Dr. William Patrick (L.) Klapheke

Well, he's been complaining. Every comment he posts begs for a mention. Every time we talk, he brings it up. I realize, as a teacher, I am only feeding his big head, but that is the essence of Patrick, so I continue fueling the flame...

Background: as a child, Andy (Turner's dad) picked on me mercilessly. I mean, mercilessly. It must've been fun because I pretty much remember crying daily at his hands. I'm over it; no need to feel sorry for me at this point. :) Although, Mom has said on multiple occasions that she never thought we'd actually turn out liking each other. It was pretty bad. I'm mostly remembering (PK and I discussed it on Fathers' Day) McDonald's and Senior Skip Day. (his not mine). Andy was constantly causing something. So much so that Patrick's college friends didn't even know he had a sister until well into the game. All he talked about was what Andy was up to. (I guess my scholastic achievements and being golden weren't as worthy as the shenanigans Andy was getting into.) My point being: in middle and high school, Patrick was "my big brother." Andy was my "brother" typically followed by a sigh. (I will add that every girl at Glasgow High School had a crush on him and let me know that and I just got sick of it. That didn't help my dislike...or whatever you call it)

All that changed when Andy procreated. This was brought to my attention by Megan when I was telling her about my weekend plans. I told her my brother was in town. Then felt I had to clarify because I have two and she said, "Oh, I figured. If it were Andy you'd have said Turner was in town." Point.

So now I have two brothers: Turner's Dad and The Other Brother.

So the other brother was in town this weekend complaining about not being on the blog and visiting his college friends. Pictures to follow. His actual purpose was a wedding, but the visiting of all friends occurred as well. I must say I LOVE HIS FRIENDS (deserving of caps instead of italics). When I was in those years where I probably actually hated Andy (not sure I was really capable of that, but really close), Patrick would pass through Glasgow with his college friends to go to Derby or to hang-out. I loved them. And they were so nice to me.
This is a picture from our dinner at Red Pony in Franklin. Caroline hoped to see someone famous. I was content having my meal paid for! If only Mark could've been there. He would've been married by now, no doubt, but I'm betting for old times' sake he would've picked up my tab. :)

My favorite thing about his group of friends is that they are all still very close. None live in the same city, but they see each other so often at wedding and Vandy festivities, etc. They keep up so well. I have amazing friends. Some of the best people I know. But Patrick has a really solid set group that has remained that way for...wow a really long time now...13 years????

I can't really find a way to tie this to Mexico or my blog, but poor ol' PK was dying for some of that first-child-attention, so here it is. :) Love you big brother. And Andy, love you too. More than anyone ever thought I would. Self included.

See you all Sunday and so excited about it I could scream!

PK and his wife Mer

Caroline (my favorite of his friends of all time; she is forever fussing over me and she came and campaigned for my mother for goodness sakes! LOVE HER) and her husband Clay

Bump and his wife Kim (Bump is also a favorite. But Caroline must take the cake. Bump's a nice guy so he'll understand.)

Kim, me and Mer...Caroline was flitting about being her extra-social self!

missing and being missed

So this is Turner. My pride and joy. Okay, Andy and Amanda's pride and joy, but quite often I try to claim him as my own. Nothing he does can be out done- no smarter, no funnier, no better, no more creative, no cuter, no more well-behaved...basically he's perfect. If you have a niece or nephew (or more likely child/grandchild of your own) you feel me here. Well, almost exactly a year ago, my dear sweet brother and his dear sweet wife decided to move to Arizona. I tried to be supportive, but was really sad. If you know me at all, you remember this stage. Alas, after having visited them out there twice, seeing them over Christmas in Kentucky, and talking on the phone Sprint to Sprint (God love 'em!) any chance we get, I am truly happy they're there. Granted, it was a bit cheaper and logistically easier to visit them in Lexington, but I have been surprised at how glad I am for them...out there. This is a big step, seeing as how I was the President (and member) of the We Don't Want Them to Go Club. Truth be told I wish they lived in Nashville. But I wish most people did, so that is a moot point.

All that to say, I cried and cried all last spring and summer expecting to miss them and be in a depressed funk for the however many years they would be out there. After my first visit, I realized that yes I missed them, but that the world would not stop revolving. Nor would I enter aforementioned funk.

