30 March 2012

Things floating around in my head

I have changed what I want regarding the whole wedding thing. No, it's nothing crazy. It's Chris' original idea. Get married very quietly at City Hall, then have a big wedding when he finishes his contract.

The thought of two separate weddings was starting to sound very unappealing and overwhelming. Ideas started to snowball and even I was getting confused. So, I decided to take it back to the basics and do the simplest, least complicated thing.

Exchange of vows with immediate family only. No frills, no fanfare. Then, instead of trying to figure out how to celebrate, Chris and I leave and go somewhere for the weekend. If our families wouldn't kill us, I'd suggest eloping. In fact, the less that people know about it, the better. Either way, the celebration with friends and family part will happen later. That solves a whole lot of problems and simplifies the situation greatly.

This will probably change again, but for now I really like it. I feel so refreshed when I think about it. Also we finally have an idea of when this can happen, but I KNOW that will change again so mum's the word. But it's nice to start hearing rumors.

Next topic:

I would love to make more money. Or be able to not spend as much money. Paying bills sucks. Also, direct deposit needs to get back up and running. Driving up to work on my day off to pick up my paycheck SUCKS. So does going to the bank on a Friday. SUCKS.

I need to de-clutter. A ton of stuff is being taken to goodwill today. I can't take the clutter any more!

Excited for this weekend, but I have to take care of a lot of things before I can get outta town.

P.S. I love my coffeemaker. Ha, Ash.

28 March 2012

NOT about tea or coffee

I just received a phone call from Ashley asking if CVS sold wine. I said I was pretty sure they do.
She replies, "Ok, I figured that was something you would know."

Nice.

My newest I-live-in-my-parents'-garage-and-it's-a-little-bit-ghetto story:

It used to rain in the bathroom, now it rains in the kitchen. Observe: the pot to catch the drips. It's not even raining that hard...


Ate some really old salad for lunch. Most of my food had to be thrown out because I didn't properly close the refrigerator door on my way to work yesterday morning, and I came home to room-temperature contents. Yay!

So I found this pre-packaged salad in the bottom of mom's fridge and took that. The use-by date was a week ago, but I didn't have anything else. The lettuce part looked ok, but the (sealed separately) chicken, bacon and tomatoes were a little rank. And upon close inspection there were distinct bacterial colonies growing on the tomatoes.

So I threw those out, ordered a plain grilled chicken breast from the cafeteria, and added it to the lettuce. Mediocre lunch but it worked. Except now I have a feeling the lettuce was a bad idea as well, because the belly is not feeling too well. When in doubt throw it out, people!

Anyway, I have a date with the heating pad and my kindle until I fall asleep.

25 March 2012

coffee & tea

You can hate on it all you want, but I love my afternoon snack & tea.

So I refuse to get a smart phone. Instead I got a smart coffeemaker. I feel like it's the right decision.

Everyone says I need to upgrade my POS phone. I don't give a crap about a fancy phone. I'll just drop it, and be pissed that I broke it. I also have absolutely no desire to be constantly attached to my email and facebook. On the other hand, I've been talking about wanting a Keurig for months.

I haven't really mentioned these things to Chris. I just told him I randomly got a Keurig.
He asked how much it cost.
I said, "Do I have to tell you?"
He said yes. Poop. I was hoping he'd say no.

Lately I've been wanting to start talking about money and finances, making sure we have a plan, and making sure we're on the same page, so that when we get married hopefully it's not a huge issue. Because that's like the number one thing couples fight about. In my head he will make all the bill-paying money so that my paycheck is free for me to spend on things like fancy Keurigs and shoes. Sugahh daddyyyyy. Yeah, I know. Back to reality.

He didn't seem too thrilled when I told him how much it was, haha. Even when I told him I got 20% off (heck yes Bed Bath & Beyond and your awesome coupons). He wasn't exactly mad, just didn't have much to say about it. I guess it's my fault for pushing the "let's talk about our spending habits" issue. Right before I go on a spending binge. I have been spending a lot of money lately. And I'm supposed to be paying off debt.

However.

The way I see it, if I had a smart phone, along with a smart phone plan like everyone in America, I'd be paying the equivalent of a new Keurig... every month. ...almost.

I get up at 4am. I need good coffee at the push of a button.  Need.

Enough justifying the purchase.

Ooohhhhh It's glorious!

