This guy...

moved to Annapolis last week!  

(why did it take me a week to write this welcome blog post, you ask? well I've used my computer all of about once since then, so I've been a bit busy IRL)

For those of you keeping track, this is a bit of a big deal.  It used to be 2819 miles from my apartment to his house.  Now, it's a mere 32.5.  It takes forty minutes.  FORTY MINUTES!! Not to get to the airport, but to get to his house!!  Yes, there have been many victory dances in the last week.

This was not a surprise deal, but something that has been in the works for the last few months.  I'd love to take credit for how seamlessly his move went, but then I'd be taking something that belongs to God, and I've learned He doesn't like that so much.  Does he have a job, you ask?  Well, that's the best part.  Not only does he have a job, but he loves his job, and it comes with some pretty great friends built into it and he gets to brag to me about how fun his day was and then post pictures like this one:

think that gym looks a little bit familiar?  Well, it's the main auditorium for Bay Area Community Church.  Long time readers of this bloggity blog (read, my sister and mom) will remember that I, too, once worked for said church.  And that, I guess is where this story starts.

While working at BACC I met some pretty fantastic folks who were lucky enough to call themselves my co-workers.  We did a lot of goofing around and a little bit of working and had a jolly old time.  Then I left them for "the higher-paying gig" as my then-boss liked to put it, and we did a little less goofing around and a lot less working.  About a year later, I was invited to join a new missional community (read small group/community group/bible study) with the people I had formerly worked with.  About the time it started, Tres came out for a visit and joined me one Friday night at the Shirlens. Low and behold, the entire group works or has worked at BACC at one point, and more specifically works as part of the Gatherings Team.  One of the guys in the group was the part-time sound engineer and full-time enlisted in the Air Force.  When his enlistment ended, he was planning to move to Nashville to go back to school learning all about production and management of a performing space.  Two of the other guys in the group happened to be the worship leader and gatherings team leader- so when it became clear that there would be an opening after Christmas, they started thinking about who they knew with the skillset to fill it... obvi, it's this guy:

Running sound at camp is really hard, you guys.

A few meetings, interviews, conversations and weeks later, they offered Tres a full-time position as the new Technical Director of Bay Area- something they so desperately needed, but hadn't ever had before.  Great sound guys and hard workers, certainly, but never someone who could devote themselves to it in a full-time capacity.  He's been there a week now, and has already started multiple lists of potential improvements on the space, and is passionate about forming and equipping a team of volunteers to help make Sunday mornings and other events as successful as possible.  Perhaps to prevent situations like the one we found ourselves in during our high school gathering Sunday morning-

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.  He's settling in nicely, and already has more friends than I do.

His dad was nice enough to help him drive across the country and get him settled in.  After many trips to Target, and multiple hours putting furniture together, we showed him some of the best things the area has to offer.  He tried the crab cake sandwich from Armadillos in downtown Annapolis (where I ate more than my fair share of the crab dip) and schooled us both in duckpin bowling in his debut performance.

It was really fun to get to show his dad (hereafter known as Dos) around the area and give him a glimpse of what Tres' new life would look like.  They both came up to my place to watch the football game Sunday, and I'm pretty sure he planned on feeding me for the next week.  Anyone want some bean dip or mini-corn dogs?

Watching Tres and his dad interact is always a little bit bittersweet for me.  They have a great relationship and enjoy spending time together, but it's also a reminder that my own dad isn't around anymore.  I've always liked Dos, and he does a great job of making me feel included in their family.  His visit this time around was a nice reminder of what it's like to have a dad. (I know, I know, way to be a Debbie Downer, Vickie)  He did all of the things I think my dad would've done in the same situation, and I was frequently reminded of what it was like to have Dad come visit at school- spending lots of money at Target and making us real, home-cooked meals.  As a crab lover and Renaissance Festival aficionado, I'm sure he'll be back in the fall for a Navy football game and the Annapolis Boat Show.

Add my Friday night call-off into the mix, and a Super Bowl win for the Ravens, and I can definitely say it's been a pretty phenomenal week in these parts.  The first of many, I'm sure.