Goals for 2009: Wrap Up

This was the first post of the year, let's see how I did...

Goals for 2009

• At least two blog posts EVERY week. Long, short, logical, nonsensical-- it matters not. Hold me to this. Please. Badger me. I need it sometimes. I blogged 70 times this year. 24 times this month, my most ever, of all time. Just 34 short of my goal, not bad. I'll try and do better next year though.
  

• Purchase Rosetta Stone: Spanish ("It's my birthday present to me! I'm SO happy!") and be able to hold my own in conversation with my friend Jose by the end of the year. Or maybe just have a conversation with Tim Sayles entirely in Spanish. Yeah, neither of these things happened. :) After I met Todd, my priorities got a little rearranged. I still love Spanish and want to learn it... I'm just not sure when it's gonna happen...
  

• New job = New challenge. Something to put my degree to use. Something more permanent. Preferably with a company called Pure Safety. Mr. Gaudreau, if you're reading this... call me? :) Wow, I can't believe I applied for that job this time last year... it's a good thing I didn't get a good job in Nashville, I would've had to leave it! But I do have a new job, outside the restaurant industry! Still working on using that degree though...
  

• Finish reading 20 books. I attempted this last year. I only made it through 16. More on that in my next post. I sure did not read 20 books. I don't even think I read ten. MAYBE six. I'll get back to you on that.
  

• Continue my adventures in cooking. Now that I own a Magic Bullet, this could get interesting. :) I'm planning my first attempt at fresh pesto this Sunday. Yeah! This is going really well, actually. I'm a big fan of cooking now (and Todd is a big fan of me being a big fan), and I owe that mostly to my work BFF from Saffire, Chef Vinny. Let the adventures continue!
  

• Eat a pomegranate. I've never done this. I'm intrigued. Ate one! Ate like 10, actually. Love them.
  

• Participate in NaNoWriMo. I might have to work up to this. Okay, I registered and I wrote some, but I didn't upload anything. But in my defense, I'd JUST gotten back from my honeymoon and was very busy.
  

• Submit stories to at least 2 other competitions held by Narrative Magazine. I submitted one story. I didn't get to write another one. Maybe this year. I hope.
  

• Keep a plant alive. Hopefully two. My adopted grandmother sent me home from Texas after Christmas with a baby orange tree. And I, feeling overzealous because of her belief in my ability to not kill this plant, also bought some fresh basil. I may be in over my head. We'll see. FAIL. Killed 'em both. RIP little saplings.
  

• Play Rock Band 2. Drums, specifically. YES!!! Did this on Christmas day and it was amazing!!!
  

• Multiple dates/hangouts (read: at least two) with Annie Parsons and Kara Orendorf. :) Two dates with Annie, and lots of hangouts with sweet Kara. I miss them both!!!
  

• Visit (my cousin in) Boston in September and/or Brazil (with missionary friends) in November. Um... I got married instead. Ran out of money. :)
  

• Continue to shorten the degrees of separation between myself and Baz Lurhmann. In a perfect world, have ALL degrees erased and be nearing BFF status before production on Great Gatsby begins. I can dream with the best of 'em. That's why I think we'd get along so well. :) We stayed in the same hotel as Keith Urban on our wedding night... he's married to Nicole, who has Baz's number in her cell phone, I'm sure. So that's good! Also, today, I found out that my friend Josh's new co-worker was a dancer in the original Broadway cast of Wicked, which means by degrees to Idina Menzel and Taye Diggs have shortened! AND at Thanksgiving, I discovered that my cousin Brittani's old dance instructor from when we were kids (Zac Woodlee) is the head choreographer on Glee! So that shortens my degrees to Matt Morrison as well. :) I'll take it!
  

Happy New Year, blogworld!!!

Pacing The Panic Room

I don't know this family, but this is the best thing I've read all day.




It's definitely better than anything I could write here today. :) So if you've got a few minutes, please check out Panic Room Ryan's magnificent photo account of his wife's pregnancy as well as the birthing story. He took pictures of her every week starting from 17 weeks and wrote a sweet, funny blurb next to each photo. Also, her birthing story is just crazy. Also, the transparency of this couples love for each other is evident in his writing almost immediately. It's awesome.

Reading instructions: When you click on the link, scroll down to the bottom and read up. You can skip the letters if you want. When you finish the first page, scroll down to the bottom and click "newer posts". Then scroll to the bottom again and read up. Don't cheat! It's better that way. :)

Also, I'm pretty sure there are no kids reading this blog, but Ryan's blog is rated PG-13ish for language and a couple of (tame) birthing pics. Not a big deal, but there's your disclaimer.


p.s. I am NOT pregnant. I just love good writers/moment capturers and good stories.

Fifteen-ish

I was driving tonight with Gotham (I put him in a gym bag and took him to visit Todd at work on his lunch break) and on the way home, the song "Fifteen" by Taylor Swift came on. Listening to the words, I realized that my fifteen year old self could relate to a lot of it.

'Cause when you're fifteen and somebody tells you they love you
You're gonna believe them
When you're fifteen and your first kiss
Makes your head spin 'round
But in your life you'll do things greater than
Dating the boy on the football team
But I didn't know it at fifteen...

When all you wanted was to be wanted
Wish you could go back and tell yourself what you know now

I like Taylor. I like this song. I think it's completely relevant to fifteen year old girls, who are generally itching for something to relate to emotionally. But I realized, listening to that last bit of the bridge about going back and telling yourself what you know now-- that I wouldn't do that at all. Not to my fifteen year old self. I was blessed with a relatively drama-free high school experience and a very sweet first boyfriend and while there were occasional rough patches, I wouldn't change anything about that time of my life.

I would go back a few other places though...

I'd go back to 18 and tell her to leave her high school boyfriend in high school.

I'd go back to 19 and tell her to sit down and fill out those scholarship forms and write those essays because the money you are asking the bank for IS in fact, real money. And that yes, you will actually have to pay it ALL back (and THEN some!), even if the economy is crap, so do NOT borrow money that you don't need!

I'd go back to 20 and tell her to let him go before he left for Memphis in the summer.

I'd go back to 21 and help her unpack her car BEFORE she drove to church for Christmas Eve service, so that everything wouldn't get stolen...

