Home Again

I'm 26, but really 30

Last weekend I escaped Nashville, driving with first with Christi and then with Kati way up into the Southern Mountains, past the nuclear plants and Knoxville and into that part of Appalachia that is one small town after another crumbling since the railroad stopped carrying people. It was my birthday, it was my escape from four weeks of work I needed but hated, it was time to lay around with friends and go to the Jonesborough storytelling festival.

I had a lot of fun.

Dust was back at his parents to see us for the weekend too. He's been away at WVU dedicating his life to art, and that can get pretty lonely. But Friday night and Saturday morning he had me, Kati, Devon, Aisling and Alestar all around him. We were all sitting on the couch Saturday morning when he just looked around and said "I feel loved".

I felt loved too. I had the most rock on birthday weekend. Dinan and Ron gave me a super fancy chocolate cake in Nashville before I left, and Christi passed me a candle, a necklace, and a little box with mother of pearl in it from Mexico. I had lunch with Cairy and spoke briefly with Jette. Dust gave me mix CD's and Kati drove me home to Atlanta, staying over night, watching an indy movie and writing poetry with me. I was hugged whenever I asked for it. We talked about gender and comic books and food and relationships and the growing unrest. We listened to odd music.

I had made the decision to turn 30 this year instead of 26, because this year has been so ass anyway I might as well have my midlife crisis now, and get it over with. Plus, I can turn 26 a few years from now instead of 30. So much happened on October 5th, the actual day of my birthday, that I think I'll break it up into two posts - this one and one about Jonesborough and Morristown. The towns deserve better treatment than I can give them today - I'm preparing for an interview tomorrow so I'm wound up and busy.

I will now say something nice and true about everyone I saw this weekend:

After spending almost four days straight with Kati, I was still in awe of her.

Michael is one of the best husbands I've ever encountered. There should be a medal given to people who are talented in the art of marriage.

Christi is absolutely in charge of her own happiness, and I love that.

Dust is loved because he makes himself loveable. And making yourself loveable can be pretty darn hard sometimes.

Alestar fascinates me, and, let's face it, she kicks ass.

Devon always looks likes she's dancing no matter how she moves.

Dustin's family is incredible - quite possibly the most functional group of related persons I've ever met.

I'm glad to be home. I can't explain how nice it was to come back to Atlanta again. This new interview is going to totally be mine. I will dance on it. I will impress the hell out of people. I will kick professional ass. I can do that now. I'm 30.