Mel’s Life

It’s been over 2 months since I posted anything on this blog. Interesting things have happened, just not visual things. If I were a video artist, I would have been able to convey the excitement and fear of the last 60 days with pictures. But I am not a video artist. Due to this lack of talent, I must share these bits of life in text.

The beginning of August began pretty much the way every month starts - bills to pay, dinner to cook, video games to play…
Around the 20th, Clint and I drove a couple of hours to camp all weekend and enjoy a 3 day Dave Matthews Band concert. It was exceptional. During the day we sat under our dining canopy (which is really just a big tarp held up by plastic poles) and drank cheap beer. At night we sat on the lawn of the most beautiful ampitheatre in America, (According to me, who took this picture - which proves that I am also not a photo artist.) listening to some of our favorite music.

Two days later, I woke up at 3:00am to board a plane taking me to Fort Smith, Arkansas, to my family. I spent time with my parents, Rachael and Tiffany (my sister and her girlfriend), my best friend, and my in-laws. I got attached to a mess of five week-old kittens and watched several movies. The night before I left, I watched my dad play with his band at a bar. I can’t remember the last time I spent an evening with my family in a bar - probably never. My sister and I got up and danced in the special way us Dickens’ girls dance - which is all arms and legs and no rhythm. My mom and some of the other wives joined us. A few good natured strangers joined us too. I wished I could have snapped a picture or shot some video to capture the exuberance of the evening. But I was reminded of the only worthwhile thing my least favorite character on my favorite TV show ever said, “You can’t take a picture, the moment’s already passed.” (Nate Fisher, Six Feet Under)

Later that night, I talked to Clint. He had decided that he wanted to move back to Arkansas. He wanted to know what I thought. What I thought? To move back into my house? To be 20 minutes away from my parents? 15 minutes from my best friend? 10 minutes from my sister? To have a backyard again? I thought it was the best idea I’d ever heard. Of course, at the time of this decision, I’d been in Arkansas for 2 weeks. As excited as I was, I reminded myself that he probably wasn’t thinking rational. Two weeks of having to fix his own dinner, and most likely having run out of clean underwear a few days ago, had made him sentimental. I told him that we’d talk about when I got home and if he still wanted to move, we’d move back as soon as our house was available. At the time of this conversation, our house wouldn’t be available for 15 months. I knew we had time. I flew home the next day, excited to see my cats, my dog, and my husband who’d gotten some funny ideas in his head. That’s when things began to take a turn for the bizarre.

Upon my return, I found Clint to be out of clean underwear, but not out of his mind. When we sat down to talk again about this whole Arkansas thing, he was still adamant - we were moving back. He didn’t want to wait 15 months. He wanted to move in March. We decided we would stay with my parents (for 10 months) until the people living in our home, under a 2 year lease (which we signed in January of 2003), ran out of time. It sounds unthinkable that a financially stable couple would choose to live with parents for such an extended time, but I have only this to say in my defense - If you think it unfathomable, you clearly don’t know my parents. And you probably don’t know (because I haven’t told you) that since Clint was planning on going back into business for himself, the extra months of reduced living expenses translated to more months in the future we could live without making a dime.

Within a few days of my return home, I was sold on the Arkansas plan. But even if I hadn’t been completely enthusiastic, what happened next would have done the trick. I’m about to reveal something that is overwhelmingly delightful - it is also highly capricious, and quite personal. I only mention these forewarnings to assure you, the reader, that I have considered the reality of this announcement.
I recieved a phone call. A simple phone call that may change our lives forever. Nothing is certain - and I won’t go into details - but if things go as planned, Clint and I will be adopting a baby sometime in late March or early April of 2006. Some of you may know that Clint and I are unable to have children of our own. If you didn’t know this, it isn’t a secret. You may read my blog post explaining what happened by going here. If you do read it, be kind about the grammatical errors - I was on percocet when I wrote it.
April is a long time away from now considering what can happen in just a couple days. We’re trying our best not allowing ourselves to get too excited. But is difficult to not take a peak at lists of baby names, or not to consider which bedroom would be best for a nursery. We’ll keep you posted on the news - but feel free to keep your fingers crossed.

So where are we? Oh yeah - Arkansas and a baby (which means I have grandparents to use and abuse anytime I please). Well, here’s the latest bit of wackyness. Tuesday, the 20th of this month, I recieved another phone call. This one was from the people who are leasing our house. They’re moving out… at the end of *this* month. They’re moving out, which means we can have our house back whenever we want - Whoopie! They’re moving out, which means we have to pay our mortgage until at least the end of February without any additional income - Suck Ass! But, as it turns out (and with the way things are going, is anyone really surprised?), my sister has been looking for a new place to live and would love to rent my house - even if it’s only for a few months. So, we can have our house back almost as soon as we want it - Whoopie! And, we don’t have to pay our entire mortgage without any additional income - Whoopie!

All this has happened in the span of less than 30 days. I truly couldn’t be happier about the way things are going. Of course, upon hearing the news that our renters are leaving us, I went out and got my old job back and will stay there until we move. No biggie - I’m willing to cut fabric and attempt to explain complex processes like “on grain” and “finishing raw edges” to people who would really be better off just going to Linens ‘n Things and purchasing a nice, new duvet cover. At least I get to know when all the sales are coming. Actually, I’m willing to do it for a slight chance that in a year, I’ll be sitting on my back porch watching my dog chase piles of leaves… watching Clint grill some burgers… watching Rachael and Billie compare the smoothness of their legs (as Tiffany looks at them with half disgust, half amusement)… and watching four grandparents ooh and ahh as they pass around a baby.

Filed by Mel at 3:43 am under Just a Thought