More than once this weekend, mutual friends of ours exhibited surprise when I assured them that I want to continue to learn Turkish. Obviously, the classes I took weren't as helpful as I had hoped and I am nowhere near fluent (though I didn't really expect such amazing results from a 6 week class) but jeez folks - I'm not done.
My boyfriend's first language is Turkish. That is the language he is most comfortable using and the one he communicates best with. By choosing to not pursue a deeper comprehension of Turkish I would essentially be saying "I don't care about being able to communicate effectively with you, ever." At the very least, I feel I should know as much Turkish as he does English - it's only fair.
Something else to consider: healthy, happy relationships are based on the ability to communicate well with your partner. It's difficult enough when we have conflicts, but it is compounded by the fact that we think and speak in different languages.
Now, I just need Seattle to get with the program - how about hooking a girl up with more matriculation options, eh?
*hangs head in shame*
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Oh for the love of gawd - I am an awful blogger.
Bear's been here for almost a month now, this week we got our sweet-ass couch and dining set and soon we can show off the new digs with a housewarming party.
Days before he came home, my fantastic orange kitty Wilson got very sick and had to be put to sleep. Lord, that was rough. He was not even 4 years old and in great health the day before - I didn't see it coming at all.
So, we've all been adjusting to a new cat, Bear is settling in to his new home and I am learning how to live with a dude.
Bear's been here for almost a month now, this week we got our sweet-ass couch and dining set and soon we can show off the new digs with a housewarming party.
Days before he came home, my fantastic orange kitty Wilson got very sick and had to be put to sleep. Lord, that was rough. He was not even 4 years old and in great health the day before - I didn't see it coming at all.
So, we've all been adjusting to a new cat, Bear is settling in to his new home and I am learning how to live with a dude.
It's been more than interesting but honestly, I would change very little about these last few months of my life (except for the lack of blogging part, eh?)
Wilson and Bread
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
First of all, I want to sincerely thank every one of you who prayed for us and shared our pain on Facebook. It is always tragic to lose a part of your family, furry or not, suddenly or slowly. We were blind-sided and Serkan had no option but to offer as much support as he could while being thousands of miles away. Unfortunately this meant he was not able to have his own goodbyes with Wilson, and they loved each other so so much.
Truly, all of your kind words have touched my heart. I know many of you have been through the same thing or have a pet that you love so much you don't want to imagine ever being in the same position. As they say, "this ain't my first rodeo" and in my life I have said goodbye to many kitties, never on really pleasant terms. Wilson is incredibly special to me and I will never forget all of the things I loved; the last 4 days of his life are far outweighed by the 2+ great years I got to spend with him. He taught me things.
In the days after he passed, after separate heart-to-heart chats with Bear and the Madre in which I honestly expressed my desire to adopt another cat (I can't say it more eloquently):
they both unknowingly presented me with the same, kinda freakin' brilliant, idea.
We'll have to back-track a little.
About a year and a half ago, a friend's bartender roommate was trying to adopt out two young adult Maine Coon mix brothers - he had agreed to house them for a friend whose new girlfriend had allergies or hated the cats or maybe she was just slightly crazy, we never really figured it out but she never attempted to regain ownership of the kitties even after insisting they be adopted out together. Since another roommate was allergic, these cats (who probably loved their original owner and home) were now forced to spend their days and nights in one room where the occupant was actually rarely there. I had Gizmo and Wilson in a one bedroom apartment so I couldn't rescue them myself, but I convinced my Mom that she had enough room to house them in addition to the 2 she already had - 17 year old BC and her youngin' Sawyer. I would have taken one if I could have, but ended up convincing my Mom to step closer to the cliff into Crazy Cat Ladydom.
The boys Bread and Puppet were named after The Bread and Puppet Theater: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bread_and_Puppet_Theater and holy crap they were *traumatized*. We all got scratched to pieces when we put them in the crates; one person even got blood poisoning. It wasn't pretty.
The Madre (aka The Cat Whisperer) quickly turned them around and they are mostly normal adorable cats, though Bread has a tendency to pick on Sawyer (who also never got along with Gizmo) and Puppet is still very shy around strangers. I adore them both, though Bread is really my fave.
One night while discussing our adoption options Serkan gently suggested that maybe Ma might let me take one of her cats off her hands and I immediately protested - BC needs to stay with her because of his age, Sawyer doesn't get along with Gizmo and the brothers grew up together. Puppet loves my mom dearly and I know he is too sensitive to be parted from her. I thought *maybe* she would consider letting us take Bread home but knew I would never actually ask her to consider it.
