Today I was going to post about my upcoming lovely weekend with CP back in MA. However, I got a call last night that he is going to have to work all weekend. As in, 12 hour days both Saturday and Sunday. Which then means that he would be super cranky after getting home and might not be able to take me to the airport for my Sunday night flight.
Soooooo, I changed my flight to next weekend (there goes my cheap flight!) and now I have to figure out what to do in DC. Maybe I will hit up some of the touristy places CP and I missed last weekend? Places like the National Archives to see the Constitution or the Holocaust museum?
5.29.2009
5.28.2009
Friends and babies
To continue the baby conversation from yesterday....
Our closest “couple” friends from law school have all been together for much longer than me and CP.
Consider:
-One couple met at camp, went to high school and college together and have been dating since then. They have been married over 6 years.
-One couple has been friends since high school, went to college together, started dating 5 years ago, only to get married 3 years ago.
-One couple has been dating off and on since freshman year of college and got married 2 years ago.
-One couple has been dating for almost 6 years now, hopefully to get engaged soon when he has a more permanent job.
Keep in mind that all of us are around 30 years old right now so a lot of these people have been dating for what seems like forever!
Anyway, my friend suggested that all of us start having babies around the same time in the next couple of years. That way when we take group vacations we all have kids running around (in addition to dogs of course).
It’s an interesting suggestion. If the plan is for all of us to eventually move back to the west coast city where we went to law school….or even to see each other for vacations until everyone can get back, then it makes sense (as long as all of us are ready of course). A bunch of my college friends had babies around the same time and they were able to pass clothes, advice, etc. around to each other. If they lived closer to each other then their kids would be able to play with each other more often.
However, instead of worrying about this now I probably should concentrate on the wedding in a little over FOUR months!!!!
Our closest “couple” friends from law school have all been together for much longer than me and CP.
Consider:
-One couple met at camp, went to high school and college together and have been dating since then. They have been married over 6 years.
-One couple has been friends since high school, went to college together, started dating 5 years ago, only to get married 3 years ago.
-One couple has been dating off and on since freshman year of college and got married 2 years ago.
-One couple has been dating for almost 6 years now, hopefully to get engaged soon when he has a more permanent job.
Keep in mind that all of us are around 30 years old right now so a lot of these people have been dating for what seems like forever!
Anyway, my friend suggested that all of us start having babies around the same time in the next couple of years. That way when we take group vacations we all have kids running around (in addition to dogs of course).
It’s an interesting suggestion. If the plan is for all of us to eventually move back to the west coast city where we went to law school….or even to see each other for vacations until everyone can get back, then it makes sense (as long as all of us are ready of course). A bunch of my college friends had babies around the same time and they were able to pass clothes, advice, etc. around to each other. If they lived closer to each other then their kids would be able to play with each other more often.
However, instead of worrying about this now I probably should concentrate on the wedding in a little over FOUR months!!!!
5.27.2009
The next relationship question
Last night a friend turned to me and asked, “so when are you and CP going to start popping out the kids?” It was quite the non sequitur question! However, isn’t it the next question in a progression of questions about a relationship? Now that people can no longer ask when we are getting engaged, the next question we are going to face from people after the wedding is when we are going to start popping out the kids.
It is an interesting question. In high school and college I swore that I would never have kids because I didn’t want that responsibility. Even through most of my 20s it would have been hard for me to admit that I wanted kids. Until I met CP. He may joke about the boring lives his friends that have kids are leading, but he adores his niece and nephew and does want kids in the future. I still may not have the biological clock ticking any louder than before, but at least when hanging out with other people’s babies I am more comfortable around them. I still like it better when they can talk so that they can tell me what they want instead of me trying to figure it out though!
A few things scare me about kids (well, ha! Not just a few things!)
1. Some of my friends are a few years older (mid 30s) and tell me that as soon as you hit 35 (the “magic number”), doctors start giving you more warnings about having kids. As if a woman trying to get pregnant needs MORE to worry about!
2. All of my college friends so far have popped out healthy babies and have had relatively easy pregnancies. What if I am the outlier? Especially with the extra complications that come with having babies later on in life……
3. What if I went most of my life saying that I didn’t want kids, finally to meet a man that is responsible enough to want to have kids with….only to not be able to get pregnant? All of my college friends had kids in their 20s, when making babies is supposedly easier. That would be awful to suddenly want something so big and not be able to make it happen.
Of course all of these things are really things that I won’t be able to control (oh boy do I not like giving up control!). CP and I have talked about having kids….but the discussions have been to put off having them until CP finishes up school. Considering CP hasn’t even taking the GMAT, let along applied or gotten into an MBA program, it might be a while! I also always thought that I would want to be married for a while before having kids.
But maybe we should reconsider? We aren’t getting any younger. As long as both of us have stable jobs, are debt free (so obviously not right now), and we have moved back to our west coast city, then maybe we should think about it sooner rather than later? What if it doesn’t take a month or two like my friends from college? It would be better to know earlier that we are going to encounter problems in the baby-making process.....
Are you wanting kids in the future? Share your thoughts and worries.
It is an interesting question. In high school and college I swore that I would never have kids because I didn’t want that responsibility. Even through most of my 20s it would have been hard for me to admit that I wanted kids. Until I met CP. He may joke about the boring lives his friends that have kids are leading, but he adores his niece and nephew and does want kids in the future. I still may not have the biological clock ticking any louder than before, but at least when hanging out with other people’s babies I am more comfortable around them. I still like it better when they can talk so that they can tell me what they want instead of me trying to figure it out though!
A few things scare me about kids (well, ha! Not just a few things!)
