Vacuum's been run.
Kitchen and bathrooms have been cleaned.
Dusting...we won't speak of the dusting.
I'll meet her at the airport tomorrow morning.
If y'all don't hear from me for a few days, please forgive me.
I hope you understand why.
My love is coming to town.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Delayed a day
I was going to be back in Pittsburgh yesterday, but I didn't get there.
Had a couple errands to run yesterday morning before left Dekalb. Well, after the last one, got into the car...and she wouldn't turn over.
Sigh.
Called AAA, and they said it'd be an hour before someone could get there to jump the car. Mind you, where I was parked was near the County Seat, and three police cars passed me while I was sitting there with the hood up. Think one of them would stop to offer assistance? No...
AAA came, jumped it and said the battery was gone. The alternator was charging it (thank God...replacing the alternator was the LAST thing I wanted to do), but I should replace the battery before headed out.
On the advice of Julie's brother, I went to Farm and Fleet (I love Middle America...such cute names for things) and spent another hour waiting for them to install the battery.
By the time I got back to Julie's place (loaded with Sliders from White Castle...haven't had them in a LONG time), it was kinda late in the day. Julie suggested I spend the night instead of getting into Pittsburgh at 2 in the morning. I personally think she didn't want me to leave... ;)
So it's one last blog entry from here, check the weather and the Woot-Off, and then back to the burgh. Spend a day cleaning the house before my love arrives.
Had a couple errands to run yesterday morning before left Dekalb. Well, after the last one, got into the car...and she wouldn't turn over.
Sigh.
Called AAA, and they said it'd be an hour before someone could get there to jump the car. Mind you, where I was parked was near the County Seat, and three police cars passed me while I was sitting there with the hood up. Think one of them would stop to offer assistance? No...
AAA came, jumped it and said the battery was gone. The alternator was charging it (thank God...replacing the alternator was the LAST thing I wanted to do), but I should replace the battery before headed out.
On the advice of Julie's brother, I went to Farm and Fleet (I love Middle America...such cute names for things) and spent another hour waiting for them to install the battery.
By the time I got back to Julie's place (loaded with Sliders from White Castle...haven't had them in a LONG time), it was kinda late in the day. Julie suggested I spend the night instead of getting into Pittsburgh at 2 in the morning. I personally think she didn't want me to leave... ;)
So it's one last blog entry from here, check the weather and the Woot-Off, and then back to the burgh. Spend a day cleaning the house before my love arrives.
Saturday, July 26, 2008
The Dark Night
Greetings from Dekalb!
I decided, pretty much at the last minute, to come out and spend the weekend with Julie and the kids. If you saw her blog, then you know what this weekend is and what it means to her. I wanted to be here for her, so I got in the car Thursday morning, bright and early, and made the trip.
And if you did read her blog, yes, it's true. We went to bed at 6:30 in the evening, fell asleep, and didn't get up until 6:30 the next morning. 12 hours of sleep. We were both just a little tired. ;)
Of course, the trip out this time was a little more interesting than the others. I was in the middle of Indiana, following a semi in the left lane, passing other semis, when one of his rear tires blew out!
It was scary, unable to move to the right lane, rubber flying off from the truck in front of me. Thankfully, the truck kept control and was able to pull over to the right lane shortly. I passed him and got the hell out of the way...that was not fun.
This trip has been great. Julie needed some new outfits, so we went shopping for clothes. Although she thinks my tastes suck, I (most of the time) like to tease her by pulling out the ugliest, loudest outfits I could find and say "honey, what do you think of this?". She just rolls her eyes at me, but occasionally, I do find something that looks cute, and she likes.
For those that know me, you know I'm a t-shirt and jeans kinda guy...but when the need arises, I clean up well and I do have excellent taste in clothing.
Well, most of the time.
On occasion, I come up with a fashion faux pas. ;)
Friday night, we went to see The Dark Knight. Oh. My. God.
It's simply the best comic book movie I've seen. Period. It's intense. My heart was racing the whole second half of the movie (and, forgive me my love, not just from Julie sitting next to me). Heath Ledger's intrepertation of the Joker was simply amazing. He's anarchy personified, less a man and more a sheer force of chaos. He wants nothing more than to cause chaos...proving the perfect foil to Batman.
I was amazed...impressed to no end. It's just the best.
