Monthly Archives: October 2008

11/1/08

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November 1st, 2008.

Operation: No MUSH! begins

Participants: KH, myself and Liz from Will There Be Cake?, and anyone of you who wish to join us…

Goal: Four days a week in the gym, plus one day of activity whether it’s the gym or something else related to physical activity. We’ll each set our own, private goals for weight loss/clothes size/physical fitness and etc.

How will we do it? Little Miss Planner (that’s me) is making calendars for us to check off our 4 -days- a -week- plus-one. If we get 16 to 20 days a month of exercise (or in cases like October, 20 to 25 days a month), we reward ourselves with either a dinner at our favorite Mexican place, a new piece of clothing, a book or CD, whatever it is that we want. I will email everyone some healthful eating tips each week (whether it’s read or not, it’s there) and through the power of the blogging network and email we can support each other.

What inspired this? I get my gym clearance on 11/1. While I have been doing some exercise here and there, it’s not nearly as extensive as my former 6 days a week plan. So I’m going to get back to it, cardio, weights, stretching, endurance, the whole thing. I’m even going to start training for the half marathon in January. My motivation to go has been lower thanks to grad school, TDH, the desire to sleep instead of exercise, and all the other fun life events that get in the way of “me time.” So we are joining forces and will get it done.

Anyone else care to join us?

Moment of Zen, Favorite Boys, Donna Reed

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Walking Jack after work today, I passed a couple who just got home from likely another busy day at the office. Their oldest kid piled out of the car and the youngest, a baby, stared at Jack over her shoulder and started giggling. This lasted about a minute while her parents looked on and laughed as well; fortunately for her, Jack was sniffing a tree intently and when he realized he was being observed he looked up, wagged his tail and the little girl giggled again. It was positively adorable and just what any hard working person needs after a long day of work.

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Here are two of my favorite boys, lounging around on my bed. TDH didn’t feel well last night; I took this picture using ISO 3200 or some such setting on my camera. I promise my room isn’t that dull looking and please ignore the hideous fan in my room. I still have pictures to hang up in my room, hence the white wall. (And listen to me defending my bedroom! Ridiculous. I love my place and you would love to if you were here.)

My Favorite Boys

My Favorite Boys

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I don’t know if it’s TDH or the impending fall, or the whole 25 year-old thing, but I am on a domestic kick. Just call me Donna Reed.

I am obsessed with making grocery lists that revolve around recipes. Stock piling things as they are on sale so I can use them in the future. I google recipes online during my lunch hour. I plan fancy dinners and buy good wine, and long for new dishes and pots and pans that are non-stick, quality and urge me to use them again.

Going to TDH’s family dinner once a week has me exploring new dessert recipes; having family dinner with my parents once a month has me craving the intimate conversations one can only have over dinner at an Italian table with the ones she loves. It happens with TDH, too. We dish about our day, laugh about our bosses, talk about culinary plans and upcoming events. Food really is a bonding experience. Too bad they can’t make the gym more of a bonding experience (update: another two weeks and I can run full-force, as many miles as I want. And lift weights! Just in time to maintain the holiday inevitable weight gain.)

This whole Donna Reed thing has something to it. I keep my kitchen super-clean, I put more time into my days’ outfits, hair styles, jewelry coordination.

Seriously?

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A friend wrote me the other day saying she heard that I’m “dating a guy pretty seriously.”

I had to stop and think about that for a minute. I suppose she’s right but for some reason I can’t think about our relationship being uber-serious, not because I don’t want it to be, but that comes with a whole new set of rules, expectations, fears and even more vulnerability. I do much better just enjoying time with TDH, the three words, the fun dates, the days spent wandering around our city, discovering new things, discovering each other, laughing in bed, cooking him dinner, finding little ways to make him smile.

So while I suppose things are serious, it still throws me off as it’s been just shy of four months, and apart from me having a few girl episodes where I freak out about my vulnerability or him leaving me randomly (ah, the ghosts that haunt me from my past…will they ever leave?) things have been nothing but falling in love, smiles, joys, and absolute happiness. For someone who is used to the shit hitting the fan, it is hard to believe that I have found a good one, that he wants me and only me. I suppose on the flip side it may not be any easier for him to believe that I am in love with him, and only him. But I am. I guess it’s only fair to take him at his word.

As for the ghosts of my past, I’m learning to face them head on and tell them to take a hike. It’s working, perhaps a little slower than I would have liked, but I’m learning to love and trust again… isn’t that one of the greatest things we can do with our time on this planet? I certainly think so.

Little bit o'this, Little bit o' that

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Took TDH to see HAIR last night. He loved it; I forget that he acted in plays and in an improv troupe for many, many years, so he has a different appreciation for the theater. The play moved me to tears when Claude leaves, when he gets shot, when the Tribe can’t find him. Breaks my heart.

