Iowa Visit

Starting each entry with "haven't had a chance to blog all week" is getting a little redundant, so I'll start this one off by saying..."me again"...

FINALLY heard from Dianne in Birmingham, AL. Had been concerned, because we hadn't been in touch for a few years. She's one of my dearest friends, from CLEAR BACK in high school, and I really treasure her friendship, so, did a "good ole" google search, and found her e-mail address (in reference to contacting her about a play that she was directing). Sent a note to the address, and heard from her a few days later. SO GOOD to be in touch with her again!

She and I tried to "date" when we first met, but I did a few things on that date that pretty much GUARANTEED that we would end up as close friends and nothing else (like introducing a family friend that was visiting that night as my dad, and talking about my introverted older brother Chip, who never came downstairs when we had company (I don't have an older brother)). She was a GREAT sport, and we've been "buds" ever since. Oh...and the fact that I'm gay may have had something to do with that too...!

When she and her husband were stationed in Germany, and I was living in Japan, I went to visit one spring, and she and I took a weekend trip to Paris (with a military tour). It was a hoot. People couldn't figure out if we were brother and sister (she'd dyed her hair red), or husband and wife, or what. SUCH FUN! That was my first trip to Paris...what a blast!

Also heard from cousin Kim in Des Moines tonight. We haven't been very good at staying in touch lately either, so it was good to catch up with her too. Duane and I and Robin and David and family are headed to southern Iowa this weekend for Memorial Day, so hopefully we can all "hook up" at the lake house. REALLY excited to get to Iowa. Wish I could make it to Fairfield sometime soon, but there are a few "problems", logistically, so don't know when that's going to happen...sigh...

Not much else to report. Helped Robin and Dave move YET MORE furniture last Saturday, and spent Sunday working at the mall, so the weekend was, basically, a wash. The remodel at Robin and Dave's is almost finished, and it all looks GORGEOUS! They're having a big "housewarming/we survived the remodel" party at the end of June. Lots of out of town guests, so it'll be good to "catch up" with everyone!

One of the apartments in my building had a fire earlier today. Apparently, they left a pan of grease on the stove and it ignited. Most of the damage was confined to their apartment (which is just across the hall from me). Could have been SUCH a big disaster, so God was looking out for all of us here! One of the other buildings in the complex was completely gutted a couple of months ago by someone who threw a cigarette out their deck door. TEN apartments were destroyed, and TEN families/people had to find new places to live... SMOKERS SUCK! (If you are a friend of mine, and you smoke...I apologise, but you REALLY do need to quit anyway...so do it!).

On that note...hope this finds you well, and happy, and enjoying life to the fullest!