ok, hi. i feel i should update since i just realized that the fabulous author of "say it, don't spray it!" aka nannersp, has linked to me on her website. i am not cool enough to really know how to link inside text here, so suffice it to say, her website is http://nannersp.blogspot.com.
so in case anyone actually stops by, which i have no idea of knowing unless you comment (please oh please say hello and let me knwo where you are so i can read about you too) i wanted to also say welcome to the world of willikat, which is intended to be a dual-blog to keep friends and such updated of our wedding plans, but then i realized that my darling fiancé will probably never update, and thus, it is my blog, but with a focus on us. if that makes sense.
someday i will have something better than this blogger template and i will learn how to link and if anyone wants to help me do this, i would be eternally grateful and burn them fun mix CDs or something. and i am very good at mix CDs, just ask my friend angie (http://foundoutaboutme.blogspot.com) or rely on my comment that someone said they would marry me on the basis of my mixtapes (no, not william, incidentally).
i have been trying to think of more stories to write about us, little vignettes, but i have been super busy lately because my job is in transition and lots of other random things happening in my little world lately.
i also have a flickr page: http://www.flickr.com/photos/willikat .
check out the back catalogue, there are a few good stories back there. make yourself at home.
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
Monday, June 4, 2007
so close
Well, I do really think we've picked our wedding planner/photographer in Hawaii. http://hawaiiwedding.net . we love their photos--and trust me, there are a lot of bad ones out there--and the package works nicely with the things that we want included. When I checked a couple of weeks ago, they still had May 27 open. It's not a date that means anything to us, but I wanted to get married in May (no particular reason other than I love a good spring) and over Memorial Day weekend gives people an extra vacation day they wouldn't have to burn otherwise. I 'm thinking people could come late the week before, sleep off the jet lag and really be in Hawaii spirit when the wedding rolls around, then they can do as they please the rest of the time. Oh, and getting married during the week ensures less people on the beach (all beaches are public in Hawaii), and is often cheaper.
After much struggling, we've decided this much:
1. We really did want to get married in Hawaii.
2. We really want people to feel included.
3. As such, people will be formally invited to the reception at home (which we will include lots of little things so that people who don't come to Hawaii feel included), and there will be sort of an open invite to come to the wedding, provided that people understand we can't afford a reception both places and won't be treated to dinner, etc. in Hawaii. People should not feel obligated or guilty if they cannot come, but they are welcome to take a vacation and make us one of the sight-seeing stops and we would be glad to see them. At some point, it'd be good to know who those people might be.
4. I have lots of little ideas for the party at home which we might need a few helping hands for.
5. One idea includes showing a "screening" of our wedding on a large screen in the backyard, sitdown style, so that people see the ceremony for themselves.
6. We have a color scheme quasi-worked out. Think tropical.
7. I think we have catering and invitation ideas pretty well decided, no extensive interviewing required, though if you have suggestions, definitely throw them this way.
After an exhausting weekend, I'm back at it. Yesterday I crashed for about four hours in the afternoon.... I just don't have it like I used to!!
After much struggling, we've decided this much:
1. We really did want to get married in Hawaii.
2. We really want people to feel included.
3. As such, people will be formally invited to the reception at home (which we will include lots of little things so that people who don't come to Hawaii feel included), and there will be sort of an open invite to come to the wedding, provided that people understand we can't afford a reception both places and won't be treated to dinner, etc. in Hawaii. People should not feel obligated or guilty if they cannot come, but they are welcome to take a vacation and make us one of the sight-seeing stops and we would be glad to see them. At some point, it'd be good to know who those people might be.
4. I have lots of little ideas for the party at home which we might need a few helping hands for.
5. One idea includes showing a "screening" of our wedding on a large screen in the backyard, sitdown style, so that people see the ceremony for themselves.
6. We have a color scheme quasi-worked out. Think tropical.
7. I think we have catering and invitation ideas pretty well decided, no extensive interviewing required, though if you have suggestions, definitely throw them this way.
After an exhausting weekend, I'm back at it. Yesterday I crashed for about four hours in the afternoon.... I just don't have it like I used to!!
Thursday, May 31, 2007
i'm still standing
hi kids.
to those of you reading this blog, whomever you may be:
i know i haven't been around much lately, i know i've seemed really busy.
the truth is: none of it is that interesting, and certainly not more important than you.
huge changes are afoot at the job.
having a dog. huge responsibility, esp. when she refuses to behave when you leave her alone.
i haven't sleep decently since returning from the cabin (where i slept like the dead).
basically, without excuses, i am overwhelmed and frequently exhausted. (and, that leads to upsetness too).
so.... remember, i love you!!! and i'm working on getting it all straightened out.
i want a wonderful summer.
a few good things:
watching molly run around like her tail was on fire at the cabin. not because her tail was literally on fire, but because she was enjoying the pure freedom of no leash roaming. watching her jump off the dock and swimming to chase ducks away.
seeing william going fishing with my dad and brother.
