The Big Move Begins... Slowly.

Moving requires boxes. Many, many boxes. Or if you are Jacob and myself, many, many, MANY boxes. When I moved to Philly nearly two years ago, I packed most of my belongings into plastic storage containers instead of boxes. I figured that we would move again right away and the containers hold up much better than any cardboard box would. As it turned out, we didn't move BUT what did happen is this - basement flood -EEKK! Plastic container win!

In an effort to make our cross country move a smooth, planned event AND make storage of our stuff at the new place better, I started looking to get more plastic bins. As it turns out, storage containers like those I bought before have now DOUBLED in price. Ouch! Being the cheapy I am, I looked on Craigslist.org thinking perhaps I could cobbled together a mismatched collection of bins. What I found was a fantastic trash-pick score! Apparently, the gentleman's company has some unnamed product delivered to them in these huge, sturdy plastic totes. THEN, the company throws them away. into the trash. hundreds of them. Being the opportunist he is, he plucks them from their doom and sells them for $4 a pop. AMAZING. Now we have plenty for our move AND we are recycling. Hurray!

Tree / Thanks!

Today is tree day. December decorative tree day. After some reflection on neighbors and the importance of neighborhoodiness in the city, Jake and I decided to keep it local with our tree. We bought it from the nice (but terribly smokey) flower shop next door and then decorated it. I love it. On with the story...

Thanksgiving in Michigan!

Thanksgiving is the BIG holiday for both my family and Jakes family. In a way it is nice that both families live only one hour apart but then it makes visiting them (all in one day, no less) somewhat... stressssssfuuulll.

Jake and my families are very similar and different. They are both really huge but his family is more like a sailboat and my family is more like a tricked out (the homemade way) cigarette boat. Both boats... just very different boats. After our uneventful flight there, we had brunch with my paternal side. This was a giant affair of around 50 people. Brunch is served buffet style and you access the feast by wading through a dense, pushy line. The company is pretty boisterous and usually wild but this year it was more subdued due to the fact that me and all my cousins (there are 8) are getting all teens or older. New this year, I was evangelized by my aunt's boyfriend's son's wife's mother. Totally awkward. Then we left.

On to Jake's maternal affair. Every other year they host a "Last Reunion" thanksgiving. Someday it will actually probably be the last one but that day isn't looking too soon. Jake's little nephew, Luke (10mos.) stole the show with his little waddley walk and "I'm the cutest baby on earth, who are you?" face. Dinner was delicious. Then we left. The "M"-word count for the day - 3.  Not half bad. 

Friday, My mother, sister and I bought my sister's wedding invitations. Yay for her! Followed by a little shopping escapade. That night, Jake and I headed out to Bittersweet for some well deserved shredding (two thanksgivings to burn off). The slopes were snowy and the beer was cheap. Jake is doing a magnificent job learning to ride his new board and we are looking forward to big poconos mountains.

Saturday was dinner with my mom's parents. Pretty standard affair and Sunday we flew home. 

Here is the real story in all this. As we are driving to GR airport, baseball-sized snowflakes are pouring down like an open overturned cereal box after no snow all week. Naturally our flight was delayed. We made it into DTW in time for our connection, but only by a hair. Well, lo and behold, that flight was delayed 3 hours. So we eventually get into Philly Intn'l around 1am. Do you know what's running at that time? Well it's not the train home.  We break unto the luggage carousel to a massive throng of people waiting for the taxi queue. We are talking hundreds of people waiting for taxis and do you know how many taxis were there waiting at that fine hour? ZERO. Thats right. Not a one to be seen. Also, no ATMs so if you eventually get a taxi and have no cash (like me) your taxi drive will f r e a k out.  So, in light of these circumstances we decided to catch the bus to Budget rentals. The gentleman there informs us that it will be over $100 to rent FOR ONE NIGHT. Ridiculous. It's 2am. Jake takes a chance and calls a taxi service to see if they will pick us up. Fully expecting to be told to head to the Taxi corral, we are surprised to find a taxi is headed our way and will meet us in 5 minutes. SCORE! or so we thought! It is raining cats and dogs, we are exhausted, then the taxi driver starts driving the wrong way, then he gets lost in south philly. We are on 76 headed in the wrong direction, driver is driving it like he stole it. It's wet out. Well, he decides to get off the highway so we veer sharply to the right, into the exit lane and the exit lane turns and we don't. We go flying over the edge of the exit ramp across the grassy knoll and onto the oncoming ramp. oh   my   god.  Unbelievable. It's 2:30am, I am exhausted. Jake is exhausted. He guides are flustered driver to our place, we get out unscathed and proceed directly to bed at 3am. 

