Windy in Indy

Ah, what a lovely weekend we had. It all started on Wednesday, actually, when we received the call that our realtor would be showing our house over the weekend. We used Wednesday night, Thursday night, and Friday morning to patch cracks, touch up paint, straighten, tidy, and clean. By the time we had packed and left the house on Friday, the house was perfect. Our flight was scheduled for 2:15 p.m. so we left around 12:30 so we could grab lunch at the airport Chili's. I called Gordon-the-Realtor on the way to let him know he could show the house all weekend long... at which point he told me that the interested lady was going to be out of town all weekend, so it wouldn't be until later. Blah. But at least we had a spotless house to come home to. I mean, so spotless and beautiful that even the grocery bags lining our bathroom garbage tcans had been removed, just to make it look more pretty.

When we arrived at the airport we learned that our flight had been delayed until 6:45 p.m. because Northwest couldn't get a plane out from Indy to come get us. So we skipped the airport Chili's and went to the regular one on the west side of Fort Myers. Over lunch we talked about our latest treasure hunt... for a Mazda Miata. As in, two seater, convertible, cute, small, car. See, Brad had wanted a Miata a while back when we got the VW Jetta. He deliberated between the two, and I felt strongly that since his bass guitar didn't fit in the happy-meal-sized trunk of the Miata, and most likely a crash between a Miata and anything would mean certain death, and I'm not ready to be a widow, perhaps the Jetta would be a better choice. So we bought the Jetta last year and all has been fine. But a week or two ago I happened to drive past the Mazda dealership and of course there were huge sales going on, which got me thinking. Why NOT a Miata? There are only two of us, Brad's not playing in a band now so the bass isn't an issue, and if ever there was a place to have a Miata, it's here in Florida. So why not get one while we're here? Who knows what changed in my mind. I'm still not ready to be a widow. But I called Brad and told him to check out the sales, just in case there was a divine deal to be had.

Of course that launched Brad into a full-fledged search. There was one green and tan one at the Mazda place. There was a white one at the Toyota dealership. There were a few options up in Tampa, over 2 hours away. I started to wonder if I had made a mistake in saying anything as each of these options started to turn sour and discouraging. So by Friday we no great leads, but four free hours. So we stopped at the Mazda dealership again and found a navy blue one with a black top. Looked like a bruise to me, but Brad liked it. We spent some time with the sales guys and they just couldn't come down to our number.

After that discouraging conversation we headed back to the airport. Our flight was not delayed any further, so we got treated to a sunset out the plane windows.

We got into Indy about 9:30 p.m. where we were to meet up with three other couples from Brad's alma mater, Huntington College, now University. Rich and Stu picked us up and we all met for a late dinner at Jillians. Oh- one thing I forgot. In the airport there was a vending machine like none other I've seen before. It sold ipods and accessories!

Saturday we met for a late breakfast and went to Le Peep, home of huge, delicious granola pancakes. After a lovely breakfast and an education on Huntington's freshman weed-out class and its Inventories, we did some walking around and shopping at Circle Center Mall.

It was about 25 degrees and snowing big, gorgeous flakes all day, and it was gooooood for my soul. I was grinning pretty big most of the time as I took in the beauty of the season. How I miss seasons!

After shopping we went back to the hotel for naptime. Brad and I watched the first half of Drumline while waiting for our pizza snack to arrive... there was a Donato's about a half mile away. Happy Brad.

We met up for dinner around 6 and went to Jillians again, only this time to their hibachi grill section. Jillians is an all-in-one place, with an American-fare restaurant in one area, a hibachi grill in another, an arcade on the second floor, and a dance club and bowling alley on the third. We had a great dinner with terribly enjoyable conversation and then went up to see if we could bowl for a bit. The lanes were full so we killed some time at the arcade. We bought a $5 card with the intent to play skeeball, but there was a photo booth in the back that snagged my attention first. It was not your run-of-the-mill photo booth, either. It took a picture of me, then a picture of Brad, then morphed our faces together to show us what our offspring would look like. I have it at home and will scan it in foryou. Yikes.

After a while we got to bowl...

...and then went out for a late dessert. There's a chocolate place on the circle with excellent chocolate fondue for 4 for $15!