This morning all I had to do was zombie-shuffle into the kitchen and touch a couple of buttons. And on my way to work, I tasted the first really good cup of coffee I've had before work in a longgg time. It was strong, it was tasty, and there were no random coffee grounds finding their way between my teeth.

I've made exactly two cups of coffee and two cups of tea. I'm currently trying to come up with a copycat starbucks bottled frappuccino recipe, since they're so delicious and not exactly cheap. I'm looking forward to working with a consistent cup of coffee as I play with the recipe.

I have a feeling I will be very well-caffeinated for the next few weeks.

24 March 2012

coffee, fashion, etc

Today is the day that I think I will buy myself a Keurig. I love the one my parents have.

On the weekends I enjoy perfect keurig coffee, but on the weekdays I get coffee from my little Mr. Coffee, whose quality varies depending on how I prepare it. After making coffee every single day for years, I still can't make a consistent cup of coffee. I want good coffee every day, especially weekdays!

I am torn between which style I want, because I want to be able to make a 6-oz cup, but I also want one with the water reservoir. The only ones which have both of those features are the more expensive ones. Hmm. I will have to compromise somewhere.

(And yes, Akhtar, buying a $120 coffee maker is totally justifiable, but buying that coveted $120 shower curtain is not, haha.)

Speaking of expensive shower curtains, last night I got to attend a fashion show at Anthropologie. For the record, that store is AMAZING. AMAZINGGGG.

The fashion show was for their new spring stuff, which was neat. The models were real people; employees, past employees, and good customers. The outfits were great, but the best part was the hospitality. Free (and free-flowing) booze and snacks. And I manged to make it out with my credit card tucked safely in my wallet. Akhtar took some really great pictures, seen here. Everyone looks so pretty. **Suzy! We took a picture- they have an owl pitcher that pours out of the mouth**

This is my favorite picture that he took of me. Double fisting pretend tea and real wine, my two favorite things to drink! I almost bought that cup, but then decided against it.


After we had a fun dinner (I have leftover fish tacos, yes!) I got to chat with Chris for a while. We are getting better at talking on the phone; neither of us really being phone people, sometimes we're just kinda like, mkay I don't really want to be on the phone anymore. Not that we don't have great conversations, but we tend to be comfortably quiet a lot. That's hard to do on the phone. Nevertheless, we ended up talking for over an hour, and it was nice to reconnect.

He keeps having random dreams that I'm cheating on him, then I make a videotape and send it to him and make him watch it. Like in the movie Jarhead. First of all, this is not a movie. Second of all, of course I would never do that, for about a billion reasons. But I think it's funny that the dreams are always like the scene in that movie. Goof.

Then we got to talking about the nuptials. He asked if my dress was sexy and I told him I wasn't going to get married dressed like a slut. Regardless, I still think he'll like it. ;o)

Time to pay some bills. Depending on how that goes, I may or may not be getting that Keurig today...

23 March 2012

Boobs & boob holders

Since I've been having boob woes, and all of my bras are ill-fitting nowadays, I bit the bullet and went bra shopping. Oh, bra shopping! Nobody over a B-cup likes you.

Akhtar, since you're my only male reader, I'll make this post worth your while. If you even keep reading.




First stop was Victoria's Secret. Generally I do not buy bras from there, because they don't have a lot of in-store selection in my size (32dd for anyone who is wondering).

But, I had a coupon. So I found a couple and tried them on and they fit perfectly. Hm. I guess my boobs didn't shrink after all. More on that later.

They had an event going on, so in addition to the $10 off coupon, I got a makeup bag full of products and a free pair of panties. That's $60 worth of stuff free. And I love makeup bags. This one has sequins. I also got one of those reward cards of unknown value that I can use in April. I love Victoria's Secret. They really hook you up.

So. The boob issue. They are definitely noticeably smaller. Even Chris said so. But since I wear the same bra size as I usually do, I have a few theories as to what's going on.

1. They are the same size, but have gotten saggier, leading to them looking a little smaller. This theory is my least favorite but also the most probable.

2. The change in birth control has made them less... full. At certain times of the month I used to gain a cup size and have to wear a whole different set of bras, but now they're pretty much the same size all the time. No fluctuations. Sorry, Chris. No more magic boob growth every couple of weeks.

3. My current bras are at least 5 years old. So they've seen better days. They're not going to give good support and hoist those babies up to where they're supposed to be. So in comparison to the stretched out bras, they seem smaller.

In the end, I got 3 bras. One black, one nude, and one hot pink.

