Math - we use it every day

What a way to end the cities festivities. This has been a great week of get togethers - helping keep me sane in the midst of boxes and papers and dust and dirt.

• Saturday Debbie and I went to our friend's house for a little bash. That was great, and my! what a house! I would move in their guest room in a second and put up with the boy's' typing forever if I could.
• Sunday was New Year's with Megan, Chris and JB playing a little Guitar Hero, pausing only to watch Dick Clark count in the new year. It was a little sad to see Dick Clark not his usual self, but considering all he's gone through it was great to see him in general.
• Tuesday night I met up with the Y&F DL gang at OC's for a beverage, welcoming them back to LS and just having a quick catchup.
• Wednesday after choir my gay boyfriends took me out to Major's for food and drink. This was a great time and I do have pics of me with the boys (and girl...Debbie was there too!). But those will have to come another time.
• And last night, my last night in the fabulous city, was the perfect end to my stay.

So last night Neil, my friend from TX, and I went to the Chatterbox. (He was in town for the DL program so we had to get together and catch up.) I think I've talked about this place before, but it is truly my favorite hangout in the cities.

First there's the drink - they brew their own and I have found the Chit Chat to be quite pleasant. But if that's not around a tall cider can make the world go 'round. Second there's the atmosphere - the exclectic 60s and 70s motif they have is awesome, mixed in with the nintendo's and Atari's*, of course. And finally, there are the games. YES games. Neil and I are big cribbage fans and since we only get to play once or twice a year this was a necessity. He got the beer, I got the game and we commenced the torture of skunks and pegging and counting 15s to our hearts content. I think we ended up tied in the end, but in reality he probably kicked my ass.

So the culmination of everything - the parties, the cribbage, the beer and of course the fabulous friends made it really tough to drive away this morning. Although, it's still a little surreal. I feel like I've just been preparing for a longer deployment than normal, and it kind of is, except I'm not returning this time. Evenutally it'll kick in, I think. But until then I'm just going to relish in my memories and await the new ones I'll be creating - both here in the new place and as I visit the old.

*by the way, Sarah, I found buried in my stuff an Atari hand game called Touch Me - just like our favorite Simon game. :)