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

Expectations

And we are back! Back and better than ever! Better than the bestest thing ever!

As you all might have assumed from the last post, there is no longer that pesky 1600 miles of space between the two of us. In fact, at the moment I would say it’s only about three feet. If even that, I’m pretty sure If I used my foot I could reach you. That would be quite dexterous of you as I am much closer to your face but that point aside, there is now a Bun living in my house. In my downstairs guest room to be exact! zOMGness! In your guest room? That is crazy talk! Does he have a bow tie? Why yes, anonymous questioner, he does have a bow tie. A red one. And a matching vest. I suppose those are the perks of being my scullery maid, you get quite a nice uniform. What? Amazing! This is an advancement in the field of Digital Romance that no one has ever achieved! That’s why Love 2.0 has now entered another *drum roll*, ahem, Chapter, if you will. And so, the book of Love 2.0 enters Chapter 2!

But for those who don’t want to look back, I think we should remind them what Chapter 1 was all about.It’s not that complicated of a story really. Boy meets Girl. Girl meets Boy. Boy likes Girl. Girl likes Boy. Boy has other girl. Girl has given up on love. Boy travels state to state. Girl tries always to be there for Boy. Boy leaves other girl. Girl tries not to get her hopes up. Boy confesses love to Girl. Girl says the L word to Boy. Boy travels state to state. Girl is still always there for Boy. Boy loves Girl. Girl loves Boy. Boy travels state to state. Girl believes in love again. Boy has Girl? Boy has Girl. See. Not complicated at all! The most complicated part of this story lies not in the details but in the situation. The miles and miles and miles that stretched between them. Boy was, sadly, used to this. Girl, not so much. But you know, looking back, I think Girl was very strong about it, and I’m sure Boy is very proud of her. Girl knew all along that Boy was worth it. And now they are together. And by they, I mean us. We are together. And it is epic. So epic that sometimes at night stars just freak out and explode! I’ve seen it happen! It’s true! o 3 o

So here comes the point of this article. The number one question we’ve been getting both from readers and from those closest to us is this. Is it what you expected? The short answer, no. Well sort of. I think we had expectations, but things are better than we thought they would be.I don’t think any situation will be exactly how you imagine it so there’s really only two options, better or worse. And we definitely got the better option. Personally, I was expecting it to be a lot more awkward than it was. Everyone told me that meeting someone for the first time, even someone I’d spent so much time talking to, would start out really weird and it would take time to settle back down. That theory, was complete bunk. The second I saw him in the airport I couldn’t stop smiling and all my attempts to walk calmly across the baggage claim failed completely and I ended up sprinting the last few steps into his arms. I had to try very hard not to just sort of pinching her every few minutes to make sure she wasn’t gonna vanish. And I really couldn’t believe how adorable and beautiful she was (despite HOURS of video calls) and how lucky I felt that I had been able to come and see her for more than just a weekend. It was an amazing feeling. You hear people talk about climbing a mountain and seeing the world from the top. I don’t think they’ve ever really felt something like this. I’m sure they’d shut up about mountains if they did.(Romantic Epiphany btw, love ^ ^) Honestly the only thing different now is the fact that if I want to reach out and punch him when he says something stupid, I can. If I want to hold his hand when I’m scared, I can. If he makes that face that makes it irresistible, now I can kiss him. Just those simple interactions that most people in relationships take for granted, mean so much to us now. I hope we never lose that. That knowledge that all of this time together is so incredibly precious. It makes even a short morning walk and a silly game of Trivial Pursuit over muffins feel like an amazing morning to be alive.

So for the next few months we’ll be using this blog to document our first summer together. Worth the wait do you think? I do! I definitely do. And so Chapter 2 will be about silly trips, fun days, and a summer that I don’t think either of us will forget. We hope you’ll enjoy it as much as we will.

P.S. I love you. But, I think you knew that already. <3 I do, but it’s always nice to hear it. I love you too. <3

Across the Stars and Skies

8:02PM, The 20th of May
As I sit in front of Moe’s Southwest Grill, avoiding shaking my laptop because she has decided to be a finicky piece of machinery, I count down the hour and a half until everything is packed away, my little station by the outlet is made vacant, and I board my plane headed to the place I truly want to be. Or at the very least, a place closer than I am now. You see, I am in for a one hour layover in Phoenix, AZ, where I will settle down like a pioneer of the skies, braking camp just long enough to keep what remains of my sanity from being eroded by pure boredom. I think about landing in St. Louis. I think about giving her the first hug of a long line of them. I think about her hand in mine, and mine in hers, the place it wants to be. The place it has wanted to be since that fateful day that seems so far away, but still quite close. I sit here in front of Moe’s Southwest Grill, and the smell of fajitas and of salsa reminds me of her. The crunching of chips makes me smile because she is the one who comes to mind. I sit here, and I wait until it is time to venture closer. I sit here and wait for happiness.