Which leads me to my next set of questions, and I'm really curious about other people's habits:

How many bras do you own? 
How many do you actually wear on a regular basis?
How many times do you wear a bra before you wash it?

As for myself, I own about 10. I wear 4 or 5 regularly. I try not to wear the same one two days in a row. I have a few for sexy time only, not for daily use. There are a couple that I have but never wear, and don't know why I still have them.

Don't judge me... I don't wash my bras very often. Honestly, unless they've gotten smelly or visibly dirty, I wash them a few times a year. I always give them a sniff test before putting them on, and they always seem to smell fine.
Sports bras (or other bras designated for when I know I'm going to get sweaty) are of course washed more often.

P.S. Victoria's Secret is doing that 7/$26 panty thing again this weekend!

21 March 2012

it can and will

I'm sitting here at my desk, absentmindedly taking my wine glass and slowly turning it by the stem. I randomly look over at the cat in her box, and she's staring intently at it. Not getting ready to pounce, but oddly mesmerized. Never seen that look before...

I got some ugly, good-for you, expensive shoes made for people who are on their feet all day. Hopefully this, with a few other changes, will leave me less fatigued at the end of the day. Also trying vitamins, extra half-hour of sleep, and more vegetables in my diet.

Remember when I said that this is going to be a good week? I'm never doing that again. The Murphy's law of laboratory's ghosts must have heard me say that, because this week has been freakishly bad. Freakish! Even worse than last week. These have been some of the worst days technically and problematically of my entire career. My short career, but still.

Surprisingly enough, morale is not at an all-time low. I think that's because when shit hits the fan, we all step up and work together. At the end of the day, we all make a difference together. We couldn't do it alone. That's enough to make us feel good about what we're doing. Then we go home and go to bed exhausted, only to repeat it again the next day. I'm proud of how we all handled things these past few days. This may be my tired brain misfiring, but I love my job.

My wine is now gone and I need a shower. Happy Wednesday y'all.

19 March 2012

it's a 10-step program


1. Find bag of "Hint of Jalapeno" tortilla chips in pantry.

2. Make a meal out of them.

3. Add a few random chocolate chips also found in the pantry.

4. Peruse pinterest with a glass of wine.

5. See pins about kickass recipes and feel lame about eating chips for dinner.

6. Glance at kitchen, complete with sink full of dishes.

7. Reverse that feeling.

8. Finish wine.

9. Pin aforementioned kickass recipes "to make later."

10. Resume step number 4.

18 March 2012

States

States I've Visited


Saw this on Pinterest, of course, so I clicked on over to see what mine would look like. I only clicked states that I have actual memories of; not just ones I've driven through or stopped in on a rest stop. Looks like I have a long way to go, but I'm not really much of a traveler. I'll be going to Mississippi in May for my Frankish's graduation, so I'll be able to add that. Hopefully Hawaii will be on the list at some point.

Speaking of Hawaii, Chris and I keep flip-flopping through stages of irrational missing-ness. One day he will be like, "I fucking miss you, fly out here for a weekend next month." And I'll be the one to talk logically about how it isn't cost-effective and neither of us can take any time off. Then next week the roles will be reversed and he'll be talking me out of unreasonable notions, like wanting to move out there.

The truth is, we just both gotta stay put until he gets leave and can fly back here. Hmph. Back to reality.

This week we plan to get the new chemistry analyzer completely up and running and disconnect/decontaminate the old one, and haul it out and I'm SO EXCITED I CAN BARELY STAND IT. I'll be pushing the old one out and slamming the lab door behind it, haha.

12 March 2012

classics, work, time, sleep

Finished Jane Eyre.
I liked it!
Much more readable, and a more interesting storyline.

Next up, Les Miserables. Man it starts off slow. In reading these classics, more than a few times I've wanted to just Google the book and read the Wikipedia summary and be done with it. But, I resisted the urge and I've eventually gotten into the book, at least at some point or another.

I did have to go back after reading Pride and Prejudice, because in my habit of skimming through long periods of drawn-out conversation, I missed a crucial point. Oops. Once I got to the gist, it made more sense. But I still wouldn't call it my favorite.

I wonder I should watch the accompanying movies after reading the books... would it enhance the experience, or only burn me out?

Topic change.

This time change is going to make it very hard to get to bed on time. Darn summertime sun not setting until like 9 o'clock... here we go again. It also makes it harder to talk to Chris. Just as I'm getting off work, his day is starting. As I'm going to bed, he's barely eaten lunch.

