Monthly Archive

Some back story…I have 3 brothers - one older and two younger.  Older one lives in Virginia.  Younger ones are married with two kids each and live near me.  E and I and our friends (including brothers) are having a pre-wedding party this weekend.  It’s a place where no designated drivers are needed and everyone is spending the night.  And, next younger brother’s wife is on a diet.  She’s been really successful at losing weight so far.

My next younger brother texts me today and says: Is it going to suck this weekend if I don’t drink?

me:  That’s up to you. Can you NOT drink for some reason?

him: Well, (his wife) is not drinking so she doesn’t want me to, and since I love her I said I won’t.

me: It will be fine.  We will make sure everyone has fun.

him: Don’t say anything to her about it.

me: Is she doing a spa treatment? Maybe we can grab a glass of wine afterwards and that will lead into the evening.

him: Ok, don’t pressure her too much, we will see, she might come around on her own.

And it went on a little from there, including me saying, “I might have to pull a, ‘It’s MY wedding and I HAVE to do a shot with my brothers’”.  Thereby ensuring everyone gets at least one drink.

The part that makes me mad is that my older brother is coming to town, we’re all going to be hanging out together, and why NOT have a drink with everyone?  For her to ask him to NOT drink with his brothers AND his sister who is getting married?  Ridiculous.  I laughed about it at first and now I am mad.  How freaking controlling and immature does she have to be?  How dare she ruin other people’s night because she doesn’t want to drink.  Get over yourself.

No, we don’t NEED to drink to have a good time.  We are just as loud and funny without alcohol as we are with it.  However, it’s a PARTY!  The whole reason people are coming is to drink and get loud and have a good time. 

So, how do I convince her that it’s ok for him to drink without her?  Or how do I talk her into taking a break from her diet to have a couple of drinks, thus allowing my brother to be able to drink?  Or do I just let him figure it out on his own? 

Now that summer is coming here are some things I want to celebrate the season.

LOVE this bag!

Always need cute shoes like this for summer.

Skirts are a staple in the summer heat.

I love watches.

So my girls got together and threw me a fabulous little bridal shower last night.  We were supposed to meet for dinner for the one’s birthday and it ended up being a surprise for me.  They are awesome and I don’t know what I’d do without them.

I received a couple lingerie gifts - E liked those, and a few things off my registry.  As much as I love gifts…just the thought, the love, the laughs…that is what I appreciate most.

I had such a good time and was only mildly embarrassed when the waiter caught me holding up one of the gifts.  Wine is an amazing relaxer. 

Friends are the best.

I got my ring back today.  It’s so pretty and sparkly and looks brand new.

E and I met with the priest tonight to go over paperwork and make sure we were all set.  Aaaaand…we also practiced our vows.  I did really well.  Meaning, I didn’t cry.  E said he was trying not to.  He did well, too.

E also picked up our marriage license today. 

It’s nearly official.

And, you know?  It’s some serious stuff.  Yes, I knew it was…know it is…

Anyway, moving right along.

So I got my hair cut yesterday.  I love that it’s short, but I don’t love the style.  I go back on Monday for some color, so I will have my stylist tweak it a little and it should be fine.  I’m still going to look for a new stylist after this.  I have two recommendations to try, so I’ll start with those.  I thought about trying to find a new one before the wedding, but it’s so hard to break in a new stylist.  I figured I can work with whatever my stylist gives me.

And, it’s Friday and I couldn’t be happier about that.  So I’m off to enjoy my weekend.  Some painting in the basement, dinner with the girls on Saturday, and sleeping in. 

Where is your cell phone? In my bag

Your significant other? He’s a wonderful guy who amazingly puts up with my crazy mood swings and makes me laugh and can also cook and clean.

Your hair? Getting cut (off) today!! Hooray!

Your mother? I love her.

Your father? I am just like him. And I love him too.

Your favorite thing? Time to myself. Or at least time away from work.

Your dream last night? I was trying on some weird robe thing and all of a sudden I was getting married - wearing the ugly robe, and I could see my sister-in-law totally waving from among the sea of faces of those who were there to witness the wedding.

Your favorite drink? Something warm (pumpkin spice latte) in the winter and cold (Oberon) in the summer.

Your dream/goal? Win the lotto

The room you’re in? Cube at work.

Your ex? No idea.

Your fear? Skin cancer or having a stress-related heart attack - which makes me stress even more.

Where do you want to be in 6 years? Happy. Oh, where? Somewhere I’m happy.

Where were you last night? Gym, then home to do the seating chart, had some dinner and cleaned house a bit.

What you’re not? Content. And I should be. What’s up with that?

