Tomorrow Is Another Day...

A Perfect Day

This past Saturday was one of those perfect days.  A day where you are just productive enough to feel a sense of accomplishment and just lazy enough to feel completely relaxed.  The only way it could have been better was if Colby were here, but frankly, if his presence were required to make me happy, I'd be pretty miserable 95% of the time.

I started the day by sleeping until the sunshine streaming through the windows wouldn't let me sleep anymore, then began my day with an appointment with Jillian Michaels.  Once she'd kicked my flabby butt for about an hour, I got dressed, spent some time organizing the office, did a little homework and a little writing and then decided that the rest of the day was far too beautiful to be spent sitting inside.  So I set up camp on a lounge chair in the backyard with my dogs, my book and Words With Friends.

Can I just tell you?  I absolutely adore my house.  In all of the stress of house hunting, our biggest concern was that we wouldn't find a house we loved as much as our Washington house.  We even joked about how nice it would be if we could just put our old house on a trailer and drive it east.  Obviously, that wasn't an ACTUAL possibility, but oh, how glad I am that we did not do that.

I set up my chair facing the house, the better to sun myself, and at times I'd find myself just gazing around the backyard with goo-goo eyes.  The Bradford Pear is in full bloom, if you squint and look in exactly the right direction it looks like we have a completed picket fence, they hydrangeas are sprouting leaves, there was just enough of a breeze to ripple the pond and cormorants were swimming back and forth in search of lunch.  I've envisioned the ideal location for a patio off the screened porch, thought about the perfect patio furniture and am dreaming of a long Southern summer, just like the ones I used to know, spent out in the yard.

Yes, it's a small dream, but our old backyard was so tiny that every time I went outside, it felt as though seven neighbors were all staring down at me, observing my every movement.  Now we only have one neighbor, our yard is about five times the size of our old one and if I dare to wear my swimsuit to soak up the sun, I won't feel like I'm performing a strip tease for the local gentlemen.  I'm in heaven!  Although with all of the Jillian I've been doing, at least I could feel like I was putting on a pretty good show.

Anyway, I know how boring it is to hear someone gush about their happiness and rhapsodize about landscaping plans, so I promise to come up with something tragic and/or dramatic in short order, but for now, I'm just going to revel in my perfect Saturday--sunburn and all!

Angela vs Wild

This weekend was one full of adventures in the great outdoors, and I'd just like to give a public shout-out to Washington weather.  Thanks for being so damn awesome!  I know all of the locals here don't appreciate you, and after spending 7 months bitching about the cold and snow are now bitching about the heat and the sun, but just know, there is one Southern transplant that is happier than she's been in more than 2 years of living here.

The Park

While I was off gallivanting around Montana, Colby was exploring the area surrounding our neighborhood that is generally inaccessible by foot due to a giant fence paralleling the railroad track.  Somehow, the fence was mangled and there was just enough space for a person and a couple of dogs to sneak through to the other side.  And lo and behold, the world that was opened up to us included a pretty snazzy dog park, complete with ponds, a walking track, and giant grasses for dogs to hide behind.

It was a great adventure for all of us, and the only snafu occurred when we got back to the fence by the railroad track and the city had decided to take that day to fix the gap in the fence.  Of course.  So, we all low crawled through a gap between the ground and the bottom of the fence.  Finally, all of that Air Force training paid off!

The Lake

Saturday was another beautiful day, and we were thrilled to get an invite to head out to Lake Washington on our friends' boat.  We joined Sarah and Andrew, as well as another fun couple, and spent almost 7 hours bobbing around on the beautiful blue water beneath the beautiful blue skies.  I was in heaven soaking up the sun and even pushed my own personal boundaries when I worked myself up into actually getting into the water AND riding a jet ski.

I know swimming in practically pristine lake water doesn't SEEM like that huge of an accomplishment, but along with heights, spiders, roaches, snakes and pretty much everything ever, getting into open water above my knees is a pretty huge fear of mine.  And I define open water as any body of water that I couldn't feasibly cross in approximately 20 seconds or see the bottom.  So, you know, way to conquer those fears, Ang!  And unfortunately there is no photographic evidence of my white knuckled fear/elation as we bounced over waves, plunged through boat wakes, and ultimately toppled over face first into the water on the jet ski.  Or maybe that should be "fortunately."  I left the wake-boarding to the pros, preferring to keep my knees in their current functional state, and instead spent most of my time dreaming of owning one of those gorgeous water front homes.

The Mountain

After taking Sunday off to recover from the lake, on Monday we headed down to Mt. Rainier to hike out to Spray Park.  Oh my God, I am so sad that I didn't realize that park existed until yesterday, because it is by far the most beautiful meadow I have ever seen.  The hike wasn't easy--a little over 7 miles round-trip including our frolicking through the meadows, getting up to 6400 feet after gaining 1600 feet in elevation--but the pay off was so worth it, and the beautiful sights along the way kept us going.

The hike started off at Mowich Lake where we sun-screened up, took the final opportunity to use a semi-real restroom, and crammed as much water into our backpack as we could.

Within just a bit over a mile and a half, we had already crossed multiple babbling brooks, had magnificent views of Mt. Rainier, and taken a break at the most spectacular waterfall I've ever seen.

