i made my new home on the top floor of a triplex, converted from an old house, in a historic neighborhood. somehow, my brain didn't process that top floor means all the heat from the floors below would rise up to mine in the summer. between plaster walls and a really decent air conditioning system, though, i've been relatively cool this entire summer. that may or may not have something to do with how many time the refrigerator door has fallen off of its hinges. it's jury-rigged, currently, because i really don't want to empty out all of the food long enough to turn it on its back and replace the bolt it needs. i am just now getting around to hanging art on some of the walls, which probably means it's time to move again. only joking! i'm not going anywhere, because a certain someone refuses to lift one more piece of furniture this calendar year. actually, i'm reasonably happy here. i've realized that, no matter where i live, there will always be a few things about my accommodations i don't love, and that there is usually a work-around if i get creative enough. call it a challenge. what makes it a home is that i live here.
as for the love? we are almost seven months into a blooming relationship. it's weathered him helping me move, several road trips, working together (we photographed a wedding together a few weeks ago, and have one more a few weeks from now), meeting one another's families, my extreme indecisiveness when it comes to choosing dinner, and a schedule so busy we seem to always be passing one another by. this mercurial girl, who loves her quality time, has somehow managed to find a great balance amidst the insanity. we see each other almost every day. we complement one another in ways i never thought possible. we make each other better. we're also normal. we're imperfect. we disagree. we get mad at one another, but we survive. he plans thoughtful little surprises that tend to turn into adventures (like getting attacked by an emu), and i subject him to watching whedon's works one after another (which he tolerates and sometimes even enjoys).
music kept us ridiculously busy for a few months. we wrote four songs together in the early months, and played a handful of small shows throughout the area. we won the final of our song competition in may, against some really awesome local writers. in june, we attended the East Coast Songwriter's Conference together. after getting some really good feedback on our songs from professionals, we decided to take a month or so off from playing out so much and give ourselves time to recharge and rediscover our creativity. it seemed a little counter-intuitive, but it worked wonders for us. we're now two songs stronger in our originals, and preparing to play our next show together in early october.
with our schedules staying so hectic, paring down my possessions and getting organized got pushed to the back burner. did i say back burner? i meant it unceremoniously was dumped into the fridge and got a little moldy. my apartment has three bedrooms, a living room, a kitchen, and a spacious back sunroom. my employer asked me to work from home for a while, due to some remodeling on their homefront, which means i had two rowdy boys (now 3.75 and 2.25 years old) running around my place all day. the sunroom got designated as a play space (though there is a hammock for my enjoyment, among all of the toys). the guest room was taken over at nap time (one cribbed toddler and a preschooler on a full-sized bed). the living room actually got lived in, and was recently the stage for the first at-home photo session i've done in months. the last bedroom (which i'd planned to turn into a neat, functional office) became a dumping ground for everything that couldn't fit in all the others and, suffice to say, it was a LOT of stuff. the chaos finally stopped long enough for me to organize a little this week, and i can proudly say that all of the clothes i own have a proper place. and they're in it!! i took two full bags to donate yesterday, and have plans for a lot more to go with them. there's still more work to be done, but i've made tons of progress just in the past few days.
i hope that the general tone of this update conveys that i've been busy, but happy. i learned how to play texas hold'em poker, and got even better at scrabble. i improved some of my photography equipment (new lenses, new lighting techniques) and skills. i spent most of my mornings in a hammock on a sun-soaked back porch, surrounded by laughing children and having pretend food prepared for me. i spent most of my evenings with my love, making bad puns and trying in vain to decide on a dinner option that would satisfy us both. next week, work returns to normal (nanny kid back in morning preschool, afternoons spent at his house instead of mine). fall is creeping up, with cooler nights. there are people to be photographed, and friends' babies to be born, and day trips to take. life is moving. as long as it doesn't require a moving truck, for the time being, i'm thrilled.
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