Alabama Tracks

For the first time in two years, I have found myself alone in a city that I’m still not very comfortable with at times. Joel left for San Diego yesterday and today should be enjoying the zoo and Dave and Busters later today. We’ve talked a couple of times but I’m really trying hard to let him enjoy his time with his chronies of the gaming world.

I plan on going shopping tonight and cleaning my house. I am supposed to host the Sunday School party in November so I’m trying to get a head start on some of the extra cleaning and honey do projects around the house. Saturday should be a good day for stuff like that as it’s supposed to be a little cooler. I’m contemplating washing the cars too. Ambitious maybe, but definitely needed.

Monday will mark the beginning of starting the diet again. After seeing the scale for our insurance physicals, we both agreed that we better get on the stick again and quickly. I figured this weekend was as good as any for me to meal plan and do it wholeheartedly. No more excuses that I don’t have time to plan. I’ve found a few new recipes to help make our food choices a little more varried, though the first 2 weeks are always the hardest regardless. Come Monday and Tuesday we are both expecting withdrawal headaches to hit strong. I must say that it is always easier when we try to do it together though. We’ll see how it goes.

Joel will return on Sunday night and I’m already looking forward to it with great anticipation. My best friend is not here and I feel somewhat lost. To say my life has drastically changed since my single days would be an understatement. But I’m not complaining in the least. After all. I asked for this for years. Phone calls just don’t cut it much anymore

In the movie “My Fair Lady” we are told the story of Elsa, the cockney flower girl transformed by the arrogant Henry Higgins into a proper lady. There’s a scene towards the end of the movie where she goes back to that alleyway she used to peddle flowers in. Only now she’s dressed like a proper lady and, more importantly, she speaks like one. The people she used to know don’t recognize her. By the end of the scene there is one crystal clear truth:

It isn’t home anymore.

There’s a difference between making your own home and saying goodbye to the old one. Erin cried a great deal over the pending loss of the house she’s known for years and she asked me “Why do I feel this way? I did this 2 years ago.” She left her parents anc cleaved to me, just as God ordained, but there’s something else about “home”. Something that runs deeper and isn’t so easily washed away by the passage of miles or time.

In our hearts there’s this concept of what used to be. I call it “The good ‘ol days” because there is often little negative that we remember about it. It’s like a painting or one of those three dimensional panoramas. We cleave to that concept no matter how far along in life we moved. I ran headlong into it 2 years ago on our honeymoon. We used to live in Littlerock, CA. It was the first house we had ever owned. We poured our lives into that place. We landscaped the back yard. We had 2 cats. Life was idyllic… at least in my mind’s eye. Then we moved to The South which is basically a foreign country. I never left that house, though. And here we were, 9 years later driving past it. The trees were larger but the house was unkept. The grass I had mowed so many times had dead spots. The back yard, once a luscious area to play or just enjoy the cool desert air was overrun with weeds and the trees needed serious trimming.

Depression doesn’t cover something like that. Reality came crashing into my panorama and all it took was one poorly timed remark from Erin to just nail the coffin shut. It was one of the most depressing days of my life. The high school I loved had moved. The places we used to go were now the middle of the city.

The stark reality was I couldn’t go home. It didn’t exist anymore. That wasn’t a bad thing. Some part of me still wanted to try and move back there someday but now you couldn’t get wild horses to drag me back. California is no longer a place I want to live. Home is elsewhere.

Today Ken and Chris closed on land and soon the panorama will crash in on 3031 Ridgepine Dr. That’s not a bad thing. It’s hard, but it forces you to throw the panorama out and look at where you are now. It’s God’s way of telling us all we need a new panorama. The old ones just don’t cut it anymore.

Three days have come and gone. I can’t say that life has become more interesting per say, just more unpredictable. I’m just hoping that in the next few days we’ll see some resolution to a few things.

Joel and I started this week trying to streamline life insurance policies for both of us, consolidate my 401 (k) programs, schedule pest control service, complain to the cable company for making us switch to digital cable, and make some long needed dr. appts. I didn’t realize how ambitiuos these tasks were initially but they seemed to have mushroomed into much more complicated tasks.

We had to reschedule a meeting with the insurance agent once, then make another appointment to take care of the extra policies we need to have written. Our appointment with the pest control company had to be done not once, but twice. The cable company still has yet to be called, and I’ve made many phone calls to get more paperwork for the 401 (k) consolidation mess. The good thing we did was that I now have a dental appointment made and Joel is on his way to get his eyes checked, both past time for two years.

I dread meeting with the insurance agent next week to discuss my life insurance. Going through my medical background always seems such a monumentous task. Not to mention waiting to see how much my rates are going to be as a result of my issues. It should prove to be interesting though. I’m so used to having open enrollment periods for life insurance and not having to answer any medical questions or do a physical, this will be an experience. I think the thing that I am most looking forward to having taken care of a rider that will cover my wedding ring. Just a small insurance that will cover my rear end should something happen to the family heirloom. I’ve always been a little skiddish about something happening to it and my head being on the chopping block. This should help.