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Took Jack for a walk when I got home from the play and neglected to grab a poop pick-up bag. And wouldn’t you know he needed to take care of business, in front of an old man, no less. The old man shouted at me and TDH as we strolled away “You need a bag to pick up that shit! Do it again and I’m calling the police on your ass.” Well then. The first time in a really long time I don’t have a bag and I get caught. Fantastic.

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CDs that I would like to buy:
* Chris Cornell, Scream
* Ray LaMontagne’s, Gossip in the Grain
* Jason Mraz’s new album
*AC/DC, Black Ice
* the new Harry Connick Jr. Christmas album, not coming out until November 4th

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Excited for: Girl’s Mexican Night out this evening, sleeping in tomorrow, having my family over for lunch to my new place, finishing my last paper for this online grad school class, winery trip with TDH, getting laundry done and seeing the bottom of my laundry basket for a change, cuddling in the fall weather, and long walks with Jack.

Secrets, secrets

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TDH’s birthday is in a few weeks. November 4th to be exact.

I’ve started the present stockpiling. Two of the ones I ordered for him are coming in the mail today and I’m so excited about them it will be hard for me to keep them a surprise for the next two weeks. Thankfully they need a bit of tweaking (I won’t say exactly what they are, just in case he is being sneaky and reading my blog) so I can’t hand them to him tonight before we go to see HAIR, which is coincidentally an early birthday present.

I love buying presents for men, especially for TDH. He has a different view of “cool,” than most guys. He’s not into preppy shirts or cologne; he’d rather an antique bookshelf, a unique painting, an offbeat novel that he’s never heard of. He is a lot more fun to buy for than others I’ve dated before. I love planning events that act as presents, I love bundling presents in packages (movie baskets, spa baskets, etc), and I love making presents. I guess I just love presents!

What’s the best present you’ve received from a friend/boyfriend/husband? What’s the best present you’ve given to a friend/boyfriend/husband?

As Political as this blog will get…

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… Someone stole SheShe’s car magnet. That’s just plain wrong.

Although, confession, at the risk of changing anyone’s mind about me or reading my blog: Flashback to four years ago, this same time of year. Fall. Leaves on the ground. Breeze running through the trees. Three girls living together, drinking wine. Many, many Bush/Cheney signs staring at us menacingly from the lawns of our neighbors. (As much as I loved my college the conservative blood that ran through that town made it a tough place to be for four years.)

On a whim, we went for a bit of a car ride. We stole Bush/Cheney yard signs. Yup, right out of their yard. We didn’t even think twice about it. A few we just knocked over; others we took and defaced by placing gray duct tape in the shape of an “X” over the candidates names. We used those in our windows and put our “Women for Kerry” signs just above it. A lot of good that did us.

Looking back that was incredibly insensitive of us, not to mention: trespassing, dangerous, illegal, and rude. I don’t feel a ton of remorse mostly because I was acting out against Bush/Cheney and not so much our neighbors but I shouldn’t have taken something that people obviously paid for. On the flip side, that was my act of rebellion, of rioting, of showing my displeasure with our system. (I do vote, I have worked at the election polls and generally speaking I’m very respectful of people’s political beliefs.)

I have resisted the temptation this year to take a paintball gun and shoot at the signs of the candidate I do not like. Instead, I do it mentally when I drive past them or, even more mature, stick my tongue out at them if I am alone. I’m voting on November 4th. It may not make a difference but I do feel that civic pride when I cast my ballot.

Tanking Economy = Thrifty Nora

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Alright, so things here in the U.S. just aren’t so great right now. I’ll admit to being an American who turns a blind eye to the news when things aren’t as smiley/sunshiney/happy as they should be. Ignorance really is bliss, until you look at your stocks, your 401(k) and the price of gas.

This isn’t to say I’m naive and totally unaware of what is lurking behind every dark corner on Wall Street. I am aware. I would be lying if I said it doesn’t scare me because it does.

Last night while washing my face, using toner and moisturizing I realized I look like a bathroom product addict. Thanks to Bath n’ Body Works Clearance Sales, weddings (yes, brides really do give good presents! I have oodles of mini-toiletries) and taking things from hotel rooms, my medicine cabinet and storage bins below the sink are full of product. I made a pledge to myself: I will use them all, until they are gone, before buying new product. I. WILL.

Thanks to a shopping spree from Darling (birthday present) and a bit of extra cash (hallelujah security deposits… don’t worry, I was smart and saved some and used some for other bills), I was able to purchase a few new staples and refreshers to my wardrobe. All on sale, I might add. Dating TDH who has an alternative sense of style, and also trying to find my own “corporate meets sexy meets young professional look,” I’ve been experimenting with my clothes. And I’m loving it. It’s forcing me to look at new combinations in the pieces I already have, while buying key pieces that can go with many different choices, jackets, pants, shoes, jewlery. Ah, if I could spend my day in the Vogue dressing room…

I digress. I made another promise to myself yesterday: no new clothes until after Christmas; I can’t resist a good sale at The Limited, The Gap, or Banana Republic. I just can’t.