Friday, Julie drove. Saturday and today, I've been driving, which I think Julie's not used to. She seemed a little nervous sitting in the passenger seat of my ol' Saturn, but I think she liked having someone drive her around.
Today would have been her nephew's birthday. I wanted to be here with her for it. I'll be here another day, come home, spend the next three days madly cleaning my house, and get ready for her to come to Pittsburgh later this week...
And yeah, I'm smiling.
I decided, pretty much at the last minute, to come out and spend the weekend with Julie and the kids. If you saw her blog, then you know what this weekend is and what it means to her. I wanted to be here for her, so I got in the car Thursday morning, bright and early, and made the trip.
And if you did read her blog, yes, it's true. We went to bed at 6:30 in the evening, fell asleep, and didn't get up until 6:30 the next morning. 12 hours of sleep. We were both just a little tired. ;)
Of course, the trip out this time was a little more interesting than the others. I was in the middle of Indiana, following a semi in the left lane, passing other semis, when one of his rear tires blew out!
It was scary, unable to move to the right lane, rubber flying off from the truck in front of me. Thankfully, the truck kept control and was able to pull over to the right lane shortly. I passed him and got the hell out of the way...that was not fun.
This trip has been great. Julie needed some new outfits, so we went shopping for clothes. Although she thinks my tastes suck, I (most of the time) like to tease her by pulling out the ugliest, loudest outfits I could find and say "honey, what do you think of this?". She just rolls her eyes at me, but occasionally, I do find something that looks cute, and she likes.
For those that know me, you know I'm a t-shirt and jeans kinda guy...but when the need arises, I clean up well and I do have excellent taste in clothing.
Well, most of the time.
On occasion, I come up with a fashion faux pas. ;)
Friday night, we went to see The Dark Knight. Oh. My. God.
It's simply the best comic book movie I've seen. Period. It's intense. My heart was racing the whole second half of the movie (and, forgive me my love, not just from Julie sitting next to me). Heath Ledger's intrepertation of the Joker was simply amazing. He's anarchy personified, less a man and more a sheer force of chaos. He wants nothing more than to cause chaos...proving the perfect foil to Batman.
I was amazed...impressed to no end. It's just the best.
Friday, Julie drove. Saturday and today, I've been driving, which I think Julie's not used to. She seemed a little nervous sitting in the passenger seat of my ol' Saturn, but I think she liked having someone drive her around.
Today would have been her nephew's birthday. I wanted to be here with her for it. I'll be here another day, come home, spend the next three days madly cleaning my house, and get ready for her to come to Pittsburgh later this week...
And yeah, I'm smiling.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Offline for a Sunday night
10PM, Sunday evening. I've just now turned on the computer.
Oh, I was online this morning, checking out the Sunday funnies, tracking visitors and feeding the virtual pets over at Facebook. Even did a little virtual shopping with Julie, who's in need of a washer and dryer. I just wanted to try and be of some help, offering ideas and suggestions, but the lady knows what she wants and makes up her own mind. I respect her for that.
Left a little after Noon to go check on The Kid. Getting out there was a little more difficult today: The interstate (known affectionately around here as the Parkway East) has been seeing weekend closing for the past year or so, and it's been dumping traffic onto side streets that can barely handle the existing traffic.
Instead of taking one back way, I took another, and ran into traffic. Sigh. I did a few maneuvers, took a few side streets and short cuts I know, and...offered my opinion...to drivers who decided that going ten miles under the speed limit was all right before I got back on the Parkway, past the construction zone. What can take me 45 minutes on the weekend took about a half-hour longer, no thanks in part to the guy in front of me who figured waving at me might piss me off more. Little does he know I use that trick all the time.
The Kid was pretty good today. Talkative, funny, in good spirits. I stayed for almost two hours (only to get some...interesting...news, which I'm not ready to share just yet, before I left), and we had a good time. She can still make me laugh on occasion: When I first got there, she was lying in bed, and she woke when she heard me come in. I leaned over and asked what she thought she was doing, and she said "I've been institutionalized"...meaning she was put to bed even though she didn't want to go. It was funny...to me at least.
Had a good downpour while I was there. It was needed. It'd been so hot and humid the past few days, I'd been holed up in the air conditioning, unwilling to go outside and swim...er, ah...walk anywhere. After the rain, it was cooler and less humid, and much nicer.
