Joe's First Trip to NYC (also named - Yay! Joe's Moving to NYC! or, alternately, the entry I gush about Joe and he decides to never talk to me again)

Is that second title too pushy? I can't tell . . . .

So, Joe came to visit us this past weekend, and all it took was for him to break his "lifelong" boycott of our home city and some threatening that Katy and I would COME GET HIM if he didn't. And it was such fun, I cannot even tell you. We were all SO HAPPY to have him here.

Now, we all have our lives and adventures, and Joe's story isn't mine to tell. What is mine to say, however, is that over the past few months I've watched in awe as he's been slowly sifting through his life and making it better. He's been making g a lot of hard decisions and dealing with a lot of crap - and honestly? It makes me ever so proud of him - while admiring the pants off him. (And I would, literally admire the pants off of him, only he's family - and well, that's just wrong. Though it's important, now that find myself on a tangent that the girls at my work would all admire the pants straight off of him, so there you go. Proof all at once of my love for my husband and the hotness of Joe. Awesome tangent over.)

But needless to say, Sam and I have been struggling this far away. We have wanted to do something awesome for Joe, and weren't sure what. And then one night, late and a little tipsy at our neighborhood bar, The Gaf - Katy, Sam and I decided it was time we *saw* Joe. And true to form for all of us, we concocted a plan and made it happen, and I couldn't be more proud of us.



'Cause before you could say "Bob's your Uncle!" (and why would you, really?) Joe was on a plane eating warm chocolate chip cookies and flying o'er Manhattan.

I have to interject here for a second and say Sam and I were so very excited it was on the verge of pathetic. We met after work and immediately jumped in a cab in the middle or rush hour to make sure we got to the airport to meet Joe in time. We were like children, hopping up and down in baggage claim looking to see if he was walking toward us. It was only later we thought of making a big sign that said "Welcome! Joe! Hagen!" - next time. It's also important to note we NEVER meet people at the airport. The list is very short of who that little honor goes to: Kate, Little Charlie, Jamie and Joe. Ha. One down, three to go.

ANYway, seeing Joe and Sam together makes me happy. There's always lots of laughter and joking and teasing. But it's something else, too. I know there's nothing they wouldn't do for each other and that's just plain as day when they're in each other's company. I feel lucky to have been included.

And, well. I love me some Joseph J. Always have. In our group of mutual friends, I always saw him as a sort of kindred spirit. He's my fellow designer. My fellow visual artist. He's the one I could banter endlessly about visual communication - what was good, what wasn't. Or bitch endlessly of the ignorance of pushy, narrow-minded clients. . . above and beyond that, though, I've always found it easy to talk to Joe. He's always honest with you, always upfront. And if you want to know what he thinks, he doesn't shirk from telling you.


He's not just a dreamer, he's a doer. And that's so very hard to find. He's got plans, that one. And listening to him talk about what's important to him, what he wants - well, there's no doubt he's going to make it happen. Right. And well. And when it does happen because he's put so much thought into it, it will be even better than I think even he can imagine.

I can't wait to see it.

But I'm blathering on. I guess I feel the need to. Joe entered my life in a weird place. Right when I lived far away, and we were just friends of friends. And, while over the years, we started being friends the two of us - I've never quite said to him how much I truly feel ever so lucky to have him around. When I think about maybe someday leaving this crazy city-life and heading west - part of me wants very desperately to have Joe playing catch with my son or daughter on a regular basis. Teaching them about what he thinks of Klimt and how to play dungeons and dragons baseball all in one conversation.

Being around so they can see what great, kind, kickass family they have.

So yeah. Stuff I think about.


And our weekend! Oh, the fun! There was museum wandering, sidewalk hoofing, ferry riding - and of course, ice cream eating and beer drinking. And some gin. And shots. And Nightmare Before Christmas in 3-D. And birthday cake.

It. Was. Good. Times.



The pics will have to come in batches - more to come in the next few days.