We moved in with a rent higher than originally budgeted, but the apartment was fantastic. Roomy, large, and great to have social gatherings in. We started off with a new couch; orange, modern. We had all our other furniture that we had been hauling with us since we left Las Vegas only a year before. We could make the rent fine, it was just cutting out the little things that needed to happen, but that was ok. I was finally working full time at Whole Foods and Walter was working at West Elm. It was the first time since we moved to Austin that everything seemed to be coming together.
I was still interviewing for a "real" job. I could not find anything. No bites. It was when I heard back that I did not get the communications position that I interviewed for before we moved in that I realized that I was looking outside for things that really compromised my belief system, and for what? A job? Not that Whole Foods is perfect, but I can at least say I believe at least 90% in the company goals, ideals, and vision. I could not say that with the other places I was applying. The last interview made me realized that. I stayed with Whole Foods and landed a nice entry level job in accounts payable. It was not any AP job, but a job where innovation and creativity were needed to create a whole new process for the company. I was excited and thrived at the challenge. I was able to get a 40% increase in pay and make my own hours. So awesome. I loved my boss and my team and enjoyed going to work, even when it was a 50-60 hour week. That job progressed and a year later I was a lead for my position and shortly after was able to jump into a new project, starting it from scratch again. A new challenge. More excitement. More money. Walter wasn't doing to bad at his job either. Raise after raise he built up his pay to a decent salary as well. Financially, this apartment has seen us through some good times.
It was a few months after we moved in that Walter finally went to the doctor. His t-cells were low; below 90. His viral load through the roof. His health was not good and he had to admit it and take care of it, which he did. He started on his regime of meds. His t-cells started to rise, his viral load became undetectable, his body reacting horribly to side effects of the meds too. It was after our 10 year anniversary that he became so paranoid by the insanely vivid dreams he was having that we argued every day and night; sometimes in the middle of the night. Life was a living hell and I much preferred being at work than I did at home. I loved him, but I did not love what my life was like with him at this point. It was around 2am when we were screaming at each other where I told him he needed to figure it out or I was leaving. The next morning I pulled up the side effect list for his medications and top of the list were some of the top things he was experiencing. While I told him to call his doctor immediately and "get it the fuck fixed", it took him talking to a friend, who is a nurse, to get him to call and make the appointment. She mentioned to write down all his problems to take in so he did not forget any. When he asked me for help to make it, I had no problem belting out the first 30. The next morning he made that appointment. The doctor saw him the next day, changed his meds, and within 2 days he was back to his normal self. I never feared losing Walter so much as I did at this time, but I never intend to live in that hell either. We made it to our eleventh anniversary, thankfully, happy.
The apartment time also saw Walter's sister get married. It was fun to help her shop for dresses (which we found the most stunning one for her). We helped give ideas for colors, venues, flowers. It was fun! A year later was not so fun when her pregnancy did not fair so well. While her premature child lived a few hours on this earth, she was taken too soon and Walter felt a sorrow he had never felt before.
The time in the apartment also saw my little brother's motorcycle accident. For the first time, I think I cried because I really thought he would not make it through. He did. Not too well. He still has problems, and definitely did not learn anything from the experience. I always hope one day he will grow up, walk on his own, not manipulate or scare people into getting what he wants, and just be the good person who sometimes peaks out, but is buried under all his fear and regret.
During the past 2 years my mother had 2 knee surgeries. The second one I was there for. Stayed 9 days to help her. It was hard. Not in a physical way, but in the way that you see your mother getting old. You see her in pain and can do nothing for her. You see that they way she lives her life is not the way she needs to in her "golden" years. No rest with a jobless son who guilts her into providing for him, or a daughter who steals when she comes to visit, or a granddaughter who has fended for herself her whole life being dumped there to live. Yes, there has been a lot of family stress in the past 2 years and 3 months. A lot. I have realized that I cannot change it. I cannot force them to change it. All I can do is be there to listen to it with a rational ear and a hearing ear.
We gained many new friends in the past 2 years too. On top of those, some mighty fine acquaintances as well. All wonderful people who have joined us for birthdays, New Years dinners, holidays, and poker nights. New and old combine, but we just look at them all as friends, and we love them.
Speaking of people we love, a few of them have come to stay the night with us a time or two. We had the pleasure of having Albert here, Zak, Matthew, Neva and Walter (Walter's parents), Angela and Richard (Walter's sister and husband), Dianna, Christine, Wendy, Alicia, Phil, and Cat. These friends and family members blessed our home with their presence and endured us as hosts. It is those who you welcome into your house that makes it a home. Thank you.
So many meals cooked I cannot count, but many fond memories were made with food. It could have been our first 5 course meal on New Years Eve, 2010, or the one in 2011. Could have been the first time Walter and I learned to make pasta from scratch. Could have been the testing of the foods we ate in Italy and somehow recreated here at home (thanks to some very detailed notes we took while eating there). It could be the wonderful weekend breakfasts that I get to enjoy with Walter when he does not work first thing in the morning. So much heart was put into the kitchen here, the ghosts of great times will surround it for a long time to come.
So in the beginning I mentioned the change in our living space. Here is a quick rundown of those changes:
Projection TV out, LCD TV in.
2 new bookshelves in.
Orange couch out, purple couch in, which changed to a steal blue couch currently.
TV stand turned into coffee table.
New TV stand and cupboard.
Old desk out, 2 smaller desks in.
Living room had 3 full rearrangements, bedroom 2, and the office 2.
Old bed out, new bed in.
With the move we got rid of a lot too. Here are the biggest things:
Old couch, broken up. First 2 pieces to Dan over a year ago, second two to Emily a few months ago.
Dresser- the huge 15 drawer dresser that Walter wanted to get rid of this in Las Vegas. Finally got rid of it now.
Curio. While we loved it, it was not going with the new aesthetic and really not much room for it in the new, smaller place.
Coffee table. Yup, the one that used to be a TV stand, going to Damon and Robyn. We don't need it anymore, they do. Also got the comfy chair that was no longer needed by us.
Artwork. A lot of it. Gone. Went to good friends into good homes. We kept the good, meaningful stuff. Still will miss some of what we gave away though.
If you are wondering why I am listing all this, reminiscing about these times, it is mainly because this blog is a journal of my thoughts and feelings and this apartment hosted a lot of my thoughts and feelings, successes and trials, and I feel it only fitting to close this chapter of my book of life with a tribute to the past 2 years and 3 months her at the Tramor at the Hills apartment. It was awesome, even in its hardest times, it was awesome! Now it is time to begin the next chapter.