When we finally reached Spray Park, I did a little jig of joy, took a mini bath in the lake, and we spent about ten minutes working with the self timer so we could get once shot with both of us and the mountain.  I guess one good reason to have a kid is so you'll always have a little photographer around.  Anyway, these pictures can't possibly do the beauty of the wildflowers and ponds and scenery justice, but it was such a peaceful experience.  And since it was a Monday, we felt like we had the place all to ourselves.

Of course, after 3.5 miles trekking up and downhill, we had another 3.5 miles of up and downhill ahead of us to get back to the parking lot, and my legs felt like wobbly jello by the time we finally collapsed in the car.  But I'm thrilled, and a little proud to reveal that after a good night's sleep I don't feel the slightest bit sore today.  I'm thinking all of my workouts of late are actually proving to be somewhat effective!

This week I will be busily trying to do three weeks worth of homework over three days, preparing dinners in advance for our upcoming visitors, and then welcoming Colby's parents for a week of visiting while we frantically entertain them and try to finish all of our Hawaii preparations.  I think I can, I think I can, I think I can...

The Fun, The Funner, and The Unfun

So, yeah, not working pretty much rocks my freaking socks off.  I love being able to keep the house clean.  I love being able to keep up with our laundry--actually folding clothes after washing them, what a novel concept!  I love not being too tired to meet up with friends in the evening and being home when Colby has a short day at work and can leave early.  I love having time to run errands and fit in running and shredding.  I can't tell you how fabulous it is to be able to do my homework during the week so that I have my weekends free, and I've actually been WRITING!  I haven't worked on my book in almost a year, and I've renewed my interest in it and am thinking of it constantly.

I can say with complete honesty that I'm not the least bit bored, I don't feel remotely unfulfilled, and I don't have any weird hangups about being a stay at home wife--at least for the summer.  Plus, Colby still cooks dinner, so what's not to love?

Buuuuuut.  And there's always a but.  Part of the deal when Colby agreed that I wouldn't have to work this summer was that I wouldn't buy any new clothes or shoes until I went back to work.  To tell the truth, I made that promise just as much to break my shopping addiction as I did to save money.  I have more than enough clothes and no one really needs more than sixty pairs of shoes in their closet, so I'm planning to spend the summer rediscovering outfits and shopping in my closet instead of Banana Republic.

When I get bored, instead of pulling up one of my favorite shopping websites, I blog or I write or I take my book outside and read in the absolutely gorgeous weather we've been having lately.  I feel like it's a win-win situation--plus I don't have to buy hangers every time I go to Target anymore!

Tomorrow the fun will be tempered by my very first EVER experience with jury duty.  I guess I didn't really understand how jury duty worked.  I thought you got called for one or two days and that was it, unless you got put on a jury.  But no, in my lovely little town, I've been called for five separate days over the course of July, one of which is a day that I won't even be in town.  I wrote them a letter a couple of weeks ago, requesting to be excused on that day due to my previously made vacation plans, but I haven't heard anything back. I'm going to ask about it tomorrow, but I'm just imagining them issuing a warrant for my arrest while I'm gallivanting around Montana, and a brigade of policemen waiting for my return to Seatac to put me in handcuffs.

But seriously, I paid an arm and a leg for a non-refundable ticket to middle of nowhere Montana before I got my jury duty dates, so they can't really expect me to just not go?  Right?  Right????

And then, you may have noticed that the month of June went by without any word of assingment notifications like we had been previously told to expect.  I'm a little bummed that it's looking like we'll be spending another summer in the great Northwest, but mostly irritated because now who knows how long I have left to wonder about where the future will take us?  I wish I was a more go-with-the-flow kind of person...

Anyway, today I'm gearing up for a four mile run, then meeting Lori for coffee so I can pick up tickets for our really fun 3rd of July event, and then heading over to another friend's house for our weekly So You Think You Can Dance date.  I'm going to try to put all of the stress out of my mind, focus on my fun and relaxing summer that is going by all too quickly, and enjoy the fantastic weather!  Key word there being: "try".

T.G.I.F.

Believe it or not, I have yet another story of anxiety and uncertainty to share with you all.  But today is not the day for dipping into the endless depths of my neuroses, today is the day for rejoicing in the sunshine and that fact that today is FRIDAY!

A confession that is either funny or embarrassing, probably a combination of the two:

Have I ever told you about that time when, early in my relationship with Colby, I was musing at length on how his R.A. could have possibly gotten her car from Alaska to her on campus apartment in Louisiana.  I eventually settled on the fact that she had probably taken a ferry, and was satisfied with my conclusion, when Colby kindly took my hand and explained to me that Alaska was not in fact an island unto itself as seemed to be the impression that I had formed over countless years of geography classes, and just maybe she had driven her car down to Louisiana from Alaska.

Well, last night we were watching an episode of Rick Steves where he was exploring the beautiful country of Greece.  As the television zoomed us in on a map of Europe, to highlight Greece, I made a dive for the remote and hit rewind and play again for another look at the unzoomed in map.  As it turns out, Greece is not, in fact an island, as I have thought for as long as I can remember.  I don't know where I got all of these misconceptions about how countries are connected or not connected to their neighboring countries, but I feel confident that it is somehow my 5th grade teacher's fault.  This is in sharp contrast to Colby, who actually spends his free time looking up random locations on Google Earth.

Things that are kind of adorable:

One of my little angel-faced 1st graders, who is obsessed with High School Musical, Indiana Jones, and efforts to combine those two interests, has taken to calling himself Hoops Man, and everytime I call him by his real name, he gives me a reproving glance and an enormous sigh.  I can't decide if his reaction to my faux pas is more precious than the nickname and his near idol worship of Zac Ephron, so I just sort of alternate between calling him Hoops Man and his real name.