We sat in there and talked until the place closed at midnight. That was probably the highlight for me. I went to a small college after Purdue, much like Huntington, but didn't connect with a group of people like Brad's group. These people are incredible-- full of heart, with incredible marriages and kids, desiring growth and health in their lives, and remarkably open and honest. I feel terribly honored to be accepted into the group. The conversation around the fondue ranged from the profound to the mundane. I learned about the guy who carried a baseball bat around college, the girl with facial hair, the one that looked like a poodle, who Doris dated, why the rules have changed about weekend suspensions, and so much more. We also talked about men and church, or how men aren't being taught to be men in the church, but instead they're taught to be nice, to be mellow, and to be pansies. It made me want to gather us all up and start a gender-definition revolution. It was inspiring and touching and terrifically fun all at the same time.

Sunday we met for breakfast at the hotel, and then I had the good fortune to get a visit from my former roommate from Purdue, Gretchen! She lives in Indy now (again) and we've been in touch lately. We'd fallen out of touch for a while until I googled her last year and found her wedding pictures on a friend's blog. It has been so fun to reconnect and follow each other's ups and downs with jobs and moving,etc. She met me at my hotel and we got about an hour to chat.

Then we packed up and left. But not before discussing options for meeting up next President's Day weekend. We threw around all sorts of ideas--- Vegas, Tennessee, San Antonio... pretty much anything in the country was fair game. I'll let Chad and Jen break the news oncethings get closer.

Our travels home were uneventful except for a brief time searching for our car in the long-term parking. But that cleared itself up after about 15 minutes. We got home, had some dinner, and finished up theNetflix dvd we had. A lovely weekend in every respect.

We also talked on Sunday night about how to proceed with the Miata hunt. Brad was ready to buy the navy one if they would budge a bit more on the price, but I just didn't love it. I don't want to search in Tampa or Lauderdale where we have to drive for hours to see a car. I want it to just fall in our laps. We agreed to let it just happen instead of continuing to search high and low, and Brad pretty much resigned himself to the fact that it was never going to happen.

Then Monday came. I was supposed to have a doctor's appointment in the morning. I have been trying to see a doctor for a checkup since September. I scheduled an appointment with my sister-in-law's doc in October. They called to reschedule a few days before the appointment.
For December. When they called to reschedule again. For February. Which I eventually cancelled, because by January I was getting the idea that these folks might not have their ducks in a row. So I solicited names of doctors from colleagues. One of Brad's clients suggested another doc, so I made an appointment for February 19. And then they called to reschedule. I believe them when they say their doctors are snowed in at a conference in New York. It's just
frustrating because I've already had to grovel to my doctor at home TWICE to refill my no-baby-pills prescription, and last time she raked me over the coals and it was quite belittling. So now it's March 19th. I hope. I have just the worst luck with doctors in Florida.

So I stayed home and slept. I wasn't feeling terrible, but I was tired and not feeling great, and a personal day at home sounded divine to me. I got to try that pretzel recipe, I went partially through my stack of important-things-to-do, and I napped.

(Here is your free pretzel tutorial:

First, make the dough, let it rise an hour, then divide into pieces, roll into strips like Auntie Anne's does it, and make into pretzel shapes. Finish the dough, master the technique, and re-shape the first half. But only if you're a little obsessive like me.

Second, boil the pretzels in a bath of baking soda, sugar, and water so they will turn brown on the outside and have that soft-pretzel skin.

Third, bake for 15 minutes or so, until you just can't wait any longer.

Fourth, put on wire racks to cool.

Fifth, eat! Preferrably with a beverage, like orange juice. Now if only I had some fake cheese sauce...

End tutorial.)

And then I got a call at 5:30. Brad had been working in Naples and happened to drive past a used car lot after work. And The Car was there. British Racing Green, tan top, tan leather interior, year 2000, with 14,000 miles, no kidding. Would I be willing to drive down to see it?

So as of 9 p.m. on Monday, we're the proud owners of the green Miata. Brad was so giddy I thought he was going to sleep in it Monday night. It's beautiful and a lot of fun.

And it was a clear reminder that God has his own timing, and he'll work whether we're striving or waiting on him, usually when we stop striving and choose to wait. Which is a lesson I needed to be reminded of regarding the sale of our house. No one has seen it, no one is showing interest right now. But I am making the conscious decision to wait on God and not allow myself to worry. Little GreenCar is my reminder that he will work in his time.