We've barely been living in our new apartment for a week, and we've already had a number of guests. This is really fun for me, and makes Joy happier than I am. She loves guests and being a hostess.
On Saturday night the Wiens came over to see the place. This happened less than an hour after we drove into Gainesville from our hometown, which is four hours away. That was fun. Joy showed Jaime her wedding video slide show thing, and this really cool wedding scrapbook that her sister-in-law gave her. We also went out for dinner at Carabas. It was pretty much a double date, but we never thought to call it that.
Two days later, Mike aka 'Slim' gave us a call. He was coming through Gainesville on his way to Jacksonville, and wanted to see how we are doing. He suggested dinner at our place, which is fun. We like inviting people, but it is also cool when people invite themselves. It's always open-invitation with David and Joy.
So Mike arrived with a few salmon filets and a bottle of Shiraz just before 7PM and we all made dinner together in our new kitchen. It was fun. Joy planned up a strawberry and spinach salad, because Mike has been craving it since the first time he had it, and we also had green beans and other fun, healthy stuff. To really make it fun, we got out these huge platters that my college roommate CJ and his wife Natalie got us for a wedding gift. Joy was absolutely thrilled with all of this, and we took pictures of the food and the platters and everything. We've got plans to send them to CJ, Natalie, and Mike in a couple of days.
Fast forward another two days plus or minus a few hours, and I am getting a call from Lana. She's not much of a phone person, so I was shocked by the call, but in a really good way. She says that she is in Gainesville and was wanting to come by and see the apartment. I tell her to come on over, but that Joy will be a while because she's working. Then I call Joy, tell her the news, and she decides to call it a day and come home because she is so excited about showing Lana our new apartment.
Once Joy and Lana arrive, we do a tour of the apartment, talk about our opinions of it, and so on and so forth. Then Lana tells us a short story and announces that she's spending the night. This was awesome and just too funny, because once again people are feeling free and welcomed at our place. Joy loves that, and I think I kinda like it too, but we'll see.
Hanging out with Lana from like four to midnight has been fun. We opened Christmas presents, taken pictures, had dinner together, went to view a house for sale by owner, let Lana try out my Bowflex, went for a run, used our apartment's gym, and then watched the first half of the Rose Bowl. Since then we've showered, and now we're all working on individual stuff. Lana's got this big project that she's doing, and Joy is helping her intermittently while working on her own stuff. I'm sitting in the office/Lana's bedroom waiting for them to be done so Lana can help me decorate the room.
OK, I've gotten the midnight announcement. We run a tight ship here now, and midnight means bedtime. Goodnights all around and then on with the snoozefest!
Posted by David at January 5, 2006 12:02 AM