Looking Back; Looking Forward -updated

1. What did you do in 2008 that you’d never done before?
Katie: I said "I do."
William: Got married in beautiful Hawaii.

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Katie: I don't know that I made any last year. I think having goals is a good thing, ultimately. If I were to throw a few out there, I'd go with:
Getting published nationally
Keep doing yoga and dance
Make more things—be creative and crafty
Stay committed to good blogging (that's been lacking lately)

William: I didn't have any, so yes! I'll try to do more artistic projects and enjoy things other than TV. I would also like to be a kinder person. I would also like to mentor again for Big Brother Big Sister.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Katie: Lots of blogging pals sure did! We're waiting on a couple coming in the new year.
William: Not this year, although a few close friends did become pregnant.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
Katie: No. Thankfully.
William: No.

5. What countries did you visit?
Katie: Dakota, Ramsey, Itasca...oh, wait. Did you say countries, not counties? Yeah, none of those.
PS I wrote this before Sundry, but didn't finish so I couldn't post it. Just so you know I didn't steal her joke.
William: America, the land of the free. Seriously though, this is sad as i used to travel all the time. Maybe in 2009 we will make it to Thailand or I will be able to go to Morocco for work.

6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?
Katie: A sense that our world is being righted again.
William: A competent president.

7. What dates from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
Katie: May 27, 2008. Extra sunshiny, breezy, and hot. My wedding day was perfect.
June 14—our reception at home, complete with tornado.
William: The day we got married. Election Day. My birthday, getting surprise cupcakes from Katie ;)

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Katie: Not completely and totally melting down when I lost my job; in the past I'd have totally lost it. I'm not great with change and have been actively working to go with the flow. I feel like it was a huge turning point in my maturity.
William: The biggest thing was getting married. I entered my first bike race, although it didn't turn out as well as I had planned. Making Katie laugh when she was down about her job. I have also begun managing larger projects for work.

9. What was your biggest failure?
Katie: Allowing myself to feel defeated over small things.
William: Still getting overly worked up over small matters (people cutting me off, people who park next to fire hydrants, financial matters, people who ask how you are and then walk on, watching MSNBC, there were so many I will end it there)

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Katie: Well I did have the rock bottom attacks of stomachaches, but that has been mostly under control lately.
William: I was invincible in the year 2008.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
Katie: Probably our marriage license. And our helicopter ride in Kauai.
William: I believe I bought Katie's engagement ring and wedding band in 2008. It was originally a Tiffany style ring and we went with something more unique. She smiles every time she looks at it, and I that will continue forever - err as long as I don't act like a dumbass and piss her off.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Katie: Obama, baby! Tina Fey.
William: Obama, especially since everyone was trying to make him look like the angry black man. Also, if you have ever seen an interview with Barack and Michelle, Michelle did not take a back seat! She shut him up if he was ever exaggerating.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Katie: I think I probably went on enough about people who really appalled me this year. Sarah Palin tops the list.
William: The Fat Cats on Wall Street. Sarah Palin, Joe the Plumber, Sean Hannity, Joe Lieberman, again i should just stop there.

14. Where did most of your money go?
Katie: To paying off debt. Six months to go!
William: To 856 sq. ft. of high ceilings.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Katie: Duh. The wedding.
William: Our wedding was pretty damn exciting! The honeymoon in Kauai. My bike trip to Duluth.

16. What song will always remind you of 2008?
Katie: "Anything You Want" by Roy Orbison. Our wedding song. And the Iz Hawaii-style mash-up of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World".
William: Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World. And Boogie, Boogie Hedgehog. Oh, and Business Time.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
Katie:
a) happier or sadder? Tough call, because last year at this time so much was left to look forward to. But I'm awfully content and looking forward to making new goals.
b) thinner or fatter? Fatter, 8 lbs more than the wedding.
c) richer or poorer? I'm in better shape, but I have a long way to go.

William:
a)happier or sadder? Happier.
b) thinner or fatter? Neutral, since high school I have always been 170-175.
c) richer or poorer? Richer, but not by much.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Katie: Write good stuff.
William: Art projects, I have so many ideas for things but I always have an excuse that it's not the right time to start something.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Katie: Freak out, worry.
William: Couch-potatoing. And crack. I wish I would have picked up less of Molly's poo.

20. How did you spend Christmas?
Katie: With family and friends, good food, and fun toys. Opening presents with William and helping Molly open her stocking stuffers.
William: With family over good food.

21. Did you fall in love in 2008?
Katie: I love that there's no capacity for loving; there's no way to not have more room for it in your life. I find more and more percentages of my heart toward my family and friends; toward William; toward cute clothes.
William: Yes, every day I fall in love. With Katie, of course.

22. What was your favorite TV program?
Katie: Still the same faves: Project Runway, The Office, Top Chef, American Idol, Flipping Out...
William: Top Chef, Project Runway, The Office, Seinfeld, Good Eats, No Reservations, Flipping Out

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
Katie: Um, no. That's pretty awesome. I hate hate. No, that's not true. I am too passionate to hate hate.
William: I probably say I hate around 10 people a day, but that might be a little overly dramatic. The big one would probably be Sarah Palin and all she tries to represent.

24. What was the best book you read?
Katie: I read a LOT of really good books this year! Topping the list: Mountains Beyond Mountains, What is the What, the Twilight series, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, Infidel, The Namesake, The Freedom Writers' Diary, Helter Skelter, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle.
William: I don't think I finished a book. I get into a lot of new books, but I always get too antsy and switch to something else. [A fight ensued here; it hurts my heart he didn't read a book. His response? "How many bike rides did you take? How many pictures did you paint? How many birdhouses did you build? How many drawings did you make? There are numerous ways to relax, I choose other things than reading. There shouldn't be anything shameful about that."]

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Katie: Probably She & Him.
William: The Black Keys - no doubt. If you haven't heard them, quit reading and go buy cd.

26. What did you want and get?
Katie: A husband. A perfect wedding day. A beautiful honeymoon. Fun reception. A full-time job. Freelance work. My dog to stay healthy. Obama to be president. Family members to stay healthy.
William: A wife. A democratic president.

27. What did you want and not get?
Katie: Uh, even the things I didn't get, I lived through. ;) (But hint, hint: Chanel sunglasses.)
William: A mountain bike.

28. What was your favorite film of this year?
Katie: Maybe The Dark Knight. I feel like I didn't see that many movies that were actually made this year. We both really like No Country for Old Men but that was 2007.
William: The Dark Knight.

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Katie: I turned 28. William made me breakfast, I went to work, I did yoga, and opened some presents. The next night, we went for couples' massages.
William: 28. We went to aloft hotel for my birthday weekend.

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Katie: If I'd worked harder at getting published in places outside my comfort zone, though I'm going to try more this year. And I'm getting published in Maui Magazine in the spring.
William: I can't think of anything.

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?
Katie: Pretty preppy. Girly. On a budget. Tall boots.
William: Ravishing.

32. What kept you sane?
Katie: The idea that all these changes were part of life's plan. That there had to be, inevitably, scary moments along with the exhilarating ones. The idea that not all of growing up is bad. My husband, and my stress-reducing snuggler, Mo.
William: Biking really helped me cool down after work, avoid rush hour traffic(see section 9), and generally feel like a kid again.

