a new season

Hi.  We're still here...  Barely, but for the most part, still breathing.  I decided to take a moment to share a story tonight...  Just because.

 

Let me just start out this very long story by saying that merging two homes and six people into one house is a cluster-fuck like you have never experienced.  And believe me, I reserve curse words for absolute necessity.  Cluster-fuck, cluster-fuck, cluster-fuck.  There, I said it.  Add to that the fact that only HALF of the new couch was delivered, neither Jeff nor I have been feeling 100%, and the minor detail that I CAN NOT FIND ANY OF MY BELONGINGS AND IT IS MAKING ME TWITCHY...  Well, you get the picture.

 

On Saturday, I left town to photograph a friend's wedding leaving Jeff to move the remaining contents of his apartment without me.  The wedding was something I had committed to months ago, and also was really looking forward to, but still I did feel a little bad about not being there to help.  The night before I left town, our moving plans completely changed and suddenly I was scrambling to get organized for my trip.  It made me ugly.  Ooooogly.  And when I was ugly at Jeff, he was ugly back at me.  And friends, Jeff does not do ugly.  I do ugly very well, but Jeff does not.  He is the most calm, patient, understanding person I have ever known...

 

Suddenly, I was beginning to think that a day apart would do us both a little good.

 

After the wedding reception (which was a really fun time) a bunch of people stayed for the after-party to drink and chat and celebrate!  Along with all the drinking and celebrating was a very rowdy game of ladder-ball.  Jenn went ahead and paired me up with Luke (the husband of Melyssa) who apprehensively agreed to be my teammate even though my skills at ladder-ball were completely undetermined based on the fact that I had never played before.  After a couple practice-shots, Luke was pretty certain we'd be out in the first round.

 

But we weren't.  We totally dominated!  LADDER-BALL IS THE BEST GAME EVER, and that opinion is based solely on the fact that I DON'T SUCK AT IT.  Because I ALWAYS suck at games.  Especially those which involve aim, speed, strategy, or athletic ability.  Which pretty much encompasses ALL games.  But, I digress...

 

So as Luke and I bonded and high-fived and trash-talked, it was pretty obvious that he was trying to figure out how I knew all these people, and where I fit into the equation.  Because, although I have known Melyssa since college, I've never actually met Luke before.  Finally, after learning that I had two children, but was not married, he exclaimed:

 

"OhhhhhhhhhhhhhHHHHHHHHH!  WAIT!!!  You're the one with the blog, right?"

 

"Yup, that's me!"

 

His face immediately fell, and I know it's because he knew the story...  You know what I am talking about...  The story of the infidelity, the pain, and all of the horrible amounts of sad that go along with the ending of a marriage.  And it's fine that he knew.  I write about my life, and share it here because I want to!  But up until Saturday night, I was just a sad story he had heard about and now suddenly, I was his (AMAZINGLY SKILLED) ladder-ball partner, and we had consumed MANY beers, and in an instant Luke was a mess of "I AM SO SAD FOR YOU!!"  "HOW COULD SOMEONE DO THAT??" "GIVE ME HIS PHONE NUMBER!"  "DID HE EVEN KNOW HOW GOOD YOU ARE AT LADDER-BALL??" 

 

And here's the part that I can't stop thinking about...

 

I was absolutely bursting at the seams to interrupt him and tell him about how it's really OK, because right now I am happier than I have ever been, and there's this amazing guy in my life, and we just got a house together, and at that very moment that amazing guy was probably busy moving a very large TV up a flight of stairs and cursing his own existence, but still looked adorable.  And about how that amazing guy let me paint the dining-room purple, and is on-board with me hanging a fake moose head in our bedroom.

 

So I did that.  I interrupted him.  And I gushed.  And the only thing I can compare it to is the changing of the leaves.  The seasons of my life changed in that moment, and all I could think about was getting home.  Where nothing - not even stress, and ugly attitudes, and tired grumpy sore-muscled people, and missing shoes, and mountains of boxes, and messes and disarray and chaos - could trump that feeling. 

 

So thank you Josie & Ayden for letting me photograph your big day.  Thank you Luke, and Sam Adams, and Miller Light, and the Shipyard Brewing Company, and the creators of ladder-ball...

 

Life is so good.

Comments

[Jess]

It's great when you think your life sucks then something little snaps you back to the reality that it's not so bad. I think for me it's being around some people who's marriages are not so wonderful. Mine isn't always a bowl of cherries, but it's pretty damn stable I think. Which is more than so many other people can say for their relationships. Good luck with finding all of your stuff, the moosehead is cute and so perfect for you, and congrats on finding the guy that makes life happy and fun again!

[Josie]

awwww.... You are too cute!! :) I think we need to have that party yearly if not a few times a year!! Just think of all of the opportunities that you would have to master the Ladder Ball!! We LOVED having you with us for the weekend and cannot wait to see what fantastic-ness you were able to capture!! (that totally is a word too...totally!!) Glad it was fun for you and more than just one way!!oooxxx

[christy avila-douglas]

well said girl...

[Melyssa]

i love that lucas marland too:)
i'm so glad for your leaves turning moment & you do so deserve the very best! i believe you need to be making a ladder-ball for your superbowl party that we are SO attending:) xoxoxo

[kristie kulik]

ummm, I was trying to find the Facebook "like" button for this post. lol. GREAT post!

[jenn shurkus]

simply perfect.

man i love that lucas marland :)

[Amanda]

This was a great story! I love you guys and we have to have you over for some ladder-ball and Sam Adams :) Oh....and chocolate covered strawberries and Papio and a campfire!!

[Tammy Mellish]

Beautiful photo, and quite possibly.. the best blog post ever!