Tomorrow Is Another Day...

Stating the Obvious

The obvious being that I've been a bit blocked lately.  Sure, there's plenty going on in my life, and it's all been great, but none of it is really "newsworthy".  I sit down and try to write a post from time to time, but it's hard to make unpacking boxes, painting walls, and watching The Bachelor with Colby into fascination topics.  It doesn't help that in my hiatus from blogging, quite a few of my favorite bloggers closed up shop and left the blogging scene and many others seem to have fallen into the same blogging slump as I have.

Anyway, another week has passed and not too much has changed since my last post.  We've sort of lost our unpacking mojo, so there are still a few remaining boxes sitting around unpacked and all of our pictures and wall hangings are leaning against the walls waiting for rooms to be painted.  I spend my days watching 24, corralling the dogs, and surfing the Craigslist job listings.  Colby worries that I'll go stir crazy in the house, but honestly I'm very much enjoying the downtime.  I know that these are probably the last days for a very long time that I'll be able to sit around and enjoy being a complete bum, so I'm enjoying this while it lasts!

Our engagement picture session on Sunday went really well, our photographers were fun to work with and have a really amazing vision.  We won't have the pictures back for probably another month, but you can check out the photographer's website here to get an idea of their style.  I love to just look through their portfolio--I hope ours come out half as well as the photos on the website.

We did the session at the University of Washington and were really impressed by how gorgeous the campus is.  We got incredibly lucky when the sun broke through about an hour before our appointment time and the weather was fabulous the whole rest of the day.  Of course, I had yet another high heel incident, because that's just how I roll.  My intent was to bring a pair of flats to change into after the photos were finished because we were heading into downtown Seattle to wander around until the evening performance of The Light in the Piazza.  Unfortunately, in the mad dash to get out of the house on time, my intent never became a reality.

My shoes were beyond hot, and even got a compliment from the photographers, however, they were 4 inch heels and I definitely didn't anticipate how much walking we'd be doing during the shoot.  After walking around and posing for an hour and a half, covering at least a square mile of the campus, we got back to the car and my feet were in more pain than I can put into words.  I already had blisters emerging, and I couldn't imagine taking one more step.  However, I was hungry, and Seattle is very much a park and walk kind of a city, so we found a spot as close to a strip of restaurants as we could and I hobbled down the street, clutching Colby's arm, and managed to stay upright.  But when we were done I let him go get the car and pick me up.

Colby wanted to show me a great bookstore downtown, so we got some rock star parking right across the street from the Elliott Bay Book Co. but after about 30 minutes of browsing the selections, I was begging to get back in the car and do some sightseeing that way.  After that I only had to make it the couple of blocks walk from the parking garage to the Paramount and then back, and finally I was at home with my socks on and my feet propped up.

All I can say is that there had better be plenty of pictures of those damn shoes.

You Take The Good, You Take The Bad...

It has been quite a week, hasn't it?  It seems like such a strange week--so many great things have happened, but there's so much sadness in the world right now.  Our house is finally starting to turn into a home, we've made lots of progress on our long list of house projects, Colby is home, the sun has been shining, I finally found my camera, Sanjaya finally got the boot on American Idol.  And yet every day there's nothing but bad news from the rest of the world.  I find myself changing the channel constantly because I just can't hear another story about one of the Virginian Tech victims, or another tale of a gun turning up in a kid's backpack, or one more break-in or DUI or hit and run.

I suppose it's a product of living near a big city.  There's a lot more opportunity for bad things to happen because there are just a lot more people.  I've always been afraid of having my home broken into--I don't know why for sure.  It's never happened to me, and I've never lived anywhere near a high crime neighborhood, but for some reason ever creak of the house settling sends me into spasms of terror.  Now I'm living in a neighborhood I don't know well, I have no campus police patrolling or gated community to give me that false sense of security, and I have dogs that go ballistic every time the neighbors leave their house.  I'm guessing with time I'll get used to things, but I tell ya, I really miss hearing any sort of good news on the television at night.

I am very much enjoying myself during the day, however, when I'm not afraid of homicidal maniacs.  Colby's 10 day deployment was cut short, and he was back home after only a week.  I had the great pleasure of going out to lunch with some friends that I'd known for years through the internet--and now I can finally consider them "real life" friends.  The books in the office have all been alphabetized, and I can see the light at the end of the filing tunnel.  Although there have been many glares of death from Colby when I admit to shredding his 10 year old bank statements, and growls of frustration from me when my attempts at organization are questioned, I'm really loving finally being with the boy.  And in a surreal moment of truth, I realized this morning that we are just days away from our one month anniversary of moving in together.  One month.  Gone, in the blink of an eye and a flurry of boxes and packing paper.

I'm trying very hard to hold on to each day and really enjoy it for what it is instead of longing for the day when we have grass in the backyard, all the rooms painted, and every box unpacked.  There's always going to be something that needs doing, and I'm learning that enjoying the process is just as important as the end result.  I think this is a lesson that I've been trying to learn for years now.  What can I say, I'm just a very goal oriented gal.

But anyway, as I said, the camera was at long last located--just yesterday mind you--under a pile of crap.  It was exactly where I thought it would be, but the trick was properly identifying the correct load of crap.  So, finally, for your viewing pleasure, some random photos from the past month.  Enjoy!

First a gratuitous adorable puppy photo.  Two dogs, brought together by fate, forced to like each other.


The most enjoyable part of wedding planning--CAKE TASTING!!  Oh my God, the cake is going to be fabulous.  We decided on the traditional white almond wedding cake with 3 layers--grand marnier and Bavarian cream, chocolate doberge, and Hummingbird (raspberry, cream cheese, and pecans)--with an ivory buttercream frosting.  My mouth, it is watering right now.

