Today, I went swimming again. Did my 25 laps and then hung out for about 15 minutes just relaxing in the water. The earlier rain had caused the temperatures to drop a bit, down to about 85 degrees or so. On top of the hill, though, it was more like 80ish.

The water felt great, and my nerves are calm. Swimming laps is just exactly what I need after a long day at work, so I’ve already packed my bag for tomorrow after work so I can stop by and take 15 minutes to relax. I’m doing this both because I ned to relax a bit more and because I need to lose a little weight. We are headed back to the beach in September, and I want to look good in a swimsuit again. Not that I look bad, especially for 40, but that I would like to look younger than 40!

Just sitting there, after the laps, going in slow circles in the pool, I realized how much I am going to miss that house when they sell it. I grew up going there, and I never really thought that he would sell it. It’s sad.

I sat there today and remembered all the great parties that we had, for birthdays and holidays.  I remembered how we used it for our rehearsal dinner the night before our wedding.  I even stayed there with my mom, dad, sisters, soon-to-be stepdaughters, and friend from Japan the night before my wedding.  I remembered being insanely envious of the bathroom my cousin had when I was a teenager.  Stuck in my one-bathroom house with two little sisters and my parents, the fact that my cousin and her dad shared a 6-bedroom, 6-bath house all to themselves was unbelievable to me at the time.

I remembered that my grandmother was there the last time I saw her in good health.  I remembered that it was the place, at the dining table in the den area, that I finally learned where my parents, or at least my dad, got my middle name.  I was single, newly divorced, and I frequented my uncle’s house, playing cards and hanging out with my older family members when I could.  One night, playing cards, I remarked that I had a weird middle name.  It’s a normal name, but it’s just not one you hear very often.  My uncle said that it was one of my dad’s old girlfriend’s name from high school.  This explains why my mom really never talked about where my middle name came from!

There are so many memories of that house.  So many years gone by.  My uncle has owned it for more than 25 years.  I barely even remember his old house, although it was literally next door.  I just have so many good memories of the house.  I will miss is so much.