Marrying your love involves melding lives, family, and friends. Charlie manages to keep up with many of his friends from college and I often accompany him on his visits and to parties and the like. I, on the other hand, have always only had and continue to have a handful of close friends, and tend to stick to myself. Charlie teasingly says I am antisocial, which, I suppose isn't very far from the truth.
While that general melding of friends and relationships meant an expanded social circle for me, I found a fast friend in Jessica, Charlie's friend Sean's wife. Jessica and I immediately clicked and she became "my friend, Jessica" rather than "Sean's wife, Jessica." Lucky for me Sean had wisely chosen such a woman!
Our friends transplanted their lives to Atlanta post-K, so that meant fewer dog walks, beers at the Rendon, organization lessons, and long chats about everything and nothing all at the same time.
When they made their visit to New Orleans after 18 months in Atlanta, Jessica and I picked up where we left off. We talked and talked and talked. I missed them. I missed her.
You know, we all say we'll visit, we'll email, we'll call. And time gets away from us. Work gets in the way. Both having off this summer meant there were no excuses! So last week, I headed to Atlanta for a visit.
Jessica had an full agenda planned. Each night we'd go over the next day's activities...exercise, picnics, shopping, pedicures. And each morning we'd wake up, share a pot of of coffee, sit around in our pajamas, and talk until it was time to dress for dinner.
And each night at dinner we would drink wine, and eat, and drink more wine, and stay up later than I ever do! I managed a 3:30 am and a 7:00 am night while there...even Charlie was in shock.
So not too many pictures from the week, as it would have been the same photo each day...us at the kitchen table in pjs with blue coffee mugs or us at the restaurant with glasses of red wine. I'm sure you can picture it.
Jessica's dad sent us to Turner Field with his Braves' tickets! So that night we chatted over beer and hot dogs as we watched the game out of one eye and the crowd out of the other.
We were in the second row along first base, so we had a nice view of the action.
I found the security at the game interesting...several men on guard during each change of the innings.
The Braves fell to the Tigers, but that didn't put a damper on our chatting!
I stayed at Jessica's family home...where she grew up. The house is filled with memories and the pictures to document their lives. It was sweet to hear Sean talk about the den as the place they took prom pictures and where he presented Jessica with flowers, and now their lives as a family continue to grow. So now I too was able to become part of the memories of that house.
I was able to share a meal and conversation with Jessica's family. I even got a little attention out of
Charlie Kapp.
I think he just liked me for my camera! As much as he liked taking pictures he wasn't much into having his picture taken.
Jessica's sister, Jennifer, is in Atlanta as well, so it was nice to share time with them.
Jennifer's husband,
Jay, got to hang out with the girls.
My stay with the Kellys got me a chance to see Sean's life away from home. We ate one night at his present
job as well as started what would end up being an all nighter at his
previous place of work!
A yummy meal and great company.
So now we need to set a date for the next visit...an organization trip to Bordeaux Street? Girls trip? The Kellys and Streichs first annual vacation?
Looking forward to it, whatever it may be. Let's put it on the calender!
