No one has any work for me to do today, so I am doing a training on the CONSTITUTION. Obviously law school was not enough training (it's a required training- even if I wrote the document I would still have to take the training). BUT STILL. It is ridonkulous.
I have eaten very bad things today and I can't stop. This morning was a donut (mmmmm donut) with sprinkles on top at the staff meeting. At the Halloween party it was pizza, a small piece of cake (mmm cake) and half of a cookie. I obviously have come down off my sugar high and now find myself eating Swedish Fish for the sugar content. Send help!
10.30.2008
10.29.2008
Whenever you think your life is bad.....
Whenever I start to worry about what is going on in my life, something always reminds me of how lucky I am. I was casually talking to a co-worker today in the lunch room and she mentioned that losing weight has been hard because she never gets enough sleep. I thought to myself, “hmm I wonder why she doesn’t get any sleep? She looks almost sixty years old which would make me think that she is not going out to the clubs every night…”
It turns out that she is taking care of her eight-month old grandson. Back in June her son died and suddenly, the mother of the child got on a bus and left….leaving my co-worker and her husband to take care of the infant. My co-worker does have one day where she can work from home, thus helping her sick husband raise the child, but can you even imagine? You are done raising your children, excited about being grandparents, and BOOM, suddenly you are now parents again. This co-worker will be eligible to retire in two years and she is looking forward to that. But children get more expensive the older they get. How are they going to care for and pay for this grandchild? It is an awful predicament to be put in.
It turns out that she is taking care of her eight-month old grandson. Back in June her son died and suddenly, the mother of the child got on a bus and left….leaving my co-worker and her husband to take care of the infant. My co-worker does have one day where she can work from home, thus helping her sick husband raise the child, but can you even imagine? You are done raising your children, excited about being grandparents, and BOOM, suddenly you are now parents again. This co-worker will be eligible to retire in two years and she is looking forward to that. But children get more expensive the older they get. How are they going to care for and pay for this grandchild? It is an awful predicament to be put in.
10.28.2008
Where to honeymoon?
Yesterday we stopped by a Barnes and Noble to try to get a better idea of where to go for our honeymoon. We have been brainstorming for a while, but we had to discard a lot of our ideas because of various reasons.
Thailand/ Vietnam/ etc- October is during monsoon season. No fun.
Europe- I have already been to a bunch of European countries (Spain, Sweden, France, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, England, Belgium, etc.), it would be really expensive, and too crowded.
Caribbean- I did a cruise of many of the islands right after college.
Hawaii- we were just in Maui for two weeks in January
Japan- too cold in October
Mexico- I have already been….and it’s so easy to fly down there.
South Africa- we thought a safari would be fun, but recently realized that it was going to be too expensive
Fiji/ Tahiti/ etc.- CP originally REALLY wanted to go to a place where we could stay in an overwater bungalow. However, after checking out prices? Ha ha ha ha.
New Zealand- October would be their spring, so not quite warm enough for a honeymoon. Would still love to travel here at some point though.
Australia- CP says that he thinks that it is going to be like he is in Canada, just with funnier accents. I tend to disagree as I could hang out with kangaroos and koalas (which you can only find in the zoo in Canada) but the honeymoon is supposed to be about US, not just me. Plus, the country is so big that we would have no idea where to focus our two weeks!
After looking through a travel book on Ecuador/ the Galapagos Islands I think that we have made our decision. Ecuador has all kinds of stuff we are looking for- volcanoes, ruins, mountains, jungle (including MONKEYS and other fun animals), interesting food, etc. Plus, it has a Marriott in Quito (the capital city) so we can use CP’s reward points from traveling so much and stay for free. Then we are thinking about doing a tour of the Galapagos with a local company which should be fun. The country is moderately-priced, safe, and the weather will be nice and warm (80 degrees) the entire trip.
Has anyone had the pleasure of traveling down to Ecuador and/or the Galapagos? If so, have you enjoyed yourself? Or, are there any other places that we should be looking at?*
*We haven’t taken Costa Rica or Belize off the list, but think that those countries are the new “hot spots” to go to. While we know that either of them would be amazing, we want to go somewhere off the beaten path.
Thailand/ Vietnam/ etc- October is during monsoon season. No fun.
Europe- I have already been to a bunch of European countries (Spain, Sweden, France, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, England, Belgium, etc.), it would be really expensive, and too crowded.
Caribbean- I did a cruise of many of the islands right after college.
Hawaii- we were just in Maui for two weeks in January
Japan- too cold in October
Mexico- I have already been….and it’s so easy to fly down there.
South Africa- we thought a safari would be fun, but recently realized that it was going to be too expensive
Fiji/ Tahiti/ etc.- CP originally REALLY wanted to go to a place where we could stay in an overwater bungalow. However, after checking out prices? Ha ha ha ha.
New Zealand- October would be their spring, so not quite warm enough for a honeymoon. Would still love to travel here at some point though.
Australia- CP says that he thinks that it is going to be like he is in Canada, just with funnier accents. I tend to disagree as I could hang out with kangaroos and koalas (which you can only find in the zoo in Canada) but the honeymoon is supposed to be about US, not just me. Plus, the country is so big that we would have no idea where to focus our two weeks!
After looking through a travel book on Ecuador/ the Galapagos Islands I think that we have made our decision. Ecuador has all kinds of stuff we are looking for- volcanoes, ruins, mountains, jungle (including MONKEYS and other fun animals), interesting food, etc. Plus, it has a Marriott in Quito (the capital city) so we can use CP’s reward points from traveling so much and stay for free. Then we are thinking about doing a tour of the Galapagos with a local company which should be fun. The country is moderately-priced, safe, and the weather will be nice and warm (80 degrees) the entire trip.
Has anyone had the pleasure of traveling down to Ecuador and/or the Galapagos? If so, have you enjoyed yourself? Or, are there any other places that we should be looking at?*
*We haven’t taken Costa Rica or Belize off the list, but think that those countries are the new “hot spots” to go to. While we know that either of them would be amazing, we want to go somewhere off the beaten path.
10.27.2008
Your questions answered
Christina asked: What is the best wedding planning advice you have received so far?
The best wedding advice I have received so far is to have a sweetheart table during the reception. Some people may not like this idea as it does attract a lot of attention towards the couple, but married friends told me that it was their best decision. The wedding day is a whirlwind; having a sweetheart table allows the couple 10 or 15 minutes of time together before pulled in 20 different directions. It might also give us a chance to have a quick bite of food!
Libby asked: What is your favorite place? Why do you like to go there?
I am in a travel mindset right now as CP and I are trying to figure out where to go on our honeymoon, so I will answer this question two ways. First up- my favorite place that I have traveled. I have been lucky to have traveled a lot in my 29 years. There is one place in the world that I have been awe-struck and unable to form complete sentences because of the beauty that surrounded me. That place was Perito Moreno glacier in Calafate, Argentina. It is one of the only glaciers in the world that is advancing, not retreating. Friends from my study abroad program and I were supposed to have gone on a boat trip right up to the glacier, but unfortunately we hit bad weather on the flight out from Buenos Aires so we missed the tour. Instead, we hired a cab driver, woke up really early, and drove out to the glacier in time for sunrise. I can’t even explain the amazing-ness of it all as the sun started to rise and hit the mountains that surrounded the glacier. Although it was winter time in June (remember, south of the equator= opposite season), every once in a while you would hear a thundering sound as ice broke off from the glacier and fell into the water.
The other way of answering this question is to tell you my favorite place that I go to regularly. I could go the sappy route and say “home” because that is where I get to spend time with CP and Fuzzy Britches…..but I do not want to induce vomiting on the part of my readers and home is not always my favorite place to be because it means having to do the dishes, laundry, etc. Because we just moved to our area two months ago, I still do not have a favorite place in MA. I suspect that it will end up being a park (either local or state) close by to our house where we can take the dog hiking and get some exercise.