Hard to imagine that an hour has that much of an effect. I feel like even if my work schedule were shifted an hour later- in at 6, out by 3- things would be much smoother. Waking up at 5am sounds much more appealing (and doable) than waking up at 4am. Four in the morning is just a strange and unrealistic time to be waking up. But, I've been doing it for over a year now. It's crazy to think that "Miss Not a Morning Person" has been dragging herself out of bed at that crazy hour for so long. It's still not easy or natural. But, it pays the bills.

The one thing I do like about this schedule is, the mornings are very busy and go by very fast. Usually by the time I have the lab up and running and the morning's batch of testing done, half of my day is over. The good thing about being busy is the day rarely drags by. The bad thing is, it's exhausting. I leave at the end of the day with tired eyes and sore feet. Sometimes, lately, I'm sweaty and hungry too. It really takes a lot of physical and mental energy to juggle everything that goes on in a day's time.

As much as I have complained, though, I've gotten back into the mentality of enjoying my job, my days, even my coworkers. I just wish I could find the energy to do something else with my day. It seems all I think about when I punch out is sleep. I'm constantly chasing sleep. I never get enough sleep... except on the weekends. My week is one big sleep-deprived chunk, punctuated by two days of blissful lounging and rest.

One last thing. Today I found out that Mosquito-eaters don't actually eat mosquitoes. That's the whole reason I let them live! I feel like my world has been shifted.

11 March 2012

the story

I really debated blogging about my engagement story. But I've already lost so many of the details to time, and I'd really like to have this to go back and read some day. And also because I haven't told Chris some of these details, in case he reads it. But, what the hell. I find it entertaining. And you might too.

So we were having a really nice weekend in San Antonio, and one night we were going to check out the hotel's rooftop jacuzzi. So before we did that Chris went downstairs to grab something from his truck. Which kind of has a back story, but I didn't realize the significance of until later on.

When we first arrived at the hotel, he pulled up and went to check in. The bell hop guy came up to the truck with a cart so I, of course, got out to unload the bags. What I didn't realize was that when Chris left to check in, he set the alarm. When I opened the door, it went off. And it's blaring, echoing in the parking garage, and I'm standing there, feeling like an enormous dork. I called him, but he didn't answer. He was nowhere to be found with his keys, so I started unloading the bags, because it was better than standing there doing nothing looking stupid. When I was unloading stuff, I found a plastic grocery bag underneath the seat. I saw some tealights through the plastic, and figured it was probably something his mom had left in there. I knew she occasionally drove his truck to keep the engine good, and that's something that Chris would never have in there. I didn't think anything of it. So I left it alone. By the time he came back, the bags had been loaded onto the cart. Come to find out, the rose petals were in the same bag. If I'd have seen those, I would have known something was up. He though I'd seen them and was playing cool all weekend. Definitely not the case.

Fast forward a few nights, when he ran to his truck to grab something. He didn't specify what "something" meant, and he wouldn't let me come with. I knew we'd pretty much cleaned out his truck, so I was suspicious of what he was really doing. I asked him for more details and he wouldn't tell me. He does random secretive shit now and then so I eventually dropped it.

After he left I went into the bathroom to change into my bathing suit. When he came back up, he told me I wasn't allowed to come out. Okay... I'm thinking he's got some kind of surprise. I'm also hoping it's cake.

I'm sitting there, in my bikini, getting kinda chilly, so I put my cardigan back on. And I wait. First I sit on the toilet, then I perch on the countertop. Then I get bored and curious. After a minute or so, I open the door just a crack, careful not to look, and yell what's taking so long. He very sternly told me to get my toot ass back in the bathroom and close the door. So I closed it, and as I did, I glanced at the floor and noticed rose petals right outside the door.

**Internal alarms going off**

Whooooaaa. Hold on. What the hell. Rose petals? Rose petals are serious. Rose petals do not accompany cake. What kind of shit is he planning?

So I put my ear to the door and listened. I heard the distinct sound of a lighter being frantically lit, over and over again.

Rose petals and candles? This is definitely not about cake. Holy shit, is he going to propose? The thought came to me like a strike of lightning. (And I kid you not, my first thought after that was, this is so cheesy!) No, there's no freaking way he'd propose. He better not propose with rose petals and candles. Dork. Besides, he's not supposed to propose until after he gets out of the Marines. That's years from now. That's not right now. We're just, you know, tooting right now.

