It’s been a busy couple of days.
I had a date with the Spaniard on Sunday, which I will have to update you all on fully and with more attention to detail. He has the distinction of being one of the few dates I did not cry my way home from. I will tell you more about him shortly.
Admiral Fubar is home between training camps for a few days.
I’d met the Spaniard earlier then later went to dinner with Admiral Fubar and of course he wanted Burgerville now that he’s back in town so as we sat over fries and shakes he said, “Wow! You look like you’re in a really good mood. And you just went on a date – those two rarely coincide…”
“I had fun. And well, I didn’t cry all the way home afterward. That was a relief.” I agreed as I sipped at a black forest shake.
He widened his eyes in shock, “A date that didn’t make you cry!!!?? I think he’s a keeper. You should keep this one.”
“Whoa! You’re moving pretty fast there.”
We talked about the date some more, ate burgers and caught up on stories of camp. It was heart-breakingly normal for how abnormal I know it will be soon. It was just like old times sitting at the Burgerville across the street from our apartment and talking about his army stories and my dating scenarios and knowing – he will not be home for over a year.
“While you were out I took apart the bookshelf you’d put together wrong and fixed it and I also assembled one of the bookshelves that was still in the box.” He picked at his fries.
Okay, now, I’m not an idiot. I’m a pretty savvy individual – but I swear to god! That stupid bookshelf, a step-style IKEA six cubey thing WAS VERY POORLY LABELED AND THE INSTRUCTIONS WERE WRONG. It took me nearly a week of trying, putting it together wrong, taking it apart and putting it back together backwards that I finally broke it (or so I thought) and left it in a pile to be taken to the dumpster – because I sure as hell was not going to take it back and admit that I was too stupid to put it together and then angry enough that I broke one of the shelves.
“I can put the other one together if you want too.” He offered.
I stared, open mouthed, “You fixed it?”
“I also fixed the card table that was apparently, uhm, broken. What did you do to it? Was it some wild fit of passion?”
“No – it just got in my way one morning…”
While Admiral Fubar was gone I ruined a bookshelf, a laptop, a card table and forgot to pay the electric bill. I had two astronomically bad dates and left my debit card at a vendor and drove away.
“I leave you alone for 26 days and you totally make a mess!” He teased. “How are you going to make it for a year?”
It was a joke. Sort of. I’m not normally a mess. I don’t normally need someone to fix the things I break. It was all just bad timing and happened all at once, I insisted. But I did wonder, what am I going to do without him to be my spotter, my co-pilot and my buddy. Who am I going to go to the gym with or walk across the street for late night burgers and fries in our pajamas with? Who am I going to have movie line contests with while grocery shopping with a cart full of frozen burritos? I will miss him. A lot.
I don’t know when it happened – but I’ve somehow gotten very attached to the little bugger, and I love him dearly.
As we made plans for his last few days in town before he ships out he said, “So, I have this idea…. I was thinking…”
“Uh-oh. That never has a happy ending.” I joked.
“Well, this idea might be more uh-oh than you think… I was thinking that since you wanted to do it for your birthday, and we didn’t get to make it – that we should go skydiving really quick before I leave.” He froze as if silently counting the seconds till thunder.
“That’s a great idea!” I said. “Make the call.”
“What? That easy? I thought for sure you’d argue with me or make excuses or…” He looked bewildered.
“I would think that after knowing me this long that you’d know by now – -“
“That you are way more spontaneous than I am?” He finished.
“No, that you expect these huge arguments out of me and you rarely ever get them.” I continued.
“Except that sometimes you throw a fit or an argument over something I’m totally not expecting it for.” He sighed.
“Just trying to keep you on your toes, little brother.” I grinned. “I hate to be predictable. Let’s book that jump.”
And so – to continue the BlissQuest adventures to cross off the list – Admiral Fubar and myself are signed up to skydive on Thursday the 30th of April. It will depend on the weather as to whether we will get to go, but we are on the plane if it decides to take off. I’ve asked for a photographer as well so we can document it for the BlissQuest.
This adventure has been a long time coming and I promised Admiral Fubar last year that I wouldn’t go without him – so I was expecting to have to wait until he gets back from Baghdad. But I think we can squeeze in this adventure before he leaves and we will know for sure – firsthand experience if terminal velocity can cause bliss. It sounds like a good idea at the time…
Stay tuned for, Adventures in Falling.
Recent Comments