Yes, it's been a while

I have been so busy getting ready for my big move! I can't believe I'm closing on my house this Tuesday, and I'm actually packed and ready to go...truly only a few loose ends to deal with. The Queen of Proscrastination actually evolved into the Queen of Packing! I would probably have those loose ends wrapped up by now if I hadn't royally messed up my back on Wednesday night. I'm feeling better now, but still a little stiff. In the meantime, the kids and I have been enjoying a relaxing Saturday while F-bomb's at work.

It's a little sad though--our last weekend all together. I gave everyone an extra special round of peanut butter and milk for our night-night snack this evening. We (meaning Evie) just *can't* calm down unless we have our snack, lol. Afterward, we watched a movie and I took some photos of my darlings relaxing that Blogger currently refuses to upload. So maybe later for those...

On another note, I received my invite to Ravelry this week! It's almost bittersweet though--I'm stoked to have the ability to categorize my stash online, but it's all packed up so I can't do a thing about it til I move! My username will be stampnstitchmich though, so visit me in a few weeks and maybe I'll have things in some semblance of order there!

They say it's your birthday...

Well it's my birthday too yeah! na na na na na na (if you've got on The Beatles then you're singing along with me!)

No pics today, but that doesn't matter because I officially made it another year! And today was just a darn near-perfect day, save the dehydration from too much party fun at Dave & Buster's last night. It all started last night at dinner with my closest friends and a burger joint, where I received some lovely gifts for both myself and my new home-to-be. Then we moved on to D&B's where I racked up the tickets at a trivia game. Let me tell you, it was suffocatingly hot back there on that side of the room. We stayed until almost midnight and then each went to our respective homes. Thanks again to all my party peeps! LOL

This morning I woke up and went to Starbucks to have a celebratory cup of coffee, which I received for free (thank-you-very-much and hooray S-bucks!). Next I drove, at NASCAR driver's pace, to an outlet mall to spend some birthday money I'd received. Nine West had an outstanding sale on shoes, so I bought two pairs of very different black shoes (for work) and then sped home. I had a small window of time to unwind before going to my mother's for a birthday luncheon.

As usual, my grandmother outdid herself on the food and dessert. Even my sister, who is not much of a chocolate person, said the cake was extra tasty! My niece was only interested in the whipped cream (NOT cool whip) frosting, and made it a point to stick her fingers all over the cake, which was pretty funny in spite of the fact that she has 3 year-old child germs. I received some cash (going to need that for new-house things I'm sure), and my sister also gave me a caddy filled with cleaning products because she knows I'm a germ freak who needs to sanitize everything! LOL, I was so excited over the many bottles of cleaning fluids--and the latex gloves too (gotta protect those hands)! My grandparents gave me a super cool locking-lid trash can and some garden hoses and a sprinkler, as well as depositing some money into my IRA. All very useful gifts indeed!

Well, off to chug some Gatorade for my deep-down body thirst, and maybe pack a box or two before calling it a night. I'm one tired birthday girl!

Sorely Neglected, but with a Happy Ending

That's what my friend Becky called my blog today (the Sorely Neglected part)! And she'd be absolutely right. I have been neglecting my blog, BUT, it is with good reason. (Well I think so anyway!) So here's the deal:

On June 10th, F-bomb and I sat down and had a long talk about the road we were on, both together and separately. We've lived in this house 4.5 yrs now, and something just no longer flowed between us. It needed to be hashed out.

Rewind about 5 years, and you would have found me a wreck, having just lost a parent and at the start of a divorce. F-bomb basically stepped up and became the best friend I'd ever had. I knew him by virtue of the fact that he worked for the same company as my mom and he occasionally played golf with my late stepfather. He did his best to give me marriage advice, and then when his marriage began to suffer, I did my best to help him see it from a girl's perspective. You could say he was me, but in male form plus 9.5 years, and maybe a little/a lot moodier (lol). He was someone I could turn to and say anything, no censoring whatsoever, and I needed that.