Things that I am excited about:

1) The sun is shining, and it is downright WARM for Washington in March, at a pleasant 50 degrees.

2) The kids are generally easier to handle on a Friday afternoon, and oftentimes, downright enjoyable and entertaining.

3) I get to get dressed up for two separate events this weekend--a casino night birthday party for one of my friends tonight, and Colby's birthday dinner tomorrow night at the schmancy, well reviewed Seattle restaurant, Chez Shea.

4) I am leaving for Baton Rouge in exactly two weeks and one day, and I just found out that there is a very high degree of possibility that not only will I be seeing my family and friends while there, but my little sister will be making the seven hour drive down from her school in Missouri for the weekend!!  I haven't seen her since my wedding in November of 2007, and seeing as she is one of my top favorite people in the whole world, I am absolutely ecstatic that I might be seeing her very soon!

I hope that you are all going to be enjoying a fantabulous weekend, and if you have any good news of your own that you would like to share, I'm sure it would go a long way toward sustaining my suspiciously out of character and out of season good mood!

2008 Was Pretty Great

Well, how about that, another year has gone by and looking back on it, I really can't find too much to complain about.  It's a bit strange how last New Year's Eve can seem simultaneously like it was a million years ago and like it was just yesterday.  2008 will probably always hold a pretty special place in my heart.  It was the first full year I ever spent as a married lady.  The first time I'd crossed the pond since college.  The year of the most romantic and magical honeymoon a girl could imagine, as well as the first time I experienced the deployment of my husband.  Friendships deepened with the girls I've met here in Washington, and I had wonderful experiences with friends who live too far away.  I felt the elation of being published as well as the confidence in choosing a careerpath and taking the steps to achieve my goal.  I've definitely hit some rough patches with this here blog, but I'm so glad that I have it as a way to look back on my year and remember the things that otherwise would have probably slipped my mind ages ago.  So, now for my annual year in review--here are the reviews for 2006 and 2007 if you're interested.  I generally take the first sentence from the first post of each month, but for my 2008 review I'll do the first couple of sentences to give them a little more context, and I'm skipping the very first post of the year, because that was last year's review.

January: I've never been really big on New Year's resolutions.  In fact, I just went back in my archives to see if I even made resolutions last year.  Answer: I did not. (And lo, my resolutions lasted for a few months before I was well and truly over them.  I think I have a couple of good ones for this year though, but more on that later.)

February: So, check out what came in the mail the other day: It's my story!  In an actual, real life, published book!  A book that somebody in the world might have decided was worth the exchange of their very own hard earned money! (I still smile when I think about that little story that could.  It only took me six years to work up the nerve to send it out for publication--with a record like that, I could be looking at a published novella in about two decades!)

March: Went to a new cupcake shop that just opened in our cute little downtown main street.  I decided on a vanilla cupcake with chocolate frosting, and Colby had a chocolate cupcake with vanilla frosting.  Clearly, I have failed spectacularly at my Lenten promise. (I think this marked the beginning of my This Weekend I... posts.  I should really bring those back--I should really also go get a cupcake...)

April: Supervisor IM:  I'm writing your going away email right now.  What should I tell people you'll be doing next?

Angela IM:  Hm.  Maybe just something along the lines of "pursuing job opportunities closer to home."

Angela IM:  Oh, and catching up on daytime soaps!

No response from Supervisor

Angela IM:  Just kidding...

Supervisor:  Okay, so I can highlight your commute time? (Snort. This still makes me laugh.  Oh man, I don't miss that job.  I miss seeing Becky on a regular basis, but not that job...  The two weeks off for Christmas was nice though!)

May: Damn, I seriously suck at blogging regularly when I'm not chained to a desk from 9-5 every week day. (A theme that has continued through the rest of the year, because seriously, blogging IS hard when you're not chained to a desk all day!)

June: This weekend was our big girls night out for the Sex and the City, and it really was a fabulous experience. (I just watched this movie again the other night, and I think I loved the movie even more the second time through.  And Lord, those clothes are just... AMAZING!  I'm sure this DVD will be on a pretty high rotation in our household when Colby is away on trips.)

July: Dear Typepad,Things have been distant between us lately.  I know it.  You know it.  There's no sense in pretending that we haven't hit a rough patch.  I know that I've been ignoring you, spending very little time at home with you and then on the few occasions when I have turned on my computer, glancing guiltily at your button there on my favorites toolbar and then navigating over to my class website or Facebook. (Well, yeah, things are still pretty much the same there--I still read a bunch of blogs, but I just don't comment like I used to, and I definitely don't blog like I used to. But hey, I posted four times in July... and six times in December--that's an improvement, right!?)

August: Somehow, over a week has passed since my last post.  I do not understand where the time is going and how the days could possibly be flying by so quickly while simultaneously dragging on endlessly.  In the words of Confucius, "Time is a sneaky, sneaky bitch." (More bitching about blogging--Jesus, Angela, shut up!  It's a wonder anyone reads this stupid website anymore!)

September: Hey, remember when I was being haunted by a numismatist from the great beyond a few months ago?  I think he (or she) might be back, and this time has more than coins on the mind. (That dang ghost... I wonder if he or she will do anything to increase our property value?)