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Katie: Obama. Hillary.
William: Obama. Heidi Klum.

34. What political issue stirred you the most?
Katie: Well, that whole issue of the most important election of my LIFETIME. I got super pissed when I found out the Palin thought women should pay for their own rape kits; then found out that most states feel that way. Oh, and Prop 8.
William: the financial bullshit and the whole election process.

35. Who did you miss?
Katie: The Kilipino. A lot lot.
William: Tim Russert. Jimmy and Lee.

36. Who was the best new person you met?
Katie: My new coworkers rock. Seriously. Our minister Ken.
William: Don't know.

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008.
Katie: That we still have a long way to go while we have still come a long way.
That sometimes positivity comes from loss.
William: 8 hours on a bike really chaps my ass, but an hour sure makes me smile.

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
Katie:
Im glad to give my love to you.
I know you feel the way I do.
Anything you want, you got it.
Anything you need, you got it.
Anything at all, you got it.
Baby!
—Anything You Want, Roy Orbison

William: Well since I don't want to sound like I am copying my wife on everything I will think of a different song....sorry it may take awhile to get my musical engines started...

When the night has come
And the land is dark
And the moon is the only light we'll see
No I won't be afraid, no I won't be afraid
Just as long as you stand, stand by me

And darlin', darlin', stand by me, oh now now stand by me
Stand by me, stand by me.

Cause I always want my smalls next to me. :)

I'm diggin' for fire

Things have been good, but hectic, over here. Sorry for the absence. Christmas was wonderful with lots of good food and presents (hopefully photos to come when we get a camera).

However, I have been hovering on the edge of some stupid cold that won't come to a head, and it's been dark as crap out, and snowing/melting/raining/slushing, and I just sort of feel like lead. I think it's the stress of the last couple months starting to come down. Two nights of almost 12 hours of sleep has helped some; I bought lots of superfoods at Trader Joe's today to help my body do whatever it needs to do to get better.

I'm finishing the last book of the Twilight series this weekend. I'm sort of sad and dragging it out. But I HAVETOKNOWWHATHAPPENSNOW.

William has made a new, brilliant thing that you should at least take a look at. It was under embargo until after Christmas:


If you're interested, and this is not a sales pitch, but just in case, you can go here.

OK, off to read.

xoxo

Those Pretty Faces Always Stand Out In a Crowd

So, I've had a weeklong bad mood, pretty much. I swing back and forth, but I've just been feeling tired and overwhelmed and running my fool head pretty much clear OFF, so I haven't been around on the blogs lately. So sorry.

I have a few more things to do tonight and tomorrow, and then I'm finally ready for Christmas and done with some projects. Then I have time to RELAX! I have Christmas to the 4th off, so I'm gonna be all up in this blog when that time comes.

I promise to make it up to you.

In the meantime I'm listening to songs that make me happy. Have you heard the Subways' "Shake Shake"? Go listen to it right now. I'm dancing around in my house to it and I can't help but giggle. See also: Jackson 5.

Overwhelmed

That's all. Lots to do. Terrible mood. Frustrated. Feeling like this week has been a big FAIL on life.

I Hate Winter.

Another quick one...I've got a LOT cookin' this weekend.

Super cold, below zero today, with icy crap falling from the skies, impossible to keep the windshield clear in my two-plus hours I spent commuting today.

Did about a 200-degree spin in the middle of an intersection this morning.

Was in meetings and working like crazy today. now I get to work like crazy tonight, too.

It's cold. I love my new sweatsuit that my sister got me for my birthday. And the heat is a-crankin'.

Sleep deprived. This is gonna be one long, out of control week.

Must run.

Bite Me

This is getting ridiculous.

I swore up and down I wouldn't love Twilight (and the ensuing books).

Oh god, talk about obsession.

But no! I have so much to do this week! I must ignore my vampire books.

Also, I like this song lyric:

"Oh, whoa, whoa, habits die hard/When you got/ When you got a sentimental heart."

Have you heard the She & Him record?

I know, I'm late to the party on both Twilight and She & Him, but will you still let me in?

A Special Mention

So, a few days ago I did the A to Z survey and I had put in a link to the Kilipino, my BFF living in Paraguay. We've been friends since we were about 15, right before we had our driver's licenses. Dudes, we've been friends for ... uh ... wait for it ... THIRTEEN years. We've managed to stay friends through a lot of growing up, a lot of changes.

But anyway, for some reason, the link didn't publish, and I never looked at the published post. the other day I was looking for something else, and realized it never came through.

I felt terrible. And by that I mean, I totally panicked. I knew she'd been to the blog, read it, and probably secretly felt bad, but never mentioned it. I immediately texted her even though it was 4 in the morning or some crap where she is, explaining the technical error.

The next day I called as soon as I could, my heart racing.

I told her of the mistake, and my ensuing terrible feelings about it, and after she heard the panic in my voice, she laughed. I was still completely mortified so I reiterated approximately 500 times how it was a mistake and how I felt bad about it. And that I didn't forget her. And that she has a secure place among my family and close friends. Always. She laughed some more, the connection between us crackling, but never failing.

She's been away almost two years, and big, huge, life-changing events have happened to both of us in that time, but it hasn't seemed to matter in terms of our ability to stay close.

Even when she's 2,000 light years away, we laugh like hell together, she sends a get-well note to my recovering dad, and tears fill my eyes if I think too closely about how much I miss her.

I miss: long drives with the windows down and the heat on, music blasting, going to concerts and holding hands through the best songs, finding snacks, random acts of silliness, long talks (we have to be super efficient since it's expensive to call back and forth), cheap thrills, late night giggles, browsing at Cheapo Records, the simple act of spending time together (we're proud of our ability to hang out for hours on end without saying a word), irritating our siblings. I think I miss her hugs the most.

There are still so many things that we still enjoy together: sometimes we call each other just to laugh like crazy, talking be damned; we have managed to stay close despite our ten-minute conversations (we give the Micromachines man a run for his money, but panic when the operator tells us we have one minute remaining); we still shop (just now online) together; we send each other notes; we still daydream about the future. We sometimes still act like we're 16, against our better instincts.

I've said many times that I have had a Kilipino-shaped hole in my life since she left, but I've realized it isn't exactly true. I still have so much of her in my life, and I'm proud we've made it this far.

So that's the story about one of my BFFs. And maybe now you'll understand why I was so mortified to find out the link disappeared when it published. And why it was important for me to set the record straight. Both to her personally and to my online life.

More stories of awesome friends to come.

Something about Humanity

I was just over at WeeMo's blog, and if you don't already read her, you probably should be. But, in any case, she is very committed to overturning Prop 8.

I believe that all people are equal, and that they should have equal rights. Not separate. Separate is never equal. I believe that everyone should be able to marry who they love.

Anyway, she posted a snippet of an interview with Jon Stewart and Mike Huckabee on her blog, and it really moved me.

The part that moved me most was this, an exchange where Huckabee attempted to talk his way around the issue:
"Semantics are cold comfort when it comes to humanity." –Jon Stewart

Life lesson, totally summarized perfectly.

Happy Birthday my LOVE!!