Muffins? I like the really high-calorie chocolate ones. Mmmm..

One of your wish list items? A vacation home. Or even just a vacation.

Where you grew up? Playing in the yard and woods with my brothers.

The last thing you did? Turned on the lights. Yeah, I showed some skin.

What are you wearing? Jeans and t-shirt. It’s take your child to work day and we’re hosting some activities.

Your TV? Wish I were lying in bed with it turned off.

Your pets? No pets.

Your computer? Too heavy to lug back and forth from work to home, but I do it anyway.

Your life? Quite good actually.

Your mood? Also quite good right now.

Missing someone? Yes

Your car? Just got fixed yesterday to the tune of $300. So much for not spending money before the wedding.

Something you’re not wearing? Engagement ring. It’s off being prettied up for the wedding.

Favorite store? Target. And Fossil - I love watches.

Your summer? My perfect summer? Warm, breezy, sunny, no humidity. Likely summer? Hot and humid. Blah.

Like someone? I’m like my dad, and a bit like my mom. Oh, and I’ll have to tell a funny story about my nephew being like me. Makes me proud!

Your favorite color? All of them.

When is the last time you laughed? Last night. Too early yet today.

Last time you cried? Two nights ago, it was a follow-up to the mini-breakdown at work that morning.

Two posts in one day! 

A co-worker made me think of this…cropped pants and cropped sleeved jackets in one outfit make the wearer look like their clothes are too small.  If i wear a cropped sleeved jacket, I wear a skirt (supposed to be short (er)) or long pants.  And if I wear cropped pants, I would wear short or long sleeves - not inbetween.  And always heels with cropped pants.  She did that part right.  Just saying.

I have not been able to come up with any fun exciting topics for my blog lately. And as much as I like to think I write for myself (sometimes I do - straight-up diary style), I like to write for my (2? Maybe 3? Readers). Hang with me, loyal readers. I’ll try to do better. Not today.

My life is pretty much consumed with wedding and work. And I’m very much ready to be married and win the lotto.

I get a little bit of a break tonight when I go out to dinner with friends. One of them is in town for a couple of days. The bad thing is she’ll want to ask questions about the wedding. I know, I know. I’m just tired of talking about it. It’s just a small wedding, as simple as I could make it. It’s really not even that exciting to talk about.

I just want to BE married. I’m about done with the wedding part.

And how bad is this, that once again I can’t even enjoy what’s going on right now because I’m looking ahead to what is on the other side. Can I please just slow down and enjoy this? It’s never going to happen again.

On a good note, I checked our wedding registry and someone finally bought us something. I’m not ALL about the gifts, but I told E that if his mom made us register and then I got all excited and then no one bought us anything I was going to be kind of mad.

And I’m going to a press conference for work this morning, so I’m going to get ready for that. I’m going to practice living just today. Not 2 days from now, not 3 weeks from now…just today. Wish me luck.

Two weeks from today I will be getting married. It’s almost overwhelming when I really think about it. Yes, we’ve prepared and discussed and prepared and discussed some more. I am sure that E is the man I want to spend the rest of my life with.

The funny thing is…I’m nervous about the stupid things.

I’m nervous my dress isn’t good enough. I didn’t spend a lot on my dress because I didn’t want to, but I’m afraid it shows. And I’m afraid I’ll be judged, at least a little, because of it. Not by my family and friends - they love me no matter what. But I don’t want E’s family and friends to think less of me.

I’m nervous about seating arrangements. Will everyone be happy where they are and not feel slighted if they don’t have the perfect view of E and I. It sounds egotistical, but really - try putting Gramma in a seat in the back and see what happens.

I’m nervous I’ll bawl through the whole ceremony starting from the moment I wake up in the morning and E’s family will think I’m a total freak. I’ve managed to keep this side of myself from them thus far. For the most part. My family is totally used to it. Oh, she’s crying again? No biggie.

Ok, when I write it all out it sounds kind of stupid, so I’ll remember that and just focus on the good stuff.

This morning I went to the gym and spent a good amount of time on the elliptical machine. Only did cardio because my muscles were tight from yesterday’s exercise and I just wanted to burn some calories and stretch. I got off the elliptical and wiped it down. As I was walking to put the cleaner away, my foot caught on a bike and I totally went down. I couldn’t even catch myself, just hit the floor. I got up and finished putting away the cleaner. The guy on duty asked if I was ok and I said Yes. Because I was. Only probably three people saw, but I wasn’t really embarassed anyway. It was almost like I zoned out. I stretched, and hit the showers. I have a bit of rug burn on my right knee and my left hand hurts a little.

