Saturday, August 09, 2008

Home

We arrived, straggling in on the edge of distress, driving manically, desperate to sign the papers.
Keys in hand, we marched through the iron gate, through the doors, up the stairs, up the stairs, up the stairs, up the stairs. Home. There we were. Ours.
We locked the bikes in the basement, we hauled things through the back. Tired, limbs shaking, we sat, two broken families finding consolation in our smallest triumphs, sipping liquid from the local 7-11 and conversing amid the piles scattered everywhere.
The dollar store, cheap purchases adding up, buying the things that we knew we'd need.
A quick shower, finally!
Dinner, guests, late night discussion.
Things wound down, wound up and all around, the night air lifted the curtains and blew them toward our sleeping forms.
We are home.
It's ours and we love it.

Thursday, August 07, 2008

Safe in St. Louis.
Leaving early tomorrow (7am) for Chicago.
Will let you know as soon as I get internet set up how things are.
Mike and Mom are in Omaha.
Love.

Tuesday, August 05, 2008

Good Support

I couldn't have these wonderful adventures if it wasn't for the people around me that genuinely care about what I'm doing.
Getting coffee the other day, the barista asked me when I was leaving and told me he'd miss me. At the good old DQ (which I am done with, by the way!!), customers wished me well and told me they'd miss me.
I've got three sets of grandparents: Grandma Mary, Grandpa Joe and Grandma Al, Juanita and Marshall to make sure things go okay.
I've got Aunt Sally helping to figure out all of the Loyola payment issues.
Fruitypants is the hired muscle. (I can't really think of anything else....just kidding, I'll miss him a little too)
Dad bought me a bike rack.
Mom and I have done the packing thing, we've been to Target, to Costco, everywhere.
The people that I babysit for gave me extra money that they most definitely did not need to give me because they wanted me to do well and they appreciate that they can leave their kids with me and not have to worry. (The fact that they are super right wing makes this even better because it shows that it's not just the liberals that dig me.)
I never realized how awesome it is to be able to have a dessert party or a dinner with family. A lot of people don't get to do that all the time, yet even at school, I"m reminded that people care with little packages, usually containing baked goods, usually around finals. (Aunt Sally, that one's all you).
Mom even gets around to doing stuff like that, sending me the highly anticipated Birkenstocks and not telling me that they were in the mail so I would be surprised.
It's little things, a card from Grandma Mary with a little saying that she found on the internet or something.
Uncle Mike and Brian "hauled" me (and my stuff) out to Chicago, making a crazy road trip and I'll never forget that.
Aunt Jan is always there with fun girlie stuff that Mom disapproves of but then uses in the end (haha, the Clinique bag has yet to be picked over, so good timing there).
You guys are great, really, and here's the big thank you you weren't expecting but wholly deserve.

THANK YOU!


That was it? It meant more than it looked like, I promise.

But seriously, knowing that you have this great network of people who want to help you is pretty nice.


Also, too many people run red lights.
Simon is getting his oil changed today.