October: Y'all, I am so tired this week.  I'm not particularly sure why, but I can tell you that I come home from work, stare blankly at the tv for a little while, stare blankly at the computer for a little while, and then try to remember to feed the dogs before I fall asleep.  What I'm saying here is that not only is this Hills recap a little late, but it's also probably total crap. (Oh, Hills recaps, I kind of miss you guys!  Turns out though, that I really stopped liking the show when it meant I had to put all of that extra effort into it.  So, now I just mock it silently in my own head.  Much more enjoyable that way!)

November: I know I have so much to catch you all up on, but I had to come out of blog hibernation today to marvel at the fact that exactly one year ago, I woke up early in the morning to the sound of raindrops to... (GET MARRIED!!!  Also, holy crap, that is the ONLY thing I posted in November.  What have I been doing these past few months?  I have NO IDEA, because I didn't write about any of it...)

December: So, November pretty much kicked my hindquarters.  November was the lion and I was the unicorn, and it resoundly beat the crap out of me all about the town.  Things started off fine and dandy.  October drew to a close with a splendid Halloween celebration involving a limousine, copious amounts of liquor, dancing, and the company of good friends. (So, that explains November... still not quite sure what I DID to become so tired, but maybe I can reflect more upon that in 2009.)

And there you have it--the jist of my 2008.  I've got a lot to say about where I think 2009 might go, and where I hope we might go, and hopefully I'll make a little time in my life to get back to this here blog.  I hope that you all had a splendid New Year's Eve and are enjoying our entry in to 2009.  Enjoy it, because this is the last year that we will be able to purchase these stylish accessories:

Valentine's Day Optimism

I held the giant hairbrush in my hand and belted out the words to "Strawberry Wine", Melissa stood behind me, a hair straightener held to her lips, my backup vocals.  The other girls sat on the beds, giggling and singing along to the chorus.  When the song was over, we collapsed to the floor, laughing hysterically, reaching for the bright red Bartles & James Strawberry Daiquiris.  It was Valentine's Day during my freshman year in college, and we were all together, single and loving it.  The fluorescent lighting flickered overhead, and the radio was blaring the mixed cd we'd labored over earlier in the day.

We talked about going out, but every time we decided to go, a new, better song would come on and we were forced against our wills to dance around the dorm room, screeching the lyrics and opening more wine coolers.

"Who do you want to be your Valentine?" Melissa asked pointedly, a sly grin crossing her face.

I shrugged my shoulders and blushed mightily.

"I bet you want Colby to be your Valentine!" she crowed, and my embarrassed giggling said it all.

Two years later, I was sitting across the table from Colby at a bustling Italian restaurant.  It was our second date and I was still in awe of the fact that he had asked me to be his Valentine.  I'm pretty sure I ate fettuccine alfredo, but I honestly don't remember a thing about that night aside from where we ate and how bummed I was that my carefully curled hair was stick straight by dessert.

The next year, my senior year in college, we returned to the same Italian restaurant.  We had celebrated our one year anniversary the weekend before, and I would be lying if I said I wasn't keeping my fingers crossed for a romantic proposal.  (What can I say, I'm from the deep south, when I got married last year at 24, I was practically an old maid.)

That was our last Valentine's Day together.  Over the next few years, the distance, a brief but heartbreaking split up, and a deployment all conspired to keep us apart.  This year I was thrilled that we were finally living under the same roof, that we would be celebrating our first Valentine's Day as a married couple.  That we would be celebrating five years of unforgettable Valentine's Days.  Today, Colby is on the other side of the country, where he's been since last Friday, awaiting a possible, but unlikely deployment.

If I'm being totally honest, I'll admit that I'm disappointed.  We were hoping that tomorrow we would be flying to New York City to visit friends, see Rent before it closes, spend our weekend wandering the streets of Manhattan.  So, of course, I wish that things could be different.  But then I would be wishing for another life.  When I started dating Colby all of those years ago, when I waved him off as he drove away from home and started pilot training, when I stood in the audience and clapped as he got his wings and then his assignment to a far corner of the country, when I promised to love him for all of the days of my life, this is the life I willingly accepted.

I will never be happy to see him leave for two weeks or four months or a year.  I will always cry a little bit that first night, and rage against the Air Force when they use so little common sense in their logistics.  But I will always be fiercely proud of him and what he does for his country every single day.  I will always support him from near as well as afar and I recognize that I will probably spend more hours talking to him on the phone than sharing dinner table conversation.

Our holidays will often be spent apart, or rearranged to fit our schedules.  And this probably won't be the last Valentine's Day that I spend home alone watching Love, Actually.  But even still, I would choose this life of uncertainty and belated holidays with him in it before I would ever choose a life without him.  I will never consider myself anything but the luckiest girl alive to have found this gem of a man who is my Valentine every day of the year.

Happy Valentine's Day!

A Hero Amongst Puppies

This weekend, my friend made the comment that out of the four of us growing up (Me, her, my sister and her sister were pretty inseparable between my ages of 9 and 16 and are still wonderfully great friends.) she never would have expected that I would turn out to be the crazy dog lady of the bunch.  I've always liked animals, but I think if you would have asked us 10 years ago which of us would own two dogs and be begging for a third, I would not have been the obvious choice.

And yet here I am, completely, hopelessly addicted to furry, adorable animals--particularly those without a home.  I rescued both Jack and Ellie from shelters in Arkansas and instead of having favors at my reception that would just get left behind or lost or tossed after the wedding, we made a donation to the Louisiana SPCA.  When we were in New York in August, a woman was set up on the sidewalk with homeless kittens and it was all I could do to resist stuffing one in my purse as a souvenir.  Instead I just emptied out my wallet and kept my fingers crossed that someone would come along and take them all home.