I have made small changes to my monthly purchases. Netflix movies down from three-at-a-time to two-at-a-time. From unlimited texts to 1,000 texts. I’m not afraid to buy generic brand products anymore. Sometimes they are better, sometimes they are not. All small changes that make me feel better, even if they don’t change the fact that an economic recession is looming.

What are you doing or do you suggest to help save a few bucks and “protect” yourself from the upcoming recession?

Cat in the Hat, Paper Lantern, Snooze & Owen Wilson

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So you already know I had a great weekend, thanks to TDH being the sweetest, most romantic boyfriend I’ve ever experienced. I’ll save the exact details about yesterday’s post for another time.

Prompted by KylaBea for what my weekend was like, here it goes. In a word: Fantastic. In many words…

Cat in the Hat: TDH convinced me to get up early on Saturday morning to go garage sale-in. Bribed by the prospect of hot chocolate, the ability to wear jeans and a sweatshirt and of course breakfast as my favorite place, plus quality time with TDH (this is the first weekend in THREE weekends we haven’t had a wedding, a birthday party or other social engagement that took up our whole weekend) I said yes. Second garage sale we went to I decided to poke around the kid books. I found six, perfect condition Dr. Seuss books for fifty cents each. Yes, that’s right. .50 cents. I snatched up all of them. They will go in my hope chest. I am still stoked about this purchase as the new books go for at least $10-15 at any bookstore.

Paper Lantern: My red kitchen is fabulous but I’m still lacking chairs for the kitchen table and apart from the under-the-counter and overhead light (which is rather hideous, I never use it), I’ve been looking for some fun decor. I found two Chinese paper lanterns for $2 that will hang nicely in one of the corners and add some light and ambiance. I’m super-excited about them. I don’t normally go to garage sales but I’m kind of hooked now. First experience = very good!

Snooze: After the long day of garage sale-ing (we hit up at least 10, some with cool stuff, others not so much), gorging ourselves on wonderful breakfast food and washing TDH’s car, we took a nap. Well, TDH did most of the sleeping, I had a paper to write. It was a wonderful afternoon for a nap, wind blowing through the apartment, Jack knawing away at one of his bones. And of course cuddles with my man.

Owen Wilson: I had originally planned on going out Saturday to celebrate the big 2-5 with my friends but looking back at the last three weekends they all involved parties, drinks and little alone time for myself, much less time with my man. So we opted for a pizza and movie night chez TDH and it was wonderful. We watched Drillbit Taylor (I give it a 7 out of 10) as it was funny but not stellar, read books to each other, and just lazed around.

Sometimes those days are the best days.

Classic Country Wedding

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Last weekend’s wedding was by far the most fun I’ve had as a bridesmaid in a very, very long time.

Mel wasn’t panicky. She wasn’t demanding. She was level-headed, cool, and absolutely gorgeous as a bride. Everything was just go with the flow, what gets done, gets done…what doesnt, well, didn’t!

There were only a few hiccups…

  • We went to pick up our dresses and discovered that they failed to do the alterations on my dress. The hem was ragged and certainly not pressed. Fortunately TDH picked up my dress for me and brought it down with him, so no drama, other than a slight unsettling feeling that I’d have to walk down the aisle in my bra, underwear, and brown shoes.
  • Having an outdoor reception requires outdoor bathrooms. The plan was a bathroom-on-wheels, a totally cute house type thing. What we actually got: port-a-pottys. Grey ones. And gross. We jazzed them up with some greenery, cute signs on the doors, lattice (not a fan but it worked) and touch lights in the bathroom so you could see what you were doing.
  • The DJ. Mel’s mom decided to give the DJ a list of 70 country songs she wanted played during the reception. That was a no-go. Mel wanted people to dance, to stay, to party, not to leave because they had nothing to dance to. They compromised and a few country songs were played but not 70 like originally planned.
  • Hotel. Corey (Mel’s husband) has two sets of parents. When we were checking in his super cool stepmom at the hotel the clerk informed us she had adjoining rooms with her husband’s ex wife (aka Corey’s Mom). Yes, that’s right. Corey’s real mom requested adjoining rooms with her ex-husband his wife. We laughed even though it wasn’t really funny.

The ceremony was gorgeous. I cried (I always cry). I laughed. I smiled the whole time. I shook walking down the aisle knowing TDH was staring at me. We had a great time on the hay ride (courtesy of the case of champagne they bought) and an even better time at the reception. The food was country, classic and amazing.

Dress # 7 is hung up, as are my bridesmaid duties. I fear a withdrawal, believe it or not, as being a bridesmaid has kind of become a part of me. If anyone needs a professional bridesmaid, give me a call. In the meantime, I suppose I can focus on me, right?