But I'd also warn her about about cowardice masquerading as nobility. I'd beg her to get the answers she needed and then "leave the past behind, though it [kept] finding ways to get to [her] heart". I'd promise her that no amount of apparent compatibility would be worth the drama and heartache of the next year... but she probably wouldn't listen.

And finally, I'd go back to 22 and tell her to love the loan grace period, stop buying cd's and start saving a little and paying that mug off before she got hit with thousands of dollars in interest payments.

Silly, silly girl... I'm glad its all working itself out. :)

Would you go back?

p.s. Surprisingly enough, I wouldn't tell her a word about Todd. It feels a little cruel, but I couldn't live with myself if I ruined the best surprise of her life. :)

Christmas, Christmas, Christmas!!!

Wow, it's been a jam-packed couple of days, filled with family and food and friends from outta town and puppies and presents and lots of driving!

We had Christmas at three different houses this year! On Christmas eve, we spent the night at Todd's parents place. We woke up to snow on Christmas morning, ate amazing cinnamon rolls for breakfast, opened our gifts (in addition to helping us pay for Gotham, his parents gave us lots of fabulous stuff for our fireplace, plus Glee soundtracks, house shoes and TOMS, etc.) We were also very entertained by the puppies; Gotham (who will be 8 weeks this wednesday), Roxie (a 6 year old boxer) and Emma (a 2 year old micro-shih-tzu, who didn't want a single thing to do with Gotham). Gotham and Roxie got along great and wore each other out. Gotham also learned how to go down the stairs (video to come!) and didn't have a single accident outside on the day after Christmas! Yay! Definite progress.

Christmas afternoon, we bundled up and went off to the Grandparents house, where we ate a hearty lunch, gave Gotham a piece of ham because we left his food at home, played Rock Band 2, watched UP, and then ate dinner. In between all of that, Todd and I slipped out to visit the home and family of one of his college roommates. We took Gotham with us and when we arrived, we were met by two more puppies (Ruby, an 8 week old black lab, and Lucy, a 7 week old yellow lab) and a dog (Barkley, a 6 year old chocolate lab). SO many puppies. Gotham loved it even though Ruby sort of beat him up (a la Nala v. Simba).

We had company Sunday afternoon and Saturday evening as well! (Gotham's starting to get excited whenever unfamiliar-smelling people come over.) Two of Todd's groomsmen and their wives came into town for Christmas from Nashville and Chicago. We had Mike and Amanda over for frito pie and met Scott and (a different) Amanda for brunch at Benton Park Cafe. (It had snowed the night before and the roads weren't clear yet, so we also managed to slide into three different curbs on our seven-minute journey there.) But it was really nice catching up with them.

Then last night, we drove back over to Illinois with Gotham in tow to visit Todd's cousins who live on a farmhouse in Worden, IL. Cool family. The dad re-built the whole house/lodge himself, first cutting the old house in half with a chainsaw, then rebuilding the front half in one year, and the back half the next year. The house looks like an ad for Pottery Barn: Lodge Edition, including a giant, 20 foot tall fireplace, made exclusively of hand-picked, hand-washed river rocks from a neighbors' creek bed, sitting atop 40,000lbs of concrete and a built-in blower that heats the entire house. The two daughters (15 & 13) are absolutely adorable. They also barrel race in rodeos, shoot coyotes, catch giant disgusting fish (and gut them too, no doubt), received cows for Christmas last year and rifles this year, and have mounted deer heads in the house. Never before have a met I beautiful little porcelain-looking 13 year old, asked her what her favorite food was only to hear "Deer" as her answer. Not venison. Deer.

It's a different world.

That night, we ate an fantastic meal that included lasagna, made with ground beef from from one of their own cows. Ah. Mazing. Also, right before dinner, they brought one of their pet goats in the house. They said his name was Cupid because he was born on Valentine's Day.

In short: never has there been a Christmas quite like this one :) I wouldn't trade it for anything.

Pet Training Tip

It's about all I have time for today. Anyway, here it is:

If you want to put the puppy to sleep immediately, put his blanket in the dryer for a half hour and then swaddle him like baby Jesus.

'Du Jour

Accomplishment(s) For Today:
Laundry is done. Christmas shopping is done. And the puppy slept for 9 hours in his kennel last night.

Question for Today:
Does anybody know anyone who actually celebrates Kwanzaa? I would like to meet one such person because to my knowledge, I never have.

Things I Cooked Today:
Breakfast- scrambled eggs with cheese, lil smokies sausages and pumpkin muffins
Lunch- japanese beef with haricot vert and rice

Christmas Movie for Today:
RENT. The biggest part of it takes place between Christmas Eve and New Years Eve, so it counts.

Christmas Song I'm SO Over Today:
Last Christmas I Gave You My Heart But The Very Next Day You Gave It Away.
The version of Sleigh Ride that goes "I LIKE TO SLEIGH RIDE" in between every other line.

Cutest Thing Gotham Has Done Today:
Slept for an hour inside Todd's jacket while he was wearing it. He's also wearing his collar now, it's really cute too.















Most Annoying Thing Gotham Has Done Today:
Starting heeding the territory marking instinct. On my rug. Twice. I cleaned it, then with Todd's help, rolled up the rug and put it in a closet. We just won't have a rug until this kid is housetrained.

Realization for Today:
I still really want to be in a musical. And write one.

Impulse Buy I Avoided Today:
Smallville: Season 8. It was on sale at Target for $26.99. I haven't even finished season 5 (no spoilers please, I'm still planning to catch up one day), yet I am compelled to add to my collection every time I see it. Also, Scrubs: Season 1&2 for $18.99. That really was a good deal. And if I had some cash to spare, I might've indulged. but I don't need it. And I sure don't have time to watch it right now!

It Made My Day:
While I was in Target today, a twenty-something, scruffy, musician looking dude walking past me had THIS as his text message alert. When it finally clicked, I grinned so big, I'm happy I was in the aisle by myself.

Chasing Christmas

So... I know we're only 3 days out, but it still hasn't really "felt" like Christmas to me yet. In the traditional sense. And by traditional sense I guess I mean... that combination feeling of chilliness and warmth that comes from a late night stroll, followed by a mug of hot cocoa. Or when you're listening to your favorite Christmas music while driving with your family through a neighborhood alight with colorful bulbs and gaudy yard art. Or when you're holding a candle with a Dixie cup around it to catch the wax, singing Silent Night acappella on Christmas eve.

