Pittsburgh with my Guy, who may be so for Quite Some Time
It is 4 minutes to 9, and I am sitting in my bed wearing my black cut off cotton shorts and Dad's gray plaid worn-out long-sleeve shirt. I have a glass of milk with some spicy doritos, I have taken off my hoop earrings, and I have Grey's Anatomy up on netflix. All of this has occurred in the last hour, as I just spent a 16 hour day in Pittsburgh!
Wes and I woke up this morning and were in the car at 4 am, headed to Pittsburgh for Wes' echocardiogram scheduled for 6 am. Actually, we woke up at 3 am and stayed in bed til 345, then we went to Pittsburgh :).
In the car on the way there, we had the conversation that I've been worried about having like the perpetual little black raincloud. What will we be doing come summer - is this serious enough to make the commitment to do a long distance relationship? Was this fun for now but not worth the commitment of living away? I was pretty certain of the answer, but I still wanted to have the conversation. It took Wes a bit to realize what I was talking about, but the look on his face and the words he said summed up to “well of course I want to stay with you.”
So, Pittsburgh this morning in the cold and the rain, before the sun. We parked the car in a garage and walked Wes to the Federal Building to check in. I could not go in the Federal Building because I don't have any kind of temporary military clearance, but I saw where Wes would be for the day. I was to hang out in Pittsburgh until he was done, and was hoping to find a bookstore followed by a coffee shop. … It was scary there, and there were no bookstores or coffee shops within site. It was cold, it was dark, and I discovered, as icy water began seeping into my sock, that there was a hole in the bottom of my blue sneakers. Wes was holding my hand on the walk there, and squeezed it and said “I don't really want you walking around the city this early.” I had been thinking the same thing(nap time!) because it was full of creepy people standing malevolently in the sideways rain, but I just squeezed his hand back. I assured him I didn't mind waiting and that being moral support was the whole point of my coming as he walked me back to the car, and I cuddled up under my coat with the doors locked to settle in for a nap.
Today, I was introduced to the military standard of hurry-up-and-wait. At 7:20 Wes comes back to the car and tells me that it hasn't even started yet, and it won't even be in Pittsburgh.
….......ummmm, what?
We walked to the canteen together and watched the news while he ate a sandwich and I scoffed at the ridiculousness of the military.
I walked him back to the Federal Building, and together we waited for the black towncar that whisked him away to Monroeville, PA where they would do the actual procedure while I was left in Pittsburgh; the military is insane. It was daylight at this point, so I kissed Westley (the other two military guys being whisked to procedures were jealous mwahaha) and walked back to the car where I proceeded to nap and come up with crazy scenarios of why he was being whisked. Long story short, the military is some serious black-coat secret what-not! They returned him eventually, but it was not until about 2 o clock that afternoon.
I listened to the Mumford and Sons cd twice through while I napped, put on my makeup, and got up around 10:30. With the rain stopped, it was a rather pleasant walk 2 blocks over to Au Bon Pain.
MMMMM mmmm!!!!!
I had a regio sandwich and a caramel machiatto. The sandwich was delicious french bread, 3 types of italian meats, tomato, spinach, mozzarella cheese, and soffritto vinaigrette. I did a sudoku puzzle, a crossword puzzle, updated Donna (Wes' mom) several times, and ordered one more medium caramel machiatto. The woman at the register was sweet and talkative and knew that I was there waiting for my guy to come back, and she asked me to come to her register instead of the other with my second machiatto. I did, the register woman smiled and told me she had 2 sons in the military, and rang up my $4 drink as a small coffee.
It is now 10:35, my cat is sleeping on my bed, and I am on my 3rd Grey's episode. I cried during Izzie's wedding, even though I've seen it before. I at least well up at weddings(real ones); apparently I cry at fake tv ones.
It turns out Wes doesn't have a bicuspid aortic valve at all! He has a tricuspid aortic valve, which is what you're supposed to have, with a slight murmur. We drove to the Coast Guard recruiting office to deliver the news to the chief and to get the paperwork in. There should be a couple day turn around for the medical officer, and if all goes well Wes won't need a waiver at all.
He called from leaving the Fed Building. I could hear on the phone that he was coming down from being so stressed, so he was trying to be happy but couldn't quite believe yet that he was allowed to be. I was in the coffee shop at the time; when I got back to the car Wes was leaning on the rail with his chin in his hands looking down at the cars. I slapped him on the butt at the same time I put my arm around him - he made a surprised sound, turned around with a huge smile on his face and said “I'm starving!”
The Library (our favorite place) was closed, and Wes was at the end of his rope by the time we walked in and saw the stools still up on the bar. He cried out “NOOOOO!” and I swear you could hear him three blocks away! Duly embarrassed, I hustled him out the door under the very astonished gaze of the girl sweeping the floor and promised Wes a soft pretzel while we waited for The Library to open at 4.
I swear, he is a little bit like the all-American boy with his ships and pop guns and getting cranky at bedtime- but in an adorable way.
We walked down to the Hofbrauhaus, an amazing German brewery and bar in Pittsburgh. We sat at the bar and got the marzen, the March special brew, and a plate of soft pretzels and beer cheese. They have the coolest beer steins, and that day we got the regular size ones - Wes bought the glass last time we were there, the liter size. He got a huge grin on his face and said “you should get one of these! The little ones!” (which is not little, it is a normal size glass holding 1 - 1 ½ bottles' worth) “Then we could use them together, and I would have mine and you would have your lady glass.” :) They were only 5.75; I bought one.
Back at the Library, we walk in to find Chris! He is our bartender, and was working his first Tuesday shift ever. My goodness does God keep an eye on us! :)
The whole evening was wonderful, we found some great new craft beers and caught up with Chris, I treated my poor distraught Wes to a Jules Verne sandwich, and the three of us made plans for Chris to come stay in Morgantown for a game.