1. Some of my friends are a few years older (mid 30s) and tell me that as soon as you hit 35 (the “magic number”), doctors start giving you more warnings about having kids. As if a woman trying to get pregnant needs MORE to worry about!
2. All of my college friends so far have popped out healthy babies and have had relatively easy pregnancies. What if I am the outlier? Especially with the extra complications that come with having babies later on in life……
3. What if I went most of my life saying that I didn’t want kids, finally to meet a man that is responsible enough to want to have kids with….only to not be able to get pregnant? All of my college friends had kids in their 20s, when making babies is supposedly easier. That would be awful to suddenly want something so big and not be able to make it happen.
Of course all of these things are really things that I won’t be able to control (oh boy do I not like giving up control!). CP and I have talked about having kids….but the discussions have been to put off having them until CP finishes up school. Considering CP hasn’t even taking the GMAT, let along applied or gotten into an MBA program, it might be a while! I also always thought that I would want to be married for a while before having kids.
But maybe we should reconsider? We aren’t getting any younger. As long as both of us have stable jobs, are debt free (so obviously not right now), and we have moved back to our west coast city, then maybe we should think about it sooner rather than later? What if it doesn’t take a month or two like my friends from college? It would be better to know earlier that we are going to encounter problems in the baby-making process.....
Are you wanting kids in the future? Share your thoughts and worries.
5.26.2009
Memorial Day Weekend
Quick recap of the weekend:
Friday night CP got in a bit early, but I got lost headed to the airport so I was a bit late in picking him up (stupid non-signage in VA!). That resulted in him being a bit cranky the rest of the night.
Saturday we saw all of the major outside monuments before having a good lunch with a friend at Old Ebbit Grill. Afterwards we decided that the Jefferson was too far away and that we were sick of walking so we headed to a bar with outdoor seating and drank away the afternoon. Sat night we had a delicious dinner at Vidalia - including an appetizer of the meat from a pig’s hoof and rabbit. Sat night we then met up with friends at a bar to reminisce.
Sunday we woke up and headed to Five Guys for a greasy lunch to combat all of the drinking we had done the day before. Damn it was good! Everyone talks about In-and-Out Burger being so amazing- but I was disappointed when I finally had it. Luckily, Five Guys did not disappoint. Mmmmm. I do NOT want to know how many calories were in my meal though.
With another couple, CP and I explored the Spy Museum, which was cool….but a lot of reading for people that drank a lot the night before. That of course led to more drinking while having to “rest our feet” before heading out to a Peruvian restaurant (El Pollo Rico) for some seriously delicious roasted chicken. While we were there, we saw some teenage girl pop a zit on her boyfriend’s face. WTF? Surprisingly enough, that sight didn’t make us throw up and we moved on to La Tasca, a tapas restaurant that also had sangria for us to drink while we debated how to raise kids, parenting styles, and what makes someone a slut. Yep, it was a funny conversation.
Yesterday CP and I had to get up early to make our Capitol building tour. While checking out the rotunda was cool, we weren’t impressed with the rushed tour. For lunch we made our way into Chinatown where CP decided to have congee with squid and pig skin (ewww) while our friend and I stuck with regular meats in our noodle soups! I dropped CP off at the airport last night, only to find out that his plane was delayed until 11pm….which means he didn’t get home until after 1am. Poor guy.
Today I am:
-Feeling bloated from eating my way around the city
-Not wanting to be at work
-Dealing with still-tired feet from walking everywhere in flip flops this weekend
-Mad that I didn’t put sunscreen on my burn on my neck yesterday so it itches- but I am (so far) being good and not touching it
-Missing CP already
How was your Memorial Day weekend?
Friday night CP got in a bit early, but I got lost headed to the airport so I was a bit late in picking him up (stupid non-signage in VA!). That resulted in him being a bit cranky the rest of the night.
Saturday we saw all of the major outside monuments before having a good lunch with a friend at Old Ebbit Grill. Afterwards we decided that the Jefferson was too far away and that we were sick of walking so we headed to a bar with outdoor seating and drank away the afternoon. Sat night we had a delicious dinner at Vidalia - including an appetizer of the meat from a pig’s hoof and rabbit. Sat night we then met up with friends at a bar to reminisce.
Sunday we woke up and headed to Five Guys for a greasy lunch to combat all of the drinking we had done the day before. Damn it was good! Everyone talks about In-and-Out Burger being so amazing- but I was disappointed when I finally had it. Luckily, Five Guys did not disappoint. Mmmmm. I do NOT want to know how many calories were in my meal though.
With another couple, CP and I explored the Spy Museum, which was cool….but a lot of reading for people that drank a lot the night before. That of course led to more drinking while having to “rest our feet” before heading out to a Peruvian restaurant (El Pollo Rico) for some seriously delicious roasted chicken. While we were there, we saw some teenage girl pop a zit on her boyfriend’s face. WTF? Surprisingly enough, that sight didn’t make us throw up and we moved on to La Tasca, a tapas restaurant that also had sangria for us to drink while we debated how to raise kids, parenting styles, and what makes someone a slut. Yep, it was a funny conversation.
Yesterday CP and I had to get up early to make our Capitol building tour. While checking out the rotunda was cool, we weren’t impressed with the rushed tour. For lunch we made our way into Chinatown where CP decided to have congee with squid and pig skin (ewww) while our friend and I stuck with regular meats in our noodle soups! I dropped CP off at the airport last night, only to find out that his plane was delayed until 11pm….which means he didn’t get home until after 1am. Poor guy.