That same night The Madre called me to present the exact same idea. Two days later, she brought Bread to me.
It's been a rocky start with Gizmo - at first she was just confused, then she was pissed.
For me it's been pretty easy (minus all the growling and initial spats in the middle of the night) - Bread is a great cuddler. Oh my goodness he loooooves to spoon. And he's 17 pounds of adorable silliness.
I still have plenty of moments where I think "oh, Wilson used to..." or "that's just like Wilson..." and I am smacked in the face with grief, but life is getting back to normal as the kitties adjust to each other and we settle in with our new ball o' fluff.
Truly, all of your kind words have touched my heart. I know many of you have been through the same thing or have a pet that you love so much you don't want to imagine ever being in the same position. As they say, "this ain't my first rodeo" and in my life I have said goodbye to many kitties, never on really pleasant terms. Wilson is incredibly special to me and I will never forget all of the things I loved; the last 4 days of his life are far outweighed by the 2+ great years I got to spend with him. He taught me things.
In the days after he passed, after separate heart-to-heart chats with Bear and the Madre in which I honestly expressed my desire to adopt another cat (I can't say it more eloquently):
"Unlike some people who have experienced the loss of an animal, I did not
believe, even for a moment, that I would never get another. I did know full well
that there were just too many animals out there in need of homesfor me to take
what I have always regarded as the self-indulgent road of saying the heartbreak
of the loss of an animal was too much ever to want to go through with it again.
To me, such an admission brought up the far more powerful admission that
all the wonderful times you had with your animal were not worth the unhappiness
at the end."
- Cleveland Amory
they both unknowingly presented me with the same, kinda freakin' brilliant, idea.
We'll have to back-track a little.
About a year and a half ago, a friend's bartender roommate was trying to adopt out two young adult Maine Coon mix brothers - he had agreed to house them for a friend whose new girlfriend had allergies or hated the cats or maybe she was just slightly crazy, we never really figured it out but she never attempted to regain ownership of the kitties even after insisting they be adopted out together. Since another roommate was allergic, these cats (who probably loved their original owner and home) were now forced to spend their days and nights in one room where the occupant was actually rarely there. I had Gizmo and Wilson in a one bedroom apartment so I couldn't rescue them myself, but I convinced my Mom that she had enough room to house them in addition to the 2 she already had - 17 year old BC and her youngin' Sawyer. I would have taken one if I could have, but ended up convincing my Mom to step closer to the cliff into Crazy Cat Ladydom.
The boys Bread and Puppet were named after The Bread and Puppet Theater: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bread_and_Puppet_Theater and holy crap they were *traumatized*. We all got scratched to pieces when we put them in the crates; one person even got blood poisoning. It wasn't pretty.
The Madre (aka The Cat Whisperer) quickly turned them around and they are mostly normal adorable cats, though Bread has a tendency to pick on Sawyer (who also never got along with Gizmo) and Puppet is still very shy around strangers. I adore them both, though Bread is really my fave.
One night while discussing our adoption options Serkan gently suggested that maybe Ma might let me take one of her cats off her hands and I immediately protested - BC needs to stay with her because of his age, Sawyer doesn't get along with Gizmo and the brothers grew up together. Puppet loves my mom dearly and I know he is too sensitive to be parted from her. I thought *maybe* she would consider letting us take Bread home but knew I would never actually ask her to consider it.
That same night The Madre called me to present the exact same idea. Two days later, she brought Bread to me.
It's been a rocky start with Gizmo - at first she was just confused, then she was pissed.
For me it's been pretty easy (minus all the growling and initial spats in the middle of the night) - Bread is a great cuddler. Oh my goodness he loooooves to spoon. And he's 17 pounds of adorable silliness.
I still have plenty of moments where I think "oh, Wilson used to..." or "that's just like Wilson..." and I am smacked in the face with grief, but life is getting back to normal as the kitties adjust to each other and we settle in with our new ball o' fluff.
It's curtains for us...
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
No really, draperies and such.
