WHOA! It's been a year!
I just came on here because a few of you have sent me "nudges" again. I love you for that. It's nice to know people still think about you.
As I looked at my LJ, I realized it's been one year to the day that I posted last... I'm so bad at LJing anymore. It's not that I don't want to, I'm just so damn tired. I think about posting, then, I get sidetracked and look... a whole year goes by.
But so much has happened and I'm so worn out, I guess that's why I just don't journal anymore. Yet I know it would be really good for me to do.
I obviously didn't post it last year, but my father in law passed away in September, and ever since then, things have been a roller coaster.
We had just sold our house, bought another that we thought we'd be in for awhile.. and now we are in the process of looking for another house because we've insisted that Jeff's mom come live with us. She doesn't need to stay in her big ass house all by herself. It's just too much. And too many memories. She's very happy about coming to live with us, but she feels like she'll be in the way or intruding in our lives. Yeah, OK. She's one of my best friends. Her and I are like fucking Chatty Cathy's. The person I feel sorry for is Jeff. Her and I are like two teenagers when we're together. We drive him nuts 'cuz it's his "mom" and her and I carry on more like girlfriends rather than Mother In Law/Daughter In Law. In other words, he'd rather not hear a lot of our girlie conversations. ;o)
Regardless, now that she's coming to live with us, we need a bigger house. And we want her to have a part of the house that she feels is hers, not tucked away in guest bedroom. Oh, and did I mention she has 3 dogs? And we have 2. As of now, our yard is PERFECT for 5 dogs. It's like they have their own frickin' park. I think our backyard is something like 5,000 sq feet. But, we need more room on the inside for the three of us and five doggies. Again, mainly so she feels at home. She's leaving a house she's lived in for over 20 years, and it's around 4,000 sq feet. So, we want to give her as much as we can. And she's no feeble old lady. Nuh uh. She may be 72, but she looks and acts like she's in her 50s.
Anyway, I'm rambling. We've been looking for houses and I think we found one we like. Well, actually, we both fell in love with it. So, we're in the process of all the fun "house buying" steps and I guess we'll see what happens. I'm hoping we get it because I can't wait to have Jeff's mom see it. She'll think she died twice and went to heaven. It's gorgeous (and though I really love our current kitchen... this one?! OMG!) and has everything we love with massive upgrades to it. She'll want to live in the kitchen (she loves to cook and bake, so it works out well). And the master bedroom is enormous. They turned the bedroom that was next to it into a "retreat" for the master. When Jeff and I walked thru it and he beat me to the master he quickly said, "don't turn to the right.. don't turn to the right" very calmly (we didn't want to get our hopes up on this house, and I still don't... but... ), and of course I did and nearly shit myself. If it's meant to be, it will be.
Aside from that, we just returned from being in the U.K. for most of the month of June. That was the trip of a lifetime.
Our 10 yr anniversary was last November. We were planning all sorts of things. Initially, we were going to go Venice. Then, as my FIL kept getting worse, that was totally called off and we decided to keep it somewhat local and renew our vows with all of our friends, just have a really good time with everyone. I had most all of it planned and he got even worse. By August, he was really bad and we didn't even know if they'd be able to attend the ceremony (we were having it on an island out here in CA, so, them getting there wouldn't be easy with him being so sick). And we couldn't imagine renewing our vows without them there. So, we kept seeing how he was doing.
