Begin Separation - Pt. 2

Three months and twenty-seven days ago at 4:15am I sat in the rain on a damp metal bench waiting for the train to come in. Google maps seems like such a simple system but it always ends up screwing me over in terms of directions so I had arrived a full hour before my train would get there. 45 minutes before he would arrive. I’d barely slept any the night before, my jitters were so bad, so maybe it was good I’d gotten up for that early walk. St. Louis is so calm and peaceful in the morning, the opposite of how I was feeling with my quick heart beat and sweaty palms.

Finally arriving at Lambert Airport I nervously followed signs to Baggage Claim, still not quite believing he would be there. I instantly recognized him from the back of his dark, curly head and couldn’t stop smiling. He looked as nervous as I felt when he spotted me and slowly starting walking towards me. I kept walking but it didn’t feel like I was getting any closer so I ran and threw myself into his arms, holding on tight just to make sure he was real. That he was actually there.

Since that moment I haven’t stopped holding on. There’s rarely at time when he is more than arm’s length away from me. People still ask me if it’s weird or if it’s what I expected. The answer to both is no. It feels exactly like it was meant to be. It’s not perfect of course. He hates how I wander off in the middle of conversations and I hate how he cuts me off when I seem uninterested. But then I love how for the first time in my life there’s someone who holds doors open for me and insists on carrying the heavy boxes and he loves having someone who can sort out his tangled trains of thought.

This is why at the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows midnight premiere when he got down on one knee between the Cyclone and Gauntlet arcade games and asked me to marry him, there was no hesitation. I had already known for a long time that he is the man I want to spend the rest of my life with. No date has been set as of yet. We’re going to wait until I finish school, which is about 2 years from now, and see how it goes from there.

The best news in all of this is that Sab isn’t going back to Vegas. My parents have generously allowed him to stay until December. While I will move into my new apartment Friday and start going to school 100 miles away from him, it’s still infinitely better than the thousands of miles that separated us before. It will be hard but hopefully come Spring we’ll be able to close the distance between us for good. Until then, just having him in the same time zone will be comfort enough.

P.S. – I don’t know what I would have done without you this summer Sab. Having you so close to me makes me wonder how we ever survived before. I’m so glad you came and even happier that you aren’t leaving. I know the next few months will be hard and I will miss you so much but know that I am always here for you no matter what. <3

To Do: Done!

The moment I found out Sab was coming here, I starting running through the list in my mind of places I wanted to take him and things I wanted to do with him. Though, truthfully, I do this every time I know I'm going to have a guest. This time it was just an extra special one. And one who was a blank slate for many of the things I wanted to share.

I've probably mentioned before that I move around a lot. I've never lived in any one place longer than three years but there's one thing that's always been constant. Everywhere we go, my dad and I get a zoo membership. Since I was a baby he would take me to see birds (his favorites) and antelopes (my favorites) and monkeys (our favorite joke). It was an experience I've learned I almost took for granted, I always just assumed it was something everyone did. Children always do that don't they? They believe that everyone's family is just like their own.

When I learned Sab had never been to a zoo before I knew immediately that was one of the first places I wanted to take him. We're lucky here in this city to have a fabulous zoo with free admission. I gave him one day of rest before dragging him out to Forest Park. Technically, the zoo is within walking distance from my mom's apartment but technicalities and I don't always get along. The roads to get there are twisted, weblike, concoctions but I suppose you can't expect much from what started off as carriage roads. We went about it a little backwards but finally after a long walk we arrived.

The walk was completely worth it just to see Sab light up like he did. We went over to the map and decided on specific points we wanted to hit before we started to wander. The first place we went was the Penguin and Puffin house. He was adorable, pointing out particularly silly birds to me and snapping pictures every few seconds. The rest of the morning was spent in similar fashion. There was another first that morning too because, tragedy of tragedies, he'd never had Dippin Dots before either! It felt particularly appropriate when he got cookies and cream and I got rainbow sherbert (monochrome prince and rainbow princess? anybody remember?).

It took a few more weeks for me to get to the next item on my list. Since eighth grade I've gone to Renaissance Festival at least once every summer. I like checking back in every year with my favorite performers and shop keepers and taking a look at the new acts and items. Poor Sab hadn't had the opportunity to go to one before so I had to drag him along with me! Like most newbies he seemed a little shell shocked when we first arrived but he soon got used to the constant greetings of "Bonjour!", curtsies from fairies, and the abundance of creative headgear. We had a great time just wandering around and we came back with a lot of good loot. Being the good girlfriend that I am I couldn't let him leave without helping him pick out a pirate hat, pistol, and officer's sword. I also introduced him to The Limey Birds and Musical Blades which is an education no one should miss out on. (In fact, go here to educate yourselves! Here and here! Consider yourselves warned on content ^ ^)

I loved getting to share these things with Sab and I loved watching him enjoy them. Though, honestly, any time I get to spend with him is time well used. Whether we're out getting appetizer platters at Applebee's or grocery shopping at Kroger, or watching silly movies while sitting on the floor of his room, it all seems that much better just because he's there. There is something wonderful about knowing that you're not alone.

