puzumaki

As I was lying around in bed enjoying the wonderful Saturday morning, a hilarious memory creeped into my thoughts. Hoyt had just mentioned during his last visit the rhino we saw at the zoo a couple months ago. Now, with sound advice I can say you neither want to be in front of a rhino OR behind… have you ever seen one relieve itself?? I think this should be added to the list of things to do and see for everyone… :-p

We were walking around the Africa exhibit at the Kansas City Zoo (a great addition!) when we came upon the rhinos. One had walked up to a gate entrance (for staff), turned around, and before we know it was relieving itself… except it's not as gentle as the word “relieve”… more like put out an invisible fire with a fire hose. Holy cow! If someone WAS standing there, he or she would have been knocked to the ground from the pressure! So, fair warning about rhinos… you are only safe standing at their side, and even then I wouldn't suggest it. :-p It was definitely the funniest thing we saw while at the zoo, and a memory I don't think I'll ever forget!

Another packed couple of days with Hoyt in town. Everything I have been doing… designing a Web site and working in conjunction with developers in Sweden to ensure it will function in the modified software we have purchased from them, organizing the honeymoon and additional preparations, fixing and finishing the design of the invitations and other parts of the wedding invitation, cleaning up some medical problems that get worse and better in the same day, stabilizing financial issues (a certain car keeps needing more and more money… ), confirming our housing situation (which is we won't have housing in three months, like that makes me feel better), building an additional two Web sites outside of work (I swear I'll get them done this weekend)… I am a little stressed. This all wouldn't be so bad if I didn't have a mother-soon-in-law who keeps insisting on making the wedding complicated. I know she means well, but it definitely has an adverse affect. :-p

So Wednesday I felt rushed to get the design done (got most of it, too), then fixed up the files for wedding invites to be printed. Got those over for printing and found a restaurant called Korma Sutra in the same complex. I had been craving Nepali cuisine for a few weeks, so Indian was close enough. The owner was very kind to us, and we had a very enjoyable experience (although mild was so extremely spicy I thought I was going to pass out). We got there almost ten minutes past their mid-afternoon closure, but they seated us anyway and fed us a full course meal! I ordered a lamb biriyani and Hoyt the saab, both with naan of course. But they gave us two small appetizers and two additional drinks as well (a sweet iced yoghurt drink I believe was to help with the burn and hot chai). The naan was very sizable, and both meals were delicious. As I mentioned, it was unfortunately so extremely spicy I thought I was going to pass out… I would recommend it to anyone who can handle spicy food though. Can't remember much else of what happened, I think the spice had something to do with that…

Thursday was a lot more productive. We got some minor shopping errands accomplished, went to the arboretum and took some pictures (my camera died before we got too far though *pout*), saw the chiropractor, and dealt with our housing contract. We stopped at the Land of Paws again to look at the adorable puppies!! Panera Bread… the Wolf/Ritz camera store twice for the one hour photo development… I made chili, which surprisingly didn't turn out as well as usual (and I made a lot…), but Hoyt I think somewhat reluctantly took half of it with him. I felt so bad!! Then we scooted off to see the screening of Infamous. It took us fifteen minutes to locate it in the Metcalf South Mall… that's a scary place! I thought the movie was good, overall, and would say it is worth seeing (not with your children). It portrays the mood and change of Truman Capote's life a lot better than the movie Capote. Afterwards we picked up the wedding prints (thank goodness for 24 hour Kinkos! Hee hee…), and high tailed it to bed!

Pretty busy! This weekend I will try to get the dishes done (must get them done…), get both Web sites done, and get some good sleep! I am tired… and I keep eating this spicy Indian food which doesn't help. :-p Movie time!

This weekend was jampacked with goodness! Friday was, of course, very hard as Hoyt had to leave. I mostly moped about for hours, then forced myself awake for the remaining hours until my friend came in at midnight. We stayed up until two, me showing her all the kewl things she's been missing out on the Internet. :-p

Saturday we walked over to the community college for the Japan Festival. We weren't able to stay long, but we did attend a Japanese cooking class before my other bridesmaid showed up, then we ate a lot more sushi… and went to a bazaar, watched a candy artist for a while… I bought a little Pucca to hang on a bag, so cute! Then we rushed over to David's Bridal and quickly realized Saturday is a horrible day to be within a block radius of that store… tried on some dresses before hitting the mall and finally found a good dress both were comfortable in. Yay!! Only three hours of shopping for that, with some cursory shoe shopping. We departed with my other bridesmaid and scooted over to the McCallister's Deli. It was pretty good, nice for a deli. We stayed for a while talking about this and that before coming back to watch Fruits Basket. What an excellent anime!

Sunday was early with Hoyt's parents picking me up at 8 a.m. My friend departed at the same time, and off to Topeka we went! Lots more talking on the car ride, and in Topeka we picked up Hoyt's uncle and grandma after hanging for an hour. Off to Wamego we went, another forty five minute drive. In Wamego we had some lunch at the Friendly Cooker (not very friendly…), then Hoyt's grandma got to enjoy something she has always wanted to do – drive a Bobcat! Her 80th birthday is still two months away, but it was decided driving a front loader Bobcat around would be more pleasant in warmer weather. Afterwards, we drove back to Topeka and hung out for another hour before going to her party. Lots of people stopped by and had some cake and cookies. She seemed absolutely thrilled and on a high from the Bobcat experience. An hour and a half into the party, me and Hoyt's brother with his wife were all pretty exhausted, so we headed back to the Kansas City area.

Lots of socializing and talking makes for one tired Pu! Now I have a pile of gifts in my living room I have to figure out where to put – Hoyt's birthday, our engagement gifts, and Christmas gifts all came at once… lol I agree though, it's better than paying shipping if you can get the shopping done early. :-p Okay, time to get some work done and wind down. Whew!

One could hope that after months of saying goodbye every week, it would get easier. In fact, it only gets harder. Every time he comes here I ask him to stay. Every time he goes. We are both worn, both holding on to whatever sanity we have. He doesn't do very well, working twelve hours each day, switching from night shifts to day shifts every week. Sometimes I think it's a blessing for him, all he does is sleep and work. I have more time to dwell, and no way to go anywhere to make it easier. We both want to be together, but we are both tied to the cities we live in now.

Some day we'll both leave and never return. We'll run away from the world and find a little peaceful slice of earth far away. He'll build his instruments, I'll play them and write and paint. We'll have a little pond for swimming, and a tree with a big swing on it. Just a little house, with a porch; rocking chairs creaking in the wind. A tasty garden in the back, some dogs curled up for an afternoon nap. Just someplace peaceful. And finally together again.

Right now we're both too afraid to be so bold, however. And so we continue to part each week. I follow him barefoot until he's out of sight, hoping he'll just turn around and never leave again. I am still hoping.