Today I am:
-Feeling bloated from eating my way around the city
-Not wanting to be at work
-Dealing with still-tired feet from walking everywhere in flip flops this weekend
-Mad that I didn’t put sunscreen on my burn on my neck yesterday so it itches- but I am (so far) being good and not touching it
-Missing CP already
How was your Memorial Day weekend?
5.22.2009
Neck branding
So did I forget to mention that I burned my neck while using a hair straightener last weekend? I went to get my hair colored (okay, fixed) at a salon- but the coloring didn’t include a blow dry. Because I wanted to make sure that I liked the new color, the hairstylist allowed me to go upstairs to the spa section and use the hair dryer. I was going out that night and a straightener was available, so I decided to use it. The only problem? It was set at 190 degrees- much higher than I set mine at home. I literally touched my neck for maybe one second- it was enough to give me a beautiful burn line two inches long. Awesome.
Yesterday at work one of my coworkers said that I should be putting lotion or cream on the burn. I dismissed the idea until going on WebMD today. According to the website and my symptoms, I have a second degree burn that will start to go away in A MONTH and will be all good in A YEAR. I need to religiously put sunscreen on this summer because the skin is going to be very sensitive. I only have a little more than four months until the wedding- so I am hoping that the scar fades enough for makeup to cover the rest of it! CRAP!
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In happier news, CP flies in tonight! I don’t think that we will end up doing much tonight as he doesn’t get in until 9pm, but I have him for the entire weekend. We are planning a touristy weekend- monuments, museums, sights, etc. A nice dinner at Vidalia on Saturday night, followed by hanging out with friends at a downtown bar. More touristy things on Sunday and Monday- including a tour of the Capitol building!
An update (of sorts) on my post about my friend earlier this week. She says that things are back to normal and their wedding/ honeymoon is still on. They leave tomorrow. If she is happy then I guess I can't say anything.....
Yesterday at work one of my coworkers said that I should be putting lotion or cream on the burn. I dismissed the idea until going on WebMD today. According to the website and my symptoms, I have a second degree burn that will start to go away in A MONTH and will be all good in A YEAR. I need to religiously put sunscreen on this summer because the skin is going to be very sensitive. I only have a little more than four months until the wedding- so I am hoping that the scar fades enough for makeup to cover the rest of it! CRAP!
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In happier news, CP flies in tonight! I don’t think that we will end up doing much tonight as he doesn’t get in until 9pm, but I have him for the entire weekend. We are planning a touristy weekend- monuments, museums, sights, etc. A nice dinner at Vidalia on Saturday night, followed by hanging out with friends at a downtown bar. More touristy things on Sunday and Monday- including a tour of the Capitol building!
Don't expect a post from me on Monday!
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An update (of sorts) on my post about my friend earlier this week. She says that things are back to normal and their wedding/ honeymoon is still on. They leave tomorrow. If she is happy then I guess I can't say anything.....
5.21.2009
Workout music
I know a lot of people that read this blog work out, so I thought that I would share some of my favorite workout songs in hopes that you guys will leave some of yours in the comments. I do have 257 songs in my “workout” playlist on my ipod, but I can always use more!
These songs are mainly dance songs that have a good, constant beat for running.
“Someone” – Ascension
“Dive in the Pool” – Barry Harris
“Pump It” - Black Eyed Peas
“Technologic” – Daft Punk
“Sandstorm” – Darude
“Play Your Part (Pt. 1)” – Girl Talk
“Pitchin” – High Gate
“Castles in the Sky” – Ian Van Dahl
“At the End (Remix)” – iio
“Do It Well” – Jennifer Lopez
“In Your Eyes” – Luz Divina
“I Turn to You” – Mel C (yes, the Spice Girl!)
“Better Off Alone (Zombie Girl vs. Barbie Nation Mix)” – Nanou
“Dark Beat” – Oscar G & Ralph Falcon
“Bombs over Baghdad” – Outkast
“The Anthem (feat. Lil Jon) – Pitbull
“The Crowd Song” – Rhythm Gangsta
“Don’t Stop the Music” – Rihanna
“Loneliness” – Tomcraft
“Shiny Disco Balls” – Who Da Funk f Jessica Eve
Now while I wouldn’t be caught DEAD in a dance club (eewww douche bags and sweaty people), it really is the best music to run to. I also have a lot of pop songs by such amazing artists (ha ha) as Britney Spears, Will Smith, Ying Yang Twins, Sean Paul, Pussycat Dolls, etc.
So, what are some of your favorite songs to workout to?
These songs are mainly dance songs that have a good, constant beat for running.
“Someone” – Ascension
“Dive in the Pool” – Barry Harris
“Pump It” - Black Eyed Peas
“Technologic” – Daft Punk
“Sandstorm” – Darude
“Play Your Part (Pt. 1)” – Girl Talk
“Pitchin” – High Gate
“Castles in the Sky” – Ian Van Dahl
“At the End (Remix)” – iio
“Do It Well” – Jennifer Lopez
“In Your Eyes” – Luz Divina
“I Turn to You” – Mel C (yes, the Spice Girl!)
“Better Off Alone (Zombie Girl vs. Barbie Nation Mix)” – Nanou
“Dark Beat” – Oscar G & Ralph Falcon
“Bombs over Baghdad” – Outkast
“The Anthem (feat. Lil Jon) – Pitbull
“The Crowd Song” – Rhythm Gangsta
“Don’t Stop the Music” – Rihanna
“Loneliness” – Tomcraft
“Shiny Disco Balls” – Who Da Funk f Jessica Eve
Now while I wouldn’t be caught DEAD in a dance club (eewww douche bags and sweaty people), it really is the best music to run to. I also have a lot of pop songs by such amazing artists (ha ha) as Britney Spears, Will Smith, Ying Yang Twins, Sean Paul, Pussycat Dolls, etc.