Busy as Bees (or Why we are being so slow.)

So, this summer Sorcha is taking some online classes that involve watching some very nice classic movies (so no complaints from me). That coupled with our sudden desire to get out in the mornings for short walks and of course: work, makes for a busy schedule. And while before this Blog was a priority because it was how we would connect a little more, I’m sure you will all be understanding when I say that it is backseat to, you know, actually connecting. Suffice to say we are still writing this, it’s just being bumped to a bi-weekly extravaganza filled with pictures and other jazz. We’ve been pretty busy to say the least. But why tell you when I can show you? Through the magic of photochronology I plan on explaining what the last month (four days short of) has been like... in reverse order! Oh my goodness! Let’s begin!

Sorcha conquers a bridge along the way!

So today was Day Two of our new found desire to get up early and take a walk before starting our day. Not that we had been sleeping in that late, but we thought a walk might help us get to doing stuff sooner. And it is working so far. So during today’s walk, we decided we wanted to swing at the local park on the Waterfront. The adventure went as follows, and you can follow along with the pictures (Yes, there are pictures! What? And this is in no way making up for missing last week. Clearly.)

And then she was butterflies.

So we started our day by having a short walk before heading to Java Jive and getting some healthy berry muffins for breakfast. We sat, and talked, and decided to be productive and plan some fun things to do during our off time so we could get more done.

We ended up leaving as Sorcha decided she wanted to swing. And our journey to the park began! But as we approached the levy, things did not bode well. There was water flooding from the underside.

"I don't think this was where we parked the car..."

We trotted up a small hill and lo and behold! The park was underwater! More or less. Unlike the NY Times has stated (Thanks a lot guys. Really.). But no, the city is not in any way underwater. But it was a beautiful site to see actually, the breeze was making the water ripple, and I even caught site of a few splashing fish. For someone whose only experience has been oceans and beaches, seeing a river is an entirely different spectacle to be honest. sort of makes you feel small. (But not as small as Sorcha.)

Sorcha G. Dubhsioc

That was today. Most of what we’ve been doing is working and relaxing in our down time with YouTube videos about Minecraft and Slenderman, hilariously dubbed Anime and Movies. Blockbuster has become our best friend for movies, especially since we made friends with a worker and got a nice deal for a free movie up until July 4th. We did however raid their pins and other collectibles, and I got myself a Voodoo Bean Boy from Little Big Planet which I appropriately named "Baron Samedi". Aside from that, work. Lots of work. In case your curious, here is what we looked like on day one of work. I think we are a little too comfortable in our uniforms.

Sabrael D. Carroll

I am a huge fan of dressing up when the situation calls for it., so the concept behind the uniform appeals to me. One fun fact is that the clothes I am wearing are completely my own. I do indeed own a red vest with matching bowtie. I've never had an occasion to wear it until now, so I am pleased. Also note, that tiny rocking horse will always be the momento of a hilarious story we will tell our children. You all don’t get to hear it. Work was easy to get used too. Not unlike hospitality, but I did truly enjoy one aspect the most: desserts. You see folks, I am in charge of putting out trays of desserts for our guests. I am a stickler for presentation, so this appeals to my baker side a whole lot. I've been having fun with it, even recently baked some tasty Blueberry Cupcakes from scratch.

Silly Sorcha!

Here is a fun story: before our first day of work, we took a trip to Walmart, just Sorcha and I, and we got many stares. One from children whose faces wondered why they had to walk. Another little girl looked pleased, as if she realized she would never have to get out of the cart ever. Needless to say, it was a riot when I rolled Sorcha up to the cashier.

Also a Silly Sabrael

The pictures should explain it, but if your confused, I think you just failed the test. If you can figure it out, then congrats. “The rest of you will get that tomorrow. We don’t slow down just because your slow. We let you catch up.”

Where are our arms?!

So aside from that, we’ve had a few dates, and such. Our first official movie together was Pirates of the Caribbean On Stranger Tides (definitely not the best pirates so far...), and while waiting for the movie to start we started snacking on Sour Patch Kids and sort of just played with my phone. It’s difficult to take a picture of yourself. I don’t know how those mySpace (Should it be my[___] now?) girls do it.

For the time being, there were two other major events: Ren Fest (A first!) and a trip to the zoo (Another first!) but I won’t be covering those. Since Sorcha did a nice article about things she wants to make me do that as a City Boy I haven’t done, I’ll let her explain those... with pictures! So until next time, show your RAM some love, and have a great weekend.

P.S. My dear Sorcha, your adorable, and recounting these times just reminds me how so. I’ll always let you ride in the cart no matter how old we get. I don’t think these post scripts need be as long since I can turn to my left right now and tell you how much I love you, but at the same time, it is a special place where I can leave bits of love for you to find later. <3