What (simple accessory) could accomplish this better in the bedroom than velvet curtains? So sumptous and luscious, they just purr loveliness, in my opinion. The ones on the right come from Urban Outfitters - I think I prefer the turquoise color, mostly because I feel the olive might be too matchy-matchy with our current bedding. Oddly enough, I'm really digging the goldenrod color as well. The one thing I'm not super excited about is the $50-a-panel price tag. Ah well, someday I will have my velvet drapes, just maybe not too incredibly soon. 
Truthfully, I need a bookshelf and some side tables before I need curtains, but I'm having a damn fine time letting my design imagination run wild.
In addition to my paint-related day dreaming, I've been eyeing some curtains to aid with privacy and to help disguise the ugly-ass blinds. I've had some creative results dealing with them in previous homes (a valance composed of scarfs, anyone?) but this time I'm really leaning towards a professionally made set of drapes to bring some drama to the bedroom and livingroom. Our place is going to be fun and welcoming, but I would definitely like it to feel classy and sexy too.
What (simple accessory) could accomplish this better in the bedroom than velvet curtains? So sumptous and luscious, they just purr loveliness, in my opinion. The ones on the right come from Urban Outfitters - I think I prefer the turquoise color, mostly because I feel the olive might be too matchy-matchy with our current bedding. Oddly enough, I'm really digging the goldenrod color as well. The one thing I'm not super excited about is the $50-a-panel price tag. Ah well, someday I will have my velvet drapes, just maybe not too incredibly soon. On the left we have the sheers I've been eyeing at Overstock.com. I don't hate the valance, but my friend Cec thought it was pretty atrocious and I generally trust her design taste. Otherwise, I am drawn to the color and the pattern; I have no problems imagining these shading the atrium window against the lovely gray/brown paint, in front of our new gray sofa. The window is stinkin' huge so I would need two sets, but at $30 a set, they're quite a bit more affordable than those at UO.
Truthfully, I need a bookshelf and some side tables before I need curtains, but I'm having a damn fine time letting my design imagination run wild.
Fun with paint!
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Spending most of my life in rentals (with many nomadic years as a kid) I've never really been in a place where I was allowed to paint OR felt like I was going to stick around long enough to really find the proper inspiration/color.
Now, in this joint abode, I am practically obsessed with getting paint on the walls. I keep having to tell myself: "wait for Bear - this is not a one (short) person project" and to my (pleasant) surprise, he has actually expressed a great interest in working on home projects together when he gets back. For weeks I've had the perfect palette for the living room in my head, trying to decide which color should go on which walls and how to play up the high ceiling as well as the atrium window.
Sherwin Williams hooked it up with the "Rooted" collection. We've already got all the accent colors in the group sprinkled through the living room and I'm really loving the gray trend right now. It looks classy, dammit. I may look into color-matching to save some $$ if possible, but as far as I'm concerned my color search is over.
Now I just have to patiently wait until my boyfriend gets home and I have someone tall enough to tape off the ceiling - even with a ladder I still come up just a little...short.
Now, in this joint abode, I am practically obsessed with getting paint on the walls. I keep having to tell myself: "wait for Bear - this is not a one (short) person project" and to my (pleasant) surprise, he has actually expressed a great interest in working on home projects together when he gets back. For weeks I've had the perfect palette for the living room in my head, trying to decide which color should go on which walls and how to play up the high ceiling as well as the atrium window.
Sherwin Williams hooked it up with the "Rooted" collection. We've already got all the accent colors in the group sprinkled through the living room and I'm really loving the gray trend right now. It looks classy, dammit. I may look into color-matching to save some $$ if possible, but as far as I'm concerned my color search is over.Now I just have to patiently wait until my boyfriend gets home and I have someone tall enough to tape off the ceiling - even with a ladder I still come up just a little...short.
Adventure times in the new abode OR my maintenance manager has a wee crush on me.
Friday, February 4, 2011
As I was preparing to move out of the old place, one of the friends who had come over to help me remarked how much she liked the style of my low-slung ikea Hagali bed frame. Since Bear and I already had plans to replace it in the new abode, I happily agreed to give it to her after I moved out as well as help her set it up. On move day, I broke it down into 11 pieces and those pieces were put in our new bedroom until I could find time to coordinate taking it over by car to her place a few blocks away. After living with a rather large pile of boards and slats in my bedroom for a week and a half we managed to find some mutual free time after work and she walked over.Our new apartment has its own private hallway off the courtyard with a door on each end that locks behind you. That evening around 6:15 PM she buzzed from the front gate and I ran downstairs to meet her, shutting the upper door behind me to prevent the cats from making a break for it. BIG OOPS - no keys, no jacket and now we're locked out of my apartment.