So, what are some of your favorite songs to workout to?
5.20.2009
Boys from the past
A few days ago I received a seriously random email. It was from a guy that was on one of my volleyball teams back when I lived in Chicago (4-5 years ago). When I lived in the city I was always busy. Happy hours, flag football, volleyball, running groups, different cultural events around the city, etc. A lot of the events centered around drinking, playing sports, or a combination of the two.
I randomly joined an indoor volleyball team from a Craigslist posting. I didn’t have a ton of volleyball experience, but like with most sports, I was a quick study (and it didn’t hurt that I was tall). One of the guys on my team, Rob, was pretty cute and I dug (ha ha) his quick arm that could crush the ball. He was a nice enough guy….and I could overlook the slight stutter.
We kissed on Halloween after drinking WAY too much. My friends thought that he was a nice enough guy, but thought that I could do better. Because I am the naïve and silly girl (even after all of these years), I thought that because we kissed that we would start dating. I was wrong. We were always friendly after that, but never did the “dating” thing. I even brought him to a friend’s party at one point and the whole night he talked to an acquaintance (female) of mine.
Nevertheless, we moved into spring and then summer volleyball on the same team. He had gone to law school so as I was applying and eventually enrolling in law school, we were always able to discuss that. After I left for the west coast city, I didn’t give him much thought as I was then wrapped up in an ex (Herb) that suddenly came back into my life after a phone call saying that he still loved me.
About a year ago, I received a message from a Chicago friend that she saw Rob and he was asking all kinds of questions about me. Was I still in law school, how was I doing, etc. I didn’t really chalk it up to anything….until I got the email from him (I had deleted his email a while ago so of course it went into my junk mail folder).
Lots of questions such as: was I back in Chicago, where was I working, what did I think of my law school, etc. While that seems perfectly harmless, he seemed to remember a lot about me when frankly, I remembered that he went to law school but I couldn’t tell you where, what kind of company he worked for, etc. Maybe he just has a better memory?
Anyway, I sent a reply back, making sure to include that I was getting married in October and funnily enough, I haven’t received a reply from him. Too late buddy boy…..and my friends were right- I could (and did) do better!
I randomly joined an indoor volleyball team from a Craigslist posting. I didn’t have a ton of volleyball experience, but like with most sports, I was a quick study (and it didn’t hurt that I was tall). One of the guys on my team, Rob, was pretty cute and I dug (ha ha) his quick arm that could crush the ball. He was a nice enough guy….and I could overlook the slight stutter.
We kissed on Halloween after drinking WAY too much. My friends thought that he was a nice enough guy, but thought that I could do better. Because I am the naïve and silly girl (even after all of these years), I thought that because we kissed that we would start dating. I was wrong. We were always friendly after that, but never did the “dating” thing. I even brought him to a friend’s party at one point and the whole night he talked to an acquaintance (female) of mine.
Nevertheless, we moved into spring and then summer volleyball on the same team. He had gone to law school so as I was applying and eventually enrolling in law school, we were always able to discuss that. After I left for the west coast city, I didn’t give him much thought as I was then wrapped up in an ex (Herb) that suddenly came back into my life after a phone call saying that he still loved me.
About a year ago, I received a message from a Chicago friend that she saw Rob and he was asking all kinds of questions about me. Was I still in law school, how was I doing, etc. I didn’t really chalk it up to anything….until I got the email from him (I had deleted his email a while ago so of course it went into my junk mail folder).
Lots of questions such as: was I back in Chicago, where was I working, what did I think of my law school, etc. While that seems perfectly harmless, he seemed to remember a lot about me when frankly, I remembered that he went to law school but I couldn’t tell you where, what kind of company he worked for, etc. Maybe he just has a better memory?
Anyway, I sent a reply back, making sure to include that I was getting married in October and funnily enough, I haven’t received a reply from him. Too late buddy boy…..and my friends were right- I could (and did) do better!
5.19.2009
What do you say?
Where do I even start this post? *sigh* I guess I will start with a bit of background.
One of my bridesmaids is a good friend from law school. We didn't always hang out drinking after classes and on the weekends, but relied on each other for advice about our significant others all the time. At age 33, she had never seriously dated someone before and her parents had basically given up on her (which is obviously ridiculous). So when she and her boyfriend (who she met online and started dating a month after CP and I met) got in a fight for the first time, I had to talk her down from the ledge as she thought that they were going to immediately break up.
We worked through her relationship issues and they moved into together. Moving in together then created some more issues, but again, we were able to work through them. They got engaged over Spring Break of our last year in law school. I was ridiculously happy for them.
Since then, they have continued to fight, but I do think that she overreacts at times. However, they both don't know how to fight fair and after a fight, will often not speak to each other for days. Yikes.
Yesterday, she emailed me because instead of having a wedding in front of family, they are going to self-solemnize (basically, have the wedding ceremony just between the two of them) while on vacation next week. After fighting about how to get married, she relented, agreeing to have the ceremony without parents because it would be too awkward with his divorced parents.
Anyway, they finally settled on a vacation spot and planned a time this past weekend to discuss the wedding plans. As of last week, she wasn't sure where they were going to do the ceremony, if they were going to write their own vows or steal some from the internet, if she was going to wear a white dress, etc. I guess the planning did not go so well.
Because the ceremony is just going to be the two of them, she wants it to be special. She doesn't want to haphazardly say something and not have it mean something. And I completely agree with her. A wedding is a one-time affair and if you make a joke out of it, then how seriously are you going to take the marriage? Her fiance on the other hand, would have rather planned out where they were going to go hiking and rafting instead of planning the ceremony.
