Arizona here we come!

So we are going to Arizona on thursday morning to visit the g-parents. My dad's family. While they are not my favorite people in the world, they are family and seeing as how my grandfather's health is not good, away we go. I'm very thankful right now that my cousin Lori moved to the same town this summer as my g-parents. She ROCKS. Her family (my dad's brother) live in Iowa and are fabulous. They are the only ones that have been there for EVERY important event in my life. (My one other uncle would have been, but circumstances did not allow him. He's pretty cool too) So needless to say I'm pretty pumped that I will be able to see her!!

And I have decided that I'm INCREDIBLY lucky to have some pretty amazing friends. Several of them are going to make the 3 hour drive down to where my g-parents live to see me!

My grandmother was very irritated when I finished my travel nursing in Arizona because I chose to spend a day in Phoenix hanging out with my friends on a pub crawl on the saturday after my last shift. It was soo much fun, and they really all wanted to spend that time with me before I left. We were moving my father the following Monday to Texas. Her thoughts were that I should have come immediately to my father's the day I was finished so we could leave a whole one day sooner. Of course, she didn't tell me this, just my father. She was quite passive aggressive and (stupidly) asked me how it went when we finally all met up in Texas. *evil grin* I literally followed her around showing her pictures (that she obviously didn't want to see) and talking about my friends and how it meant so much to me and them to spend that last time together. If she didn't want to know, she shouldn't have asked. lol

I can't wait to see her face when a couple of them drive the 3 hrs to see me at her place. =)

Ok so maybe I'm being a little passive aggressive too, and I really am glad that I'm going to see her. I just hate when she treats my father like a child that has misbehaved. And like our family is incapable of making adult decisions.

Anyway, moral of the story is....I'M REALLY REALLY excited to get there. I really want to spend time with the g-parents and hang out. And I'm really really crossing my fingers that they don't belittle my father. Lord knows he doesn't need that.

Friends

So I *LOVE LOVE LOVE* it when my friends meet and instantly love each other. =) Believe me when I say this has NOT been my history!! I tend to be friends with all different sorts of people and they don't necessarily get along.

When I was traveling in Arizona for work I met Ashley (my smashley). We almost literally instantly hit it off. I mean the day we met we totally clicked!! She went off to Europe for 4 weeks and as soon as she got back wanted to get my number so we could hang out. It was great. For the remainder of the time I was there, we were inseperable!

Fastforward from Nov to Jan. I'm working in Kansas City now and home on many of my days off. It's my birthday and Smash has come up from Arizona to spend it with me. My bestest friend Becca is up from Arkansas to celebrate our birthdays together as well. They meet. Smash said it perfectly. She learned that when you meet your best friends other best friend....it makes you instant friends. And it did.

Fastforward AGAIN...=) to just last weekend. My Erin and James went to Arizona for her 30th birthday. VERY sad that I was not able to go, but unfortunatly could not. Erin, James and Smash met. Again, instant friends.

It's ever so nice that my best friends can be friends with each other.

Frustration

So I have decided that I have a love/hate relationship with my house. I really do like it, but I don't like the lack of extra money I used to have! It's really putting a damper on things! I was hoping to get down to Arkansas to see the kids....oh and my sister, best friend, brother, brother in law, and ex sister in law ;). Suppose I should keep them in there too. But really I find that I just miss the kids ALL THE TIME lately. I think it's because I got used to William's girls being here and driving down there more frequently to see everyone. I was REALLY able to get down several times while I was working in Kansas City and kept it up for about a year.

Part of this reason, however, is also because we are flying to visit my grandparents in October. We have never been really close with them, but Grandpa may not last much longer with his emphyasema, so I wanted to be sure to see him again.

I usually do most of the travelling to Arkansas because I am usually the one that has a bit more money and I have no kids (so having to plan around school!!) Plus, my job allows me to get several days off in a row to go places.

Ok end of rant. Things will get better. I will tighten down and spend less and save up a bit more. Maybe I can get enough cushion to get down there still before the chances of snow make me wait till spring.