This was meant as a dual-blog for the both of us. A place to share our thoughts, ideas, and feelings on issues from Molly to Mortgages, from high design to our high flying fornicating neighbors, from our general temperament to the incredibly low temperatures in Minneapolis right now. Unfortunately, not being the most loquacious individual, the only thing I have contributed are side comments while Katie is doing the actual blogging and responding. As part of your birthday present, most of which is still to come, I will begin to contribute more to this dual-blog. To avoid it becoming a duel-blog I will consider you Master Chief, and I will try to keep my design/bike rants to a minimum. ;)

Happy Birthday Smalls!

Love,

William

A to Z on my last night of being 27.

A. Attached or single? Attached.

B. Best friend? I keep all my friends near and dear. But my longest-running, closest friends are my family members, my BFF since first grade, and William.I'm not really into hierarchy though. It seems mean.

C. Cake or pie? Coconut cream pie. Otherwise, cake. Red velvet's my favorite.

D. Day of choice? Saturday. I'd pick Sunday if Monday didn't come after it.

E. Essential item? Mascara.

F. Favorite color? Pink or purple. Black for clothing.

G. Gummy bears or worms? Bears, especially the Haribo ones in the gold bag.

H. Hometown? The dub!

I. Favorite indulgence? Massage.

J. January or July? July

K. Kids? I think so, someday.

L. Life isn't complete without? Love (not just the married kind), books, music, tasty food, and a dog.

M. Marriage date? May 27, 2008.

N. Number of brothers and sisters? One sister, one brother. I'm lucky 'cos mine are super awesometastic. And I get one of each.

O. Oranges or apples? MMM. Both. I love fruit. Besides bananas.

P. Phobias? Bugs, especially centipedes. Snakes. Failure.

Q. Quotes? "This too shall pass."

Well-behaved women rarely make history. —Laurel Thatcher Ulrich

R. Reasons to smile? vacations, surprises, kindness, shopping, sunshine, puppies, cute shoes, good friends, fresh-squeezed lemonade, smell of books, old photos, baby laughs

S. Season of choice? Spring. All the blooms, hope, warmth.

T. Tag 5 people. I don't want to make anyone do this...but if you do, let me know you did!

U. Unknown fact about me?
I'm an open book, it's hard to come up with these types of things. Maybe some of you don't know that I've won three spelling bees.

V. Vegetable? spring sugar snap peas, asparagus, broccoli, red peppers, kohlrabi, corn on the cob, butternut squash, cilantro (is that a veggie?), homegrown tomatoes, cucumbers, celery, carrots...I like vegetables a lot.

W. Worst habit? Picking at and biting the dry, dry skin around my nails.procrastinating.

X. X-ray or ultrasound? Yucko either way. But an ultrasound might mean a baby! So that's super cool.

Y. Your favorite foods? Mom's spaghetti. Pineapple. Cheese. Greek yogurt. Farmer's Market veggies. Pot roast. Fresh homegrown tomatoes. Haralson apples. Bacon. Ice cream. Anything from a Thai restaurant, pretty much. I love food. Life is too short to not enjoy it.

Z. Zodiac sign? Sagittarius, and it suits me well.

Shrimp Should Stay in the Ocean, Where They Belong

Hi, peeps. Thanks for all your comments on the last post...I have some posts coming. I planned to post tonight, but I accidentally ate something with shrimp in it for lunch (I'm allergic) and I have been feeling mighty crummy ever since. And then we had a ginormous snowstorm today and it took me 2.5 hours to get home from work (12 miles). And I was STARVING since I didn't get much for lunch, since my stupid thing had shrimp powder in it. They need to LABEL that stuff!! It could kill a girl.

So now I am relaxin' on the couch with a furry blanket and my Mo. And I'm gonna take a Benedryl and pass right out. Well, and read a little Twilight first. Hee!

Posts might be a little light this week; lots going on! Tomorrow is my last day of being 27. Doahleigh tells me to jump on in, 'cos 28's just fine. Go on now, wish her a happy birthday, you still have a couple hours.

Not Everyone Can Carry the Weight of the World

Sigh.
I have been feeling tired and kinda blue lately. That weight on the shoulders feeling. I don't know what my problem is. A mix of hormones and it being dark and cold all the time again, I guess. Today was the first day it smelled cold outside, a really sterile smell, nothing bad, but just the smell of snow and winter. Sad, we're moving quickly into December.

But! We had a lovely, lovely dinner at William's parents' house last night for our collective birthday (Wm's is Nov. 20, mine's in a week). His mom made an awesome spread of Thai food--a kind of modified papaya salad with steak, which was super fresh and crunchy-good, pad Thai, chicken satay with peanut sauce . . . mmmmmm. Seriously. With pretty dishes and everything. Wine and awesome chocolate cake with coffee/heath ice cream and lots of laughs. All our favorites!

And! She sewed me a yoga-mat bag...with this super awesome fabric, I can't wait to sport it at class. (I need all the motivation I can get these days).

I'll have to take a photo and post it.

Not gonna lie, I'm low on blog material from posting every day (and even some of those weren't very good). Blah. I need some inspiration.

Another Thing...

Let me take a moment to plug my darling husband's side business.

If you're looking for present ideas for the holidays, you may want to know that my honey is a talented photographer who has an Etsy store.

Right now he's running a buy one, get one free deal, too! And you'd be supporting an artist. One of a kind. Inexpensive.

This is the kind of stuff you can find there. He's been all over the world and has captured some amazing images. I know I sound promotey but I can't help myself. I really do think he makes beautiful things. And he's super meticulous about everything that goes into making a beautiful photograph.:











Wicked, non?

Dunzo

NaNoBloMo, I have completed you!!! Total domination!

Sure, I phoned it in some days, but November is a TERRIBLE month to create this little pastime.

With my four-day weekend, I said I'd be productive, and I've definitely made the effort. No going out, rying to not spend money, and getting stuff done that has been on my to-do list forever, so that I can enjoy the month of December and its holidays. Today I have to motor through a LOT of stuff, but I know it will feel good when it's all done, so off I go.

Wish me luck.

Gobama

More foto fun, check out this link to see some really amazing photos of Obama. Is it just me, or is he getting hotter??

More foto fun

All worky on this northern front, so not much to say. So...look! A foto!


Here's one of my favorite photos of me and my dad.

Vacation, All I Ever Wanted

I miss Aruba. I could use some Aruba.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hope you and yours are safe, warm, and full!

Thankfulness

There's lots of stuff I'm thankful for in 2008. Here's a sprinkling:

1. I lost my job.
I know, I know. It's not the most common thing a person is thankful for, but I have a lot of reasons why. I lost my job early in this terrible downturn, and so I was able to find freelancing and a stable, new job fairly quickly. I lost my job right before the wedding, which was scary financially, but also great to have time off to tie up loose ends and get ready. And although I wanted to leave my job on my own terms, I knew I was ready to move on before the layoff happened. I rebounded, I'm learning about money, and I'm happier than I've ever been in my career, doing something that I wouldn't have dreamed of doing earlier. Adventure is good.

2. I got married.
I tricked this super handsome boy into proposing, and he followed through to the signing of the license! He's so legally bound to me now. Our wedding day could not have been any more spectacular. The location, friends and family by our side, the love, the good food, the warm ocean, our time together in Hawaii. Our reception at home was lots of fun, connecting with family and friends after the main event. We received so many generous gifts, too.