She is obviously hurt, as I would be too. In the midst of her crying and the two of them shouting, some awful things were said on his part- stuff like marriage doesn't really mean much to him because it doesn't stop people from getting divorced and he is not religious anyway, they have already made a commitment to each other, etc......so he just doesn't think that it is that important. (By the way, if CP ever said these things? DEATH. I don't care if it is in the heat of the moment.) She asked him why he wanted to get married if he meant those things. His answer? "I don't know."
So I am a bit stuck. I do think that they are a good couple, but he can be a stubborn a**. The two of them don't know how to fight fairly which causes a lot of problems. I have suggested couples counseling, but according to her, he won't go. I personally think that it is their best shot at a marriage without constant fighting.
I am doing the best that I can with trying to talk to her, but I think that I have run out of things to say. I'm not sure that he is willing to change, but he is in a RELATIONSHIP which means compromise. She wants to send a vicious email to him, but I told her that will only make things worse. This is supposed to be one of the happiest times in their relationship- they are getting married in less than a week. What a nightmare.
I’m back in town (I guess he was out of town for work today).
Do you want to go ring shopping with me?*
Can you send me the ceremony/passages/vows ideas you have found?
P
While this does not wash away the things that he said yesterday, at least he is reaching out and seems interested in planning now. They still have A LOT to discuss tonight.
*Another reason she is upset is because he has refused to wear a wedding ring on his finger. He said that he would wear it on a necklace around his neck instead because he isn’t used to wearing rings. Until today, he hadn’t wanted to look for a ring.
One of my bridesmaids is a good friend from law school. We didn't always hang out drinking after classes and on the weekends, but relied on each other for advice about our significant others all the time. At age 33, she had never seriously dated someone before and her parents had basically given up on her (which is obviously ridiculous). So when she and her boyfriend (who she met online and started dating a month after CP and I met) got in a fight for the first time, I had to talk her down from the ledge as she thought that they were going to immediately break up.
We worked through her relationship issues and they moved into together. Moving in together then created some more issues, but again, we were able to work through them. They got engaged over Spring Break of our last year in law school. I was ridiculously happy for them.
Since then, they have continued to fight, but I do think that she overreacts at times. However, they both don't know how to fight fair and after a fight, will often not speak to each other for days. Yikes.
Yesterday, she emailed me because instead of having a wedding in front of family, they are going to self-solemnize (basically, have the wedding ceremony just between the two of them) while on vacation next week. After fighting about how to get married, she relented, agreeing to have the ceremony without parents because it would be too awkward with his divorced parents.
Anyway, they finally settled on a vacation spot and planned a time this past weekend to discuss the wedding plans. As of last week, she wasn't sure where they were going to do the ceremony, if they were going to write their own vows or steal some from the internet, if she was going to wear a white dress, etc. I guess the planning did not go so well.
Because the ceremony is just going to be the two of them, she wants it to be special. She doesn't want to haphazardly say something and not have it mean something. And I completely agree with her. A wedding is a one-time affair and if you make a joke out of it, then how seriously are you going to take the marriage? Her fiance on the other hand, would have rather planned out where they were going to go hiking and rafting instead of planning the ceremony.
She is obviously hurt, as I would be too. In the midst of her crying and the two of them shouting, some awful things were said on his part- stuff like marriage doesn't really mean much to him because it doesn't stop people from getting divorced and he is not religious anyway, they have already made a commitment to each other, etc......so he just doesn't think that it is that important. (By the way, if CP ever said these things? DEATH. I don't care if it is in the heat of the moment.) She asked him why he wanted to get married if he meant those things. His answer? "I don't know."
So I am a bit stuck. I do think that they are a good couple, but he can be a stubborn a**. The two of them don't know how to fight fairly which causes a lot of problems. I have suggested couples counseling, but according to her, he won't go. I personally think that it is their best shot at a marriage without constant fighting.
I am doing the best that I can with trying to talk to her, but I think that I have run out of things to say. I'm not sure that he is willing to change, but he is in a RELATIONSHIP which means compromise. She wants to send a vicious email to him, but I told her that will only make things worse. This is supposed to be one of the happiest times in their relationship- they are getting married in less than a week. What a nightmare.
*****Update*****
My friend just got an email from her fiancé.
Hey babe,
My friend just got an email from her fiancé.
Hey babe,
I’m back in town (I guess he was out of town for work today).
Do you want to go ring shopping with me?*
Can you send me the ceremony/passages/vows ideas you have found?
P
While this does not wash away the things that he said yesterday, at least he is reaching out and seems interested in planning now. They still have A LOT to discuss tonight.
*Another reason she is upset is because he has refused to wear a wedding ring on his finger. He said that he would wear it on a necklace around his neck instead because he isn’t used to wearing rings. Until today, he hadn’t wanted to look for a ring.
5.18.2009
Halfway
Friday marked the halfway point of my rotation here in DC. When I went home earlier this month, I remarked to CP “one month down!” He replied, “that’s it?” I agree with him….it seems like time is dragging on and that I have been here much longer. Hopefully the second half of my time down here goes by faster. At least we at least have three weekends together during this stretch as opposed to just two in the first half....
5.15.2009
8 things
This lady did this survey about a week ago....
8 Things I Look Forward To
1.) Our wedding in less than FIVE months- yikes!
2.) Our two-week honeymoon in Africa
3.) My bachelorette party in Chicago
4.) Driving home to MA from DC on July 1st
5.) Going home after work
6.) CP flying out to DC for Memorial Day weekend (the next time we will see each other)
7.) Start of festival season in DC (BBQ Battle- I am so there!)
8.) Weekends!!