The best wedding advice I have received so far is to have a sweetheart table during the reception. Some people may not like this idea as it does attract a lot of attention towards the couple, but married friends told me that it was their best decision. The wedding day is a whirlwind; having a sweetheart table allows the couple 10 or 15 minutes of time together before pulled in 20 different directions. It might also give us a chance to have a quick bite of food!
Libby asked: What is your favorite place? Why do you like to go there?
I am in a travel mindset right now as CP and I are trying to figure out where to go on our honeymoon, so I will answer this question two ways. First up- my favorite place that I have traveled. I have been lucky to have traveled a lot in my 29 years. There is one place in the world that I have been awe-struck and unable to form complete sentences because of the beauty that surrounded me. That place was Perito Moreno glacier in Calafate, Argentina. It is one of the only glaciers in the world that is advancing, not retreating. Friends from my study abroad program and I were supposed to have gone on a boat trip right up to the glacier, but unfortunately we hit bad weather on the flight out from Buenos Aires so we missed the tour. Instead, we hired a cab driver, woke up really early, and drove out to the glacier in time for sunrise. I can’t even explain the amazing-ness of it all as the sun started to rise and hit the mountains that surrounded the glacier. Although it was winter time in June (remember, south of the equator= opposite season), every once in a while you would hear a thundering sound as ice broke off from the glacier and fell into the water.
The other way of answering this question is to tell you my favorite place that I go to regularly. I could go the sappy route and say “home” because that is where I get to spend time with CP and Fuzzy Britches…..but I do not want to induce vomiting on the part of my readers and home is not always my favorite place to be because it means having to do the dishes, laundry, etc. Because we just moved to our area two months ago, I still do not have a favorite place in MA. I suspect that it will end up being a park (either local or state) close by to our house where we can take the dog hiking and get some exercise.
10.24.2008
Family weekend #2
This weekend is the second weekend of three straight weekends of FAMILY! Last weekend CP’s dad, dad’s girlfriend, aunt, and uncle all came down to our house for a visit. We went to a small town festival before making a huge and delicious Indian food feast. Everyone was very impressed with CP’s saag paneer-making abilities because how many people do you know make saag paneer from scratch? I was supposed to make naan, but didn’t get a chance during the week to test out the recipe, so we used store-bought stuff. Then we proceeded to drink a lot of wine. Old people are fun when you drink wine with them!
Sunday we went to Quabbin Reservoir with them and walked around for 2.5 hours with Fuzzy Britches. The fall foliage was great and the weather turned out to be really nice for a walk.
Tonight we will be driving down to Jersey to visit my aunt and uncle. When I lived in Philly I used to regularly drive to see them, but it has been five years since I lived within driving distance- way too long in my book! Fuzzy Britches gets to come along and will hopefully play nice with their dogs. My aunt has promised cider-making fun tomorrow, along with a dinner party that night. They always have ridiculously amazing food and wine….so I suspect that the time spent at the gym this week will be for naught. But completely worth it!
I know that my aunt is excited to see the ring (she was a jeweler) and hear about all of our wedding plans. The problem is….we haven’t done anything or made any new decisions.
Sunday we went to Quabbin Reservoir with them and walked around for 2.5 hours with Fuzzy Britches. The fall foliage was great and the weather turned out to be really nice for a walk.
Tonight we will be driving down to Jersey to visit my aunt and uncle. When I lived in Philly I used to regularly drive to see them, but it has been five years since I lived within driving distance- way too long in my book! Fuzzy Britches gets to come along and will hopefully play nice with their dogs. My aunt has promised cider-making fun tomorrow, along with a dinner party that night. They always have ridiculously amazing food and wine….so I suspect that the time spent at the gym this week will be for naught. But completely worth it!
I know that my aunt is excited to see the ring (she was a jeweler) and hear about all of our wedding plans. The problem is….we haven’t done anything or made any new decisions.
10.23.2008
DC is a no-go....at least for now
I am so frustrated right now! I just got word that I did not get the rotation down in DC starting in December. Don’t these people know that my wedding is next October and I have to do my three months down there as soon as possible? *Sigh* My boss was SURE that I was going. I was going to be very busy, I was going to escape the MA winter, and I was going to part of a very important project. Instead? The next chance I will probably have will be in April which is around cherry blossom time but much closer to the wedding. Grrrr.
The gift of giving
Note: Thank you for the questions. I will answer them on Monday. And if you haven't asked me a question that you are DYING to know the answer to, ask it in the comments!
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What charities are important to you? As the holiday season approaches, charities will be asking for our donations, whether it is money, food, clothing, or something else. Do you normally give money to charities? Will you be giving less this year because of the economy?
All last week my local NPR station was in the middle of its fall fundraising drive. I have to admit- I hate when NPR has its drives. While in law school it was especially annoying because I didn’t have any money to donate…so I would just turn to other stations. However, NPR is the only thing I listen to during my commute to and from work every day. So I broke down and donated so that the fundraising drive would hopefully end soon. I don’t have a problem donating to NPR- I have done it in the past when I have been employed and think that it is an important thing to donate to. But a fundraising drive when the election is less than two weeks away???? I guess I just wish that once you donated, they would give you a secret station number so that you could get back to listening to the news and programs instead of listening to them beg for money!
My company is also doing its annual charity campaign for the next month. We can have money taken out of our bi-weekly paychecks to go to local, national, or international charities. These are the charities that I have decided to give to so far:*
1. A local homeless shelter because I already know that finding funding this year is going to be very difficult.
2. National Park Foundation. http://www.nationalparks.org/. As you can see from one of my earliest posts here, I am a big proponent of National Parks and believe that they are very important to preserve.
3. Heifer International. http://www.heifer.org/ I first heard of this charity a few years ago when my mom couldn’t decide what to get her siblings for Christmas. So, she “bought” them each a goat. According to the website:
Goats can thrive in extreme climates and on poor, dry land by eating grass and leaves. The gift of a dairy goat can supply a family with up to several quarts of nutritious milk a day - a ton of milk a year. Extra milk can be sold or used to make cheese, butter or yogurt.
Families learn to use goat manure to fertilize gardens. And because goats often have two or three kids a year, Heifer partners can lift themselves out of poverty by starting small dairies that earn money for food, health care and education.
Heifer teaches the family how to care for their animal, how to cultivate their land in sustainable manner, etc. Goats are not the only thing you can buy for a family- the list includes cows, geese, trees, baskets, etc.
The point of this post is not to brag about the charities I am giving to. The point was to hopefully inspire others to give during this difficult economic time, even if it is just a little. Also, it was to find out from you guys what charities you hold near and dear to your heart. I have already decided on how much money to give in total, but could possibly add your favorite charity (if they are on the large list). So let me know in the comments what charity is important to you and why.
*I might add an animal charity to the list, but I would want it to be a local shelter and I don’t know enough about any of them in this area just yet. Also, I would usually give to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer foundation, but I plan on raising money when I run/ walk one of the races next year.
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What charities are important to you? As the holiday season approaches, charities will be asking for our donations, whether it is money, food, clothing, or something else. Do you normally give money to charities? Will you be giving less this year because of the economy?
All last week my local NPR station was in the middle of its fall fundraising drive. I have to admit- I hate when NPR has its drives. While in law school it was especially annoying because I didn’t have any money to donate…so I would just turn to other stations. However, NPR is the only thing I listen to during my commute to and from work every day. So I broke down and donated so that the fundraising drive would hopefully end soon. I don’t have a problem donating to NPR- I have done it in the past when I have been employed and think that it is an important thing to donate to. But a fundraising drive when the election is less than two weeks away???? I guess I just wish that once you donated, they would give you a secret station number so that you could get back to listening to the news and programs instead of listening to them beg for money!
