, but he's 22 and has never lived on his own before, and tends to let other people do planning for him. As the "responsible adult" during this trip, I've quickly developed a new appreciation for my parents' perspective. I've been remind myself many times that my job is to help drive, his job is to plan, and if he can't plan, then having that lack bite him in the ass is a better lesson than me being a nag. Though, I had a brief conversation with him tonight along the lines of "We get there tomorrow, and getting there is the easy part. Finding a place to live, etc. is where it gets hard. I suggest you start thinking ahead, or you'll regret it." Then I said I wouldn't bring it up again and I dropped the topic. It was enough of a nudge, though, it seems. He did some online research and made a few calls shortly thereafter.
You'd think that being 25 isn't much different from being 22, or 20, but I'm realizing how much difference just a couple of years of fending for oneself can make. Meahwhile, I'm taking time to appreciate what my experiences have taught me, and the wonderfulness of having a bathroom all to myself.
Friday night-Monday morning = My brother's girlfriend crashing at my house in order to spend as much time with him as possible between his return from Europe and departure for Florida. I invited her to stay with me Friday night because I was feeling sympathetic to the whole young love thing, and because some uncomfortableness has developed between her and my parents. Short version - she's young (read: clingy) and my parents think she should give my brother more space. Come on, she's 20 and my brother is her first all the way grown up relationship, of course she's going to act a little silly. So, yeah, I invited her to stay with me Friday night and that snowballed into the whole weekend of having a 20-year shadow. She's a nice girl, but, that's a lot of time to spend entertaining her.
Monday morning - now = Driving with my brother to his new home in Florida. Gotta love my brother, but he's 22 and has never lived on his own before, and tends to let other people do planning for him. As the "responsible adult" during this trip, I've quickly developed a new appreciation for my parents' perspective. I've been remind myself many times that my job is to help drive, his job is to plan, and if he can't plan, then having that lack bite him in the ass is a better lesson than me being a nag. Though, I had a brief conversation with him tonight along the lines of "We get there tomorrow, and getting there is the easy part. Finding a place to live, etc. is where it gets hard. I suggest you start thinking ahead, or you'll regret it." Then I said I wouldn't bring it up again and I dropped the topic. It was enough of a nudge, though, it seems. He did some online research and made a few calls shortly thereafter.
You'd think that being 25 isn't much different from being 22, or 20, but I'm realizing how much difference just a couple of years of fending for oneself can make. Meahwhile, I'm taking time to appreciate what my experiences have taught me, and the wonderfulness of having a bathroom all to myself.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
I Would Walk 500 Miles...
or, would I?
The website has coughed up another guy. So far, Museum Guy seems smart, maybe a bit nerdy, but he's a history nerd who volunteers at museums, which makes him all the more interesting. The potential problem is that he lives about 100 miles away. Now, I've heard the stories, just like you have, of people wooing each other from much greater distances than that, and, after that adrenaline-filled first meeting, carrying on and getting married. Enter the "happily ever after."
But, that's not the norm. It can't be. The pure logistics of long-distance dating are troublesome. Then again, we're talking 100 miles. It's a bit of a drive, sure, but it isn't the moon. Besides, there are two cities between here and there which would work for meet-in-the-middle type scenarios. I'm not saying it can't be done. Still, a two-ish hour drive isn't all that convenient. We like to think that love conquers all, but sometimes logistics wins the day.
At this point, the question is more a hypothetical one. Two e-mails does not true love make. I just can't help but wonder if there's a real chance that, assuming all else goes well, dating from 100 miles away is really feasible? We already know that my brother is about to answer this question when he moves to Florida and his girlfriend stays in Colorado. How much difference does it make whether the relationship started off long-distance or became that way? Hrm... Any thoughts?
The website has coughed up another guy. So far, Museum Guy seems smart, maybe a bit nerdy, but he's a history nerd who volunteers at museums, which makes him all the more interesting. The potential problem is that he lives about 100 miles away. Now, I've heard the stories, just like you have, of people wooing each other from much greater distances than that, and, after that adrenaline-filled first meeting, carrying on and getting married. Enter the "happily ever after."
But, that's not the norm. It can't be. The pure logistics of long-distance dating are troublesome. Then again, we're talking 100 miles. It's a bit of a drive, sure, but it isn't the moon. Besides, there are two cities between here and there which would work for meet-in-the-middle type scenarios. I'm not saying it can't be done. Still, a two-ish hour drive isn't all that convenient. We like to think that love conquers all, but sometimes logistics wins the day.
