To 673 Harrison Av. Many Thanks

I'm leaving my home. After 9 years it is time to go.  I don't know if anyone can grasp that walking into this place for the first time, I knew I was home. I felt in my soul that this was it. I was finally here. That place I had been searching for, the safety, security, the womb I had lost 28 years prior. It was here. At 673 Harrison Av. I found love, friendships, parents, time, memories. It was where I could be the person I couldn't help but be. I walked into an endless amount of nothing short of 80's blue carpeting, over sized flower metallic wallpaper, fake pine paneling, clashing blue tile kitchen counters, more clashing blue wallpaper in the master bedroom, and a massive plate full of random keys. One of my first memories was of my mother calling me from my home to let me know that the pool guy had left the water on to fill the pool and she couldn't turn it off and the pool was over flowing and who should she call. Oh christ! I have a pool guy?! I had no idea that pools have a separate nozzle to fill them. I had always seen my folks use a hose in the past. The first of many lessons I learned at 673. I wish I could remember the first time I met Chris and Steve. That first time I met people who showed me what a neighbor is, what a neighborhood means. I'm blessed, blown away, so incredibly grateful. I could never have imagined what I got. I learned to water my lawn in the morning, time spent chatting the morning away isn't a waste, there is always a spot on the couch, how to make the best meatloaf, the giant spider really is that fucking big, a fence is sight proof not soundproof, a good hug is only a few feet away, it is ok to get mad at a friend because that is what makes them your friend, the proper way to stack firewood, I'm not the only one who doesn't want  listen to my mom talk, shred my mail damnit!, there are a lot of ways to see something, love is beautiful, friends don't judge they just save you and hold you, and probably a million other things that will come to me in the next few weeks and over the years as my life flashes through me. There was Wendy and Tommy. I saw the pain, the struggle of making Ava a reality. I saw the wonder of a special little girl grow up and then the sadness of the move. Lost friends. Made me realize change was going to happen but at least I could comfort myself that I was going to be a constant. I had the morning walking ladies to say 'hi' to. I had my route to walk the dogs . Altered it a bit as Kaiya and Echo got older. Still, not a huge change. Then came Drew and Anh. They showed up on a similar wind as Matt. It was all one big gust and here they all were. Drew and Anh came first but it was Matt that brought them to us. Before he came along I think they weren't all that sure about me. Then there were lunches, time with the 'Salmon Killer', time spent making chapstick or salt scrubs, taking care of the cat babies, naming Shaqdaddy, sharing movies and ingredients, crazy Chinese diet pills, the beauty of Sang, the love of Alexander's, curds and jams, a reason to cross the street chicken or not, a tool share, a giant and a tiny friend. Nancy, Doug, Terry. Solid staples of my neighborhood. I love them too. They aren't as close yet I still feel that in a moment of crisis, they would absolutely be there for me. Carol and Carson, opinions and all. The kid who grew up and drives too fast in his loud Dodge. To Lupe who passed away. To Pat who passed away. To James who moved away. To all the ghosts of past and present who I will miss and miss and miss every day. Thank you to all of you for being the best place I have ever lived without a doubt.