3. I'm in love.
I'm thankful that six months in, I am more in love with William than ever. I feel like what we have is really special.

4. I have a happy little dog.
We might recall that Mo had some scary moments this year; she's pulled through so far and seems to be just fine. I can snuggle with her anytime I want. She's my little friend, and helps complete our little family. She's our Mos!

5. My blog.
It's a good outlet, it keeps me writing, and I have met so many blog friends! I can honestly say I love my blog friends and I can't wait for the day when I can hug them in person. Why, just today, I got two sweet gifts in the mail, one from Doahleigh and one from Wan!!! It was a happy day. Thank you ladies, my cup runneth over.

6. We still live in our house. And can afford it.
It seems like a ridiculous thing to say, but a lot of people aren't. A lot of people are really struggling. We don't have it made in the shade by any stretch, but we're doing all right. Our house is warm, our tummies are full, we have warm clothes for cold winter months.

7. My Dad's still free of cancer.
He had a scary hip replacement surgery this fall, and recovery is slow, but he is recovering and looking stronger every day. And this is the third year he kicks cancer's ass!

8. One more cancer-kicker in our family.
William's aunt Kay also kicked cancer's ass this year, and we were so joyful, proud, and brimming with emotion to see her cross the Susan G. Komen 3-Day, 60-mile Walk finish line with her sisters!

8. Friends and family are mostly healthy.
If you ain't got health, you ain't got much else. This one counts for a lot.

9. Babies!
So many people in our lives welcomed babies into the world this year, both online and in real life. Some babies are still baking, and we can't wait to see them. Happy, healthy, sweet babies. We can't wait for you to make the world a better place to be.

10. Obama, baby.
William and I are both so glad that Obama was elected this year and we look forward to the change he's promising.

11. I finally went to the doctor for my stomach.
I'm trying to kick IBS's ass, too. And there are pills. Sweet, sweet pills, that I can afford. So I can eat more of my expensive cheese.

I think this year we're really thankful for all the experiences that have led us to this point, both good and bad. We've become a year wiser, and a year more appreciative of the love and support we continue to get (and give) in our lives together.

Being happy, healthy, and relatively secure and being able to do some contributing back has been the key. It's been a total rollercoaster, an amazing year, at times a tough year, but it has been one for the books. We're so glad to be surrounded by our friends and family. It's been a year where we've been able to do a lot of reflecting on what makes life worth living, what makes it extraspecialdoublegood. And we've got that right now. And it makes me feel so good.

God, I am Ugly

OK, so here are my current problems (warning, body talk ahead):

My medication for my stomach used to give me dry mouth, but luckily that's sorta faded. However, chapped lips OHMYWORD. I always get chapped lips but this is extraterrible. This morning they were cracked and BLEEDING. I have not worn lipstick in I can't tell you how long. So it hurts, it's ugly, and I can't cover it up with lipstick. This is a problem, people.

Also mouth-related, I got this weird bump inside my lip that I think I diagnosed on WebMD and is totally benign and not a big deal, but it's swollen and is irritating and I've bit it a couple of times.

It's also a)so dry here and b)the meds again that the inside of my nose is, like, hard. It hurrrrrrrts. Then it itches, then it hurts. This morning, that bled too.

Also upon awakening this morning, I had a giant zit on my cheek (a weird place to get it) and some weird stomachaches. I have been craving Snickers bars for like four days. Which is a little strange for me.

Well, surprise! It's time for my monthly visit, even though it isn't time! Cramps, zits, I feel like my limbs are lead weights and I am all pufftacular. Not surprisingly, my mood is also kind of sucky.

I am seriously ugly right now. Ugh.

List O' Stuff

*Here's something that's a real bummer: we haven't had a digital camera since Hawaii. So no photos of this weekend, a la WeeMo.

*Today I am swamped with freelance work, so that's awesome, but hectic.

*Stores are running fabulous deals, but I'm really trying to stick to budget and pay off some debt, so sadly I cannot buy. It is making my hands shake.

*This dark-early thing (think 5:30, and its night-dark) is really making me tired.

*I have be re-falling in love with Snickers bars.

* I keep thinking life will slow down after this, life will slow down after that....I'm starting to think life doesn't slow down.

*Even though I love my job, I'm looking forward to a three-day week. (now two!)

*Been in an organizational rut. Like. Not organized.

*EEK!

*Lots to do on my to-do list, so I must run. Sorry for the craptacular post.

Seven More Days

Seven more days of blogging every day....can I make it? I've actually enjoyed blogging every day but I think the quality veers a little south.

This weekend has been quite lovely for a variety of reasons: staying at aloft (a W hotel that has this younger, hipper, less-expensive-more-style feel) with William for his birthday, dinner at Jax (a supper clubby steakhouse type place) for his birthday dinner, supa tasty drinks at Spoonriver (a natural, healthy, organic, lovely place) afterward--he had mojitos, I had a "tequila mockingbird," which tasted like grownup Pixy Stix--a lovely morning sleeping in, leftover steak with eggs this morning. Good conversation, lots of laughs, a snuggly home to return to. Making fleece blankets with my friend for her class, a short trip to Target.

Now it's 5:30 and I'm sad my weekend is drawing to a close....and now the administrative part of the weekend begins....

What did you get up to this weekend?

William's Birthday, continued

Today: celebrating William's birthday, just the two of us. Should be really nice. Full recap later.

Must run...much organizing to do.

Forces Pulling from the Center of the Earth Again

Today, I had mindbendingly-long work session in which I feel that my coworker and I should now be awarded a PhD in statistics, even though I can only speak for myself in that I have major issues with simple addition, let alone anything past basic, basic algebra. I feel smart. SMART. We are going to take over the world.

Then: long happy hour to celebrate four (4) people's birthdays. Packed like sardines. Loud people. Frat people. Too loud. Too much.

Then: quick stop at grocery store for NY Strip steaks.

Then: visit with my dad. Pick up my sweet, sweet mutt.

Then: Go home, toasty home, with husband and mutt, cook steaks, asparagus, broiled/toasted cheesy bread. Red wine. Ice water. Candles. Good conversation.

Now: Blogging.

Next: Some administrative stuff surrounding my freelance work. Working a LOT these days. Is good.

Then: Sleep, glorious sleep.

PS: Made major grammatical error and used "that" instead of "who" in last post. Makes my hair stand up on the back of my neck. Promise to avoid those errors in future. What was I thinking? Oh yeah, post-cupcake haze. Mmmmm cupcakes.

Happy Birthday, My Love

My Love,

Today is your 28th birthday, and (I think) the third birthday we have spent together. I know someday we will look back and wonder how we were ever so young together; and weren't those days awesome and romantic when we were young and foolish and the world was really our oyster, even though sometimes we felt like we couldn't wait to get more established?

We are, I'm afraid to admit, hitting our late 20s. I'll be also turning 28 in just 20 days. All the things I've defined as youthful are quickly passing me by, and I have my moments where nostalgia washes over me and I wish I could go back and be a college girl again, but then I'd have to re-do all the what am I dooooooing? Why do I have all these feeeeeeelings? phases and I'd really rather keep those in the past. I have lessons I've learned, and I feel I'm a better person for them. And I feel that they've made me a better person to be in a relationship with you.

