I would never, ever let you go

This past weekend I headed to the great state of Michigan to see another one of my besties married off. Brittany and I have been friends since we were 13, when I befriended her in hopes of getting one of her friends to date me (which totally worked.) Needless to say, that didn’t last, but our friendship persevered over the years through soccer teams, and classes that kicked our butts, and then through college 800 miles apart, and now living our lives wholly 2,000 miles door to door.

Every time I see her, she makes me giggle, smile, and usually cry because I am just so freaking happy to see her. I am so glad I made it to her big day, where I got to watch her marry her bff (besides me, of course ;)) and also catch up with friends from HS who I don’t get to see too often (my parents have since moved from my HS town, plus everyone is scattered like Hansel and Gretel’s breadcrumbs across this great nation.)

Britty, Brother Llama, I love you. I am so happy for you and Allen!

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Thanks to Jeff for the photos (and more here.)

Waitin’ for the daylight to bring me home…

I’ve been saying all weekend that I want to update my blog, even though I don’t have much to update you on. Life has been cycling through work, home, sleep, and work again, to no avail. Finally we have reached a breaking point, and the season promises to slow down, thin out, allow me to slowly return to afternoons of running on the treadmill and evenings of cooking and blogging.

We’re planning a road trip, Cor and I, by the way. I posted about it on Garlic, My Soul, but for those of you who don’t read both, now you know. We’re driving the Southern route, starting the day before Easter, meandering through Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Louisana, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, and Georgia. Which, is to say, six states I’ve never been to. Seven states in all, nine days, friends and family to see, memories to make, pictures to capture, a final “hoorah!” before Garlic, My Soul goes bi-coastal.

I have this weird cold. It feels like mono, but as I know what mono feels like, it surely cannot. I’ve been getting copious amounts of sleep, lazing about, and drinking a lot of water. I also spent the better part of the weekend cleaning my house for KB’s arrival (and because, let’s be honest, the bathroom always needs a good scrub.)

Yesterday, as I was repotting my rosemary and aloe, Cor stopped by to split up the CSA veggies. She’d had a doctor’s appointment in the area. I’d forgotten that she was coming (weird cold, I’m telling you.)

She chatted with me as I scrubbed the toilet, and gladly accepted a cup of coffee. Then she went to the kitchen to check out the CSA situation. “WHERE did you get the artichokes?” she yelled.

“Oh yeah! The CSA!” I yelled back, from under the toilet.

“I’m going to make them right now.” Water running, dutch oven out. I vacuum the house. She cooks. Mid-90s music blasts in the background. “Hey, Jen, Jeff’s on his way…Jeff’s in the closet. On the phone.” Laughter ensues, artichokes still boiling, vacuum still sucking, giggles emitting throughout the house.

I turn the vacuum off, Cor pulling the artichokes out of the water, whipping up a butter sauce. We spend the next 30 minutes devouring the three artichokes, along with cheese and crackers. Jeff moves from the closet to the bedroom.

Artichokes gone, Jeff off the phone, we clean up. Corelyn goes. The recycling goes out. I shower. Kelly calls, because SHE’S HERE. What a good Saturday…

This week? More Kelly. Carne asada, cookies (chewy, thanks Alton Brown), Glee, game plan for cleaning the office up (we’re moving soon), starting the book club book, blogging, St. Patrick’s Day, a night of dancing, general mayhem. Josh Kelley, dream your fears away, Maroon 5, throw back to 2005, and smelling spring, missing you.