Home (A Sunday Blessing)

Since Thursday night, I've been HOME -- in Tampa, at our house in Carrollwood. Yesterday I got to go to the Y and see my buddies, especially Florence. And yesterday afternoon, I saw Randy's coworkers, my friends, from USF.

Tonight, we had dinner at my favorite restaurant in Tampa Bay, Lee Roy Selmon's, with two of my favorite people in the whole world -- Jen and Coby O'Brien. We were extra lucky, too, because Jen's parents, The Kaltriders, were also there. Great GF food from a dedicated GF menu with Red Bridge beer. YAY.

I can't tell you how much it meant for me to see Jen especially, since she's a doctoral student in psychology in Bangor, Wales. It's not like I see Coby that much, or the Kaltriders, either, but Jen and I have had a special friend bond since I met her at a Valentine's Day party at their house in February 2004. it was our first Valentine's Day, my love and I, and we went to this party and had such a great time. I just loved Jen and Coby from the moment I meant them. Coby is an advertising genius, and he has the most amazing, beautiful laugh. (AND he introduced me to Wasabi peas, one of my favorite foods!) And Jen, well, there was the potential that she and I could have nothing in common, but we bonded over an Alanis Morrisette CD...from there, we traded music, and recipes, and just great friendship. Jen was in Wales when we got married, but she and Coby still gave us the greatest party here in Tampa before our wedding. And we were lucky to share in their bachelor and bachelorette parties before their beautiful wedding at St. Pete Beach last summer.

Good, good friends. Lucky us. We are blessed.

Jen and Coby have something else in common with Randy and me -- a commuter marriage. They have it a lot worse than Randy and I do, at least for another eight months or so. I can see Randy every couple weeks -- Jen is in freakin WALES, so this short, midterm trip home is extra special for her.

And we're blessed because we got to see her just after she got in to town!

The whole weekend has been great. I always miss my Randy when I'm not with him, and though sadly I have to leave tomorrow (damn meeting at 8:30 Monday morning!) And we've had a great time -- doing all the things we miss when we're not together. This morning we had a great Cuban breakfast in Ybor City and shopped at the Ybor curb market, then went looking for GF stuff to eat while we watched the USF game. They also won big -- Go Bulls. Last night we had a great dinner with our friend Larry. I'm really blessed to have such a great, understanding husband. Yes, it's horribly tough being apart, but being together is oh, so sweet. I am especially blessed.

Yep, been a blessed couple of days, and I'm glad to reflect on that right now.

Here's a picture of all of us last summer at Jen and Coby's rehearsal dinner -- good times!



Much love, and hope your weekend was as good as mine!
(and Jen, XOXOXO)
Ging