Lately, I'll find myself driving down the road, listening to the Christmas music station in the middle of the day and feeling decidedly unChristmasy. I struggle with that sometimes; not being able to capture and maintain the feelings of Christmas "magic" that always filled my Decembers as a child. I always try and catch it for a moment or two somewhere in the season, but often times I'll end up spending more time being disappointed about the elusiveness of said magic.

But then I remember... it's not about cold nights and hot cocoa. It's not about lights. It's not about songs. It's about love. It's about an incredible Gift that I could never be good enough to deserve. It's about the Gospel.

Tonight, I stood on the edge of the park, watching my puppy chase my husband across the clearing. As I smiled at their silhouettes, marveling at how much love I have for both of them, I thanked God for them... and was delighted to find that in that moment, it really felt like Christmas.

"Can we get a puppy?!"

I can't tell you how many times I said those words in college. In Nashville. To my roommates. It was a regular occurrence, every few months or so. The reply was always the same:

"Whoever you date will probably already have a dog. And if he doesn't, you and your husband can get a dog whenever you get engaged or married. It'll be more fun that way!"

It was NOT fun while I was waiting.

But I suppose my roommates were right. My husband did have a dog already when we met, but has since given Roxie to his dad. Roxie's a country dog, for sure, and she's got it really good out at his parents house. So we decided that at some point, after we got married, we'd start anew with a puppy of our own.

This morning was The Morning. :)



At 9:30am today, my husband and I drove through the remnants of last night's flurries to a house with a red barn across the river in Illinois. With a blanket and a camera in hand, we traded several weeks worth of Starbucks tips and some Christmas gift money for this beautiful 6.5 week old boxer boy.



Little Gotham stole our hearts several weeks ago, from the moment he snuggled into my arms and fell asleep. He did great in the car (the ride was nearly 40 minutes, including a 30 minute stop at the church to see Todd's mom, dad and sister), he just snuggled into my sweatshirt, occasionally nibbling at my scarf (the one Katie made for me. apparently it tastes as good as it looks and feels) and poking his head up every now and then to look out the window.




Since we got home, he's had some food and water, gotten very comfy with his bed, played with his new football toy and explored the majority of the living room and kitchen while trying to figure out how to keep traction when transitioning from the rug to the hardwood and vinyl floors. He's barked a few times (when he gets feisty and wants to play) and he's gone to the bathroom outside three times! Yay! He takes little naps (always on his bed) and he's just SO good! I know it's only been like 4 hours, but he's pretty much the cutest, sweetest, most awesome puppy of all time.

Right now he and Todd are asleep on the floor.

I love my boys. So much. :)

Sweet Sixteen

Up until this moment, I have neglected to mention that this makes for my 16th post this month. That's the most I've posted in one month, all year. I'm happy about that. I know the next few days will be exciting, and I not have time to post... I'm hoping to at least produce a picture update, but we'll see.

I had my first full day of training today at the Arch. We got our security badges and listened to a 2.5 hours lecture about national parks or something (I was too busy trying to stay awake to retain any of the information), learned how to work our checkout computers, learned about safety and security measures at the arch, etc.

Also, two people (out of the 12 or so who we hired with me) got fired today. One for being obnoxious and overbearing. And the other for accidentally smuggling a marijuana pipe into the Arch. He got a ticket too. $250. A citation AND a pink slip. Bad day for him.

Anyway, it was a long day. 7:30-4:30. And lots of walking. In heeled boots. It felt like Paris all over again (roommates). But now it's over. I'm exhausted. But I have a full time job that doesn't start till after Christmas, I have my last Coke Zero gig tomorrow night, my Christmas shopping is finished and I'm getting a puppy in a little over 24 hours. Life is good.

Signs of Things To Come...

our little Christmas tree!

next to our stockings that I made from leftover couch pillow fabric...

(That's actually Todd's stocking, not Gotham's...)

(yes, our friend Emily bought Gotham a Dog Snuggie for Christmas.)

his collar with his super cool, non-jingling tag...

(that's a pillow I got in college. I hope he likes it. :)

Two more days!

Employed!!!

So... I got the job!!!!! :)

I now work at the Gateway Arch, on behalf of Photogenic Inc. I take pictures of the 3.5 million people who visit the arch every year. I am SO grateful to have a job that is fun and approximately 6 minutes door to door from my house. Amazing.

I had orientation this morning from 10-2. I came home for lunch and to see Todd for a bit before he left for work. In an hour, I'm gonna head over to the rec center, because tonight (and last night) we helped/are helping a non-profit org called Kingdom House with a program called Affordable Christmas. Using the gym at the rec, volunteers organize thousands of articles of clothing, toys, household goods and appliances, baby stuff, etc like a store. Locals can come in a pay a small amount per item and actually shop for their families for Christmas, rather than receiving a handout from a charity. It's really cool, but the "store" is open from 10am-6pm and when it closes, it looks like the Bargain Basement at Old Navy on Black Friday. Hot. Mess. So we're folding/organizing clothes. I secretly love it, because it's like doing laundry, only you don't have to put it into drawers/hang it in the closet.

I also have my 2nd to last Coke Zero event tonight at a SLU Basketball game... I hope it goes quickly because it's hella cold outside.

I'm also realizing that this whole having a job and keeping a house in order and cooking and being a puppy mom is going to be no joke. I'm going to HAVE to organize my time or I'm going to seriously run out of it! Speaking of that... I gotta finish the laundry. Holler.

Ketchup

So, I know I'm behind on posting now, but I still have time to catch up. :) It's been a busy few days!

On Sunday, Todd and I had an awesome day of relaxing together (we were both a little under the weather... Todd's recovering from bronchitis... and I have some kind of cough now, I don't know if it's from him or not...) anyway, Sunday night, we had a great night at August Gate worship service. We went to eat at Chava's (our fave Mexican joint) after church, and then drove out to Illinois to look at Christmas lights! Delicious and beautiful, respectively.

Monday, I spent a good chunk of the day at an amazing coffeeshop in Benton Park called The Mud House. I drank orange sencha green tea and worked on our upcoming newsletter. Later that night, we had an amazing time of fellowship at our very first August Gate covenant members "induction". We're officially at 14 members, with a few more to join this coming week. It was such an awesome time of encouragement and affirmation for all of us who have committed to this adventure. I look forward to many more of those meetings over the years!

