Life in Balmoral

A few weeks ago I was reconnected to a bunch of my Balmoral friends' blogs through Lia. Today I was thinking a lot about the three and a half years I lived on Archmore Court. My ex-husband Steve and I excitedly bought our first home, naively hoping that a new home may smooth over our marital problems. It was only a few blocks from work, was in our meager price range, had so much more space than the bungalow we were renting in Sugarhouse. Our ward was comprised of the townhomes, and a few streets of houses. Most people were young families, with young children, in school, or just starting their first careers. It was nice to be in a ward that had so many people in the same situation as me.

Unfortunately, not all was well in Balmoral. My nearly 5-year marriage quickly landslided into catastrophe, and I was filing for divorce (for many reasons that do not need to be mentioned in a public blog). I became a single mom, and felt so out of place. In between working two jobs, and begging for my $45 (!$%&@!) of monthly court-ordered child support, I was flat broke and took in a few roommates to be able to avoid foreclosure. I was trying to keep things together emotionally, and was grateful for the ladies who listened to my woes and offered support. Taylor came along and won my heart more quickly than I expected, and we were married less than a year after my divorce. If felt good to be a "normal" person in Balmoral again. We lived in Balmoral for 18 months before moving to California.

Taylor had ended an engagement to a girl shortly before meeting me. The relationship did not end amicably. All post-break-up communication was on her terms. For instance, she sent out an email to say she was marrying someone else, and when he responded to congratulate her, she flipped and told him to never contact her again. A few months ago, he got a Facebook friend invite from her. He cautiously accepted it, and we looked through her pictures. Imagine our surprise when I saw a picture of her in front of her Balmoral townhome, with a bunch of common friends. How awkward would it have been if we'd still lived in Balmoral?

This blog ended up being a lot more jumbled than I intended, but in closing, I'd like to thank all you Balmoral ladies for the love and support and friendship from 2003-2006. Keep up the blogging so I can know what's going on with your families, and maybe I'll be able to make it to one of your upcoming reunions.