Life Under Construction

Posts Tagged ‘Mississippi’

It’s Monday again, the start of a new week, and this week actually feels different.  All my days and weeks have felt the same for months now (what with me being unemployed and all) but I know that change is coming and it feels like a good change.  It’s a change I’m ready for.

This Friday I’m making my ‘temporary’ move to Mississippi.  I’ll be living down there for about a month and a half before Walter and I fly back up to Rhode Island to move all my stuff down (read: the actual move).  That will take place sometime in the beginning to middle of May.  Before my birthday, which is in 69 days.

My wedding reception will be *fingers crossed* May 9th.  I realized afterward that that particular Sunday is Mother’s Day, but it’s really the only weekend I can have it.  I think.

I did a lot of shopping at the mall on Saturday, and by a lot of shopping I obviously mean that I bought underwear.  Because it’s been too long since I bought underwear.  I should have looked into buying new sneakers, but I didn’t think of it.  Blast!  I suppose Walter can always take me shopping for new sneakers.  *shrug*  Yesterday I had breakfast with Jean and we went to Walmart and I bought stuff I’d need for the move.  Because I like to come prepared, like a good Girl Scout.  My old troop leaders would be so proud.  I just have a few more things to pick up before I pack my bag, like a pillow and some sunflower seeds.

In other news I’ve been watching Stargate SG1 because all 10 seasons are online.  I swear, I half expect Colonel O’Neill to spit out a piece of gum and pull a toothpick and rubber band out of his back pocket to fix whatever problem they’re encountering.  He obviously doesn’t do that, but it’s still awesome.  I <3 Richard Dean Anderson.  It’s almost hard to believe that they came up with enough material for MacGyver to last 7 seasons… but then I remember that he’s MacGyver.  He can do anything.  DUH!!!

Speaking of MacGyver, I’ma watch some more Stargate now…

How was your weekend????

I just want to play this video for you, because if Walter and I had had a big ceremony with family and food and a DJ and dancing and all that, this probably would have been our wedding song.

Now, after having watched that lovely video (plz, that movie is so awesome!) I’ll tell you a little bit more about my wedding day.

‘Cause I know if I don’t, I’ll probably get beat up.

Walter has so kindly shared what he experienced (sort of) in his blog this morning, I think like a Jellyfish.  Please.  Go read it if you haven’t already.

*****

So people have been asking me what happened, as if my getting married was a surprise to them.  I didn’t see it as a surprise because, to me, it’s been a long time coming.

Walter has been my best friend since some point in 2005.  I can’t pinpoint the day, but for a long time not a day went by where we didn’t talk on the phone for hours.

• Falling asleep on the phone?  Check
• Webcam chat induced giggles?  Check
• Paying literally hundreds of dollars to Sprint twice a month because I went over my minutes?  Check
• Not getting enough sleep at night because I was on the phone long after I should have been asleep?  Check

I’m pretty sure that everyone in the online community we were a part (yay Illarion!) of was either convinced we were dating, or that we would be eventually.

When I told Kenneth that Walter and I were getting married, he said “I always wondered why you dated other people with him around“.  I replied with “Yeah… I always wondered that myself.“.

So anyway, I met Walter online.  Not through some dating site, but through playing an MMORPG in 2004.  I’m sure I’ve told people that before, that I met my best friend online.

YES.  Dork that I am, I met my husband in the nerdiest way possible.  And I’m proud.

In 2005 he came to RI to visit Alli and I on his Memorial Day 3 day weekend from AIT in Oklahoma.

In 2006 I went to MS to visit him.  I met his family, his friends, fell in love, and denied it.  I wanted more than anything in the world to stay right where I was, in Mississippi, with my best friend.  I’m not going to go through all the details of that visit, because three of us (Walter, Ben, and I) were utterly brokenhearted when I left and I’d rather not relive that.

For the last five years, since I met Walter, I’ve been dating and dating other guys.  I liked them, even loved a couple of them, but they never worked out.  He says I’ve dated half the state of Rhode Island (what does he know?).  I’ve unintentionally had boyfriends jealous and suspicious of Walter for years.  And all that time, in this little part of the back of my brain, I imagined what it would be like to really marry him, instead of just joke about it.

And that brings us to about where we are.  He was leaving for Iraq and I couldn’t let him go without telling him how I really felt because… what if?  I’d just broken up with Sean and I wasn’t ready to be in a new relationship, but Walter wasn’t a new relationship.  He’s always been there.  It’s like we’ve been together forever, emotionally, and now we’ve just made it official.  It’s like this is where we were headed all along.

So we got married.  Neither of us wanted to wait until next year and he was already here.  So he called his mom, booked her a flight up here, took care of her hotel and flight costs since it was so spur of the moment, and we got married.  In my grandmother’s living room.  And then we went to dinner with our family, and went on our pre-honeymoon honeymoon to Boston.  And then he left to go back to Iraq.