And then today... I had a job interview! :) It's with a company called Photogenic Inc who's based out of Chicago, but they have branches in several other large cities with big landmarks (NY, DC, Boston, Chicago and now STL). They're the ones taking the pictures of families and couples in front of said landmarks. So they're JUST starting up at the arch in St Louis, and they're hiring photographers, supervisors and managers... and the group interview went really well, so we'll see!

After that, Todd and I went to buy ear candles and puppy things! Both very exciting. We bought Gotham a collar and tags with his lil name on it and some food and a toy football with a tug-of-war rope in it. Super cute. We could not be more excited for our pup to come home! We moved our pickup date so we can spend as much time with him as possible before Christmas. He gets his last shots tomorrow and he turns 6 weeks old tomorrow too! So, Sunday morning at 9:30am, we're going to pick him up! Can't wait!

Okay, I want to say more, but I'm so tired. I'll catch up soon.

www.jonahrocks.com

I promise you want to watch these.

This is definitely the coolest kid you will see all week.

If you haven't already, meet Jonah Rocks...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RffBbMN7Rw

He's 4. FOUR!!! He's not even in school yet!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieXjnfTumn8

I can't stop watching them. He's amazing!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3wf0azrzcM

There's a ton more videos too... Here's the bio from his website:

Way back in 2008, at the age of 3, Jonah Rocks was lining up his Play-Doh cans to make a drum kit. He would sneak all the baby spoons from the cupboard, and use them as drumsticks. His daddy asked him if he wanted a real drum kit, and of course, Jonah said "YES!" Once he sat down behind that kit, and held that first pair of 7A's in his hands, he has never put them down, playing as much as he can, whenever he can. Jonah is completely self taught, never had a lesson, and if you've watched him play, you know he absolutely loves it.

I promise there'll be more substance to the blog in the coming days. But Jonah deserved a blog post all to himself.

Things I Love/Am Slightly Obsessed With Right Now...

• This commercial.

• This commercial.

• Fritos. Just regular kind. I know, I know. But I love them. I always have.

• Honey Bunches of Oats with soymilk.

• The color orange.

• Speaking of... my amazing new puffer jacket. Thanks, Mom & Dad.

• Orange Sencha Green Tea.

• Caramel Apple Cider.

• Glee. And probably The Sing-Off.

The Minutes of 12/10.

So yesterday was crazy.

What I Did...

• Woke up and told my husband "Happy 2 months!!!"
• Ate breakfast, got ready and loaded the car up with the broken trash can I keep forgetting to return to Bed Bath & Beyond.
• Drove with Todd to pick up our car from the shop. Praise the Lord for insurance.
• Picked up car with shiny new hood and paint job, parted ways with Todd at the shop and headed to BBB.
• Spent roughly an hour destroying the clearance section of curtains, hoping to be able to clothe my kitchen and living room windows for $4.95 a panel. Almost doesn't count.
• Hunted through the entire section for 2, non-existent "63 inch panels. At first I had a style and color in mind. I finally just went with whatever I could find.
• Also wound up buying 4 panels of chocolate brown blackout curtains for the living room, 2 tension rods, and a set of toys for Gotham.
• Ran out of gift cards and had to put $89.00 on my credit card. NOT good.
• Went home, made lunch for hubs, sent him to work and put up curtains. Discovered I only needed 2 panels for the living room.
• Gathered extra panels, an unused crock-pot (i'll buy another eventually) and an extra shower curtain, along with the packaging from everything I'd just bought and opened.
• Drove my butt back across town to BBB.
• Returned and rebought enough stuff to put all $89.00 back on my credit card AND receive $32.64 in store credit. Score.
• Contemplated buying a few poster frames to complete a few creative projects i've been pondering.
• Realized that I probably won't have time to finish them in the near future and so I shouldn't spend the money.
• Resisted the urge to go into Trader Joe's.
• Came home. admired curtains. Cleaned the living room and then headed to the kitchen to make the aforementioned baked potato soup that didn't happen the day before.
• Who knew freaking potatoes would be so frustrating. I didn't cook some of them long enough and ended up microwaving them while trying to brown onions and garlic without burning the butter and blah blah blah. Not a good experience.
• Finished the soup. Ate the soup while watching the Office. Was not impressed by the soup. Drowned it in bacon bits an sprinkle cheese.
• Cleaned the kitchen that I destroyed.
• Wrapped a couple of presents for Todd.
• Checked facebook, gmail, and university job sites. then facebook again.
• Spent some time organizing our 8000 wedding pictures until Todd got home.
• watched Late Night shows with Todd while editing our upcoming newsletter.
• Re-edited Christmas eve service invites and emailed them out.
• Photoshopped a picture of Buddy The Elf for our Rec Center Love event.
• Marveled at the fact that I've yet to watch Elf this year.
• Quit marveling and went to bed at 1:15am.
• Realized that I didn't write a blog.
• Realized that as long as I write 2 today, I'll still be caught up, staying on track (for the first time ever!) with my goal of blogging 31 times this month.

Slightly About Max.

First of all, why are there no Ranch Style Beans in St. Louis?

That is so weird to me.

Here I am trying to make chili because its freaking frigid outside and when I ask my husband to grab two cans of Ranch Style Beans, he looks at me all crazy.

"What's that? Like made with Ranch dressing?!"

*shakes head*

It is SO cold here today. It's been flurrying snow all day and the wind is unforgiving. As I said in my facebook status update earlier today, the wind is blowing like it got in a raging lover's spat with Chicago and stormed out in the middle of the night to terrorize the Gateway City. You can hear it wailing as it bashes around town, destroying all of Chicago's love letters, leaving little specks of white floating in the air. At least that's what popped in my head when it woke me up this morning. Our spare bedroom window is NOT properly sealed so it was freezing in there when I got out of bed today.*

*I've decided that the bed in the Spare Oom is more comfortable, so rather than moving it, we've been sleeping in there. We'll move everything around once we finish painting... which I hope to do before we pick up Gotham.

