Spoke

Somebody Get My Back

I've found that in terms of exercising, I prefer to set goals instead of simply 'getting exercise every once in a while.'  I do better with things that are concrete.  I like things to be one thing or the other, nothing in the middle.  Have I mentioned I don't like gray area?  Black and white is the way to go.  All or nothing.  I digress.

I decided that I'd like to get back into running, but me telling myself to just 'get back into running' is akin to me just running once every month and calling myself a runner.  So when a coworker asked if I'd like to join the work-sponsored team to do a Tough Mudder Challenge in September, I was game!

Tough Mudder: 12 miles, 25 obstacles with a team.  http://toughmudder.com/  According to the website it's the 'Toughest Event on the Planet' and while I'm sure it's going to be exceedingly difficult, I can't imagine that an Ironman Triathlon isn't more difficult.  We'll see.

But it's in September, so in order to prevent myself from starting my training in August, I'd need another goal.  Enter the Monument Avenue 10K in March (March 30).  So right now I'm training for that.  

Oh and then me and the team assembled for the Tough Mudder decided to do something called the Rugged Maniac in May, which is a 5K complete with 25 obstacles.  We figured it'd give us some perspective on what the Tough Mudder would be like.  

All this being said, I'd like to keep myself accountable for running/training here, as I don't want to do it on Twitter or Facebook.  This is already impacting my goal to come home every night and drink wine on the porch with my Kindle.

 

It Lives!

So remember that one time that I had a blog that I updated all the time and then I fell off the face of the planet?  Good times.

I'm back! You may either cheer or groan.  It turns out I made a lot of friends in the blogging community and I miss connecting with them.  It's been...like 9 months since my last post?  I figured I'd start out slow with the questions I get asked the most often since taking a sabbatical.

Most Asked Questions Since I Took a Blogging Sabbatical: (cool title)

Are you married yet? Why yes I am! I got married June 18, 2011.  That's nearing a year ago.  Good Lord.

Why did you take a sabbatical? Wedding planning took a lot out of me.  I realize how ridiculous and petty that sounds, believe me.  I had NO IDEA how stressed planning an event like that would be for me, and I'm a Production Coordinator! Planning is what I do every day!  This 'having OCD and depression' shit is for the birds.  I regret not blogging more about what I was going through during the months of planning, and for a long time that kept me from starting up again.  

Are you pregnant? Are you kidding me?

How's Benny? Hilarious, furry, not-so-well-behaved (that part's my fault, not his).  Oh and spoiled.

What's it like being married? Marriage is awesome! Hard, but awesome! I mean hard not in a negative way but in a realistic 'this is how life is' sort of way.  Any thing worth having requires work.  But I love my husband (still sounds weird) more now than I did when I got married.  

Do you still live in the same apartment?  I have the same job, the same apartment, the same piece of shit car, the same dog, even the same underwear! Really the only thing that's changed is my hair.  I cut off 11 inches of it.

How was the honeymoon? Awesome! As honeymoons normally are- except for the getting-there part.  Which I'll explain later this week.  Let's just say it involved a lot of trying to understand Spanish with a day-old husband who couldn't talk.

It feels good to be back!

 

Wedding: Part 2, The Dresses

So we've got the colors, the Save the Dates, the engagement pictures.  Cut to right around Thanksgiving.  Dress shopping time!

I normally don't appreciate bridesmaids dresses, so I wanted something that was more like a sundress than a bridesmaid dress.  I don't know if I achieved that but here it is:

also, thanks Kelsey for that sexy cleavage :)

Well, I figured out the dresses for my attendents.  But what was I going to wear?  How about this?

a couple things:

1.  I look nothing like this.

2.  She looks like a fool.

3.  I never stood in front of a gold wall like that.

4.  there was never a time that I posed in that manner.

I was shocked that this was the dressed I picked out because 1- I never wanted a strapless dress and 2- I thought I liked ivory.  But then I put this on and felt like a princess, so there you go.

Wedding: Part 1, The Theme

There's too much to put all of it in one post, or probably even ten.  Consider yourself warned.

You know me and Ferris Wheels, pinwheels, carousels, etc.  It's shocking to even me that I am scared to death of clowns.  

Can I say something?  A tangent?  I hate formal weddings.  I hate the kinds of weddings where you're afraid that you're misbehaving.  Ok let's be honest I feel like that most days, give or take a wedding.  

So when we sat down to plan our wedding, I told Derick that I wanted a fun wedding, because I am a fun person (well, I think I am at least).  

Another tangent: remember my good friend Cindy who took our engagement photos? Well, the woman is a genius.  Out of the blue she emails me: do I want her to help me with a theme, save the dates, stationary, etc.?  Um, are you kidding me?  So I say yes, and she comes back to me with this, without me saying anything:

perfection.

So we discussed things: how obsessed I am with all things carny.  And then she discusses with me how cute it would be if we had a 'boardwalk' themed wedding.  And then sends me this, a save-the-date:

Are you kidding me?? There is a Ferris Wheel!!!

...to be continued...

 

 

Looking Up

I don't even remember the last time I blogged- I think Typepad told me it's been months.  I've turned over a new leaf and you know what?  I didn't have time.  I didn't want to come here and go on and on about how my 1st world problems just made my life awful and how blah and blah and blah and BLAH.

I've had a lot of people ask me about the last few months and to be honest I don't know where to start: so I'm asking YOU what you want to know.

