Indianucky or Kentuckiana?

I'm dividing my time these days between Southern Indiana and Owensboro, KY. Recently I started working with a radio station in Owensboro and I absolutely love it.

The kids and I have settled into Indiana really well. Spring is here and it seems as though life is beginning to calm down. Well, sort of. Ha!

The girls are in the high school production of Wizard of Oz. They are both munchkins and jitterbugs. Their opening night is tonight. I've been dividing my time between children, work and painting sets for the play. I painted about 100 feet of Yellow Brick Road one night. ACK!

Jon and I are doing well. Still friends, nothing more, but in some respects, I think that's better for now. We've had a few nights out, and a few nights in... but overall, when we do go anywhere, he introduces me as "his best friend in the entire world"... and when other people assume I'm his "old lady", he doesn't correct them. At this point, I'm just thrilled to be able to hang out with him so much more. Everyone knows by the look on my face that I love the man, and I'm fairly sure it's apparent in his eyes too that he loves me. But officially, we're friends.

I ended up having a long heart to heart a few weeks back with his stepmother, though that was an unintentional conversation. She started it. LOL... but it was something that made me really appreciate her for noticing... and I have to admit that I love living in Indiana. The kids enjoy their school and their new friends. They're happy and I am happy because I love my job and I feel like for the first time in years I have the opportunity to really be financially secure again. Including roots being put down.

Jon and I went out Tuesday night for a little bit, I had been all tuckered out with Wizard of Oz practice and he offered to take me out for a couple drinks. I was TOTALLY game! I had been at this job long enough that we hadn't seen much of each other for a while and it was nice to catch up.

I had put in an offer on a house in Christmas Lake Village, and had found out earlier in the day that the owner liked my offer but had been relocated BACK to the area, so he was going to move back into that house himself again. I was bummed, but mentioned that I guess things just worked out the way they were supposed to. When I told Jon about not getting the house, he just told me to be patient and that he knew how badly I wanted to settle into something, but that I was doing everything right to work towards my goals, and eventually it would all work out.

Even though I know I'm doing everything "right", it was really nice to hear it from someone else, and even better for that someone else to be him while he was sitting next to me and looking me in the eyes and touching my arm. Kind of made me almost a bit teary eyed.

The other thing we talked about, aside from our constant state of "friendship", was his dad. Jon mentioned that his father took up the cause for me earlier in the week, even without my knowledge. I ran into his dad at Jon's house when I was dropping off pet store supplies I picked up for him on the way out of town, and his father noticed... and while dropping it off, I caught a little sideways grin/smirk from Jon's face as well.

After I left, they had a little conversation about me that went along the lines of Jon's dad telling him, "You'd better treat that girl right. She's a good one." and "Don't mess that up" and "We like her and the kids a lot"... among other compliments. I believe he mentioned that his father said "She really cares for you a lot" in there too. Again, plain to see and anyone who talks to me will end up getting an earful of how much I love that man eventually... but it was really nice 1. for his dad to say it and 2. for him to tell me all the good things his dad had to say about me.

I got a vote of approval from the parental units.

I'm really happy about that.

Jon and I also had a wonderful night together, curling up again with one another, even shared a quick kiss. Those have gotten more frequent in the past few weeks.

This very slow advancement of our relationship status is absolutely a-ok with me. I know he's my best friend and I am his. I know I love him and he loves me. What else could I possibly need? Nothing, really... the only thing I want is to be able to yell it from the rooftops that he's MINE. That can be an eventual thing... I'm proud to love him, and all I want to do is begin to build our family unit together. Begin to build our future together. And I know that's exactly what we're currently doing by moving very slow through this. I am happy about it.

So tonight I am going to watch my girls perform in the Wizard of Oz, and a part of me will smile to think about how after three years of wanting to live in this area, I finally clicked my ruby red heels three times... and I am now home.

I believe in Santa Claus.