Went and did some grocery shopping. Stopped for a bite to eat. Got home around 6:30...only to find the power was out. Wonderful. Called the light company and they said it was due to "equipment malfunctions" and service should be restored by 11:30 PM. In other words, the storm tripped the circuit breaker on the transformer out front (again) and they'd send a crew around to throw the switch whenever they had five seconds.
Oh, well. Wouldn't be the first time this had happened, won't be the last. Put away my groceries and wondered what I was going to do now.
My original intention tonight was to watch some DVDs: I have season two of Robot Chicken and Venture Bros. that I haven't seen yet, and I was going to watch some of those, but now...no power means no DVDs.
No biggie.
I got my portable CD player (remember those?) and my portable speaker ($11 from Woot, and it has excellent sound) for ambiance, and the stack of National Geographic magazines since the beginning of the year I hadn't yet cracked...and I had myself an offline Sunday night.
It's been awhile since I've had an offline night here at home. I'm either chatting with Julie (and I wouldn't trade those evening for anything) until she went back to work and had to go to bed early, or I'd been online blogging or surfing or playing games or whatever, so it felt really nice to just sit in the chair in the corner of the living room and just...relax.
Sure, the power was back on shortly after 8, and I could've gone online then, but I still had a few more NatGeo's to read, and it was...peaceful. The music ranged from Beastie Boys to Springsteen to Neil Young to Keiko Matsui (who's album, White Owl, is currently playing), it's been a nice night of music and magazines, with occasional updates from Julie on how the new tattoo is coming along.
Oh, one other thing. As I was sitting there, reading, I'd look up and out the front door on occasion. One such moment, I looked and saw...well...
An old friend and traveling companion's ghostly image, reflected in the glass. A few photos later...and there was this. I'm very fond of this picture, for some reason. Something about it, I really love.
Now it's 10:30. I've blogged, I'll go check my mail, see what else is happening in the world, wait for my love to call (unless she gets home too late and goes to bed, exhausted...she's had a busy weekend) and just be.
Amazing how nice the offline world is to visit every now and then. ;)
Oh, I was online this morning, checking out the Sunday funnies, tracking visitors and feeding the virtual pets over at Facebook. Even did a little virtual shopping with Julie, who's in need of a washer and dryer. I just wanted to try and be of some help, offering ideas and suggestions, but the lady knows what she wants and makes up her own mind. I respect her for that.
Left a little after Noon to go check on The Kid. Getting out there was a little more difficult today: The interstate (known affectionately around here as the Parkway East) has been seeing weekend closing for the past year or so, and it's been dumping traffic onto side streets that can barely handle the existing traffic.
Instead of taking one back way, I took another, and ran into traffic. Sigh. I did a few maneuvers, took a few side streets and short cuts I know, and...offered my opinion...to drivers who decided that going ten miles under the speed limit was all right before I got back on the Parkway, past the construction zone. What can take me 45 minutes on the weekend took about a half-hour longer, no thanks in part to the guy in front of me who figured waving at me might piss me off more. Little does he know I use that trick all the time.
The Kid was pretty good today. Talkative, funny, in good spirits. I stayed for almost two hours (only to get some...interesting...news, which I'm not ready to share just yet, before I left), and we had a good time. She can still make me laugh on occasion: When I first got there, she was lying in bed, and she woke when she heard me come in. I leaned over and asked what she thought she was doing, and she said "I've been institutionalized"...meaning she was put to bed even though she didn't want to go. It was funny...to me at least.
Had a good downpour while I was there. It was needed. It'd been so hot and humid the past few days, I'd been holed up in the air conditioning, unwilling to go outside and swim...er, ah...walk anywhere. After the rain, it was cooler and less humid, and much nicer.
Went and did some grocery shopping. Stopped for a bite to eat. Got home around 6:30...only to find the power was out. Wonderful. Called the light company and they said it was due to "equipment malfunctions" and service should be restored by 11:30 PM. In other words, the storm tripped the circuit breaker on the transformer out front (again) and they'd send a crew around to throw the switch whenever they had five seconds.
Oh, well. Wouldn't be the first time this had happened, won't be the last. Put away my groceries and wondered what I was going to do now.
My original intention tonight was to watch some DVDs: I have season two of Robot Chicken and Venture Bros. that I haven't seen yet, and I was going to watch some of those, but now...no power means no DVDs.
No biggie.
