holiday weekend

early last week(on my birthday, actually), my co-worker and friend, koh, extended an invitation to join her and her husband jim at their beach house. over the last few years there has been much talk of said beach house (though not too long ago it was a beach condo), and it was an invitation i could not refuse.

the week was fraught with emotional challenges at the office, so when friday arrived, i was more than ready to exchange my fluorescent lit cave for the sun and sand of rehoboth beach, de. and, since the office was a virtual graveyard, i decided to skip out a bit early. i made my way to the gas station before heading home to pack, and my phone rang. it was the main office number. i was a little confused as to who was left and might be calling...

me: this is tara?
her: hi tara, this is sandi, the south building receptionist. are you in the building?
me: i'm not
her: are you coming back?
me: do i need to?
her: there's a delivery here for you

(internal monologue about whether whatever it was was worth going back for, or could wait the weekend)

me: okay. i'm getting gas, then i'll swing by.
her: (sing-songy "i know something you don't know" voice) okay, see you soon!

so, i got my gas and headed back to the office. when i walked into the building i could see through the glass doors that there was a gorgeous flower arrangement. sandi had a grin on her face, and said simply "i didn't want to give away too much!"

por moi??

i will happily provide additional details in more private forums if requested, but let me just say, i was reminded once again, that there are still some good men out there! needless to say, it was a wonderful way to kick off the weekend!

i headed home, carefully transporting the flowers, and finished my packing. not wanting to get caught in traffic, i ran a few errands, checked a couple items off the 'to-do' list, and basically stalled, until 8ish, when i eventually headed out. my little plan worked wonderfully and with little to no traffic, i was arriving at the house about 3 hours later.

i have known koh since the first days of my employment at sra. we have always (lovingly) referred to her as koh-nado, because she is an absolute force of nature. full of energy, ideas, and enthusiasm, it's virtually impossible not to feel the wind rush by you when koh is near.

though it took me a little while to warm up to her (i thought she was a little crazy), she has become not just my co-worker, but my friend. she has been my confidante, my sanity, and my advisor. there is a fairly significant age difference between us, so she speaks from an older wiser perspective, and i listen.

we don't share all of the same beliefs, yet in an environment where talking religion can be dangerous and taboo, she has not only sought to understand that part of my life, but treated it with respect and reverence.

koh is one of the most loving and selfless people i have ever known. her greatest desire in life is to make those around her happy--most specifically her husband, but none are safe from her generosity and caring. the relationship between koh and jim is one of self-sacrifice, adoration, and complete and utter devotion. this is a couple in whose presence, you can't help but be uplifted, and theirs is the kind of relationship i aspire to.

it goes without saying that i was looking forward to my weekend there.

on saturday morning, after the previous night's late arrival, we took our time warming up for the day. jim got word that his brother, who had recently been hospitalized by a heart attack, was having difficulties, and jim took his leave to make the 3 hour drive to maryland to be with he and his sister-in-law.

koh and i headed to the beach, and having decided against fighting the expected crowds at rehoboth, made our way to lewes beach on the bay side. it was the right decision. the water was warm and calm, and the crowding minimal.



for hours we talked, read, snacked, and enjoyed the perfect weather. given the 'talking' part, i was completely unaware of the amount of sun i was getting, and as a result never bothered to 'flip' rendering me sunburned...on one side:)

happy to have any color at all!

i knew that sunday would bring an opportunity to remedy my idiocy, so i wasn't too concerned.

the evening was spent grilling and watching movies, and jim returned home late feeling better about his brother's situation.

sunday morning was an especially late start. though up at a decent hour, we were all in slow motion. eventually we headed out. koh had some things to take care of at verizon, so we made a stop there before proceeding onward to moe's.

moe's is an expanding chipotle-esque chain with the most fantastic queso, and our stop there is only significant because it is owned by my hosts. within the last couple of years, jim and his son tim, along with koh's help, have opened two moe's restaurants in delaware with a third on the way. i had seen the place under construction, but had never had the opportunity to see the finished result. i was treated to a delicious lunch before heading back to the house, and some wonderfully relaxing time at the pool.

mmmmm.queso

welcome to moe's!

after a couple of hours, koh left me to lounge by myself while she and jim headed to a nearby care facility to visit her father.

i was able to even out the sunburn a bit before the sun went down, and when jim and koh returned, we grilled steaks, and enjoyed dinner together.

i had originally planned on departing early this morning, but i began debating the possibility of leaving late (midnight-ish) last night, knowing that it is easier for me to stay up than get up. but koh convinced me i was too tired to drive back, and i concurred.

after watching a movie, we called it a night.

sometime in the middle of the night (it turned out to be 3:30am) there was a knock on my door and koh was suddenly sitting on my bed. jim's brother had flatlined, and they had been able to re-stabilize him. the two of them were going to head up, and koh gave me instructions for getting out of the house when i was ready.

sometime later (turned out to be 4:50am) i became semi-conscious of commotion downstairs, and suddenly heard someone running up the stairs. it was koh, and jim's brother had not made it. unfortunately, after years of alcoholism and drug use, his recent abstinence was not enough to make up for the damage done, and his heart was not strong enough to keep him alive.

since i was up, i decided i would go ahead and get myself together and head out. i stalled a bit, not wanting to interfere with the private grieving of my friends, and shortly after their departure, i got on the road as well.

though the weekend came to a sad conclusion, i am grateful for the rest and relaxation it provided. more importantly, i am grateful for the opportunity it gave me to spend 'quality' time with people i care about. these opportunities become far more treasured the closer my departure looms.