Speaking of Gotham, I actually had to tell my husband "No, we cannot afford two puppies right now!" multiple times today! Me! Saying no to puppies, can you believe it?! I can't. We made the mistake(?) of going by another animal shelter today and 10 seconds after walking in, Todd spotted this adorable, 4 month old, "mostly" housebroken, brindle, boxer/pit** mix.

**there are usually an overabundance of pits and pit mixes at the St. Louis rescue shelters because the breeds are a fave of many of the irresponsible, thuggish men in the area. I'm sure some come from grave circumstances, but many of the pits are pups who are rescued after the mother is abandoned and a lot of the mixes are also abandoned as pups. This one was from a guy who had a boxer that mated with a pit and he kept this particular puppy, but then decided he didn't have time for the little guy, so he surrendered him.

Anyway, Todd sort of fell in love at first sight. The pup's name is Maxwell (or just Max, though he looks and acts more like a Wild Thing). Actually, he was pretty well-behaved for a puppy, he's just VERY affectionate (tongue. flying. everywhere.) and really active. With a little time and some discipline, I'm sure he'll grow up to be a very sweet, well-behaved dog. The thing is, as I said yesterday, we can only afford one dog right now. And if/when we do get a second one, I don't particularly want a pit mix OR another male dog. That is a lot of large, boy puppy to have in my house.

But...

(those were like the 5 individual seconds where he was moving slow enough to be captured on camera)

But NO! Sweet, yes. Really cool-looking, yes. Cute, absolutely. But we've committed to Gotham first, and I will not have TWO little boys peeing on my floor and bashing around my house, chewing holes in my throw pillows.

Lord, give me strength.

It's getting colder by the minute. I'm off to make this.

Mostly About Gotham.

- So, two of my last three posts have mentioned force fields. This was completely unintentional.

- Two months ago, I was 91% sure I was done with the restaurant business.

So please tell me why I filled out 3 server applications today.

I haven't given up hope by any means, and I'm still applying for jobs at universities, but bills are still rolling in, not to mention we'll have a new car payment and a 3 month old furry "baby", come January. I need income.

-I just realized I've yet to mention the "baby" on the blog as of yet. :) Now's as good a time as any!

So, this is Gotham.

Our sweet, little, floppy boxer boy. I love him. Obviously.

He'll be 5 weeks old tomorrow, and the plan is for Todd and I to drive over to Illinois (we're getting him from a friend of Todd's) 4 days before Christmas and pick him up!

Right now, he's learning to eat puppy food and chewing on his brothers and sisters.

Here are some of them. (G's in the middle.)

And yes, I know that's him because of various markings. There are 3 black pups in his litter; one of them has a white spot on his nose and white socks on all 4 feet, one kind of has a conehead, and the other one-- is Gotham. :) He has a little toe sock on his front left foot. You can see it in the first pic.

Actually we looked at/played with the little one 4 socked one next to him too. Very cute.

But Gotham fell asleep in Todd's arms so he won. :)

We want two puppies, but one is the wisest choice right now. We're planning on the other one being a humane society adoption. (We actually already found one little 7 month old girl who we love, but she's not available yet.) But for now, we're just excited to be getting a dog! Todd's had and raised dogs his whole life and he's a good trainer, so apart from the trials of teething and potty training and general puppy mischievousness, we're hoping he'll turn out to be a good boy.

Actually, he doesn't have a choice if he's going to live here. He'll adjust. :)

More pics to come in the next few weeks! Can't wait to bring you home, lil Gothamboy.

Bediquette

Do you know how hard it is learning to sleep in a full size bed with somebody after sleeping alone for 25 years?

I just have to say... it's not sexy.

People have been kneed in the kidney multiple times in one night. Other people have woken up with an elbow inches from their eyeball. Actually, this also happens a couple times a night. Still others are vicious cover stealers, snorers and diagonal sleepers who monopolize entire sides of the bed with just their leg. And then you wake up because you're frustrated that you can't move anywhere and you're also hella tired and barely thinking straight because it's WAY early and you're not entirely sure you're not dreaming. But then, through a fog, you sort of realize that you can't get mad at somebody for sleeping like a wild thing! They don't do it on purpose. Especially when they're sick.

(sigh) And we're not even 2 months in. lol.

Today, I was imagining the easy way out... A force field down the center of the mattress. We could just turn it on when we went to sleep and then anytime one of us got rowdy in our sleep, we'd just bounce into the force field and roll over and go back to sleep.

As if any newlywed couple could afford a force field mattress anyway... whatever.

Going to bed... wish me luck!

C is for Cookie... and Cherokee... and Church... and Cold!

Yesterday was unusual and excellent for several reasons.

1) Todd and I went to brunch at a little vegetarian diner with some of the August Gate crew. They had a full spread of things like hash browns and veggie crumble sausage (not bad) green curry with brown rice, brocolli cheddar quiche AND creme brulee french toast. Ridiculous.

2) After brunch, the boys split and the girls and I (there were 6 of us) strolled down Cherokee Row (the same street the diner is on) to browse the dozens of retro/vintage/folk art/antique shops and partake in the Cherokee Row Cookie Spree. All the shops handed out various cookies, coffee, hot apple cider (and one sweet old British man who owned an antique bookshop offered us some sherry too :). So we strolled the streets, sipping cider and eating cookies and trying to decide if anything was really a good deal.

3) I found several good deals. :) First, this table:

An adorable little shabby chic find, it goes perfectly with the colors of our living room (olive green, chocolate brown, cream and this orange). $20 bucks.

And...

Yay records! They were $2 a piece and the Stevie Wonder album is actually a 3 record anthology. SO. Awesome. The other ones that are harder to see are Mahalia Jackson's Sweet Little Jesus Boy (Christmas album that was a favorite of my Mom & my Mudear), the Jazz Masters (a classic jazz "mixtape", feat. Armstrong, Ellington, Basie, Goodman, Holiday, Hines, etc.), Peaches & Herb and the soundtrack to "My Fair Lady".

I also got a huge bag of vintage buttons, which I intend to use for various crafty things. Anyway, it was so much fun spending time with the girls and eating cookies.

3) August Gate is always a high point of the week :) it was our first Christmasy service and it was great to see everyone. After church, we had planned to go see The Civil Wars and Seabird at Cicero's, but I was worn out and Todd wasn't feeling great either. So we went home. I fixed us soup and sandwiches, we listened to some of our new records and then we watched Away We Go. About 1/2 way through, it started snowing. Pretty. :) It was a good night.