I got my portable CD player (remember those?) and my portable speaker ($11 from Woot, and it has excellent sound) for ambiance, and the stack of National Geographic magazines since the beginning of the year I hadn't yet cracked...and I had myself an offline Sunday night.
It's been awhile since I've had an offline night here at home. I'm either chatting with Julie (and I wouldn't trade those evening for anything) until she went back to work and had to go to bed early, or I'd been online blogging or surfing or playing games or whatever, so it felt really nice to just sit in the chair in the corner of the living room and just...relax.
Sure, the power was back on shortly after 8, and I could've gone online then, but I still had a few more NatGeo's to read, and it was...peaceful. The music ranged from Beastie Boys to Springsteen to Neil Young to Keiko Matsui (who's album, White Owl, is currently playing), it's been a nice night of music and magazines, with occasional updates from Julie on how the new tattoo is coming along.
Oh, one other thing. As I was sitting there, reading, I'd look up and out the front door on occasion. One such moment, I looked and saw...well...
An old friend and traveling companion's ghostly image, reflected in the glass. A few photos later...and there was this. I'm very fond of this picture, for some reason. Something about it, I really love.
Now it's 10:30. I've blogged, I'll go check my mail, see what else is happening in the world, wait for my love to call (unless she gets home too late and goes to bed, exhausted...she's had a busy weekend) and just be.
Amazing how nice the offline world is to visit every now and then. ;)
Thursday, July 17, 2008
13 Days
She'll be coming here in three two weeks.
Cool. :)
...and yes, I can count...most of the time...
Cool. :)
...and yes, I can count...most of the time...
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Midnight
The mantle clock behind me has started to chime.
I know Julie hates that clock, but I love it. I like hearing it chime on the hour and half-hour.
It's a little loud, she says, when we're talking on the phone.
12 times. Midnight.
I never was much of a night person. I always got up early, got my work done early, and then turned into a lazy slug for the afternoon/evening. Guess I was that way because of how I was raised. I had the "get it over with" mentality drilled into me from an early age.
I do like my mantle clock.
Not much has been going on around here today. I did a good bit of running around yesterday and intended for today to be a "lazy day". Did go through the junk mail, and tomorrow morning, I'll pay some bills, along with the school taxes sitting in there.
Sigh. I'm not looking forward to opening that. It's gonna be at least $1,400, and thankfully, I have enough saved up to pay it off. After that...well...it's not gonna be super tight, but it'll be interesting.
If you haven't seen Julie's blog yet, you should go read it. (Hopefully, she hasn't posted the pictures of me in shorts...yet.) She's gonna be a grandma. My girlfriend's going to be a grandmother.
Occasionally, I have to stop and let my mind wrap around that concept.
See, to me, growing up, grandparents were old. When your mother's 42 when you're born, grandparents are going to be a bit older. I still equate "grandparents" with older, gray-haired people who've had long lives, plastic covering the furniture and jars of candy all around the house.
Julie doesn't have gray hair (despite her daughter's teasing), doesn't have plastic on the furniture, and is on a diet, so candy? Forget about it.
Hm. Growing older. The thought of that doesn't bother me, but the concept of "getting old" does, if that makes sense. I've seen what happens in my family when old age comes around, and it's not something I'm looking forward to. I have a genuine fear of getting old, but even as I type those words, I can hear My Priestess tell me "it's better than the alternative".
Late nights. Granted, just past midnight isn't "late", but when you've spent years going to bed before 11, this is unfamiliar territory for me, you could say. I've been used, for years, at getting up between 5:30 and 7. Sleeping in until 9 only on Saturdays. Now it's an almost daily occurrence for me, and its taking a bit to get used to.
And yet, I just talked to my love. She's gotta get up at 2:30 in the morning to be at work by 4, but she was just getting to bed. Took a nap this afternoon, but that can really muck up her night.
It's amazing what we can do, when we need to do something.
Hm. 12:15AM. Think I'll surf the web a little, watch the end of the All-Star game (tied at 3 in the bottom of the 11th), and get to bed eventually.
Tomorrow's another day.
I know Julie hates that clock, but I love it. I like hearing it chime on the hour and half-hour.
It's a little loud, she says, when we're talking on the phone.
12 times. Midnight.
I never was much of a night person. I always got up early, got my work done early, and then turned into a lazy slug for the afternoon/evening. Guess I was that way because of how I was raised. I had the "get it over with" mentality drilled into me from an early age.
