I Am No Evil Cave Dweller

Well, I'm sitting in the retired Bitch Cave, watching the beautiful sun set, listening to a little Sir Paul, the raspy Mr. Stewart and a bevy of other classics, remembering some pretty fun nights spent in here.   I'm having a very strange day.  Sad, lonely, excited, scared..... you name it, I'm IT!! The empty nest syndrome has hit HARD this week. It's hard to even look at my son without getting the big lump in my throat and tears welling up in my eyes.  That's my BABY!! See, I'm choking them back now, as I type this.
I have never been away from him for more than 2 weeks....  he's 23. I know, I know.... cut the apron strings. I'm trying.  It's just very hard.  We've been through EVERYTHING together! I try not to let him see me getting emotional, but shit, I'm emotional 24/7. He probably thinks I'm drunk or phycho....  uggghhh....
Not only am I feeling that, I'm getting scared.  What if nobody likes me.... or GETS me. Will people understand me? Will they see that behind the cardigans, half-mittens and furry boots that I'm just a normal person? Will they appreciate my love for old, classic, TIMELESS music? Will they get my strange sense of humor?  What if my only friends are Darren and the one lady at the complex who reminds me of Magda, on Something About Mary? What if nobody likes me????? I'm scared and excited at the same time.  What will people think when I tell them me and my best friend J spent many a Friday nights drinking Merlot, teasing our hair like Snooki, or doing paraffin wax facials or watching Xanadu while doped up on percocet (hey, I had foot surgery and they were totally prescribed to me)? Will they be all jealous and secretly wish WE would do those things or will they avoid me every time they see me because they think I'm some freak??
I just try to imagine that I'm sitting in the pool, enjoying the hot GA sun, drinking a fun, fruity drink, writing my memoir and everyone is totally interested in what I'm doing and who I am! I just hope it doesn't go the opposite way and people think I'm some old, bat shit crazy, stuck in the 80's lady! Look, there is nothing wrong with secretly wishing that the original Journey featuring Steve Perry will get back together and do a 27 city southeast tour.  It could happen!! Shit, Van Halen is back together with Wolfie on guitar, so, don't pooh pooh on my dream!!!
I'll be working from home so you know people will be wondering why in the hell I only come out at night! They'll think I'm some loony fruitcake who is afraid of sunlight and can only afford half-mittens, who drinks wine out of a glass that looks like a Goblet stolen from a renaissance festival or  medieval  times (hey, J and I drink are not the most graceful wine drinkers and those thin ass glasses are not NERD friendly! I broke one putting it IN the dishwasher....and the Dollar Tree had the goblets on clearance, 2/$1.00 after Christmas last year... shut up.). Uggghhh....  this should be interesting.
I will miss Tennessee and some of the wonderful things here.....  the 4 seasons, even though it goes from summer to winter like, overnight, the beautiful sunsets, the feel of small town in a big city, the people I've met over the last 15 years, sitting in the cave listening to the high school band playing at the football games (like they're doing now), Jack's BBQ, Famous Chinese, the fact I can say "reckon" and nobody bats an eye, the opportunities that were given to me by the police department I worked for (crime scene tech?? I lose my car EVERY time I come out of the grocery store and they let me look for clues to crimes?? silly people.), the awesome fishing, my snow every year, even though it was only a few inches a year, meeting many country music artists, going to major award shows, sitting backstage at the Grand Ole Opry with Little Jimmy Dickens trying to get me into his dressing room.......  lots of good memories.  But, memories are just that.  I have to go make new ones and move on with my life.  It's time and I know it is.  Doesn't mean I'm going gracefully, quietly or sanely.  So, if you call or come by in the next two weeks and I have an emotional meltdown, I apologize now.
On that note, I'm going to go fill the goblet, run the tub, pour the bubbles and put on a face mask that's supposed to help your face look not-so-stressed.   just wanted to add a few photos of some friends and things that have made me laugh, cry or cringe this week.  Peace out, y'all!

 

And here's a video containing photos of the majority of my friends and Mitchell Oglesby singing. Spent many a night listening to this song and passing that damn tip jug, right Tina?? LOL! Good times!!