Speaking of my sweet, sick husband-- we gotta head out to the clinic, so I'll post again later.

What Do You Think?

Do you think that in Heaven, we'll have any recollection of life on Earth?

I assume we will, though I could easily be mistaken...

I think that the ability to remember our past life on Earth would make us that much more appreciative of Heaven. And perhaps we'd forget Earth eventually... but I wonder if we'll remember any of our old life and events on Earth, or if we'll just recognize people and know that we love them.

But to counter that, I wonder if there will be people in Heaven we recognize from Earth, who we still won't want to associate with. Will all wrongs be forgotten? Will all slates suddenly be clear? Will we pass through a "force field of forgiveness" and suddenly be reconciled with all the believers we had beef with on Earth?

I just wonder...

The Muses of St. Louis

I've become ridiculously domestic.

I mean, yesterday, I made lunch for my hubs to take to work, cut out two stockings (to be sewed on Saturday at a Christmas craft party) went grocery shopping, came home, made dinner for myself, cleaned the kitchen, spray painted our "Christmas Tree", made a batch of earl grey tea cookies, and then hand-sewed 5 Christmas ornaments!

I don't know where this came from. It's like I turned 25 and met Todd and realized I wanted to spend my life with him, and then slowly turned into Good Housekeeping McGee.

Well, more like Real Simple McGee or Domino McGee.

Actually, I can't put this on Todd... ever since working at Saffire and becoming work BFF's with Vinny, I've become kind of a foodie. I like new crazy things, but I love good comfort food. From every genre. I want to know how to make all of it and I want to feed everyone so they can experience it and love it too!

Also, since moving to STL I've found myself surrounded by a LOT of supercrafty women, juggling jobs and families and new mommyhood with a passion for creativity. Anyway, being around them has reawakened this part of me that wants to bust out the sewing machine and learn how to knit and DIY decorate my whole house. I mean, my mom has always been into things like that, and the two of us together tend to be pretty creative... but I feel like that part of me fell dormant for awhile, covered by college life or a full-time waitress gig and all the bustle of Music City.

But here... now... my house is my own. If I don't decorate it and cook in it, it will be filled with taupe walls (maddening, NOT soothing!) and ketchup packets and craigslist items (most of which are great. Todd is an excellent craigslist scout.) And I'm inspired! The creative ladies I know are all strong, hard-working women and great wives who love the Lord and are dealing with life just like everyone else. They take pride in their work and their great food and their households. And they've made me realize that these various forms of expression are not only enjoyable, but necessary.

I used to stay up really late every night. It wasn't uncommon for me to trade emails with my creative partners-in-crime after 2am. It was a regular occurrence for me to fall asleep in front of a word document covered in a character analysis or running dialogue or musings about my own future. But things are different now. I've merged my life into someone else's and even my sleeping schedule is not my own. I don't think it ever will be again.

I find myself dreaming as much as ever, but never getting much down on paper or screen. These days, my creative releases show up in my house decor, the color of my walls, my unpacking/organizational endeavors, my attempts to be thrifty with food other household purchases, the color palette on my eyes, the outfits I put together or-- my personal favorite... probably todd's too-- in the food I put on the table.

Also, I'm pretty sure that in the next few weeks, I'm going to chop off most of my hair. My real hair. But that's another blog post.

I guess what I'm saying is that my creativity is evolving... nothing has been lost... but there are definitely new facets.

And how about that, I'm actually spelling the word definitely correct on purpose.

it is a new era indeed.

Comidas

Okay, just to let you know, I've set a quiet, personal goal of writing 31 blog entries this month. I've tried to do this lots of times before and it hasn't happened. But I really need to write something every day and I really hope this month will be different. I'm just going to write when I'm feelin it. About whatever I feel like writing about... hence 2 posts in one day.

Just wanted to offer a quick cooking tip for-- anyone, really.

I'm a decent cook, but a messy one. I don't do time limits. I can't. I really, generally have no idea how long it'll take me to make something. And I usually leave the kitchen looking wretched, regardless of what I cook. So anytime I find something that helps me organize my time while cooking, I'm into it.

So here's my favorite simple, helpful hint as of late:

• Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. This is KEY. Don't put anything in there until its heated through. Otherwise the timing is all off.

• Get a glass pyrex pan and lightly grease the bottom of it. Then take any chicken breast, thawed or semi thawed (actually I'm pretty sure it'll work frozen too, I just haven't tried it), lay it in the pan and sprinkle it with your favorite seasoning (taco seasoning, lemon pepper, garlic, thyme and rosemary, cajun seasoning, whatever you want). Cover it with aluminum foil.

• Stick it in the oven for 25-35 minutes (30 is a happy medium for me, but it depends on your oven). In 30 minutes, you will have juicy, delicious, mouthwateringly fantastic chicken to put with whatever sides you can make in 30 minutes. Plus, while the chicken is cooking, you don't have to think about it!
  

My past 2 experiences with this have been amazing. The first, I did taco seasoning and topped it with salsa before I baked it. In 30 minutes, I heated up a can of black beans and microwaved a 90 second bag of spanish rice. When I took out the chicken, I sprinkled it with cheddar jack cheese. Yummy!

Today, I used thyme and lemon pepper with a little lemon juice. While it cooked, I made bow tie pasta and peas, mixed 'em up and seasoned it with olive oil, chicken broth, lemon juice, thyme, garlic salt, lemon pepper and sea salt. Took the chicken out, sliced it and laid it over the pasta. SO delicious.

Just thought I'd share. :)

Bumpy Road

About a week and a half before Thanksgiving, Todd and I did something we assumed was unthinkable in our first year of marriage. We applied for a loan to purchase a car, a black, all-wheel drive, 2003 Honda Element, with 115,000 miles on it. It's exactly the kind of car we need, for moving gear, for carpooling, for traveling with a pet and for navigating the treacherously snowy/icy streets of St. Louis when the winter hits.

We're blessed to have two functioning vehicles at the moment, but during this vehicular transition time, all kinds of roadblocks emerged.