I do like my mantle clock.
Not much has been going on around here today. I did a good bit of running around yesterday and intended for today to be a "lazy day". Did go through the junk mail, and tomorrow morning, I'll pay some bills, along with the school taxes sitting in there.
Sigh. I'm not looking forward to opening that. It's gonna be at least $1,400, and thankfully, I have enough saved up to pay it off. After that...well...it's not gonna be super tight, but it'll be interesting.
If you haven't seen Julie's blog yet, you should go read it. (Hopefully, she hasn't posted the pictures of me in shorts...yet.) She's gonna be a grandma. My girlfriend's going to be a grandmother.
Occasionally, I have to stop and let my mind wrap around that concept.
See, to me, growing up, grandparents were old. When your mother's 42 when you're born, grandparents are going to be a bit older. I still equate "grandparents" with older, gray-haired people who've had long lives, plastic covering the furniture and jars of candy all around the house.
Julie doesn't have gray hair (despite her daughter's teasing), doesn't have plastic on the furniture, and is on a diet, so candy? Forget about it.
Hm. Growing older. The thought of that doesn't bother me, but the concept of "getting old" does, if that makes sense. I've seen what happens in my family when old age comes around, and it's not something I'm looking forward to. I have a genuine fear of getting old, but even as I type those words, I can hear My Priestess tell me "it's better than the alternative".
Late nights. Granted, just past midnight isn't "late", but when you've spent years going to bed before 11, this is unfamiliar territory for me, you could say. I've been used, for years, at getting up between 5:30 and 7. Sleeping in until 9 only on Saturdays. Now it's an almost daily occurrence for me, and its taking a bit to get used to.
And yet, I just talked to my love. She's gotta get up at 2:30 in the morning to be at work by 4, but she was just getting to bed. Took a nap this afternoon, but that can really muck up her night.
It's amazing what we can do, when we need to do something.
Hm. 12:15AM. Think I'll surf the web a little, watch the end of the All-Star game (tied at 3 in the bottom of the 11th), and get to bed eventually.
Tomorrow's another day.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Ponderings.
Back home again...
This past week has been so...busy. What was supposed to be a long weekend with my love went longer than I originally intended, but it was all right. Even if it wasn't the best of circumstances, I got to spend more time with her. I'm just glad I was there to be with her.
The funeral was simple but nice. I got a chance to meet the rest of her family, spend some time with them. Of course, I didn't have my suit with me, so I had to get one...so now I have three suits.
S'all right. I look good in a suit.
My love, if you didn't hear, is a huge NASCAR fan. She loves Dale Earnhardt, Jr more than she loves me (sigh), and my original plan was to stay at her place until Tuesday, go with her to her girlfriend's place after she got off work, crash with them for the night and then take off the next day.
Well, we didn't get to leave for Joliet until late Thursday, so I figured I'd stay until Friday. Julie told me before that there was more going on than just a race, that it was a big ol' party, so I figured I'd tag along, see what I can see.
Long story short: Julie's girlfriend's father works there. She got me one of his tickets. I was able to go to the race on Friday.
Now, please understand, when it comes to racing, I understand about as much as a rock understands nuclear physics. I've watched races with Julie before (when I'm not napping), so I understand some of what's going on, but for the most part, I wasn't prepared for the race.
Specifically, the noise. Those sonofabitches are LOUD! Ye gods. We went into the stand for the preliminaries and some practice laps, and I damn near went deaf. Seriously. After about a half-hour or so of sitting there, when we went back out front, I could not hear for about 10 minutes.
Scared the shit out of me. Thank God vendors out there were selling ear plugs. If they weren't, I don't think I could've gone back in for the race itself.
Speaking of the race...
Forgive me, my love, but I wasn't all that impressed. It was, well, dull.
No major crashes. No excitement. No drama. No tension. Just guys driving around a track for a couple hours.
I suppose it's because I was watching the "minor league" racers (if there is such a thing...and if I'm wrong, sweetie, please let me know), but it didn't impress me all that much.
I'll try it again. It's what my lady loves, so I'm willing to give it another shot, and with any luck, it'll capture my attention better.
All I'll say is this. Next time, I'm going to use more suntan lotion on more places. I understand where the term "red neck" comes from now...