This year, we took a giant step, together, when we got married in Hawaii. Maybe one of the best parts of that is that we are now legally bound to spend the rest of our birthdays knowing that there's a person right in front of our face, that wants to make each birthday special. I love when I happen upon the right idea for your birthday gift (and I love when you drop hints even more), and I love thinking of the little things to make it special, like this year when I stopped to get chocolate cupcakes on the way home and had the candles lit when you walked in the door. And it really goes without saying that each and every year we've celebrated my birthday together, you've outdone yourself with creative, fun, sweet, loving gifts and thoughts, tucked inside my birthday card.

I hope you are enjoying your day so far, and I can't wait for the surprise I have lined up for you this weekend, and I hope when you look back, you can remember it through that halo glow of the candles. And I want you to know that I'm hoping that when you closed your eyes and blew the candles out, you really will get whatever it was you wished for.

I can't wait to see how your 28th year unfolds, and I can't wait to be able to spend it with you.

Happy birthday, my love.

Wrap It Up

Tomorrow is William's birthday. I just made his wrapping paper. It's awesome. It's white kraft paper, but then I stamped it with these super sweet robot stamps in light blue, dark blue, and orange.

I am proud of my Martha-ing tonight.

That is all.

Sorry. It's been a hectic few days and I'm just dying to get into bed.

Nothing Like the Present

William and I always try to think of awesome presents for each other. Because both of our birthdays fall near the holidays, we're really kicking into high gear for present-thinking-upping.

It's hard! I am easier to please than he is with gifts I think, but he is always very much wanting to do the perfect thing for me. I always want to surprise him and come up with something way awesome, but he has very specific ideas about what he likes, and I don't always understand what those are (i.e. if I want to buy him something to support his painting hobby, I'm not sure what's good and what isn't, or why something might work better than another for some reason.)
I honestly love buying presents for people. I enjoy thinking up things they woudl enjoy; I love shopping; and perhaps, more than any other thing, I love the moment where I think I've found the perfect gift for someone. And if it turns out to be what I think it is, I love the enjoyment someone gets out of it.
If I had more money, I would buy more presents. I run into things all the time that I think that my friends or family or William would enjoy (and don't even get me started on what I could buy for Molly). We draw names in our family for Christmas, and it's fun and makes things much easier financially. But sometimes it's hard, because I come up with gifts for the wrong person! Or I want to find some sneaky way to give away gifts to everyone.
Anyway...this line of conversation with William tonight and Mrs Twink's post led me to wonder: what is your gift-buying philosophy? What's been the greatest gift you've come up with? What's the best one you've received? And, of course, what's the worst?
Come on, pony up. I'm really curious.

Classic Conversation

Kat: Hey, are you going outside anytime soon? (It's 11:30 pm)
Wil: No.
Kat: Are you sure?
Wil: Yes.
Kat: But...my phone is out in my car.
Wil: So you'll have to wait til morning to get it.
Kat: But...what if someone tries to steal it?
Wil: You're worried about someone stealing a six-year-old phone out of your Hyundai?
Kat: Well, you never know...
Wil: Yes, you do. No one wants your piece of crap phone.
Kat: They don't know it's a piece of crap!
Wil: Yes, they do. They can look at it and know. Next thing you know, they'll be trying to steal some trash outta my car. I think I have a half-chewed piece of gum in there they might want...

Past Lives

I got to have dinner tonight with some friends from high school, ones that I have run into occasionally since high school but not been able, for one reason or another, to spend much time with.

It was really nice to catch up with people that I feel like are an important part of my "past life"--so much time has passed--but we grew up together. It's a long way from borrowing Mom's car, and going to tennis matches or band practice. We have lives! Husbands! One has children! And I feel like even though it's natural to drift some, I wish I'd been there for their important days.

Still, like my Lillies, we pick up and talk, and they are some very kind, wonderful women who have evolved as my friends throughout the years.


Must sleep. Post for day: done! Nablopomo, you ain't got nothin' on me this year.

Sundays

Even though sometimes I get the blues on Sundays, thinking about gearing up for a new week, I've really come to enjoy them.

Now that football season is in full swing, William isn't around as much as he used to be on Sundays but I still luck out occasionally and he makes me blueberry or chocolate chip waffles while I wake up. Reading the Sunday paper. Not feeling pressured to get going early for any reason.

Today I woke pretty late (and I still need more sleep I think), and made trips to Trader Joe's and Target, getting groceries in order. I made a homemade mac-and-cheese hot dish (casserole for you non-Minnesotans), and cleaned up. Now I have the evening to read, watch my weekly cryfest (Extreme Makeover: Home Edition), finish the paper, have a snack, and snuggle up with a newly-groomed Mo and a cute husband.

It's getting colder and colder out, which makes me enjoy the comfort food and blankets all the more, even if I resist the idea that my birthday, and thus winter, are right around the corner. I can't believe I'm going to be 28. It's just weird.

That's really all I've got. It's been a nice, quiet day.

Friends in Newsy Places

I have a set of friends that I used to spend nearly 40 hours a week with (more with happy hours or get-togethers) that now I'm lucky to see a few times a year.

My first job out of college was in a place that I will call Place that Time Forgot. It was like somewhere along the line, this newsroom stopped paying attention to Father Time, and walking through its doors were like walking through the ugly part of the '70s. We're not talking Jane Birkin here, we're talking... Well, I wasn't alive then but you know what I'm getting at. Frayed cords, holes in the tiling, my computer ran on Mac OS (no number after it) and barely got internet. I learned to report the old-fashioned way, hitting up City Hall, making a lot of phone calls, and even pasting up stories on big ol' storyboards.

The first week of my job, I went home every single day crying. I hated it. I had no idea what was going on. People in the city were mean, demanding, and very intent on swaying my news coverage to what THEY wanted to be said. I was too young and frankly, too scared, to stand up for myself.

I don't know when it is that you start to magically bond with new friends, but I was in a newsroom smaller than my loft, with people running 11 papers out of the doors every week. We were all about the same age, and we were all journalists, young idealistic writers, who felt like maybe life wasn't all it was cracked up to be--you mean, my college degree got me $20k a year and no benefits?--but you might as well have fun while you're at it.

Suddenly, each day was more fun as we teased each other, listened sympathetically to each person's problems, and made the newsroom a tolerable place to be.

They were my first friends that I met outside of school, save for one, who had taken a class with me in college. It was barely any time at all before I considered them my good friends.

It's been interesting to see how we've grown and changed as we make our way through adulthood. What was once many late weeknights out, drinking our fill, we are now tired on Fridays, heading home earlier, eager to tend to our growing families or to catch an extra hour of sleep. We've become eerily responsible, with mortgages and marriages, not flying by the seat of our pants quite like we used to. But it's ok. I think we've turned into pretty respectable adults.

What I have is a collection of friends where we can just pick up where we left off. We are all different people but we share a common thread, we shared some heady youthful days together. Whether it was drunkenly stealing a chunk of gouda from a catering table, sneaking out of work to shop at Target, sitting outside eating burritos for lunch....when life gets tough, they never back away, ready with a hug, a free lunch when you get laid off, or coffee and laughs. But mostly, hilarity ensues.

