Change @ The Weymouth

The Weymouth suffered the biggest change to date this past April. My Neighbor moved. Not the outside ones that I wave at as the sun rises and the sun sets, but the one that lived inside The Weymouth. Let me explain.

In 2005 (or maybe 2004), while living in The Cottage (not an apartment, but a rent house I named The Cottage) the gal next door to me moved out due to an unfortunate string of events. Not sure she was ever a fan of mine. She called me The Homecoming Queen from day one...let's just say I did not shed a tear when she moved away. Anywho, my landlord asked me if I knew of anyone I'd want to move next door to me. The Cottage was an older house that was divided and made into a duplex. The Cottage Duo share a very, super thin wall. Getting someone to share that wall with me was very important. After 5 long minutes...it came to me...my dear friend Andy Duty.

And, so it began: The Neighbors at The Cottages and all our adventures. Andy termed me Neighbor as I did him and it stuck.

Just blocks away from OU's historic Campus Corner, The Cottages became home to many of game day parties, post wedding receptions after parties, DG Founders' Day dinners, and a thousand more events. Each side around 950 sq feet, together a lovely place. My own Mother would say on Andy's side since he used his other bedroom as an office/guest room and mine was a formal dining room. Doesn't every 26 year old have a formal dining room table?!? Keep in mind that table and chairs moved easily over for a blow up bed and house guests! More people stayed with us at one time, then The Weymouth has ever handled. Oh, youth.

In 2007, I found the courage (as a single) to buy The Weymouth. Andy was finishing his PhD, and neither of us were ready to separate, but I really needed a tax right off. So without ever seeing the inside of the The Weymouth, Neighbor became the man under my stairs (The Weymouth is a one story), my housemate, my flatmate, and made home ownership that much easier with his companionship. Like The Cottages, our socialization, stories, parties, and house guests followed us 3.1 miles north to The Weymouth. Moving from The Cottages to The Weymouth gave us a couple of things: a pool, more space to decorate for the holidays (Neighbor loves Christmas), ovens that didn't smell the house up with gas, bathroom storage (big need for Andy's 68 skin products), a dryer that could dry clothes in less than 60 minutes, and a beloved dishwasher and disposal! The Cottages were oh-so quaint, but quirky. Such wonderful memories.

With a PhD on his wall, research galore, experience, and a passion for a big city, Neighbor accepted a position in The Big Apple. His commute would have been too long to continue living at The Weymouth, so Neighbor moved his belongings north, but not his heart. His heart will always be in Oklahoma.

Oh, I cried. I cried so hard my eyes were puffy in the mornings and the evenings. Poor Mother got one of those calls where I just sobbed (sorry, Mother - that can't be fun 187 miles away). The day after Andy moved out, I hosted a party (for a community organization)....nothing like hosting a party looking like you know what, an empty room (I'm not one for things to be out of order) and on the verge of tears every moment. One of my best decisions. Ever.

Change. It is so inevitable, so needed, so right, but can be so painful. I'm so grateful to Neighbor for living here those 44 fun filled, memory packed, laughter wrapped months. The Weymouth isn't the same since Neighbor left, but it has a new guest room (another post). Decorating sure did help this Southern Bell recover. Shopping always does make change a little better.

Just me and The Weymouth. And, my 1000 friends and house guests. We are doing pretty fine.