This past week has been so...busy. What was supposed to be a long weekend with my love went longer than I originally intended, but it was all right. Even if it wasn't the best of circumstances, I got to spend more time with her. I'm just glad I was there to be with her.
The funeral was simple but nice. I got a chance to meet the rest of her family, spend some time with them. Of course, I didn't have my suit with me, so I had to get one...so now I have three suits.
S'all right. I look good in a suit.
My love, if you didn't hear, is a huge NASCAR fan. She loves Dale Earnhardt, Jr more than she loves me (sigh), and my original plan was to stay at her place until Tuesday, go with her to her girlfriend's place after she got off work, crash with them for the night and then take off the next day.
Well, we didn't get to leave for Joliet until late Thursday, so I figured I'd stay until Friday. Julie told me before that there was more going on than just a race, that it was a big ol' party, so I figured I'd tag along, see what I can see.
Long story short: Julie's girlfriend's father works there. She got me one of his tickets. I was able to go to the race on Friday.
Now, please understand, when it comes to racing, I understand about as much as a rock understands nuclear physics. I've watched races with Julie before (when I'm not napping), so I understand some of what's going on, but for the most part, I wasn't prepared for the race.
Specifically, the noise. Those sonofabitches are LOUD! Ye gods. We went into the stand for the preliminaries and some practice laps, and I damn near went deaf. Seriously. After about a half-hour or so of sitting there, when we went back out front, I could not hear for about 10 minutes.
Scared the shit out of me. Thank God vendors out there were selling ear plugs. If they weren't, I don't think I could've gone back in for the race itself.
Speaking of the race...
Forgive me, my love, but I wasn't all that impressed. It was, well, dull.
No major crashes. No excitement. No drama. No tension. Just guys driving around a track for a couple hours.
I suppose it's because I was watching the "minor league" racers (if there is such a thing...and if I'm wrong, sweetie, please let me know), but it didn't impress me all that much.
I'll try it again. It's what my lady loves, so I'm willing to give it another shot, and with any luck, it'll capture my attention better.
All I'll say is this. Next time, I'm going to use more suntan lotion on more places. I understand where the term "red neck" comes from now...
Monday, July 07, 2008
Dutiful and supportive.
According to my dashboard, this is my 200th post on Blogger.
This isn't totally accurate...I've deleted a number of posts over the years since I started this blog, so who knows what number this is.
I'm still in Dekalb. Julie's gram passed away on Sunday. I only had the chance to meet her a couple of times, but she seemed like a really cool lady. I'll be sticking around here for a bit, to do whatever Julie needs or asks of me.
If I haven't mentioned recently how much I love her, then you've obviously not been reading this blog.
Dekalb isn't that bad a place. I'm finding my way around here a little better, but it's still flat. Damn flat.
There've been a couple good thunderstorms move through here while I've been here. A really good one went through first thing this morning, and Julie's oldest forgot to put up his car windows. Got the driver's side good and wet. Julie, to her credit, tried to put a cover on the open windows before it really started to pour, but it didn't help much.
Another storm's gonna be coming through in the next hour. The windows are shut this time. ;)
I didn't bring my suit with me (even though I had a feeling I should when I was packing my bag before I left), so I had to make a quick run to the store today for a suit. Got a couple shirts, a tie, slacks and a sport coat. As long as I look presentable for her, be the dutiful and supportive boyfriend, it's all good.
Julie has made me feel part of the family here, and I do my best to help out when and where I can. I know I'm just the boyfriend, but I try and be there to help her and the kids whenever I can.
It's getting late. The rest of this week is gonna be busy, I think, so if you don't hear from me...you'll know why. I'm just trying to help out my family.
This isn't totally accurate...I've deleted a number of posts over the years since I started this blog, so who knows what number this is.
I'm still in Dekalb. Julie's gram passed away on Sunday. I only had the chance to meet her a couple of times, but she seemed like a really cool lady. I'll be sticking around here for a bit, to do whatever Julie needs or asks of me.
If I haven't mentioned recently how much I love her, then you've obviously not been reading this blog.
Dekalb isn't that bad a place. I'm finding my way around here a little better, but it's still flat. Damn flat.
There've been a couple good thunderstorms move through here while I've been here. A really good one went through first thing this morning, and Julie's oldest forgot to put up his car windows. Got the driver's side good and wet. Julie, to her credit, tried to put a cover on the open windows before it really started to pour, but it didn't help much.