Thanks, my friends. It was so good to see you last night.

Under the Gun

Posting quick to meet the deadline but I have friends here... See you tomorrow.

Banner/Update/Looking Forward to Weekend

So, now I really realize you must all be reading through Google Reader. I changed my banner! No one noticed! The entry was related somewhat to the banner, in case you were wondering if I'd gone off the deep end.

No, really, we are going to make some aesthetic changes over here in willikatland, but William had made this joke banner for me, but I thought we'd put it up for the time being.

Today was a long day of work, and then some nice time with some friends, but I have a ton coming up in the next couple of days and a lot to do, so I must keep this entry short (again).

Dad is recovering, but is experiencing some swelling and pain. Poor Daddy. I hope he starts to feel better soon, because I know how long days feel when you're in pain or sick. It's not fair, and I hate to see him feeling icky.

It's been very dark and rainy and cold and rather depressing, weather-wise, around these parts lately. Bright spots:

Weekend soon!
Catching up with some good friends Friday night...friends from my first job out of college, and we've all managed to stay in pretty good touch. It's amazing to see how we've grown and changed, even in the last five years, and we always have a good time together. I'm looking forward to some laughs, drinks, and snacks with my Lillie friends.

Saturday, dance class, hopefully lots of sleep, hanging with William, and then Girls' Night--we're trying to do some recurring nights to get together to just make sure we're spending time together. Tomorrow night's theme: a throwback to the old days, come in PJs, fondue, girl talk. Looking forward to that too.

Sunday, glorious Sunday...I'm sleeping in. After that, who knows. Ahhhh, an open day. Heaven.

Iz in your komputerr

I's steals your komputerr and I's not give it back tilz you feeds me bacon. Dis iz your last warnings. Otherwize I makes you very sorrys.

--Lil Mo

Belated Boo

Dad's home! Yay! He's already gotten more rest, so he's looking better by the day now. Thanks for your good thoughts and wishes as we proceed through the recovery process.

I'm still missing a lot of you...

Not much else to report today. Have to get up early tomorrow, so....

Look, pictures! Halloween, 'member that? Here's a couple shots my coworker took.

Landslide and other random news

When the Smashing Pumpkins covered Landslide, I thought, "Why? Why that song?" And when the Dixie Chicks covered it, I was all like "What is UP with that song?"

And now when I hear Stevie Nicks sing it (who does it best, in my mind), I often cry. There are still parts I'm taking apart and thinking about, things that don't apply, but I guess I'm just of an age that a lot of it resonates with me. That's part of why I love rock and roll.

i took my love, i took it down
climbed a mountain and i turned around
and i saw my reflection in the snow covered hills
'til the landslide brought it down
oh, mirror in the sky
-what is love?
-can the child within my heart rise above?
-can i sail thru the changin' ocean tides?
-can i handle the seasons of my life?
i don't know.....
well, i've been afraid of changin'
'cause i've built my life around you
but time makes you bolder
even children get older
and i'm getting older too
oh, take my love, take it down
climb a mountain and turn around
-and if you see my reflection in the snow covered hills
well the landslide will bring it down
-and if you see my reflection in the snow covered hills
well the landslide will bring it down
the landslide will bring it down

I didn't think of it as an option for my dance song with my dad, but I sort of wish it had occurred to me. Only I probably would have bawled, so it's probably a good thing I didn't and stuck with Iz singing "What a Wonderful World/Over the Rainbow".

**********************

Dad could be coming home tomorrow! This is great news. He's up walking and looking much better.

***********************

Today felt really long. I think I'm emotionally cashed. And I usually sleep like a rock but it's not been great the last week. Some things that made me laugh: a funny somee-card from Fatty, co-workers' jokes, William and Molly. There was also a great interactive game for REM fans where you had to guess the song really fast...I landed in the Top 50 the first time I played! Also, yummy meatloaf for dinner.

************************

Totally stolen from JQ Lounge, but too good not to talk about: Hollywood's Sexy Ugly Men. A few of them have topped my list at one time or another: Benicio, Clive, even Steve Carrell (funny wins!). But I feel I should say that Daniel Craig has never done anything for me.

All Hospital

This weekend has been fairly consumed with walking down the halls to 2L, the wing where my dad is staying. He's sharing a four-person room with just one other person right now, so that's a welcome relief. Still, he hasn't slept, or at least he thinks he hasn't. He is coming out of a post-morphine haze, and I think we've turned a corner. *knock on wood*

Things are getting better. I'm really exhausted.

All hospital, not much play. William and I did head to one of our favorite activities, an art crawl, for a couple of hours yesterday. I wish we could have spent more time there. Hopefully things will start to ease now and we can go back to feeling normal and feeling healthy!

Sorry again for such a short post. Life is moving pretty quickly over here and I'm trying to keep up.

Sicko

It's been a long few days.

I want to respect my dad's privacy, but suffice it to say that we have had a few bumps along the way to recovery...including the need for a blood transfusion, lots of medication, and something called superventricular tachycardia, which would be really fun to say if it didn't mean something rather icky—really high heartbeat rates that just aren't good for anyone.

He seems perkier tonight, but he has been feeling pretty yucko. which in turn leaves me feeling pretty yucko, too.

We continue progress toward recovery, but it's a little slower than we'd all like. Your continued good thoughts and encouragement would really help!

My exhaustion continues, so I'm needing to keep this short. More posts to come tomorrow.

Snowflakes

Happy Friday, y'all. Wanted to make sure I got my post in for NaBloPoMo...

Heading back to the hospital to see my dad and have Jimmy John's with him. Will probably be there most of the day.

Snowflakes! Crazy.

Surgery Success

So tired. Been up since 4 a.m. Loooong day, longer surgery than expected, apparently a few scary moments where my dad had some superduperhigh heartbeat, but he seems better and will have a consult in the morning. Will probably be there four days.

Dad was awake and looking much better than the last surgery. He was totally stoned on narcotics, and was making funny jokes and that was actually really soothing. Hopefully he gets some sleep tonight.

Back to the hospital tomorrow.

More later. Can barely type.

A Reason To Vote

It's rarely, if ever, NICE in early November. It's the beginning of sleet, slush--not quite rain, not quite ice and snow--the leaves have fallen, and things are getting ugly. It's usually dark and dreary and generally, well, unhopeful, as we slide right into our winter months.

Yesterday morning, it was sunny and blue. The air smelled sweet, not anesthetized (as winter freezes everything over). It was nearly 70 degrees at 7:30 in the morning. I know it's just global warming, but it felt like an auspicious sign. I practically tra-la-la'ed to my polling place.

Inside, it was muggy and hot and felt nearly 90 degrees. People were lined up and down both sides of every hallway, and inside the voting room people were snaked around, attempting to get registered or to vote. I waited more than an hour to register--I've voted before but I have a new name and I finally officially changed my address on my ID--and then another half hour to vote.

There was a lot of small talk, chit-chat, and veiled references to hope and Obama as we stood in line. There were young and old, all races, all waiting to voice their opinion. Hot as I was, I was glad to see the turnout.