My company is also doing its annual charity campaign for the next month. We can have money taken out of our bi-weekly paychecks to go to local, national, or international charities. These are the charities that I have decided to give to so far:*
1. A local homeless shelter because I already know that finding funding this year is going to be very difficult.
2. National Park Foundation. http://www.nationalparks.org/. As you can see from one of my earliest posts here, I am a big proponent of National Parks and believe that they are very important to preserve.
3. Heifer International. http://www.heifer.org/ I first heard of this charity a few years ago when my mom couldn’t decide what to get her siblings for Christmas. So, she “bought” them each a goat. According to the website:
Goats can thrive in extreme climates and on poor, dry land by eating grass and leaves. The gift of a dairy goat can supply a family with up to several quarts of nutritious milk a day - a ton of milk a year. Extra milk can be sold or used to make cheese, butter or yogurt.
Families learn to use goat manure to fertilize gardens. And because goats often have two or three kids a year, Heifer partners can lift themselves out of poverty by starting small dairies that earn money for food, health care and education.
Heifer teaches the family how to care for their animal, how to cultivate their land in sustainable manner, etc. Goats are not the only thing you can buy for a family- the list includes cows, geese, trees, baskets, etc.
The point of this post is not to brag about the charities I am giving to. The point was to hopefully inspire others to give during this difficult economic time, even if it is just a little. Also, it was to find out from you guys what charities you hold near and dear to your heart. I have already decided on how much money to give in total, but could possibly add your favorite charity (if they are on the large list). So let me know in the comments what charity is important to you and why.
*I might add an animal charity to the list, but I would want it to be a local shelter and I don’t know enough about any of them in this area just yet. Also, I would usually give to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer foundation, but I plan on raising money when I run/ walk one of the races next year.
10.22.2008
Did Sarah's appearance on SNL help?
Okay so I must be an open book or something because you guys didn't have ANY questions for me.....that or else no one loves me. *tear*
Alright so show of hands- who watched or DVRed Sarah Palin’s appearance on Saturday Night Live this past weekend? (raises hand) What did you guys think of it?
My thoughts:
The skit in the beginning was just okay- she really didn't do much. Tina Fey was great (as always) and having Mark Walberg show up was also hilarious. I haven’t watched SNL in a long time and noticed Lorne Michaels has gained some weight. The rap by Amy was funny, but again, Palin didn’t do much except look very, very white with her dancing.
I would say that kudos for SNL getting her to come on the show. However, if I was an independent or anyone else on the fence, I don't think that Palin going on SNL would help sway me to vote Republican. The criticism is that she hasn't given any media interviews to credible journalists other than Katie Couric (which everyone knows was a disaster), and Sean Hannity (Fox News is not fair & balanced). She doesn't take questions from reporters. Her appearance probably just solidified the people that were already going to vote for her- not the people that want to know if she is qualified for the job.
Alright so show of hands- who watched or DVRed Sarah Palin’s appearance on Saturday Night Live this past weekend? (raises hand) What did you guys think of it?
My thoughts:
The skit in the beginning was just okay- she really didn't do much. Tina Fey was great (as always) and having Mark Walberg show up was also hilarious. I haven’t watched SNL in a long time and noticed Lorne Michaels has gained some weight. The rap by Amy was funny, but again, Palin didn’t do much except look very, very white with her dancing.
I would say that kudos for SNL getting her to come on the show. However, if I was an independent or anyone else on the fence, I don't think that Palin going on SNL would help sway me to vote Republican. The criticism is that she hasn't given any media interviews to credible journalists other than Katie Couric (which everyone knows was a disaster), and Sean Hannity (Fox News is not fair & balanced). She doesn't take questions from reporters. Her appearance probably just solidified the people that were already going to vote for her- not the people that want to know if she is qualified for the job.
10.21.2008
You gots anything for me?
So I have now been blogging since mid-July. Some of you have been reading since then, others may have just stumbled upon my blog today. Is there anything you want to ask me? I will answer most anything!
10.20.2008
Another recipe
CP and I made this easy recipe last week and it was DELICIOUS! I would highly recommend it!
Turkey and Spaetzle Soup
1 lb ground turkey
1 egg
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon ground sage
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 cans (14 oz each beef broth)
2 cups water
3/4 cup apple cider
1 large apple, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
spaetzle (see below)
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Spaetzle
2 eggs
1 cup flour
1/4 cup milk or water
1/4 teaspoon salt
dash of pepper
Recipe:
In a medium bowl, mix turkey, egg, bread crumbs, sage, salt and pepper. Shape mixture into 1-inch meatballs. In a Dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat. Cook meatballs in oil 6 to 8 minutes, turning frequently, until brown; drain.
Stir broth, water, apple cider, apple and salt into meatballs. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 10 minutes.
Heat meatball mixture to boiling. Make spaetzle batter. Use spoon to drop batter into soup. Stir once or twice to prevent sticking. Cook 3 to 5 minutes or until spaetzle rise to surface and are tender. Stir in parsley.
Turkey and Spaetzle Soup
1 lb ground turkey
1 egg
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon ground sage
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 cans (14 oz each beef broth)
2 cups water
3/4 cup apple cider
1 large apple, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
spaetzle (see below)
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Spaetzle
2 eggs
1 cup flour
1/4 cup milk or water
1/4 teaspoon salt
dash of pepper
Recipe:
In a medium bowl, mix turkey, egg, bread crumbs, sage, salt and pepper. Shape mixture into 1-inch meatballs. In a Dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat. Cook meatballs in oil 6 to 8 minutes, turning frequently, until brown; drain.
Stir broth, water, apple cider, apple and salt into meatballs. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 10 minutes.
Heat meatball mixture to boiling. Make spaetzle batter. Use spoon to drop batter into soup. Stir once or twice to prevent sticking. Cook 3 to 5 minutes or until spaetzle rise to surface and are tender. Stir in parsley.
10.17.2008
Updates
Sometimes on my blog I don’t think that I remember to follow up on topics (which makes sense because I often have no idea what I was doing 10 minutes ago). So, here are updates on the following posts:
Getting engaged
When I look back on how CP proposed, I think that it was almost perfect. Just like I had said here, I didn’t want him to have to spend any extra money going away for the weekend and I didn’t want him to do it in public. Even though he really didn’t have much of a plan, it was great. Just the two of us, hiding in the ring in a meal that he had made for me. I even love the fact that he was so nervous when he did it- even though he knew I would say yes! I wish that he had thought of a few words to say other than “uhhh I really didn’t plan a speech” but saying romantic things isn’t quite his forte. He *is* an engineer. Ever since we have gotten engaged I actually think that he has become a bit sweeter? Maybe it is due to not worrying about having the ring underneath the passenger seat of his car anymore!!!
Bridesmaids
My maid of honor and all three of my bridesmaids said yes! Okay, so two of them thought that my email to them was spam, another one never got the email, and my maid of honor said that she would have preferred chocolate (she was kidding….kind of), but whatever. The one bridesmaid that I was worried about accepting the job and I did have a discussion about money and what she would be expected to do as a bridesmaid. I reassured her that if she couldn’t make it to the bachelorette party (which contrary to her belief I didn't want to have it in Vegas) or the shower it wouldn’t be a big deal. I know that she is busy herself, planning her elopement, trying to find a job that she actually likes, etc. And I wouldn’t want to be the one that prevents her from not going on a nice honeymoon with her future husband simply because she had to spend the money on a plane ticket out to my shower. She was also the person most surprised by my invitation. “Really? Me? But you have so many friends! Are you sure?”
Another bridesmaid has a ton of ideas (which is great) because she basically planned her cousin’s wedding this summer. I personally thought that making your cousin plan your own wedding is pretty crappy- if you are that lazy hire a wedding planner to do it for you! But, whatever floats your boat. I assured my bridesmaids that I probably won’t be asking them to do too much over the coming year.