He was in the hospital all of August (guess that explains why my last post was July of last year) and the first part of September. We had just bought our house, moved away again and we find out he's worse. He finally came home mid September with Hospice. We were all in such disbelief. Hospice. No one wants to hear that word. He had kidney failure and secondary to that congestive heart failure. He had always said, if his kidneys ever failed he'd refuse dialysis after seeing what I went through (he knew he wasn't a candidate for a transplant, so he'd have to live on dialysis for the rest of his life). He knew how difficult it was for me (I think back to how hard it was on Jeff too. He was killing himself going to work, taking me to my treatments and just sitting there with me for hours [although the rest of my family and friends all traded off days taking me since I had to go three days a week.] I had the best support system. I still don't know what I'd have done if Jeff wasn't around for all of that. He can always make me laugh or feel better in the middle of a crisis) while I sat there getting my blood cleaned. It sounds so simple. But it really is awful. I feel bad for anyone that goes through that. Anyway, my FIL refused dialysis and they had to send him home on Hospice. I went back down to San Diego and stayed with my MIL while this was all going on. It all happened in less than a week. Jeff and I drove down when he got out of the hospital, we were there for two days, we came home, I left again to stay with her, Jeff got time off of work and was going to come down on Friday night after work, but my FIL passed away Friday night/Sat morning at 12:10AM. Jeff fault awful he wasn't there for his mom. But, he couldn't help it. No one knew he'd go that fast. He went down hill that morning, and everything changed.
So, since he passed away in September, we just couldn't do our vow renewal ceremony in November. I think it was all too raw still. It didn't feel right. We decided we'd just wait until "next year" to do something. Life happens. What're ya gonna do? Ya know?
Well, "next year" came, and in January, they announced Yaz/Yazoo reuniting for 5 shows only in the U.K. Jeff and I lost our ever lovin' minds and decided that's it! We're going! Happy Ten Year Anniversary to us!
The first show was announced for Glasgow, Scotland and the last being in London. We decided we'd start our vacation in Glasgow and end it London. Taking the train through the U.K. all the way down making some stops.
We invited his mom to go and at the time, she said, "Well, if we go, I'm not getting any younger, and I won't be traveling a lot, so, I want to at least go to Sweden" (that's where her family is originally from). So, we booked three nights in Stockholm too.
She ended up not going and it was more expensive to change everything than to just leave it.
Jeff and I schlepped our way across the U.K. and it was the most memorable trip ever.
We flew into Heathrow, then transferred flights to fly into Glasgow. Saw Yazoo (OMG, how fucking cool to see them on stage together!), were there for two nights and then took the train to Edinburgh for three nights. From there we hopped on the train again to York for two nights, Liverpool for three nights and then London for seven nights.
We did and saw so much my head still spins when I think about it. We planned it all out ourselves and it turned out pretty darn good. We did the Highlands and went on Loch Ness (c'mon! ya gotta!), saw Stirling Castle.. so much I can't remember now!
We toured the underground vaults (the old city) of Edinburgh - SO VERY FUCKING COOL (Mary King's Close is the fucking coolest thing ever. So haunted), Edinburgh Castle, took the train out to North Berwick to catch a bus to go to the Concorde Museum in East Fortune (waaaaaaaaaay out in the middle of nowhere. It used to be a Army Camp during WWII. It was very "M*A*S*H-esque". I loved it), walked all over York, did a haunted tour there and had the weirdest experience of my life (!!!), did the whole Beatles thing in Liverpool and loved every fucking second of it, and London? Don't even get me started. I'm seriously giving the quick blow by blows on what we did. We did go to out to Windsor Castle, Stonehenge and Bath on our last day there. Oh yeah, and saw Yazoo twice @ Hammersmith. They added U.S. dates eventually, so, we're seeing them tomorrow night too here in L.A.
Gah! I have 3,226 pictures from the trip.
Oh yeah, and don't forget Stockholm! We got there on Summer Solstice. Which is a National Holiday for them. Everything was closed. Can you believe that?
We discovered our favorite new restaurant in the U.K. - Nando's. And I'm sad there's only one here and it's in D.C. Perhaps when we're on the East Coast later this year we'll have to make a trip over there.
And, in the middle of getting back, trying to buy another house and helping Jeff's mom out, I'm starting my own business!
And ya wonder where I'm at and why I'm not here?
