the many adventures of Fred the spider

Last week seemed like it might never end...
but now it's Sunday night, and I feel the weights finally slipping off.

I'm almost positive that I worked more than I slept... but the amount of laughing that I did more than makes up for it.

Monday and Tuesday there was work... 10 hours of work, both days. But Tuesday ended well, with a lovely walk down the River De Poo (that's the river Des Peres, for everyone who doesn't frequent the area). Jonathan and I found an amazing trail that lead down the river and through some great neighborhoods. We belted out the worst 90's songs ever (it happens alot, if you encounter it, please forgive me...) and walked for probably 5 or 6 miles, through back alleys, and a turn of the century cemetery. We read the most beautifully engraved markers, many of which were from the last cholera epidemic that swept St. Louis in the late 1800's. Got a quick drink from QT and continued on our way back to the car.
We scared ourselves plenty of times, which isn't hard when you're walking the city and a very old cemetery in the dark... But, just before we got to the car we found three teeny tiny bunnies, no bigger than the palm of my hand. They were too small to know to run away from us, so they kind of just sat there while we took pictures of them and talked, poor little things. I REALLY REALLY wanted to hold one, but I know better. If their mother is still around she'd turn them away for smelling like human, and I'd hate to be responsible for an abandoned bunny.
We ended the night with Jimmy Johns and Skinny Cow Ice Cream (if you haven't tried it.... TRY IT). And when we finally got back to the house, Josh introduced me to the boys new pet, Fred the spider. Haha!! Josh catches small bugs and throws them into Fred's web... it's a little bit sick, but REALLY funny to watch. Jonathan claims that it has kept the bug count down and that it's easier and cheaper than a dog... I think they need a new hobby!! haha

Wednesday was INCREDIBLE! What a wonderful day for Earth Day! Jordan and I had the day off together and we slept IN!! oh, what a glorious feeling, to sleep past 7 am.... Then we made breakfast (Jordan makes my favorite eggs for me on my days off) and we were off. Since it was Earth Day I was determined to spend the day outside soaking up the beautiful area that we live in. We walked from our apartment, across the street to Tower Groves Park (one of St. Louis best kept secrets, and was once owned by the same man that created and dedicated the Missouri Botanical Gardens to St. Louis). We walked the tree lined path and smelled every different flower, talked to the ducks that always swim in the pond there and spotted four baby turtles. It was so nice that the park wasn't overrun with people. Since it was a weekday everyone was still at work or in school. We walked past a couple of statues and read all the inscriptions, and played on the exercise benches they have lining the trail in the park. ON our way out of the park we visited Emack and Bolio's. It was wonderfully refreshing. I got a delicious Passion Fruit smoothie and Jordan got a Gooey Butter cake ice cream sandwich and a Fitz's soda. Yumm Yumm..
Emack and Bolio's is locally owned and operated, and they only employ people from the Tower Groves area, which I think is wonderful and I'll continue my quest to support local businesses whenever I can. St. Louis, and it's surrounding areas have so much fun and flavor to offer as far as small businesses go, and I really hope that they are able to hang on through these tough times. They really are the heart and soul of the neighborhoods that surround them.
After we got back to our street we decided to take a self guided tour of the Compton Hills Water Tower, the gigantic Tower that sits across the street from our apartment and gives us a beautiful view. The grounds have a couple different historic artifacts, as well as a dog park, a playground and some tennis courts. We spent a little while swinging and watching the traffic zoom by on I-44.
It's funny how much you can enjoy something that simple... we don't get to have quiet moments like that often enough.

Thursday was another adventure, and another great day off. Another morning spent in bed and the day spent helping Jonathan paint his garage. I've painted for recreation, but I'd never painted a structure before, and even though I painted ALL OVER my hands, it was plenty of fun, and very successful. I didn't get a single drop of paint on the siding. :)
Josh cooked everyone bbq, and a few friends dropped by and we hung out in the back yard, on the front porch and finally, as the sun set, we all sunk into his brand new couches.

Friday and Saturday were back at work, which I honestly don't mind most days, especially when I work with Jackie and Kim. They are hilarious, and I appreciate them so much. They've basically adopted me, and Kim's two boys are gems. We laugh and talk and give each other hard times all day, which makes the time creep by a little bit quicker... not much, but at least we have fun. When they aren't around I crack into my new Harry Potter book (my first birthday present so far) and I'm enjoying it immensely! I know I'm a little late to be jumping on the bandwagon, but I'd honestly been skeptical until Krystan bought me the very first one, and I can't believe my own misjudgement!! LOVE it! And I'm eagerly anticipating the next 6.

Saturday night (last night), however, I got some bad news... My dad's grandma, "Big Gram's" passed away just hours before. She was wonderful little lady, who reached the very accomplished age of 92. She was 100% Italian, and full of heart. She and my dad have been very close his entire life. She helped raise him and he was definitely her favorite... He spent many many summers with her at her cottage in Cape Cod and spoke of her fondly, and often. Even though we've lived all over the world and back again, he always made time to take a trip up there to visit her whenever he could. She was the one person in his very large and estranged family that he was close to... She's been sick for quite a while, and earlier this month she suffered a heart attack and 2 strokes, the last of which left her bed-ridden, paralyzed on her left side, almost blind and put most of her major organs into shock, which eventually led to them almost completely shutting down. Even in her painful state she found little ways to communicate, and while she was in the hospital she started asking for "her Johnny"... she 's the only person in the world who could call him that.
He took a full week off work and went up to Boston, hoping to see her one more time, and let her know that he was there. Miraculously, the night that he got there her vitals got a little better and she stabilized, and made what was starting to look like a slow recovery (even though they knew from her scans that her brain was slowly bleeding). He spent the whole week right next to her bed, talking to her, getting her ice and blankets, talking about the Cape and all of their memories together... He came home on Easter Sunday, fulfilled that she had made it through the most recent stroke, but sad knowing that it would probably be the last time he saw the woman that meant so very much to him...

If you could, please keep my dad and the rest of his family in your prayers I'd really appreciate it. It's always so hard to lose someone close...

Today is his birthday, and I wish with all my heart that it could have been a better day for him. My dad has been through so much... and it breaks my heart to know how much grief he's holding onto. I hope he finds peace in the good memories... and in all of the love she had for him.