About six months after my life imploded, we each found the other in need of a roommate. Ground rules were carefully laid out, and we started renting a house. It was the best! We hung out, played video games, and just had a dandy old time. Since we basically did everything together, naturally everyone assumed we were a couple, and we had to explain the parameters of our relationship to pretty much everyone. Talk about annoying, but we didn't care because we knew the score.

Along the way, we built our own special little family unit, starting with his two dogs. Neither one of us planned on having kids (not just with each other, but anyone), so the dogs became the kids, and we added two more along the way. He's the dad, I'm the mom. We celebrated holidays, birthdays, everything with them and each other. The perfect non-human children solution!

So things have basically hummed along since then, but somewhere along the way I think the outside pressure for us to become permanently linked has become too much. I think we'd started placing expectations on each other that neither of us was willing to fully accept (since we're emotionally stunted and all--wink, wink!), at least not with each other. We haven't been fighting, but the air in the house isn't the same anymore. So, we talked, and talked, and talked some more.

We definitely love each other in the most friendly way possible, but there is not that kind of future for us. At least not one that can be seen in the near or distant future. He said he didn't want me to move out if I didn't want to, because I'm his best friend, but I feel like we've used each other as crutches for too long now. I am ready to stand on my own two feet and just be me. I think he has his own emotional stuff going on right now, and he needs to sort through that to make himself happy in his own life. I know I've basically cocooned myself here in this house, healing myself on the inside for the past five years, and waiting for my time to spread my wings. Now that time is here, and I'm ready to fly!

With all that said, I'M BUYING A HOUSE!!!! I feel as though I must yell this, because it makes it all the more real somehow. Not that shelling out the bucks for appraisals, inspections, and everything else hasn't been oh-so-real for my pocketbook, lol. A very exciting, yet bittersweet, time for me right now. Leaving one of my closest friends, who's helped me through so much, but embarking on the most amazing adventure!

The past few weeks have been such a blur: First, visiting every apartment complex in my area trying to figure out what I wanted in a floorplan and property amenities. Second, acting like the accountant I am and deciding that I needed equity, not to just give my money away. Then, finding a realtor (whose hot-factor was totally a bonus for me--can you say eye candy?) who has been nothing short of helpful and who clearly knows his business. I must say the man has had to suffer through what most would classify as neurotic, Type A, annoying auditor behavior! I don't think even I could handle me as a client--seriously!

Which brings me to the packing. The hours upon hours of packing. I'm still not done, and I will probably be packing right up until the end. It was a heartbreaking scene the other night as I boxed up nearly all my YARN (except a little sock weight, of course)! Here's a photo--quick grab a tissue.

Yes, that box does say YARN FRAGILE on it! Am I a super-dork? You bet your yarn-lovin' booty I am! That's some seriously precious stash in there! Granted, that's not the only box with yarn in it, that says "Fragile," but it was the most accessible.

Let me explain, Watson. You see, I keep my yarn in glass jars so I can both admire it and keep it bug- and dust-free all at once. I think I'm so clever for doing it this way, and tell myself that it helps me control my stash. That last part is a complete and utter lie, but that's what I tell myself. I have a about five boxes of knitting and sewing items, mostly knitting, and I still haven't packed my needles, ball winder, and other tools of the trade.

I haven't even started in on the stamp room. I almost don't even want to go in there. It looks like--well words won't even do it justice. Suffice it to say I could set a match (or 100) to the room and still wouldn't get it all! : ) Not that I would do that, because then I wouldn't be able to stamp! And believe me, that new catalog is outstanding! More on that tomorrow though, because I'm sleepy and have to be up in five hours.

That's it--the Happy Ending! I'm going to be 29 for all of sixteen days before bestowing myself with a belated birthday mortgage! Happy Birthday to me! And most of all, Happy New Life to me!