I believe in Santa Claus. My gift arrived about a week after Christmas. Though the first part arrived in a conversation with Jon, when he called me to excitedly let me know that he got laid off from the job he hated. He was so happy that he was going to be heading home, but had considered driving south (I missed the first call) to Fort Lauderdale to come see me first since he had a few extra days. By the time I had called him back a couple hours later, he was already heading north.

That opened the door to a new conversation.

To sum it up: No job keeping him away. He's living back in Indiana. He's near his kids, with a union job coming up in late February/early March. This all happened SIX months after our conversation this summer (I found that funny after re-reading the blogs that kept pointing to a six month window). He called me to tell me things had changed. I was blown away.

I had just been talking/bitching to some friends about the cost of living down here in South Florida, with all the kids and I had recently taken a tour of local middle schools. I wasn't particularly impressed with what I saw. Anyway, I spent the better part of New Years Eve on the phone with Jon, talking about life.

We talked about how I had dated someone but it just didn't feel right and I had called it off. We talked about the pretty young girls hitting on him at the bar, and how he said that although it was flattering, he had nothing in common with them past a bottle of beer. We both agreed that dating other people was not working because they didn't even pale in comparison to the relationship/feelings we have had.

I'm not quite sure how we ended up on the topic, but he shared the cost of living in Indiana with me again, then I started asking a ton more questions about all the bills he had, on average what they cost... and my mind was off to the races computing financial savings. As it turns out, I pay almost $1000 more a month to live in South Florida.

After mentioning this to him and saying that it was crazy how much things cost down here, he said, "Well, you can always come to Indiana".

I paused, then asked him if he still felt the same way about me. If he still loved me. His response was "I always have loved you and I always will". I told him I still felt the same way too.

Then, it was me who started putting up reasons why I could not move to Indiana. Starting with, I just moved to Florida and the costs of a moving truck are prohibitive. He met that quickly with, "Well, you know, you have this guy up here who has an Escalade and a 16' Trailer who is currently unemployed and wouldn't mind a drive down to Florida to help you move". Yes, he offered to move me and my children to Indiana. When I inquired about paying for his gas, he chuckled and said, "You and I can come to some sort of trade agreement".

I told him I needed to think about it because I didn't want to rush into anything and that I wanted to see what the kids thought, talk to their father and just generally not make a snap decision. I wanted to wait and think it through. He said the offer to move us was good for as long as he was able to make the drive. So, indefinitely.

I thought about it. And thought about it. Mentioned it to the kids again, at potentially looking at moving back north a bit- either Indiana or just outside Nashville. What I love about Indiana is that it's so close, yet so far away. There's the ability to go into town and make it a day trip, but also so far removed from city life, that it's just simple small town living that I love.

I wanted to see if I still liked the town. I wanted to talk to him face to face about things before I made a decision. I was going into this quite guarded - as I didn't feel like re-hashing this summer's heartache. So, I loaded up the kids and we took off, for what we thought would be a quick trip to Indiana and Nashville.

I didn't really tell anyone I was going. I didn't want outside influences coloring my opinion on the way there. I just wanted to go, let the kids see it for themselves, see what was available in the area, tour the school with them and see if they enjoyed it. That was my first priority. I didn't even tell Jon that I was coming into town. My first thought was to get a motel room in the area because I didn't want to have him color my opinion any further either.

Once we arrived in Santa Claus, I found the way to his place and his car was there. I had tried calling, but got no answer, so I decided to park the car and knock on the door. The look of surprise on his face was priceless. I asked him to please point me in the direction of the nearest hotel/motel so that I could unpack the kids and their stuff and then figure out dinner and meeting up with Rhonda or Tammy (my girlfriends who live in the town).

It was bitterly cold outside and he ushered us all in to sit and hang out for a bit. I didn't know, but Farrah and Cody were over hanging out with him, so our kids finally met too. They played video games in the back room for quite a while and got along great.

I mentioned that it was getting later and I needed to get the hotel room, and he said that we were absolutely welcome to stay there instead, because he had plenty of sofa space and even had an extra air mattress so that no one had to sleep on the floor. I was still lobbying for the hotel, but he mentioned that there were two places in town- one being Santa's Lodge (aka a tourist trap with tourist trap pricing) and the motel that even he would not sleep at.