We get to stay home this weekend and I’m so ready for day around my house. Yard duty, cleaning, you name, we’re doing it. What doesn’t get done this weekend will overflow into next weekend when Joel is doing his gaming thing.

Joel was invited to attend “Summit” in San Diego. Yes, it is another gamer’s convention similar to that of New Orleans earlier this year and no, I’m not going. I would love to take off a few days and go with him. Not only to see San Diego but to see my college roommate, Debbie. I checked into flights but they all are too expensive and I don’t have enough frequent flier miles banked so I’ll be staying home. From what I understand, they will be touring Sony Online Entertainment, the San Diego Zoo, and better yet. It’s all expenses paid, less a few meals. I’ll have him write about it when he returns so you all can experience a gamer’s convention.

Maybe as the weekend progresses, we’ll see some closure and some reorganizing of plan. I guess what will sum up our week is something an ancestor once said. “The best laid plans of mice and men often go astray.” How true!

The past few days have been of the kind that are fairly uneventful. Lest I be one to complain about lack of events, I’ll go through what has happened as some is of interest to others.

As mentioned in an earlier posting by Joel, we took our anniversary trip to the Biltmore. What a welcomed time away. Since starting my new job, I’ve been looking forward to an extended weekend vacation that could clear my mind. We could not have asked for a more beautiful day as we left town for our 6 hour trip to Asheville. The Biltmore has opened 10 new rooms to the general tour. Seeing that I had previously visited and Joel hadn’t, it was exciting for me to give him “heads up” moments and also to share in the history of the building with someone that enjoys history as much as I do. Part of my interest I must admit is in the “high life” that is exemplified. But knowing that Joel will never be able to come up with 10 Billion dollars to build me such an extravegant home, I’ll be happy with the house that I have. Leather walls or not.

I looked through the house with a different set of eyes than I had on my prevous visit. Little things seemed to intrigue me. The trap door in the “Winter Garden” for the servants to bring plants in unbeknownst to the owners. The fact that the forest was pretty much designed and planted by a contractor hired by Mr. Vanderbilt. Then it was the neat growth of grapes and cucumbers along the trellis leading down to the Conservatory. We toured the house, bought a few items in the gift shop and headed down to the Conservatory. By the end of our visit, my desire to go see the Winery had dwindled due to exhaustion so we headed for the hotel and tried to locate a nice place for dinner. Our exhaustion got the best of us so we ended up at Chili’s.

Early Sunday morning we headed to Maryville to meet Tia, David, and the kids at their church. We ate lunch and celebrated my birthday on the Greenbelt. Again, it was a gorgeous day complete with breeze and low humidity. When we left the park, we checked into the hotel and then headed back to the apartment. Following dinner we watched the infamous Napoleon Dynamite. It’s rather intriguing to watch the kids act out scenes and recite almost word for word such a strange movie, and the fact that they understand it and get the humor is even more intriguing. Oh, I can’t forget to mention hearing David mimic Kip. That is just something Mastercard and money can’t buy. Priceless.

We ended our trip with an attempt at picking grapes and apples. I say attempt because due to some van trouble, we ended the search for the farm and found ourselves back on the Greenbelt. Not that we didn’t enjoy it. It was again, a beautiful day. It was there that we said our goodbyes until Thanksgiving.

After having such a wonderful weekend, the week seemed to drag by with a list of stuff to do a mile long. I had Bible Study on Tuesday night, choir on Wednesday night, and IAAP on Thursday night. Friday night Joel and I went out to dinner and then ran some errands leaving most everything else to do on Saturday. I made Tia’s pancakes on Saturday morning (of which were delicious) and then cleaned while Joel mowed the yard. Exciting I know.

Monday morning I got my new office at work. Much to my surprise it is rather large but I won’t complain. It’s far better than what I had initially. Joel and I started walking this week and I’m try to watch what I eat closer and be more disciplined with not only eating but my Quiet Time as well. Day one down, six more to go. I’ve started on a good footing today though.

Below you’ll find the two most recent and best pictures of my girls. It’s rare that they are actually so posed and well behaved. Trust me, it didn’t last long.

So for now, that is all the excitement of which my life can boast. Mama always said, “Give it three days and everything will change.” I’m sure it will prove true yet again. I’m waiting.

Per request, pictures of the two kitties.

Flala

Lilly

Some interesting facts before I recount the past day or so…

Travel time to Ken and Chris’s house… ~6 hours
Travel time to Tia and Davis’… ~5.5 hours

Distance to Ken and Chris’s house… ~365 miles
Distance to Tia and Davis’… ~362 miles

Life is funny that way…

So we visited with Tia and David after our brief trip to the Biltmore. It was quite fun. We arrived at a Charismatic Presbyterian church. It seemed to be an oxymoron but there it was, Presbyterians with their hands in the air! Tia made a very nice birthday picnic lunch for Erin. We went to the Maryville Greenbelt to picnic. Tia made some very nice chocolate chip cake with chocolate frosting. Comfort food!

