I was lucky enough to get to spend lots of time with friends while in Alabama. Kari had recently moved back, Halie, too, after being in Seattle for the Summer, and Lonnie was in Birmingham with her family for the Christmas holiday. With so many Seattleites being in Alabama at one time we felt we had to get together. We met in Birmingham for dinner. It was perfect.
I love these girlies so much. I feel so weird as I type and remember this time. I lament often about not having friends anymore, but right now I feel so thankful to have had these 3 as such good friends for so long. Distance will not make the friendships disappear, just change them.
Left to right:
Lonnie, Halie, me and Kari
So, after 2 weeks home with my family, I ventured to Auburn to spend some time with those old friends. It was a bittersweet time. There is always a feeling of "going home" but always the shock of how much things have changed and the sadness that life has gone on without you just fine.
This was New Years Eve, the day I got into town. I really miss this boy.
Richard has over the last couple of years taught Pugsley to be a shoulder cat.
Richard has over the last couple of years taught Pugsley to be a shoulder cat.
New Years was good, drama filled, of course. I regret that I was part of that drama. Often when I leave I feel that its time to be done there. With the possibility of Megan and Suman moving to Washington at the end of this summer this may have been my last time in Auburn for New Years. I didn't realize it until after, which is probably a good thing. Just makes me wish that I had been better with my time there.
I am so angry with myself for not taking more pictures with other people that night. But it's always nice when the phone isn't the biggest concern.
I am so angry with myself for not taking more pictures with other people that night. But it's always nice when the phone isn't the biggest concern.
On New Years, I met Richard's friend, Nick. I forced my friendship upon him.
This is probably the first picture of me and Richard that I truly love. We never manage to take good pictures together.
Last Christmas, for whatever reason, Richard, Kristi, and I shaved our heads. Richard at the time had a haircut that made it ok, Kristi and I didn't. Here are the two shaved areas after a year of growth.
Pugsley loved me anytime I was under this green blanket. With not having a cat around anymore, I was not mad about the attention.
On our last full day together, Richard and I got tattoos. Mine, top tattoo, is a Long Leaf Pine, the state tree of Alabama (this summer while Richard was in Seattle, I got a Western Hemlock on my other wrist, which is the state tree of Washington). Richard chose, "As if" from his favorite poem 'Corydon and Alexis, Redux' by D.A. Powell. The last lines of the poem are,
"as if banishing love is a fix. as if the stars go out when we shut our sleepy eyes."
"as if banishing love is a fix. as if the stars go out when we shut our sleepy eyes."
Last morning in Alabama. I let Richard hold my blanket as I took a shower. He loved it.
With any visit back to Alabama there is a huge sense of loss when I get back here. The first day back is so hard. There, I was constantly surrounded by people, going places, planning things, talking. And my first day back I spent it with an 8 month old. It was quiet (which is nice in its own way) but different. As anxious as I was to be back in my place, I'm always surprised at how hard it is also.
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