So, staying with him suddenly made more sense. I sprung for dinner for all of us - pizza from the local pizza place and we had a fun night together. He took the kids back to their mom's house and then we had a chance to sit together and talk a bit.

I told him that I was considering moving to Indiana, but that I wanted to check it out and see what the kids thought first. I apologized for the lack of notice, but I wanted to do it while they were still on vacation and have them only miss one or two days tops going back.

We set up the air mattress and I tucked the kids in, while we were still talking. I went back to his room with him to continue the conversation while they settled in. We curled up together and he just hugged me while my head was nestled in his shoulder. He told me he missed me and kissed my forehead.

I remember thinking at that very moment, that I wanted to stay right there in his arms for the rest of my life. It was just such a perfect fit, so comfortable and so familiar. So loving.

Despite wanting to talk about the potential of the move a little bit more, I just closed my eyes and fell asleep.

I got up the next morning and the kids were already hungry. Jon had his kitchen ripped apart (quite literally- no cabinets, sink, etc. because he was remodeling it) so I whispered to him that I was going to leave for a bit, get them food and then look at properties and the school. He was half asleep and said okay.

We ate at Subway (for breakfast!) and then started looking at properties in the area. Trying to find a place to rent that we liked, or a house that would consider a lease option, etc. We toured several houses. We then went to the school and got a tour from the receptionist. The kids all agreed that they liked the school and the town. Especially Holiday World... a local amusement park right there in town.

We went back to Jon's and I mentioned that there wasn't a lot available for rent, so my main option was going to rest in the hands of if any of the houses we liked would consider a lease option. He mentioned his dad having a place to rent in the next town over, but it was in a different elementary school (same middle and high schools) so I dismissed the idea.

Cody was the only one who came to Jon's after school, and he stayed for dinner. We all went to a mexican restaurant in Dale, IN (just 5 minutes away by car) and we laughed and enjoyed the time that we spent time together.

I was planning on leaving that evening to head back to Nashville on the way home, stopping in to see a friend for a day then driving back. Instead, I visited with Tammy, then we went to Rhonda's house and were offered a place to crash; so we took it. I really enjoyed sitting and spending time with Rhonda and her family. The kids played so nicely together and made quick friends. It was great catching up and they were excited about the potential of me moving to town.

I left the next morning, stopping briefly for a hug at Jon's house on the way out of town. We headed to Nashville and then ended up staying there a couple extra days due to the snow and ice storm gripping the Southeast.

While in Nashville, I took the time to look around at rental costs there and availability. Even though my head and heart screamed for Indiana, I felt it was worth a look for objectivity's sake.

We arrived back home and I decided that the best decision was going to be to not make a decision and give things some time to play out. I really decided at that moment to "Let Go and Let God". Instead of rushing into anything, I was going to let the decision come to me once some time went by and I could gather a clearer, no rose-colored glasses view of the situation.

The kids resumed their normal school lives, and I checked in on occasion with the realtor that I know up there. It seemed that the one house we really liked, the guy was unwilling to lease it. So, for me, there wasn't much else and I felt like I would maintain not doing anything in the moving department.

I called my ex-husband and mentioned to him that I was considering the move, then laid out for him the reasons why I was thinking about it, but that I wanted his opinion. Since he's a more financial concerned guy, I could tell he was doing numbers in his own head. I mentioned that the schools were better, life was cheaper and that I could put away money for college rather than spending all the child support on rent and bills. Surprisingly, he was behind me 100% in favor of the move and told me that whatever I decided, I had his support because he knew I was going to act in the best interest of the kids.

I told my parents that I was considering a move, and looking at Indiana and Nashville. My mother, lobbied hard for Greenville, where they live. I told her I genuinely appreciated the thought and would consider Greenville, but that my heart didn't lead me there. I love my parents but it's time they enjoyed their own life for a while without me in their backyard. They have helped me so much over the years, and I really want them to be able to enjoy each other. Plus, being in Indiana will bring us several hours closer to them than where we live right now.

