Friday: got up early so I could pick-up the van from my old work. Chatted with rich for a while, then headed to st. kitts for one last time. Got to the house around 9:30 and started throwing boxes in the van. I was surprised that I had so much more room in the storage locker than I anticipated. That was good. Went back for a second load and then waited for my next door neighbour, jeff, to come home from work so he could help me with the dresser. We gabbed for awhile, he gave me a card which I totally wasn�t expecting and then I left. I will miss the neighbourhood, believe it or not. I wish I could bring some of the gang down here, it would be cool. I arrived at greenhill around twelve-ish and moved some more stuff into mom�s place and then the dresser went to grandmas and by that time it was 4pm and I had to return the van. Rich & I went out after he finished work to grab a beer and chat, then it was back to the house were again I bumped into mom and said good-bye.(I�ll see her in two weeks) and then did some last minute packing and car re-organization.

Saturday: left the house at 8:30 am and got to the border and hour later. It was busy and slow. The customs guy asked me a million questions and then told me to pull into the lot. Yep, too much stuff in the car and I looked pretty suspicious. I really have nothing to hide. After many more questions at immigration they let me go and I was zipping down the 190 alone for the last time. The ride was a nice swan song with some of the leaves changing and the temperature, cool and clear. By the time I arrived in Pittsburgh it was already 2pm and court was getting worried. I forget that sometimes. I know I�m ok but you really don�t know what could happen. The rest of the day was spent equal parts lounging, shopping and eating.

On Sunday we went to visit court�s sister, casey and then we went and did some more shopping and wondering. Court has been unsuccessfully trying to find shoes for herself, and at the time of this entry, the search continues�

Tuesday was courtney�s birthday. We spent it kind of quietly. She told me not to get her anything but I did anyway. (as much as I could) I took her out to dinner at one of her fav. Restaurants (sushi kim) and we took a drive out to new Lexington to see the rednecks at kings. We should go there more often. Plus they have cinnamon ice cream, which I have never heard of, but it was very good. I had some monkey type sundae, with bananas and chocolate. Since all sundaes have bananas in them, shouldn�t they all �shock the monkey?� we had a very quiet ride home and I was debating whether to give her, an extra �surprise� . but I did anyway. I didn�t want it to conflict with her birthday and all, but I could wait. Court loves kinder eggs, and since they are an export from Canada(or Europe) she doesn�t get them very often. We had been talking about marriage for a long time and since we will be getting married in the not too distant future, it would be nice for her to have a ring. I put the engagement ring inside the egg and when she opened it, I asked her to marry me. She said yes. There was nothing too fancy about it, just intimate and genuine like my love for her always is. It seems strange yet natural, to be officially engaged, and I feel that it will be like this when we are married. We will both still have our original names and we will still act like children at the grocery store. I mean getting married doesn�t mean you have to change who you are. You can still be all of that. But it does mean that you will love your partner forever, in whatever the future may bring. And now that we are together, we have a lifetime to learn, explore and enjoy this world with each other.

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