Dinner salad
CP and I have been doing pretty well with the small salads with dinner every night. I would say we have a side salad at least three times a week with dinner. The two reasons we don’t have a salad every night? CP plans on making too much food (a meat, a starch, and a veggie side plus a salad would be too much) or I am simply too lazy to wash lettuce that night. I would like to continue this through the winter as I am hoping to keep the extra pounds from holiday grazing away.
New hair color
I still love my new hair color. My mom mentioned that going with a darker color means being vigilant in keeping up the dye job, but I think that I would still have to dye it just as often if I did a lighter color. Either way my grays love to show themselves off to the world!
Leaving for DC?
These decisions apparently take a long time to make…so even though I was supposed to hear two weeks ago, I have yet to hear anything. The sooner I hear, the sooner I can figure out where to live, if I am taking my car down, how often I will come back up to MA, etc. Plus I have friends that are dying to have me for three months straight after being on the other side of the country for so long!
Makeup remover
I went with Neutrogena wipes because I didn’t have to wash my face off after using them. They seem to be working out okay so far. They don’t get all of the eyeliner powder off my eyelids so when I take a shower in the morning I come out with dark smudges underneath my eyes, but I remedy that with a quick towel wipe and I am good to go.
Attempting to make new friends
We have made it to one event....and haven't had time to make it to another one. We are busy for the next three weekends....then come the holidays...so I have no idea when and if we are going to make new friends in this area any time soon.
My new phone
In two words? It sucked. Thankfully, Verizon has a 30 day return policy, so I ended up getting the LG enV2. It is much better. I am hoping to have it for two years...maybe by then the IPhone will have crossed over to Verizon.
Joint bank accounts
So far, having a joint bank account is going okay. We haven't fought about bills and neither of us have put weird things on the credit card.
Getting engaged
When I look back on how CP proposed, I think that it was almost perfect. Just like I had said here, I didn’t want him to have to spend any extra money going away for the weekend and I didn’t want him to do it in public. Even though he really didn’t have much of a plan, it was great. Just the two of us, hiding in the ring in a meal that he had made for me. I even love the fact that he was so nervous when he did it- even though he knew I would say yes! I wish that he had thought of a few words to say other than “uhhh I really didn’t plan a speech” but saying romantic things isn’t quite his forte. He *is* an engineer. Ever since we have gotten engaged I actually think that he has become a bit sweeter? Maybe it is due to not worrying about having the ring underneath the passenger seat of his car anymore!!!
Bridesmaids
My maid of honor and all three of my bridesmaids said yes! Okay, so two of them thought that my email to them was spam, another one never got the email, and my maid of honor said that she would have preferred chocolate (she was kidding….kind of), but whatever. The one bridesmaid that I was worried about accepting the job and I did have a discussion about money and what she would be expected to do as a bridesmaid. I reassured her that if she couldn’t make it to the bachelorette party (which contrary to her belief I didn't want to have it in Vegas) or the shower it wouldn’t be a big deal. I know that she is busy herself, planning her elopement, trying to find a job that she actually likes, etc. And I wouldn’t want to be the one that prevents her from not going on a nice honeymoon with her future husband simply because she had to spend the money on a plane ticket out to my shower. She was also the person most surprised by my invitation. “Really? Me? But you have so many friends! Are you sure?”
Another bridesmaid has a ton of ideas (which is great) because she basically planned her cousin’s wedding this summer. I personally thought that making your cousin plan your own wedding is pretty crappy- if you are that lazy hire a wedding planner to do it for you! But, whatever floats your boat. I assured my bridesmaids that I probably won’t be asking them to do too much over the coming year.
Dinner salad
CP and I have been doing pretty well with the small salads with dinner every night. I would say we have a side salad at least three times a week with dinner. The two reasons we don’t have a salad every night? CP plans on making too much food (a meat, a starch, and a veggie side plus a salad would be too much) or I am simply too lazy to wash lettuce that night. I would like to continue this through the winter as I am hoping to keep the extra pounds from holiday grazing away.
New hair color
I still love my new hair color. My mom mentioned that going with a darker color means being vigilant in keeping up the dye job, but I think that I would still have to dye it just as often if I did a lighter color. Either way my grays love to show themselves off to the world!
Leaving for DC?
These decisions apparently take a long time to make…so even though I was supposed to hear two weeks ago, I have yet to hear anything. The sooner I hear, the sooner I can figure out where to live, if I am taking my car down, how often I will come back up to MA, etc. Plus I have friends that are dying to have me for three months straight after being on the other side of the country for so long!
Makeup remover
I went with Neutrogena wipes because I didn’t have to wash my face off after using them. They seem to be working out okay so far. They don’t get all of the eyeliner powder off my eyelids so when I take a shower in the morning I come out with dark smudges underneath my eyes, but I remedy that with a quick towel wipe and I am good to go.
Attempting to make new friends
We have made it to one event....and haven't had time to make it to another one. We are busy for the next three weekends....then come the holidays...so I have no idea when and if we are going to make new friends in this area any time soon.
My new phone
In two words? It sucked. Thankfully, Verizon has a 30 day return policy, so I ended up getting the LG enV2. It is much better. I am hoping to have it for two years...maybe by then the IPhone will have crossed over to Verizon.
Joint bank accounts
So far, having a joint bank account is going okay. We haven't fought about bills and neither of us have put weird things on the credit card.
10.16.2008
What's up with all of the death?
So I think that our house may be poisoned.....except that Fuzzy Britches, CP and I have not been affected just yet.
Last week I took FB outside to do her business and she found a dead squirrel. It was actually hilarious because the squirrel was on its back, little front legs in the air and looked shocked (well, as much as a squirrel could look shocked). We have no idea if it fell out of the tree or what.
Around that same time I thought that I saw a mouse scurry away in the garage so we decided to put out humane mouse traps. Well, CP checked it last night (after setting them on Sunday) and sure enough, we caught a sucker mouse. So we put the trap in a box and drive to woods far enough away from our house so that the mouse wouldn’t come back. Except when CP went to open the trap? The mouse was already dead. We gave it natural peanut butter too. At least it died eating healthy!
Thank goodness I have CP to take care of all of these dead animals!
Last week I took FB outside to do her business and she found a dead squirrel. It was actually hilarious because the squirrel was on its back, little front legs in the air and looked shocked (well, as much as a squirrel could look shocked). We have no idea if it fell out of the tree or what.
Around that same time I thought that I saw a mouse scurry away in the garage so we decided to put out humane mouse traps. Well, CP checked it last night (after setting them on Sunday) and sure enough, we caught a sucker mouse. So we put the trap in a box and drive to woods far enough away from our house so that the mouse wouldn’t come back. Except when CP went to open the trap? The mouse was already dead. We gave it natural peanut butter too. At least it died eating healthy!
Thank goodness I have CP to take care of all of these dead animals!
10.15.2008
What lengths would you go to?
I was reading an old Fitness magazine from this past summer and in the back it had bride-to-be polls. One poll asked how much weight brides wanted to lose before their big day. 30% said that they wanted to lose more than 30 pounds. I would say that I am definitely in this category. Because I am a tall girl (5’9”), I would like to think that I hide the extra pounds a little more than a shorter girl, but then again I could just look like a beast and not know it. ;-) Actually, I think that the extra weight is distributed pretty evenly throughout my body, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t want it gone!
The poll also asked how far a bride would go to lose weight. Some women said that they would have surgery (!) which I think is very extreme. More people said that they would turn to weight loss pills to lose the weight. And, if I am being honest? I have tried weight loss pills before. I used to love Metabolife because it had enough stimulants in it so that my lack of coffee drinking was not a problem. But then they took it off the market because people were abusing it.