So I've thought and thought about this. And then, here's what happened. I realized my drivers license expires on my birthday (in February) and my car registration does as well. The cost to renew both in Florida would be around $400 for everything. Ouch. The cost in Indiana is around $40 for everything.

I talked to Rhonda, who mentioned a place to rent that I had looked at, and I called them back - they decided to sell vs. rent the property. I called Jon and told him that though I wanted to move there, there was just nothing to rent that I liked and he offered again that his father had a 3 bed/2 bath available for rent that wasn't anything fancy- it was clean and about 5 years old, but the bonus was that he wouldn't make me sign a lease and I could move into it while I'm looking around town and save money in the process. I told him to count on until August for now, then we'll see if we wanted to be closer to town or if we liked it there. He called his dad for details on the property, called me back and when I said it sounded good, he gave me his father's phone number and told me to call him to work things out. I have never spoken with his father before, but when I talked with him, he sounded a lot like Jon, and then had some very nice things to say about me. It was effortless. He just put a fresh coat of paint on all the walls, had made some minor repairs that needed fixing and he said that he would have everything clean and ready when I arrived if I decided to come.

Jon has offered me an affordable place to live without a long term lease and a free move. The rent is nearly $1000 less than what I'm paying here in S. Florida which will enable me to save a good amount of money. Added to that, with tax time being here again, I'm able to get the tax return and sock that money into savings as well.

Even though I try to take him out of the picture when considering the financial benefits and rural living that I enjoy, the great schools, the fresh air, the girlfriends and their kids that live there... even how close it is to Nashville (making a day trip easy)... the truth of the matter is that I want to live near him. I want to give us a chance. He's making the effort this time, he's chasing me. I'm not chasing him. He's offering to drive 15 hours in one direction to come pick up our stuff and pack us up, then turn around and drive with us back to Indiana. Through all of this, I have never asked, he has just offered and offered.

I can't think of a better "sign" to get... the one I've asked him for for the past 2 1/2 years. Actions supporting his words. I made my final decision after speaking with him and his father two nights ago. I am happy and content - and the kids are excited as well. I feel as though I've won the lottery.

So I believe in Santa Claus... Santa Claus, Indiana.

The End Of The Year, Not The End Of The Adventure!

I may have settled in one area, but I still have plans for traveling!

Over the past several months, life has changed yet again. Hotlanta is just a friend- simply because I couldn't deal with trying to build a relationship when his life was still full of chaos. I chose to be a friend instead, and he agreed that he could use a friend more than anything else. That was shortly after my last post.

An update on Jon, he's still a friend, but I've pushed him further and further to the edge of my friend circle... because it's easier for me to be nice but emotionally stay totally disconnected to him.

I quit the job that I was working to focus on my own business full time, and that is going very well. I am very excited to be able to dedicate myself to my dream business full time- and even more excited that it is taking off! I anticipate wonderful things for 2010. The link is http://www.carryoncommerce.com - it's a Strategic Internet Marketing and Online Business Development Company.

Hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I'll be sure to update when I get the chance!

Audrey

Crazy but cool...(and hot too!)

Life has been crazy lately. A good kind of crazy though.

The kids started school, and thankfully, they love the new school and the close proximity of the school to our house. I'm excited for them that they're able to all be at the same school (this year anyway) .

My life has been interesting too. Kind of crazy. I have met some pretty cool people this past summer, and even Jon has made a friendly come-back into my life. As a friend, nothing more.

My most recent development in the romance category came in July. I'll call him Hotlanta, because that's his nickname when I refer to him to my girlfriends anyway. You can use your powers of deduction to guess where he's from.

The short story is he's a great guy in the middle of a divorce and pretty much everything I've ever asked for. On top of that, he's reminding me every time we're together what it's like to be treated like a lady. I'm enjoying our friendship at this point, and we'll see where it goes from here. As my friend Nicole pointed out on Labor Day... it's been about 2 months now, so I guess we'll see. He comes to visit again soon.

