Wow. This trip is over already! I haven’t blogged at all, been way too busy. I’m really excited to leave and at the same time I don’t want too. As I sit here writing just this I’m starting to tear up. There’s a lot of people I didn’t get to see this trip, and I’m sad about that. Also a lot of things that I like doing while here that I didn’t get to do either.
Anyways, going back a few days. Thursday I landed here and went out house shopping with my dad. I think we saw nearly 7 houses, only one or two good ones. The one I had really hoped would be good wasn’t so much. It was a 4 plex in Ankeny, 2 of the tenants had been there 5+ years, the other had just moved in and was a nanny for the other two, and the third were college students. We got to tour the college students apartment. Smelled of pot. Filthy. The building itself was ok. But it had a huge lot and tons of parking. Which means lots of monthly maint. Ugh. The others were good. The one we saw that day that we liked the most had a ton of cats in it, but overall was a nice place. My dad is going to have an inspection done to see what kind of money we have to put into it. We saw two others that day that we really liked from the outside, but the tenatns were not allowing people in to view them. So those are probably no-gos.
I also went out to Java’s with Andrew that night. I saw him for like a whole 2 seconds before they all left. I honestly really hate where our friendship has gone too.
Friday I slept in and my god, I can’t remember what I did friday! I know I went out with Oksy. I think that was Friday. We went shopping and bought Jullian’s gift. I really hope that he likes it, because well. We couldn’t find the thing that Dean had told us he wanted. I drove down to the G&G’s house after that with the couz, couz’s bf, spawn and aunt. I was driving, with three people who get car sick! Not a good combination! haha.
Saturday was Christmas #1 at the G&G’s house. That was good times. The Evil Aunt wasn’t so evil this year, but she hounded my brother. Lots of drama there. I ate WAY too much, but had a great time. I got a baking sheet, Not for Tourists LA book, Wallace&Gromit, Chicken Noodle Soup, A recipie book, $70 in cash (all spent already), and some other general things that I can’t remember right now. It was a good christmas. The table was full, we can’t add anyone else, but we sure need more mouths to eat all the food!
Came home from that with the same crew on the way down. The aunt drove this time, so less car sick complaining. 
Got home from there and went out for a while, low key night.
Sunday I got up and my dad and I went out house shopping again. Saw a few horrible places, although one had a car in the drive way with a rainbow sticker. I’d hate to meet the homo that would live in that area though! lol. That night we did the family christmas. I got an ISU jersey, another wallace&gromit movie, pirates movie, all four harry potter movies, a knife, some other books and more general stuff that I can’t remember! Hung around with the family that night and then went out again for a while. Another low key night.
Monday was the GmaS’ side of the family. These people are all crazy. I’ve said it before and I’ll keep saying it, I really don’t have anything to talk to most of them about. It was a good time, my cousin on that side brought a guy along, my grandma thought he looked mexican and made some mean comments about that. He was nice, so we’ll see. It will be entertaining to see what she says when I bring someone home. I got a calendar. I still REALLY hate that damn idea. Next year it’s “movie themed” what the fuck? We had 2 turkeys and a ham, sooo good. God I’m fat now!
I also had to hand out the gifts on that side of the family. They keep expanding I can never remember any of the new people’s names. Plus there’s so damn many Bob’s that I get them all confused. I only see them once a fucking year. Whatever. I actually got a donation out of one of them though. I hope the rest of them donate or something at least. We’ll see what happens.
Monday night I went out again to a couple bars downtown. Zach got very drunk, it was an enjoyable night.
Tuesday was more house shopping. Saw only 5 places. 1 of which was worthy. In one of them we were going through this one guys place. Walk in and there’s 40’s ALL OVER the kitchen. Walk into the living room and there’s a bed in there, nothing else.. Go up stairs to the two bed rooms, empty! Open up a closet….
DILDOS! LEATHER! BUTT PLUGS! You name it, it was there… This guy was into some kinky shit. I really wanna know who the gay guy is that lives on 37th Street! hahah.
Tuesday night I went out with Angel, and then to the porn store. I tried getting DavidB to hang out with me, but he was “too tired”. I’m so sick of people who say. “Oh I really want to hang out with you when you are in town” but then when you try to hang out with them, they are too tired or busy with something else or what not. UGH! So fucking annoying.
Today (wed), I went out with Beak to lunch and then came home and packed and did some random house shit to try and narrow it down to which house we should buy. The two we liked we can’t make money on. The one next one down we can make money on, but it’s too much for the amount of work that will need to go into it. I think we’re going to put low ball offers in on the top two and see what happens. The top one, still has a gravity furnace, which is A) HUGE! and B) needs to be replaced. lol.
Like I said earlier, I’m excited to be leaving, but sad at the same time. I want to be back in my bed and back to my schedule. Away from all the food and the crazyness of my family. It makes me really sad to be back here though and see how much things are changing. Everytime I come back more and more of the beautiful farmland that makes Iowa is gone and replaed with horrible crappy looking cookie-cutter condos and subrubia. I hate it all. I hate suburbia, I hate urban sprawl, I hate big box stores, I hate strip malls, I hate it! It’ so sad to drive from my parents house over into Ankeny and have it all so close now, I hate sitting out in the hot tub at nights now and instead of seeing the amazing stars, darkness and hearing the bucks in the back yard, all you see now is the city lights and hear the neighbor kids screaming and yelling.
So far I’ve loved the big cities: Paris, Berlin, Chicago, etc. But it’s just so sad to see all this pristine land being eaten up by this shit. I need my space sometimes and Iowa used to be that place. Now I can’t even get away from this crap here.
I will have to say that I still ove the fact that you can be out driving around at 5:30pm and not have to worry about traffic! At least not yet. They keep building like this and soon DM will be just like LA.
My Flight is supposed to start boarding in 1 minute. There’s no plane here yet!!
I’ve also spent a lot of the trip thinking about Mayko and hashing it out with my friends to see how I feel. I like him, but the thing is to look into the future, do I see myself with him? Would I bring him home to the family and introduce him? The answer… I think Yes. I would. I’m still a little shy of the idea of him being in college and stuff, but I think in the long run whatever happens, happens and hopefully that’ll be something good? Maybe.
The plane just arrived…. Hopefully we’ll be boarding soon.
Good bye all!
Pics are on the photodump
