Very long... and filled simply with details of vacation.



So, vacation was wonderful.
On the twenty-fifth, we drove up with a friend of ours to Raleigh, North Carolina for a Mindless Self Indulgence concert. We lost ourselves in the music, and I got a little too into it, having to step out for the last song so that I could take a couple hits off my inhaler before passing out in the crowd. On the way up, we also got these friggin amazing 20 oz porter steaks at this truck stop called the Iron Skillet. 14.99 for one of the best steaks I've ever head, a salad and soup bar, desert bar, and some amazing mashed potatoes. When the concert was over, we headed back home. Having already packed everything for our trip into the van, we were here just long enough to pick up Bryan's father so that he could drive us to the airport and we wouldn't have to leave a vehicle there.

With our flight leaving at 5:35, we had to rush to the airport, and made it there just in time to get through before they closed it off to us (you have to have at least half an hour before your flight, or they won't even check you in). So, then it was off to security where we had a bit of a tiff over something stupid. Onwards, and onto the plane, and we were soon on our way. We had a medium plane for the trip to Charlotte, North Carolina, and it went by pretty quickly. Then, we got to sit in an airport for three hours. During this time, we managed to get cups and milk from the nearby Starbucks so that we could eat some of the Apple Zings we brought with us for breakfast. Hehe
Then... onto the next plane. Good, standard sized plane this time. The woman sitting with us was a bit chatty at first, but soon passed out and was silent for the rest of the trip. We soon arrived in Chicago, where we practically melted at the smell of pizza all around us, especially knowing we had no money to get any. Two hours there, and onto the next, and smallest, plane of our trip. It was one of those itsy bitsy planes where everyone is nice and cramped, and there's hardly any room to even think about moving around.
Though it was the longest leg of our trip to Arkansas, it still didn't take long, and we were soon exiting the plane into the Little Rock airport. Onto baggage claim, where I got to be nice and ticked off at the idiots who can't even do a simple job like loading luggage without somehow screwing it up. We get down to the claim for our flight, and wait... after a while, we hear the message that all luggage for our flight has come through, and that anyone who doesn't have theirs should check at the office. So, off we go... our bags are there, yay... and the larger of the two is broken... yay goes out the window. Along with the luggage is a slip of paper, informing me that I can't even file a claim for my bag, as the wheels and handle on it mean that it has jutting parts and, therefore, is not their fault. In other words... Don't EVER expect these morons to compensate you for a broken bag because 3/4 of the luggage people use nowadays has, what? Oh yeah!! WHEELS! *sigh*
On the upside, it was just the wheels that were busted, and Bryan is a total sweetheart, and wouldn't let me carry it... so it could have been worse.

So, yay... airport done with, and we were on our way to my step-grandmother's. We chatted for a few, and soon headed to the hotel to drop off our stuff. There was to be a bbq sort of thing that night, but we were both exhausted at this point, especially Bryan, so we opted to get some sleep before joining everyone else. A nice nap, amazing shower, fresh set of clothes, and few hours later, we gave my stepmother a call to come pick us up. Heading over to my Aunt's, we got to chit-chat with everyone for a bit, and soon joined in on the Rock Band craziness. Everyone got really into it, and we had a total blast... until someone mentioned putting away Rock Band and doing Karaoke... then it was time for us to go. As much as I love singing, I didn't feel like dealing with that at the time, and neither did Bryan.

The next few days consisted of sleep, wedding preparations, Assassin's Creed, Incredible Hulk, and... on the twenty-eighth, my aunt was married. Four children came first, but she is now happily married to the father of those kids. It was a very nice little wedding. Though it was originally to be outside, we ended up having to hold it inside, due to rain, although it stopped shortly thereafter so everyone was still able to go outside, relax, have fun, and all that jazz.

