Bye Bye

Today is our last day as residents of Southern California where we have lived for 29 and 32 years.  I hold onto my 29 for the last few days until I enter my fourth decade this Tuesday, July 2 ON THE ROAD.  There is something so incredibly poetic about exiting one decade and entering a new one while on the high road with my one and only sister as we conclude one chapter and begin another and make our way towards new and exciting adventures and new experiences in NEW York City.  New adventures for these changing harts.  =)

We left Pasadena effortlessly (well, not quite effortlessly; we had the unparalleled help of our selfless parents and our amazing supporting best friends), but we drove away with no emotions - other than the tears shed when saying goodbye to the besties - and only heartstrings forever attached.  We had been roommates  there in 'condo perfecto' for the past 10 mths. and it seemed to have gone by in the blink of an eye.  I swear we were just moving in........@#$%!  We left our former neighborhood and headed east on the 210 towards La Verne where we would spent the last night together under one roof, all six of us. (M, D, Annie the family pup, sissy, Rufus her kitty, and me).  With Kelly at the wheel and me in the navigator's seat, we said our inanimate places: "Bye bye Pasadena," said Kel. "Bye bye Old Town," I chimed in. "Bye bye Puddingstone, Duarte, Mt. Wilson, Mt. Baldy, Raging Waters....."  "Bye bye 210/57 interchange, bye bye La Verne 'L', bye bye family and friends and all we have come to know. Bye bye."  :::Note: 'Bye bye' must be said in creepy monotone voice, as I have coined this phrase and tone and Kelly now has worked it into her vocab in a friendly patronizing way.:::

Saying goodbye is not easy, especially when it is unknown when we will say 'hello' again. Two weeks ago I said 'bye bye' to my sweet pup Harper; while sobbing my eyes out, I gave to her a single Mom and her son who received her at first with timidity but quickly warmed up to her after she calmed down. First impression of Harper: barking her head off and baring her teeth ferociously from up in my arms at little Molly-dog down below that Janet's friend Laura brought with them in the car down from the Bay Area.  Down from the Bay Area they drove just for sweet Harper!  My gosh!  Another 'meant to be' that just ended working itself out.  The whole exchange process did not take long; Harper and I greeted her new family at the front gate, we went inside for introductions, we talked a little about her medical and home history, present state, belongings, and her future home. I then walked them down to their car, gave Jarren her new sweet little boy-owner the leash, and said a wet goodbye to the little furry bundle of joy that brought me such unconditional love and light to my life for the past 10 mths.  Coincidentally, my ex & I had found Harper running on Hacienda Blvd., a busy street by his house, in the same week that I was moving in to my new place with Kel.  After confirming with her that I could keep Harper (renamed Harper Lee from former name 'Harlow'), we took Harper in, fattened her up, loved her, tamed her in our own way, and prepared her for the next family that she would join 10 mths. later......hopefully this one for good, the sweet little precious foster pup.  =)  This was a definite goodbye.  This was not a 'see ya later' or 'see ya soon'.

Another definite goodbye I had to make was to my ex, Brett.  We broke up earlier this year after 5 1/2 years together......4 of those trying to make it work.  Saying goodbye to him, especially after getting back on good terms and leveling our thoughts and emotions, was incredibly trying.  Another sob-my-eyes-out-moment/s.  We went on one final frate (frate = friend date) to go see WWZ earlier this week.  Upon parting, we left each other's arms and each other's lives, knowing that that would be the last time we saw each other........indefinitely.  Even though we are not compatible as life partners, that man will always have a piece of my heart.  We shared some of the greatest adventures and experiences I have had in this life.  He will always sing to a part of my heart as well.

Some people come into your life for a season, a reason, or a lifetime.

Bye bye.

P.S.  I have time to write this post as we wait for one of the six tires on our Budget rental truck to be repaired in our parent's driveway.  Dad woke up this morning to do a comprehensive check on the truck before we head off, and he discovered not only filthy windows that needed to be cleaned (not good enough for his Daughters per his standards), as well as a soft tire!  Not quite flat, but soft enough for him not to be able to get a read on the tire gauge......damnit!  Thank God for our amazing, wonderful, caring, careful, precious, fix-it-man, manly man of a man and definition of how a man should be-Father.  I am confident this is the reason Kel & I are still single, btw, is because we have yet to find a man like our Dad.  Are there any like him left in the world?  Is this too much to ask?!  Alas yet liberatingly so (not a word, but whatever! we'll call these 'meganisms' moving forward.), we will now learn to live without our Mamika & Daddio and have to completely, entirely, independently and self-sufficiently live on our own.......until Pops (& Ma) come out again to help survey the lay of the land and tell us how to make things more efficient, that is.  =) This was yet another one of those 'meant to be things'.........thank you Lord.  Thank you that the flat was in M & D's driveway; thank you that it was the morning before we leave and that there is no rush to get into Flagstaff, which just so happens to be one of our shorter drive days.  Thank you Lord.  We listen and wait for you, your guidance and direction, your light on our path.