Sophomore year, there are more big changes in my life. They are good changes though because I decided to make them. First, I sold the house I grew up in. This was a difficult decision, but it was getting hard to keep up and was really just sitting there empty all the time.
The Mackenzies and Diamonds helped me go through everything. They advised me about what I should pack up and keep and what I should sell.
For example, I kept all the pictures and videos of our family, the cedar hope chest Dad had given to Mom before they were married, Mom’s wedding dress, Grandma’s dining room set and china—things like that. The rest got sold at a big auction. The Diamonds offered to buy the empty lot next door. They didn’t want to miss our annual Thanksgiving Day football game!
Mr. Diamond has been handling the estate and helping me with financial decisions. He really is doing his best to fill in for my dad. I don’t know what I would do without him. He advises me to take some of the money from the sale of the house and buy a townhome in Lincoln. It’s new and within walking distance of the university.
In a ploy to keep me safe, I’m sure, the Macs and Diamonds suggest that Danny and Phillip live with me, which is fine by me. We get along great, and our place is so cool!
It has three bedrooms and a very open floor plan.
At first, the boys say they didn’t care how it is decorated.
“Whatever you think is right,” Danny said.
So, just to prove a point, Mrs. Mac and I got a swatch of this really ugly pink-and-purple floral fabric and managed to tell the boys with a straight face that we were thinking of ordering a couch in it.
All of a sudden, they cared.
With the moms’ guidance, we had the walls painted a neutral golden color and the trim white. The kitchen has dark wood cabinets and stainless steel appliances. It was supposed to have a wall separating it from the living room, but since we picked it out while it was still being built, we changed it, so there is a long bar area instead. The formal dining room has a pool table in the middle of it, and the walls are decorated with beer signs and football memorabilia.
The living room looks like a Pottery Barn catalog with two red leather club chairs and soft, slouchy khaki ultra-suede couches. There are fun pillows and funky curtains that Mrs. Mac made, using a bold geometric-patterned fabric in khaki, red, and gold.
And God forbid I should forget to mention the huge TV, gaming system, and surround sound.
I should warn you, if you are on a budget of any kind or have any kind of time constraints, don’t take boys with you to the electronics store!
Just go by yourself and buy a damn TV.
With the boys involved in this decision, what should have been a simple task took three very lengthy trips to the store and nights of online comparisons, and I’m certain we could have fed a small country on what was spent.
Anyway, I really like the way it has all turned out. We even brought the big hot tub from my house and put it on the patio. We use that thing all the time!
We don’t have big parties or anything. I’ve seen what parties can do to a house, and I want no part of that! But there always seems to be people over. Danny believes in taking good care of his offensive line since they have to take care of him, so they’re over most Sundays during football season. They play pool and watch pro football games all day. I usually end up cooking and am always making yummy treats for everybody.
Phillip’s frat brothers tend to hang out at their house, but a few of them come over for FAC—Friday Afternoon Club. And, of course, with so many cute boys around, many of my sorority sisters enjoy frequent visits as well.