At this point, the question is more a hypothetical one. Two e-mails does not true love make. I just can't help but wonder if there's a real chance that, assuming all else goes well, dating from 100 miles away is really feasible? We already know that my brother is about to answer this question when he moves to Florida and his girlfriend stays in Colorado. How much difference does it make whether the relationship started off long-distance or became that way? Hrm... Any thoughts?
Friday, June 19, 2009
Hard Core
The other day, as I was cruising along the Interstate on my way to Jenny's, I saw one of the strangest things I've seen in a while. There, walking on the shoulder, was a 20-ish blond guy carrying a cross. This was about ten miles out of my city and about fifteen away from the next patch of civilization, and the cross was huge. Here, let me give you a visual aid:
I pulled this photo off a website (click on the photo if you want to go to it), but it's pretty much the same thing I saw, save that my guy was doing his trek solo. It makes me curious about the guy I saw. I can understand doing something like this in a group, or for a shorter distance, but to do a 20+ mile solo hike along the freaking Interstate? It pretty much offers only two possibilities: he's scary hard core religious, or trying to atone for something big. It's that second option which interests me and makes me wonder. What sin would one do penance for by carrying a cross along the Interstate? Hrm... I'd bet money it had something to do with sex.
I pulled this photo off a website (click on the photo if you want to go to it), but it's pretty much the same thing I saw, save that my guy was doing his trek solo. It makes me curious about the guy I saw. I can understand doing something like this in a group, or for a shorter distance, but to do a 20+ mile solo hike along the freaking Interstate? It pretty much offers only two possibilities: he's scary hard core religious, or trying to atone for something big. It's that second option which interests me and makes me wonder. What sin would one do penance for by carrying a cross along the Interstate? Hrm... I'd bet money it had something to do with sex.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Portrait of Mis Hermano
Only a week or so after I had this plan to post a photo each weekend, and I goof on the timing. *Sigh* Here's this weekend's late picture.
My brother's currently touring Europe, and I'm missing him. So, this week's photo is of him. This one is another from the Mexico trip. During that trip I kept taking photos of my brother facing away from me and of stray dogs. Not sure how I got on the first riff, but I think it started with this photo. While not a high ranking favorite, I like the layout in this picture. The wall was just the right height for him to look over and both the wall itself and the house are interesting to me.
My brother's currently touring Europe, and I'm missing him. So, this week's photo is of him. This one is another from the Mexico trip. During that trip I kept taking photos of my brother facing away from me and of stray dogs. Not sure how I got on the first riff, but I think it started with this photo. While not a high ranking favorite, I like the layout in this picture. The wall was just the right height for him to look over and both the wall itself and the house are interesting to me.
Monday, June 8, 2009
Must Be *This* Tall to Ride
Got caught in a traffic jam yesterday on my way home from the airport. I'm sitting in the car, listening to the radio, trying not to watch the clock on the dashboard, and I notice the SUV beside me. A couple of teenage boys, maybe 13/14 are hanging out the window looking around. I give them a friendly smile.
About half a mile later, after shuffling around a bit, me and the SUV are even again. One of the boys holds out a notebook toward me. In big black letters is written, "What's your number?"
I laughed really hard, smiled, shook my head, and pulled off on my exit to meet Amanda for dinner. Sorry boys, but I have a strict rule about dating anyone young enough to get me thrown into jail for statutory rape.
About half a mile later, after shuffling around a bit, me and the SUV are even again. One of the boys holds out a notebook toward me. In big black letters is written, "What's your number?"
I laughed really hard, smiled, shook my head, and pulled off on my exit to meet Amanda for dinner. Sorry boys, but I have a strict rule about dating anyone young enough to get me thrown into jail for statutory rape.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Blues Riff
Here are some pictures from my road trip.
This girl, probably three years-old, was one of the Kachina dancers we saw. She was totally adorable and danced every dance, whether she was supposed to or not.
A door on one of the adobe buildings.
The church. I'm not a religious person, but I couldn't resist the white wash against the adobe and blue sky. I think I may print this shot as an 8x10 and give it to my mom (who is a religious person).
This girl, probably three years-old, was one of the Kachina dancers we saw. She was totally adorable and danced every dance, whether she was supposed to or not.
A door on one of the adobe buildings.
The church. I'm not a religious person, but I couldn't resist the white wash against the adobe and blue sky. I think I may print this shot as an 8x10 and give it to my mom (who is a religious person).
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