After determining that there was no way for her 5'3" frame to boost my 5'2" self up to the point where I could safely hoist my body over the edge of the deck to the unlocked slider, I called the building maintenance guy for help. Not even there a month and I'm already a pain in his ass, I tell ya. After having us hanging out in my hallway for about 20 minutes, he returned to the complex and let us in. Before he left he chatted with us for a good while, suggesting he was always happy to return to help cute girls and making a joke about how maybe if he "meowed" I would adopt him along with my other 2 cats. :/ No, buddy. Not likely, but "thanks, really!"
After calling another of her friends over to help and having a beer to celebrate being inside, we loaded up the frame and took it over to her apartment where we drank another beer and team-worked it together in 15 minutes or so.
Now I just have one more piece of unnecessary/unwieldy furniture to dispose of and I can truly feel like I'm ready to start settling in. I'll have to wait a few weeks until Bear gets home to replace the bed frame (and we've been eyeing a couch to replace my chaise,) so in the meantime I'm thinking paint...C'mon payday, momma's got color on the brain!
Oy. A month?
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
A month since I last blogged. That is a crying shame. Honestly though, I've been really effing busy!
Big, big changes afoot. While Bear was back for his visit we decided to move forward on looking for a place together. And a few days after he returned to Istanbul, I found it.
It's been a huge undertaking to do essentially as a singleton. Though I have had help from my friends (OHMIGOD CECILLI WAS A GODSEND) and had movers for the big stuff, it was no small task moving out of a 3rd floor walk-up with an arthritic back. At this point, everything is moved in even if it isn't exactly where it belongs yet. After a little bit of settling I can break out the paint brushes; once Bear gets home we can go furniture shopping (and move the rest of his stuff over from the Island.)
Over the next few weeks I'll start posting the "before" pictures so you guys can see what we're starting with and then as we go I can update with our progress (or you can just stick around to see if I lose my mind in the process.) It'll be fun, promise.
Big, big changes afoot. While Bear was back for his visit we decided to move forward on looking for a place together. And a few days after he returned to Istanbul, I found it.
We are, for all intents and purposes, now co-habitating a lovely 2 bedroom apartment in the Junction neighborhood of West Seattle. Of course, he's not going to be home for another 3 weeks or so but his dresser and some of his clothes and shoes are there, so technically it counts.
It's been a huge undertaking to do essentially as a singleton. Though I have had help from my friends (OHMIGOD CECILLI WAS A GODSEND) and had movers for the big stuff, it was no small task moving out of a 3rd floor walk-up with an arthritic back. At this point, everything is moved in even if it isn't exactly where it belongs yet. After a little bit of settling I can break out the paint brushes; once Bear gets home we can go furniture shopping (and move the rest of his stuff over from the Island.)
Over the next few weeks I'll start posting the "before" pictures so you guys can see what we're starting with and then as we go I can update with our progress (or you can just stick around to see if I lose my mind in the process.) It'll be fun, promise.
Note to Self (re:shoes)
Monday, January 3, 2011
No more (attempts at) shoe shopping with Bear unless you are specifically looking for flats and/or military inspired boots. O_o
To my ladies: what is up with all the ugly boots this season? And thigh high everything - WHHHHHHY?
To my ladies: what is up with all the ugly boots this season? And thigh high everything - WHHHHHHY?
Priorities!
Friday, December 17, 2010
Okay, so I didn't go to class. After contemplating what my teacher could possibly (most likely)intend for the last class in the 6 week series I couldn't really find a reason to justify driving from West Seattle to the U District and paying for parking. I've still got Rosetta, a good workbook and loved ones who are more than happy to help me continue learning so I'm not feeling too guilty.
Um, so, I learned a lingerie chest is a very specific type of furniture that places don't keep a lot of versions of AND they usually run around $300 on the lower end. So, off to ikea we went to purchase the $150 version, which we put together in 3 hours the next day. It's simple but beautiful and I seriously felt a sense of accomplishment after making it through all 27 steps without resorting to drinking or throwing things.
