an unexpected lesson.

i was probably seven years old; my brother and i were in the dining room.  "animal golf" was the name of the game.  i went into my room and dug around my bright orange jack-o-lantern bucket full of happy meal toys, g.i.joes, and other plastic creatures. i probably grabbed a handful, but i clearly remember pulling out a rhino and a giraffe for us to use as props in our animal golf game.  i could hardly contain myself with the excitement of taking a golf ball around these obstacles as i tried to get to the goal, the baseboard of the dining room.  we didn't have a hole for the ball to go into.  

well, yet.

we set them up, a little miniature-miniature golf course inside the house.  daniel navigated it well enough, and like everything else in life, i had to try to do it better.  sloppily lining up my last shot, i reared back with the putter and "whack!"  i knocked the golf ball straight into the giraffe, tipping it over, and knocked a hole right into the dining room wall with the putter.  it was probably one of the first real "oh shit." moments of my life.  i started crying right there because i knew whatever trouble i was about to get into wouldn't be pretty.

i don't remember exactly how it went down but i sure do remember my punishment.  dad decided that i would learn to fix the tennis ball sized hole i put in the wall.  i'm sure at the time i was furious that i didn't just get sent to my room for the afternoon and banned from playing outside with my friends for a few days.  it was my first time spackling and patching a hole.

and now, as i take a break from starting the facelift i'm putting on our kitchen, i'm so glad i learned how to do it.  i am a beast with some fiberglass tape. i can fix all the cracks and holes in my ninety year old kitchen walls in about forty minutes.  go me.  good to know that if all else fails, i have a career in house painting.

thanks, dad, for the unintentional life skill.  i'll let you know how it turns out.

five days later.

it's official.  i went back on the road on tuesday.  it's been nothing short of a major life change on the homefront.  new jobs for both of us, even if it is only part time for one of us, and for me its been adjusting to giving up life's more simple pleasures.  as i've said before this was to make me appreciate the "little things that make life worth living" and this week, more than ever, i am full of appreciation.

i am so happy to be doing what i love doing again--managing hourly employees and working alongside managers are two completely different ballgames. i only had one person to hang out with tuesday thru thursday (life without friends is one of the hardest parts).  last week, more than ever, i am thankful that my boss is awesome, and also doubles as a great friend.  i didn't have a computer to piddle around with in the evenings.  i am thankful for the ability to digitally "check out" every once in a while (believe it or not, life goes on without facebook).  i am thrilled that my violin case fits comfortably in the overhead compartment of even the tiniest of aircrafts, as it was my saving grace on wednesday.

i took every chance i could this weekend to enjoy the things i love about charleston.  exhausted, i stopped for coffee on the way home from dc to visit with my best friend.  i lazed on the couch while the cats ran laps around me (followed by getting lazy too and curling up on my lap or above my head), a perfect way to start an otherwise perfect evening.  i went to the usual friday night places and had my favorite beverages (watermelon shots at the red carpet lounge can cure even the worst of ills) with some of my favorite people.  i even met some new people that were actually quite interesting and entertaining.

a road trip with my friend amber to columbus for a book signing was a simple yet enjoyable saturday adventure (sorry i wasn't better company but 350 miles the day before will do you in!).  hours in a barnes and noble is actually something i recommend. i was able to learn all kinds of things i need to check out while i'm in dc for the next three months, almost got into a fight with the barista at starbucks (hey, i take my americanos quite seriously), and finally got my very own signed copy of the "pioneer woman cookbook"!  truly an afternoon to remember.

a past supper club!

the boys cooked us a delicious feast of three varieties of ribs (om nom nom) and more french fries than i'd care to comment on.  supper club is my favorite part of the weekends, a rotating dinner party that's not all gussied up, where we can feast and booze for a fraction of the price of doing it at a restaurant.  i love nothing more than going to someone's house (or hosting here) and spending a quiet evening with friends.  we always have the best food.  i am thankful to be surrounded by friends who can cook!

tonight? keeping it low key with dinner at the neighborhood indian restaurant followed by cocktails and live music upstairs at the lobby.  today was about spending quality time with the husband and i'm looking forward to a delightful evening!

simple pleasures, man.  simple pleasures.

back to reality.

i started this blog four months ago when i came home after a long 8 months of being on the road.  plans were finalized this week.  i return to the skies mid-month.  i'm still not sure how i feel about this.

i started writing because sometimes i think i took for granted the minutiae of everyday life.  routine.  comfort.  i think i like the boring parts of life more than the exciting parts just because i feel more at home.  i needed an outlet to make sure i started thinking about life as more than just vacations and holidays and huge change-your-life moments. thus, the blog came to life.

i'm really glad i like my job as much as i do, because that makes everything easier.  i chose this position this time around and i'm very thankful to be given the opportunity to keep doing something i'm really good at, but i've gotten so settled back into my minutiae that i don't know how i will trade normalcy for constant change.

i preach change, i teach change.

i can't handle change.

i'm not thrilled about trading 7:30 alarm clocks for 4:00 alarm clocks (that 5:30 to charlotte's a bitch), my 5 minute car ride to work for two and a half hours in the sky.  my bunn coffeemaker and bubba keg for starbucks from concourse d in charlotte. (it's always less crowded than the one near the concourse c security checkpoint.  yes, these are things i have to take into account on a weekly basis.)  but i am excited about trading apathy and disinterest for excitement and appreciation, maid service and waffle wednesdays. being surrounded by like minded people that share my work ethic and strive for improvement.

i will miss being able to run on wednesdays and fridays.  i will miss coffee with the girls.  i will miss waking up in my own bed 7 days a week.  i will miss my poor attempts at home cooked meals, feeding the cats every morning, and the cries of "medic!!" as thomas plays team fortress.  i will miss inevitably falling asleep on the couch.

but it's a stepping stone to something better, i'm certain.

right?