So We Meet Again

Huh? Oh. Hi! I know, it has been quite a while since we've last spoken. I've missed you too. It's just been so crazy lately.

Lets catch up, shall we? I'll start.

1. When we last spoke, Matt and I had just bought a 3-level townhome. I'm happy to say we are darn near fully settled in. Home improvements are nearing completion and have been very time consuming. Yes, I have been taking before and after pictures however...

2. ...my laptop died. My new laptop died. Nope. Not kidding. I've spent a large portion of my free time trying to correct what the VISTA update destroyed with no luck. I've had to ship my laptop off to Gateway to repair it. Needless to say, I've lost all 'pre pictures that were on it. Descriptions will have to suffice.

3. Work keeps my insanely busy. Really. It's a madhouse.

4. Finally, the most shocking and exciting news of all, on January 26th I learned that I am pregnant with our first child. Needless to say, this has put a whole new spin on "got to get the house ready as soon as possible". Obviously, this is including setting up a nursery and gathering baby gear. I'm weary already.

So lets recap - bought house, got pregnant, killed laptop, work is trying to kill me. All in three months. It's got to be some type of record.

So whats new with you? Anything exciting?

Again, I apologize for my extended absence but, I am back and have lots of stories to share - including pictures.

Hungover House Shopping

Yep. It was exactly what the title says it was.

Note to Self and a warning to all my internet friends:
Do not drink waaaaaaaay too much the night before you have to get up early to start house shopping. It's a very stupid -STUUUUUUPID - thing to do.

Oh Sweet Jeeebus. Sweet sweet jeeebus. Yesterday was NOT a fun day.
See, Matt and I went to a local establishment the night before with some of my co-workers to watch the USF v Kansas football game (We won. Go BULLS!) and because of this, we did not enjoy the house shopping experience as much as I thought we would. I just wanted to lay in my bed, in my comfy clothes with a cold towel on my forehead, my eyes closed and my mind blank. Matt just wanted to be in his recliner sipping a huge glass of cold water in a very air conditioned apartment. Alas, we could not. We had made arrangements for the explorations into a future home. So there we were - all red eyed and snarly tailed - taking notes, asking questions and snapping pictures. By the time we were done, Matt had begun to bounce back. Me? Not so much. Although somehow, I managed to hold it together the entire time, (pure force of will my friends, pure.force.of.will!) and completely fell apart when we got home.

We managed to make it through all 10 properties and actually found a few prospects. There is one location that we liked best and considering making an offer on. It needs flooring (right now a good steam clean will work for our needs), painting and a good scrub, but I can see us happy there for several years. I'll keep you posted on how things go. Wish us luck.

Oh! and if I ever get all tanked up the night before house shopping again - I hope one of you will come slap some sense into me and remind me that I am old enough to know better because apparently, I forget.

The Sun Will Come Out...

Tomorrow!

I get to go HOME! to the hot humid yumminess that is Florida.
MMMmmmmmm....Home........squeek!
Somewhere around 4:30pm - as I leave for the airport - I will look a lot like this


If you happen to be close to the airport around that time and see some crazy lady with a ridiculous grin - it's just me. Wave!

Goodnight Sweetheart, Goodnight

Tonight, I will do my best to stay up as late as I possibly can. Tomorrow evening I start my first 12 hour night shift. I'm looking forward to it and a bit hesitant at the same time. I'm finally going to start learning my job and getting my "hands dirty", but HOLY! 12 hours over night. I start my shift at 6:30pm and get off at 7am - hopefully I won't fall asleep on the job.

On the upside, I leave Saturday morning (immediately after my 12 hour shift) for HOME! Warm, toasty, humid, air not so thin home. I'm so looking forward to being warm again. I have never hurt so bad for so long in all my life. My hands stay cold and blue and just barely bending my knuckles is extremely painful - stupid Raynauds. And my lower back is stiff and cranky. Sigh. I really hope I like this job, I'm not digging the weather so far.

Of course, I can't wait to see Matt. I miss him so much - and the Critter Crew. I never realized how much I'd miss just having him around to pester, pick on and giggle with. The plan is to pick up my dress from the cleaners on Saturday afternoon and drive straight to Ft. Myers so my Mother can finish working on it (just minor touch ups). We will stay overnight and leave Sunday afternoon for an evening meeting with the wedding coordinator and owner of the wedding site. We will have dinner with Matts parents on Monday and I will be back on a plan Tuesday evening. Yes, it will be a very busy few days, but I'll be home and warm.

Virginia isn't all bad, I've enjoyed my early evening walks through the parks here. It's a change of scenary and a bit more challenging with the hills. I've learned to bundle up with gloves and a hat, especially when the wind is whipping around (with the sole intention of making me miserable) and I'm even becoming accustomed to the strange looks I get from the natives. Apparently, they think this is Spring-time and are out running the trails in shorts and short-sleeve shirts. Nutcases! This morning, the weather man said 30 degrees - that does NOT feel very Springy to me.

Anyway, I have no idea when I'll be coherent again, so if you don't hear from me for a while, I'll either be sleeping or wandering around in a zombie like state. Just prop me in a corner if you find me fallen over someplace.

Home is Where the Heart Is

It was 4am.
It was still raining.
Matt was asleep and I was awake, crying.
I was wondering when this would happen, when the realization of leaving would really hit. I knew it was close. I’ve been tearing up periodically since we made the decision to move. It just wouldn’t break lose. It’s has now.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m so excited! I’m about to embark on a grand adventure. There will be new roads to get to know and new towns to explore. There will be new festivals, museums and venues to enjoy; new restaurants, pubs and dives to discover. New weather patterns, fall colors, and snow to see and learn about. We will find a new home, start a new life, make new friends and get to know all these new things together. This is the right thing for us to do at this point in our lives.

Yet, I still can’t ignore the tug at my heart. I’ve become acutely aware of how I know and love this city, this state. I drive around knowing my time here is limited. I grew up here. My childhood, my memories, friends and family all exist in this place. I know its smells, its seasons, its people, and its vibes. I know where to go to have a good time without getting caught up in the tourist traps. I know how to avoid a traffic jam and many a good place to have dinner. I know the festivals and parades, such as Guavaween, Gasparilla, The Crawfish Festival and Taste of Pinellas. I know that I’m spoiled by living 20 minutes (if that) from some of the highest rated beaches in the country and I can’t tell you the last time I went.

I know many of the things about this city that I look forward to learning about in the next and yet, I’m already beginning to deeply miss the things I love. I love being so close to the water, driving over bridges, the vibes, the smells, and the warmth. I love the storms, the lightning and thunder, the wind that comes through when one of the hurricane bands swings over us. I love the fantastic sunsets I can see just going for a walk or a quick drive. I love living so close to the stadium and spending so much time there. I love living minutes from three separate cities with all sorts of fun things to do in each. I love my friends and hanging out at our favorite bars. (Favorite meaning where we ‘landed’ that evening and it has cold beer and good food) I love living close, but not too close, to my family.

There are worries and questions too. Will we like it there? What if we don’t? What about the new job? Matt’s new job? Can we afford to live there? Is it the right place for us? What if the winters make me unbearably depressed? (I hate just plain old gray days, ICK!) I could go on – I’m trying not to think about it.

I will be leaving behind part of myself, the part that I must shed in order to move forward. I think of it as being suddenly and unexpectedly naked. It feels good, frightening, exciting, sad for the loss of comfort, somewhat chilly,and exhilaratingly free; and although I’m looking forward to the future, the change, and the excitement of it all, I can not deny this is, and may always be, home.

I will miss it. It is where my heart is.