2002. Wow... 5th year living in Omaha, 3rd year on the same job, 14th month in a relationship and all going strong. All records. As Andria will attest, I think too much and I have some weird nomad genetics which tune to any distant siren's song. Growing up I never lived in the same place more than 5 years. I'm not big on the concept of "normal" when it comes to psychology/sociology, but I can't imagine living in Omaha 10 years from now. There's so much to see and do before the ride is over, ya know? On the other hand it's a great life I've got here... This "pursuit of happiness" thing needs an operators manual...
Wed (Thr?) I was at work talking to my boss in Dallas (minding my own business and/or the business I was about to be directed to mind by the man who signs my paychecks) when my mobile phone rang. This part was not terribly surprising, since my mobile phone tends to ring. The surprising bit* begins now. My mobile phone has caller ID. My mobile phone's caller ID said that someone was calling me from my house. I live alone. My girlfriend is still at work. I'm still at work. Yet someone is calling my mobile phone from my house...
I tried to imagine who it could be and how they could possibly have good news for me, but quickly ran out of ideas. Was a burglar calling to confess? If so, how did s/he get my mobile phone number? Was a firefighter calling to tell me that most of my house burned down but they miraculously saved the $5 phone in my kitchen? If so, how did s/he get my mobile phone number?
Curious, I pushed the "talk" button and said "hello?" (This is a customary greeting in the region where I live, though the person presenting the greeting doesn't usually sound so hesitant.) The voice in my phone said "hello." Then the voice continued to speak and it became clear that the voice was my brother BRAD explaining that he no longer lives in Illinois, he lives in my basement. Effective immediately.
"... Oh." I said. I paused. "Well then... welcome to Omaha." We agreed to talk later because he said he would probably still be at my house that evening. We hung up and I went back to talking to my boss. I explained the situation to my boss who was preplexed and amused that Nebraska has such a liberal squater's bill of rights. My brother has left again, reportedly for Sioux City to visit friends. I asked when he'd be back. He didn't know. I asked if he would be back on Monday. He said "probably not." Confident in my encyclopedic knowledge that my brother would "probably not" be back on Monday but would probably return at some point to claim his stuff which is now stacked in my basement, we parted ways and I went home to my new found no-sleep-till-3am Rollercoaster Tycoon addiction.
That was the long way of telling you that my brother lives here too now. It should also be noted, for the record, that the Justin formerly known as Intern will be moving in next week staying with me through August.
* I am not British, but I have been watching the movie Snatch over and over again. Excellent flick. Highly recommended by 1 out of 1 jays.net employees.
BTW, I'm off to Dallas on Monday for 3 days of meetings to see what efficiencies my department may be able to bring to Operations at the corporate office. Wish me luck, but not too much luck, as I'd rather not come home with 5 more years of work stacked on our project list. -grin-