I want to know if it was a funny fall. I typically think people tripping and falling (including when I do it) is hilarious…As long as it’s not a dangerous thing. But it didn’t feel like a funny fall. Almost like it happened too fast or something. I don’t know. Odd. I wish I could have seen it from an observer’s eyes. Oh well.

I’m very glad the weekend is nearly here. E and I are going to dinner and a baseball game tonight with friends. Tomorrow will probably be spent working on the basement (E) and writing out place cards for dinner seating assignments (me). And sleeping. I feel like I need to give my body a rest. The doctor this morning seemed to think some of my issues were being aggravated by stress. Damn stress. It’ll kill you (me).

I think I need to cry. Not because I have anything to cry about, but my head hurts. In an “I need to cry” kind of way. And I didn’t cry last night when I wanted to. When I was tired and cranky and, like a toddler, just needed to be sent to bed. It was one of those nights where I got home late and still had a lot to do before bed. E hadn’t washed the (his!) dishes, or put the empty plastic container in the recycle bin and 5 other things that I wanted to yell at him for. Except I can’t because they were totally stupid things only made worse by the fact that I was tired, and probably hormonal. Instead, I slammed things around and made a lot of noise because that always makes me feel better. Yes, I can be immature like that. I know - shocker!

This morning I went to the gym, made it to work and was doing ok. And then I had a little thing (I don’t know what to call it) where I start to see a spot in front of wherever I’m looking - like when you get your picture taken and you see spots. And then my peripheral vision gets wavy and starts to creep in to cover my whole vision. Only this time the spots and wavy-part kind of happened all at once. I took a couple ibuprofen and had some caffeine - which usually makes it go away. And it did. But I don’t like it. I’m going to the doctor tomorrow so I will tell her about it - along with a handful of other issues.

Anyway, now my head hurts (like sinus pressure) and I think I just need to cry. And I probably will. I just hope it holds off until after the meeting with the lady at the restaurant (where we’re having dinner after the wedding).

Once upon a time…Ok, right now…I work with a girl. She’s very nice and cute…and 18-years-old. Monday, I asked her how her weekend was. She said, Really good! I got a new boyfriend. I said, You say that like I would say, ‘I got a new purse’. Laughter. She explained that they had gone on a couple of dates and as of the weekend were officially a couple. I asked what his name was and she told me. It’s not a common last name, I live in a fairly small community, and I recognized the last name immediately. I said, I used to babysit him when he was a baby. She said, No way! I said, Yep. I asked how old he was now, and she said, 20. I said, Yes, that makes sense because I was babysitting him when I was 12/13-years-old. Like that’s even old enough to take care of 5 kids (he has 4 older brothers and sisters - and now has 6 younger brothers and sisters - big family).

The end.

Ok, the sun is shining, I am healthy and happy, and I have no reason to be a complete B to anyone. Oh, wait, PMS. Yessiree, gets me every time. Except it was totally justified when I stopped at a convenience store this morning and the lady scanned my item and then turned around to talk to her co-worker. I said, Hello?, still holding out my money. She finally turned around so she could finish my horribly-timed purchase, and how dare I, the customer, interrupt her ever-so-important conversation with her co-worker. Gah.

So, what other boring stuff is going on in my life…
I got a call to bring a dish for a funeral luncheon at my church. I don’t mind helping with that. I’m just grateful that it’s not a funeral for someone I know, and

Work is super-busy, but I’m starting to feel like I am accomplishing things and contributing positively, instead of just ignorantly sitting here as everyone flies by calling out acronyms that I don’t understand.

This week I have to: call the jeweler about my rings, call the restaurant about final head count and seating chart, and call the priest to schedule an appointment. I have the hair appointment and pedicure booked. And an email from the travel agent today said that she will be receiving our documents today and will let me know when to pick them up. Why? Because I’m getting married in less than 3 weeks. Holy cow!

Oh, and this weekend while shopping, I scored a pair of $80 cute, comfy shoes on clearance for $15!! Italy’s cobblestone streets will not stop me! I need to walk off all the calories I’ll be eating and drinking.

Dressing well really does make a difference in how I feel. Clothes that fit me well and look good make me feel good. And when I get compliments on how I look - bonus! Even better when the compliments come from someone I admire as a stylish woman. More so than getting compliments from men (unless it’s E). There are women who dress for other women, and women who dress for men. And the difference is usually quite obvious.

I dress mainly to look my best. This usually involves clothes that aren’t trendy because trends don’t always work for me. I am fairly conservative and classic - with a twist or two thrown in. But I would consider myself a woman who dresses for other women. To prove that I know what my body type is, I accept it, and I can dress it well regardless of its flaws. And, as you can guess, I’m feeling good today because I’ve been complimented on my outfit - by, not one, but two women. Hooray!