I tried Alli when it first came out and even though I knew that you couldn’t eat fatty things while taking the pills, I did it anyway. During my internship that summer I would then have to quickly run to the bathroom, which was an awful side effect. I’m pretty sure I have those pills lying around somewhere….maybe I should bring them out again as I am more strict with my diet these days…..
Sorry, I got off track as I was writing this. What I found so interesting about the polls were that these all seem to be short-term solutions so that brides-to-be could look good in pictures. OF COURSE I want to look skinny and beautiful in my pictures, but I also want to lose weight and keep it off! I was surprised that a fitness magazine wouldn’t ask more questions about exercise.
What lengths would you go to lose weight for your wedding? Or if you are already married, what lengths did you go to?
The poll also asked how far a bride would go to lose weight. Some women said that they would have surgery (!) which I think is very extreme. More people said that they would turn to weight loss pills to lose the weight. And, if I am being honest? I have tried weight loss pills before. I used to love Metabolife because it had enough stimulants in it so that my lack of coffee drinking was not a problem. But then they took it off the market because people were abusing it.
I tried Alli when it first came out and even though I knew that you couldn’t eat fatty things while taking the pills, I did it anyway. During my internship that summer I would then have to quickly run to the bathroom, which was an awful side effect. I’m pretty sure I have those pills lying around somewhere….maybe I should bring them out again as I am more strict with my diet these days…..
Sorry, I got off track as I was writing this. What I found so interesting about the polls were that these all seem to be short-term solutions so that brides-to-be could look good in pictures. OF COURSE I want to look skinny and beautiful in my pictures, but I also want to lose weight and keep it off! I was surprised that a fitness magazine wouldn’t ask more questions about exercise.
What lengths would you go to lose weight for your wedding? Or if you are already married, what lengths did you go to?
10.14.2008
My day off
I love holidays! Yesterday was a much-needed day off from work and I made the most of it. Not only did I do a bunch of cleaning, but I did four loads of laundry.*
I have become a big fan of Nine West purses. They are always on sale and are usually pretty cute. I have been using a camel-colored leather Nine West purse for most of the summer and think that it is getting cold enough to switch to a darker purse. Plus, the purse above is made out of fabric- so I don't have to worry about it if it rains or snows.
I also decided to go shopping as I was hoping for some good sales. Economy be damned- there were TONS of people shopping today. I was shocked! Here is my new purse that I found at Macy's:
I have become a big fan of Nine West purses. They are always on sale and are usually pretty cute. I have been using a camel-colored leather Nine West purse for most of the summer and think that it is getting cold enough to switch to a darker purse. Plus, the purse above is made out of fabric- so I don't have to worry about it if it rains or snows.
*The one bad thing about working out a lot? More laundry to do every weekend!
10.13.2008
Trying to get into a routine
So I am pretty impressed with myself lately. In law school I reverted back to college habits…sleeping in until 9 (…or 10am), heading to class, and then staying up way too late at night to do work. This schedule did put a strain on our relationship when CP wasn’t traveling because I would head to bed so much later than him. I knew that once I had a regular work day I would be able to fall back into a pattern of getting up at a working hour.
Now that I have been going to the gym, I have been waking up at 5:30am Tues and Thur to commute an hour, then rush to make a 45 minute step class before work. The other three days I have been waking up at 6am, working all day and then heading to the gym afterwards. I believe that I need to change my strategy because in order to make the bus home after the gym on MWF, I have only been able to fit in 30 minute workouts. That is just enough time to get a run/ walk in on the treadmill, but nothing else. So, I guess that means a 5:30am wake up every day. *Sigh*
It hasn’t been too hard so far, but it is getting colder and this week the sun is not even up by the time I get to step class. How disheartening.
So other than being proud of getting myself to the gym, I also decided to sign up for www.fitday.com. Basically it is a website where you put all of your food intake for the day, along with exercise, your moods, etc. It gives you a bunch of helpful charts- a pie chart showing you how much of your intake was carbs, fat, and protein, another chart showing you where you stand on the recommended daily intake for essential nutrients and vitamins, etc. I decided to go with this website because it is free and my company allows access to it.
The first couple of days I thought that I wasn’t eating a lot of calories, but as soon as I started adding everything up I was shocked. A banana has 100 calories? And I realized that the first thing that had to go? My daily cup of hot chocolate (150 calories!). So now I have chai tea (0 calories). Not quite as tasty, but at least it has some caffeine in it. My fruit intake has slowed because although it is healthy and good for you, there are simply more calories in a banana than celery. And boy do I eat a lot of carbs in the morning- YIKES! The site is definitely a wake up call and will hopefully help me achieve my weight loss goal.
Fitness magazines say that it takes 3 weeks to get into a routine. So far I am halfway there. :-)
Now that I have been going to the gym, I have been waking up at 5:30am Tues and Thur to commute an hour, then rush to make a 45 minute step class before work. The other three days I have been waking up at 6am, working all day and then heading to the gym afterwards. I believe that I need to change my strategy because in order to make the bus home after the gym on MWF, I have only been able to fit in 30 minute workouts. That is just enough time to get a run/ walk in on the treadmill, but nothing else. So, I guess that means a 5:30am wake up every day. *Sigh*
It hasn’t been too hard so far, but it is getting colder and this week the sun is not even up by the time I get to step class. How disheartening.
So other than being proud of getting myself to the gym, I also decided to sign up for www.fitday.com. Basically it is a website where you put all of your food intake for the day, along with exercise, your moods, etc. It gives you a bunch of helpful charts- a pie chart showing you how much of your intake was carbs, fat, and protein, another chart showing you where you stand on the recommended daily intake for essential nutrients and vitamins, etc. I decided to go with this website because it is free and my company allows access to it.
The first couple of days I thought that I wasn’t eating a lot of calories, but as soon as I started adding everything up I was shocked. A banana has 100 calories? And I realized that the first thing that had to go? My daily cup of hot chocolate (150 calories!). So now I have chai tea (0 calories). Not quite as tasty, but at least it has some caffeine in it. My fruit intake has slowed because although it is healthy and good for you, there are simply more calories in a banana than celery. And boy do I eat a lot of carbs in the morning- YIKES! The site is definitely a wake up call and will hopefully help me achieve my weight loss goal.
Fitness magazines say that it takes 3 weeks to get into a routine. So far I am halfway there. :-)
10.10.2008
Getting worried
As I was a little bored at work yesterday, I googled where we are having our ceremony and reception to see if people had posted reviews or had anything to say about the place. I found good reviews on Trip Advisor which made me happy (especially because we have yet to taste the food….and they don’t allow outside caterers). I also found a website for some couple that had their reception at the Inn this past June. I sent the couple a message through their website and asked what they thought of the place- hopefully they will respond with positive feedback.
However, I am a bit nervous about a post that I found through my google search on a knot-like website. It said:
[name of couple that runs Inn redacted]
[city redacted, NH]
You suck at hosting weddings.
This post was from 2004. What happened????? So I (of course) signed up for the site in order to email the girl and asked why she felt this way. Hopefully she gets back to me and it is not too bad!
CP and I got a good vibe from the couple- we get to take over the place for the entire weekend and it is in a lovely spot. Although, we are a little worried that we booked the place without getting 2009 pricing. We were just so excited about the place….and the couple kept assuring us that prices were not going to go up that much…more just to cover costs. As a lawyer, I knew that I should get prices and such in writing before handing over a deposit, but (sigh) we didn’t.
The Inn doesn’t usually have weddings on the weekend that we picked because it is during fall foliage and they sell out every year. In order to get the weekend, we had to promise that we would fill all of the rooms (there are only 17- the rooms on the property will be filled by immediate family, bridesmaids, and groomsmen) and have our rehearsal dinner there (which we were going to do anyway).
But now I am worried. I hope these girls get back to me…….and soon.