 

Show tune Karaoke:  Because a post with pictures would be incomplete without my big mouth behind a microphone.


Innocent Angela, sitting on campus with her fiance, never suspecting what was to come next  during the mysterious "Levee Walk: 2007"


BLING!  BLING!!  Okay, it was really windy, and neither one of us are terribly good photographers hence the bad hair and blurry picture.  But there's a slightly better shot to come.


At the engagement party held by Colby's side.  I felt like I was at a photo shoot toward the end with all of the obligatory family photos.  This is the parents' shot and one with my unfairly hot sister.  I think I'll make her wear a paper bag over her head on the day of the wedding...



Arriving at the Jack and Jill Shower held by close family friends on my side (oh my God, are those my hips or did the Great Wall of China sneak into my pants??) and hanging out with my maid of honor and two bridesmaids.  We go waaaaaaay back.  We're like sisters--except we all like each other.  (Well, and one of them actually IS my sister.)


The Magnificent Table of presents--I loved this party.  And on the right is the amazing collage handmade by one of the hostesses of the event.  It's amazing.


And finally it was moving day, and we had to fit the entire Magnificent Table of Presents into the car with us, along with all of the stuff I'd moved home with, and Colby's luggage.  For a minute there, I thought I might be riding in my rocking chair on the roof rack.


Here's how I spent most of the four driving days...


And here's my good natured chauffeur.  I don't know what it is, but put me in a car and I am completely useless--it's better than Ambien.


One of the amazing sunsets we witnessed... when there was still a sun to be setting.


And here is what I discovered when I was carried across the threshold--chocolate and a mess of absolutely indescribable proportions.  Note:  This is BEFORE my stuff was even delivered yet.  Sigh.


But we rolled up our sleeves, got to work, and got to painting... To Be Continued!

That's as up to date as I can get you for pictures right now, but since I've located the camera, as we get rooms finished I'll start working on a virtual tour for those of you who are as nosy as I am about other people's houses.  This weekend we're heading out to a pig roast (!?) and Sunday we're doing engagement photos and then going the see A Light In The Piazza in Seattle.  And I am so hungry right now that I just typed "pizza" instead of "piazza".  I think it's time for a little of the snack that smiles back.  Later dudes! 

Looks Like I'm Heading to the Grocery Store Tomorrow...

Y'all, I have been putting this off all weekend in an attempt to stave off the inevitable.  I kept thinking that in my overhaul of the office and guest bedroom I could avoid an epicurean fate worse than death.  Alas, it seems as though these lips of mine will soon be experiencing the one thing they fear more than any other--the taste of a green olive.

I have searched high and low, turned piles upside down, dug through boxes, and there is absolutely no sign of my camera.  That's just how my life works:  Camera cord shows up, I cockily make an announcement that pictures will be coming soon, camera disappears.  And I have no idea where that sneaky little bastard could possibly be--I don't even remember the last picture I took.  I'm completely at a loss.  And of course, in my desperate search I turned up my old film sporting Pentax--it just surfaced to spite me.

So, instead of pictures, I guess you'll just have to put up with some rambling from me.

Colby is gone for the next week and a half and I have of course set all kinds of Herculean goals about what I'll have accomplished by the time he gets back.  Office: Organized and books on the shelves.  Guest Room: Remove painters tape, arrange the furniture, clean out the closet, decorate.  Master Bedroom and Bath: Boxes all completely unpacked, new shelf liners in dresser drawers, random piles of crap eliminated.  Garage:  All items we're giving away loaded in the car to drop off when I pick up Colby, some attempt at organization made.  And then there are just the day to day tasks included my runs, dealing with suddenly dueling dogs, writing thank you notes for all of our fantastic and very much appreciated shower gifts, and finally taking care of Colby's very much overdue birthday present.  My life, it is so fascinating.

I've also realized that somehow in my unpacking obsession I have completely lost touch with the outside world.  I haven't spoken to friends or kept up with emails properly and I've become a total hermit.  I really want to take advantage of these Colby free evenings and try to do a better job of staying in touch with everyone.  The hardest part is adjusting to the time zone here.  I'll get into the zone working on filing or alphabetizing books and suddenly I realize it's 8 o'clock already which means that it's 10 o'clock back home.  I don't know about you, but any phone call I get after 10 o'clock I automatically assume is bad news--I think that's my age starting to show there.

Anyway, as much as I miss Colby terribly, I'm a little relieved to have this week and a half on my own.  I really was beginning to feel far too dependent on him to do quite a lot of the house things, and it's been nice remembering that I'm perfectly capable of hanging curtains and assembling shelving units.  Not to mention I can hole up with a pile of papers for 5 hours and throw away whatever I want without anyone questioning me--MUAHAHAHAHA!!!  But seriously, who really needs bank statements from 1996?  No one in this household, I can assure you of that.

Ah well, I'm feeling very much on a roll now in my Mission: Organization, so I'm off to register all of our appliances even though I've never been really sure what that actually accomplishes.  I'll do my best to locate my camera in the next few days, and maybe some day my mom will actually send me some of the pictures she has on her camera and I can get something posted here.  Until then, farewell my friends.  I'll be back soon with a permanently soured green olive face.

I'm Willing To Show You, I'm Wanting To Show You, I'm Waiting To Show You

This is going to be a short post because Colby is leaving this weekend for a 10 day trip and we've still got about five million things to do before then including paint a room, wash dogs, mow, and figure out the damn TiVo.  However, I want to assure you that at some point on Sunday there will finally at long last be pictures.  So, now you can all calm down and stop hounding me--pictures are coming, I promise.  Pinkie swear, but really for real this time.

Check back Sunday night or Monday, if there are no pictures, I'll do the most horrible thing I can think of--eat green olives.  Promise.