Back in the car, Wes fell asleep as soon as he sat down and slept the whole way home.
Wes and I woke up this morning and were in the car at 4 am, headed to Pittsburgh for Wes' echocardiogram scheduled for 6 am. Actually, we woke up at 3 am and stayed in bed til 345, then we went to Pittsburgh :).
In the car on the way there, we had the conversation that I've been worried about having like the perpetual little black raincloud. What will we be doing come summer - is this serious enough to make the commitment to do a long distance relationship? Was this fun for now but not worth the commitment of living away? I was pretty certain of the answer, but I still wanted to have the conversation. It took Wes a bit to realize what I was talking about, but the look on his face and the words he said summed up to “well of course I want to stay with you.”
So, Pittsburgh this morning in the cold and the rain, before the sun. We parked the car in a garage and walked Wes to the Federal Building to check in. I could not go in the Federal Building because I don't have any kind of temporary military clearance, but I saw where Wes would be for the day. I was to hang out in Pittsburgh until he was done, and was hoping to find a bookstore followed by a coffee shop. … It was scary there, and there were no bookstores or coffee shops within site. It was cold, it was dark, and I discovered, as icy water began seeping into my sock, that there was a hole in the bottom of my blue sneakers. Wes was holding my hand on the walk there, and squeezed it and said “I don't really want you walking around the city this early.” I had been thinking the same thing(nap time!) because it was full of creepy people standing malevolently in the sideways rain, but I just squeezed his hand back. I assured him I didn't mind waiting and that being moral support was the whole point of my coming as he walked me back to the car, and I cuddled up under my coat with the doors locked to settle in for a nap.
Today, I was introduced to the military standard of hurry-up-and-wait. At 7:20 Wes comes back to the car and tells me that it hasn't even started yet, and it won't even be in Pittsburgh.
….......ummmm, what?
We walked to the canteen together and watched the news while he ate a sandwich and I scoffed at the ridiculousness of the military.
I walked him back to the Federal Building, and together we waited for the black towncar that whisked him away to Monroeville, PA where they would do the actual procedure while I was left in Pittsburgh; the military is insane. It was daylight at this point, so I kissed Westley (the other two military guys being whisked to procedures were jealous mwahaha) and walked back to the car where I proceeded to nap and come up with crazy scenarios of why he was being whisked. Long story short, the military is some serious black-coat secret what-not! They returned him eventually, but it was not until about 2 o clock that afternoon.
I listened to the Mumford and Sons cd twice through while I napped, put on my makeup, and got up around 10:30. With the rain stopped, it was a rather pleasant walk 2 blocks over to Au Bon Pain.
MMMMM mmmm!!!!!
I had a regio sandwich and a caramel machiatto. The sandwich was delicious french bread, 3 types of italian meats, tomato, spinach, mozzarella cheese, and soffritto vinaigrette. I did a sudoku puzzle, a crossword puzzle, updated Donna (Wes' mom) several times, and ordered one more medium caramel machiatto. The woman at the register was sweet and talkative and knew that I was there waiting for my guy to come back, and she asked me to come to her register instead of the other with my second machiatto. I did, the register woman smiled and told me she had 2 sons in the military, and rang up my $4 drink as a small coffee.
It is now 10:35, my cat is sleeping on my bed, and I am on my 3rd Grey's episode. I cried during Izzie's wedding, even though I've seen it before. I at least well up at weddings(real ones); apparently I cry at fake tv ones.
It turns out Wes doesn't have a bicuspid aortic valve at all! He has a tricuspid aortic valve, which is what you're supposed to have, with a slight murmur. We drove to the Coast Guard recruiting office to deliver the news to the chief and to get the paperwork in. There should be a couple day turn around for the medical officer, and if all goes well Wes won't need a waiver at all.
He called from leaving the Fed Building. I could hear on the phone that he was coming down from being so stressed, so he was trying to be happy but couldn't quite believe yet that he was allowed to be. I was in the coffee shop at the time; when I got back to the car Wes was leaning on the rail with his chin in his hands looking down at the cars. I slapped him on the butt at the same time I put my arm around him - he made a surprised sound, turned around with a huge smile on his face and said “I'm starving!”
The Library (our favorite place) was closed, and Wes was at the end of his rope by the time we walked in and saw the stools still up on the bar. He cried out “NOOOOO!” and I swear you could hear him three blocks away! Duly embarrassed, I hustled him out the door under the very astonished gaze of the girl sweeping the floor and promised Wes a soft pretzel while we waited for The Library to open at 4.
I swear, he is a little bit like the all-American boy with his ships and pop guns and getting cranky at bedtime- but in an adorable way.
We walked down to the Hofbrauhaus, an amazing German brewery and bar in Pittsburgh. We sat at the bar and got the marzen, the March special brew, and a plate of soft pretzels and beer cheese. They have the coolest beer steins, and that day we got the regular size ones - Wes bought the glass last time we were there, the liter size. He got a huge grin on his face and said “you should get one of these! The little ones!” (which is not little, it is a normal size glass holding 1 - 1 ½ bottles' worth) “Then we could use them together, and I would have mine and you would have your lady glass.” :) They were only 5.75; I bought one.
Back at the Library, we walk in to find Chris! He is our bartender, and was working his first Tuesday shift ever. My goodness does God keep an eye on us! :)
The whole evening was wonderful, we found some great new craft beers and caught up with Chris, I treated my poor distraught Wes to a Jules Verne sandwich, and the three of us made plans for Chris to come stay in Morgantown for a game.
Back in the car, Wes fell asleep as soon as he sat down and slept the whole way home.