Plugging along

Back in Tucson, and fairly well adjusted. Thankfully even though I was gone for about the same amount of time, it isn't going to take 2 months to come back down to "real life" the way it did after the cruise. Visiting mom was more restful and enjoyable, as opposed to the cruise which was adventure and too much of a taste of the old world-unexplored high to be able to return to the 9-5 (er, 6a-12:30p) with any kind of enthusiasm.

Things are good. Ray and I had a nice talk today about things upcoming which was nice, and took advantage of the last day ever that we'll be able to cash in our old books for store credit at Borders. They changed their policy along with Barnes and Noble a few weeks back that store receipts are now required for a return. Gee, ya think! I'd be bummed except I was already amazed that I was still able to do that for so long, and plus we were able to swap out a whooooooole lot more years-old books for brand new ones than I'd ever have thought possible. Score one for keeping your property in like-new condition.

I'd say which books I got in exchange, but...not yet. Hopefully someday soon. I can see the end of that tunnel now, at least...

Esteban and Monica got married last night, and I had a lot of fun at the reception with Ray and his friends. Not as much fun this morning, but...well, it was worth it. :) It was sure a neat feeling though even in the throes of the open bar and its according inhibitions, to see a guy you want to be flirting with and have him already be all yours, before, during, and long after. He was gorgeous as ever, and a few times I caught myself thinking I'm sure glad I got so lucky as to get a guy with such beautiful eyes. I felt like I did that night at dinner for Prom, when I looked at him and felt both such familiarity, and awe...

One other big thing (huge, gargantuan, mind-blowing?). Sjoerd's now the holder of an Amsterdam-Phoenix roundtrip airline ticket, and in just over two months I will be seeing one of my very best friends again for the first time in two years, since we hugged each other goodbye in another fateful airport farewell, where you never know if or when you'll see each other again, or how things will have changed. Boy I can sure say for all the open-ended things I might have thought would come to pass in the ensuing days, I definitely NEVER could have predicted THIS. Ray, living together, the cruise job, still being in Arizona, racking up some monster savings and some matching plans. But life's life, and here we are, and you roll with the punches and do your best to maintain the ties that mean the most to you, and Soj and I have done a DAMNED good job of doing so. And Ray and I have done a DAMNED good job of building a relationship that is so solid that it is in no way threatened by the presence of someone I have, and do, love so dearly as I do Sjoerd. I feel pretty grateful for those two gifts in my life, that have come in the form of these two incredible examples of how strong, and loving, people can truly be.

It is liberating to be able to love so freely, without being held back or stifled or stunted or made to feel badly for it.

All in all, I couldn't be happier with this stage of the game.