the next to last step

jules left for her R&R this morning at 1:30AM. we got home last night around 5:30PM and finished up her vacation packing. we drank a few drinks (i didn't want to be drunk when she left), we smoked on the balcony, we talked and hugged, cried, and started the progression of what this has all been leading up to. we watched some TV and had some pizza delivered. she was getting sleepy around 9:30PM, so we took a short nap, back up again around 10:45PM, for her final round-up. she originally thought her flight was 2:30AM, so she was going to leave around midnight (though i might've convinced her to stay until 12:30AM). during the final round-up, she re-checked her itinerary and realized her flight was 1:30AM, one hour earlier. that sucked for me because i lost an hour i'd expected to have, it sucked for her because she had a hard time getting a hold of the driver to pick her up earlier. she finally got through, and he arrived around 11:40PM, and she was off.

she's touring around europe on a very similar trip that i took (and i WILL post once i find the motivation, sorry, i'm down). she comes back here on 30-oct to pick up the rest of her stuff, and pack the rest for the movers, and that is... us. she'll be on her way to the UAE, i'm heading up the road to another site in egypt that i'm not to excited about but will do to get my taxes back. i'm moving from a rocking apartment back to the hotel life. i need to ship my bike, TV, and stereo home, those are the biggest. i might be able to sell the pool table back to the guy i bought it from. i'll ship some clothes i guess and maybe my XBOX. i don't know. i'm just not ready for this. jules and both said that last night. i'm not ready for THIS, and she was ready for this on many levels... packing and such, plus THIS. it was tough. we are good friends, we live together well, it just sucks. in one fell swoop, i've lost a girlfriend, an intended fiancee, and my good friend is moving out. things feel really empty lately, and despite that, i slept fairly decently last night. when she comes back to get her stuff, she'll be in town about 18 hours. that same day i'm supposed to be mobilizing to the other site, but i'll see if i can wiggle a bit in order to get the movers' situation a bit better.

i talked to TheSteadman last night after jules left. i was in the dumps. she was watching the OSU game. we talked about jules and me, random stuff, quizzes, and i was generally cheered up by the end of the conversation. i spoke to TheJaneAnn this morning before work for a bit and a bit at work. i'm glad these two women are so tolerant of my whining. i know the things i need to do and should do but can't do. they kick me in the ass or try to direct me though i rarely listen, and they still answer the phone or IMs when i pop up. funny, that my exes are the ones i talk to to figure out how the fukk girls work. thanks to them, though.

i think tonight will be a rough night, first entire night alone, knowing that in 11 days, the book closes for good.