So, that's a mini update on me. Life is still a bit upside down at home, but we're getting settled... it's one of those things that moving you still need pieces here and there to feel like you've moved in and have a place for everything... unfortunately, I still have to find money to buy the places for everything. We'll see how it all works out.

My new favorite song is TOES by the Zac Brown Band.

Life's Twists and Turns

So, I am going to be gainfully employed once again. I'm excited.

Here's the kicker. We're moving to Florida. At first I thought the road trip would have to be canceled, but then I realized, it doesn't really matter what the destination is, we really are on a trip no matter what. So our cross country adventure has changed a bit, life has created a new road map for adventure for me, both literally and spiritually.

I am currently writing this from my desk in my room in Pittston, PA, where we currently (for the next week) reside. As I type, I'm surrounded by piles of personal items and boxes, that have been pulled out of drawers, closets and shelves, so that I can pack my things. I hate this kind of chaos.

So here's what has gone on on the past several weeks. I went on an interview and landed the job. Simple enough it seems, but in this economy it seems like a major feat. In addition, I went on a massive and quick search for a place to live, and came up with one half of a duplex in a great area of Fort Lauderdale. Thankfully, my history of living there, coupled with my friends and family still living there helped making the search for a place to live a little easier. The schools are great, so I'm excited about that for my kids.

Next, I began the drive back north... stopping briefly in Atlanta to see a friend (while I was half awake and feeling ridiculously tired from the overnight drive) for his birthday lunch. I continued north to Greenville and slept well for one night then packed up and drove north again to Pennsylvania, where I arrived at a god-awful time in the morning somewhere around 4:30am, and collapsed into my bed.

That felt fantastic.

The past two days have been anxiety filled for the most part, trying to come up with a plan, secure a truck, try to find someone to drive it, try to pack up my belongings and those of my four children's in 5 days and turn around to head south again. Yeah, anxiety. Thankfully the kids are enjoying this... and have been quite helpful in ditching a lot of the unnecessary stuff.

Our place in Fort Lauderdale is considerably smaller than here, so we are really just going to try and take our basics.

I feel like a gypsy. I long for the chance to be settled somewhere... despite the plans to travel extensively, I just really wish I had a permanent home base. I envy people who haven't moved their place of residence.

So I am taking a quick break from the packing tonight simply because it was too hot today to do much of it, and then tonight we've been going full force since dinner, now I am taking a few minutes after a phone call to sort through random thoughts in my head.

I met someone I am really interested in getting to know better while I was in Florida. He doesn't live nearby, but he does travel there a lot for business. We had a "date" night if you will, but what has surprised me was that he kept in touch... and continues to do so. I also enjoyed being treated like a lady. Despite being a northerner by birth, this guy has manners and southern charm all over him. I guess we have that part in common. Haha!

Anyway, because it's just interest at this point, and nothing more, I- as always- keep an eye open. One night, while still in Florida, I had maybe one beer too many while out with my friend Jessica, and when I got home to the empty condo (kids were with their dad), I sent a text to Jon.

It was pretty straightforward, asking why he felt the need to hurt me so much when all I ever did was love him.

Gotta love those kind of texts.

After a brief dialogue, I felt that I had said my piece, and left it as, you knew where I have stood, you know what I want... if you want it as badly as you have said you do, the ball's in your court... just hope I'm still available for the game when you decide what to do.

I didn't get the chance to be clear with him in Maryland.

Anyway, I felt pretty good about it and it felt like I closed the door on the whole situation... Obviously, he wasn't about to make any changes, and I was making every change in the world.

It was the last contact I had with him. Until tonight.

He called tonight, and honestly, it wasn't about anything other than checking in... he dropped his son off at the airport, was on his way back home, and he decided to call me. I was cordial, but not at all anything else. I won't talk to him again unless he calls. I told him I was moving later this week, and explained where, and told him about the job, etc. So he was caught up on my life... in that I was moving forward.

I am always surprised when he does that... he knocks me off kilter all the time with that. But I can say that this time, it didn't hurt as much. I have done a pretty good job of bolting off that door and moving on to the next one.

