Vacation stories part 1

Ok, so it was a mad, mad dash to Texas, and then immediately fly out to Richmond ( to do so, we had to take a flight with a layover in Atlanta.  HA!).  Our first flight was delayed almost two hours, which SUCKED, because our layover was supposed to be two hours.  You see the problem?

Fortunately, the amazing crew at American Airlines let us sit up in First Class as we got closer to our gate.  We ran like HELL to get to our Delta gate, and thank God, that flight was delayed for an hour.  Otherwise, we'd never have made it.

Then we got to Richmond and our luggage didn't come.

Now, I have to say, that was kind of my fault.  When we were packing, I was SO TIRED and delirious, I thought to myself, I don't think we should pack two carry-on bags, let's just pack one big suitcase.  Luke didn't like it, but he let me do it.  When we got to the airport, however, we found we had to pay to check our bag.  Many quiet looks of displeasure, let me tell you.

So we went to my parents' house, and they set us up in my grandmother's old room, which they've turned into a den, and we slept on two twin-bed gel mattresses they'd pushed together.  Now, I get that they were letting us sleep together, and that in theory, two twin beds make a king-size.  But when someone tries to cuddle, they split apart, and hardwood floors are cold at 2:00 in the morning, I'll have you know.

My dad had asked us when I called him at the Dallas airport if we would lead his Sunday School class.  They've been studying some "hot button" issues, and right now, they're doing homosexuality.  Luke said he'd do it, but it sounded like a science experiment to him.  It was pretty good, actually, even Luke thought so.  There was one guy there who was just one of Those Guys, and he didn't bother me, because he just didn't agree with me, he was very respectful and willing to listen.  The one guy that DID piss me off was a guy that has been in prison, and said that if we start accepting gay people, we have to accept pedophiles and rapists.  Fortunately, some of the class members saved me from having to say anything by pointing out the fact that the vast majority of pedophiles are straight.  Rapists have nothing in common with gay people, so I'm not sure where he was going with that.

Alright, I've got some cleaning to do, but I'll try to write another one tonight.  I'm trying to fill my day, you see, because Luke is coming today, but he's not going to get here until tonight.

Vacation Stories to follow, I promise

I just have to get this out...

I am incredibly sad.  I can't believe that I'm so dependent on Luke that I can't be happy without him for just two weeks.  I know people that go longer than that.  

Woe is me, etc. etc. etc.

So it took three posts. Sue me.

So, at 3, Phillip & Barron call to be let into the gate with my surprise.  As soon as I hang up the phone, Jake & Erin call and tell me they're here.  It was great, because Jake & Erin have been our best friends for two years, and they'd never had a chance to meet Phillip & Barron, who have been my best friends for twenty years.  

So, bear in mind, I've been packing all day, dealing with boxes, etc.  Imagine my surprise when Phillip & Barron present me with a box of Star Wars & Star Trek toys.  For those of you who don't know, about two years ago, shortly after I met Luke, I was robbed and cleaned out.  I mean, they took all of my old toys, my dishes that I'd inherited from my grandmother, clothes, computers, DVDs, CDs, EVERYTHING.  So this was a pretty nice gift.  But I could have killed them when I saw it was another box.

So, like I said, couldn't have done it without Jake & Erin.  We listened to Lisa Loeb as we packed and painted.  When Luke got home, there was actually very little to do, it just took FOREVER.  We finally finished painting and loading up the truck at 10:00 Thursday night, and then we had to go get a couple of things from Jake & Erin, and by that time, we were wiped.

Part of our plan involved getting Luke's paycheck (which came in on Friday) FedEx'ed to my aunt's house in Massachusetts so that we could have money for vacation, and we'd just use the $300 to get us to Texas.  Luke was worried that we wouldn't have enough money, I wasn't.  (BOY, was I wrong.  The truck itself cost OVER $300 in gas, and then we had the car, too.)  Luke made a case for staying the last night, leaving town after his paycheck arrived, and having less time in Texas, because we had a 4:00 flight to Richmond to go on this massive family vacation.  He was worried about the money, I was just fuckin' tired, so I said ok.  I hated the fact that we were going to be driving through the night, but WOW did it end up being the best option.

Now, bear in mind that a move requires communication.  Luke didn't have a cell phone.  So every hour and a half, I'd see him doing something weird, or (as he tells it) I'd THINK I'd see him doing something weird, and so I'd pull off.  Eventually, we just worked out a system that we'd stop every two, two-and-a-half hours, get out, go to the bathroom, and stretch.  Sadly, this turned a twelve hour trip into a FIFTEEN hour trip.  Poor Shayera was MISERABLE the entire time.  She never once chewed on a bone, or really do anything other than lay in her bed and gaze balefully at us until she fell asleep.

We finally got in to Texas at almost six in the morning.  The Dreiling's hide-a-key isn't in the front yard, so Luke had to vault over the fence to find it.  He couldn't, so he had to vault back over and we had to knock on the front door anyway.  Jim came in our room at about nine to get a key to the truck so they could start on our laundry, and he and Paul ended up unloading our whole truck for us.  It was crazy, and so, SO nice.

I updated the blog, went for a swim, played volleyball (Luke won, damn his time), and then we were off on vacation.  And that's where the next blog will start.

We've Arrived! A story in two parts, pt 2

Ok, so I'm doing this from vacation, which has many of its own stories, but I gotta finish the move, first.

So, we awoke at a quarter til 8, not so refreshed, very sore, and, for my part, a little bitter about the work remaining.  Luke had to go to work.  I know he didn't see it this way, but I felt he'd escaped.  So, I knew that Jake and Erin were going to sleep in and have a late breakfast, so I was expecting them at about 11 or so.  Fine.  I began moving boxes, finishing the packing, all the stuff I could do by myself while I waited for them.  What I didn't know was that Jake had gotten rip-roaring drunk the night before with his cast (He's doing "An Adult Evening With Shel Silverstein" at the old Galaxy Playhouse and I believe that it opens July 31st.  Go.  I've read the script, its hysterical and disturbing.)  So they woke up at 12, then went out to breakfast, and then Erin, bless her heart, had to take some tests for work, and so they didn't end up getting there until 3.  Let me tell you, they were a godsend.  I could not have gotten everything done without them.  Erin painted, Jake helped me reorganize the truck, he helped give me some direction about finishing packing, it was perfect.  Meanwhile, I'd called my best friend Phillip and his brother to see if they could come, but they had errands they had to run.  At three o'clock, they call to tell me they need to get let in, they have a present for me.

I hate to do this to you, but I'm doing this from the jacuzzi in my bathroom here on vacation, and I'm sweating like a pig.  I'll try to write more later today.  

We've arrived! A story in two parts, pt 1

So our whole plan had been to pack up the truck on Wednesday and Thursday, and then leave Friday morning at 2:00.

Ok, so I started packing up the truck on Wednesday.  By myself.  Because Luke had to work.  It's the only way we could get it to work.  I only took two fifteen minute breaks, not counting going to pick Luke up from work.  That's tired work, I'm here to tell you.  I got a lot of the last minute stuff packed, but not all of it.  I got a lot of the taped up boxes and stuff done.  I was calling Luke every thirty minutes or so.  He wasn't so bothered by it, though.  It was nice.  However, there was a lot to get done still, and then we had to paint everything back, so we had to call in reinforcements.  We asked Jake and Erin to come, but we were kind of vague about when we needed them, and they didn't really say when they'd come, so we just kind of carried on.  We got the Bowflex undone, and hit the sack, thinking we'd have about three hours of work left to do.

That's all for now.  Now, I must swim.

today's the big day! Can't post from iphone. Who knew?