I’m also feeling good because it’s Friday and payday!

23 more days til the wedding. Holy cow.

Yesterday turned into such a stressful day at work that I had a bloody mary when I got home. And then I suggested we go out for Mexican food. And then I did some shopping. I felt so much better by the time we were done!

I didn’t find any shoes while shopping, but I didn’t look too hard either. I’m still looking for shoes in which to traipse around Italy. Even E finally admitted that he doesn’t think they make truly comfortable shoes that are cute/stylish. Amen. I’m still looking though. And, if I can’t find them, I’ll settle for cute, mostly comfortable shoes. Or just spend a lot of time sitting at outdoor cafes people-watching.

I did find some trouser jeans. I have been searching for a pair for a while. Yes, I know they’re everywhere, but I was having a hard time finding some that fit my thighs, aren’t too low on the waist, and looked right. And that didn’t cost a small fortune. And the ones I found - I bought for $23.00. Hooray! I would have bought two pair if they had them.

Today is going ok - so far. The difficult stuff hasn’t started yet. It doesn’t help that I didn’t sleep well last night - I was hot, then I was thinking about wedding stuff, and still hot, then there was a loud thunder storm, and when I was finally getting into a good dream, was when the alarm went off. Darn! But I made it to work and I desperately need to get the clutter/paper on my desk under control. That is my goal for today.

E and I had our realtor schedule a house-viewing for us this weekend. We found a house we liked and wanted to check it out. E’s mom joined us. It was a nice house - the owners took good care of it. Lots of land. It’s a two-story and I prefer ranch style. The kitchen and dining were separate from the living room and I like a big open space. It had an in-ground pool which we would probably use, but isn’t a selling point. It had an extra two-car garage/pole barn which E, of course, loved. And, although it might in the future, it doesn’t now have city amenities. I don’t hate it, but I don’t love it either. I think E pretty much loves it. Either way, we would need to sell our current house first.

After that, we decided to go to some open houses. Even though we weren’t very interested in the houses, I like seeing how other people live, decorate, etc. The first house we went to had a great deck, but that was about the only thing going for it. It wasn’t built or laid out well. And no one was living there, so there was nothing personal to snoop look at.

The second house was in a prestigious neighborhood in our city. It was touted as being on a golf course, yet the golf course was across the road. Funny how those realtors work. This house looked neglected from the outside. Shingles peeling and broken branches in the yard. Walking in, I was hit by an overpowering, old-hasn’t-been-lived-in-in-a-while-what-died-in-here smell. My head hurt instantly, but my curiosity carried me on. The house was quite empty in some rooms and rather furnished in others. The layout was all broken up as is common in older homes. I like an open floor plan. Everything was sadly outdated. In a “oh gosh a pink bathroom” kind of way. And by pink I mean toilet, sink, bathtub, tile, wallpaper - all pink. We found out from the realtor that the lady who owned the house had passed away and the children were trying to sell it. I’m guessing the empty rooms were from the children cleaning out the things they wanted, while the leftovers were there for a reason. I really wonder if the poor woman had passed away in the house and had been there a few days before anyone found her. My great-gramma’s house had an old lady smell, but this was almost like they were trying to cover up another smell. I had to go stand outside while E and his mom finished talking to the realtor.

The third house was in an older, but well-kept neighborhood. It was owned by an elderly gentleman who had recently passed away. Walking in, we were greeted by the fluffiest, bluest, shag carpet I could ever imagine. E was in love. Unfortunately, this house also had an odor, tho not as bad as the other house. This one was also a decent house, but would need quite a bit of updating. And there was no hardwood floor under that shag carpet. What? You thought we would keep it? Ha!

First, though, we need to get our basement wall finished before we can list our house. Oh, and we need to apply for a marriage license (which we remembered this weekend that we haven’t done so yet), and we need to get married and go on a vacation!

To not be a pack-rat. Do you really need that? Or that?

Today I’m wearing a pink sweater, light gray pants and tan heels. I am totally wishing I had pink heels to wear. I have no pink shoes. Or green shoes. I need to remedy that. I’m also wishing I had the flexibility that my last job offered, so I could go shoe shopping this morning. Alas.

I have successfully cooked two dishes in my slow cooker in the past two weeks. One was BBQ pork - shredded for sandwiches. YUM! And a dish with chicken, tomatoes and mushrooms, which we ate with garlic bread. YUM!

When did the majority of people lose all kinds of common sense?