Part 2 (of 3)

[Part 1 was posted back in September. You can find it by selecting 'September' on the side ----> ]


3 steps out the door and the stiff chill from the winter morning made me glad I opted for the under armour shirt and white hoody. I got in the car, started it up, pause..."shit, my ipods in the house". Never fails, I always forget something. Before stepping out of the car and back into the frigid air, I set the heat to high and pulled my wallet out of my pocket and stashed it in the middle console, I can't afford to lose track of it today. I detached my house key from the rest of the ring (thanks for the gift mom) and back outside I go.

Seconds later I'm opening the front door and heading back up the steps. In reaching for my ipod sitting on the coffee table, I hear footsteps upstairs, and then..."Are you coming back to lay with me?" I hate questions like this, she knows I want to, but I can't, before I can finish my reply of "No baby I can't" she promptly interrupts me and says "I know. You've got plans that you can't tell me about, yet you came back in the house so obviously...you forgot something. Your ipod is on the table". Wow...she definitely knows me and my tendencies. "I got it thanks" is my only reply and before heading back down the steps and out into the I tell her "I love her", then write it on a note saying the same, stick it to her favorite coffee cup, and back out the door I go. Glancing at my watch, 8:25, still running late. Great!

In the car now and pulling out the driveway, my mental checklist of things I need to have has been checked twice and a third for good measure, we're good. 10 minutes later I pass the car wash, "ehh I got time" so I turn into the parking lot. 7 minutes later my car emerges from the wash, and while the attendees are taking care of the the wheels and the windows, I select a few new air fresheners and pay. At that point, the phone rings, "hello? Yea man I'm on the way, running a little behind but thats nothing new. ETA 35 minutes, we're still good," I get in my car and hangup. After re-adjusting the seat and selecting something from the recently downloaded Ipod playlist I'm out of the parking lot and en route.

15 minutes into the ride I realize that the 'last' pepsi I had, is still on the counter, so much for having everything. 5 minutes later my once calm, phone is now buzzing from the multiple texts I'm receiving from the Bball team. Apparently PVC's been talking some sh*t, we'll handle that when come Wednesday, I can't let that get to me today. Still I reply, "talk is cheap, lets see whats happens Wednesday" while allowing my knee to hold the course on the interstate. Last 8 miles and of course, traffic. Great. Text message sent "Traffic on 495, he there yet?". No, is the reply seconds later. Cool.

Pulling into the neighborhood at 945am I notice the movers have came and taken full control of the driveway. As I park, the now former landlord pulls up with his brother. Greetings are exchanged and now we're heading in the house, he appears to be holding the manila envelope as if its something of importance, good sign. In walking in the roommates are met, some conversation is had and a tour of the house ensues. 15 minutes later we're back down in the kitchen laughing about the last time a worker decided to pop in for some yard maintenance while the pups were out back. "So whats every ones plan now" he ask, 1 roommate explains how he is heading to LA for work, the other states that 'some things with the new house need to be taken care of' and I say "I'm working on something big, kinda nervous". Additional pleasantries are exchanged and the manila envelope is now opened revealing the coveted security deposit, in full. 'Congrats guys and thanks for being great tenants'. Hand shakes and high fives are passed around and outside we head. Checking the clock its now 10am. They're not open for another hour, "yall trying to get something to eat?".

IHOP is the agreed upon destination and a short car ride later, we're parking and walking in, "table for 5" My boy's fiance and another friend has now joined us. Before the waitress can offer us drinks we're all ordering exactly what we want. There's something of a "rushed" sense in the air. I think its just cause we're hungry. As the waitress leaves with the laundry list of ordered items, the conversation begins with "ok, man so are you excited?". 'Of course' I reply 'a few things to pick up and then the plan goes into action'. My phone buzzes, my sleeping beauty is up and 'meeting up with the girls,' "perfect" is my reply, both through text and verbally. My roommates fiance is now smiling bright, she explains her excitement for the upcoming activities of the day. Food arrives, we eat. I'm getting excited.

11:30am and we're walking out, full and giddy. We say our goodbyes to one, he needs to go pack his bags for Canada, and the remaining agree to pile into 1 car. In leaving the parking lot Bob calls, dude is funny as hell, we talk to him all the way to DC. 12pm and we're parking now. Looking at my watch, I estimate an occurrence that will delay me, so I text my beauty. "Hey baby, hope your having fun with the girls, I got a little delayed, gonna need to push the start of our night to 5. Does that work for you? xo -Me". I send the text but it doesn't go through, I wait until we clear the parking deck as we're now on foot. Minutes later comes your reply, "HI, we're having fun, that's fine, it has to be since you won't tell me what we're doing :p see you at 5. xo -me". At that point I send another text, this one however is to one of the girls my beauty is with. "Hey, I just pushed an hour, got delayed, going to call and add another hour to the package, take care of my girl, thanks again". The friends and I are now rounding the corner, pausing to peer in the window of the dealership, I say, "hold on, let me make this phone call", they go in. Minutes later I'm opening the store doors, the salesman smiling anxiously smiling, yet waiting patiently, while my friends meander about the showroom. 'We've been waiting on you sir' she says, "great, lets get down to it, before I chicken out". Everyone laughs. Its 12:15 and the reply from her friend chimes, "no problem, another hour is perfect, she's good, you do what you need to do, we got this". I return to what I was doing and 15 minutes of finalized documentation later, and I'm a new owner. Wheww....time for a cut.