Instead I spent the evening reorganizing my drawers. This weekend the Madre and I searched far and wide (aka as Southcenter's furniture district) for a lingerie chest to help accommodate Bear's clothing when he comes back for his holiday visit (and beyond.) My tidy Virgo tendencies would not do well dealing with him living out of a suitcase, even if only for a week and a half. Because I had skipped the Jingle Run (why I don't own waterproof running gear in Seattle baffles even me, but it was too effing wet) but I still wanted to hang out with my Mom, I figured this was the perfect day to get out and look.
Um, so, I learned a lingerie chest is a very specific type of furniture that places don't keep a lot of versions of AND they usually run around $300 on the lower end. So, off to ikea we went to purchase the $150 version, which we put together in 3 hours the next day. It's simple but beautiful and I seriously felt a sense of accomplishment after making it through all 27 steps without resorting to drinking or throwing things.The piece it is replacing was a much smaller 2 drawer chest with a usable surface area. Because I didn't go to class, I finally had a chance to make the adjustments to lighting and decor around the bedroom as well as getting the clothes redistributed. Again, my donation pile grew and also I ended up lugging everything downstairs to take to Goodwill.
With only a number of days now until my boyfriend gets back, I have A LOT OF SHIZ TO DO. I believe shall be coping with a little bit of retail therapy to balance out the grocery shopping, fish tank cleaning, bedding washing, girly grooming, etc. I earned it, and I am making it a priority too.
"ours" vs. "my/mine"
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Only one week until I get to see my boyfriend. Halle-freakin'-lujah! Not a moment too soon, really.
Also, tonight is my last Beginning Turkish class. Can I get an "Amen?" I've enjoyed the class, but working on noun cases for the past 3 weeks with no forward movement has been incredibly frustrating. I had a pretty good grasp after the first class we worked on them, but I guess she felt the rest of the students were confused enough to warrant an additional 2 sessions (out of 6) on the same stinkin' subject. I think I might go back to Rosetta Stone until I can find an Intermediate class with a little more momentum - I'm not a fan of being forced to pace people who are having trouble grasping pretty simple concepts. Even after discussing my concerns with the teacher, it was clear she did not want to move on to another subject and obviously was not attentive enough to understand how far ahead of the other students a few of us are already moving.
I have a butt-load to take care of around the apartment in the next 7 days, which I am slowly trying to teach myself to refer to as "our" apartment. After 30 years of being an only child and a number of years living on my own (with a few brief failed attempts at cohabitation in my late teens and early 20s,) sometimes I find myself having to consciously focus on the fact that it is now technically "our" apartment and the things in it are essentially "ours" (hands off my Dermalogica, boyfriend.) Once he's actually physically there and helping me with the nitty gritty (like cleaning and finances,) I'm sure it will come much more naturally.
I'm surprisingly not super freaked out about the fact that in a month or so I will no longer be living alone, like, ever again. I know the initial time period where we're crammed into a little one bedroom is going to take adjusting to, but we have our eyes on the prize - a 2 bedroom pet-friendly home with a washer and dryer located somewhere north of the current place. Together. That's the best/most important/coolest part.
Also, tonight is my last Beginning Turkish class. Can I get an "Amen?" I've enjoyed the class, but working on noun cases for the past 3 weeks with no forward movement has been incredibly frustrating. I had a pretty good grasp after the first class we worked on them, but I guess she felt the rest of the students were confused enough to warrant an additional 2 sessions (out of 6) on the same stinkin' subject. I think I might go back to Rosetta Stone until I can find an Intermediate class with a little more momentum - I'm not a fan of being forced to pace people who are having trouble grasping pretty simple concepts. Even after discussing my concerns with the teacher, it was clear she did not want to move on to another subject and obviously was not attentive enough to understand how far ahead of the other students a few of us are already moving.
I have a butt-load to take care of around the apartment in the next 7 days, which I am slowly trying to teach myself to refer to as "our" apartment. After 30 years of being an only child and a number of years living on my own (with a few brief failed attempts at cohabitation in my late teens and early 20s,) sometimes I find myself having to consciously focus on the fact that it is now technically "our" apartment and the things in it are essentially "ours" (hands off my Dermalogica, boyfriend.) Once he's actually physically there and helping me with the nitty gritty (like cleaning and finances,) I'm sure it will come much more naturally.
I'm surprisingly not super freaked out about the fact that in a month or so I will no longer be living alone, like, ever again. I know the initial time period where we're crammed into a little one bedroom is going to take adjusting to, but we have our eyes on the prize - a 2 bedroom pet-friendly home with a washer and dryer located somewhere north of the current place. Together. That's the best/most important/coolest part.