We then proceeded to wander around stroll through the Greenbelt. We got lost took a lazy meandering path through the woods until David, Andrew and I had to return for the vehicles to pick the exhasted ladies up. (just kidding!) We went back to their 940 square feet apartment and watched Napoleon Dynamite (I still love technology…) Andrew seemed to enjoy his new (or rather second generation) Boy Scout gear I had left over. I think he would have tried to camp out right then and there if we had let him. Tia’s dinner salad was also quite nice. I put some of it in my pocket for later….

We spent the night at a Holiday Inn Express. This morning I fixed Social Security.

We started off the day with pancakes from Tia. She used a griddle which allowed me to extol the virtues of getting a stovetop model for us. Someday. It will happen, trust me… We then were off to try and pick some sort of undisclosed agricultural product. I never did find out what it was we were going to pick. David got lost took us on a long scenic tour of rural Tennessee. After a while their van got fed up a David and decided to call him a jerk. Erm, wait, I mean it started jerking. Not a good sign. So we turned around and began to pray that the van would make it to the repair place. Tia called us multiple times. Something about sweaty babies and wrong turns. I couldn’t tell because we had fed the sugar Tia had just bought to Celia and Andrew to placate them (Rowan was bought off with a mere stuffed donkey) and, at that very moment, it was taking effect. Who needs Ritalin? Sassafras sticks are much cheaper!

Well, we made it but, of course, the car place was busy. Thankfully the Greenbelt was literally across the street so we loaded up the cooler in our car and drove next to it while the gang walked over and we picniced out AGAIN! No wonder why Tia likes that place. Every day is a picnic! So we ate out and waited for the car place to call. $720 OUCH! David was promptly sent in to negotiate and came back with a much more reasonable $640. So we said our goodbyes to the kids and Tia at the park and drove David and the cooler back to their apartment where he got his car and returned to the park and we drove back.

I75 was packed. I mean it was crazy. People weaving in and out. Driving like maniacs. It didn’t get better after I40 split off and remained heavy all the way to Chattanooga. Then we got on I24. I24 through Chattanooga is much worse because you go up and down far more mountains through the middle of a city. Longest 16 miles of the whole trip. I59 was back to normal thankfully and we stopped in Georgia for gas. Georgia has no state gas tax for all of Sept and it proved to be wise as we didn’t see any gas that cheap until we returned home. The good news is that gas prices do seem to be coming down from the spike Katrina caused.

I65 seemed to have caught some of I75’s vibe because it was heavy too. But we made good time. From the time we left we only made one stop for gas and drove through for dinner.

I’ve been on an emotional roller coster of emotions this week both from the disaster down south and personal events. Being relatively close to the disastered areas, Montgomery has found itself as a safe shelter for those fortunate enough to escape. Some friends of our were able to escape. Natalie and Chris had just moved to Metarie so she could do her residency in Psychology. We found out Tuesday that they in town but that they had renters insurance but no flood insurance. I’ve not seen a lot of footage from the Metarie area so I don’t know how much they actually lost. From all other accounts, my mind automatically goes to the extreme. Gas prices soaring and shortages are hit and miss here though I believe more on a panic basis than on the actual scarcity of gas issue as is further down south. Several churches in the area have opened shelters and schools have relaxed their enrollment requirements to get those students who have evacuated, in school as soon as possible. We’re told that those places south of Evergreen (just south of Belle Zora) are much more worse off than we are. Thats only about an hour and a half away.

I realized this week that I have entered into the phase of my life where friends of mine are actually getting divorced. We heard this week about a couple that had and it totally took everyone by surprise. I don’t know if it is my age or if it is the fact that now that I’m married, I’m surrounded more by those who could actually get divorced rather than just hearing about others that we’re not associated with that much. It’s been hard to swallow as Joel and I have gone through the same curriculum that they have and they seemed to lead a normal life and marriage in front of everyone.

My trip this weekend has also been threatened which I must say has made me deal with anger issues. This weekend, Joel and I are supposed to go to Asheville, NC to celebrate our 2nd anniversary and then head up to Knoxville to see my sister and her family. We have both waffled as to whether or not we should go and if it is the prudent thing to do but I think we have decided that we’re going. All of our reservations are nonrefundable and I’m sure they would work with us seeing the circumstances, I really am looking forward to getting out of town, if nothing else but for my sanity. Gas will be high though it is a price I’m willing to pay this week. Next week, I’ll start carpooling and cutting back.

I made a new friend this week at Bible Study. Her name is Rebecca and she is relatively new to town. Her husband is military and they’ve been here for almost a year now. They are about half way through a twin pregnancy, she is my age, lives around the corner from me, and as of this week, sings in choir with me. She asked me Tuesday night if she could go with me on Wednesday. It made choir so much more enjoyable for me as I had someone to ride there and back with me and another female with whom I could just talk. I look forward to see where this one goes.

Joel and I watch the coverage on TV each morning and each night to keep abreast of all that is everchanging. So many nights I have found myself asking him to change it so it isn’t the last thing on my mind before I go to sleep. There have been nights that I have cried as I finally let myself relax, not for my issues, but for the unknown of others and the sheer depravity of others.

I’m hoping to end this week on an extremely positive and warm emotional tone as if to say, “the ride is over, please exit to the left and collect your belongings on your way out.”