I look forward to the future, I look forward to the chance of finding someone to spend my life with... to have fun with, to settle down with... and just the ability to raise my kids and send them off as young adults with potential for greatness. I pray that I will find love and build a happy home of my own. I know that it's out there for me. Somewhere.

I had a conversation with a guy the other night that I've known for over a year and we were talking about ourselves when we were younger. I found myself sharing memories that I hadn't ever mentioned to anyone before, it wasn't that they were difficult, it was just they were nearly forgotten. It was interesting to realize in that moment that I wasn't holding back any part of me, I was just speaking in the moment, some things that were very personal to me, but yet, it was comfortable. I enjoyed that moment right there. We laughed about the silly things we did as kids. I feel stronger knowing that the Beatles were right.. "I Get By with a little help from my friends".

Rambling is probably my strongest writing ability in the whole free-journaling experiment here. I will start in one place and end up somewhere completely different. But that's what makes what I do more honest. It's that moment where you just start typing and let your brain take the words where you need them to be. There are so many times I just let myself type and then when I re-read what I've written, my conundrum in life suddenly makes sense again. Odd, but it works.

I have to get back to packing, but I know I've written a lot about Jon in this particular blog, and I felt it was probably best to get him out of my head and into this journal before I went crazy analyzing his motives for calling me... which were probably just because he was lonely and sad that he dropped off his son and he knew I would understand. That's probably it.

Besides, my newish interest in the new guy I've met is helping me to see that men who really want you will chase you. Men who are truly interested will make it a point to stay in touch with you, to show you that you're wanted and needed...

Side note again, I watched Shopgirl (Claire Danes) Friday night, and it was really good. Odd, but good. One of those movies where you didn't really think the ending was going to go that way, but it did. And it was okay for doing that... more like the way life really plays out.

Ok, it's nearly ten pm and I think I'm just going to hit the sack, go to bed and pack more tomorrow. A good night's rest will surely help me more than packing tonight and being tired tomorrow.

I'm Florida bound in a few days again!!! Whoohoo! Ok, now, anyone wanna drive a truck from PA to FL?

Whirlwind of a Week!

I know I haven't posted in a while, and for the people who are following, I am sorry. It's been a whirlwind of a week and on top of that, I haven't really had a chance to sit with decent internet service.

So, here's the run down. We arrived in Nashville last Wednesday, and from the first night, the fun was ON! I met up with my friends and we went down to Losers, saw everyone we knew and I was just living it up again. The kids had a blast because they were at Todd's with his kids. The kids barely left the pool.

By Friday, we moved our location up to my friend Mark's house, so that we could hang out with some of my more Nashville based friends (he's in West Nashville). I had the Michael Jackson Tribute party on Friday night, but then on Saturday, the kids spent the entire day of the 4th with J.J.'s kids and Mark and J.J. and I hanging out by the pool. Our fun was interrupted by news of Steve McNair's passing. He was only an acquaintance of mine, but a good friend to several of my friends. Despite anything the media says regarding his personal life, I can simply say that Steve always treated me with respect, always had a smile on his face, and treated those around him with the utmost of respect. He was a guy who despite his millions, would give you the shirt off his back. He loved Nashville and the community as a whole. So that was sad because a great guy was killed by a crazy woman on the 4th of July.

The storms began rolling in that evening, and with some severe thunderstorms and tornado warnings, we decided to just enjoy the fireworks from the comfort of J.J.'s apartment. Later, I snuck out with J.J. watching the sleeping kids to see if I could find anything else out about Steve's passing. We just wanted to know what happened.

Sadly, going out to my favorite bar ended up being just one of those moments that was very depressing. I cried for my friends who were hurting, and shared toasts to a great man that we lost that day. It was senseless, as I had seen him out on the town myself on Wednesday and Friday.

I really did enjoy spending time with my friends though. Mark treated the kids and I to an early dinner at Blue Moon Lagoon, and the kids really enjoyed seeing the turtles and fish right off the dock.

I talked with J.J. about a job at her company... and sent my resume in, as well as talked to someone there about setting up an interview on Monday.