Two weeks...
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
...until I see my sweet, adorable Bear again.
In honor of that happy event, I give you some Al Green:
In honor of that happy event, I give you some Al Green:
Reaching the threshold and being ok.
Monday, December 6, 2010
I've found out my breaking point when it comes to my boyfriend being away. Well, I suppose we figured it out before but I didn't realize how the cycle of okayness in my head really truly works (or doesn't.)
Last time Bear left, we agreed that if he were to be gone any longer than 2 months on this recent trip we would figure out a way for one of us to visit. I am now positive this is a pretty good rule to follow from this point forward, for the sake of our sanity if nothing else.
The first month, I'm "OK." I can usually keep myself busy and there aren't too many effects on my daily life, though I am bummed about the non-cuddling and may get a little lazy with my cleaning efforts. Once it passes that one month mark, I start to get sad. Now, if the absence is only one month beyond that I can usually keep it together for another week or so until I have to start readying myself for his return. Pass that one month month with no return date to look forward to and I start to get really sad. Like, "put me on medication sad." I wish I were joking.
Maybe it's just the multiple disappointments we've both had to face this year schedule-wise while still trying to move our relationship forward and the stress of being apart so much AND maybe it will be more bearable as the months go by and we can actually spend more time together than apart, but when it was becoming clear he was going to be gone for 12+ weeks instead of the projected 6-8 it was simply too much for me to handle.
He's my best friend, he's the love of my life, he is my rock; being apart is overwhelmingly hard on both of us. I was already incredibly bummed he'd be gone for Christmas, to add another month beyond that was unimaginable for me. I was crushed. Sadly, it doesn't just strain our relationship, it's also really hard on the friendships I've developed with the rest of his band/management, too.
Thankfully, my Bear is keeping his word. I'm not sure exactly how it came about, but as the offer for the January tour dates became more concrete he apparently became more convinced that he need to come home for a visit. Just like that, "how the hell am I going to make it another 2 months??" transitioned to "oh crap, I have less than 3 weeks to get my sh*t together."
So, he'll come back for a visit and brighten my spirits for the holidays then should only be gone another month beyond that for the tour...Afterward he can come home to me and we can find a bigger place of our own. Finally, our hard work this year will start to pay off the way it should. THAT I can handle.
Last time Bear left, we agreed that if he were to be gone any longer than 2 months on this recent trip we would figure out a way for one of us to visit. I am now positive this is a pretty good rule to follow from this point forward, for the sake of our sanity if nothing else.
The first month, I'm "OK." I can usually keep myself busy and there aren't too many effects on my daily life, though I am bummed about the non-cuddling and may get a little lazy with my cleaning efforts. Once it passes that one month mark, I start to get sad. Now, if the absence is only one month beyond that I can usually keep it together for another week or so until I have to start readying myself for his return. Pass that one month month with no return date to look forward to and I start to get really sad. Like, "put me on medication sad." I wish I were joking.
Maybe it's just the multiple disappointments we've both had to face this year schedule-wise while still trying to move our relationship forward and the stress of being apart so much AND maybe it will be more bearable as the months go by and we can actually spend more time together than apart, but when it was becoming clear he was going to be gone for 12+ weeks instead of the projected 6-8 it was simply too much for me to handle.
He's my best friend, he's the love of my life, he is my rock; being apart is overwhelmingly hard on both of us. I was already incredibly bummed he'd be gone for Christmas, to add another month beyond that was unimaginable for me. I was crushed. Sadly, it doesn't just strain our relationship, it's also really hard on the friendships I've developed with the rest of his band/management, too.
Thankfully, my Bear is keeping his word. I'm not sure exactly how it came about, but as the offer for the January tour dates became more concrete he apparently became more convinced that he need to come home for a visit. Just like that, "how the hell am I going to make it another 2 months??" transitioned to "oh crap, I have less than 3 weeks to get my sh*t together."
So, he'll come back for a visit and brighten my spirits for the holidays then should only be gone another month beyond that for the tour...Afterward he can come home to me and we can find a bigger place of our own. Finally, our hard work this year will start to pay off the way it should. THAT I can handle.