Another storm's gonna be coming through in the next hour. The windows are shut this time. ;)
I didn't bring my suit with me (even though I had a feeling I should when I was packing my bag before I left), so I had to make a quick run to the store today for a suit. Got a couple shirts, a tie, slacks and a sport coat. As long as I look presentable for her, be the dutiful and supportive boyfriend, it's all good.
Julie has made me feel part of the family here, and I do my best to help out when and where I can. I know I'm just the boyfriend, but I try and be there to help her and the kids whenever I can.
It's getting late. The rest of this week is gonna be busy, I think, so if you don't hear from me...you'll know why. I'm just trying to help out my family.
Thursday, July 03, 2008
It looked...like...a bloody cow!
Julie's working overnight shifts today and tomorrow, and I can just imagine she's exhausted.
So since she's tired, I'm going to go ahead and embarrass myself.
We were out for a drive last time I was out at her place, and since it's...rural...there's plenty of farms and farmland kind of things, including farm animals.
So we drive past one place, and I look over at this horse that's spotted, I swear to God, like a cow. Julie was looking for a cow, and I said "cow"...but they looked and saw the horse.
I saw it was a horse too, but for that split second between opening my mouth and shoving my foot halfway down my throat, it looked like a cow.
Needless to say, for the rest of the visit, my love had to not only call every horse "cow" and every cow "horse", she proceeded to tell everyone around us that I couldn't tell the difference between a horse and a cow.
I swear to God, next time I'm out there, I am going to find that horse again and take its picture, just to show the world that that horse was spotted like a cow. Even if I have to photoshop that sonofabitch, I'm gonna prove it looked like a cow.
The ridicule will begin in three...two...one...
So since she's tired, I'm going to go ahead and embarrass myself.
We were out for a drive last time I was out at her place, and since it's...rural...there's plenty of farms and farmland kind of things, including farm animals.
So we drive past one place, and I look over at this horse that's spotted, I swear to God, like a cow. Julie was looking for a cow, and I said "cow"...but they looked and saw the horse.
I saw it was a horse too, but for that split second between opening my mouth and shoving my foot halfway down my throat, it looked like a cow.
Needless to say, for the rest of the visit, my love had to not only call every horse "cow" and every cow "horse", she proceeded to tell everyone around us that I couldn't tell the difference between a horse and a cow.
I swear to God, next time I'm out there, I am going to find that horse again and take its picture, just to show the world that that horse was spotted like a cow. Even if I have to photoshop that sonofabitch, I'm gonna prove it looked like a cow.
The ridicule will begin in three...two...one...
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
I should buy stock in asterisks...
I f***ing hate yardwork.
Really and truly, that in and of itself should tell you this isn't going to be a pleasant post, and as it continues, I might remove those asterisk. For now, they're there, but don't hold your breath for that not to change.
Growing up, I wasn't the outside kid. I liked to stay inside, even thought the house wasn't all that comfortable in the Summer. No central air, not ceiling fans to redistribute the heat, just whatever breeze might be blowing in from the outside. My Kid (back in the days before our roles in life reversed) hated the concept of closing the house up, preferring to have doors and windows wide and sweltering in the heat and humidity of a Pittsburgh Summer.
Still, through all that, I liked it inside the house. Outside had...stuff...and I didn't like the stuff.
Stuff like bugs. Bees (which, to this day, I still don't like). Worst of all...yard work.
I'll grant you, my yard isn't that big, but My Kid insisted it be done right. The grass has to be cut and kept short. It must be edged off the sidewalk. The hedges must be kept nice and trimmed. Weeds were forbidden and had to be removed, usually at the roots.
For awhile there, she did it, until I got to the age when, as it happens to all kids, they can do the yardwork. I hated it and did everything I could to get out of it.
I liked it inside. My stuff was inside. My imagination was at its peak indoors. Outside...wasn't for me. I'm a city kid. My country experiences are severely limited (ask Julie about that...she teases me every chance she gets). And even for a city kid, I was an inside-the-house kid, not one who hung out or played outside.
Still, it was a responsibility that I had to do, had to take care of, and if I understand one thing, it's my responsibilities.
So I was out there cutting the grass, until I got old enough to strike a deal with a neighbor who preferred to be outside. He cut the grass, trimmed, weeded to My Kid's demanding specifications, and I'd get him a case of beer for his work. Win-Win. He got to be outside, he got beer, and I could stay inside.