8 Things I Did Yesterday
1.) Watched tv
2.) Went to work
3.) Didn't sleep enough
4.) Ate too much- bad me!
5.) Emailed CP.....with no response because he is so busy at work these days
6.) Worked on finding a hair and makeup person for the wedding- man is it expensive!!
7.) Read Entertainment Weekly during lunch
8.) Almost cried during an important and looooong meeting because of cramps
8 Things I Wish I Could Do
1.) Easily lose weight
2.) Always be motivated to go to the gym
3.) Run a marathon
4.) Pay off my student loans
5.) Hire a wedding coordinator
6.) Take an amazing vacation every year
7.) Move back to our west coast city this summer
8.) Make my boss less crazy
8 Shows I watch
1.) The Office
2.) 30 Rock
3.) Grey's Anatomy- what did people think of the finale? I was disappointed with the show until the last 10 minutes!!
4.) Tough Love
5.) South Park
6.) Law and Order: SVU
7.) Daily Show
8.) Colbert Report
8 Things I Look Forward To
1.) Our wedding in less than FIVE months- yikes!
2.) Our two-week honeymoon in Africa
3.) My bachelorette party in Chicago
4.) Driving home to MA from DC on July 1st
5.) Going home after work
6.) CP flying out to DC for Memorial Day weekend (the next time we will see each other)
7.) Start of festival season in DC (BBQ Battle- I am so there!)
8.) Weekends!!
8 Things I Did Yesterday
1.) Watched tv
2.) Went to work
3.) Didn't sleep enough
4.) Ate too much- bad me!
5.) Emailed CP.....with no response because he is so busy at work these days
6.) Worked on finding a hair and makeup person for the wedding- man is it expensive!!
7.) Read Entertainment Weekly during lunch
8.) Almost cried during an important and looooong meeting because of cramps
8 Things I Wish I Could Do
1.) Easily lose weight
2.) Always be motivated to go to the gym
3.) Run a marathon
4.) Pay off my student loans
5.) Hire a wedding coordinator
6.) Take an amazing vacation every year
7.) Move back to our west coast city this summer
8.) Make my boss less crazy
8 Shows I watch
1.) The Office
2.) 30 Rock
3.) Grey's Anatomy- what did people think of the finale? I was disappointed with the show until the last 10 minutes!!
4.) Tough Love
5.) South Park
6.) Law and Order: SVU
7.) Daily Show
8.) Colbert Report
5.14.2009
30 Day Shred
Since everyone else seems to have written a post on the 30 Day Shred, I might as well jump on the bandwagon! I bought the DVD when I first arrived in DC. I figured that I could do the DVD whenever I wanted as CP wouldn’t butt in wanting to watch tv. I brought my 5lb and 10lb weights in the car with me so I was ready to go!
The first time I did the DVD I truly didn’t think that it was that hard. Of course, this is when I was running about three times a week, anywhere from 3-5 miles. Also, doing different variations of pushups, situps, etc during workouts. The only exercise that I couldn’t finish with proper form was the side lunge with front arm raises. The 5lb weights became too heavy towards the end of the exercise.
For the next month or so, I was worried about my hamstring and only felt like eating and watching tv from the couch every night. Not good. This past weekend I took out the DVD again to get back on track. I did Level One…and because I have been a lazy bum, it was definitely tougher than the first time! It was hard to not stop towards the end of the pushups section and I had trouble again with the front arm raises. But it felt good to do it again.
After my short two mile run on Tuesday night, I went home and put in the video. I didn’t think about how DEAD my legs would be after not having run for a month, so towards the end of the simulated jump rope? My feet were not coming that far off the ground! But I made it through almost every exercise without stopping (save for the pushups and stupid front arm raises). I am hoping to do the video at least four times a week in addition to whatever else I do at the gym.
General comments on the video:
-I was originally worried about some Amazon.com reviews of the DVD that talked about the lack of alternative exercises for people with bad knees. I have two knees with tendonitis and on one of those knees I wear a J brace because my patella likes to move towards the outside of my knee cap. So far I haven’t had a problem with the jumping in the video.
-I decided to play my “workout” playlist on iTunes instead of listening to Jillian during the last workout. Although the music wasn’t always in sync with the exercise counts, it was a good distraction.
-I would kill for the bodies that the three women in the video have. The woman that does the “easier” exercises? Her stomach is ridiculous flat. So jealous!
-None of the exercises in Level One hurt my hamstring. Maybe I should have been doing video for the past month instead of sitting on my butt!
-I like the set up of the video because you don’t have time to think about wanting to quit. She moves quickly from exercise to exercise, and before you know it, you are done with the workout!
Since my pants have been getting a bit snugger over the past month from eating nasty foods and not exercising like I should, I am hoping to see that trend reversed through hard work at the gym and this video. I’ll let you know how I progress!
The first time I did the DVD I truly didn’t think that it was that hard. Of course, this is when I was running about three times a week, anywhere from 3-5 miles. Also, doing different variations of pushups, situps, etc during workouts. The only exercise that I couldn’t finish with proper form was the side lunge with front arm raises. The 5lb weights became too heavy towards the end of the exercise.
For the next month or so, I was worried about my hamstring and only felt like eating and watching tv from the couch every night. Not good. This past weekend I took out the DVD again to get back on track. I did Level One…and because I have been a lazy bum, it was definitely tougher than the first time! It was hard to not stop towards the end of the pushups section and I had trouble again with the front arm raises. But it felt good to do it again.