Seattle Jingle Bell Run 2010 is approaching fast.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Every December for the past 4 years I have participated in the Seattle Jingle Bell Run to support The Arthritis Foundation’s mission to prevent, control and cure arthritis.Beyond the fact that I am personally afflicted and hope for better treatment options for myself, I am also fully aware that it affects more than 46 million Americans, including 300,000 children, costing the U.S economy over $128 billion annually. Yes, indeed - billions of dollars as one of the nation's most common causes of disability.
I've raised a respectable amount of money in the past, but I truly get the most joy out of the ritual it has become. The Madre will come pick my inevitably grumpy ass up and drop me off in downtown Seattle, where I lace on my bells (alone or with friends) and get my cold butt as quickly to the finish line as I can manage so I can go inside somewhere for breakfast and mimosas. I always smile when the carols start, sometimes I get a little teary, but I always have fun.
If you like to run, please consider joining me this year as one of those crazy people who gets up too early in the cold on a Sunday morning (we can celebrate with mimosas!) You can register here: http://www.seattlejinglebellrun.org/
If you don't like to run and aren't slightly insane and maybe have a few bucks to spare for a really great cause, please consider helping me with my fundraising here: http://seattlejinglebellrun.kintera.org/lovepigeon
If neither are possible for you this year, I'd still love to have your support in spirit! It's freakin' chilly out there.
He does what he can.
Monday, November 29, 2010
While I am still sad that Bear's absence is going to be longer than we had hoped, I have to give him credit - he really has done his best on this trip to get as much face time as possible with me on Skype and give me as much attention as he can.
Most evenings after I get home from work we'll talk for a for a while, sometimes on the weekends we'll just leave the camera for hours on as we work on projects separately, occasionally he'll get into bed and just leave his laptop open until the battery dies after he falls asleep.
It's no substitute for having my living, breathing dude snuggled up to me on the couch with our kitties, but it's a lot better than relying on phone calls, emails and letters to stay in touch, of course.
As bummed out as I was last week after finding out about Christmas, there's really nothing he could've done to be a better boyfriend.
On Monday, Seattle was hit with snow. My coworker who lives near me had ridden her bike to work, so I volunteered to give her a ride home. On my way from her apartment to my own (it took an hour to go from work to her place to my place - all in West Seattle,) I quickly realized my cute little Hyundai is not made for inclement weather. There was a near death experience and a major curb check that trashed one of my front rims; by the time I made it home I was sore, tired and a more than a little freaked out. I opened my mail only to find my one year anniversary gift waiting for me - a gift card for a manicure, pedicure and massage at the salon he goes to for his haircuts in Seattle.
Tuesday was a "Snow Day" and the day he told me he wasn't scheduled to come home before December 25th.
Wednesday, I cried a lot. He tried to reassure me a lot.
Thursday (Thanksgiving,) was our anniversary.
Historically, The Madre and I never found much use for the whole big turkey dinner. That didn't change after I got out on my own, but we wanted to spend time together (um, that's the real meaning of the holidays, riiiight?) so she took me to breakfast at one of our local go-to diners and we chatted for a while.
Once I got home I pulled the Christmas tree out of storage, since Bear and I had already decided to put it up "together" before he told me he wouldn't be here for the actual holiday. It's a pre-lit, 3 foot artificial cutie - perfectly sized for my apartment. Most of the ornaments were the ones with sentimental value that I convinced Ma to left me have when I moved out, but Bear did get me a few more at Turkfest and I had some traditional balls to fill up space.
We got on Skype and after the usual catch up for the day and "love yous" and "happy anniversaries," I popped on some holiday music and got down to setting it up. He worked on music and occasionally gave input, even suggesting maybe we just leave it up for the next year to make up for him not being here for Christmas. While I can't imagine that happening, especially since we'll be moving into a bigger place as soon as possible when he returns, the idea cheered me up.
***One of the many many many reasons I love him - even from across the planet he puts a huge smile on my face.***
When I finally finished up, he was definitely ready for bed (I always forget if Turkey is 9 or 10 hours ahead, but the bottom line is - boyfriend stays up really late to be able to see me,) so I left the laptop open and kept working around my place until I was sure he had drifted off to sleep.
Our relationship has been a little unconventional, but I will give him this - Bear is doing everything in his power to keep me happy despite the distance. As sad as I can get sometimes, I know that I am a very lucky girl to have such a devoted guy itching to come home to me.
Most evenings after I get home from work we'll talk for a for a while, sometimes on the weekends we'll just leave the camera for hours on as we work on projects separately, occasionally he'll get into bed and just leave his laptop open until the battery dies after he falls asleep.