People keep asking me, “How does it feel to be a married woman?”  I don’t know how it feels.  I mean… I know how I’ve always felt, and it feels just the same.  It’s hard to FEEL married when the only thing in our situation that has changed is that I get rings on my fingers.  He’s still thousands of miles away.  But he won’t be forever.

Ask me next year how it feels to be a married woman.  I’ll be able to answer you better.

In the mean time, watch this video Sarah took of the ceremony.  Plz don’t comment on how fat I look.  It’s just the dress.  It wasn’t very form fitting, but we were going for casual.

You’ll have to turn the volume up, it’s rather quiet.

I am all. about. Walter.

In case you haven’t guessed that yet.

My latest trip to Mississippi was better than even the last one.  I know.  I thought it was impossible, too, and yet here I am feeling happier and fuller (not owing to the pasta I just ate, mind you) than I ever have in my life.

I arrived on Wednesday practically bursting with pent-up squeals.  I’d spent the second flight telling my old man neighbor and window-seat-haver about where I was headed.  He could tell I was excited even when I wasn’t talking.  I think he got a kick outta me.

I took the picture above when he got up to use the little boy’s room.

He wished me luck and in my giddy state I gave him a grape Charms blow pop for his ride home.  It seems he lived in Mississippi and knew the area I was headed to rather well.  He wished me luck too, and I bid him enjoy his lollipop.  He really did get a kick outta me.

Oh, he was handsome when I got off the plane (read: Walter, not the old man)!  As soon as I saw him leaning against the window, looking down at his phone, I thought I know those shorts! and I ran at him wearing my thousand pound pink plaid backpack.  The first hug was good.

This is the part where I stop telling you everything that happened because I already wrote it all down in my journal and I don’t feel like typing it all out.  I r am teh lazy.

Moving on!

I let his nephew walk around with my camera a lot, so I have a lot of pictures of things I don’t need, but it’s cool.  Paul’s kids are so effing adorable.  They all went out to eat with us on Thursday night, Paul and Lee and the kids.  His family is all kinds of awesome.  :]

But the most exciting night, by far, was the night Ben came over.

SQUEE!!

Friday night.

AAAAAAAAAHHH!!!

It was almost like the old times (the first time I was there) with Walter and Benny in the same room!

Ben came over with his girlfriend Robyn, and Drew came over with his wife.  Drew left early, but me and Walter and Ben and Robyn walked to The Long Bridge in the dark (that’s the best time to do it), and then we went back to the house and climbed up on the roof.

Yes, people.  I got up on the roof.  And it only took all three of them pulling and lifting me to get me up there.  And I only fell out of the tree once.  And Walter caught me.  In his strong arms.

So I had a really good time.

Here, have some more pictures.

How was YOUR weekend?  Did you do anything fun?  Go anywhere?  Stay home?  Miss me?

I LOVE… BEING IN MISSISSIPPI WITH THE LOVE OF MY LIFE!!!!

that’s right.

happy Friday, everyone.  What do you love today?!!!

Tomorrow I make for Mississippi for another four days of glorious Walter time.  I’m pretty much packed (I did it this morning) already.  Just a few toiletries that are last minute items.  It figures that I don’t have any quart sized plastic bags for my deodorant and lotion, but whatev.  My dad prolly has one I can snatch.

Everything fits in my back pack.  I’m not bringing real luggage this time.  Southwest doesn’t make you pay for luggage like Delta does (effing lame Delta Airlines with their stupid tiny seats and cramped spaces) but I still don’t want to check anything.  I’m just bringing the one bag.  PACKING LIGHT.  I’ve never done this before.  This is new territory for me.

Whatever.  I get to see Walter.

Hopefully there will be more pictures, if I remember to take them.  And more pictures of Walter and I together.  I definitely didn’t get enough of those last time.

Have I mentioned lately how much I love Harry Potter?  Because I do.  I think it’s important for everyone to know how much I never want to put these books down and how I wish they would never end.  Forever.  I want to be 95, still reading new Harry Potter books.

Don’t judge me.

Sooooo….  what’s going on today?  Anything good?

Look, I had this blog all typed up and then I reread it and I was like ‘that’s dumb’ so I deleted it.  All y’all don’t want to hear about how pathetic my weekend of being sick was.  All I’ll say about it is this:

It sucks being home sick without cable TV.

********************

I’m going back to Mississippi for 4 days in June.  Walter gets 4 days leave before they take him out of the country and I’ve got some personal days so I’m going to see him one more time.  *dances*  I leave two weeks from today.  This time I’m not bringing a bag that weighs 55lbs, I’m bringing the bare essentials in one carry-on bag.

I know!  I’ve never done that before.  I don’t ‘travel light’.  This should be interesting.

Being back at work feels weird.  I feel like I haven’ t been here in a month.  I hate that ‘I don’t belong here’ feeling of playing catch up.  It’s dumb.

I have nothing interesting to say.  I’m back at work and getting back into the swing of things.  I probably shouldn’t be blogging anyhow (like that has ever stopped me before…).

I hope everyone had a good holiday weekend.

