Whenever I see Andy, after a gigantic hug, he always has the same two questions for me. When are you going to come visit? and, When are you going to go back to your blog? Well, Andy, since you loved my old blog, I blew the dust off of it. Here you go, a post just for you...ABOUT you.
Before I can actually shine the spotlight on him, I have to talk about his wife Kira first. But Before I talk about Kira, I have to talk about her parents.
Kira's parents, Cathy and Ray, were friends with my parents and lived in Shelton back in the earlier years. Ray and my dad worked together for the US Forest Service. There were three girls in the family. I was closest to their oldest, Kira, because we were closest in age. Cathy worked as an RN in the emergency room at Mason General. Many a summer night I'd spend the night with Kira, and we'd always stay up super late until Cathy finished work. Then she'd come home and share with us all the cases that came into ER during her shift. Like the one about the guy that cut off his toes with his lawn mower.
When Kira and I were middle school age, job transfers took their family from Shelton to Aberdeen, then onto Boise, Idaho after several years. My dad died while coincidentally working in Idaho, and when we got the news, Cathy was the first person I called. So much like a mom to me, she said, "I know, honey...Ray told me." I'll always remember the sadness in her voice.
Kira and I, as youngsters, always vowed that when we grew up, we'd move to Europe and live exciting lives and marry foreign men and spend our days sipping cappuccinos. While I stayed in Shelton, Kira did exactly that. After graduating from Boise State, with nothing tying her down, she took job as an au pair (fancy for nanny) in Switzerland.
While taking German classes, the pretty, fun, outgoing, Kira met a handsome, funny, inviting guy named Andy (finally! I am getting to the point!). Andy was in Switzerland working for Shell oil. Since like attracts like, they fell in love and in time, got married. Andy's job then took them to The Netherlands, then to Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. I tease them that everyone in Abu Dhabi sneezes gold glitter.
Andy is just one of the coolest guys on the planet. He's a good hugger. He makes you feel welcome. He is funny and friendly and all full of goofy, quirky, British phrases. To know him is to love him. Here is a picture of Andy and I at Kira's sister Jordan's wedding last May. (Contrary to how it may seem, I was sober here.)
And here is Andy with his lovely wife, and my lifelong friend, Kira.
OH! I almost forgot the second point to this story. Andy won the contest with his guess: In November I am going on yet another dental mission...to BELIZE! Yay for that! And if you are reading this because you used to follow my blog, but you don't know me and wonder why the heck I fell off the face of the Earth...life got pretty effed up there for a while. But I will come back. I'll finish the Nepal story. I'll post regularly. Writing was my faithful old friend. I miss it too.
