They should have been delivered tomorrow, but the florist said that they had too many deliveries and that they had to deliver some things today.  I’ve already eaten a couple of the chocolates that came with the flowers.  They are indeed yummy.  I should take the day off more often!

This is my new niece-to-be, Callista Ann Jones. She’s so very precious.

That is until Kirk’s brother called at 1:20 to tell us that Becca had the baby. But I’ll let Kirk tell that bit, he’s the proud uncle. I’m just an aunt to be.

Speaking of which, I’m sure you’re all just reading to get details of the engagement.

To start off with, the drive to NC was rough. It rained almost the whole time (oddly enough, it snowed almost the whole trip back home) and I was delayed almost an hour by some very dense fog. Visibility was down to about 10 feet and I was crawling along the interstate.

Anyway, I did finally arrive at 6:15ish and after unloading the car and a welcome hug or two, we went to get some food. Neither of us felt like going far, so we just went across the street to the local Italian place. Not bad. But I was so very tired, and didn’t have much of an appetite. Took most of my baked ziti back to the apartment for later.

After returning to the apartment, we again crashed on the couch as we waited for Kirk’s sheets to dry. (Cuddles had made use of his bed to catch her hairball, and so upon retuning home from work at 5:30, Kirk had to suddenly wash sheets and comforter.) So we sat and talked and scowled at the cat as I really wanted to get some sleep.

Then Kirk got up and got out his guitar and asked if I’d like to hear what he’d been working on. I said I’d love to, I always love to hear him play. After strumming a bit, he began to sing, and by the second bar, I realized this wasn’t just any song. He wrote me a song. He proposed to me in song! (No, I won’t share the lyrics; he won’t let me.) It was lovely and perfect and the only way I managed not to cry during the song was by paying a little bit of attention to the cat (who was walking back and forth across the back of the couch behind me). After he finished the song, he got out the ring, knelt next to me on the couch and asked me to marry him. It was when he slid that lovely and perfect ring on my finger that I lost it. And he did too a second later.

Kirk is lovely and wonderful and took such good care of me this weekend. I was so terribly sick, and I felt like I made a mess of his New Years because I couldn’t even stay up until midnight. He didn’t care. And I couldn’t possibly be more blessed than to have him in my life. He brings me such happiness and joy, and I can’t begin to describe to anyone just how wonderful he makes me feel. I honestly feel like I don’t deserve him sometimes. He’s just so sweet and darling to me. He’s completely devoted to me, and I adore him with everything that I am. And as I type this, that lovely diamond is sparkling and I miss him so very much. But I know that someday very soon we’ll be together forever.

Anyway, he played a few songs for me, Walk the Line and even a little diddy he wrote when he was in college. (He said it was a pathetic song, I thought it was kind of sweet.) He even played “Life is Like a Mountain Railroad.”

My mom and dad used to sing all the time in church. And this is actually the last song I remember them singing together in church. I believe it was a Sunday evening, and I remember mom blowing the train whistle at the end.

As I sat there, listening to Kirk play his guitar and singing, I was reading through a catalog from BBC America. (Lovely DVDs there.) And as he played, I found myself singing along.

Memories came flooding back of sitting at home in the evenings with my parents, listening to my dad play his guitar, my mother singing along with him. Sometimes it was Christmas carols, sometimes it was gospel songs, sometimes it was the Rolling Stones. (Most of the time it was gospel songs. ) But as I sat there, singing along with Kirk, looking at that magazine, I was hit with a wave of nostalgia. I could remember my mother doing the same thing. Sitting with a magazine and singing (almost absently) with my father as he played the guitar.

My dad loved to play his guitar. On Sunday evenings when we were getting ready for church, he would (usually) be the first ready, and he’d sit in the living room and strum his guitar until we were all ready to go. Around Christmastime, he would sing almost every evening (or maybe that’s just my childhood nostalgia playing tricks on me again) and he loved to play carols. I remember he loved C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S a lot and would sing it often.

But as I sat there, magazine in my hand, singing (somewhat absently) along with Kirk, I felt suddenly very happy and content. Oh, he makes me happy regardless. But at that moment, I suddenly felt like I was home. Like this was what life is supposed to be. After all, this was what I saw with my parents, and they were the happiest couple I knew. And seeing that in the relationship I have with Kirk… it made me very happy, to say the least.