After my short two mile run on Tuesday night, I went home and put in the video. I didn’t think about how DEAD my legs would be after not having run for a month, so towards the end of the simulated jump rope? My feet were not coming that far off the ground! But I made it through almost every exercise without stopping (save for the pushups and stupid front arm raises). I am hoping to do the video at least four times a week in addition to whatever else I do at the gym.
General comments on the video:
-I was originally worried about some Amazon.com reviews of the DVD that talked about the lack of alternative exercises for people with bad knees. I have two knees with tendonitis and on one of those knees I wear a J brace because my patella likes to move towards the outside of my knee cap. So far I haven’t had a problem with the jumping in the video.
-I decided to play my “workout” playlist on iTunes instead of listening to Jillian during the last workout. Although the music wasn’t always in sync with the exercise counts, it was a good distraction.
-I would kill for the bodies that the three women in the video have. The woman that does the “easier” exercises? Her stomach is ridiculous flat. So jealous!
-None of the exercises in Level One hurt my hamstring. Maybe I should have been doing video for the past month instead of sitting on my butt!
-I like the set up of the video because you don’t have time to think about wanting to quit. She moves quickly from exercise to exercise, and before you know it, you are done with the workout!
Since my pants have been getting a bit snugger over the past month from eating nasty foods and not exercising like I should, I am hoping to see that trend reversed through hard work at the gym and this video. I’ll let you know how I progress!
5.13.2009
Thanks
Thanks for all of the comments yesterday on the issue of whether to open the bar earlier than planned. It made me feel much better about the way we were leaning. I truly think that guests are not going to RUN to the bar right after our ceremony (especially if we are taking a picture of all of our guests afterwards).
Thanks to the rant against myself on Monday (amongst other things), I think that I finally found the motivation to work out. Hopefully writing this doesn't jinx me!! :-) I went to the gym yesterday and jumped on the treadmill. I wasn't expecting anything fantastic, but I ran two miles (albeit at a slow pace)! In the month off from running, I had forgotten how awesome and happy I felt after finishing a run. In fact, I felt so happy and good that I went back to my apartment and did 30 Day Shred (Level One) too!
Thanks to the Biggest Loser, I also joined the pound for pound challenge (see sidebar). For every pound lost, General Mills will donate $.14 to Feeding America. I hope to lose another 20 pounds this summer!
Thanks to the creativity of CP, I think that we have a winning idea for our “unity ceremony” at the wedding. I have been searching on the internet, looking for ideas other than the regular candle, sand, wine, etc. I did find a wine, letter and box idea that was interesting, but by the time you open up the wine it will probably be sour and we don’t necessarily need to lug around a box if we are moving across the country again. Although, I do like the idea of writing each other letters to open on some designated anniversary (by then we probably will have forgotten about them!). CP insisted on something that was more “us.” So last night he thought of bringing out some sort of tree or plant during the ceremony. Have our officiant (our friend) say something about it and have members of the bridal party throw dirt into the pot. After the wedding we will plant it (and then have to transplant it when we move but whatever) and have to work to keep it alive (like our marriage- awwww). I think that it is a great idea (we will need to have hand wipes ready though)!
Thanks to the rant against myself on Monday (amongst other things), I think that I finally found the motivation to work out. Hopefully writing this doesn't jinx me!! :-) I went to the gym yesterday and jumped on the treadmill. I wasn't expecting anything fantastic, but I ran two miles (albeit at a slow pace)! In the month off from running, I had forgotten how awesome and happy I felt after finishing a run. In fact, I felt so happy and good that I went back to my apartment and did 30 Day Shred (Level One) too!
Thanks to the Biggest Loser, I also joined the pound for pound challenge (see sidebar). For every pound lost, General Mills will donate $.14 to Feeding America. I hope to lose another 20 pounds this summer!
Thanks to the creativity of CP, I think that we have a winning idea for our “unity ceremony” at the wedding. I have been searching on the internet, looking for ideas other than the regular candle, sand, wine, etc. I did find a wine, letter and box idea that was interesting, but by the time you open up the wine it will probably be sour and we don’t necessarily need to lug around a box if we are moving across the country again. Although, I do like the idea of writing each other letters to open on some designated anniversary (by then we probably will have forgotten about them!). CP insisted on something that was more “us.” So last night he thought of bringing out some sort of tree or plant during the ceremony. Have our officiant (our friend) say something about it and have members of the bridal party throw dirt into the pot. After the wedding we will plant it (and then have to transplant it when we move but whatever) and have to work to keep it alive (like our marriage- awwww). I think that it is a great idea (we will need to have hand wipes ready though)!
5.12.2009
Wedding balance
What is the balance between the wedding day being about you and your spouse versus being about the guests? We have been wrestling with this on a couple of different fronts.
Entrée at reception
When we did the meal tasting at our reception location a few weeks ago, CP and I tried to think of more exotic foods to serve as our entrees. Of course they had the regular steak, chicken, etc. but because we love to cook, we wanted something different. After speaking with the chef numerous times, w decided to have her prepare swordfish, duck breast, and lamb.
At the tasting, we immediately all loved the swordfish so that became one of our entrees. It has a tri-pepper salsa on top and it was fantastic. It will most likely be the dish I order the night of the wedding. The lamb with some sort of reduction sauce was also excellent, but the chef did say that it would probably become cold in the October air on its way to the tent. Needless to say, we don’t want cold food served to our guests so that option was thrown out. Finally, the duck was served with a cherry sauce on top. Not something that I have seen done in the past, but very good.
While all of our parents were adventurous enough to try the duck, they did warn us that certain people coming to the wedding might not enjoy that as a dish. CP and I threw around the idea of “safe” dish such as pork for a while. We obviously want our guests to enjoy the food at our reception, but we also want to do things differently. More “us.” We finally decided to go with swordfish and duck for the main entrees. If people do not eat fish or do not like the taste of something that is basically dark meat chicken, then they can have the vegetarian entrée which will be the “safe” dish.
