The Sweet Up and Down

I've decided to stop posting in my LiveJournal because there's really not much for me to talk about anymore. I used LJ to rant and complain about life but my life is actually pretty good right now so I feel the need to get things off my chest is over. At least for right now.

New stuff before ending this thing: I got my mom all moved in to her new place. It was a huge pain in the ass because I almost had to do it all by myself. Luckily my aunts helped so we were able to get a lot of stuff and actually clean the old place. Her new place isn't exactly in the best area of Lawrence but it's what she can afford. Meanwhile, me and Audrey are living pretty good together and Cameran seems to be enjoying being cared for by Audrey. Audrey and I have also set a date for the wedding. October 24, 2009 and we plan on having it at the Stony Point Banquet Hall just south of Lawrence in the Vinland Valley.

Crystal had her baby on the 17th. Shawn Allan (or some variation of the spelling). It's good to know she now has her own child to take care of that she can ruin and turn into a miniature version of herself that's no relation to me. Yay!

I'm also really getting into my website, www.tauycreek.com, which I actually post on a regular basis and do my Born Loser and comic strip mocking, some writing, news and anything else I find on the Internet and want to show. For next week, I plan on trying to find a lot of Halloween stuff to post so if you want you can find me over there. No subscription or account necessary.

Until next time, I remain...
~Brian

Audrey actually took me around Waterville and showed me some of the big houses, where her grandpa lived and the cemetery. The reunion was held in the community building and meeting all those people whose names I don't remember was very nice. After about an hour or so, it was time to eat and all the food that I had was very delicious--even the lasagna (and I am very particular about my lasagna). After we had all finished eating came a raffle-type thing where everyone was given a number and given a bag corresponding with that number. In that bag was something that belonged to Aunt Alice. Even I got something which made me a little uneasy but was happy that they accepted me into the family. I got a teacup.

It's a pretty simple cup. I want to say it's handmade because of the way it looks and that it doesn't have a copyright or company name anywhere on the cup. I'm proud of it but I was even more impressed with what Audrey got. She got an old-fashioned hair curler, a necklace that was given to her aunt by her husband back in 1954 and ceramic tiles from the Irving Bank. I think we got a pretty good score.

We stayed a while and looked at photos that were set up and looked at what everybody else got then headed back. We stopped in Blue Rapids to get gas and something to drink and I saw what I think was the only gay person in Blue Rapids. We seemed to get back to Wamego faster and stopped at Kreme Kup to get some ice cream because this girl at work used to work there and said it was really good. Which it was. I then directed Audrey to turned north on Onaga Road so we could see the Louis Vieux Family Cemetery and Elm Tree. The elm tree, once the largest in the state, has now been cut down to just the trunk and a protective shelter placed over it to protect it. While I hate to see the tree damaged, I'm glad the state is trying to preserve it. Also, the state put up signs for the Cholera Cemetery near the tree so you can actually find it and take a look at it.

The grave markers (such as the one above) are protected by a huge chain-link fence and only three markers remain despite over 50 people buried there. I wouldn't recommend viewing it during the summer--go in the winter, less bugs and things to attack you and attach themselves to you.

It was the best weekend I've had in a while and was very happy that Audrey's family literally welcomed me with open arms. Next weekend, it's Lecompton's Territorial Days and dinner with her parents. I shall have pictures of Territorial Days as well.

Until next time, I remain...
~Brian

Even though I don't think it was a busy weekend, when you actually lay it all out, it does. On Saturday, the whole family got together to finally clean my grandparent's (now uncle's) place in Baldwin. It was the city wide clean-up so we loaded up an air conditioner, a bed, a small desk/table thing, a huge wood paneled TV and a big screen--Oh, and let's not forget a washing machine and refridgerator--into a U-Haul and drove it down to the dump (which isn't really a dump anymore).

I had to leave early because I had made plans with Audrey about a month ago and I figured I had already missed the wedding and that if I missed the reception I would be fired from being her fiance. The wedding was for people I don't know, which are always fun, but I got free food and it was held at the Kansas History Museum so that was kind of cool. However, I sat diagonal from this girl whose voice literally drove itself into my skull. It was so annoying that I probably would've paid for someone to shut her up. At least the wine put me in a decent mood... The next morning, Audrey and I had to get up early so we could make our way to Waterville, Kansas for a family reunion.


