As I write this, I know there are still a few days left until escaping this year, though not entirely unscathed as one would typically prefer. It is what it is and there is a certain sense of finality to that, but these next couple blogs are meant to mostly wrap up November and December in a cohesive way and to give some sort of reason as to my silence the last couple months.
I started writing these blogs at first as an outlet to express the "random" emotions I had while writing my third book, but they ended up being more than that. I started getting a little happier at the beginning of November and had less of a reason to write, but as is the case with me sometimes, I slid backward and landed where I was before.
Not to say that's a bad thing, just an annoying thing. I think it has something to do with trying to move on full steam ahead when in your heart, you know you're not ready. I liken it to making a stew. You take the necessary steps and add the appropriate ingredients, carefully and precisely. You stir, wait a minute before adding some spice, and then you wait a lot longer. You can't jump the gun, otherwise it isn't ready, and I think that is what my "thoughts" boil down to, no pun intended. I tend to put a shelf-life on the things and people around me, and I think I put a shelf-life on my grieving process as well.
Anyways.
I start dating J, or the Green Lantern, at the beginning of November. He was the first person I had an interest in since the dreaded ex and it was wonderful to see that I could have those feelings still. Sort of showed me that not all is lost in a break up and that there are still pieces that can sputter back to life and start ticking once more. I wrote about the fabulous first date ice-skating and the rest of the events of that night, and then I fell silent about him. Fell silent about everything else, but that mostly had to deal with me getting busier at work, a trip to Texas, and then the onslaught of my over-the-top Christmas gifts that seem to define me in a weird way.
Texas was an amazing experience. I had gone to the Lone Star State last summer and things didn't work out as I had planned (or as my brother had planned I'm sure, haha.) This trip was meant to make up for that and it really did. It snowed here the night before, so I remember driving to the airport the next morning in pure excitement knowing that a) I had shorts and sandals packed in my suitcase and that b) I was escaping the weather that was getting worse. I've never had the opportunity to really escape poop weather before, so that was a first. The flights down were uneventful, though I did realize I need to eventually purchase an iPad or something similar because watching movies on my gigantic laptop is, purely and simply, a fucking a nightmare.
My brother greeted me at the airport and then we went to pick up his kids from an after-school program, and that was great because they were so excited to see me. I mean yes, I am like a celebrity (cough,) but it always feels good to see pure joy on kids faces just from your presence. We went out for dinner at a Tex-Mex sort of restaurant that night, and I was able to try my first ever Mexican martini, or Texas martini... whichever. I didn't LOVE it like my alcoholic brother does, lol, but it was good. Spicy. The next day he had to work and had to leave the kids with his ex-wife, and I decided (at her offer) to spend the day with them as well.
Do you lose siblings in a divorce? I couldn't decide that while I was there, because it felt awkward to think of her as my ex-sister in law. I think I'll just keep the ex part off of there... once a Parker always a Parker. We reconnected in the morning and talked for hours, then drove to a mall and walked around, joking the way we used to and slipping into what, for me at least, felt like a comfortable routine. It was nice. That night my brother and I had pizza with the kids and watched the Green Lantern movie, which I thought was pretty awful, hahaha, but entertaining at least. The next day we went to a great burger place called "Your Mom's" which was delicious if not crazy greasy. Dicked around town afterward and I did some "light" shopping, stopping at an art-fair type thing and buying these awesome coasters that I will steal the idea for eventually.
Went home, changed into fancy clothes, and then hit the town again. We went to on of my brother's favorite bars called Clive which looks like an old saloon but updated in a very trendy way. Hit downtown after that and went to a dueling piano bar, which in and of itself was pretty fantastic. A little crowded, but that's to be expected on a Saturday night. The interesting thing about Austin is how they shut down the streets at night, subsequently FILLING them with bar-goers. It was walking down this street after the piano bar that my trip officially made itself perfect.
My brother and I talked a lot about going to the Alamo Drafthouse on my prior visit though it did not pan out. This trip we were going to go for sure, and we were going to see Immortals. The Alamo Drafthouse is kind of like a dinner theatre, where you pay for your movie ticket, go and sit down, and then you order up essentially anything you can think of because the menu is so extensive. Super comfortable seats, super friendly staff, and the food is good too. My brother and I are walking back towards the car in a round-about sort of way when we walk past the Alamo Ritz, and he points it out, saying how it is one of the better theatres but we are going to one on the other side of the city to see our movie. Walking past the marquee, I see something that makes my heart stop.
Jurassic Park.
It should be noted here that everyone has an over-all favorite movie. I have a bunch of favorites, which is the same answer nearly ANYONE will give you when asked what movie they love, but usually there is a movie that spans across all of those favorites and holds the title all its own. For me, that is Jurassic Park. You know it is your favorite when you have worn out two VHS copies, can recite the movie nearly verbatim without actually watching it, and cut your own fan trailers to it.
Said trailer can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDslAOxrfRY
So I geek out, my brother sees, and he surprises me later when we get home that he bought tickets online and we would be seeing it the next day. That next day ended up being mostly a blur because I absolutely couldn't stand the anticipation. My family and I saw Jurassic Park on June 11th, 1993 when it first came out. I was too young for repeat viewings on the big screen at the time, so I only saw it that once. I won't get too technical on the details of the Alamo experience, but I will say that the print they showed was the original from 1993, sound problems and static on the screen and all, and that I loved every moment of it. I even cried more than once (because I am clearly a pussy.) Best movie experience ever.
And that was my last day in Texas. Monday morning came and it was time to fly back to the cold, but I was ready. I usually am ready to return to my own bed at the end of a trip, though maybe not the location of said bed. Said farewell to my brother, flew home, and was surprised at the airport by J with a rose.
To be continued...
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