First, because of various lacks of credit, employment and a vehicle with over 100,000 miles on it, no bank wants to give us a loan. We're denied multiple times, even as the kind men at the dealership rearrange our application to try and work something out. We're sad because it's too expensive to fly to Texas, so this puts us in the gold Civic for 10 hours. There are a lot worse things, but I hated to tack that mileage onto our one high-functioning car.

Second, one week before our scheduled road trip, I hydroplaned in the gold Civic. Right into an exit ramp sign. I cracked the radiator and caused roughly $4500 worth of damage. We opted to get the car fixed and pay the $500 deductible upon pickup. But its not scheduled to be finished until Dec. 7th.

Then, there's Jade. Her engine has been growling and grumbling like metal in a garbage disposal for weeks now. She's okay for Todd to drive to and from work, but she's basically banned from long distances. So a few weeks ago, this Bosnian kid who works at Coldstone next to Todd's starbucks tells him that for $800, he'll buy the car as is and turn it into a racecar. So we print out paperwork and have everything ready to make the sale. On the day of my accident, the kid comes in with $800 in his hand to buy the car. However, his dad determines that since the car doesn't have power steering, it's not worth it. They walk out and the severe disappointment is mutual.

So Jade and I do that awkward, post-goodbye, "Hey! Thought you were leaving?" "So did I!", reunion thing. I peruse car rental discounts and wonder how in the world this is going to go.

Then, two days later, the call comes in. Miraculously, we got the loan for the Element. We are in shock and unbelievably grateful. We travel about 100 miles in one day getting the paperwork signed and picking the car up. We pull over into a parking lot and get out and fold all the seats up and down and marvel at our little transformer. We name him Rufio. We are so happy and can't believe we get to drive to Texas in our dream car. :)

Then, the day before our trip, my phone completely freaks out. The touch screen has a meltdown and the entire contraption is just batty and unresponsive. I take it to the Sprint store, hoping they can fix it. While I am there, some dude hits on me and I have to flash my ring at him. Sprint takes my phone, and gives me a old, loaner flip phone... which is nice of them, except that it has no texting. And of course, no internet or GPS.

We pick it up Friday morning. Todd calls in favors to get out of work earlier on Tuesday so we don't have to leave for Dallas at 4am on Wednesday morning. Everything works out beautifully and we're scheduled to leave at 9:30am, Tuesday morning.

The phone rings.

It's Todd's manager, who's on vacation. Due to bad decision making on one of the other staff members parts, Todd ends up having to wait around all day and go in to work from 3:30pm-5pm, thus delaying our trip by a considerable amount of hours. I sit in Starbucks, waiting, brooding and slowly realizing that despite all the setbacks, I really have SO much to be thankful for. (I was going to write a blog about it, but I ran outta time because in the next moment, my phone rang, telling me my new Instinct had arrived and I could come pick it up. For free. Praise the Lord!)

We drive to Texas in our new ride on Tuesday night. We have an amazing thanksgiving weekend with my family. We drive back to STL, full and happy and grateful-- trusting the Lord for all the little frustrations that will work out in His perfect time.

Growing Pains

A couple nights ago, we arrived home from Dallas after driving for 10 hours. We left Dallas at 5:15, so we didn't roll into STL till around 3am. Our car was packed full of stuff from my parents insisting upon boxes of things we "needed" to have in our new place. (Most of it was my old stuff that they've been waiting years to be rid of.) We listened to a lot of different music on the road, but for some reason, Michael Jackson's "Rock With You" had stayed glued in our heads the entire time. If ever there was a lull, one of us would mumble "feel that beat... and we can ride the boogie..."

Anyway, we pull up to the house, running on caffeine fumes and I insist to Todd that we unload the car now. There have been far too many window bashings in the past few weeks to leave our beautiful, brand "new" vehicle stocked with thief bait.

So we unload the whole car, hauling food, Christmas decorations, luggage, boxes, art supplies, pillows, sleeping bags and a vintage accordion up two flights of stairs. By the time we finish, we are exhausted. We fall into bed around 3:45am and both settle in, snuggling our pillows and brushing our toes together, which has become a habit.

Suddenly Todd pops up and looks at me.

"I have the Growing Pains theme song stuck in my head."

I laughed at him for a second, and rustled through my theme song memory bank, which was very fuzzy considering the hour, to try and remember. Finally, I hit on something.

"Is that the one that goes, "Show me that smile again..."

Todd: "Oooh show me that smile..."

Together: "Don't waste another minute on your cryin..."

We proceed to sing through the entire song very dramatically, (fudging only a couple of words), all the way to "sharin the laughter and-- sharin the laughter and looooooove." Then we both crack up and fall asleep.

I love my life. :)

It's early... well, it was...

I've been up since about 6:17 AM, cooking greens for thanksgiving lunch at the rec center. Apparently, after cooking the bacon and onions and cayenne pepper, I'm supposed to throw the greens in and boil them in apple cider for 3 hours.

I bought 6 pounds of greens from the market last week. Six pounds. I pulled all the leaves off the stems yesterday while watching the cast of NINE be interviewed on Oprah. I cut them up and washed them three times. No small task.

And now I'm up. It smells like bacon and apple juice. I think I put in too much cayenne pepper. But it works. I thought I'd go get back in bed with my husband, but I'm too afraid of our gas stove to leave it by it's onesie for three hours unattended.

So laid on the couch and watched the sky lighten up. I looked for a replacement for Todd's beloved, dilapidated Jack Purcell's online, even though we can't afford them right now. I researched natural hair styles and salons in St. Louis to help me in my upcoming transition back to my "napptural" hair. I'm sort of terrified. I have no clue how to maintain that, (especially in the snow?!) but I'm gonna give it a shot before I just cut all my hair off.

I stirred the greens.

I drank some orange juice. I answered the phone and the door at 7:10 when Emily came by to drop off her stuffing for the rec center before she leaves to teach school. It's gonna be a great event there today. 250-300 kids and old folks, coming for a buffet thanksgiving lunch at the local rec center. We set up tons of tables and chairs there last night and they've been cooking food since yesterday.

Yesterday, Todd sent out message into the Twitterverse, asking if anyone has connections at UMSL in the HR dept or otherwise. (I've got 3 applications in over there, 2 positions I could actually use my degree for). Last night, a totally random dude (who turned out to be a professor) emailed him and happens to be a good friend of another professor in the media department, which is precisely the department I applied in. After come conversation, we sent him my resume. So we'll see how it goes! If it works, I'll probably sign up for a Twitter account out of sheer gratitude.

