yesterday Wayne and I went to Steilacoom to pick up my brother's bike. He's moving to Hawaii for at least a few months, and he couldn't fit his bike in his car.

I lived in Steilacoom for about two years, I guess. It was such a crazy time in my life. This was before I met Wayne. I was working as a CNA in Auburn and then in University Place. I was making anywhere from $6.50 and hour to about $8.00 per hour when I left UP Care Center in 1998. So sad.

I lived in Steilacoom from 1995-early 1997. It was so fun. It was my heady single days, when I was unattached. But it was also a time in my life when really depressing shit happened, and I made some really poor decisions.

When we drove into Steilacoom, and man, I wish i could do the view justice with a written description. We drove into Steilacoom, and we're at the crest of a hill. Below us is The Sound. Blue water, blue sky. McNeil Island in the distance, which is really pretty until you realize it's a state pen. The sound of ferries, which service McNeil and Anderson islands; the train, which runs frequently through town.

I lived here in a dumpy three bedroom duplex that cost me $625 or so a month. I had a roommate, Melissa Maier, who I worked with in Auburn; she followed me to University Place, as well. She was my party friend. We did a lot of going to Seattle clubs and Tacoma clubs after work (we worked 3-11pm). We always found a club to go to wherever we were. Our favorites were the Fenix in Seattle, Drake's and Cheer's West in Tacoma. We'd hit a random club every once in awhile, but those three were our usual haunts.

At this time, I did have Paige. She was 5 when we moved to Steilacoom. Soon enough, I changed to day shift to make life easier for Paige, who was in Kindergarten. I started to settle down, while Melissa was getting more out of control. We fought A LOT. Not just arguing either, but brawls-- actual physical, punch each other in the face kind of fighting. We drank too much. she smoked a lot of weed. We were both complete slobs.

I got pregnant in the fall. A guy I was great friends with, who happened to be married. We teased and flirted, and things just happened. I got pregnant just days or maybe a week before he got a vasectomy. His vasectomy was the day the OJ verdict came down, and I was waiting in the waiting room watching OJ on TV while my BF was getting snipped. This was at Madigan
since he was in the Army.

Anyway, so much came flooding back to me when we went to Steilacoom: the roomie, the boyfriend, the baby I lost at 28 weeks, the men I slept with whose names I can't recall, the crappy parent I was to Paige during that time.

I told Wayne that I'm glad we decided to not move to Steilacoom (in 2003) because there are so many memories in that place that I wish I could forget. I moved out of Steilacoom in 1997 to live with Wayne in University Place. Maybe someday we will live in Steilacoom again; it is a beautiful town with gorgeous homes and spectacular views, but I'm not ready to be there now. I like where I am. I'm proud of what I've accomplished. I'm happy to let my past rest in my mind as a distant memory.