Update from Loveland

No, this is not a post about romance. My cousins live in Loveland. Which is where I am. Visiting them. It was kind of an early night tonight -- Kate's out for the weekend, Meredith's off Babysitting, and Rachel's been in a funk all day and so went to bed early (around 11:00). I thought I'd take a few minutes to check my mail, and ended up over here as well. So, a few highlights:

I love my cousins dearly. The three girls are considered among my best of friends, though I hardly get to see them, and never get to talk with them enough. Rachel I haven't seen in what we've decided was nearly 2 years. Being up here is wonderful, but also kinda sad in that, more than anything else, it's setting my expected isolation in California in sharp relief.

Pictures have been shown around a lot, though I keep meaning-and-forgetting to take pictures myself. I showed The Girls pictures of my family (Meredith, I think, noted how it's odd that they're each respectively closer in age to one of my brothers). Meredith laughed at an old-old picture I have from my first trip here, one of me, Shannon, and Amanda back when I was 13 (and they were 11 or 12). I also saw a recent picture of my pseudo-cousin Katherine, who I haven't seen since I was about 15 or so, I think.

I've been approved for my apartment while I've been up here -- I was just told about it today, in fact. All that remains now, I suppose, is to sign the lease and give them first-and-last-month's rent (about $1000 all told), and I'm set. Plans are for me to move in about Sept12th or so, I think.

I met both Rachel and Kate's boyfriends. Kate is seeing a large, hairy man named Spencer, with a rather languid demeanor, who has a sense of humour that got along well with my own. I didn't see much of him, but he was lots of fun to laugh with, and seemed a cool guy.

I saw significantly more of Rachel's boyfriend, Josh; he's something of a tallish, thinish, bird-type man (his proportions look much like mine did when I was in highschool, methinks), and he's a huge geek in most of the right ways -- a BIG Batman fan, a Role-player (a LARPer, even), and we geeked for several hours (I think) the first time he was over. I gave him the obligatory "If you hurt her, I'll kill you," line, but he seems to make her happy, which will keep him safe so long as he doesn't futz up. It's good to see the way she's happy with this relationship.

Meredith had something of a breakdown when the boy she's been enamoured with (on-and-off) for years failed to keep his word and call. I don't like seeing her upset. Sadly, I felt quite useless that night; Josh said everything I might have, and Rachel was there to hold her, and Mere's position hit a little closer to my own than I'd readily admit, so I was sufficiently... abscent.

I had resolved to Speak with Suzannah when I get home, at least before I leave for California. I knew at the time what I would say, and toward what end, but I couldn't tell you what it was now. A part of me is feeling really apathetic about it all again, and I hate that. At the time, I'd just wantedto be open and honest and say "this is hurting me," rather than just let it sit, ignored, until my whole relationship with her faded away. Today, as I sit here, I just don't know if it matters one way or the other, and that makes me sad.

We've watched a lot of movies, as we're wont to do when Rachel and I visit. Among others, we've seen The Mechanist, Love Actually, When Harry Met Sally, Boondock Saints, and a couple plays.

Saturday, August 6th. I'll be in Maryland in about 5 days.