But what always breaks my heart more than anything in the world, is when I see an animal on the side of the road--either running along the highway, or already hit by a car, and being unable to stop and help.  I usually end up with tears in my eyes as I drive away, just hoping against hope that my own little dogs won't ever run away from home and find themselves in that situation.  It's such an awful feeling to not be able to do anything for that helpless creature, confused by the speeding cars and bright lights, and yet I've never stopped to do anything.  Until last night.

It was around 6:30, pitch black outside, the narrow back road very dimly lit by tall glowing lamp posts.  I turned onto the street that leads into our neighborhood, and saw something moving on the side of the road.  Suddenly, a big yellow dog came loping out of the bushes, tail wagging and tongue hanging out as he headed directly for my car.  I slowed down to a snail's pace seeing that there were cars coming up behind me who probably hadn't seen the dog who was now wandering aimlessly down the middle of the road.  I came to a full stop, causing the cars behind me to slow down and hopefully see the dog, and then I pulled over to the side of the road to slowly open my front door, praying that the dog was as friendly as he looked.

The other cars drove around us, giving a wide berth as the big yellow dog came toward me, 70 pounds of wagging tail and smiling eyes as he nuzzled my hand in greeting.  I saw that he had a name tag on, so I stepped down from the car and, taking him by the collar, hoisted him into the back seat.

He had big, beautiful eyes that looked at me gratefully as he curled up on my back seat, tail thumping against the car door.  He was completely quiet, aside from the swish of his tail, and he tentatively licked my arm as I fumbled with his collar, in search of a phone number.  I saw that his name was Oliver and introduced myself to him, scratching the top of his head and the back of his ears as I dialed the number that would hopefully connect me to his owner.

After a bit of difficulty understanding the man who eventually answered the phone, I determined that he did indeed have a dog named Oliver, and that he would have his wife meet me by the gate at the foot of their driveway.  Oliver seemed perfectly content, stretched out on the backseat, probably thrilled to be inside where it was warm after his big adventure outdoors in the below freezing temperatures.

I found his house, and together we sat in the car, waiting for his people to arrive.  Eventually a woman came down the drive with another dog by her side, and I got out of the car to help Oliver down.  When I opened the door, he stood staring at me, hesitant, unsure of what was going on, afraid to go back outside.  I coaxed him down from the backseat and walked him toward the gate.  I was a little concerned that he didn't seem more excited to be home, but then it suddenly seemed to occur to him where he was, and when he saw the woman waiting for him, his tail began beating rapidly again and he tried to lunge toward her with all of his adolescent puppy strength.

He dragged me toward the gate, and I made sure that he was safely behind the iron bars before leaving as the woman thanked me.  I can't tell you how happy it made me to do that little thing.  To reunite a family with their dog.  I'm sure the scenario could have gone a number of different ways--Oliver could have been unfriendly, his tag could have been illegible, his owners may not have been home--but the way that it did turn out was perfect.  Oliver got to go back home, and when I got home I hugged my own puppies extra tightly for as long as they would let me.

A Sunny Disposition

Yes, there are still clouds in the forecast, yes, there's still a chance of rain, but people, I can SEE the SUN!!  I haven't seen the sun since New Year's Eve and I was seriously beginning to consider doing a visit to a tanning bed, which goes against all of the preaching I do about the evils of UV rays and skin cancer.  But look at that forecast!  Three days in a row with the sunshine peeking out from behind the clouds!  How can I look at that and not smile?

I can't wait for this weekend.  I don't have any wild and crazy plans, but I do have an appointment scheduled to get my hair cut and colored tomorrow.  I've been looking forward to this day for months now, and I feel a giddy combination of nervousness and excitement.  I still don't have a solid idea in my mind of exactly what I want, but I have a few pictures to bring in and a lot of trust in my stylists coloring opinions.  I still want to go darker, but it's going to be just as much a surprise to me as it will be for you to see what I end up with.  I just can't wait to be able to wear my hair down without it just hanging there, mocking me with its limpness and split ends.

And last night I started writing.  It's something so different from what I thought I would want to write, but I have these people that have been inside my brain now for a few weeks and I want to see what they'll do when I put them down on paper.  I'm not sure what will come of it.  Maybe it will end up in the same folder as my other half finished novel, but I'm interested to see where I can take it and where it will take me.  Colby and I have discussed instituting some "writing time" into my weekends.  It was actually his idea to set aside a couple of hours each Sunday when I can close myself in the office with nothing but my computer and my words.  Maybe I'll end up staring at the wall for two hours, but maybe something will come of it.  I don't know.  But I want to try.

Also, thank you to those of you who came out of "lurkdom" yesterday!  I always pore over my SiteMeter, enthralled by all of the different countries, states, and cities that my visitors come from, and I always wish I knew more about who you all are.  Please, feel free to continue to come out of hiding over the weekend, and if you do continue to read in silence, just know that I thank you for your presence anyway.  I hope you all have amazing weekends, and I'll be back on Monday with my hair Before and After shots!
 