I'll let you know this: I'm married, I'm loving it, I've never been so happy.  

So ask away: what do you want to know?

The Most Important Thing

My good friend over at The Urban Cowgirl asked me this morning if I was planning on updating....ever.  I have a big post coming tomorrow- I wasn't really ready to unleash that monstrosity yet.  In the past few weeks I have: gone to the psychiatrist, changed up the meds, had a mental health day, have cried...a lot, slept...a lot, and read books, watched movies, and talked to people that make me happy.  I don't know what I would have done without some very key people these last few months- a few of whom I've never met, that let me unload on them and who attend my daily pity parties, all the while bringing cake and sparklers.

Thank you.

 

Down for the Count

I haven't blogged in a while because well...I didn't really think you wanted to hear it.  I was stressed, had a meltdown, then another, then another, and then I got sick and sort of wanted to disappear.  And then I cried and felt sorry for myself.  The end.

But today is a new day and it's sunny and warm and I'm going to go running and sit on my back porch and talk to my dog like he can talk back.  And then I'm going to clean my bathroom because it makes me feel accomplished.  And then after that I might have a glass of wine.  And paint my toenails. 

 

iPhone Picture Post

My high-school boyfriend thought himself an athlete and tried to drink at least 100 ounces of water a day.  So he would hollow out a milk jug and fill it with water and drink it during high school classes.  I found Derick with this jug in his posession the other day and immediately rethought the upcoming wedding (totally kidding).

This is Kelsey, one of my best friends.  She came into Richmond a few weeks ago for a math conference (you see...Kelsey has a math degree and an education degree...she's a genius).  She invited me out to dinner with her math friends and I understood about 1 word of math dialogue throughout the entire dinner.  Thankfully she gossiped with me instead of talking geek :)

Derick and I went out to a very romantic dinner a couple weeks ago.  This is the bruschetta we had, right before we shared the most.amazing.fish.tacos.ever.  I can't think about it because it'll make me sad that I'm not having them right now.

This is Pearlz, an oyster bar in Charleston that I had dinner at in Charleston when I was last there.  I had the most amazingly-fresh raw oysters there with shallot-infused vinegar.  I love food.

These are my feet today on the porch.  With a glass of wine.  It was 80 degrees today, without a cloud in sight.  Pay no attention to the fact that I haven't shaved in a couple days.  No matter.

The Best Laid Plans

We've decided to overhaul our finances.  I'm already somewhat of a psychopath about where money goes each month, but since we're going to be combing some of our finances in the next 2 months I've been trying my darndest to get things under control and on track for both retirement and savings.

Listen to me being all adult.

One of our long-term (and read- long term) goals is to live in another state.  Experience life elsewhere.  Preferably in a place where it doesn't snow.  We're both realists, we understand that moving to a different state requires well...money.  And I am well...paranoid.  Meaning I panic if we don't have a certain amount in checking every month.  What if the car breaks down?  What if I get fired?  What if a racoon sneaks into the apartment, leaving the door open allowing a black widow spider to crawl in and bite me in my sleep, rendering me without an arm and I have to take a sabbotical?  What then?

So we've made some changes:  we've turned off the air.  It's April.  It's a nice steady 60-70 here, and with the windows open we don't need any air conditioning.  We've stopped shopping at the more convenient (and much more expensive) grocery store in order to utlize our Shopper's Perk card.  I've started line-drying much more, saving a few loads of dryer-time.  I've spent the last two days researching coupons and finding deals on items we use a lot.  I only go out to lunch once a week now as a treat.

I'm planning on making our own laundry and dish detergent- much thanks to my friend over at Our Epic Journey.  I have started taking out cash at the beginning of the week (I'm better when I can see the money leaving my pocket).  We've had discussions lately about what we want versus what we need.

We have savings goals, we've started putting aside money for retirement.  I feel a little more at peace. 

Clearly There Are Issues

- I haven't blogged in 7 days.  I also haven't cleaned my apartment in 7 days.  I haven't taken Lent photos in 7 days.  I've only showered 3 times in the last 7 days.  I think this is what they call a week off.

- Have you read the Hunger Games series yet?  If not, drive to Richmond, Virginia and trunk of my car parked outside my apartment because that's where I keep my copy of the first in the series.  Odd placement?  Yes, but it makes for good reading if I happen upon a traffic jam.

- They've started casting for the first installment of the movie the Hunger Games and that's been all-consuming to me.  I don't know why.

- I finally found the exercise that I love to do.  We have this trail in the woods (surrounded by houses with people in them that can hear and see screams and shenanigans- that's for you, Mom) behind our apartment complex that is almost 4 miles round trip.  It's uphill, downhill, sideways, and over tree trunks and stuff.  And I love it.  I can't wait to get home so I can go do it.  And my butt is tighter.

- How DO they get the pits of of the plums before they dry them to make prunes?  This will forever astound me.

- Tonight I'm going to steam-clean our carpets and recaulk the toilet.  I'm really pumped about it.

- Wedding planning is going well (thanks for all of the checking-in emails- they mean so much!  I haven't had a breakdown in over 2 weeks! Success!).  In all seriousness though, I'm feeling much more on top of things.

- I think I have 3 sessions of child-photos to take to add to the portfolio, and I'm excited about that.  Hopefully they'll go well!

- I've eaten 6 prunes today.  I'm going to the bathroom.