Flashback to August 2005

Let's reminisce.

One year ago while New Orleans was under water, I was in a car, driving myself to Wisconsin for a job interview from Michigan. I called Dave every few hours, and his parents and mine called to make sure I was OK a few times. I was scared; not really of the interview, but of the possibility that I might actually like Wisconsin, and then my whole life would change.

I took the first photo here because I'd just gotten off the phone with Dave, while getting lost in downtown Oshkosh. Not because it's big, but because of the one-way streets and turn-only lanes. GRRR. But, if Dave was going to move to Wisconsin, he wanted at least to see it. So, this is what I brought Dave. One crooked photo.


After the interview, I made it back to Michigan after what seemed like an eternity in the car. (Michigan can have that affect on people, I think.)

There were flowers there when I got home that night. We got engaged when I woke up the next day. (Yeah, that's the second photo.) So, I guess some happy things happened in Michigan.

That same morning, Washington State called (yes, the entire state of Washington) to offer me a job.

One interview, one job offer and a marriage proposal, in one week. Obviously, I said yes, no and yes, in that order.

Weird, how things change in a single year. I went from a copy editing job in Toledo to an editor job in Oshkosh. I went from Myspace to having a real blog. From an e-mail address with my maiden name to one with my new name (which I'll officially get in 45 days).

From renting to owning, from single to (almost) married, from poor to not-as-poor, from a 200,000-mile car to a new-to-me car, from easily stressed to basically happy. From a vegetarian to a meat-eater ...

A yellow and blue drivers license to a pink one with a sailboat and a barn on it. From frogs and clown fish (in Toledo and Maumee) to lions (in Oshkosh). Blonde to brown, babysitter to aunt, sister to sister-in-law, dog-lover to dog-owner (almost) ...

You get the point. I've done a few things this year.


OK. Enough reminiscing. It's time to move on (read: pack).