However, I am a bit nervous about a post that I found through my google search on a knot-like website. It said:
[name of couple that runs Inn redacted]
[city redacted, NH]
You suck at hosting weddings.
This post was from 2004. What happened????? So I (of course) signed up for the site in order to email the girl and asked why she felt this way. Hopefully she gets back to me and it is not too bad!
CP and I got a good vibe from the couple- we get to take over the place for the entire weekend and it is in a lovely spot. Although, we are a little worried that we booked the place without getting 2009 pricing. We were just so excited about the place….and the couple kept assuring us that prices were not going to go up that much…more just to cover costs. As a lawyer, I knew that I should get prices and such in writing before handing over a deposit, but (sigh) we didn’t.
The Inn doesn’t usually have weddings on the weekend that we picked because it is during fall foliage and they sell out every year. In order to get the weekend, we had to promise that we would fill all of the rooms (there are only 17- the rooms on the property will be filled by immediate family, bridesmaids, and groomsmen) and have our rehearsal dinner there (which we were going to do anyway).
But now I am worried. I hope these girls get back to me…….and soon.
10.09.2008
What it is like to be a 1L
Before I forget (as I do tend to have a short memory), I wanted to finish my series on law school and what it is really like. First up? First year of law school.
First comes orientation. At that point, you don’t know anyone. At my school, we were forced to sit and listen to three days of information on topics such as the bar exam, how to succeed in law school, and financial aid. Meanwhile, as you start to talk to random classmates, you are hearing about all of their successes previous to law school (examples: doing the Peace Corps, running their own business, being a doctor). This, coupled with people bragging about their LSAT scores, is really annoying. I mean, we all got into the same school. Who cares what your LSAT score is now? I think that it was a way of people making themselves feel better in an new and scary situation.
After orientation, we had a weekend before classes actually started. Did I mention that you have advanced assignments? Yes, before you even step foot inside a classroom your professors will give you a bunch of cases to read and brief. Oh yeah, and every professor wants you to brief cases a different way. These assignments will take you HOURS so start early.
The first day of class? Completely terrifying. My first class of law school was with the most demanding professor I had in my three years. The professors usually start off with a few words about law school, making sure you do assignments, their technique for calling on students*, etc. As soon as the professor of my first class was done with the overview, she went straight into calling on people randomly. THANK GOD IT WAS NOT ME. Seriously. I have no idea how the kid that did get called on did it. My stomach was in knots the entire class. Also, I found out that I briefed the cases completely wrong so that didn’t help.
My entire first week I was filled with stress and self-doubt. My parents are lawyers so uhh no pressure! Everyone else is also freaking out at the same time so you are in good company. At my school, we were divided into three equal sections. Every section is then broken down into smaller sections for certain classes. This is helpful as you spent a lot of time with the people in your section. However, this also leads to law school being strikingly similar to high school. Everyone knows each other’s business, rumors fly around the section, etc.
Law school tends to attract some interesting people. I went to a fairly liberal law school which means some extreme wackos. For instance, there was one woman that was very worried about unionizing Starbucks. I wanted to tell her that instead of unionizing employees of a company that is usually ranked as one of the best places to work, why not try to unionize a place like Walmart, which is cutting employees’ hours so that they fall just under 40 hours a week, therefore cutting off health benefits? This is the same woman that told me about a program that she wanted to do in New York City. Basically, you paid a monk a couple thousand dollars to be homeless for two weeks. I bit my tongue, but I wanted to tell her that she could do that for free if she really wanted. *Sigh* Yes, there are some odd ducks.
After a few weeks you are still very stressed, but learn how to take a little less time briefing the cases and what exactly each professor is looking for. Now student groups start to call on the first year students to man tables in the hallway, for bake sales, etc. I waited to really involve myself in student groups until second semester. However, I did start up a weekly Thursday night happy hour. I included people from all three sections as we would eventually have classes together the following year. It was a good way to get people away from school and let off a little steam.
Finals your first semester are the scariest thing ever. For the most part, your ENTIRE GRADE is dependent on the exam (some professors have 5% based on your participation in class- i.e. whether you gave thoughtful answers when they called on you). Some professors give a review towards the end of the semester, others show you past exams, etc. Either way, you are in the library from sun up to sun down studying for these exams. For most people, that means making outlines of the class. These outlines tend to be 40+ pages when all is said and done. I couldn’t wrap my head around outlines my first year, so I made notecards of every test, definition, etc. from the semester. I also spent a large chunk of time with fellow section members in study groups. I found out later that this was not the best use of time for me, as I was a better learner by myself than in a group.
Most finals were closed book for 3-4 hours. I would quickly outline the question and the topics that I wanted to talk about and then literally type for the rest of the time, furiously pounding on my laptop before time was called, trying to get all of the definitions, tests, analyses, and conclusions in as possible. After the exam, you are completely drained. But, you have to do it all over again in a completely different topic either the next day or soon after so there is really no time to go home and sleep. Nope, it is back to the library to study!
Christmas break is a much-needed rest between semesters. You will literally go home and sleep for days as you are so tired and your brain physically HURTS. You will then wait for up to a month to get your grades. Grades are very important if you are gunning for a big law firm position.
Second semester starts with people asking about grades and possibly not seeing a few people as they have dropped out. I had some of the same classes as first semester so it was good to see familiar professors and know what they want in advance. A lot of people study abroad the summer after your first year because it is difficult to get a paying law job and you might as well get some credit for going somewhere fun! I went down to South America and had a fantastic time (especially because after a month and a half of not seeing each other, CP was able to come down for 10 days after the end of my program).
Second semester finals are similar to first semester finals so you know what you are getting into, but they still kick your butt.
Misc. things about first year:
-You also learn to hate your law school administration. I don’t think it matters what law school you go to, this is bound to happen.
-The “gunners” (people that raise their hand to try to answer every question and/or just like to hear themselves talk) annoy the crap out of you. Some professors even make jokes about them….don’t become one!
-The first semester of law school your significant others will be very annoyed when you constantly talk about school. You will relate everything you learned in Contracts class, Torts class, etc. to things in every day life. This happens again when you are studying for the bar. I think that this is also because you are still getting to know your law school friends and school is an easy thing to talk about. It also helps with trying to memorize concepts.
*Most law school professors use the Socratic method. That means randomly calling on students for answers. Some professors will call on one or two students for the entire class period, some jump around after a few questions, etc. It is scary. This is why you MUST make sure to read for class every day!
First comes orientation. At that point, you don’t know anyone. At my school, we were forced to sit and listen to three days of information on topics such as the bar exam, how to succeed in law school, and financial aid. Meanwhile, as you start to talk to random classmates, you are hearing about all of their successes previous to law school (examples: doing the Peace Corps, running their own business, being a doctor). This, coupled with people bragging about their LSAT scores, is really annoying. I mean, we all got into the same school. Who cares what your LSAT score is now? I think that it was a way of people making themselves feel better in an new and scary situation.
After orientation, we had a weekend before classes actually started. Did I mention that you have advanced assignments? Yes, before you even step foot inside a classroom your professors will give you a bunch of cases to read and brief. Oh yeah, and every professor wants you to brief cases a different way. These assignments will take you HOURS so start early.
The first day of class? Completely terrifying. My first class of law school was with the most demanding professor I had in my three years. The professors usually start off with a few words about law school, making sure you do assignments, their technique for calling on students*, etc. As soon as the professor of my first class was done with the overview, she went straight into calling on people randomly. THANK GOD IT WAS NOT ME. Seriously. I have no idea how the kid that did get called on did it. My stomach was in knots the entire class. Also, I found out that I briefed the cases completely wrong so that didn’t help.
