Refuge

"Do you realize we didn't talk to anyone this weekend except each other?" Will announced last evening. We were crouched behind a dumpster outside a new home being built in our neighborhood. Sometimes on our nightly walks, we have to hide for a bit, in order to avoid talking to our neighbors. Because we only have three neighbors, they are pretty easy to dodge. Just imagine what it would be like if we lived in a DEVELOPED neighborhood and we didn't like any of THEM? God, we would really be in trouble. "Melissa Ann, do you think we're becoming anti-social?" Will asked, poking his head out from around the corner of the dumpster.
"Well, Will, couples do this sometimes..I mean, we can spend time together without needing other people around, and what are you saying? Are you saying that it was really that bad? Did you not have a good weekend with me? Was I not fun enough? Did I not make this weekend-Why are you banging your head against the dumpster?"
We are not completely anti-social..I don't want you thinking that..Actually, it doesn't matter what you think, because you had better not be judging me..this is NOT the blog to judge..anyway, we just don't seem to be on the same page with our neighbors..I really don't want to go into it, but I am not sure how giving a baby Michelob Golden Draft helps with teething..If YOU think it does, then GREAT..go ahead and give YOUR baby beer...Will and I have decided to be old fashioned and just use baby Tylenol..call us "stick-in-the-muds" but that's what we've decided..But maybe you can see just a teeny bit how we might be different than the people in our neighborhood...Anyway...

I think one of the best things about a really great relationship is learning new and surprising "good" things about someone. I have not had many good relationships..Oh let's just all say it together: "Melissa you had NONE until Will." Okay..just shut up..I was a slow learner..but ANYWAY..I LOVE finding out something new about him and having it be something good..I am afraid he keeps finding out things about me that are not good and that is why he keeps slapping his forehead..Anyway, Will is a "neat garage man." I LOVE this!! There is nothing worse in the whole world than a sloppy messy icky garage! Well, other than a sloppy messy icky farm, but I have only become picky about that since I moved to the country..Okay back to the garage. I cannot stand a messy garage..BUT..I am not really into hanging out there..sooo...I am fortunate to live with a man who seems to want to be in charge of that area..
"Honey, do you want to come and see what I did in the garage?"
"Yes, yes, of course." (What can a person truly do in a garage???) But honestly, it looked really great..I mean brooms were hung up on the walls, and there were shelves..and it was really ORGANIZED.
"I love it down here. I could hang out down here. I think I might just sleep down here."
"Will, this is the garage. You cannot sleep in the garage. Wait a minute. Is it heated?"
No, I do not want my boyfriend sleeping in the garage..and really I don't want him spending that much time down there because it will hurt my feelings and I will feel like we're not being anti-social together.

In order to get him OUT of the garage, yesterday, we decided to take a drive through the local Wildlife Refuge. I WILL REMIND you that we are on a budget, people, and the refuge is FREE..I will admit that for the first ten minutes I was a little bored..there was grass, and prairie and more grass and five hundred other kinds of grasses..and NO ANIMALS.."Where are the elephants?"
"We have to go to Africa for that."
"I am not crazy about getting on a plane right now. I can't even bring my mascara on board. Why do you think they think I would be a terrorist with a tube of mascara? This is bothering me. Hey! Will! Are those prairie dog hills?"
"Get out and look but if they're fire ants, don't bring them back in the car."
We met up with a local "refuge ranger" who asked if we'd seen the immature eagle. Of course we'd missed him..the ONE big bird in the whole park and we missed him. I think it's funny that they call them immature. I wish we could do that with people. "Did you see that immature guy in the Seven jeans at the end of bar?" "No I missed him." "Just wait, you'll see him when he walks by to the bathroom." Oh that would be GREAT!!
We did see a crane and some really BIG swans..and as we were leaving we found the eagle. I love that the animals are safe there. I think they must have the best life. I would definitely want to live in a refuge if I was an animal.
I have to admit, it was a nice drive other than when Will pretended the car wouldn't start: "Ahahahaha! You should have seen your face!" Why is this funny? You would panic too if you thought you were going to be stuck amidst all that prairie grass!
All in all it was a great weekend, and I realized that everybody needs a refuge, you know, a safe place to go and have some peace. Maybe now Will has his garage. And I have my blog..and the animals, well they have all that prairie grass..besides..football season starts soon..and then..basketball...there is no WAY he can get his big screen tv into the garage..he will have to come back into the house...ahhhh...