Catch Up #2C

Before I start this one I want to say a word about the song interludes. I listen to a lot of music and I tend to gain inspiration from it. Actually, I use it for a lot of things. So, while the songs are not my own (and yes, I do write poetry and songs), the words still mean something to me. Jonathan suggested I put a song on my blog to show how I feel about Mike and I but there isn't just one song. We don't have a "song" yet because we agree that there are too many. Maybe some day we'll settle on one as "our" song but for now we have many. So, my song interludes are some of the songs that have been striking me as particular lately. There are more that I won't include but the ones I do say what I need them to.

Ok, onwards and upwards.

January 13th - January 15th

Needless to say, we didn't get much sleep Thursday/Friday (12th/13th). I was absolutely peachy when I got up the next day though. I made Mike and I breakfast and saw him off to work before I had to head to the store. It was so nice. If I remember correctly, I got into a snit either Friday or Saturday night (13th or 14th). About what I can't remember but I know that I was being a petulant brat and I also know that I didn't much care as Mike seemed impervious to it. Really, I keep expecting him to snap my head off sometimes and when he doesn't, I am shocked. I am so not used to this. The men in my family tend to take everything out on those around them and, even though I know Mike is so much better than that, so I keep bracing for that. But nope, doesn't happen.

Take for example the first night I had him over in December. . .we'd had a good evening of hanging out and talking. Mike didn't leave until midnight and I walked him out to his car (this would be before Christmas). It was cold so Mike started his truck to warm it up and then closed the door behind him. The door hadn't shut right but Mike couldn't open it because it was locked. He didn't realize this fact until he bounced it completely shut. I was a little slower on the uptake. No spare keys. Oh, boy. . .just what he needed: a locked and running truck. I laughed at first but quickly cut it off cause I didn't want to hurt his feelings. I've locked my keys in before (never while the car was running but Mike is an overachiever) so I understood. I don't have wire hangers so I wasn't much help there until I realized that, for some reason, someone had left some behind in a personal recycle bin next to the house. We'd already called the locksmith but he was taking forever to get to us (turned out that someone had locked a child in a car). So, I held a flashlight for Mike while he tried to jerryrig the lock. Unfortunately, nothing Mike did could get it to work. Anyway, I kept expecting him to blow up and yell at me. Hell, my father or brothers would have and somehow it would have been all my fault. But there was none of that. In fact, just the opposite as Mike was laughing at himself. We did work fairly well together on it and that was a very good moment and priceless in the experience it gave me.

But I digress away from that weekend.

So, I got into some kind of snit and Mike just rolled with it. In the morning I apologized for being a brat and it was all good.

On Sunday we had plans to go up to NC to see various people. The first were my friends, Rebecca and Nathan. Rebecca had worked with me at the store until last summer when Nate graduate from the Lutheran seminary here. He's been searching for a parish ever since. Well, Rebecca had called me to say that Nate was going to be giving the sermon at one of their local churches so that a committee from another parish could review him. I asked if she would like Mike and I to come up and she was happy about the idea. This also gave me a chance to take some manga books to her since I've been helping keep her supplied in them. Mike and I got up early and made it to Rebecca's parents' house just a few minutes late. We were ok but for the traffic and so Rebecca was speeding a little but not much. We would have made it a little early if not for a speed trap (we're talking less than a mile of a limit change). None of us had a clue where the cop came from and Rebecca wasn't going as fast as he claimed but we didn't have time to argue. Poor dear.

We did get to the church before the service started. Rebecca dragged us up to the very first pew. The service was a little different than what I'm used to. They do a variation I'm not familiar with but it was fine. It was a little too ritualistic for Mike. (shrug) I find a certain comfort in that but then, it's what I'm used to. I'd still like him to go to church with me up home so he can see where I belong (I never joined a church down here). Nathan did a really good job. Wish he were our pastor up home. I think he'd do a much better job than our current one. Mike did enjoy that part. I wasn't feeling well after the service which ended up explaining my moodiness. I hate being a woman sometimes.

After church we went and had some Japanese food (it just now occurs to me that we did the same thing after Mike's church's service too lol). Then we went back to Rebecca's parents' and had a lovely chat. Michelle was expecting us some time in the afternoon. I hadn't gone to her place for Christmas like planned because I had been way too tired to drive up in nasty weather and Michelle was exhausted too. So, we needed to exchange gifts. The visit was short but nice. Mike and Michelle had briefly met back in September when she'd come down to the store for Angela's signing. It was about that time that my presence had begun to sink into Mike's thick and clueless skull (which he will admit because, up until then, he hadn't even realized that I existed even though we'd been chatting and flirting all summer -- sheesh). But neither really remembered the other so it was like starting anew.

The biggest part of going up was the final meeting -- Mike's mother. I was nervous, to say the least. See, Mike hadn't really told her that he was dating anyone. In December, when she asked him if he was seeing anyone, his reply was, "Well, there is this annoying bookseller who's been dragging me all over the place." But he gave no details beyond that. Originally he had planned on not telling her that I was coming with him but he did in the end though he still hadn't explained our relationship. As I expected, she had suspected something because she took our togetherness in a much less shocked manner than if she had been clueless. I had helped Mike pick out her Christmas present so I was glad to see her reaction. She loved it -- a Precious Moments mother figurine. What I didn't expect was her asking us to explain about it at dinner. lol She'd figured out that I had a hand in it even though I hadn't said anything. After all, she'd been out of the room when I nudged Mike and said, "I told you she would like it. lol

At dinner I got a billion questions from her but it was all good. She is a very nice woman. That I expected considering how nice Mike is. I did purposely leave at the end of the meal to go to the bathroom so that they would have a moment alone. I mean, the trip was legit but I timed it on purpose. I don't know what they said to each other but when I got back to the table, Mike stood and gave me a kiss. I don't know if his mother saw it but I was so touched by the gesture (it was our first pda of that sort). It meant a lot.

Back at her house, we chatted for a little bit and, much to Mike's horror, I got to see some baby pictures of him. He was sooooo cute! Such an adorable baby. I wonder what happened. ;o) Just kidding. She's promised to show me more next time. Can't wait. I did hear her tell Mike that he'd done well and I know that comment was about me. (grin) Well, yeah, I think we both have.

We didn't stay long because it was late and we both had to be up early for work. Mike actually fell asleep in the car on the way back. It was just so comfortable with him beside me as I drove us home (he lives out of his truck for work so he has too much in it for him to drive). Mike was surprised that he fell asleep but I wasn't. I think it shows his trust and comfort with me. (smile)

Overall, it was a very good weekend.