Of course, that changed when he divorced his wife of 35 years to go be with a younger woman. I tried to find a replacement, but none was to be found. Once again, it was my responsibility to do the thrice-damned yardwork.
And that's what I was doing today, until I ran over the electric cord, with the yard only half done.
It wouldn't be so bad except this is the second 100' extension cord I've chopped up this year. The first one was a month and a half ago when it slipped into the hedge trimmer while I was cutting the hedge. Sheared it right in half.
Have I mentioned I fu**ing hate yard work.
Hmm. Fewer asterisk that time.
I replaced that cord (it was too shredded to save) and went back to the evil, hated, insane, should-be-banned-by-the-Geneva-Convention yardwork. Of course, today, I was cutting the grass when I accidentally ran over the cord. Did it dozens of times before, but today...today...it got caught under the blade.
*sigh*
I'll see if I can get my neighbor, a retired electrician, to repair the cord, so I can go back and do what I have to do, be a responsible homeowner, and cut the fucking grass. Hm. No asterisk that time.
I swear, I get back to work and I'm hiring a yard service. I don't care. I'd rather spend the money and have someone else do it than spend an hour or two in aggravation working in the yard.
Yeah, I'm happy. Really happy.
Argh.
Three more days.
Really and truly, that in and of itself should tell you this isn't going to be a pleasant post, and as it continues, I might remove those asterisk. For now, they're there, but don't hold your breath for that not to change.
Growing up, I wasn't the outside kid. I liked to stay inside, even thought the house wasn't all that comfortable in the Summer. No central air, not ceiling fans to redistribute the heat, just whatever breeze might be blowing in from the outside. My Kid (back in the days before our roles in life reversed) hated the concept of closing the house up, preferring to have doors and windows wide and sweltering in the heat and humidity of a Pittsburgh Summer.
Still, through all that, I liked it inside the house. Outside had...stuff...and I didn't like the stuff.
Stuff like bugs. Bees (which, to this day, I still don't like). Worst of all...yard work.
I'll grant you, my yard isn't that big, but My Kid insisted it be done right. The grass has to be cut and kept short. It must be edged off the sidewalk. The hedges must be kept nice and trimmed. Weeds were forbidden and had to be removed, usually at the roots.
For awhile there, she did it, until I got to the age when, as it happens to all kids, they can do the yardwork. I hated it and did everything I could to get out of it.
I liked it inside. My stuff was inside. My imagination was at its peak indoors. Outside...wasn't for me. I'm a city kid. My country experiences are severely limited (ask Julie about that...she teases me every chance she gets). And even for a city kid, I was an inside-the-house kid, not one who hung out or played outside.
Still, it was a responsibility that I had to do, had to take care of, and if I understand one thing, it's my responsibilities.
So I was out there cutting the grass, until I got old enough to strike a deal with a neighbor who preferred to be outside. He cut the grass, trimmed, weeded to My Kid's demanding specifications, and I'd get him a case of beer for his work. Win-Win. He got to be outside, he got beer, and I could stay inside.
Of course, that changed when he divorced his wife of 35 years to go be with a younger woman. I tried to find a replacement, but none was to be found. Once again, it was my responsibility to do the thrice-damned yardwork.
And that's what I was doing today, until I ran over the electric cord, with the yard only half done.
It wouldn't be so bad except this is the second 100' extension cord I've chopped up this year. The first one was a month and a half ago when it slipped into the hedge trimmer while I was cutting the hedge. Sheared it right in half.
Have I mentioned I fu**ing hate yard work.
Hmm. Fewer asterisk that time.
I replaced that cord (it was too shredded to save) and went back to the evil, hated, insane, should-be-banned-by-the-Geneva-Convention yardwork. Of course, today, I was cutting the grass when I accidentally ran over the cord. Did it dozens of times before, but today...today...it got caught under the blade.
*sigh*
I'll see if I can get my neighbor, a retired electrician, to repair the cord, so I can go back and do what I have to do, be a responsible homeowner, and cut the fucking grass. Hm. No asterisk that time.
I swear, I get back to work and I'm hiring a yard service. I don't care. I'd rather spend the money and have someone else do it than spend an hour or two in aggravation working in the yard.
Yeah, I'm happy. Really happy.
Argh.
Three more days.
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