Went down on Friday and beat him to the apartment by two minutes. I actually passed him in Greensboro on I40. I was driving along and saw him and then realized that I was in the wrong lane for the exit that was rapidly approaching. When I got to Randleman and stopped at the light, Kirk was two cars behind me. He was stopped in such a way that when I looked in my side mirror I could see him looking back at me, clearly wondering if that was my car. We went to a local Mexican place for supper, and it was most yummy. The enchiladas were good, although the salsa had a bit too much cilantro in it, but it was still very tasty.

Saturday was Kirk’s birthday. I bought him Heroes Season One on DVD and he seemed very excited about it. We went over to his mother’s to visit for a few hours and we ended up looking through old photo albums. It was quite amusing to see that even as a kid Kirk had an obsession with action figures. Anyway, Ann was planning on going to a church fund raiser that afternoon and when her friend pulled up and honked she took off with a “lock up behind you” tossed back at us. Half and hour later Kirk and I did indeed lock up and then we went to the mall to look at some very shiny things. After looking at those, we went to the music store to look at their used stuff. It was at this time that Kirk’s cell rang and we discovered that his mother had locked herself out or, more correctly, she forgot to grab her key and we had locked her out. So, we head back to Ann’s house, to let her in. The first words out of her mouth were to Kirk about how he once managed to lock his keys in his car with the engine running. It’s at this point that I realize just how fun Kirk’s mother really is.

Anyway, we then went to find some dinner. Went to a local place called American Roadhouse and I had some very delicious Bourbon Chicken. And there was so much of it, that I ended up taking half of it home for later. Saturday night was spent zonked out on the love seat watching Britcoms. As Time Goes By, Waiting for God, Last of the Summer Wine and My Hero. I was surprised that the only one Kirk had ever seen was My Hero. Being the Anglophile that he is, I had thought that he would have seen more. But he seemed to enjoy what he saw, so that’s okay. I can’t wait to introduce him to Good Neighbors.

On Sunday we went to visit more of Kirk’s family. His Uncle and Aunt on his father’s side. Kirk’s father passed 18+ years ago and he had only one brother. So we went to sit with them for a while, and Aunt Ti served some truly delicious sweet tea with home grown lemons in. I could have drank a whole gallon of it. Had leftover American Roadhouse for supper and watched Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and Calendar Girls. He liked both and that made me happy. I like to show him new stuff that I love and discover that he likes them, too.

We went to lunch at P.F. Changs on Monday, and it was absolutely divine. The best Chinese food ever. And the prices reflect that, lemme tell ya! Went to the mall and wandered around then to Barnes and Noble and continued wandering around. Went back to the apartment to change clothes and then out to the Books-A-Million to meet some friends of Kirk’s. They were really great, and they seemed to like me, so that’s reassuring. It also helps that I had a very delicious Gingerbread Latte while sitting there to drink.

Also on Monday I managed to snap these two pictures. The first is Kirk playing his guitar for me. I did shoot a minute of video of him singing, but I promised him that I wouldn’t “release it publicly” as he’s a bit embarrassed by it. Don’t know why, he has a very lovely voice and can play guitar very well. Not everyone sings some Johnny Cash for me.

And this one is Cuddles, Kirk’s cat. She’s a bit crazy, we think.

Came back home on Tuesday and it was so very difficult. Every time I have to say goodbye, it’s more difficult than the last. My next visit will be over New Years. Seven weeks away, and I’m looking forward to it so very much.

Maybe they read my blog!  *gasp*

Either way, my phone works now!

And I’m still getting a cell phone.

No, it actually wasn’t my fault.

My neighbor (who is actually a pretty nice guy) signed up for Insight 2.0.  It’s a bundle package where he can get his TV, Internet and Phone all from the same company.  I’m sure you’ve heard of those deals.  Anyway, when the guy came out on Tuesday to set him up, he did something to the phone lines.  Keep in mind, this was a guy from the cable company messing around with AT&T’s phone lines.

So, on Wednesday while I’m home at lunch I get two phone calls for my neighbor.  One guy tried back three times.  Turns out our lines have been crossed.  When I get back home from work on Wednesday night, I pick up the phone to call AT&T … and find myself to be the third person in a conversation involving a different neighbor and a friend of hers.  It’s like a party line.

There are at least four of us in the condos who are all on the same phone line now.  And it’s supremely frustrating.  I called AT&T on my sister’s cell phone and they said they’d be out to fix it in 24 hours.  That was 36 hours ago.  I called again last night, and they said it would be fixed no later than Monday.