reading lots of books (just finished the world according to garp, almost done with plainsong, both very very good, very very different).
recommending good books to people.
getting a blog written about me!
winning a tablecloth from another blog. (www.hostessblog.com)
my parents taking molly every day while we work
yummy veggies and fruits from kowalskis
smelling lake smell
hot stone massage
a year from getting married!
that's it for now. thanks kids. love ya.
to those of you reading this blog, whomever you may be:
i know i haven't been around much lately, i know i've seemed really busy.
the truth is: none of it is that interesting, and certainly not more important than you.
huge changes are afoot at the job.
having a dog. huge responsibility, esp. when she refuses to behave when you leave her alone.
i haven't sleep decently since returning from the cabin (where i slept like the dead).
basically, without excuses, i am overwhelmed and frequently exhausted. (and, that leads to upsetness too).
so.... remember, i love you!!! and i'm working on getting it all straightened out.
i want a wonderful summer.
a few good things:
watching molly run around like her tail was on fire at the cabin. not because her tail was literally on fire, but because she was enjoying the pure freedom of no leash roaming. watching her jump off the dock and swimming to chase ducks away.
seeing william going fishing with my dad and brother.
reading lots of books (just finished the world according to garp, almost done with plainsong, both very very good, very very different).
recommending good books to people.
getting a blog written about me!
winning a tablecloth from another blog. (www.hostessblog.com)
my parents taking molly every day while we work
yummy veggies and fruits from kowalskis
smelling lake smell
hot stone massage
a year from getting married!
that's it for now. thanks kids. love ya.
Thursday, May 24, 2007
gone fishin'
this weekend, we're taking off and gettin' out of town. it's about that time. memorial day weekend---ahhhh. the first breath of summer. even if it's already been 90 degrees here and this weekend promises highs no better than 60 degrees. i guess i'll be packing my sweatshirts and sweatpants (there is a strict dress code--nothing uncomfortable, or unpractical. this is the superior example of function over fashion.) as my parents used to say, back when i was young and ridiculously concerned with myself, "this is not a fashion show." yeah i guess not.... many times i prefer to wear my dad's quilted down jacket, covered in camouflage.
doesn't matter. i'll buy my fishing license and drop a line in the water instead of writing lines at work. i'll drink some strongbow and play some cribbage. i'll read and nap. i'll listen to the northwoods, one of the best collages of sound ever to be made. don't need a rock club up there. don't need a mall.
i'll go with william and the rest of my family, and it will be loads of good food, laughter, and rest and relaxation.
it really is one of my most favorite things i do all year.
doesn't matter. i'll buy my fishing license and drop a line in the water instead of writing lines at work. i'll drink some strongbow and play some cribbage. i'll read and nap. i'll listen to the northwoods, one of the best collages of sound ever to be made. don't need a rock club up there. don't need a mall.
i'll go with william and the rest of my family, and it will be loads of good food, laughter, and rest and relaxation.
it really is one of my most favorite things i do all year.
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
12 months
it is one year from our proposed actual wedding date. i am starting to get emails from theknot and brides.com reminding me "12 months to go! here's what you need to do!" and i am feeling excited and good about it all. and that is such a cool, cool thing.
it's weird to think i'll be someone's bride, someone's wife. someone will be my groom and my husband.
but damn, i got a good one! and i think this is going to be an amazing adventure.
it's weird to think i'll be someone's bride, someone's wife. someone will be my groom and my husband.
but damn, i got a good one! and i think this is going to be an amazing adventure.
Monday, May 21, 2007
aiming for happyment
I hate to getting to waxing philosophical too much, but I’ve been thinking on a movie I saw this weekend—that was much different than I expected it to be.
William and I watched The Pursuit of Happyness, that Will Smith-and-son movie. I totally thought it would be a good story, couched in Disneyfied terms. After all, he primarily plays to a family-friendly audience, etc. I didn’t bother to check beforehand who produced the movie. Sony Pictures, not Disney. At any rate, I figured it’d be sugarcoated and it’d be a happy ending (since there really was a happy ending in the real life version) and we’d all feel warm and fuzzy and that’d be that.
It was a fantastic movie. But it was so hard to watch. Just sad, sad struggles most of the way through. An intense, stressful process. As William said, “I think that movie gave me an ulcer.” I had to work really hard not to sob—I did cry a bit, but tried not to let it devolve into one of those swollen-eyes-stuffed-nose-can’t-go-out-in-public affairs. Will Smith is great, and the chemistry between he and his real-life son transfers over to the fictional one.
It really got me to thinking about happiness though. I feel like, in the mid-20s, we’re all struggling for the things that we’ve all dreamed of as children, young adults, collegians—our friends, us, and even extending to our families, which range in age quite widely.
What are we willing to give up to be happy? If we feel like we have to give it up, then does that thing make us unhappy? How do we feel about compromise? How do we feel about unflinching dedication to either the pursuit of the perfect job, the perfect mate, perfecting a hobby, or donating our time?