Maybe he's just trying to be romantic after being away for so long. That's it, he just wants to be all romantical and shit. No big deal and you're over-reacting.

He better not fucking propose. Oh God. Holy shit, I'm not ready for this. I'm in my bathing suit, for crying out loud! My hair is frizzy! And this is not part of my [kinda secret] five-year plan!

Ok, quit freaking out. He's not going to propose you doof. He came straight from Afghanistan to your house. He didn't even have time to get a ring. You're overreacting. Just wait and see what happens.

...What the hell is he doing? Fuck, I don't know what to do. I don't know what to do! I wish I could call my sister but my phone is outside in the forbidden zone! (Side note: She knew about the whole thing)

So after a few more minutes of internal freak-out-age he opens the door and I'm nervous as shit, but I act surprised and delighted and try to figure out what's going on. I mean, I didn't want to act like he was proposing if he wasn't. Wouldn't that be awful?

So there's rose petals everywhere and about a billion candles. And my initial thought about it being cheesy was replaced by the thought that it's a pretty damn impressive sight. As usual, he knew what he was doing. It was really very pretty, and if you've never been in a dark room lit only by a ton of candles, it's way cool-looking. The effect was amazing.

So from this point on it's kind of a blur. I remember sitting on the bed, on top of rose petals. Which are cold on my bare thighs. Remember, I'm still in a bikini and a cardigan. A little awkward. And a little chilly. So he says some nice things that I'm sure neither of us remember, and at this point I'm still not entirely sure what his motive is. All kinds of things are running through my mind. Candlelit sex? Romantic rekindling of the relationship? A present? Cake? A "glad we made it through deployment" re-affirmation? At some point he stops talking and takes my hand and puts it under the pillow next to me.

It's at this moment that I'm absolutely sure of what I'm going to find underneath it. And I'm stunned. Absolutely stunned. No fucking way, dude. Never in a million years did I expect this. NEVER!

Sure enough, I touch a round, cool piece of metal. Are you serious?!? I grab it, pull it out, and-- this is an image that I will never forget. Good call on the candles, Chris, because in that kind of light the ring came out blazing and sparkling like the fucking Fourth of July. I said, "Wow." (God. Lame.)

So we're both sitting there, and I'm looking back and forth from him to the ring for what seems like an eternity. I think I say a couple of "Oh my gosh"es and "Baby"s and random ramblings. Then, looking all cute and stuff, he asks, cool and collected, "Will you marry me?"


And I feel so fucking un-refined kuz I go, "Yeah."

I said, "yeah" to a marriage proposal. I always imagined I'd say "yes" or "of course!" or something a little more put-together or excited sounding. But, since I was already half-naked with frizzy hair and rose petals stuck to my ass and at a complete loss for words or thoughts or anything, I guess yeah was pretty good. At least it was in the affirmative. Because as freaked out as I was minutes earlier, that's how blindingly happy I was.

He puts it on my finger, after asking which hand and which finger it goes on (geez), and just like that we were engaged. Just like that he was home, and just like that we were engaged. In that instant my life freaking changed. No fireworks (except from the ring, haha), no dreamy movie-like emotions, just complete and utter shock. And a smile that wouldn't leave my face.

So after it's official, we kind of flip-flop our typical modes. I'm very quiet, trying to take it all in, and he gets super-talkative. Telling me all about how he planned it and how he got the ring and how long he's been doing all of this and how I was such a little shit for giving him shit about going down to his truck and peeking out of the bathroom and on and on. And I'm just sitting there dazed, listening and looking at him and the ring. Unbelievable.

Then he mentions that we could get a custom wedding band from the same designer and I'm just absolutely amazed that Chris, of all people, is standing in front of me talking frankly about getting married. Like it's no big deal. Calling me his fiance about two minutes after the ring's on my finger. I could. not. believe it.

Then we went upstairs and hung out in the glorious hot tub on the roof until they kicked us out. And I just kinda walked around in a daze and tried to make normal conversation like I wasn't still completely floored.

Like I said before, it took about a good week or two for me to really wrap my head around it. Completely knocked off my feet. I mean, I figured it would happen one day, just not at that moment. I figured I would have at least seen it coming. After all this time, after all we've been through, after years of wondering what was in store for us, knowing he was the love of my life, the future pretty much got solidified in about 5 minutes. It was especially wonderful to experience my family's reactions. I've never been surrounded by so much happiness and excitement from the people that mean the most to me.