Sneaking Back in For 2008

Well, how about that--I thought I'd give myself a couple of days off from blogging and it turned into a nearly two week long hiatus.  I have so many stories and pictures to share from our amazing holiday, so let's just pretend, over the next few days, that Christmas wasn't over a week ago and New Year's Eve stories are still vaguely relevant.  Today I'm going to stick with my tried and true method for a 2007 year in review and take the first sentence from the first blog entry I wrote each month.  It's been such an incredibly busy, life-changing, and wonderful year, I can't wait to look back over it!

January:  Well guys and gals, it's time to start getting used to writing yet another year on your checks! (It is so weird that I wrote that a year ago, because I remember writing this entry.  Heavens this year flew by...)

February:  I would like to begin by saying that yesterday was a cold, rainy day, and I received a phone call at 6:45 telling me that the wing commander had released a delayed reporting time of 10:00. (February was a hectic month of moving, and just one week after I wrote this entry I officially separated from the Active Duty Air Force, packed up my apartment in Arkansas, and headed to my parents' house where I lived for a month while waiting for Colby to come home from his deployment.)

March:  Update:  Colby is officially back on US soil, so hooray for that! It'll still be a week before I see him, but now I can pester him with phone calls constantly!  (And Colby did arrive in Louisiana a week later, surprising the ever living crap out of me by showing up at my house three hours before I was supposed to be meeting him at the airport.  That month we had two marvelous parties thrown in honor of our upcoming wedding and we spent four days traveling across the country for our second Louisiana to Washington drive in just over a year.)

April:  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.  (This was the first deployment that Colby left for since we crossed the threshold of our lovely yellow house.  The lovely yellow house that I promised pictures of way back then and still haven't produced.  But all the rooms are painted now!  And we just have a few more windows to buy curtains for!  So maybe it will happen in 2008!)

May:  I have nothing to wear.  (I finally got my closet cleaned out and a lovely summer/spring wardrobe in place, just in time for the clouds to roll in, the temperatures to drop, and now I'm bemoaning my desperate lack of clothing appropriate for a 15 minute walk each morning in freezing rain.  Thank God for after Christmas sales--because really, this dress was an absolute winter necessity.  As was this one.)

June:  When it comes up in conversation that I am currently unemployed, so many people make the typical envious comments, but then quickly add the fact that they couldn't handle the boredom, that it would drive them crazy. (My God, how I miss being unemployed.  I was always well rested, the laundry got done, the dishes typically ended up in the dishwasher, and the house wasn't always a total disaster area.  Sob.  Also, as this was the month that the Wednesday Wedding Weigh-ins began, I was a total superwoman when it came to regular workouts.  I really miss my running.)

July:  My God, my titles are atrocious.  (Hey!  That's still true!!  I never have been good at titles...)

August:  I haven't fallen off the face of the earth... yet!  (August was a fairly eventful month--we had a number of fun social events, another fun wedding shower, this here blog turned the big two years old, I thought about buying myself some boobs, and I got a job in the big city.)

September:  I got home last night at 10:30 after 12 hours of airport exposure and have spent all day today prostrate on the couch, only heaving myself up for necessary bathroom breaks, to forage for food, and to blow my nose since I appear to have been infected with the Airport Crud. (I spent the rest of the month recapping my awesome NYC bachelorette party, with little vignettes on re-entering the world of the working woman.)

October:  So, I have been utterly exhausted this week, which is a great opener to talk about our last day in New York since it can be summed up thusly: 1) Exhausted, 2) Pumpkin Pancakes 3) Drowsy, 4) Chocolate Milkshake, 5) Really tired, 6) Rice Pudding.  (A month after returning home from my NYC trip I FINALLY stopped talking about it and instead focused on beginning to freak out about wedding plans.)

November:  November 1st.  The first day of NaBloPoMo.  (Okay, well, that's two sentences, but I feel like November was a month worthy of two sentences in my recap.  I love reading through all of the entries from November, and just cannot begin to say how incredibly glad I am that I managed to successfully post every day and really put that month in a sort of time capsule for myself.  I get the warm fuzzies reading the posts now, and can only imagine how glad I will have that little collection of wedding memories in years to come.)

December:  The morning of November 24, 2007 at nine o'clock in the morning, my alarm clock went off, heralding the last day I would wake up as an unmarried girl.  (December was full of wedding reminiscences, holiday preparations, and my 25th birthday.)

2007 really was a remarkably good year, and I wonder if it's even fair to hope that 2008 will be anywhere near as wonderful.  It does have a lot of potential--I already have a trip to visit one of my best friends in her new apartment in San Francisco later this month, two weeks in Italy this April, and the resuming of our Girls at War plotting over the next few weeks after a lengthy break for both myself and Lynn to plan our weddings and move houses a few times!  Of course, 2008 won't be all sunshine and roses.  Colby will be gone for a four month deployment starting in June, and due to absolutely ridiculous airfare and a lack of vacation time after I blow it all on Italy, I don't know if I'll see my sister or parents again before next year's holidays.  But I'm going into this year with a great attitude and plenty of plans.  All I can do beyond that is wait and see what life has in store!

I wish you all a very happy and blessed 2008 and look forward to taking this journey together one step at a time.  Happy New Year!! 

Random Acts of Kindness

This morning, the alarm goes off at 6:00, again at 6:15, and at 6:30, when I finally drag myself out of bed, still exhausted from our late night of Christmas wrapping and box packing, and I'm shivering and irritated at the sound of rain hitting the window pane.  I leave the house at ten after seven, drive to the train station and have to park closer to a curb than I would have liked given the two parking violations I've already received in the past two months.  I trudge to the station, still shivering, and grumbling about the lack of available parking.  I already dread the small, yellow slip of paper that might be tucked underneath my windshield wiper when I return in 11 hours and that would be added to the slowly growing collection on my passenger's seat.