I miss checking in with everyone. But damn! Our life is just a roller coaster that never stops. As much as I love roller coasters, I'd like to keep them at amusement parks where I can hop off when I'm done.
xoxoxoxo
K
As I looked at my LJ, I realized it's been one year to the day that I posted last... I'm so bad at LJing anymore. It's not that I don't want to, I'm just so damn tired. I think about posting, then, I get sidetracked and look... a whole year goes by.
But so much has happened and I'm so worn out, I guess that's why I just don't journal anymore. Yet I know it would be really good for me to do.
I obviously didn't post it last year, but my father in law passed away in September, and ever since then, things have been a roller coaster.
We had just sold our house, bought another that we thought we'd be in for awhile.. and now we are in the process of looking for another house because we've insisted that Jeff's mom come live with us. She doesn't need to stay in her big ass house all by herself. It's just too much. And too many memories. She's very happy about coming to live with us, but she feels like she'll be in the way or intruding in our lives. Yeah, OK. She's one of my best friends. Her and I are like fucking Chatty Cathy's. The person I feel sorry for is Jeff. Her and I are like two teenagers when we're together. We drive him nuts 'cuz it's his "mom" and her and I carry on more like girlfriends rather than Mother In Law/Daughter In Law. In other words, he'd rather not hear a lot of our girlie conversations. ;o)
Regardless, now that she's coming to live with us, we need a bigger house. And we want her to have a part of the house that she feels is hers, not tucked away in guest bedroom. Oh, and did I mention she has 3 dogs? And we have 2. As of now, our yard is PERFECT for 5 dogs. It's like they have their own frickin' park. I think our backyard is something like 5,000 sq feet. But, we need more room on the inside for the three of us and five doggies. Again, mainly so she feels at home. She's leaving a house she's lived in for over 20 years, and it's around 4,000 sq feet. So, we want to give her as much as we can. And she's no feeble old lady. Nuh uh. She may be 72, but she looks and acts like she's in her 50s.
Anyway, I'm rambling. We've been looking for houses and I think we found one we like. Well, actually, we both fell in love with it. So, we're in the process of all the fun "house buying" steps and I guess we'll see what happens. I'm hoping we get it because I can't wait to have Jeff's mom see it. She'll think she died twice and went to heaven. It's gorgeous (and though I really love our current kitchen... this one?! OMG!) and has everything we love with massive upgrades to it. She'll want to live in the kitchen (she loves to cook and bake, so it works out well). And the master bedroom is enormous. They turned the bedroom that was next to it into a "retreat" for the master. When Jeff and I walked thru it and he beat me to the master he quickly said, "don't turn to the right.. don't turn to the right" very calmly (we didn't want to get our hopes up on this house, and I still don't... but... ), and of course I did and nearly shit myself. If it's meant to be, it will be.
Aside from that, we just returned from being in the U.K. for most of the month of June. That was the trip of a lifetime.
Our 10 yr anniversary was last November. We were planning all sorts of things. Initially, we were going to go Venice. Then, as my FIL kept getting worse, that was totally called off and we decided to keep it somewhat local and renew our vows with all of our friends, just have a really good time with everyone. I had most all of it planned and he got even worse. By August, he was really bad and we didn't even know if they'd be able to attend the ceremony (we were having it on an island out here in CA, so, them getting there wouldn't be easy with him being so sick). And we couldn't imagine renewing our vows without them there. So, we kept seeing how he was doing.
