Twenty Seven
When I turned twenty seven, I got a snow day for my birthday. I remem
ber answering the phone at 5 am and friend and commuting buddy AT chimed "Happy Birthday" into the phone. It was pretty fun. Right after that I bought myself a plane ticket and got out of town for spring break. I flew down to visit NL who was in grad school at VA tech. So we spent about 5 days hiking around the Blue Ridge Mountains and exploring the college town where he lived. My favorite day was when we hiked forever up to this amazing rock- the valley below was break taking. It was a fun trip.
That spring was so fun living in the city in my new house. It was so exciting
to see all the gardens coming alive and knowing that it was all mine to work on. That May I decided to get a job waitressing for the summer at local pub. I was living alone in my house and money was pretty tight. The extra money allowed me to sign up for summer league frisbee and to go out more often with friends. That spring I ran into SL with a bunch of friends, we tentatively agreed to get together and "talk". I should have seen the red lights flashing in my head- but for some reason I never did with him. It was that chemistry thing. We ended up starting to see each other more and more- at first as friends, but then well, you know. My last and stupidest dating mistake. What was it with him and Robert? I now realize that they were on opposite ends of the spectrum and I wanted pieces of both of them. That summer I would find everything in one person but not know it yet...
After school was out I got into a pretty good routine: waitressing, hanging out with friends, K, J, and A, working on my garden, taking an independent study, and playing frisbee. Early that summer my parents came to visit and let the dogs out to run around in my yard. Sophie our family's yellow lab who was the nicest, sweetest, and most lovable dog ever started having seizures in my yard. We rushed her to the vet while she was unconscious in my parent's car. At the University Vet Hospital they finally figured out after many tests and near death that Sophie had a brain tumor. That summer my parents decided to pay the money to treat her with radiation at the U. So every week my mom would come and stay at my house and bring Sophie for her treatments. She and Leo had always been great friends and that summer Leo would just sit by her because he knew something was wrong. It was very sad for everyone. She made some what of a come back, but finally that October she died.
That summer my Dad and I went hiking along the Superior Hiking Trail together(below), we had a good time. It was gorgeous but also really, really hot. I also did a lot of sailing of my new sailboat at my parent's cabin. I also spent some time canoeing down the St. Croix River and sailing in Duluth.
Sometime in June, after playing some frisbee on my new summer league team, I got an email from a fellow player I had already noticed. It was Jff- being a really nice guy. I didn't figure out that he wanted to ask me out right away, but when I did, I was sad I had to turn him down because of SL. He was really wonderful about being turned down and I remember wanting so badly to go. I had this sense about him- that I should get to know him, I already knew we had so much in common. I guess it was my luck that that fall he asked me to play on his volleyball team.
In July, I found out a Funding Grant I had written for the school district was going to be fully funded at $750,000 for three years by the Federal Government. The Grant was essentially to do staff development with all 200 teachers in the district in History. I had put my name down at director since I didn't think we would get it. Surprise! That year I decided to teach part time and direct the grant part time. Starting the program from scratch was both exciting and really hard. It was really challenging in both good and bad ways, but in the end I learned so much. It was a very valuable experience through all the school districts politics and the change in Superintendents. I at first was a little afraid I couldn't do it, but I left with glowing reviews and a standing ovation from the 200 teachers I had worked with. That year was also my most favorite year of teaching and advising student council. I still hear from so many of my students from that year.
Right before I started school that fall, SL asked me if I would
like to go out to his family's summer home on Cape Cod for a week. Although, I was a little worried about another trip with Mr. Mood Swings- it ended up being a pretty fun week. I think I understood a lot more about him after meeting his family- who were nice, but STRANGE. You know those east coasters... My favorite part of that week was just how absolutely gorgeous the Cape was. I was blown away. The tides were amazing, the culture was fun, and I saw tons of sea lions, dolphins, and a whale. Either way, that fall SL and broke up for the second and last time. In fact it was the same day my parents had put Sophie down; he had accused me of being manipulative by crying about it and making him feel guilty for not spending time with me. What took me so long?
In November I flew down and met DrMI in Indiana for SMB's wedding. I had a great time that weekend- shopping, girl talking, and seeing the B family and old friends from college. I look strange in this picture but it is good one of former roommate SK, SMB, CL, and DrMI. That month is also when I finally wrote Jff an email to see if he still wanted to go out. He did. We did. I remember being thrilled that he came over to say hi during fall frisbee and that he was so enthusiastic about spending time with me. It was the night out for coffee when he hugged me that I realized that he really did like me. He says that is the night he decided that he was going to marry me. We talked politics for hours and it seemed like time was going way too fast. I think that is when my life just started to feel wonderful.
That winter flew by with us spending so much time together. I remember doing school work while he watched football, I remember him helping me put up my Christm
as tree and giving me an angel for the top of it for Christmas. I remember meeting a lot of his Ole friends, especially the couple of stolen bike. We went to a movie and out to dessert with them and I remember we told the story of how we met to them. It really felt like we were a couple at that point. I was becoming absolutely indoctrinated into Ole that winter- the New Year's Party, Jff's Superbowl Party, etc. In January we went up to G$'s cabin- I remember snow shoeing the most and also building a log cabin on slummy's tummy while he was passed out at 8 pm. It was fun. In February Jff met both of my families in Duluth for the weekend. We also started talking about a trip out to California in March. The winter was flying by. I couldn't believe how happy I was.
