home

Being home is always an adventure. With six of us and the dog (and sometimes the MIA cat) in the house, there's always something ridiculous going on. Nevermind the fact that we're all a little crazy... oh, home.

The trip back was really really good... I absolutely love long car rides, and I had stupidly packed my ipod... so it was me and whatever CDs were in the mixer thing and the four hour ride home. I got to catch up with some of my girls on the phone, but most of it was spent thinking and praying and singing. It was nice.

You know that rock-sand analogy deal thing? I couldn't help but think about it in relation to packing my life into my car.... you focus on the big things, then you stuff everything else in around the edges. The funny part is, the little things make up the vast majority of my life -- little daily interractions and such. The big things take long-term planning and such to get through, but the little things are like daily "quizzes" to see where I am -- how my patience is, where my heart is, so on and so forth. It's easy to let the importance of those things literally slip through the cracks.

I also thought a lot about some stuff that Jessie and I talked about -- a lot has happened this year, and in the process I kind of closed up a lot... I don't trust people a whole lot, but I try to. So I enter into friendships and relationships hesitantly, and once I start to open up I freak out and shut down. I think it's a normal thing to do -- probably a lot more healthy than wearing my heart on my sleeve...

So anyways, that was the car ride home. Once I was home, the madness just kind of kicked in. Mom is in a constant loopy state becuase she had surgery done (she has to sleep sitting up), so she's stuck in the house (and can't do her ridiculously long runs) with the dog... and her imagination... she's convinced that dad secretly knows he's getting transferred and isn't telling her so she doesn't lose her mind. Mom is always filled with hypotheses and plans... she's trying to convince dad to open a tea bar in Mt. Pleasant. My father would fall over dead rather than open a tea bar in Mt. Pleasant.

Dad is just as dad-esque as always... we're a lot alike so we just kind of sit there and listen to mom and give each other glances here and there. She insists she's not on pain meds right now, but we're convinced she's blatantly lying.

"Are you sure you don't want to see my new bellybutton?"
-"Yes, mom. I'm sure."

"It's so good to have you home, Bridgette."
-"It's good to be home!"
"No it isn't. You're lying. Every family has it quirks, we're just quirkier than the rest."

"Oh no! Where's Wilson!?"
-"What's Wilson?"
"It's my drip tank for my surgery thing.. it drains into this thing and it reminds me of that movie where Tom Hanks is stuck on a raft with a volleyball and he names it Wilson and then he loses Wilson and thinks he's losing his mind..."
-"Right..."
"Oh! Phew! I found Wilson." (it's attached to her)
-"That's good, Mom."

The boys are crazy as always... the two older ones are taking exams, so Eric had his girlfriend over and they were studying together. Pat actually cracked a book, which is new for him. I think he realized that if he failed English he wouldn't graduate and then he couldn't move out.

Nolan is still growing... and growing... and growing. All three of my brothers wear size 14 shoes... Nolan is 14-W... he's almost as tall as me now. And he's only 12. It's insane.

Boomer is still spoiled rotten. We unloaded my car and somehow he got stuck in the middle of all of my stuff and couldn't find a way out, so that was a little entertaining. Some black men came to fix a window today, and the dog is ridiculously racist, so I had to go out on the porch, pick him up, and carry him to his crate. It was like dealing with a toddler throwing a temper tantrum.

"Mom, can I get my haircut tomorrow?"
--"Well, I was kind of hoping you'd take Boomer to his hair appointment."
"Boomer has a hair appointment?"
--"Yes, grooming and a special shampoo because he itches."
"Itches?"
--"Yes, I think he's allergic to grass. I'm trying to convince your father to get him this neat little contraption that has a sling in it so he can sit about two inches above the grass."
"You're getting the dog a hammock?"
--"He's allergic to grass, Bridgette. His appointment is at two."

... so hopefully I will get my hair cut, too? :)

Had an amazing coffee date last night with Cait and Kyle... I love Caitlyn... we never get to see each other but when we do it's so amazing. Good chat, good times.

So yes, home is fantastic. Sat down last night with a big glass of wine and sat on the comfiest couch in the world... it's my little I-made-it-through-another-term tradition.

Alright, so I'm off to hang out with mother for a bit. :)