The man in front of me, a tall fortysomething African American in a sweatshirt emblazoned with the name of a local bar turns around. "Are you in a hurry?" He gestures with his hand to the empty space in front of him, where it's implied that I can cut if that's the case. "I'm not going anywhere." He smiles at me, and there's something about his affect that is a little off, but I don't think much of it.

"No," I say. "I'm fine right here, but thank you."

"Sure," he says.

A few minutes later, we finish registration and get in line to vote. There's only one election judge that seems to know what's going on and who should be where, and she's helping an elderly lady fill out her ballot, so we're not sure where to go. I just pick a spot and designate it my own line.

He lines up behind me.

"Excuse me," he says, holding out his pass to vote, "Do you think I am in the right line?"

"Are you voting?"

"Yep! And it's the first time in many years," he says, smiling somewhat shyly, and I can tell by "years" he means "elections."

"Well that's good," I say. "You're in the right line."

"I have a reason to vote this time," he says, and I gather that to mean that he feels Obama wants to hear his voice.

"That's good," I repeat, dumbly.

He smiles. "Thanks for helping me. I'm really drunk, you know, and I wasn't sure."


******************

When I related this story to some people, I got mixed reactions. I was so shocked when he said it—it was 7:30 am, after all, and I didn't get the sense he was drunk before that—strange maybe, but not drunk. Some felt it was sad, this poor guy, a career drunk. Some thought it was funny. Some had a mix of horror and laughter on their faces.

Maybe I'm really idealistic, but I'd like to think it's a story about hope. I felt good about America, in that moment, talking to this man. He was a disenfranchised voter for many years/elections, who didn't think anyone wanted to hear his voice. But he came yesterday, he registered, and he voted, despite his obvious issues (some said maybe he was a third-shifter just off happy hour, but I think maybe not.)

He came because someone let him know that his voice was important.

****************

Tomorrow I will be getting up at 4 a.m. to get ready to go to the hospital with my family. My dad is having hip replacement surgery and he has to be there at 5:30 am. I'm not entirely sure when the actual surgery starts. I feel like it's so unfair that he has another surgery, but it's necessary now.

It's about a two-hour surgery, and he'll probably be there for the weekend. It's the same hospital where he had his lung surgery, so I feel confident that his care will be great, but I'm also nervous about the flood of feelings I might have walking back in there. Surgeries are always nervewracking for me, so if you'd do a little positive thinking about my dad/family/me tomorrow morning, I'd be so appreciative.

I'll keep y'all posted.

Celebrating the Blues

I hope I'm celebrating the blues tonight!!!!

Story about voting to come...busy night though, and it might get late, and wanted to make sure I posted for NaBloPoMo.

I just have to say that I'm thrilled to be a part of the process today. There is an energy today that hasn't been there for the last elections (that I was also thrilled to participate in those, too).

It's like Christmas!!!

Two, Two, Two Posts in One (Day)

PS. I am SO EXCITED to VOTE TOMORROW!!!! I am going right away in the morning. Because I wouldn't be able to sit still all day knowing I hadn't voted.

Dudes, I am NEVER excited about mornings. Ever. Ever. But tomorrow? Is going to be a DAMN GOOD MORNING.

I am shocked when people tell me they won't vote. Shocked. Even if you aren't fond of either candidate, don't you have an issue you care about? A party that seems to care more about your voice than another?

Voting is a BIG deal. Please vote tomorrow. Please. Even if you write yourself in. Go cast a vote.

I am sure you all know who my candidate of choice is, and I really, really hope tomorrow night they call it in his favor. I will be proud to have helped elect Obama.

Also, PPS. Why is November NaBloPoMo? It's sliding into the holidays, etc. Seems like a terrible month to choose. Yet, here I am. Two, two, two posts in one!

Where's All My Mad Rappers At?

As with any blogger, I thrive on the comments I receive. It informs what I write about to some degree. And I see my blogging as a community—yes, it's an outlet and I get a lot of personal reflection time with it. But I also love the friends I have made here and love to have conversations with them.

So tell me! Me and Dre are asking, Where's all my mad rappers at? (Excluding you, WeeMo, my most faithful commenter.) I have noticed a gigantic drop-off in conversation. Are there things you'd rather read about? I know usually these questions are met with crickets, but I'm asking anyway.

I'm hoping NaBloPoMo reinvigorates my writing to some extent, too. And I still have some ideas in the hopper. It isn't so much that I'm interested in getting ideas as I am in improving my blog.

XOXO

Making a Home

I love Sunday mornings. The newspaper, the Target ad, leisurely sipped coffee, and waffles made in our iron by William. This morning we had blueberry waffles and they were so good. Molly is extra snuggly and the light comes in the window and it feels like home.

It's always felt like my parents' house will feel like "home." Especially the first house--I only lived in their "new" house for a couple of years. And those homes still do sorta feel like "home" because it's comforting to be there, but it's been a slow progression towards making my own home.

Sunday mornings feel like home. Pajamas, waking up slowly, enjoying the morning like it's an indulgence. It's turning into a routing, a tradition, and I love every one of them.

Let's Dance

So...it's NaBloPoMo again, and I'm going to attempt a perfect record...We'll see how this goes!

As part of an ongoing improve-Kat program, and to help manage my symptoms of IBS, of course one of things I could improve or do to help myself that doesn't involve taking a pill is to exercise. I hate exercise. Seriously. It's very hard for me to get motivated. I have never been an athletic person. I am not flexible or even very coordinated. And the idea of running on a treadmill makes me only want to run far, far away from it. I hate playing team sports for the most part. (I am actually a decent tennis player.) I can't even really throw a ball that well when I play fetch with Molly (see: Incident Wherein I Tossed a Tennis Ball into My Wine Glass, which I Couldn't Have Done if I Tried.)

BUT. My sister and I had been talking about how we just aren't...metabolizing the way we used to. (We have been blessed with fairly slim genes, thank you God.) And we don't want to be unhealthy or not take care of ourselves. And you can be thin and still be out of shape or lack muscle tone completely (see exhibit A: Kat.)

So we decided on a lark to take some community education classes (ponying up for a gym membership? We are SO NOT THERE yet.) After a glass or two of wine, we ended up signing up for a yoga class and a belly-dancing class. (My mom also signed up for the yoga class.)

It's now been six weeks of exercise, twice a week, for an hour and hour-and-a-half, respectively.

I'm feeling better. I enjoy going to class. I laugh at my foolish attempts to look flexible and coordinated and centered. One class is right after work, so I'm already out and about, so I don't dread going. The other is in the morning on Saturdays, but not so dreadfully early that I can't get out of bed. After both classes, I feel better. I feel less stressed out. I am in a better mood overall. I like learning the new skills.

I have seen improvement—more muscle tone in my core muscles, and some slightly more flexibility. I can almost touch the floor when I'm bending over in half. I have never even come remotely close to that before. I can do more without getting tired in class. I'm standing up a little straighter (I have TERRIBLE posture). I feel like my body is something useful. I get to spend some time with my sister and my mom. I get a kick out of the look on people's faces when I tell them I'm belly dancing.

It's one way in which I'm trying to take my stomach parts, which keep revolting against my body's permission, and make them behave. Letting my body know that I do care about it.