It's no substitute for having my living, breathing dude snuggled up to me on the couch with our kitties, but it's a lot better than relying on phone calls, emails and letters to stay in touch, of course.
As bummed out as I was last week after finding out about Christmas, there's really nothing he could've done to be a better boyfriend.
On Monday, Seattle was hit with snow. My coworker who lives near me had ridden her bike to work, so I volunteered to give her a ride home. On my way from her apartment to my own (it took an hour to go from work to her place to my place - all in West Seattle,) I quickly realized my cute little Hyundai is not made for inclement weather. There was a near death experience and a major curb check that trashed one of my front rims; by the time I made it home I was sore, tired and a more than a little freaked out. I opened my mail only to find my one year anniversary gift waiting for me - a gift card for a manicure, pedicure and massage at the salon he goes to for his haircuts in Seattle.
Tuesday was a "Snow Day" and the day he told me he wasn't scheduled to come home before December 25th.
Wednesday, I cried a lot. He tried to reassure me a lot.
Thursday (Thanksgiving,) was our anniversary.
Historically, The Madre and I never found much use for the whole big turkey dinner. That didn't change after I got out on my own, but we wanted to spend time together (um, that's the real meaning of the holidays, riiiight?) so she took me to breakfast at one of our local go-to diners and we chatted for a while.
Once I got home I pulled the Christmas tree out of storage, since Bear and I had already decided to put it up "together" before he told me he wouldn't be here for the actual holiday. It's a pre-lit, 3 foot artificial cutie - perfectly sized for my apartment. Most of the ornaments were the ones with sentimental value that I convinced Ma to left me have when I moved out, but Bear did get me a few more at Turkfest and I had some traditional balls to fill up space.
We got on Skype and after the usual catch up for the day and "love yous" and "happy anniversaries," I popped on some holiday music and got down to setting it up. He worked on music and occasionally gave input, even suggesting maybe we just leave it up for the next year to make up for him not being here for Christmas. While I can't imagine that happening, especially since we'll be moving into a bigger place as soon as possible when he returns, the idea cheered me up.
***One of the many many many reasons I love him - even from across the planet he puts a huge smile on my face.***
When I finally finished up, he was definitely ready for bed (I always forget if Turkey is 9 or 10 hours ahead, but the bottom line is - boyfriend stays up really late to be able to see me,) so I left the laptop open and kept working around my place until I was sure he had drifted off to sleep.
Our relationship has been a little unconventional, but I will give him this - Bear is doing everything in his power to keep me happy despite the distance. As sad as I can get sometimes, I know that I am a very lucky girl to have such a devoted guy itching to come home to me.
Color me disappointed (<----understatement of the year.)
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Geez, there are so many ways I could catch y'all up here because it's been a while since I last posted, but the only thing I've been able to think about for the past day is that Bear is not coming home in time for Christmas.
Technically, that means this year he'll have been gone for all of my favorite holidays (Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas.) Did I mention that Thanksgiving is our one year anniversary? Yeahhhh. And this is after my birthday in September basically got pre-empted for a show. I'm growing more than weary of this.
For The Madre and I, these days have always been mellow but shared with the ones we love that are closest and most important to us - usually each other and/or our oldest friends. I was really looking forward to sharing that with him this year, since last year at this time we had just started officially dating and kept the holidays quite "light." I knew it was possible he wouldn't be home, but now that he's said it out loud it is a lot more real.
Honestly, I'm crushed. Right now I feel like all my holiday spirit is gone.
P.S. Though I truly appreciate the fact that some of my friends might think that inviting me out will help, please don't - it's not going to.
Technically, that means this year he'll have been gone for all of my favorite holidays (Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas.) Did I mention that Thanksgiving is our one year anniversary? Yeahhhh. And this is after my birthday in September basically got pre-empted for a show. I'm growing more than weary of this.
For The Madre and I, these days have always been mellow but shared with the ones we love that are closest and most important to us - usually each other and/or our oldest friends. I was really looking forward to sharing that with him this year, since last year at this time we had just started officially dating and kept the holidays quite "light." I knew it was possible he wouldn't be home, but now that he's said it out loud it is a lot more real.
Honestly, I'm crushed. Right now I feel like all my holiday spirit is gone.
P.S. Though I truly appreciate the fact that some of my friends might think that inviting me out will help, please don't - it's not going to.
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