MY LIFE IN NORTH CAROLINA: PART II

My god it's been forever since I last wrote. Here I am having just recently returned from a morning of just about the best coffee I've ever had, with Eylin. Pete is out skateboarding on this lovely, but cold day, and I am now hanging with the dog and thinking about how much I miss writing. So here I am.
Everyone's been asking how life in NC has been, so I guess I'll start with that.

Pete's visit to Seattle was wonderful and he absolutely loved it. My friends were awesome and welcoming...some a little TOO welcoming (Chad, biting people's ass is not always seen as a good thing). He loved my friends and raved about what a great time he had and how cool everyone was. We look forward to many visits back there. We left for our road trip to bring me to my new home on Monday, November 10th and spent the next five days driving cross country. We made to Ogden, Utah the first night and then headed to Flagstaff the next day. We had planned to go the North rim of the Grand Canyon that evening, but due to timing, it would be dark by the time we got there so we decided to skip it and head straight to Flagstaff since we had a reservation and wouldn't be getting into town until around 8 PM. Luckily, the route we decided to take landed us driving through Zion National Park, which was absolutely stunning! We took lots of pictures and had a great time on our unexpected adventure through there. The drive to Flagstaff was very dark and we would go for over an hour sometimes before we'd see another car. It was very strange and quiet, but we loved every minute of it.

We got in later than expected and pretty much had a drink, got some dinner, then crashed and slept in a bit. I got to show him Flagstaff for a few hours the next day and he loved it. It was nice to be able to show him where I've been and tell him stories as we walked through town. We spent a few hours wandering about and hanging at my favorite coffee shop there, then headed back on the road not knowing where we'd stop next. Pete ended up driving until 4:30 AM that night and finally stopped outside of Oklahoma City where we decided it was a good idea to sleep in the car outside a Sonic at a truck stop. Wrong. We tried to cuddle in one seat, but then limbs were going numb and we were contorted in positions that should only be reserved for dead bodies having been thrown from a sky scraper. So we each took our own seat and only got two hours of sleep before we hit the road again. Strange things were had in Arkansas, which can really only be shared in person where you can see our faces as we impersonate the employees at the gas station/Baskin Robbins we stopped at. We then made it all the way to Hermitage, Tennessee. We got a hotel and tried to find food, which is near impossible at 11 PM unless you want fast food, which we did not. We found some rinky dink bar near a bowling alley that served food. When we walked in, it was like the record scratched. We had entered into what we can only construe as being hillbilly karaoke. Alas, we got a drink, ate fried food (that's all they served) and went back to our room and passed out. We got home the next night and were so excited to finally be home. The road trip was amazing and thank god we travel really well together and had a great time. It was a very good sign and a very good time.

I've been in Charlotte for almost a month now and am loving my new home and new life with the most wonderful boyfriend. I have absolutely found the man I want to spend my life with, and know that I did the right thing in moving out here to share my life with him. He is my best friend and we have so much fun together! It is the healthiest thing I've ever experienced, and even when the speed bumps hit, we keep calm and get through them and always respect each other. We live with our roommate, Jay and his dog/my stepdog, Maxine. Maxine and I have grown close since we are together ALL the time. She lays on my feet while I sit on the computer looking for work. She and I go for walks, play in the yard, and watch TV together. The most amazing man and his lovely dog sidekick have given me a very rich life, even when I'm so damned poor. We have formed a nice, little, happy family complete with lots of good times, and a new addiction to Wii bowling. I honestly couldn't ask for more...except a job.

The job search has been terrible. I've been scared about money and frustrated with the lack of even an interview, but alas I have my first one on Monday and it gives me a sense of renewed hope. In the meantime I spend my days job hunting and playing homemaker. This has started to throw me into a tailspin and I've been getting depressed about it, not the homemaker part, but just being home all the time and missing working. There is only so many dishes to wash and house to vacuum before you start going batty with no one to talk to. So I have started to talk to the dog like she's going to actually respond, have become overly concerned when something is out of place after I've cleaned the house, and am confusing the line between gossip blogs for entertainment and truly being concerned with the lives of these stupid celebrities. It's ridiculous and I need a job so I can stop being freaked out about how I'm going to pay my bills, and be able to start contributing to the household as well. Pete has been so patient and understanding with me, which I cannot thank him enough for. He is truly amazing and I love him to death. And through the frustrations of money and no work, I just keep reminding myself that it's all worth it to have the greatness of him in my life.

Eylin has also been a lifesaver for me, in being my usual life cheerleader and also knowing me well enough to know when I'm getting depressed and making sure I leave the house. Her and her husband and son have started having us over for game nights, which has been so much fun. I love that our friends are only five minutes from our house and such great people. They make our life just that much better. My family has also been amazing, and I've been able to make some money both babysitting and working for my sister on projects in the house they bought and are renovating. It's been wonderful to get a lot of time with my sister and my niece. And the times I've been able to see my mom are of course always great, as she is just that cool. Pete's family has welcomed me with open arms and are just such sweet, kind people. I love the times we get to hang out with them, and feel lucky to have such a wonderful second family as well. So I think that's about it. That is the summary of what is and has been. The adventures and oddities have already started up in My New Life of North Carolina Part II. Those stories will come next.

Hope life is well for everyone as the holidays approach. I miss and love you all!

Love,
H McD