On the morning of the twenty-ninth, I woke up around 7:30 and began packing. By 9:30, Bryan and I were loaded in my car (which I had just been handed the notarized Bill of Sale, title, etc. for), and began following my parents to Louisiana. It was a longish trip, but relaxing. I was able to get some reading in, as was Bryan, and we both enjoyed the alone time together... though we were both happy (me moreso, of course) when we arrived at my Grandmother's. Once inside, I was happy to see that my Aunt was also there, with her kids... though not so happy to see that my grandmother now has to have oxygen at all times because she caught pneumonia, and they didn't catch it soon enough. She's still just as strong as ever, though, and seems to be doing just fine. We got the back room, with the computer, which was nice since it meant I could check my e-mail and what-not a lot easier. :P

Popeye's for dinner that night, and then a night of restful sleep, despite the somewhat short bed. We woke the next morning, had Apple Zings for breakfast, and hung out with the family all morning. Around two or so, we all headed down to New Orleans. Keep in mind... despite what everyone seems to think, the place is not still under water. :P
Having been born in Baton Rouge, this is home to me... and I was happy to see that, although some businesses, clubs, etc. have not returned, the city already has a good foothold toward being what it used to be. We wandered the streets for a few hours, had beignets, drinks, etc. throughout the day, picked up a few souvenirs, and soon found ourselves wishing my grandparents, brother, and niece and nephew a good trip back home before heading off for our evening fun.

And oh what a night it was...
The original plan was for all four of us (my parents, Bryan, and myself) to go on the vampire tour. Well... that plan fell through, to an extent. Rather than going with us, my parents asked me if we'd mind them going to sit in a Blues club while we took the tour. We were to meet up for dinner afterwards, and then we'd all walk around for a bit...
Okay, sure. So... Bryan and I went on the tour, and had a total blast. Our guide was amazing, because he really got into it, and gave us not only the stuff that was supposed to be on the tour, but also all the interesting research he'd done into these occurrences, along with the history of the places we visited.
Toward the end of the tour, I noticed that I'd gotten a few voicemails from my parents. So, on our way to the last stop, and while waiting for our guide to use the restroom, and other people to get drinks, I checked what they had been calling about. Keep in mind, three fourths of what I could hear in these messages was just the clubs and bars they were at, so I had a good bit of trouble understanding them... but I got the gist. My stepmother left her purse somewhere at one point, so they had to go get it, I was to call them when we got done, or when we were ready to meet up, etc...
So, when we finished our tour... I give my father a call. After a bit of walking, and continually thinking we were lost when we weren't, we soon made our way back to Bourbon Street, where we met up with my parents... and OMG were they drunk. I've never seen my father drunk before, so I found this hilarious at first... though my stepmother trying to dance on every street poll we passed was more embarassing than anything. I continued to find my father's drunken sobriety rather humorous... until I realized that we were just going to head home, because neither he nor my stepmother had the sense to really ask us what we wanted to do for the most part. Bryan had to drive, though my father still gave directions perfectly, and we were soon home. My stepmom went straight to bed, and my father stepped inside... then I got to cry with Bryan for a bit...
Although my father still knows what he's talking about when he's drunk.... he's a bit of an ass at times, which got a bit upsetting, as I'm sure you can guess. While talking with Bryan, my father stepped outside with us. He noticed that I was upset, and asked me for a five... which I soon realized was just to get me to stop hiding my face... because he then asked why I was crying. I made some silly excuse, and, after talking with us a bit (a decent step toward sober now), he went back inside. We followed shortly thereafter, and headed to bed.

The next day was a good bit more calm. We hung out with everyone that morning, and headed to New Orleans alone around one or so. We walked around a bit, had me try on this amazing corset at one point, picked up this really nice little mask at one of the street vendors, found the Boutique du Vampyre where we picked up a couple Vamps (Spencer's used to carry them, but I haven't found them in forever... best energy drink, ever), and tried to find one of the little Voodoo Shops we'd seen the day before. We found a more correct one, but never the little charm-filled ones we'd been trying to locate. *shrug*

Around fivish, we decided it was time to head home. I'd told my grandmother we'd be home for dinner... so staying any longer would have made us late. Traffic was a drag getting out of the city, but once we were out of that, it was a nice trip back. I caught a few Zzz's, and we made a quick U-turn for Snow Cones shortly before getting back to my grandmother's. We spent the night with my family, having one of my grandmother's amazing home-cooked meals, and eventually headed to bed. I made sure most of our stuff was packed for the next morning, and then we got some sleep.