I guess maybe I took some of the best advice out there: find something you enjoy that also happens to make your heart beat a little faster and your muscles work a little harder. The class, and paying for it, motivates me to go every week, especially since I know people will be counting on me to be there. And maybe, just maybe, I'll exercise once more on my own during the week, moving it up to every other day.

Hm. I might get somewhat fit after all. I didn't want to jinx myself by writing about my plan, but now that I survived the first session, it's time to give myself a little pat on the back—and keep going.

Tonight: off to a belly-dancing performance at the famed Cassandra school, complete with champagne and snacks!

Humanity

I forgot. I saw something today that made me cry happy tears at my desk at work. This seriously restores my faith in humanity. I want to scoop up these children and take them home with me and feed them cookies.

Please watch this. If you click on on the "More Info" link in the top right-hand box you can see the lyrics--on the video they are sometimes hard to make out, and they are brilliant.

It won't let me embed... but here's the link: You Can Vote However You Like.

The Last Week

My illness is not interesting but it's the only thing I got. Sorry.

The last week I have been plagued by one (1) frightening case of what I think was wicked deep circle of hell heartburn, then chest pains, and an intermittent feeling like Molly might be sitting on my lungs, which sometimes causes me to cough.

I put off calling the doctor for, well, seven (7) days—after all, it was better than the stomachaches—but finally it occurred to me that perhaps chest pains are a sign of Get Thee to the Emergency Room, and according to WebMD, that actually you are supposed to contact your doctor immediately (emphasis from WebMD).

Hey, did you know if you mention chest pains in a voicemail to your doctor, you get an almost-immediate call back?

Unfortunately that means I have to go off the pills for a few days, then return at a half a dose. Which means, the aches and symptoms are baaaaa-aaack (a little Poltergeist reference for Halloween), a most regrettable situation.

I'm pretty sad. Pretty fed up. Kinda depressed. No real writerly words for this. Just a lot of icked-out bummed-ness.

Another Post About Fives

Stole this from WeeMo:
5 Joys
(I’m stepping outside the family/friends thing here and just doing sensory experiences)
1. Coffee with half-and-half and sugar and a magazine or newspaper
2. Seeing live music—Liz Phair, Tom Petty, REM, Lucinda Williams top my list, although there’s MANY more.
3. A really good laugh
4. Jumping into the lake at my parents’ cabin.
5. Reading a good book late into the night

5 Fears
1. Suffering
2. Bugs
3. Failure
4. I don’t do well with blood or anything remotely gory. And by gory I include completely sterile doctor’s office procedures. So. Yeah. Any of those.
5. Flying

5 Obsessions
1. Music
2. Vintage things
3. Decorating
4. Worrying
5. Politics

5 "Surprising" Facts
(This is really tough. Some readers might find these things surprising, but some won’t at all. If you can think of anything about me that surprised you, leave it in the comments, because after thinking about it for days, I kid you not, DAYS, this is all I could come up with.)
1. I like watching boxing matches. (And none of this UFC business.)
2. I believe in ghosts.
3. Sometimes I have trouble telling my right from my left.
4. I have very specific sleeping rituals. Must have pillows crosswise, must wrap like a burrito, I can’t deal when the sheets aren’t just so.
5. I can’t help it. I have always loved R. Kelly’s Remix to Ignition.

Five Months Ago....

I did not have as much love in my heart as I do today, something that I would have thought impossible.


My honey. My love. His face as he turned around and saw me walking down the aisle.


A most handsome man, the first man in my life, who taught me that men should respect me and above all, I must respect myself. My dad did not give me away this day. My dad showed me the way. He will always be my dad, and I will always be his girl.


These rings are blessed by our Hawaiian Ohana, a circle, which never ends. We promise.


I feel like our minister's face says what we are feeling as we kiss.


I felt a mix of adrenaline, anxiety, happiness in the morning, but after we sealed the deal, an enormous sense of relief. Saying those words, even in front of close friends and family, was hard. I was emotional and cried through nearly the whole thing.


We're "going Hollywood" here, to quote the minister. The videographer made his rounds with the photographer and caught this moment, where I can just feel our joy leaping out of the photo. I was so happy that he married us.


This face expresses how I felt inside, too.


Everyone. Thanks again so much for coming. It meant so much to us to have you all there.


Our moms and dads. Who, literally, made all this possible. Thanks for raising us right. Thanks for supporting us. Thanks for letting us be who we are. Thanks for loving us. And thanks for letting us join each other's families so well. We are so grateful.



Check out my grandma!


My best girls. Who have taught me a thing or two about friendship, love, patience, kindness, generosity, and how to have a damn good laugh.


My handsome devil.


Rapture.


I still can't get over my flowers. They were SO BEAUTIFUL. I love how vivid our wedding was.


A whole new horizon, together.



Aw, yeah! Sassy!


My honey.


A photo with a hidden treat. If you look closely, you can see our reflection.

I can't believe it's been five months. I swear life has been on fast forward. And on this chilly fall day, I'm totally feeling sunny just looking at these photos. It's like it was one hot, sunny, gorgeous dream. Only I get to keep living in it.

frozen

Sorry kids, I have really been phoning it in lately on the blog writing. Last week was really busy and I've got a to-do list a mile long. I promise some quality posts coming as soon as I thaw from freezing this morning.

William had his first bike race, and despite his chain falling off and taking a slight fall, he looked great!! Pictures to come.

Also, today it snowed. Boo Urns.

Yay/Boo, Wan-Style

Borrowing a blogging trick from my pal Wan. . .

Boo: Tonight was the first night that while driving home from work I had to turn my headlights on. Days are getting shorter, already.
Yay!: I did catch that magic minute where the sun shines through the leaves and sets them afire.

Boo: I have this hurty bump inside my lip. I think I have to call the dentist.
Yay: I have dental insurance! Thank god this didn't happen a few months ago!

Boo: Getting up has been really hard with dark mornings and some possible side effects from my new drugs.
Yay!: I haven't had a stomachache in a week-plus.

Boo: It's getting colder out already.
Yay!: Molly wants to snuggle more!

Boo: I have a lot of projects going right now for freelance work.
Yay!: I have freelance work and need the cash.

Boo: now that I'm back to full time work I feel like its get-up-early, eat-at-7pm, no-night-left, all errands-on-the-weekend.
Yay!: I am liking my job an awful lot and got some nice compliments on my work today.

Boo: I think I'm making up for lost time with all the eating I've been doing.
Yay!: no stomachaches! (yes, it warrants two mentions).

That's about all for now.

Love Actually

Every morning, I wake up and I feel happy because I have William and he is there to face the day, its challenges and rewards, with me. Every night when I fall asleep, I'm thankful William is there to dream with me about our goals and the hidden, sweet surprises life brings when you're least expecting it. I feel like we fully complement each other, even more so since we got married.



I have just as much fun getting cheap takeout and giggling around our coffee table as I do when we get dressed up and eat a fancy dinner or go for drinks. And even if we bicker and eye-roll at each other (and we do), we still find a way to tell each other we love each other every day. I giggle to myself when I introduce him as my husband, or when I think about the dizzying, giddy past three years of our romance. Not every day is easy, but it's easier because we have each other.










Today is no big anniversary, no special event, no news to impart. I'm just overwhelmed by how lucky I am to love someone with such intensity. And to know that it's returned.