Happy Thanksgiving! and good riddance!

Back.

Many things have happened since last I posted (5 months ago?) and I will write about (or make generally references about) them in no certain order. Today = Book Review!

So, we are at the airport early on Wednesday, Nov. 2? on our way back to Michigan for Thanksgiving. Me, ne'er the prepared, did not pack a book so I had to make due with a tiny little book booth and the only book I could tolerate was TWILIGHT.

TWILIGHT

NOTE: this is not a positive review and full of spoilers. Just skip to the Weird side effects section.

So here's a little background before I get started.

I used to love vampires. No, not the halloween, dracula vampires. I loved sexy, forlorn, eternal-living, lonely-souls-with-a-secret-burning-desire-for-that-one-special-girl vampires.

So obviously this book is about vampires and love. I could feel 16 year old Megan reading the book along with me and having an entirely different opinion of it, which is a new sensation for me - experiencing Twenties Megan and Teens Megan simultaneously. I wonder if I will have more instances of this self-understanding in the future.

Book Summary: 17 year old Girl (Bella) moves from Phoenix, NV to Forks, Washington to move in with her father. She meets an astonishingly handsome and talented boy (Edward) and falls madly inlove with him. SURPRISE! Edward is a vampire. They have a rough start in their courting but by the end of the book they are practically one: Belladward. The end.

So here is my problem: Bella moves to this town alone and is a rather strong-minded, able-bodied girl. Then she meets Edward. Her relationship with him is really more of an all-encompassing obsession. She becomes seemingly completely incapacitated when he leaves her EVEN FOR THE NIGHT (this leads to him hanging around all night while she sleeps and he doesn't because he's a vampire). The message seems to be: Find your soulmate, put up with his ridiculous and inconvenient qualities, devote every waking second to pleasing him, surrender all your ambitions, desires and thoughts - voila! happiness. Honestly?? What kind of message is that?

Weird side effects: I can't stop thinking about this book. Yes, thats right, I really didn't like it but that 16 year old Megan I was talking about earlier, well she DID like it. Kinda alot. So, I read synopses of the other three books in the series and all related Wiki articles to appease Teen Megan's curiosity so that Twenties Megan didn't have to read them all. I think I managed to skip the two middle books but might have to read that last one.

It's a weird sensation, like I said before, being asked to do something by your younger self and you don't really want to but feel kinda obligated.

Olympic Traditions

Friday:
One of my fondest memories as a little girl was watching the Olympics with my family. We would all pile onto the couches in the living room for two weeks every two years and watch in awe as fellow humans in the peak of fitness and finesse compete with the world watching. I remember the utterances of astonishment my dad would make, the incredulous laughter of my amazed mom and the relentless questioning of my sister and I "How's they do that?". Being the first Olympic experience away from my parents, Jake and I decided to have a little dinner with friends, Lisa and Mike. We made some kabobs on the grilled and finished with some chocolate dipped strawberries while conversing and watching the stunning opening ceremony. It was wonderful to have guests over! In that I have a romanticized view of the 50's style entertaining housewife, I love to having people over and serve dinner.

