2009 Year in Review...
It was my first New Year in Mass in over 20 years - it started off well, but went down hill quickly, first when my Uncle Herb passed after a long illness and then when my grandmother became sick. She passed on March 19, 2009 - we still miss Cha-Cha very much. Home just doesn't seem the same without her.
I took a trip back to Vegas in May for a week - to visit and to see my GP (since I still can't find someone to treat me here - but thats my fault for being lazy). The trip was great, but 2 weeks later, my father was involved in a very bad head on collision. He had a severe concussion, broke every rib down his right side, broke his ankle, and was bruised so badly from head to toe, he looked like a black man.
He was in Baystate Hospital for 2 weeks, then a month and a half in a rehab hospital getting his strength back. He had a lot of confusion from the concussion that took a while to go away. He is doing great now and is currently in Florida for the Winter, staying with my older brother.
I lost my sweet old Snow kitty - he was 19 years old and I'd had him since he was a kitten. I also lost my Taz-man, my grumpy but adorable pekingese I had for 5 years after rescuing him from a horrid situation in Las Vegas.
Archer, as always, has been there for me through everything. My constant, long distance companion. Our relationship is one most people don't understand - but they don't have to, he and I understand it just fine.
The biggest change for me started in June, 2009 with an IM on Facebook... from my ex-husband. He and his wife were splitting up, and he knew I'd be a good comrade in verbally bashing her (it was his relationship with her that caused our divorce). During our long chats, in between the bashing, I had questions answered that had been bugging me for 12 years. I learned a lot more about him than I knew before - and he about me. The bashing gave way to planning a trip up to see me in September, over Labor Day weekend. The weekend visit went better than either of us expected, and brought up some old feelings, both good and bad - but we did something we had failed to do in our marriage - we talked about them.
Our parents started asking why we didn't just get back together - we were always compatible, both of us were single, etc... but we fought it a bit. When we stopped fighting the idea, we realized it was what both of us wanted. He moved up here in mid-October and we are happier now than we ever were before. The only glitch in the system is the employment situation in the area - but I know he'll have a job soon. If any of you know any place thats hiring a staff accountant or a property manager for an apartment complex, let me know :)
I was approved for a Community Block Grant, and they have had contractors here since before Thanksgiving, doing all kinds of work on my house - about 30 grand worth. The house looks great between what they've done and the organizing Warren has done. Warren has made this place in to a home for us - no more unpacked boxes hanging out or hiding out in the dining room, etc. I am so happy he's here - and not just for the free labor like I like to let him think now and then ;)
With the end of 2009 came the news that my Uncle has ALS (Lou Gehrigs disease). We are all quite upset by that - he is a young 56 and is fighting tooth and nail to stay out of a wheel chair and stay alive and beat the odds.
It feels so good to have someone here to share life with me, to love, to be loved by. To have it be someone I've known for 25 years is even better - we've both grown and changed a lot since we first met, and even more-so in the 12 years we were apart. Sometimes when you are alone for a long period of time, you forget how good holding hands feels, or a shoulder rub. I wasn't totally alone because I had Archer, but the physical presence means so much too. Warren gets my relationship with Archer so that hasn't been affected by our getting together - which is good, because I still need him and want him in my life as well.
Here's to 2010 and all the things to come, both good and bad - but may the good far outweigh the bad.
I took a trip back to Vegas in May for a week - to visit and to see my GP (since I still can't find someone to treat me here - but thats my fault for being lazy). The trip was great, but 2 weeks later, my father was involved in a very bad head on collision. He had a severe concussion, broke every rib down his right side, broke his ankle, and was bruised so badly from head to toe, he looked like a black man.
He was in Baystate Hospital for 2 weeks, then a month and a half in a rehab hospital getting his strength back. He had a lot of confusion from the concussion that took a while to go away. He is doing great now and is currently in Florida for the Winter, staying with my older brother.
I lost my sweet old Snow kitty - he was 19 years old and I'd had him since he was a kitten. I also lost my Taz-man, my grumpy but adorable pekingese I had for 5 years after rescuing him from a horrid situation in Las Vegas.
Archer, as always, has been there for me through everything. My constant, long distance companion. Our relationship is one most people don't understand - but they don't have to, he and I understand it just fine.
The biggest change for me started in June, 2009 with an IM on Facebook... from my ex-husband. He and his wife were splitting up, and he knew I'd be a good comrade in verbally bashing her (it was his relationship with her that caused our divorce). During our long chats, in between the bashing, I had questions answered that had been bugging me for 12 years. I learned a lot more about him than I knew before - and he about me. The bashing gave way to planning a trip up to see me in September, over Labor Day weekend. The weekend visit went better than either of us expected, and brought up some old feelings, both good and bad - but we did something we had failed to do in our marriage - we talked about them.
Our parents started asking why we didn't just get back together - we were always compatible, both of us were single, etc... but we fought it a bit. When we stopped fighting the idea, we realized it was what both of us wanted. He moved up here in mid-October and we are happier now than we ever were before. The only glitch in the system is the employment situation in the area - but I know he'll have a job soon. If any of you know any place thats hiring a staff accountant or a property manager for an apartment complex, let me know :)
I was approved for a Community Block Grant, and they have had contractors here since before Thanksgiving, doing all kinds of work on my house - about 30 grand worth. The house looks great between what they've done and the organizing Warren has done. Warren has made this place in to a home for us - no more unpacked boxes hanging out or hiding out in the dining room, etc. I am so happy he's here - and not just for the free labor like I like to let him think now and then ;)
With the end of 2009 came the news that my Uncle has ALS (Lou Gehrigs disease). We are all quite upset by that - he is a young 56 and is fighting tooth and nail to stay out of a wheel chair and stay alive and beat the odds.
It feels so good to have someone here to share life with me, to love, to be loved by. To have it be someone I've known for 25 years is even better - we've both grown and changed a lot since we first met, and even more-so in the 12 years we were apart. Sometimes when you are alone for a long period of time, you forget how good holding hands feels, or a shoulder rub. I wasn't totally alone because I had Archer, but the physical presence means so much too. Warren gets my relationship with Archer so that hasn't been affected by our getting together - which is good, because I still need him and want him in my life as well.
Here's to 2010 and all the things to come, both good and bad - but may the good far outweigh the bad.