Moving Right Along....

Wow...a lot has happened since I post the last post. I was still pretty hurt and angry at that point in my life. It is funny how many things can come unravelled at once in a person's life. When I left Lisa, I moved in with the best friend I have ever known. His name is Micheal Gouker. We met at work and had a lot in common and became quick friends. He became the older brother I never had. Mike is and probably always will be the greatest man I've know other than my father. By the way, this is likely to be a lengthy post since a lot has happened since July!!

When I moved in with Mike and his wife, Mike had been diagnosed with lung cancer and was not doing well at all. The primary reason I moved in was to help his wife and sister take care of him. To say that I owed him that is an understatement. Mike has done so much for me through the years and has always been there for me. One issue that existed was that Mike was subordinate to me at work. He was a supervisor and I his manager. I talked with our director and no one seemed to take issue with the move. If there were any decisions to be made concerning Mike, I would defer them to her. Pretty cut and dry, so I thought. About a month and a half later, I was called in to the director's office and give 3 days to move out. Needless to say, this is an almost impossible task to accomplish. Most upsetting was that I felt I was leaving my best buddy in a lurch.

I was able to move into an extended stay hotel and found a house within a week. I think it was the harder to make that move than the one before! I knew when I left that Mike was not going to survive his cancer and it was more than I could handle. To lose your wife and your best friend in less than a year is too much for anyone. Here is a photo I took of Mike one night when I was at his place playing a little pool. Mike died recently and it was all I could do to make it through his funeral. This photo is how I always want to remember this great man.

I think the only way I was able to handle all of this was finding Missi. We had started seeing each other just before I had to move out of Mike's place. She was my rock when I needed one. She is a wonderfully smart and beautiful woman that loves me more than I deserve. She is younger than I and has a great five year old boy that keeps me busy. I took her to meet my parent over Thanksgiving. We also had an incredible Christmas together.

The last six months has been a whirlwind of grief and happiness. As I emerge on the backside of everything, I am emerging happy. As painful as the loss of Mike was, I know he is in a much better place. It was incredibly difficult to see him suffer as he did. He was always the strong one who helped everyone else. He hated being seen when he was sick and in pain. I know that he is free of the body that failed him in the end. Missi, her son, and I are off to a wonderful start of our new life together. I can't image being loved more by anyone. I can't image loving anyone more than I love her.

Here are a few more photos that I took over the past little bit.