He was disappointed that I didn't cry, because I tend to do that when I'm surprised, but honestly I was too damn shocked. It's still a little surreal sometimes. Mostly I think because he's not here, sharing all the excitement that comes with being engaged. I think that would make it more real, more comfortable, if he were here. But, we're pretty much pros at being apart, and it will make it that much more awesome the next time I see him.

So that's the story. Not how I ever imagined it would happen, but insanely happy nonetheless.

merp.

Ugh, started working Sundays again. After a one-day weekend and a time change where we lose an hour. That being said, I've had much worse working Sundays. The day went by relatively quickly. I spent a lot of time cleaning; not just the lab.

I cleaned out the break room fridge and microwave. Gross. People leave some funky stuff in there. The microwave was even grosser. Odors of lunches from the past... eew. When it's my personal microwave, it's one thing. When it's someone else's food odors, it's much worse.

But, it's only for a few weeks while Andrea is in Brazil. I'd rather be in Brazil in a bikini than in rainy Houston with frizzy hair.

Tomorrow it's just me and my boss, who is normally cool but has been very naggy and crabby lately. It's going to be a longgg week.

P.S. I finally saw a preview for the Hunger Games movie. Should be good!

07 March 2012

smile break

Videos that always make me smile














Any military surprise homecoming video:
Okay well maybe a little tearing up there, too. (OMG the little girl in the santa hat)







Any to add?

06 March 2012

Keep calm...

I know we've all see the "Keep Calm and Carry On" poster. Here's a neat video about the history. I am mostly smitten with the images of the bookstore...


05 March 2012

Paintball

Let me start by saying that I feel like how much you enjoy paintball is inversely proportional to how afraid you are to get hit. My previous experience with paintball was accidentally stepping on one in Chris' closet and making the carpet pink.

Going out for a fun day and coming home with nasty bruises that last for weeks? Um, sure?

If paintball were painless, or maybe a little painful with no lasting effects, I'd be the most baller person out there.

That being said, I did have a good time.

The first round of paintball went like this: We put on our masks that kinda made us look like storm troopers. The whistle blew, and I ran behind a clump of trees with some random people in camouflage. (P.S. Just because they are wearing camouflage does not automatically mean they are hardcore.) Since I could not see anyone, I just kinda stood there, bored. I could see my friends a little ways ahead behind a fence, and when when they left the field, I left too. I fired one shot- a test shot before the game started.

The rest of the games were more fun; I actually shot my gun and moved around, not that I actually hit anyone. It was more like random firing in the general direction of people I couldn't really see. I was "hit" by a ricochet that kinda passively splattered on my shoulder. That was the extent of my personal carnage.

When I saw the welts and bruises on my friends' bodies after the games, I was glad I wasn't hit. I did enjoy the fresh air and light exercise, and it was a beautiful day. It was very amusing seeing how and where some of my more adventurous friends (re: everyone esle) got hit.

Would I go again? Sure. But I wouldn't make it a regular event.

04 March 2012

March Photo-A-Day

Here they are- The first March PAD pictures.




March 1- Up


March 2- Fruit. My thoughts were: Really, I have to take a picture of fruit? Lame.


March 3- Neighborhood. We do enjoy watching neighbors in the park.


March 4- Bedside. I actually took this the other morning. I pushed the snooze button yet again (I was 20 minutes late for work that day...) and opened my eyes to this. "Really bitch? You're going to push the snooze button again? I'm fucking hungry."


Paintball today. I'm not really looking forward to it, but I figure it's something new to try. I've seen the bruises on other people... not too excited about getting shot at. My strategy is just to hide until the game is over. Or, who knows, my tactical side may come out and I'll kick some ass.

03 March 2012

situations

Spent the better part of the morning laying in bed and paying bills. And washing the sheets after a cat puke situation.

Spent the next part of the morning and early afternoon trying to figure out if my Aunt shot my Uncle last night. We caught a news story about a woman shooting her husband last night on that area of the neighborhood. Considering their history, it's an seriously plausible occurrence. A "Good for her, good riddance" occurrence. Calls to my Aunt and my cousins went unanswered. So we went for a quick drive to check out my Aunt's house, then to my Uncle's house, looking for crime scene tape or their cars. And figuring out how to come up with bail money if she was in jail. Yeah, I know, we're dorks. But like I said, we would not be surprised if it had happened.