ber answering the phone at 5 am and friend and commuting buddy AT chimed "Happy Birthday" into the phone. It was pretty fun. Right after that I bought myself a plane ticket and got out of town for spring break. I flew down to visit NL who was in grad school at VA tech. So we spent about 5 days hiking around the Blue Ridge Mountains and exploring the college town where he lived. My favorite day was when we hiked forever up to this amazing rock- the valley below was break taking. It was a fun trip.That spring was so fun living in the city in my new house. It was so exciting
to see all the gardens coming alive and knowing that it was all mine to work on. That May I decided to get a job waitressing for the summer at local pub. I was living alone in my house and money was pretty tight. The extra money allowed me to sign up for summer league frisbee and to go out more often with friends. That spring I ran into SL with a bunch of friends, we tentatively agreed to get together and "talk". I should have seen the red lights flashing in my head- but for some reason I never did with him. It was that chemistry thing. We ended up starting to see each other more and more- at first as friends, but then well, you know. My last and stupidest dating mistake. What was it with him and Robert? I now realize that they were on opposite ends of the spectrum and I wanted pieces of both of them. That summer I would find everything in one person but not know it yet...
After school was out I got into a pretty good routine: waitressing, hanging out with friends, K, J, and A, working on my garden, taking an independent study, and playing frisbee. Early that summer my parents came to visit and let the dogs out to run around in my yard. Sophie our family's yellow lab who was the nicest, sweetest, and most lovable dog ever started having seizures in my yard. We rushed her to the vet while she was unconscious in my parent's car. At the University Vet Hospital they finally figured out after many tests and near death that Sophie had a brain tumor. That summer my parents decided to pay the money to treat her with radiation at the U. So every week my mom would come and stay at my house and bring Sophie for her treatments. She and Leo had always been great friends and that summer Leo would just sit by her because he knew something was wrong. It was very sad for everyone. She made some what of a come back, but finally that October she died.That summer my Dad and I went hiking along the Superior Hiking Trail together(below), we had a good time. It was gorgeous but also really, really hot. I also did a lot of sailing of my new sailboat at my parent's cabin. I also spent some time canoeing down the St. Croix River and sailing in Duluth.
Sometime in June, after playing some frisbee on my new summer league team, I got an email from a fellow player I had already noticed. It was Jff- being a really nice guy. I didn't figure out that he wanted to ask me out right away, but when I did, I was sad I had to turn him down because of SL. He was really wonderful about being turned down and I remember wanting so badly to go. I had this sense about him- that I should get to know him, I already knew we had so much in common. I guess it was my luck that that fall he asked me to play on his volleyball team.In July, I found out a Funding Grant I had written for the school district was going to be fully funded at $750,000 for three years by the Federal Government. The Grant was essentially to do staff development with all 200 teachers in the district in History. I had put my name down at director since I didn't think we would get it. Surprise! That year I decided to teach part time and direct the grant part time. Starting the program from scratch was both exciting and really hard. It was really challenging in both good and bad ways, but in the end I learned so much. It was a very valuable experience through all the school districts politics and the change in Superintendents. I at first was a little afraid I couldn't do it, but I left with glowing reviews and a standing ovation from the 200 teachers I had worked with. That year was also my most favorite year of teaching and advising student council. I still hear from so many of my students from that year.
Right before I started school that fall, SL asked me if I would
like to go out to his family's summer home on Cape Cod for a week. Although, I was a little worried about another trip with Mr. Mood Swings- it ended up being a pretty fun week. I think I understood a lot more about him after meeting his family- who were nice, but STRANGE. You know those east coasters... My favorite part of that week was just how absolutely gorgeous the Cape was. I was blown away. The tides were amazing, the culture was fun, and I saw tons of sea lions, dolphins, and a whale. Either way, that fall SL and broke up for the second and last time. In fact it was the same day my parents had put Sophie down; he had accused me of being manipulative by crying about it and making him feel guilty for not spending time with me. What took me so long?
In November I flew down and met DrMI in Indiana for SMB's wedding. I had a great time that weekend- shopping, girl talking, and seeing the B family and old friends from college. I look strange in this picture but it is good one of former roommate SK, SMB, CL, and DrMI. That month is also when I finally wrote Jff an email to see if he still wanted to go out. He did. We did. I remember being thrilled that he came over to say hi during fall frisbee and that he was so enthusiastic about spending time with me. It was the night out for coffee when he hugged me that I realized that he really did like me. He says that is the night he decided that he was going to marry me. We talked politics for hours and it seemed like time was going way too fast. I think that is when my life just started to feel wonderful.
That winter flew by with us spending so much time together. I remember doing school work while he watched football, I remember him helping me put up my Christm
as tree and giving me an angel for the top of it for Christmas. I remember meeting a lot of his Ole friends, especially the couple of stolen bike. We went to a movie and out to dessert with them and I remember we told the story of how we met to them. It really felt like we were a couple at that point. I was becoming absolutely indoctrinated into Ole that winter- the New Year's Party, Jff's Superbowl Party, etc. In January we went up to G$'s cabin- I remember snow shoeing the most and also building a log cabin on slummy's tummy while he was passed out at 8 pm. It was fun. In February Jff met both of my families in Duluth for the weekend. We also started talking about a trip out to California in March. The winter was flying by. I couldn't believe how happy I was.
posted by KLOU | 7:06 PM
2 Comments:
You guys are such dorks and I love it! Thanks for sharing your life online. Very bold, very brave, very awesome. Me? I couldn't do it.
Heyyy, I know one of those photos! I feel cool. :o)
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