I talked to Leah!, originally uploaded by tara.aukerman.

I finally got to talk to Leah! I spend so much time thinking and saying, “I wish Leah were here” or “Leah would SO get a kick out of this” that I almost feel like I talk to her often. Almost. Tonight I really got to talk to her.

I love Skype.

Those of you who know Leah know that she gets less and less eloquent the later she stays up. By the time we “hung up” at 3am her time, she was really starting to sound silly. A few gems:

• “and they have shapely lower halves”
  – Telling us about how much she likes to watch rugby, a new sport to her. She was trying to explain that the guys are really strong on the bottom halves because anything above the waist is considered a foul. Ended up sounding more like she watched the sports for … all the wrong reasons.  =)
• “muscular women – it makes me happy”
  – Telling us how women play rugby, too, but that they have to be very strong.
• “here is the amazingness of my life today.” [long pause]  ”I forgot what I was going to say.”
  – Getting ready to tell us about something exciting that happened today.
• “I can always remember everything ever about all the rooms of my life I stay in.”
  – The response to my suggestion that she take pictures of the house she’s living in so that later she’ll be able to remember all the details.
• “roll out, do some makeups and go to the food”
  – Her plan for tomorrow morning. =)
• “probably some days in the night”
  – The next time we get to talk to her online.

She’s so much fun!

Now, my life will be complete if I get to talk to Melissa. (Hear that, sister? When can we talk?!)

Day 3: IKEA, Kristen’s Baby Party

Busy day. We went to Baltimore, met up with friends from Hawai’i, who now also live stateside, and make my first trip to the wonderland that is IKEA. Those guys are SMART. They make it really easy to spend lots of money. Babysitters, in-store cafeteria, pencils and pads of paper… It’s amazing. I found myself getting seriously sucked into the gotta-have-it American materialist mentality.

We’re going back tomorrow to maybe get some furniture. =)

Then, we went to a party Kristen’s parents threw for her and her hubby and their new baby. They’re in from TX, and all of the family friends and old friends were invited. (Kris and I were friends in high school and after.) I got to do a little catching up with her and her brother (my only “little brother”), and with an old friend from high school (Sara!), as well as with other friends of mine (actually, my friends’ parents, whom I now consider friends). A good time until I started dying from cat exposure.

So, home we went. And I coughed up a lung.

That night, Grandpa (who had been refusing to go to the hospital) expressed a need to see a doctor. So Mom and Dad took him. He was admitted with low blood pressure and renal failure. They hooked him up to lots of antibiotics for a respiratory infection, and he started getting better right away.

Day 4: Melissa’s Birthday Party

I coughed all night. David even considered moving out to the couch, it was so bad.

Grandpa’s situation improved.

David and Leah made Melissa’s cake, and we had the afore-blogged party.

Day 5: We didn’t go to the beach.

Between me being sick and my Grandpa spending a couple of days in the ICU (thanks, all you well-wishers), we decided not to go to the beach.

So, we stayed home and played games instead.

Day 6: I have bronchitis.

Seriously, that was the big news of the day. I stayed home coughing and coughing, then went to an urgent care clinic and got my Dx. Then I went to a drugstore and got my drugs.

They moved Grandpa to a regular hospital room from the ICU.

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happy birthday melissa!

(Sorry Mac folks, it’s a wmv.  Because I don’t have a Mac.  And because I had 10 minutes.)

Here’s Melissa, enjoying her birthday soda:

Here’s the cake, up close and personal:

… and here’s a bracelet they gave out.  What does it say, Shmel?

We’ve been reunioning this month.

Weekend #1: Dave’s dad’s dad’s family (Aukermans)
Weekend #2: Dave’s mom’s mom’s family (Schraders) <- this weekend
Weekend #3: Dave’s mom’s dad’s family (Funks) which we’re missing for…
Weekend #3: Dave’s 10-yr high school friends reunion

David has a lot of people to reunite with… =) I enjoy these reunions, though. This is something my fam doesn’t do.

I’ll take some pics this weekend and post ‘em so you can join in the reunion festivities (now that I’ve figured out why my photos weren’t transferring from my camera and fixed the issue).

I’ve been having a good time visiting family.  It’s always good to see them, and especially good to see them in teh continental US.  Don’t get me wrong – I LOVED Hawai’i, and would drop everything to go back, but I’ll tell you what.  It’s infinitely easier and more enjoyable to fly an hour instead of 15.

This is the first time I’ve flown to see my family since they’re back from HI.  As I was packing for the trip, I started piling up books and stacks of DVDs to take in my carry-ons.  David watched me for a few minutes, and when I asked him for help fitting everything into a bookbag, he reminded me that I wasn’t going to be flying for 15 hours.  =)  I happily took out the stacks of books and DVDs and wow… it’s great having a feather-light carry-on!

So, anyway, I’ve been here with my family for a week.  When I visit, we typically pack the time full of visits from and to family friends.  Those meetings are always wonderful – I don’t keep in touch with folks as well as I should.  I have all these great intentions, but I never seem to have time to follow through.  The good thing is, these people watched me grow up (as much as any non-family member has ever done, anyway – being a military brat, not too many people get to know me past 2 or 3 years).  They know me well enough to know I love them even though I don’t call or write.  It’s great.

What isn’t great, though, is the thought of running into folks I went to high school with.  I DREAD the experience, and I know it’s just bound to happen.  Each visit to my parents increases the odds that I’ll run into someone I know.  For some reason, small towns have always made me feel trapped – like if I wasn’t careful, I’d get sucked in and never escape.  I watched it happen to people who were older than me, and I couldn’t wait to get out.

I really like who I am now.  I really like my life.  I don’t want to go back.  High school wasn’t the height of my life.  It wasn’t the best thing that ever happened to me.  I’ve moved on.  And I don’t really want to talk to or meet anyone who hasn’t.

That said, there are some old classmates that I REALLY enjoy seeing.  Sarah Camp (I’m so sorry about Joe!).  Sarah Green (thanks for having lunch with me!).  Adam Donius (I’m SO glad you came back to see if it was me – congrats on the baby!).

It’s been a good trip.  =)

Pirate Dave, originally uploaded by tara.aukerman.

This is pirate Dave.

When friend & coworker DD heard that David spent the day scrubbing our deck so it could be stained and sealed, she sent me home with an eye patch… so he could be a proper pirate. This is him. Wearing the patch.

It’s kinda funny… One of the kids at church, Kaylin, is writing a story featuring David and I. In this story, David is the pirate captain and I’m his first officer (mate? I don’t know pirate terminology). Maybe I’ll suggest this as cover art… =)

Sisters, originally uploaded by tara.aukerman.

An oldie, but a goodie. Anytime I start missing family, I just flip through old pictures. This one never fails to crack me up.

This was taken 8(?) Christmases ago. Melissa and I were both at Taylor, but I think it was her first year of college. Anyway, we went to visit good family friends (Marv & Winnie) and they had these crazy 3D glasses. Look at a Christmas tree through them, and Melissa saw tons of tiny Christmas lights and I saw tons of smilies. We posed for a “cool shades” picture for Leah (her words). =)

Me & My Grandpa, originally uploaded by tara.aukerman.

Thought I’d start posting some photos I never sent to Flickr. There are a few really fun wedding pictures I want out there for old friends.

This is, I think, my favorite wedding photo. Me and my grandpa. Doesn’t he look smashing in his tux? =)

candleslit, originally uploaded by tara.aukerman.

Happy birthday, sister!

We bought a cake and lit 17 candles (matches) in honor of Leah’s 17th birthday. Our dog popped in to wish her an HB, and her present’s on the table with us.

The cake was good, L. =)