Eventually my Aunt called us back; not from jail but from bed, sleeping off a hangover. Her response to our inquiries? "Not today!"

Then this afternoon I'm laying down to take a nap, and happen to be chewing some gum. Suddenly I chewed something crunchy. Alarmed, I spit the grainy thing out and examined it. Shiny silver. A piece of filling! I can feel which tooth it broke off of with my tongue. Nice and jagged. And subsequently exposed cavity from 10 years ago. Nice.

My mouth has decided to self-destruct all at once. And the insurance company and dentist keep giving me the runaround so I haven't even been able to make an appointment. I might just have to use my tax return and get some of this stuff done sans insurance. I mean, time is of the essence here. I'm going to end up with a mouth full of root canals. Fuck. Don't put off your dental work, people.

On a funner note, I got to talk to Chris today. I told him I found my dress, and he got all excited and wanted to know what it looked like. I told him heck no! He'd have to be surprised.

02 March 2012

photoAday

I thought it would be fun to participate in this photo-a-day thing. For March, from fat mum slim:


I figure it couldn't hurt to try and have hobbies other than coming home from work and crawling into pjs.
I missed the 1st, but maybe I'll catch up this weekend.

01 March 2012

dress!!

So. An update on the wedding dress saga.

Even though I haven't exactly been pleased with David's Bridal in the past, I made an appointment. You just can't beat their prices and their selection of short dresses.

When I walked in, I was not sure about my consultant. She seemed a little too peppy. We started by looking through a catalog of their dresses, and almost every dress she pointed out I didn't like. I was feeling quite discouraged.

Then we started trying on dresses. We pulled a few of the short ones I liked, and she picked a few of her own.

The first dress I tried on made me feel like a little girl. The second one was also a short one, but a little more grown-up-feeling. It was actually in the top two contenders.

Then I tried on THE DRESS. It was one that the consultant picked out for me. I wasn't what I was looking for specifically, and honestly I don't think I would have given it a second glance on the rack. I won't get into too much detail in case Chris is secretly stalking my blog. Toot.

As soon as I walked out of the dressing room, my mom teared up. I could see on everyone's face that this one was special. The way the mirrors were situated, everyone else could see me before I could. So when I did get to the mirror, I understood their reaction. This dress was gorgeous, and was gorgeous on me. I've seen styles like this on the internet, but never thought I could pull it off. It turns out, I SO CAN!

It made me feel like a bride.

And, honestly, it's got every single thing I wanted. Really beautiful. It's going to look great next to Chris' dress blues. This group of girls that were there looking for prom dresses a few dressing rooms over commented on how it was their favorite. Just awesome.

BONUS: It was from the rack of broken dreams* so it was marked down half-off. Sweeeet. A half-off dress that's perfect for me? I think so. I'll take someone's broken dreams and turn them into my awesome dreams.

I tried on a few more dresses that were meh, a really pretty one that was looked great on me, and a beaded lacy sweetheart neckline masterpiece, but didn't have any special-ness to it. And it was pretty expensive. I started to get weary of trying on dresses, and my mom and Dayna were running amok in the bridesmaid/ shoe/ headpiece areas, when we all declared that we'd had enough. The whole time I think Akhtar barely spoke; he was taking pictures like a madman. Haha it was awesome!

At this point the consultant and I had really hit it off. We got each other's stupid jokes, we were totally on the same page, and it was actually really fun. Especially when I'd come out of the dressing room in a new dress and Dayna would come poking out from where she'd been lusting over some Watermelon colored shoes. And my mom would have a feathery hair clip in her hands. And Akhtar would be standing there snapping away. It was just a lot of fun.

I tried on the top two contenders again, and jazzed it up with a veil or hairpiece, and at that point it was kind of a no-brainer. I mean, if it makes your mom cry, it's a winner. I think I saw Dayna start to tear up there for a minute, too.

So at that point I was like, all right let me give you money and I'll just take this dress home now because it's awesome. They have to do a few minor alterations, and I'll have it by the end of the month.

Phew. One less thing to worry about!

*The dresses that were returned or never picked up. Meaning someone's wedding didn't happen. My mom's trademarked that phrase.

OH! Also I think my boobs got smaller. Yesterday they barely filled out the D-cup bra, and in the past they would have definitely spilled out. And I've noticed lately that my bras are a little roomier. Nooooooo!