I stand in line for the train with my head down, tucking myself tightly into my coat to attempt a feeling of warmth.  The train arrives and the man with the bicycle gets on first, just after the friendly station security guard informs him that he will need to get on with his bike last.  I grumble internally a bit more about how rude people are as I board the train and go to my customary top row, forward facing seat.  I make myself as comfortable as possible in the seat, and doze for the next 50 minutes as the train heads toward Seattle.

At 8:18 we pull into the Seattle station and I get off the train, unhappily reaching for my umbrella when I see that it has begun to rain again.  I walk down the street, groggy from the past 50 minutes of terrible sleep, and keep my head down once again, shielding my face from the biting cold wind.  As I near the halfway point in my walk, someone approaches from behind, and I sigh heavily, not in the mood to deal with the constant barrage of remarks or requests from the homeless men that heavily populate my route to work.

"Excuse me, miss."

I contemplate ignoring him and just increasing my pace, but he's already even with me on my right and so I'm forced to look at him or feel like a heartless bitch.  I'm surprised to see that it's a handsome, older gentleman wearing a nice beige overcoat and a dashing fedora cocked at ever so slight an angle. 

He smiles at me congenially when he says, "I'm sorry, I don't mean to bother you, and I'm not trying to "hit on you" or be overly aggressive.  But I just have to tell you--I see you on the train every morning and I just think you are one of the classiest, prettiest ladies I've ever seen."

I'm in shock for a moment, and then I feel a smile breaking over my face, and I giggle as I tell him, "You've just made my day!"

He laughs and nods politely as we part ways, and suddenly my head is up and I feel a bounce in my step that hasn't been there in weeks.  It's a small reminder that a little bit of human interaction can change the course of a day.  I hold the door for the person behind me as I walk into my office building and I smile at the person with whom I share the elevator. 

Tomorrow, maybe I'll be grumbling about the rain, or the parking, or the cold, but today?  Today, I'm smiling because of one person who went a little bit out of their way to be kind.

Things That I Love--And You Should Love Too!

Now I'm just going to talk about things I love.  Possibly a reoccurring feature, maybe just a random one-off because I just can't keep these things to myself.  Only time will tell!

Also, is anyone else out there is planning to participate in NaBloPoMo?  I've decided to give it a try, and I just dare that pesky wedding to get in my way!

iPhone


Clearly this is not a new or revolutionary statement, but oh my lands, the iPhone is incredible.  I've wanted one ever since the announcement was made last summer, but balked at the original asking price and decided to just suck it up and live my life with my Razr by my side.  But then Colby's Zach Morris phone met with a violent death via canoe, and suddenly we were in the market for a new mobile device--and preferably one developed in this millenium.  So, I bequeathed my Razr to Colby and we went down to the AT&T store "just to look".  Obviously we left with a new iPhone in hand, or I would not be writing this glowing review now.

I know the price is still considerably higher than most cell phones out there, however, for a girl who communicates primarily through email and text messages and spends approximately 90% of her waking hours on the internet, this phone is an absolute dream.  Honestly, I don't think it would be worth the price unless that's the kind of person you are, but since I am, I feel like it was worth every penny.  The downsides?  The screen does get a bit... smeary, but it's nothing that can't be remedied with a swipe of the shammy.  I also thought that it didn't have a car charger, but I did a quick Google search to verify and lo and behold a multitude of car chargers came up.  And then there's the fact that you have to be an AT&T customer, but that wasn't a problem for me since I already had a contract with them and it was incredibly easy to switch phones.

Target GO: Designers (specifically Alice Temperley)


It's no big secret that I'm a huge fan of Target, and lately in filling out my "civilian" wardrobe, I've turned to Target for clothes more than any other store.  Their basics are all inexpensive and fairly well made for the price--I would say at least higher quality than Old Navy and quite often on par with places like The Gap or New York & Co. for half the price.  Then there are the GO: Designer collections.  Every few months they introduce a new, well known fashion designer who comes in a creates an entire line of clothing just for Target.  Sure, a lot of the stuff is obviously not of the highest quality and the fabrics and construction aren't going to be as upscale as what you'd find in the boutiques, but a lot of the pieces are really beautiful, interesting, and well made.

Right now Alice Temperley has her collection in stores, and I am absolutely in love with almost everything in the line.  I bought this sweater and this dress and get compliments and questions about where I got them every time I wear them.  There are so many other beautiful, feminine dresses and blouses that I'm dying to try, but I'm making myself hold off on buying anything else for a while just because I'm trying out this pesky thing called "budgeting".  Also, I suspect that since her collection has been around for a little while, things should start going on sale within the next month or so.

Sofft Shoes

If you've been looking for a pair of interesting and work appropriate heels that truly feel like wearing tennis shoes, I highly, highly recommend giving Sofft Shoes a try.  I bought the pair pictures above (Gemma) after seeing an ad in one of my magazines and reading the glowing reviews, but I wasn't sure that the heel would be something that I would want to wear every day while walking my half mile to and from the train station.  I got them from Zappos, so they showed up on my doorstep Friday afternoon and I got to try them out this morning.