Saturday
Morning: bought honey from a bee-keeper in Rittenhouse Square. It's Locust Honey and I can't wait to try it!
Evening: Date night - Jake and I rode bicycles into Olde City for dinner and a movie. After some menu browsing, we decided to be adventurous - Afghan Cuisine. It was delicious, interesting but flavour-wise paled in comparison to Ethiopian and Indian, which we have become strong fans of lately. Man on a Wire, a documentary on Phillipe Petit - the urban tightroping Frenchman that strung a wire between the twin towers in the 1970's opened at the Ritz Five art theater. Visually stunning and a little tense, the movie is a beautiful tribute to the event. Interesting though, it left me with a sadness afterward - not to do with the ultimate fate of the towers. I found phillipe's life a little tragic. In my opinion, he traded acheiving his goals for friendships. To be fair, he was less than shy about his driving desire to wire the towers and these people befriended him knowing his fiery passion for it. It was touching to see the friends mourn their friendships with him and him hardly notice the loss.

Sunday: Ever since meeting Dan Webber and mopeds, I have loved vintage cycles. Particularly small engined, ones - the more unique or obscure the better. Which has it's problems - namely, I am not particularly obsessed with the work involved in restoring a vintage bike - and the parts are hard to comeby. I am particularly obsessed with their unequalled beauty. I have a dream for a Honda Dream 305. in white. Maybe not for a first motorcycle experience however, so Jake and I are off this afternoon to take a look at a 1971 Honda 350. Check for an update!

Events

Maximum Awesome

Jake came to visit. Yay! Everyone can appreciate the difficulties present in long term relationship. Makes me glad that Jake and I can spend a few days enjoying each other in person every couple of weeks. Jake learned to snowboard! Very exciting! He is a fast/fantastic learner. Our weekend was full of family as it always is when he is here. We finally pegged down Thor for dinner and Ana and Peter came as well. The trip ended too quickly as always and Jake headed back home.
Just two weeks since Jake’s trip here, I was off to Philly.
My second trip to philly was so different from the first. One, I was pretty sick. I had been home from work for three days (I tried to go in on Friday but was booted out immediately). I flew anyway. My first flight was cancelled, the second two hours late, a five minute window to my connection, then finally, one bright, slightly saucy wonderful boyfriend. The weekend was quite relaxing. We mostly just lived as regular people do in relationships, which was the most wonderful thing. Delicious brunch, a trip to the zoo and the market. Then, my return flight approached. I thought it would get easier with each time to leave but it is not. It is quite the opposite. I can’t wait to go back in two weeks.
This weekend however will also be exciting I’m going wedding dress shopping! My sister is getting married! John, her boyfriend of two years, proposed to her over a romantic private dinner. I’m so excited for her and will post as more info comes round.
Also, I am addicted to the Tudor/Elizabethan Era. Elizabeth, Elizabeth: The Golden Age, The Other Boleyn Girl (book), and every single related wiki article.
I was also thrilled that the wind finally has the softness of Spring on it’s breath. Yay!

One of Seven (circa 1969)

Valentines Day 

It’s one of those strange holidays that I never seem prepared for. I think it’s because I dislike its clichéness, how it exudes fakeness. Impromptu expressions of love are unexpected therefore full of whimsy and excitement. How could Valentine’s Day ever be as beautiful as that? Simply, for me it can’t. But since we are on the topic, I have some news to share.

I had been anticipating the 24th of November with excitement and anxiety. Dan and Emily’s wedding promised to bring together friends from all over… friends including Jake. I was (apprehensive, curious) about seeing him. Curious and nervous about how the evening would transpire.

Inevitably, as time does constantly move forward, the day came. The wedding was a beautiful expression of love, reaching the tiptop of classiness. Most everyone was there to share in it… He was there. I was there. Finally, we had a chance to talk.
It was like coming up for air after being underwater… for a year. He was witty, handsome and casual. We clicked as if we were never apart for the time we had been. That moment was one of the scariest, most anticipated and happiest I have ever had in my entire life.

We conversed intermittently throughout the evening. We ate. We danced (which is amazing because in our previous lives neither of us were inclined to do so!). The evening became legendary: THE Saturday.

Neither of us expected the night to happen as it had. It was the best possible outcome. It was such an amazing, unexpected occurrence that neither of us thought it possible – even while it was happening. So in a matter of one day, I had gone from a low time in my life to the happiest I’ve ever been and my joy is only gaining. I’m excited for everyday and the next and the future in general.