11:20 PM, The 20th of May
Before you read this, there is something you must know: I have 2 laptops. A Sony VAIO named Emily, which has been mine forever, and has been the source of all my issues. The other is a cute little Gateway named KidRobot, who was formerly the assistant to Sorcha before my need and skill brought her to me, and rebuilt her damaged parts, making her the more reliable of the two at times. KidRobot became sort of like a typewriter to me. Few distractions and a keyboard I loved to feel under my finger tips. Now that you know that, know that, despite the fact that I don’t use her as often as I would like. Now that you know all that, know this as well, I am writing on KidRobot once more, because as I reported last, Emily's screen was flickering and dying out. The good news is it stopped. The bad news is that it stopped because the screen decided to completely give out. I'm not sure as to the cause, and I was very annoyed to discover this, but I was relieved by other news.

I was relieved because my 40 minutes of hell from Las Vegas to Phoenix were over. As we were taking off and the plane began to shake, the elderly woman sitting next to me continually offered me a chance to glance out of the window, because I had drawn lucky and had managed to procure the aisle seat. Sadly, doing the calculations, my longer flight would have me next to my aged foe: the window! As we flew, the pressure began to build in my ears, drowning out my music until I swallowed hard, not to clear them, but out of panic. You see I am not a good flyer, and as many would assume, I did indeed grip the arm rests with no abandon. I found myself wondering many things. Such as how often does one survive a water impact in order to use their seat as a flotation device? Why do the attendants look so bored when waving their arms about in a silly manner while instructing us where the exits are? And most importantly, what would I do if I knew we were to crash? I immediately knew the answer. I would send one last text, telling her I love her with the swiftest and fastest mathematical equation I could muster: less than 3. And I stopped because I was scaring myself and my hands were cramping from the arm rests. When I finally found myself on the ground, I breathed easy, and now wait for the next grueling leg of my journey. This time I hope, my thoughts will not betray me.

Now I’m sitting in the dining room of a Pizza Hut in the process of closing, making camp again as the workers glance at me wondering what I want since, before that look of realization when they see me plugged into the wall. I need electricity my dear man! And lots of it! I was happy to discover that the layover will be brief: It’s roughly 11:29, and boarding started 4 minutes ago. I only wanted to write my thoughts before they were lost and ease the pain of my legs. Something about altitude makes my knees hurt. And now I remember: I‘m old. My knees always hurt. But I must continue on!

12:18 AM, The 21st of May
We just took off. The pilot’s words were simple, and good at relaxing my nerves. He seemed talented, because our lift off was smooth. Much smoother than the flying coffin that left Las Vegas bound for (hopefully) Phoneix. In a few long hours I will be safely on the ground in the city that is like my own personal Wonderland, St. Lewis (see what I did there?). This time, the ride is much nicer, instead of having a talkative elderly woman who doesn't know the signs of a nervous flyer, I am sitting next to a Japanese man and his daughter. One would assume they could be from any part of Asia. I simply know because as they rose from the aisle and middle seat in order to accommodate my adventure to the window (that horrible fiend!), I was greeted with much head bowing and utterances of "sumi masen." Letting what know of Japanese culture take over, my waved issuance of "Ie, ie," was well received, and now I am blessed with a neighbor who understands the meaning of personal boundaries. I am truly blessed.

But of course, those are my neighbors to the left. Behind me are the rancorous cries of a child, for whom I pity, because I am sure all that is bothering him is the pressure of the cabin. How he wishes he could alleviate it. I would suggest to his mother that she give him a snack, the chewing and swallowing will alleviate the pressure. Or even a nice gulp of juice would help. But alas, she’d rather yell at the poor boy in order to silence him. It is not he that bothers me, it is her. Sometimes I wonder if people forget that children don't have words, or don't know them, and sometimes it takes an educated guess. This makes me think of parents, which makes me think of parenting, and I think of all the conversations I've had with Sorcha about what we will or won't do when the time comes to start our own family. I wonder what our solution would be here. I would go with the juice approach I think, and Sorcha would simply suggest we not take our babies on a red eye flights, where they might end up being cranky. And I suggest we avoid the planes, and take a boat. And there was peace in the kingdom.

2:15 AM, The 21st of May
I was awoken with a start for the second time in the flight. The first being when the kind attendants filled my Zojirushi with ice and water, for which I will eternally be grateful because I hadn’t had the chance to get a drink before boarding. But this time, the pilot announced we would be beginning our descent into St. Louis in 15 minutes. It was like a voice from heaven (fitting since it was on a PA system). It told me that soon, I would be on the ground, waiting for my joy and bliss to come to me. Soon , I would be in the only place I ever wanted to be. That made everything that happened, good and bad, more worth it than anything ever. And as I felt the plane bank towards my side of the plane, I couldn't resist staring out of the window, and seeing St. Louis from above, like a searching bird. I realized I would be descending, and I would find my nest, and like that bird, I would feel eased. I would be at peace. And I would be happy. Truly happier than anyone could ever be.

P.S. My dearest Sorcha. It's been a dream being by your side, and I'm glad I suffered the trip to come to your side. I would gladly do it again and again because you mean more to me than the dangers I face (be they real, or in my mind). I love you, and I missed this. I look forward to next weeks special article. <3