So Tuesday I missed a call from my little man and his message was semi-indiscernible (Bewley- I may need your lexicon skills here-spellcheck said indiscernible...). So when I talked to Amanda later that night, she explained he woke up sad and missing me. He wanted to call me (and he's in a phase now where he does not love the phone). His message was hard to understand because he was...crying. Of course as she tells me this I shed my own tears, wiping away the minor victory that he misses me while feeling the guilt of his being in pain.

In Mexico, I'll be closer (I think) to Arizona, but it will be harder to get there. So I'm guessing my Thanksgiving and Spring Break trips will be less of a reality there. Thankful that I'm at peace with the whole fam living out there, I'm also sad knowing that he won't be able to just dial anytime he dreams of La-La and wakes wondering where I could be. For the record, Amanda put him on the phone and he wanted me to come to his house and he wanted to come to "Nashbille." Good news is both of those will be happening starting next week!

Fast forward to today when I meet Lindsay (my childhood bff, neighbor, bike riding buddy, and go-to for anything) her mom Mrs. Thurman (who will never be Susan in my book per our discussion at lunch) and Shelley for lunch at California Pizza Kitchen in Green Hills. They were stopping through on their way to Carson's (brother and son) wedding this weekend in Little Rock, Arkansas. So we eat and chat and catch up. We haven't seen each other since our annual Christmas Eve eggnog adventure which was super short this year for many reasons. I love this family. They're all so smart and funny and really unique in their own way (which I know is redundant, Honey). For example, Lindsay is going to her residency in Ann Arbor (her first choice), because even though she would've gotten into Harvard easily, after visitng Boston, she couldn't see herself living there. Wow. Shelley on the other hand, moved to Whales (yeah) after college to some really impressive musical place (that's all I can say) and now teaches clarinet, is director of some children's orchestra, and basically is living out her dream. Amazing people. All the while at lunch, making me feel like I'm super-amazing and important. I know- you're all people who like me who are reading this and Mom just said under her breath, "You are special, super amazing, and important, Laura." But you know what I mean.

I wouldn't have seen any of these three ladies between now and Christmas Eve 08 anyway, but knowing I'm going to Mexico made me realize I definitely won't see them. And I probably won't talk to them.

Tonight, I'm going to eat dinner with my friend Kate (her dad is the "Dr. Tom" from an earlier blog) and two other teachers. Kate lives in Jackson, Mississippi, so our visits are getting rare too. This year we even missed each other at holiday times. Tonight will be our goodbye, though I'm not going to acknowledge it. :)

I'm SO EXCITED about going. I really am. But there's a weird accompanying feeling. Guilt for leaving people behind (stupid I know), and I guess just an awareness that I actually am leaving. And I actually will be gone ten months.

So weird.

Stressed Susan

If you know me at all, you know it doesn't take much to get me stressed. In the past week, I have lost housing for Yuri, made plans for DC, and shopped shopped shopped (which I never do) to get things done for Mexico. I'm justifying my 5 new dresses, by the way, with the rationale that I'll be cooler (temperature-wise; I'm always cool figuratively) in the HOT HOT Mexico in dresses. Just go with it. I think it's just my new binge for my stress. I'm not at Lockeland to snack on cookies in the teachers' lounge; dresses are the new cookies.
Thankfully, I have reduced my stress by buying, but also by my yoga. And this week, I talked to our fabulous ex-PTO president and he made me feel much better about the possibilities of housing in East Nashville. Lockeland has so many wonderful connections!
I also have managed my stress (actually, this probably in honesty is creating some of the stress) by taking it easy this summer. Backwards, I know. In the past two weeks, I have babysat a handful of times, tanned, shopped, yogaed, and napped. It's a pretty decent lifestyle. Someone should create the Endless Summer (Andy and PK- do you remember the time Ragle rented the documentary by that name one night at Dad's?!). I suppose that can be done by marrying rich. That's what grandmother always says, anyway.
But taking it easy has included hanging out with the teachers. It had only been 1.5 weeks since I'd seen these people (and only one week since I'd seen Megan), but when you're used to daily interaction, summer is hard. Okay, not hard. I know those of you with real jobs are rolling your eyes right now. At any rate, some of us got together last night for pizza at Mafiaoza's. See picture below: Me, Jennifer Minton (music), Megan (the other Senorita), and Jennifer Scruggs (first). Not pictured, Casey Bateman (resource) hiding behind the camera in her workout gear that was frustratingly cuter than us! Okay, we were pretty cute. Maybe just as cute as us.
I'm sure I'll have more frustrations soon, but I felt the need to post.
Happy Weekend everyone.