bubba and swerved were going to be there before heading home after AF'05, so yesterday Damien and I headed northward to catch them by surprise. arie knew I was coming up to do this, and I'd told them that I would try to get up there but that I couldn't promise. I've not posted about it and tried to keep a low profile about any plans for this weekend so as not to draw any suspicion. Several ideas on how to acheive surprise came and went, and finally I decided on just showing up at arie's place. Around 10AM or so we pulled up in front of her apartment just as she was walking to the car to put a box into it - talk about timing, huh? The plan turned into her going into the apartment while I stood outside the open door listening. She walked in and told both a freshly awakened and tinkering on laptops bubba and swerved that I had called earlier while they were sleeping and told them that I was unable to come up to see them, and that I was really sorry about it. I barely hear their collective groans when I jumped into the doorway facing them and hollering "LIES!! ALL LIES!!" For a second, they both looked at me like "Who in the bloody hell is this guy scre..." when all color drained from their faces and I saw arie to my left grinning giddily - and they both jumped up, ran over, and much hugging, jumping up and down, and squeeing "OMGIT'SAJUUUUDE!!!!!" began to ensue. There is nothing like big bone cracking hugs from people you love - nothing like it in the world. Seeing their faces adjust from confusion to surprise to complete elation was absolutely priceless.Everyone went from there to L5P to meet
six10steve for lunch at the Vortex and do a bit of window shopping. Introduced swerved to fried zucchini, which apparently they don't have in Canada. Before too long, we drove to the Inman Park MARTA station, which I had assumed would be a good alternative for us to use to get swerved to the airport in time for his flight back home to Canada. Aside from the rail work that was being done and the frustration created from not being able to figure out how the city would bother doing that during operating hours, it wasn't all THAT bad taking MARTA. Got to the airport, got all checked in and took some pictures with him before having to see him off to his concourse. It was the catalyst for my bittersweet mood, but that's my current state of mind anyway so considering that it is befitting.Left the airport, and headed over to Piedmont Park to meet back up with
six10steve to walk around a bit, peoplewatch, and take pictures. I got a few really good ones of Steve and D, two of most beautiful men in the world - but otherwise I wasn't feeling sceneic pictures. Not that there isn't a ton of it there, I was not in my zone for it is all. Got smoothies, sat and talked for a bit, then left to head back to arie's to see both she and bubba more before we headed back out. I got that bittersweet feeling again, the same one I always get when I'm leaving someone I love until I get to see them again. Spent some time with Sage, arie's daughter and my favorite 4 year old on the planet. Remembered to show bubba my butterfly birthmark, it's in the iris of my right eye. People have a thing about my eyes, and that's part of it. The 5 of us went to dinner at Copeland's New Orleans restaurant, I drew Sage a picture and showed her how to fold flower napkins, and ate crawfish until I almost went blind. After dinner it was starting to get dark and we still had another friend to visit before heading home, so I had to give an get hug time in before we left the restaurant. Sage let me carry her to the truck. I explained to her that I was very sad that last time we were up there and it was time to leave that she was taking a nap and I didn't get my bye-bye hugs, so this time I had to get two - one for this time and one for last time. I put her up on the tailgate of the truck and she smiled at me, then threw her arms around my neck and I gave her my spin-around-real-fast-and-squeeze-you-tiarie's car and put her in her car seat, making sure she promised me that she'd go back to Whitewater with me again soon and to be a good girl for Mommy. I gave both my arie and my bubba hugs and hugs and more hugs on the top of that, and felt that sinking feeling in my chest once it was finally time to leave when Sage get upset that she'd forgotten to say goodbye - so I knelt down behind arie's car and held this gorgeous, teary eyed beauty tightly, soothing her as best I could not to be sad and that I'd see her very soon. Final hugs of the day, then made a dash for the truck. Since I don't do "goodbye" but instead "I'll see you later on", I smiled and blew kisses from the window of the truck, something very hard to do when you're fighting back tears.Drove from there to see the ever adorable
roypup, had fun with him & D until almost midnight when it was finally time to make the trek south home. At the exit for 185 South I made D stop so I could finish the drive, he was sleepy and I wasn't going to have him drive anymore. I drove in the quiet and thought about the day, then thought a lot about the upcoming week I'll have to spend away from the love of my life as he is going to Arizona on business for the week. We've never been that far apart for that long a time before, and honestly everything from yesterday and the thought of this now has me in tears again. I've been crying since I got home last night. It's the low from the high, I think. I never get to spend as much time with my friends as I really want to, I never get to hold them close to me and smile in their beautiful faces and tell them I love them as much as I need to until I'm sure they know it. I'm full up on love and very happy that I got to have yesterday and all the time I shared with these amazing, love sustaining, life enriching people, but today I feel pressed beneath this ginormous, beautiful heartbreak that keeps spilling from my eyes.
I'm ready for D to hurry up and get here so I can hold him for a while.
