Well, I have to say, things have done a complete 360 on me and I couldn't be happier. If I had known that things would go this well five years ago, I would have left the ex back then. But I hear things aren't going so well for the ex. C'est la vie.
My trip home to Pittsburgh went fantastic. Visited my brother's and had a white Christmas and birthday, cold though it was. My Yankee blood has thinned out while living in the south for 19 years. Got to meet the soon-to-be sister-in-law. She is wonderful and very down to earth. And so is her family. Grandma reveled in the fact that I am employed by her favorite retail store. In fact my outfit and hers were both bought there.
My brother's tree was 9' tall and covered with Disney ornaments and Steeler ornaments and a lighted Tinker Bell on top. Everything Disney everywhere, even the dogs' collars and bandanna.
And I was able to celebrate my birthday with my family for the first time in many years. And we had my very favorite cake: an icebox cake, half chocolate/half yellow with walnuts, from Dave'sTerrace Bakery in Pittsburgh (I highly recommend the place). I was lucky enough to get two cakes this year. The second we ate when we got back home from my brothers.
I was surprised by so many gifts and so very thankful.
Once home again, a friend came all the way from North Carolina to see me for the holidays. We spent News Years Eve together; my first date for New Years in 18 years. I got all dressed up and felt like a kid in a candy store. So did he. We went to dinner with friends and watched the ball drop in Times Square. I'm not the type to kiss and tell but let's just say that it was a very memorable midnight moment.
New Years Day, the two of us and our friends went to lunch in the Strip District. I've lived in the Pittsburgh area for the first 22 years of my life and had never been to the Strip District (for those of you not familiar with Pittsburgh, the Strip District was, at the turn of the last Century, the receiving area for boats and trains to unload produce and product for retailers to purchase to sell in their stores).
After lunch, my friend and I rode the Dusquene Incline, something else I had never done before and had always wanted to do. We got pictures of the Point from atop Mount Washington with everything covered in snow. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that it snowed in Pittsburgh on New Years Eve and everything was beautiful.
During my time home, I got to visit with several dear friends whom I hadn't seen in quite a long while. THe only downer during the whole trip was the fact that I learned that the store I wanted to transfer to in the spring; the retaining wall split during construction of the building and they have to wait until the ground thaws in the spring to evaluate whether or not they can continue construction. So the earliest I can plan a transfer will be fall, maybe next year, if at all. I'm keeping my options open and looking into alternatives.
So I fly back to Atlanta on Jan 2nd, work for 4 days and then fly to Disney for four days for my brother's wedding. It was an absolutely beautiful wedding and an incredible trip. I never thought I'd ever go to Disney and here now I've been twice, all thanks to the generosity of my brother. I even got to ride in a limousine three times and I even sat in the back. I could get used to that. We even rode in a town car on the way back to the airport. I really need to win the lottery so I can live like that all the time.
So, during all this time, the Steelers are winning in the playoffs. I get home to Atlanta to watch them win the division. And then two weeks later, I'm watching the Super Bowl at a local bar and the Steelers become the very first six-time Super Bowl Champions (and what are they doing next? Going to Disney. hehe). Congratulations Six-burgh. Life is good.
So here it is, five days after the Super Bowl and you'd think things would quite down and get back to normal, right? Wrong. Just the day before the Super Bowl, I once again got on-line to search for my two younger brothers and my dad. I even hit myspace and facebook. No luck. I haven't seen or spoken to my little brother in 4 years and my baby brother in 8. I haven't heard from my dad in 6 years. So Tuesday, I get the idea of calling some family members who had last seen my little brother years earlier and low and behold, my great aunt's granddaughter has been chatting with both of them on myspace. Before I even had a chance to speak with her, my baby brother calls me. We talked for three and a half hours. And Wednesday, I'm chomping at the bit cause I now have my little brother's phone number too and want to go home to call him when he calls me. Later that night we too talk on the phone for three hours. I speak to my brother and then again to my baby brother; all three in one night. I'm so euphorically happy. I have my brothers back. I have my family back!!!
The four of us have never been in the same room together and that is my wish for this 2009. I want a picture of all of us together and be able to send it to dad (since I now have his address too). It's been an incredible year thus far and I'm looking forward to what the rest of 2009 has in store for me.
Oh, and I haven't even mentioned the fact that a friend is coming into town later this month to see me and I've got the most incredibly cutest dress and shoes (and handbag-mustn't forget the handbag) for the occasion.
Big change from my last blog, isn't it? Life's funny that way.