The next morning...
We woke around 7. Had the last of our Apple Zings, chatted with everyone for a bit... and left around 7:45, with me in tears. I always hate leaving my family... I don't get to see them really often, and knowing that I was leaving Louisiana again really stung at me. As I stated, it's home for me... and no one likes leaving a place they feel so strongly connected to.

The drive back was long, but relaxing. We switched off in three-hour intervals, stopping for pizza, small breaks, and snacks along the way. It was one a.m. by the time we got home, with a good twelve hours driving, and most of our breaks taking a good half hour. We made it on two tanks of gas, which was awesome... and still had some money left over from what my parents gave us when we got home.

Yesterday, we went to court. We got there just a tad late, but right on time for when everything started. He went through names and, when he called us, we got a nice weight lifted off our shoulders. Rather than 375 dollars and Bryan losing his license, our ticket was reduced to 180, and he only got four points. With his previously perfect record, that means that he can take a course in a few months, when the points show up, and get four points removed... which will put him back to clean. So, with 195 dollars of non-devoted money in our pocket, we went to pick up a good friend of mine. We ordered pizza for her and one of her roommates because the idiot that is my ex. ate all the food in the house, and left them with nothing for the last week and a half. After that, we took her over to Wal-Mart so she could get some shopping done, and then dropped her back off at home.

Then it was a relaxing night of movies, popcorn, and fun for us...
And today, we start back to work.

Life is back to usual, I suppose... but vacation was definitely nice.

I really just wanted to thank everyone who's left comments for me thus far. The advice that has been left here has been a big help to me, and my confidence in our situation and eventually having children. I know we'll never be truly financially 'ready' to have children, save for some miracle happening... but I don't feel like we have to wait for the perfect financial point. If we do, we'll never have children at all. Of course, this doesn't mean we're going to start trying to have them now, we still have other things to take care of... like getting a place of our own, and being secure in our jobs (fiance' already is, but I'm stuck between keeping a job I really enjoy but can't move up in for another two years, and finding a desk job where I'll make more money, but not enjoy my job even nearly as much).

As for our friend...
I'm still a bit upset with her, because, as mentioned before, her comment really stung me. I plan on talking to her when I get some time to actually do so, so that she can understand how I feel. I am happy that she and D are having a baby... I know it will make them both very happy, especially D. It's just upsetting to see the way she's treating the whole thing right now. And this is also a woman who's always seemed to have two very different sides... one of which I love hanging around and being friends with, the other of which I absolutely hate, because of the way she treats people behind their backs, whether she means to or not.

Anyway...
I've been able to bring things back to a steady emotion now, rather than the highs and lows I was going through with everything currently going on around us. We should be getting our own place in the next few months, which means we can really begin building our life together, without other influence upon it. We'll be able to spend time alone, in the privacy of our own home... and not have to worry about what new argument is going to arise when we step out of the bedroom.
It's funny, actually... the stress in our life that does not have to do with family members, we can handle. We go through it together, and there's no issue. But, currently, we are between apartments, due to some issues with our old roommate, and we're stuck living with his parents for a couple months. And, while this wouldn't be a problem if it were just his parents (despite being on totally different schedules, and getting very little sleep at times)... his brother has got to be the biggest jerk I've ever met. He enjoys stealing from others, and then yelling and screaming when he finds that something of his might be missing. He also loves sitting there with his 14-year-old, pregnant girlfriend and making some rather harsh comments to try to hurt me, knowing that his father was already in bed, and wanting to cause a fight between he and my fiance. *sigh*
Anyway... as I was saying. Place of our own, getting our life sorted, my getting secure in my job, and hopefully starting college. To be perfectly honest, I want to wait. I mean, as much as I really want to bring life into this world, as much as I want to be a mother... I have dreams, goals, and ambitions that I want to see fulfilled... and those won't be as easy to accomplish once a baby enters the picture. So, we'll get our life moving, and I'll start college... get my degree in math and education, and start teaching. And then we can fulfill this dream of a child, a dream which, before, seemed so unattainable, like we'd never be ready for it... a dream which is now much brighter, and clearer in my mind.