My entire first week I was filled with stress and self-doubt. My parents are lawyers so uhh no pressure! Everyone else is also freaking out at the same time so you are in good company. At my school, we were divided into three equal sections. Every section is then broken down into smaller sections for certain classes. This is helpful as you spent a lot of time with the people in your section. However, this also leads to law school being strikingly similar to high school. Everyone knows each other’s business, rumors fly around the section, etc.
Law school tends to attract some interesting people. I went to a fairly liberal law school which means some extreme wackos. For instance, there was one woman that was very worried about unionizing Starbucks. I wanted to tell her that instead of unionizing employees of a company that is usually ranked as one of the best places to work, why not try to unionize a place like Walmart, which is cutting employees’ hours so that they fall just under 40 hours a week, therefore cutting off health benefits? This is the same woman that told me about a program that she wanted to do in New York City. Basically, you paid a monk a couple thousand dollars to be homeless for two weeks. I bit my tongue, but I wanted to tell her that she could do that for free if she really wanted. *Sigh* Yes, there are some odd ducks.
After a few weeks you are still very stressed, but learn how to take a little less time briefing the cases and what exactly each professor is looking for. Now student groups start to call on the first year students to man tables in the hallway, for bake sales, etc. I waited to really involve myself in student groups until second semester. However, I did start up a weekly Thursday night happy hour. I included people from all three sections as we would eventually have classes together the following year. It was a good way to get people away from school and let off a little steam.
Finals your first semester are the scariest thing ever. For the most part, your ENTIRE GRADE is dependent on the exam (some professors have 5% based on your participation in class- i.e. whether you gave thoughtful answers when they called on you). Some professors give a review towards the end of the semester, others show you past exams, etc. Either way, you are in the library from sun up to sun down studying for these exams. For most people, that means making outlines of the class. These outlines tend to be 40+ pages when all is said and done. I couldn’t wrap my head around outlines my first year, so I made notecards of every test, definition, etc. from the semester. I also spent a large chunk of time with fellow section members in study groups. I found out later that this was not the best use of time for me, as I was a better learner by myself than in a group.
Most finals were closed book for 3-4 hours. I would quickly outline the question and the topics that I wanted to talk about and then literally type for the rest of the time, furiously pounding on my laptop before time was called, trying to get all of the definitions, tests, analyses, and conclusions in as possible. After the exam, you are completely drained. But, you have to do it all over again in a completely different topic either the next day or soon after so there is really no time to go home and sleep. Nope, it is back to the library to study!
Christmas break is a much-needed rest between semesters. You will literally go home and sleep for days as you are so tired and your brain physically HURTS. You will then wait for up to a month to get your grades. Grades are very important if you are gunning for a big law firm position.
Second semester starts with people asking about grades and possibly not seeing a few people as they have dropped out. I had some of the same classes as first semester so it was good to see familiar professors and know what they want in advance. A lot of people study abroad the summer after your first year because it is difficult to get a paying law job and you might as well get some credit for going somewhere fun! I went down to South America and had a fantastic time (especially because after a month and a half of not seeing each other, CP was able to come down for 10 days after the end of my program).
Second semester finals are similar to first semester finals so you know what you are getting into, but they still kick your butt.
Misc. things about first year:
-You also learn to hate your law school administration. I don’t think it matters what law school you go to, this is bound to happen.
-The “gunners” (people that raise their hand to try to answer every question and/or just like to hear themselves talk) annoy the crap out of you. Some professors even make jokes about them….don’t become one!
-The first semester of law school your significant others will be very annoyed when you constantly talk about school. You will relate everything you learned in Contracts class, Torts class, etc. to things in every day life. This happens again when you are studying for the bar. I think that this is also because you are still getting to know your law school friends and school is an easy thing to talk about. It also helps with trying to memorize concepts.
*Most law school professors use the Socratic method. That means randomly calling on students for answers. Some professors will call on one or two students for the entire class period, some jump around after a few questions, etc. It is scary. This is why you MUST make sure to read for class every day!
10.08.2008
First wedding nightmare
Last night, I had my first wedding nightmare. It was the day of our wedding. I was riding on a trolley with a bunch of our wedding guests to the ceremony.* I looked at my watch and realized that there was only ONE HOUR until the ceremony. I had no idea where my bridesmaids were. My hair and makeup was not done. I had not put on my dress.
To my friends I kept joking that I was going to be late to my own wedding.....while in my head I was kicking myself. I realized that I hadn't planned ANYTHING for our wedding. We obviously sent out invitations as my friends were there, but I realized that other than finding a place for our ceremony and reception, we had not done anything else. I thought, you had a freakin YEAR to plan this wedding and you did NOTHING????
This morning I woke up and told CP that I had a wedding nightmare. He told me that I shouldn't stress about our wedding- especially when it is a year away! While I agree, I know myself...and stress will be part of the process. I just have to resign myself to that fact.
*Note: We will NOT be having a trolley for our wedding.
To my friends I kept joking that I was going to be late to my own wedding.....while in my head I was kicking myself. I realized that I hadn't planned ANYTHING for our wedding. We obviously sent out invitations as my friends were there, but I realized that other than finding a place for our ceremony and reception, we had not done anything else. I thought, you had a freakin YEAR to plan this wedding and you did NOTHING????
This morning I woke up and told CP that I had a wedding nightmare. He told me that I shouldn't stress about our wedding- especially when it is a year away! While I agree, I know myself...and stress will be part of the process. I just have to resign myself to that fact.
*Note: We will NOT be having a trolley for our wedding.
10.07.2008
Loves for fall
It is starting to get colder here in MA. As in, yesterday was a high of 50 degrees. I'm feeling in a "listy" mood, so here are the things that I am excited about in the fall season:
*Turning leaves. I haven't seen a long period of fall foliage for four years (basically since I lived in Philly).
*Apple cider. CP and I can go through a jug of it in a very short period of time.
*Cooler temperatures. Okay, so I am totally not ready for a MA winter, but I do love fall temperatures. Bundling up in sweaters (including my new sweater from Target), laying on the couch wrapped in blankets, snuggling in bed under the covers, etc. I'm sure that I am going to be doing a lot these things until late spring!
*Eating a lot of squash. CP makes a great butternut squash soup with ginger in it. Not to mention, I have a great cookbook for just vegetables (which just happens to have tons of recipes for all different kinds of squash).
*Football, obviously. Let's not talk about the fact that the Eagles are not having a good start to the season.
*The fact that fuzzy britches gets excited about everything. With the cooler weather she suddenly has tons of energy and it is hilarious! Not to mention that she likes to sit on our feet- thus saving us from buying slippers!
*Eating more soup! I love soup!!!
*Moving from drinking Sauvignon Blancs/ Torrontes into Pinot Noirs. Our favorite? Seven Terraces Pinot Noir from New Zealand.
*Not sweating after I get out of the shower from the heat and humidity.
*Turning leaves. I haven't seen a long period of fall foliage for four years (basically since I lived in Philly).
*Apple cider. CP and I can go through a jug of it in a very short period of time.
*Cooler temperatures. Okay, so I am totally not ready for a MA winter, but I do love fall temperatures. Bundling up in sweaters (including my new sweater from Target), laying on the couch wrapped in blankets, snuggling in bed under the covers, etc. I'm sure that I am going to be doing a lot these things until late spring!
*Eating a lot of squash. CP makes a great butternut squash soup with ginger in it. Not to mention, I have a great cookbook for just vegetables (which just happens to have tons of recipes for all different kinds of squash).
*Football, obviously. Let's not talk about the fact that the Eagles are not having a good start to the season.
*The fact that fuzzy britches gets excited about everything. With the cooler weather she suddenly has tons of energy and it is hilarious! Not to mention that she likes to sit on our feet- thus saving us from buying slippers!
*Eating more soup! I love soup!!!
*Moving from drinking Sauvignon Blancs/ Torrontes into Pinot Noirs. Our favorite? Seven Terraces Pinot Noir from New Zealand.
