Settling In

We arrived in Trumansburg late last Friday night. We walked into an adorable little place that Joshua had moved into the week prior. He's so sweet--had lilies waiting on the counter for me. Lilies and...about 75 boxes of his stuff on the floor. We woke up the last day and realized that the apartment itself was not exactly complete. We had no cold water in the kitchen, no screens on the windows, no central air, no working electricity outlet in the bathroom, the stove was not working, and we soon discovered that our dogs had fleas. It was not an easy couple of days. We worked through emptying the boxes, doing 8 loads of laundry and saw the landlord and superintendent quite frequently. Things were finally coming together and then we woke up one night to a bat circling above the bed. Joshua being the naturopathic hippie-boy that he is, calmly explains to me the unlikelihood of the bat biting one of us or the dogs and petitions for us to go back to sleep. How he convinced me to do so must have something to do with true love. But the bat came back after we shut off the lights and we ended up moving the bed to the living room. We haven't spotted him since, but I'm not convinced he is gone for good. That's why I named him Bernard.

Rueben has been giving us a lot trouble lately and we are thinking we may need to find him a new home. He is a good dog, but he deserves a home with a yard and perhaps family that can spend more time exercising him. It seems that every time we come home, he has chewed up more of our belongings. Here is a pic of what happened the other day:


And Joshua's face as he arrived home from work:

That was actually a good day for our lovely Rueben. Since then, he has eaten his way through Joshua's wallet, one of his favorite work shirts, about 15 containers of homeopathic remedies (which ironically did NOT help) and a few pairs of shoes. Ever read the book "Marley and Me"???

I've started my job at Schuyler Hospital in Montour Falls. It's going to be a fabulous experience, I'm sure. I'm happy to be beginning only part time. It allows Joshua and I some time together during the week between his hours at the clinic and the cafe. We've been learning to cook and clean together quite well. I think we've even agreed on which sponges are for cleaning and which are for dishes! Ah...the world of cohabitation. We are doing pretty well for only knowing each other 4 months. ;)

Humor is certainly the key. Just as I have learned to accept his ADD, he has accepted my OCD. We are a mental match made in heaven. And best of all, we have created our own space where we are free to be as crazy in love the way we chose to be.

In peace and love,

~A~

Bumping it up a notch.

So Joshua was unable to come to Phoenix & take me away because his flight was canceled due to storms. He was told he wouldn't be able to make it to Phoenix until the next day! After discussing our options, we decided it would be best not to waste any travel time. I would begin driving & meet him in Denver. This did not happen without some resistance on his part; Joshua was very upset that he could not fulfill his "boyfriendly" duties and travel with me that first day. I managed to make the drive to the Denver airport only 1 hour past when his flight arrived (and 15 hours travel time for me). Amazing how close in time we both arrived, don't you think?

I parked outside the terminal for a good 10 minutes anxiously awaiting him. I knew that seeing him would sooth me from the long drive. It wasn't long before a security guard asked me to move my vehicle and circle around. I was frantically trying to get a hold of Josh on the phone and I was growing more and more tired every minute. I couldn't believe it when I pulled around and he STILL wasn't standing outside. ANOTHER security guard approached my car and knocked on the window:
"Ma'am, I'm going to have to ask you to step out of the vehicle." So now I'm thinking that I definitely ran someone over because I was so fatigued. Or at least appeared drunk because of it.
"Oh. Okay, why?"
"Just step out of your car ma'am, this is important."
So I stepped out of the car and watched him walk around to get a good look at my license plate. Maybe he was upset that I had Elsa in the front seat without being belted?
"How many times have you circled around to this area?" he said.
"Just once."
"Come with me, please."
"Should I get my license? What about my dog?"
"Just leave them for now. I'm going to have to ask you to step inside with me. Just head through that door and wait a moment."
At this point I'm standing in the doorway to the airport certain I'm going to be arrested for something. But Joshua comes around the corner. He's dressed in a suit and carrying a guitar. I start laughing hysterically thinking about how he's always trying to make a grand entrance. I start moaning too, thinking about how badly I must smell after 15 hours in the car. He begins to strum random chords for a bit before I realize the lyrics-- "Grow Old With You" by Adam Sandler. Remember that scene in the Wedding Singer when he's in first class on the plane and sings to Julia over the intercom? Yes--that's the one. I'm smiling and laughing and waiting patiently for it to end. I peek out the door and the security guard is looking very much like a security guard--arms crossed, scanning the road, ensuring no one interrupts.

He finishes singing and says a few lovely things about how excited he is to be starting this new life together. He gets on his knees and opens a box with the most beautiful ring inside. I accept and we left the airport. But not after Joshua leaves the guitar for the security guard as a token of his appreciation.

The best part of the whole proposal was talking with Joshua about the weeks leading up to it. I loved hearing that he designed the ring himself and had it made by a friend of his in Ithaca. I loved hearing that he ensured it was made from recycled white gold and that the African Ruby was "blood free" or clean of any mining practices that fund unethical activities or war. I loved hearing that he called my father to respectfully request my hand in marriage. "He's a good man" my mother says.

Yes he is.

We are hoping to have the wedding spring/summer of next year. We will most likely keep the ceremony close to our family's homes in Royal Oak, MI.

We can't wait to celebrate with all of you!

A New Life

Joshua Green is coming to Phoenix tonight to take me away. He's flying from Ithaca, NY to drive with me and Elsa all the way back. We plan to stop each night and camp. We'll spend a short time visiting friends and family in MI before making our way to T-burg. The Village of Trumansburg is a little town in upstate NY. Joshua loves this town and is thrilled to be living there. I never thought I'd live in a small town but it certainly seems to have charm:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trumansburg,_New_York

We'll be living on Main St above a Chinese food restaurant and an Artisan Bakery. Our address is 21. Apparently the postal service does not deliver to us, so we have a P.O. Box. That's a first for me. We'll have to use the laundromat across the street. Another first. We'll be sharing a kitchen, a shower, a bed...every day. First, first first. This is our adventure.

I've sold almost every piece of furniture that I ever owned. I've given away bags of clothes and random items that I really never needed in the first place. I've worked to narrow my belongings down to one pile of stuff that will fit into my 4-door Saturn. I have been confident that letting go of my worldly possessions would be a liberating experience. As I watched my stuff walk out of the apartment one at a time, I realized that I wasn't just releasing my possessions, but this chapter of my life as well. My mentor at the VA, Karen, describes these chapters as separate little "lives" that exist in each of our worlds. Sometimes my chapters feel like an entirely different book. When I moved out here to Phoenix one year ago, I never would have guessed I'd be on my way to T-burg to live with Joshua. I'm pretty sure Joshua never would have guessed that either. Life is so strange and beautiful--it has a way of sneaking up on you!

So here we go! The beginning of our new life together. I will certainly provide a thorough history of how this came to be as soon as we get settled and have internet access.

In peace & love,

~A~