You know, I can’t fault the people I’ve spoken to, they’ve been really polite and kind.  But, I’m sorry, taking a week to fix my phone lines is UNACCEPTABLE.  Especially when there are at least four of us who are affected.  None of us can use our phones!

Now, maybe they think it’s not that big of a deal since “everyone has cell phones anyway, so we can take our time fixing their land line.”  And you know, most of my neighbors do have cells.  I DON’T!  I’m having to use my sister’s phone to call Kirk (which I’m thinking is coming out of her minutes, but since I’m calling after 9PM I don’t know) and deal with AT&T.  And I don’t care if that is their attitude, it’s the wrong attitude to have.

I’m paying to use your service, when it breaks you should come out and fix it ASAP!  And I better not have any unusual charges on my bill, or they’ll be hearing from me!

And I think I’m going to end up canceling my land line altogether and just getting a cell.

To start with, I took off Thursday to do some laundry, get the oil changed in my car, and generally take care of a few things before I left. Went to Jiffy Lube (where I always get my oil changed - plus I had a coupon) and they suggested I changed my fuel filter as well. As it was on sale, I said sure. More on that story later

Anyway, I had a great weekend with Kirk. We went to the North Carolina Zoo and walked forever, I think. I did take a few pictures of the animals, but I haven’t uploaded any yet. I may get around to that this weekend sometime. I also got to meet Kirk’s family. They all really liked me, although they did tell Kirk that I was “quiet.” Wait until they get to know me! But we had a good time together, had a nice lunch at a Mexican place in Charlotte, and spent a few minutes in Kevin’s store. (He manages a Dollar Tree.)

Kirk’s cat, Cuddles, fell in love with me completely. She spent as much time as she could either on my lap or rubbing against me in some way. Apparently she’s not like this with anyone else, not even Kirk. Not even other women. Just me. Huh. It’s nice to know, however, that both his family and his cat like me. That’s a good thing!

Anyway, I left Tuesday morning around 7AM and long story short: the guy at Jiffy Lube put the fuel filter on wrong and I was pouring gas out of my car onto the freeway. Pulled off, called a local guy (suggested to me by a different guy in the gas station I had pulled off at - who wasn’t answering his phone) and then I called Kirk. He had just arrived at work, and then I call him and ask him to come help me … because I am a helpless female apparently. Anyway, he came out, called a garage and a tow and we followed the tow truck a few miles down the road to the shop. There is nothing more pitiful/depressing/pathetic that watching one’s vehicle being towed down the road.

Anyway, they got it fixed by 10:45 and after a talking-to from Kirk about not having a cell phone and a second “discussion” about who was paying for the repairs (he eventually did, for which I feel like a total leech) I finally got underway. Then I missed my exit out of Charleston, WV by 35 miles and ended up spending 80 minutes longer in my car than was necessary. To top it off, when I stopped in Dayton for gas, I cracked my head on the car as I was picking up some litter from the floor of the driver’s side. So I have a nasty bruise on my head, and I’m completely exhausted. I was supposed to get in around 5PM last night … got in at 9:30 … didn’t get to sleep until 11. And went in to work this morning. Even now, after the work day is over, I’m still wishing I’d called in sick this morning. *yawn*

Even after all that, I’m still driving back down there at the end of October to see him again. Yes, he will eventually drive up here to meet my family, but as he won’t have enough vacation time until after the first of the year, it’ll be a few months.

I never thought I’d find someone with whom I’d have such a connection. We have so much in common, and we enjoy so many of the same things … Doctor Who being one of them. I’m not so naive as to think that it will always be like this, and there are things that we don’t have in common. He loves horror movies, I don’t. But we have so much that we do (and can) share. It’s really very wonderful, and I can see myself spending my life with him. I know we’ve only met a couple of times, but we talk every day on the phone, and isn’t conversation really the best way to get to know someone?

Appetizer
What is your favorite kind of pie?
Apple. Especially if it’s warmed with a dollop of ice cream. But I love peach cobbler, too. And I would never say no to pecan pie. Don’t make me chose just one!

Soup
Name something that made you smile this week.
When Kirk told me he loves me.

Salad
What do you do to cool off when the weather is hot and humid?
Stay inside! Ice cream, cold drinks, whatever works.

Main Course
You receive $1,000 in the mail with a letter that says you can only use the money to redecorate one room in your home. Which room do you pick, and what do you buy to spruce it up?
The living room. New carpet or hardwood floors, plus a few new bookshelves.

Dessert
Fill in the blank: My _________ says __________, but I __________.
My cat says meow but I don’t.