*Not sweating after I get out of the shower from the heat and humidity.
10.06.2008
New hair
So sorry I left you guys in anticipation on my new hair color on Friday....I knew that it was our anniversary and that I wouldn't have any time to write a post that night. So I wrote one ahead of time.
Anyway, the hair appointment was supposed to take an hour and a half.....it took three hours. Luckily, the stylist was freakin' awesome and a lot of fun to talk to so I didn't mind. However, it meant that I started the appointment at 5pm, didn't leave until 8pm, and then didn't get home until 9pm that night. CP and I then had a whole HOUR to spend for our anniversary eating take out Thai and watching the VP debate before heading to bed. Not quite what I was expecting out of the night......
The darker hair is definitely going to be something that I will have to get used to. I do think that it looks good with my skin (very important) and CP says that it makes me look younger (that definitely earned him points!).
Anyway, the hair appointment was supposed to take an hour and a half.....it took three hours. Luckily, the stylist was freakin' awesome and a lot of fun to talk to so I didn't mind. However, it meant that I started the appointment at 5pm, didn't leave until 8pm, and then didn't get home until 9pm that night. CP and I then had a whole HOUR to spend for our anniversary eating take out Thai and watching the VP debate before heading to bed. Not quite what I was expecting out of the night......
The darker hair is definitely going to be something that I will have to get used to. I do think that it looks good with my skin (very important) and CP says that it makes me look younger (that definitely earned him points!).
10.03.2008
Doing it ourselves
To continue with our trend of trying to stick it to the wedding industry, CP and I decided to make our own save the date cards. According to my wedding book, we probably shouldn't send out our save the date until 6-8 months before the date. However, I might be down in DC for work and don't want to put all of that work on CP. So, we are looking ahead on our wedding checklist and trying to figure out what can get done ahead of time. Since we already know our date and location for both the ceremony and the reception, we figured we could let everyone know that they will have to travel for the wedding- hopefully they start planning in advance so that they can make it.
In addition, we just found out that a woman that I went to law school with is having her wedding on the same day that we are. That effects at least one couple that we will be inviting to the wedding as they will definitely be invited to both. We were hoping that the husband would perform our ceremony. So, it might be in our best interest to let people know as soon as possible about our date so that they will commit our wedding.
So, CP and I spent waaaaaay too much time at Michael's. I used to love to do craftsy things, but I swear law school sucked any creative bone I had out of my body. We disagreed over notecards vs. cards, one leaf stamp vs. another leaf stamp, etc. In the end, I think that our save the dates look pretty cute- they are definitely not amazing but they will serve their purpose. Instead of spending $2.25 per card at the paper store, we got all of the supplies for less than $40. CP pushed for sending out an email, while I originally pushed for magnets....in the end we have cards.
In addition, we just found out that a woman that I went to law school with is having her wedding on the same day that we are. That effects at least one couple that we will be inviting to the wedding as they will definitely be invited to both. We were hoping that the husband would perform our ceremony. So, it might be in our best interest to let people know as soon as possible about our date so that they will commit our wedding.
So, CP and I spent waaaaaay too much time at Michael's. I used to love to do craftsy things, but I swear law school sucked any creative bone I had out of my body. We disagreed over notecards vs. cards, one leaf stamp vs. another leaf stamp, etc. In the end, I think that our save the dates look pretty cute- they are definitely not amazing but they will serve their purpose. Instead of spending $2.25 per card at the paper store, we got all of the supplies for less than $40. CP pushed for sending out an email, while I originally pushed for magnets....in the end we have cards.
10.02.2008
Another decision made
I made another decision last night on my way home from work (BTW, this might not be the BEST time of the month to make these decisions but I am running with it). I am going to dye my hair. Right now I still have my highlights in from this past May and you can definitely see that my roots are darker (the highlights are a dark caramel color, my real hair is brown). It's starting to look bad so I think that it is time to take the plunge. The last time I went in to do my highlights the woman at Aveda said that with the number of gray hairs that I have, it might just be easier to dye my whole head. So I am thinking about moving towards a darker color, maybe just a little darker than my normal hair.
My friend J is totally on board. She has been dying her hair forever and suggested that I do it out of a box on say a Friday night and if it looks awful, to then go to a salon Saturday to get the color fixed. CP thinks that I should just go to the salon to get it done so that I don't pick a silly color. I kind of agree with CP- I think that if I go to a salon they will be able to help me figure out the best color for me instead of standing in front of all of the boxes at the drugstore for hours on end, unable to make a decision.
So, I have an appointment tonight at a nearby salon. Cross your fingers that it goes well! Tonight is our three year anniversary so my new hair color will be a complete surprise!
My friend J is totally on board. She has been dying her hair forever and suggested that I do it out of a box on say a Friday night and if it looks awful, to then go to a salon Saturday to get the color fixed. CP thinks that I should just go to the salon to get it done so that I don't pick a silly color. I kind of agree with CP- I think that if I go to a salon they will be able to help me figure out the best color for me instead of standing in front of all of the boxes at the drugstore for hours on end, unable to make a decision.
So, I have an appointment tonight at a nearby salon. Cross your fingers that it goes well! Tonight is our three year anniversary so my new hair color will be a complete surprise!
10.01.2008
The one where I am down on myself
Yesterday I decided that I needed to join a gym- ASAP. I am sick of waiting for my building badge to come in from the other office so that I can use the free gym downstairs. Last week while at my conference I got to use the hotel gym and it was glorious. I haven't tried to run since July and was pretty damn proud of myself that I was able to run a mile anyway.
Also pushing me into this decision to join the YMCA near work is the fact that I feel like a fat cow. This is not helping our sex life. CP came in the bathroom while I was showering and all I could think of was "suck your stomach in! I hope that he doesn't look at my ass as it is HUGE." Etc. Not good. So, at lunch today I walked over to the nearby YMCA and signed up. I can't wait to go to the gym this morning!!!!
And then this morning as I was packing up my lunch CP said "wow that is a lot of food in there!" Way to kick me when I am already feeling shitty about my body. He didn't mean to make me feel like shit but he truly did.
-Breakfast is a 100 calorie bagel with a little butter
-Mid-morning snack is a banana
-Lunch is a lean cuisine, a small can of corn (I know this is weird but I seriously LOVE corn). Sometimes I bring a 100 calorie snack pack or a piece of fruit. I also have a small sugar free jello (only 10 calories)
-Mid-afternoon snack- grapes.
Seeing as how I am gone from the house from 7am to about 6pm every day I don't think that this is a lot of food. Plus, everything I read talks about eating (healthy) snacks throughout the day in order to keep your metabolism running. Your thoughts on the food I brought to work today?
Also pushing me into this decision to join the YMCA near work is the fact that I feel like a fat cow. This is not helping our sex life. CP came in the bathroom while I was showering and all I could think of was "suck your stomach in! I hope that he doesn't look at my ass as it is HUGE." Etc. Not good. So, at lunch today I walked over to the nearby YMCA and signed up. I can't wait to go to the gym this morning!!!!
And then this morning as I was packing up my lunch CP said "wow that is a lot of food in there!" Way to kick me when I am already feeling shitty about my body. He didn't mean to make me feel like shit but he truly did.
-Breakfast is a 100 calorie bagel with a little butter
-Mid-morning snack is a banana
-Lunch is a lean cuisine, a small can of corn (I know this is weird but I seriously LOVE corn). Sometimes I bring a 100 calorie snack pack or a piece of fruit. I also have a small sugar free jello (only 10 calories)
-Mid-afternoon snack- grapes.
Seeing as how I am gone from the house from 7am to about 6pm every day I don't think that this is a lot of food. Plus, everything I read talks about eating (healthy) snacks throughout the day in order to keep your metabolism running. Your thoughts on the food I brought to work today?
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