Also, I broke our good car on Tuesday. Hydroplaned into the exit ramp sign on the highway. I'm fine. But I smushed the radiator. And the hood. Car's in the shop. Thank God for State Farm, but our deductible is no joke either. I really need a full-time job.

On the other hand, my part-time gig is going great and I'm VERY grateful for it. I'm a Brand Ambassador for Coke Zero. Which translates to, I load up giant coolers at university events and concerts and smile and hand out cans of Coke Zero to anyone who will take it. It's fun and the crew I work with is great. I'm very grateful for the income.

Time to stir the greens. I think two hours might actually be enough time, my stove is pretty beastly.

Also, I've pretty much peaced out on Nanowrimo. I'm never going to catch up. But maybe I'll upload the words I have, just for kicks. 3000! Woot! But good on all of you who have pushed through, maybe I'll join your ranks next year.

Okay, I think the greens'll be done in 36 minutes or so. And since it's soggy and gray outside, I'm gonna go crawl back in bed for a bit.

Speaking of countdowns that begin around the number 36... Christmas. 35 days. So crazy!

NaNoRAWRmo.

I am in over my head.

And a day behind already.

My concentration is shot.

I have a feeling I'm going to give up on this several times before I finish.

So...

I'm married!

I went to Mexico for a week and didn't pay for anything except batteries and aloe vera gel.

I live in St. Louis.

I'm temporarily unemployed.

I entered a writing contest today.

I'm doing NaNoWriMo this year, alongside Katie, Joey, Steph & Val.

I have Netflix... but not regular television.

I painted 3 rooms in my house last week.

The power is out in my scary basement, and it's pouring outside so I can't do laundry.

But I have a fireplace!

And a wonderful husband.

And a great church.

And a few possibilities for new work.

And last night I made claws for my husband out of cardboard, duct tape and aluminum foil.

You can't wait to see pictures. :)

6 Days...

Ohhhhh I'm gonna miss Grace Chapel. Next to my roommates and just above my co-workers, Grace Chapel is the thing I will miss the most about Nashville. The passionate, loud worship, the joyful giving, the solid teaching of truth, the community of God taking care of one another, my sweet sweet pastor and his wife and their family... I feel so privileged to have been a part of this congregation, even if only for a moment.

This morning was my last Sunday. I enjoyed every bit of it, from the powerful worship to the precious prayer at the end with my roommates. It was a perfect way to begin the day.

Holly's been in town rehearsing for her Bermuda industrial show, so we (me y roommates) got to eat lunch with her today at Miss Saigon. Yum! After a quick Target run, I made my way back to the house and proceeded to clean out the kitchen and reorganize the mass of unclaimed crap that is eating two corners of our living room. I helped Kish move some stuff to her apartment and then we sat down and made a list of EVERY thing that has to be accomplished in the next 6 days. It was really frustrating. But freeing too. I feel like my mind is lighter, though my paper is heavier. But... it'll all come together, I'm sure.

I came home to unwind for a bit. I nibbled at some overcooked mini sirloin burgers and wheat thins while I watched the best episode of Glee I have seen so far. I'm so sad I couldn't make my musical tv comedy work first!!! it's okay though... at least now I know there's a market and an audience.

20 minutes ago, I was unloading the dishwasher and rearranging coffee cups while I talked to Todd. But then we realized it was almost 2am... and now its after that! I gotta go.

It'll all be over soon... right? :)

ONE WEEK FROM TODAY...

Yesterday I woke up at 8:00. I immediately got sucked into my wedding to do list, and therefore accomplished quite a bit before 10:30am. Felt good. Sold my last piece of craigslist furniture too. I was down to the black nightstand... but I got two hits on it yesterday morning and was so eager to have it gone, I delivered it to the first person who offered me $20.Yesterday was also my last day of work at Saffire. Extremely memorable. I've participated in far too many "farewells" for it not to have been. I was a little surprised at everyone who got in on it though! Impressive. They managed to find my car, even though it has Texas plates and I parked it at the studio instead of the restaurant. They stole my keys, drove it over and then proceeded to drench in it chocolate syrup, bleu cheese biscuits, flour and toilet paper.

The back of the car says "Bye Bye Now" which is one of our bartenders most beloved catchphrases. Excellent job kids. :)

I made Vinny come with me to the car wash across the street and I hosed it all off so I could drive home safely. But at the end of the night, when i thought surely it was all over and they were tired of cleaning things up... Vinny smashed an entire pastry bag of whip cream into my face. It went in my nose. INSIDE my nose.

I felt loved. :) It was a good day. I'm gonna miss that place. :)

8 days...

I've realized that these blogs on the days leading up to my wedding are more for me than the blogosphere, so thank you for enduring them on your Reader or RSS Feed or whatever...

So we're 8 days out now...

For me, today was all about the bigness-- the magnitude of what's about to happen. The idea that I'm about to take part in this ritual, this tradition, this grand, timeless procession that billions of people have recreated in a billion different ways for ages and ages... the fact that I'll soon be adding to their numbers is not small potatoes to me. This event is not just for show; it's not just a schpiel of pretty liturgy to spout off and make things official... This is epic. This is forever! I mean for me-- for us-- it is. This is a really huge deal. Its the second biggest decision of my entire life; a decision that will shape the rest of my life, and has already reshaped it in many ways.

And I'm so excited. :)

I can't believe it. I can't believe that this thing I've dreamed and wondered about and longed for since I was about 6 years old is about to become a very raw and uncensored reality. I've realized over the past 9 months that this relationship, in every facet, is exactly what I want-- but in many ways, entirely different than what I expected. Yet no part of me is disappointed. I think I'm more shocked by how beautiful this entire journey with Todd has been, and that even after all my daydreaming, I never thought to imagine it this way.

I'm so grateful that God knows me better than I know myself, knows what I want and NEED even more than I do. I'm so glad he wouldn't let me stay comfortable in a place I didn't belong, with a person I didn't belong to. I'm so grateful, for ALL the heartbreak, really. Because without it, I'd still be there. In one of those places. Without Todd.

I'd have missed out on SO much.