Here are some of my favorite pictures from my vacation:

This is me and Walter at Paul’s house.  Yes, he’s taller kneeling than I am sitting in a chair.

Paul, workin’ two grills.  He got skillz.

Paul and Jonathan talking about something, and Lee trying (unsuccessfully) to duck out of the picture.  I got you, Lee!

Um… yeah.  He’s sexy.  And that’s a real gun.

Jaime + 9mm + dress = HOT!

Here’s Walter’s mama (OK, she’s my mama too) hanging out with us in Walter’s room.  She so cute.  :D

Paul and his daughter Bethany on his pack porch.

Walter and I at the lake near Ben’s dad’s house.  *swoon*

The lake.

The 4th ‘S’ and the third ‘I’ are crooked.  Still.  After more than 3 years.  (don’t mind the woman coming out the door behind me, she wasn’t supposed to be in the picture)

Hannah (Jonathan’s woman) has such a pretty smile!

Jonathan standing next to our wee beach fire.

Here’s Jonathan and Hannah.  Sitting on wet towels on wet sand after going swimming in the cold water.  Crazies.

Please note his awesome Charlie the Unicorn t-shirt.  It’s sexy, like his pose.

I wish I’d taken more pictures, but I guess there’s always next time.  There WILL BE a next time.

It’s Monday morning and I’m back home from my vacation in Mississippi (I actually got home Friday afternoon).  I had the most amazing time with Walter and his family and it was the greatest vacation in the history of Ever.  I’m happy to be home in RI again, sleeping in my bed with Stuffy, sitting at my computer, with my nephew coming into my room every five minutes to ‘deliver my mail’ or ‘give me breakfast’.  I’m also sad because I had to leave some people that I love, but I have all these wonderful new memories of happy times to carry around with me.  And now I have to get things back to normal.

Except normal doesn’t feel… normal anymore.  I’ve got to make a new normal for myself and that takes time.  You know how it goes when things change, you have to adapt your idea of normal to suit the changes.  And things have changed.  The most exciting change is that Walter and I are a couple now.  I refuse to call him my ‘boyfriend’.  I feel that word should be reserved for grade school and the elderly.  Besides, he’s more than just my boyfriend, the same way that he’s always been more than just my best friend.  Anyway, that’s all I’m going to say about that for now.  Another change is that in about a month he’s going to be practically unreachable.  That one is going to be hard because I’m used to being able to call or text him whenever I need to.  I’ll admit that while the idea of writing letters to him while he’s away is romantically appealing, it’s also nerve wracking knowing that he’ll be in a far away land with no phone and no computer for instant communication.  *le sigh* I think I’ve taken that for granted in the last few years, that I could get a hold of him whenever I wanted to.

Normal.  Let’s see… things are the same at home as they were when I left, but I feel disconnected because I was gone for almost two weeks.  It will feel good to be back at work in a few hours.  I miss my coworkers and my cubicle.  I miss the actual act of going in to work in the afternoons.  It felt nice to get away, but I’m relieved to go back, too.  That’s a good thing, I think.  Mike will be out for a little over a week *groan*, getting home the day before his birthday, so some things (like work) won’t actually be normal-normal until he gets back.  You know, so he can leave again after our birthdays and be gone until August.  *eye roll*

Anyways, I missed blogging.  Blogging is definitely normal to me.

Photoblog coming tomorrow with pictures from my vacation.

PS  -  My birthday is in 13 days!!!

How YOU doin’?

It’s Monday morning and I’m feeling great.  Had a kinda rough emotional night last night but I’m feeling much better this morning.

The reason for my happiness?

Tomorrow I’m headed to South Carolina for work, and I get to have dinner with Paula!  The area is supposed to be really nice so I’m all excited and stuff.

Friday I start my vacation in Mississippi, but I won’t be able to blog much for the next two weeks so I’ve set up some old blogs to repost.  Most of them are blogs none of you have read before (with the exception of Walter and PQ since they come from my Myspace days) so I hope everyone enjoys them.  They’re some of my favorites.  I’ll also probably be on Twitter and DailyBooth more than my blog while I’m away, so keep an eye out for me there if you have one (@SillyJaime)!

So how is everyone doing?  How did all y’all spend your weekend?  Anything exciting going on this week?  ARE YOU GOING TO MISS ME?!

I’m going to try and stay relaxed today.  Maybe play some Neopets, finish reading this book The Wise Woman by Philippa Gregory, and get some work done.  I’m almost all packed, like 97%.  The rest is last minute stuff I’ll need in the morning.

Happy Monday everyone!

…especially when you’ve already waited almost 3 years to see somebody.

And when you only have yourself to blame.  >.<

Not for the first time, I find myself wishing Mississippi and Rhode Island were closer together.  I feel like it’s a whole world away.

And that’s lame.

I get more excited and impatient every day.  I have no books to read at the moment until I get the first Harry Potter book in my possession, and I have very minimal distraction in the form of television since I don’t have cable and only watch a few shows on The Interwebz.

I’m ready for my vacation to start.