Changes are a comin'

Lots of change going on here.

Motorman got a promotion. He is no longer "oilfield trash and proud of it," as the sticker on our entertainment center glass says. He has moved from the oil rig to the office. He'll be working indoors - screening applicants, facilitating training classes, and carefully watching grown men pee. Apparently people are pretty dodgy when it comes to drug testing. Motorman was telling me there's some sort of fake penis contraption that can be filled with pee. Who knew? Of course, all I can think about is a woman trying to pull that one off. If I were monitoring the testing, I'm not sure I would be bold enough to say something. I'd be a little dumbfounded, I imagine....

But anyway....The job is great. We're excited about it. He won't be risking life and limb every day. He'll be able to take regularly scheduled vacations without having them canceled at the last minute by his boss due to training classes or rig moves. We'll be able to make RESERVATIONS. It's a new and exciting world for us! So, yeah, the job is great. Really great. Less hours, a change to salary, more vacation time, holidays off, weekends off. Lots of good stuff.

Unfortunately, we have to move. A year ago, I would have been jumping for joy. We didn't mean to move to West Texas - we meant to move to the gulf coast. And we did. Just in time for Katrina and Rita. During our evacuation, we ended up here, motorman got a job, we found a great house, and we've been here ever since. But we don't really fit in here. We made some friends, but we were still lonely. The people we met were nice to spend time with, but we missed all our people from Arizona. We didn't have any of those friendships that just click into place. Until a year ago.

We started home schooling, and through a local home schooling site, I met M. We met at the park a few times. Discovered we lived a few blocks from each other. Found the kids really liked each other. Found we really liked each other. And we clicked. She was exactly who I needed to not feel so lonely any more. We spend a part of nearly every day together. We text and IM each other. We watch each others kids, we grocery shop, run errands, and browse the book store together. (Yep, we're all sorts of wild and crazy, let me tell you.) It doesn't matter that I don't fit in here, because I found a friend. And not just a friend, but a great friend. A best friend. Not that she could ever replace M1 or C in Phoenix, because you can't ever replace the people you grew up with, the friendships you've had for years and years. But you know, the bond is just as strong. I have always had two people I considered my best friends (I know, I know...it sounds so high school, but it's true.), and now I have a third. I didn't think it would ever happen. I'm amazed, I didn't think I'd feel that way about anyone again. Motorman tells me it sounds like we're in love when I talk about it that way. :O)

But now we have to move. Only a little less than two hours away, but still. No more walking to each others house, sending the kids over to play, running by for just a second. I've never had that before - Phoenix is a big city, I was always several miles from my friends. It's kinda cool to be right around the corner. I like it. A lot. But it's about to be over.

So, it's with mixed emotions that motorman begins his new job. Excitement about possibilities, sad about friendships being tested. When we left Phoenix, I didn't have that fear - I knew my relationships were safe. They'd been strong and secure for over 20 years. Nothing will break those bonds. But this friendship, well, it's still growing. I'm scared that it won't survive the transplant. And once again, I'm feeling like I'm letting people down by bailing on them.