He was in the hospital all of August (guess that explains why my last post was July of last year) and the first part of September. We had just bought our house, moved away again and we find out he's worse. He finally came home mid September with Hospice. We were all in such disbelief. Hospice. No one wants to hear that word. He had kidney failure and secondary to that congestive heart failure. He had always said, if his kidneys ever failed he'd refuse dialysis after seeing what I went through (he knew he wasn't a candidate for a transplant, so he'd have to live on dialysis for the rest of his life). He knew how difficult it was for me (I think back to how hard it was on Jeff too. He was killing himself going to work, taking me to my treatments and just sitting there with me for hours [although the rest of my family and friends all traded off days taking me since I had to go three days a week.] I had the best support system. I still don't know what I'd have done if Jeff wasn't around for all of that. He can always make me laugh or feel better in the middle of a crisis) while I sat there getting my blood cleaned. It sounds so simple. But it really is awful. I feel bad for anyone that goes through that. Anyway, my FIL refused dialysis and they had to send him home on Hospice. I went back down to San Diego and stayed with my MIL while this was all going on. It all happened in less than a week. Jeff and I drove down when he got out of the hospital, we were there for two days, we came home, I left again to stay with her, Jeff got time off of work and was going to come down on Friday night after work, but my FIL passed away Friday night/Sat morning at 12:10AM. Jeff fault awful he wasn't there for his mom. But, he couldn't help it. No one knew he'd go that fast. He went down hill that morning, and everything changed.
So, since he passed away in September, we just couldn't do our vow renewal ceremony in November. I think it was all too raw still. It didn't feel right. We decided we'd just wait until "next year" to do something. Life happens. What're ya gonna do? Ya know?
Well, "next year" came, and in January, they announced Yaz/Yazoo reuniting for 5 shows only in the U.K. Jeff and I lost our ever lovin' minds and decided that's it! We're going! Happy Ten Year Anniversary to us!
The first show was announced for Glasgow, Scotland and the last being in London. We decided we'd start our vacation in Glasgow and end it London. Taking the train through the U.K. all the way down making some stops.
We invited his mom to go and at the time, she said, "Well, if we go, I'm not getting any younger, and I won't be traveling a lot, so, I want to at least go to Sweden" (that's where her family is originally from). So, we booked three nights in Stockholm too.
She ended up not going and it was more expensive to change everything than to just leave it.
Jeff and I schlepped our way across the U.K. and it was the most memorable trip ever.
We flew into Heathrow, then transferred flights to fly into Glasgow. Saw Yazoo (OMG, how fucking cool to see them on stage together!), were there for two nights and then took the train to Edinburgh for three nights. From there we hopped on the train again to York for two nights, Liverpool for three nights and then London for seven nights.
We did and saw so much my head still spins when I think about it. We planned it all out ourselves and it turned out pretty darn good. We did the Highlands and went on Loch Ness (c'mon! ya gotta!), saw Stirling Castle.. so much I can't remember now!
We toured the underground vaults (the old city) of Edinburgh - SO VERY FUCKING COOL (Mary King's Close is the fucking coolest thing ever. So haunted), Edinburgh Castle, took the train out to North Berwick to catch a bus to go to the Concorde Museum in East Fortune (waaaaaaaaaay out in the middle of nowhere. It used to be a Army Camp during WWII. It was very "M*A*S*H-esque". I loved it), walked all over York, did a haunted tour there and had the weirdest experience of my life (!!!), did the whole Beatles thing in Liverpool and loved every fucking second of it, and London? Don't even get me started. I'm seriously giving the quick blow by blows on what we did. We did go to out to Windsor Castle, Stonehenge and Bath on our last day there. Oh yeah, and saw Yazoo twice @ Hammersmith. They added U.S. dates eventually, so, we're seeing them tomorrow night too here in L.A.
Gah! I have 3,226 pictures from the trip.
Oh yeah, and don't forget Stockholm! We got there on Summer Solstice. Which is a National Holiday for them. Everything was closed. Can you believe that?
We discovered our favorite new restaurant in the U.K. - Nando's. And I'm sad there's only one here and it's in D.C. Perhaps when we're on the East Coast later this year we'll have to make a trip over there.
And, in the middle of getting back, trying to buy another house and helping Jeff's mom out, I'm starting my own business!
And ya wonder where I'm at and why I'm not here?
I miss checking in with everyone. But damn! Our life is just a roller coaster that never stops. As much as I love roller coasters, I'd like to keep them at amusement parks where I can hop off when I'm done.
xoxoxoxo
K