By Monday night, I was tired and wanted to start the drive to Florida. My own emotional turmoil over the past month plus the news of another person lost to senseless violence just wanted me to get somewhere I could rest. Added to that, I was tired of sleeping on an air mattress.

We loaded up the car on Monday night and headed south, only as far as Murfreesboro, where we crashed for the night at a Knights Inn. We slept SO well, and when we got up on Tuesday, we were all refreshed.

The drive from Murfreesboro, TN to Fort Lauderdale was in one word, LONG.

It was a 13-14 hour driving day, when you took the time change into account. The kids were excited to see their dad, and getting antsier and antsier as time passed. Once we hit the Florida line, I was asked about 1000 times if we were there yet. The answer, for about 5 hours was, "no".

When I pulled into South Florida, I met up with Frank and dropped the kids off at a Pollo Tropical parking lot in Deerfield Beach. I drove straight to my parents condo, and walked in the door and fell into the bed. I woke up eleven hours later, thanks to the hurricane shutters and a dark room.

I can't describe fully the odd feeling of relief to drop the kids off with their dad, and then also the pit in your stomach of not having them by your side at the same time. It's a very interesting feeling.

My first order of business was to see my grandmother, then meet Melanie for lunch at Einstein Bros. We ended up planning on getting together the following day, and since it is her birthday weekend, we made some tentative plans. I made a few phone calls to local friends and ended up meeting up with my friend Tyler from high school at a hole in the wall bar in Fort Lauderdale, where we drank a few beers, hit up the jukebox, and I watched him and a couple of his friends play a couple games of darts. He ended up having an impromptu barbecue with several other of our friends from high school. I had a blast that night, and really enjoyed seeing everyone for the first time in about 10-13 years.

That was Wednesday night. Thursday, I got up again around 11am, then decided to head towards the beach. I was craving a LaSpada's hoagie. It didn't disappoint. Melanie and I met at the beach and we ended up going for a long walk along the beach while talking and just generally goofing around. It was almost a 5 mile walk along the shore. I felt good about working off the hoagie.

I went to see my old neighbors, who looked exactly the same, years later, except for their kids, who had all gotten older and bigger. Then, I went home to the condo, saw my mom and sister (who had just gotten in from Orlando and the American Idol tryouts) and got ready for the night out plus dinner with my dad who was flying in as well.

We had a quick meal at Flanagan's (yum!), and Melanie met us out there. Melanie and dropped off her car then we decided to meet up with Pierre and Tyler at their house for a few drinks before heading out. Well, it didn't take long until we decided to just go out with them to the Briny Pub on Atlantic Blvd. Tyler's friend was playing there, and it was getting close to midnight, so we decided it was time to head out and ring in Melanie's birthday at a bar, instead of on Tyler's couch.

It was so much fun again, just innocent silly fun. After the bar, we came back and got on a golf cart, and rode around Tyler's neighborhood, stopping at the 7-11, then at several friends houses, and even Tyler's dad came out to say hi.

Out of control. I laughed so hard last night.

Because we were all drinking, they told me to just crash there, so I ended up curling up and came home to the condo this morning to shower, change and finally head out to Panera Bread for several cups of coffee and the ability to sit somewhere and be ONLINE.

I know my sister and her friends are going to be happy I finally updated. I've been getting constant messages that I needed to. Tonight's agenda is probably heading down to the Round Up in Davie with another bunch of friends from high school. These past few days have been such a blast, that I really am considering moving back down to South Florida, and have also sent out several resumes while sitting here at Panera Bread. I'm just at that point where I need to do something, and I might as well be somewhere that I know people. It's time for a new start for me. A new chapter to the novel of my life.

We'll see what the weekend brings...

Almost ready to hit the road again...

It's been a long few days here in Nashville. There has been laughter and tears.

Anyway, I have more to post, but right now, I simply don't have the time... I hope to be able to post something soon, but it will probably be once I get to Florida. I'll have time to sit with my thoughts - and an internet connection, while the kids are with their dad.