Nice While It Lasted

Well, we're getting down to the last couple weeks before we move out of the ol' in-laws' house and into our new one. Sad. Very sad. And I'm not being sarcastic. I'm actually sad about leaving my in-laws' house. But it's not because I'm going to miss them. Not even close. We're going to be about seven minutes away. I'll probably still see them everyday. I'm sad because I won't have the lake anymore. Oh, yeah, did I mention they were on a lake? They are. A nice one. And they have a boat.
I've become so accustomed this summer with walking down to the lake, spending some time in the water, then laying on their boat and just relaxing. It's become my favorite quiet time (when my wife and daughter aren't with me--then, it's my favorite family time). I can just get away, relax, listen to my iPod, and get a nice, Mexican tan. I love it. It's also an excellent time to show off my buff body. Just kidding. I mean, it would be an excellent time to do that, but my body's not buff. Yet.
I love the lake.
I'm also going to miss my usual running route. Their neighborhood is so peaceful. The street is paved so nicely and easy to run on. Everyone that drives by (though it's rare) smiles and waves. When I pass anyone on the road, they always have something nice to say to me. I never hear it because my headphones are always in, but I can see their lips moving, and I'm sure it's nice. I usually just smile and wave. There's even a very nice neighborhood across the street I frequent on my run. It must be a requirement to have an in-ground sprinkler system in that neighborhood, because every single house has one. I enjoy running through the mist created by the sprinklers, whipping my hair back in forth across my face in slow motion as the water soaks it to create that perfect wet look. Well, I don't do that so much, but I always think about it.
I even enjoy the six-pound dog that chases me halfway through the sub-division. Though I have wanted to kick him in the face many times, I think I'm gonna miss the little 'fella.
So it's tough to move after all this time. There won't be a lake. Though the backyard near the fence floods sometimes after a hard rain, it's not nearly the same. And let me tell you--I like the road we're on--the houses are all nice-looking houses, but the pavement...GOOD GOSH, THE PAVEMENT! It's incredible. It's as though four or five earthquakes have devestated our road, and nothing else around it. Gigantic chunks of cement are laying all over the road, leaving thousands of potholes screaming for their next victim. I have to break about three driving laws just to make it to our house without losing my little car. How will I run on this? I guess I'll be doing a lot more now than just running. I'll have to learn the high jump to hurdle the cement chunks and the long jump to avoid the potholes. Or I guess I could just run on the sidewalk.
But I wrote all of this just to say that I will miss the luxuries of the in-laws' neighborhood. It's been nice while it lasted. Time to be a grown-up now.