Reunions of All Kinds

So, it's probably not the best to start a blog and then not write anything for 4 days. But, I had good reasons to neglect it, I promise! It was a glorious weekend, and I was literally All Over the Place. Hence why you are getting the world's longest post. Enjoy!

Reunion #1

So, Thursday night when I was hitting publish on my first entry was about the same time that Jeff was finishing his last exam in Murray and getting in his car to move to Davidson! He was supposed to stop in Nashville and stay with one of his BFFs, Matt, and drive the rest of the way to Davidson on Friday morning. Instead, he decided to be an idiot (and I do say this with all love and affection) and keep driving all night after his exam. Dumb and unnecessary, but whatever. You would think after being long-distance for almost 5 years now, the boy could wait a few hours to live in the same place again. But, I guess not. 

Side note: The other day, one of my bosses asked me if I thought Midas would protect me if I ever had someone break in the house. He also has a 3 year-old golden, named "Captain" Jack Sparrow (just had to throw that in there because I heart the name), and was curious if either one would do it. I said that I doubted it, because:

1) Midas never even barks

2) I've only ever heard him growl a couple of times and that usually involved someone trying to steal his bone

3) He's never met a person he didn't LOVE

4) He's quite fickle and I hypothesize that if he ever got lost without his collar and someone took him in, they'd become his best friend within the first 20 minutes of becoming a part of that new family. 

So, unless stealing his food was a part of the equation, I was doubting that that a burglar would really phase the boy. However, Jeff's middle-of-the-night arrival gave me a chance to test this theory. And, Midas surprised me. When Jeff arrived around 4 am (yikes), Midas didn't hear him until he was opening the back door. Midas proceeded to stand up over the top of me on the bed, started a loud low growl, and (me knowing it was Jeff) told him to "Go get him." Midas lunged out of the bedroom with a vicious look in his eyes and the growl continuing. I was shocked! Of course when he saw it was Jeff he began licking him and bounding around the room showing him his toys (Reunion #2). So, the test was still inconclusive. But, I have to say that I think it may have been a different story if he didn't recognize the person at the other end of his lunging. So, don't break into my house any time soon.

Back to the weekend...

So, Friday, Jeff slept in (obviously) and I went to work for the morning. I spent most of the time updating the Union Board website and responding to emails from students who were tying up loose ends from the year as a procrastination technique instead of studying for their exams...a valiant effort on their parts. I left at noon and headed to my house to pack the car for our weekend adventure. Jeff had unloaded all of his stuff into the house and my garage storage area (I'm not even going to think about the fact that I'm going to have to unpack that stuff tonight when I get home).

Reunion #3

By 1:30, Jeff and I were en route (after quick stops at Target and Chick-fil-A) to Columbia to drop of Midas with his grandparents for the weekend on our way to Tybee Island, GA for my best friend Rachel's Quarter Life Beach Extravaganza Weekend. I love an excuse for a great reunion with my college buds! Jeff surprised me with a similar weekend at his parents' mountain house for my 25th in February, so it was great to head to the beach this time since the weather's gotten so nice. You know it's going to be a fun weekend when you arrive and there's pirate gear for you to wear for the evening (hence the eye patch in the earlier pic of me and Jeff and the glorious hook Rachel's sporting below).

So, Friday night, things stayed pretty low key (well as low key as it gets with all of us together). Rachel, her boyfriend (Joe), one of my other best friends from college (Ashley Adamson), her boyfriend (Chad), Jeff, and myself ordered pizzas, pretended to be pirates, and went out to Benny's for karaoke (which was amazing... but, sorry again that I did not participate. However, we all know that my singing voice is too "unique" aka wretched to be heard above a whisper). 

Saturday, we all slept in and had breakfast before we all headed to the beach where Rachel's friends, Jordan and Will, as well as more good friends from college Corey and Jeff Rollison (who I hadn't seen since they moved back from Brazil! Yay I missed you!) and Matt Lufburrow and his girlfriend, Kathleen, joined us later that afternoon. So much fun, even though we've decided that the new continuous spray sun tan lotions are not acceptable in windy conditions. Luckily, I had a regular lotion base coat (because we all know that my paleness looks at the sun and burns), but my Jeff didn't fair so well with the spray I applied. It's an interesting look he's got going on on his shoulders. Ha! My bad. At least the wind allowed Jeff and Joe to invent a new beach game (Curve Ball- sort of a play catch with yourself because it's so windy game- contact them for the official rules and demonstrations). Good times! 

That night, Bradley and Maggie "I forgot about my sister's college graduation and had to come late to the beach" Penrod joined in the festivities and we all headed to the Crab Shack for dinner (thus the lovely pic of all of us ladies reunited). Overall, I'm so glad that I have such great friends that I can turn to if I ever need anything. They're all crazy and fun in their own ways and I love that about them. I'm sad that none of us live in the same place, but that always make reunions so special to me! I can't wait for the next one!

Reunion #4

So, Sunday morning we left Tybee to head to Columbia for Mother's Day and to relieve my parents from grand-pup duties. Not that Midas cares, because he's obsessed with swimming in their pool (it is pretty adorable to watch though). 

So, it's all fun-and-games in Columbia. But, I do think he missed us. He wouldn't let us out of his sight yesterday. We just hung out, I helped Mom with a couple of decorative accessory decisions (for those who don't know, the parental units moved into a new house right after Christmas), went to Mother's Day Dinner at one of our favs, Harpers (yummy yum), and watched a very weird Part II of a new Cold Case episode. I usually love that show, but it was pretty terrible this week (cheesy flashbacks and obvious twist at the end were highly unacceptable). 

We stayed in Columbia last night and headed back early so I could return to a normal day of work and get some stuff done for a leadership retreat I'm going to help take some students to in Valle Cruisis on Wednesday. I'm excited! However, I'm not excited about starting the unpacking process with the rest of Jeff's stuff when I get home tonight. We really don't know where it's going to go. But, we'll figure it out. I'm thinking we should maybe let it sit for a few days while I think about that. All this reuniting can be exhausting. Until next time!