First of all, the drive there is amazing with beautiful rolling mounds in the background and lots of trees and acres upon acres of lush green farmland. I should've taken some pictures of it but, well, I'm an idiot. And I didn't think of it until just now. While Google takes you west on I-70 and north through Manhatten, using the K-99/K9/U.S. 77 route is a lot more interesting as you pass some very interesting areas. After passing through the Topeka 'burbs of Silver Lake and Rossville, you come to St. Mary's which is essentially known for the massive Catholic school they have. Then you pass through Belvue and make your turn onto K-99 in Wamego. K-99 takes you through Louisville, Westmoreland, Blaine (with their beautiful church pictured above) to Frankfort where you turn onto K-9.

You take K-9 to U.S. 77 which doesn't really pass anything good except the landscape. At the intersection with U.S. 77 is a historical marker for the Oregon Trail campsite, Alcove Springs which is just north of Blue Rapids and features many rock carvings inscribed by people travelling the Oregon Trail. We were to meet Audrey's parents in Blue Rapids so we could go to a memorial service for her Aunt Alice who had recently (November '07) passed away. Her ashes were to be interred at the Greeenwood-Irving Cemetery a couple miles south of Blue Rapids. Not knowing much about her aunt, I do know quite a bit about Irving, Kansas.

In the autumn of 1856, Irving, named for 19th Century author Washington Irving, was settled by a small group of residents from Lyons, Iowa. Almost immediately, the town was plagued with disasters. A drought then huge storms in 1860, grasshopper plague in 1866, another in 1875, two tornadoes in 1879, flooding in 1903 and several fires between 1907 and 1916, the latter destorying the north side of Main Street. Finally in 1955 plans to build the Tuttle Creek Dam did what fire, storms and insects couldn't do: brought an end to the town. Oddly enough, the site of Irving is not underwater so demolition of the town may not have been needed. It was a nice memorial for a woman obviously loved by everyone who knew her and we all lucked out that it was a beautiful clear day for once. After the service, we all left and began the relatively short excurison to Waterville to start the reunion which mean that this is...

...To be continued.
~Brian

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February started out good. The best month in a long time but even as I was happier than I've been for almost six months the quality of the month steadily went downhill. I'm in a sort of personal crisis and I don't know how to get out of it. It's not even my fault, I was placed in this situation by someone else and for that I will not forgive. Had it been my responsibility or my fault then I wouldn't be upset but I don't like it when someone else's mistakes reflect badly on me.

I've been responsible my entire life, which I have pointed out before, and have nothing to show for it. I may not even know where I'll be living within the next week because of blatant irresponsibility. I have good friends who have been pointing out possible solutions and a girlfriend who has offered up her place to me and my son but I refuse to be placed in this situation again. In a perfect world I would not have this much responsibility but I do and I actually enjoy it because it shows everyone that I can do this. I am an adult with all the perks that come with it but I don't want to be included in someone else's failure because I am better than that.

On a side note, I am getting Randy back which I am ecstatic about because even though we saw each other back in February of 2007 in Denver we didn't exactly get much time to hang out and be ourselves because we were stupid and in love and talked mostly about our relationships. I guess I'll admit that Randy is my best friend and I will probably never say that again to hopefully Randy savors that sentence. I guess the plan is to go out and eat, drink and be merry so that'll be fun. It's been a while since I've done that.

Until next time, I remain...
~Brian

May 1st.

All I have to do is last until May 1st. That's when I'm leaving. I don't care if I have to sleep on the street, as of May 1st I will no longer reside with my mom. I have had it. Being treated like a child, authority not being respected, the constant loud noises, not being able to do what I want and having all my actions scrutinized. I'm done. I constantly get headaches every week and I'm tired of my money becoming her money somehow. I don't even really know how it happens but it FUCKING STOPS!!!

Things start changing in March and it's all over in May. I'm going to be 25 soon and I deserve better. What the hell did I do to deserve this life?

~Brian

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