They're like walking on a beautiful 3-inch cloud.  I kid you not, I've been wearing them all day and doing plenty of walking and my feet hurt not a smidge.  I'd ordered a pair of brown shoes from another company, and they're certainly moderately comfortable, but I'm seriously considering returning them and ordering another pair from Sofft.  The price is definitely on the higher side--usually about $90-$100 full price, but I certainly consider that money well spent if it means I don't have tears of pain running down my cheeks by the time I get to my car at the end of the day.

I Lied

I am so tired, and Saturday in New York was so long... so I'll post about that tomorrow.

Instead, two comments I received on my walk from the train station to work this morning:

"May I join you and take you to breakfast?  I have food stamps!"

And.

"Hey, little sister in the pink coat!  You lookin' good!" I turned around to smile, because I don't know, I'm still a polite Southerner at heart.  "Damn, she looks good from the front too... smells good too."

Apparently today's outfit was a real winner.

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! 

"Who's on First" Deli Style

Overheard at the sandwich shop:

"What kind of condiments do you want on that?"

"I'll just have light mayonnaise please."

"So, just a little mayo?"

"No, do you have light mayonnaise?"

"Yes, I can just put a little bit on the sandwich..."

"No, I mean, like low calorie and low fat mayonnaise?"

"Oh, like light mayonnaise?  Yes, we have that."

"Okay, can I just have a little light mayonnaise?"

"So, you want the mayonnaise light, or you want just a little?"

The Difference Between Men and Women

"On the way over here I nearly killed myself trying to avoid a big rock in the middle of the road."

"Really?  I ran over a box in the road yesterday, didn't even try to go around it."

"Are you an idiot?  You have no idea what could have been in that box!"

"Yeah!  Like a box of nails, or a bomb, or glass bottles, or..."

"Or KITTENS!!!"

Redux

"I see you parked in your favorite parking spot."

"What??"

"I can see where you parked your car."

"How can you see that?"

"It's on the computer, one of those satellite images.  A satellite just went over and took a new picture."

"Really?  How cool!  That's kind of creepy though..."

"Yeah, it's parked right next to a piguin..."

It's nice to know that some things never change.

Things That Make Life Worth Living

Getting to know your sister a little better:

At the wedding last weekend, Shani stood poised, bridal bouquet in hand, preparing for the big toss.  All of the single ladies jostled to the dance floor, jockeying for the prime bouquet-catching position.  Brittany and I somehow got shoved toward the front of the pack (can you smell the desperation or something?) along with a precious little girl adorned in a flower sprigged, light green sundress,  her hair in little curls down her back.

My sister glanced to her left, eyebrow arched, hand on hip, looked the little girl up and down once and said smoothly, "What do you think you're doing up here?  You don't have a chance."

And then my sister proceeded to catch the bouquet. 

Things That Make Life Worth Living

A conversation reported by a coworker:

Grandchild 1: Hey, mom! I lost another tooth at school today!

Mom: That's great! You sure have lost a lot of teeth lately. Are you remembering to make a wish for the Toothfairy before you go to sleep at night?

Grandchild 1: Yep, I'm wishing for FIVE DOLLARS!

Grandchild 2: If I were you I'd be wishing for more teefs...

Proof Positive That Insanity Is Genetic

(Although A More Appropriate Title May Be: And Why Exactly Is It That He Knows That?)

Me: Hey, you know how I always make fun of you for thinking that the words to that song are “Give me the Beach Boys” instead of “Give me the beat boys”?

Colby: Yes…

Me: Well, I have a confession to make.

Colby: I’m listening?

Me: Earlier? When you were singing that song from My Fair Lady and you said “lots of coal making lots of heat”?

Colby: Oh, this is gonna be good!

Me: This is so dumb… I can’t believe I’ve been singing these words for 15 years and never thought they were strange…

Colby: Come on…

Me: Okay. Well, I always thought the words were “Lots of cows-milk and lots of meat”.

Colby: [Cannot speak because dying from mocking laughter]

**Later that day**

Me: Oh, get this! I was talking to Colby earlier, and I realized that all the time I spent belting out the words to My Fair Lady, I was getting them wrong!

Sis: HA!

Me: I know! You know the line, “lots of coal making lots of heat”? Well, all these years I’ve been singing “lots of cows-milk and lots of meat”!! HA! Am so stupid!!

Sis: [Silence]

Me: Brittany?

Sis: Those… aren’t the words?

Things That Make Life Worth Living

I had a flash of clarity this morning and a certain word that I have known since the age of about five suddenly took on a whole knew level of meaning for me.

Pipe cleaners—not only a critical ingredient in every kindergarten craft project. I’ll bet they call them "pipe cleaners" because you use them to... clean out pipes.

Why has it taken me 23 years to figure this out??

Things That Make Life Worth Living

I've gotten a lot of bizarre search hits on my site in the past few months, but it has recently come to my attention that I am the number one Yahoo! result for "black fat big ang huge".

I just know this is going to make my parents so proud. I should probably begin preparing myself for the calls from large publishing houses any day now. And also? I don't even want to know what that person was trying to find...

Things That Make Life Worth Living

Int. office, wee hours o’ the morning. Staring at computer screen and searching for toothpicks to prop eyelids open. Phone vibrates indicating voicemail.

“Hey it’s me, it’s 5:20 your time. {YAWN} I woke up and I couldn’t fall back asleep so I went outside and made a snowman and drove around my parking lot place. I got to test out my four-wheel drive thingy today… that was fun. Call me back in a few minutes if you get this. If not, I’ll talk to you tomorrow. Love you. Bye bye.”