I haven’t found the right balance yet. I don’t know that anyone my age has. And I think it’s a lot easier to focus on the things that are a thorn in the side than it is the good things.
Obviously, this man was an extreme example. He went from being homeless, wifeless, and prospectless—then took an UNPAID internship—managed to finagle a job through it, and all the while kept his son. But I don’t know how far I’d go to be “happy”. After all… if I lost William because I wanted some crazy job, or I lost friends because I’m devoted to William, there would be a huge hole in my life. Or if I left a job to make more money but wasn’t doing what I wanted to do. . . I would still be frustrated.
I can see the value in having an imperfect life. Nothing’s always going to be perfect, there’s always something to chase. Sometimes it’s just hard to turn it into a goal to pursue rather than just be frustrated. Or it’s hard to set the boundary.
Or sometimes, it’s easy to know you’re unhappy but not be able to pinpoint what would make it better. Now that I’ve graduated, gotten engaged, gotten a job, what are my next goals? What am I willing to do to get there?
I’m not sure yet.
Still, after all this time, I feel like Winona Ryder in Reality Bites. “How do we repair all the damage that has been done? The answer is, the answer is…I don’t know.”
I thought after awhile I’d be able to stop drawing comparisons to my own life from that movie…I guess it’s just a classic.
Right now, I don’t feel pressured to make the decision. I just want to know where I’m headed.
What I am lucky to know: I have a loving fiancé, supportive friends, a kind and generous family. I have a job in my field, a snuggler of a dog, and a home. Considering the struggles of others, I’m actually in a pretty good spot.
I am a lucky girl. I’m just trying to figure out where to aim next.
William and I watched The Pursuit of Happyness, that Will Smith-and-son movie. I totally thought it would be a good story, couched in Disneyfied terms. After all, he primarily plays to a family-friendly audience, etc. I didn’t bother to check beforehand who produced the movie. Sony Pictures, not Disney. At any rate, I figured it’d be sugarcoated and it’d be a happy ending (since there really was a happy ending in the real life version) and we’d all feel warm and fuzzy and that’d be that.
It was a fantastic movie. But it was so hard to watch. Just sad, sad struggles most of the way through. An intense, stressful process. As William said, “I think that movie gave me an ulcer.” I had to work really hard not to sob—I did cry a bit, but tried not to let it devolve into one of those swollen-eyes-stuffed-nose-can’t-go-out-in-public affairs. Will Smith is great, and the chemistry between he and his real-life son transfers over to the fictional one.
It really got me to thinking about happiness though. I feel like, in the mid-20s, we’re all struggling for the things that we’ve all dreamed of as children, young adults, collegians—our friends, us, and even extending to our families, which range in age quite widely.
What are we willing to give up to be happy? If we feel like we have to give it up, then does that thing make us unhappy? How do we feel about compromise? How do we feel about unflinching dedication to either the pursuit of the perfect job, the perfect mate, perfecting a hobby, or donating our time?
I haven’t found the right balance yet. I don’t know that anyone my age has. And I think it’s a lot easier to focus on the things that are a thorn in the side than it is the good things.
Obviously, this man was an extreme example. He went from being homeless, wifeless, and prospectless—then took an UNPAID internship—managed to finagle a job through it, and all the while kept his son. But I don’t know how far I’d go to be “happy”. After all… if I lost William because I wanted some crazy job, or I lost friends because I’m devoted to William, there would be a huge hole in my life. Or if I left a job to make more money but wasn’t doing what I wanted to do. . . I would still be frustrated.
I can see the value in having an imperfect life. Nothing’s always going to be perfect, there’s always something to chase. Sometimes it’s just hard to turn it into a goal to pursue rather than just be frustrated. Or it’s hard to set the boundary.
Or sometimes, it’s easy to know you’re unhappy but not be able to pinpoint what would make it better. Now that I’ve graduated, gotten engaged, gotten a job, what are my next goals? What am I willing to do to get there?
I’m not sure yet.
Still, after all this time, I feel like Winona Ryder in Reality Bites. “How do we repair all the damage that has been done? The answer is, the answer is…I don’t know.”
I thought after awhile I’d be able to stop drawing comparisons to my own life from that movie…I guess it’s just a classic.
Right now, I don’t feel pressured to make the decision. I just want to know where I’m headed.
What I am lucky to know: I have a loving fiancé, supportive friends, a kind and generous family. I have a job in my field, a snuggler of a dog, and a home. Considering the struggles of others, I’m actually in a pretty good spot.
I am a lucky girl. I’m just trying to figure out where to aim next.
Thursday, May 17, 2007
watch out boy, she'll chew you up!
so what if i don't really feel guilty admitting that i love hall and oates, and that right now i have that song "she's gone...oh-why.. better learn how to face it...she's gone... what went wrong??" in my head?
if i say i don't feel guilty and that my love for the easy-listening duo is completely unabashed.... does that totally discredit my musical snob title? is that so wrong?
if i say i don't feel guilty and that my love for the easy-listening duo is completely unabashed.... does that totally discredit my musical snob title? is that so wrong?
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