Time between ceremony and cocktail hour
Two weekends ago, I hung out with my friend and her friend from home. This friend from home (“T”) had been a wedding planner for 10 years until recently. Because she has that background, at dinner she started asking all kinds of questions about our wedding. I was telling her the timeline of events (ceremony at 3pm, probably done by 3:30pm, cocktail hour starting at 4pm, reception starting at 5pm), when she stopped me and asked what the guests would be doing from 3:30 to 4pm. I replied that because the ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception are all on the same property (within 50 yards of each other), I figured that people would mingle until the cocktail hour started in the Inn.
She did not like that answer.
She then suggested that we open the bar up earlier (can't do it for monetary reasons) or serve a signature drink (cute idea, but sooo not us). My friend agreed with T that she would rush to the bar after the ceremony, not mingle with friends. *sigh* I did mention that we wanted to take a picture of everyone that came to the wedding right after the ceremony- rounding up that many people could take a while!
When I told CP about the conversation, he laughed at the signature drink idea- a reaction that was not a surprise. He suggested moving the ceremony to 3:15 as opposed to 3 so that there would be less time inbetween the ceremony and cocktail hour, but I thought that was a weird time. I could see people being late if we said that was our ceremony time.
So right now we are still debating. Open up the bar for water and non-alcoholic drinks? Let the guests deal less than a 30 minute wait before the bar opens? Having to wait until the bar opens at 4pm is not going to make or break the wedding, but when does thinking of your guests become too detailed?
Entrée at reception
When we did the meal tasting at our reception location a few weeks ago, CP and I tried to think of more exotic foods to serve as our entrees. Of course they had the regular steak, chicken, etc. but because we love to cook, we wanted something different. After speaking with the chef numerous times, w decided to have her prepare swordfish, duck breast, and lamb.
At the tasting, we immediately all loved the swordfish so that became one of our entrees. It has a tri-pepper salsa on top and it was fantastic. It will most likely be the dish I order the night of the wedding. The lamb with some sort of reduction sauce was also excellent, but the chef did say that it would probably become cold in the October air on its way to the tent. Needless to say, we don’t want cold food served to our guests so that option was thrown out. Finally, the duck was served with a cherry sauce on top. Not something that I have seen done in the past, but very good.
While all of our parents were adventurous enough to try the duck, they did warn us that certain people coming to the wedding might not enjoy that as a dish. CP and I threw around the idea of “safe” dish such as pork for a while. We obviously want our guests to enjoy the food at our reception, but we also want to do things differently. More “us.” We finally decided to go with swordfish and duck for the main entrees. If people do not eat fish or do not like the taste of something that is basically dark meat chicken, then they can have the vegetarian entrée which will be the “safe” dish.
Time between ceremony and cocktail hour
Two weekends ago, I hung out with my friend and her friend from home. This friend from home (“T”) had been a wedding planner for 10 years until recently. Because she has that background, at dinner she started asking all kinds of questions about our wedding. I was telling her the timeline of events (ceremony at 3pm, probably done by 3:30pm, cocktail hour starting at 4pm, reception starting at 5pm), when she stopped me and asked what the guests would be doing from 3:30 to 4pm. I replied that because the ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception are all on the same property (within 50 yards of each other), I figured that people would mingle until the cocktail hour started in the Inn.
She did not like that answer.
She then suggested that we open the bar up earlier (can't do it for monetary reasons) or serve a signature drink (cute idea, but sooo not us). My friend agreed with T that she would rush to the bar after the ceremony, not mingle with friends. *sigh* I did mention that we wanted to take a picture of everyone that came to the wedding right after the ceremony- rounding up that many people could take a while!
When I told CP about the conversation, he laughed at the signature drink idea- a reaction that was not a surprise. He suggested moving the ceremony to 3:15 as opposed to 3 so that there would be less time inbetween the ceremony and cocktail hour, but I thought that was a weird time. I could see people being late if we said that was our ceremony time.
So right now we are still debating. Open up the bar for water and non-alcoholic drinks? Let the guests deal less than a 30 minute wait before the bar opens? Having to wait until the bar opens at 4pm is not going to make or break the wedding, but when does thinking of your guests become too detailed?
5.11.2009
Open Letters
Dear whomever designed the bathrooms at work,
I’m not sure I have ever seen foot flushers before, but they kind of make sense. Now I don’t have to touch the flusher myself or awkwardly use my foot after using the bathroom. You know what it is NOT good for though? Courtesy flushes. Maybe you should have thought of that.
Sincerly,
Courtesy flusher at work
Dear self,
You suck. Seriously. You were SO PROUD of the fact that you lost 20 pounds earlier this year. You were steadily working towards a goal weight, only to be derailed by the train that is Washington DC. You are indulging in foods that you shouldn’t be eating. You are sitting around watching Law and Order: SVU instead of outside in the beautiful (well, often rainy) weather working out. You make excuses to not work out…despite the fact that you don’t have much to do during the week. I am very disappointed in you. If you are not careful, you will quickly gain back the weight that you worked so hard to lose. Get your fat a** off the couch and get on a schedule. It’s not like you don’t have the tools! The Wii Fit), 30 Day Shred and weights in your apartment (with no one else to bogart the tv), a gym downstairs in your building (which you have visited ONCE), a park across the street (also visited only ONCE), and a boot camp that you have signed up and paid for.
I know that your hamstring hurts, but just make a damn appointment to see a physical therapist and be done with it! After a month off of running it is going to be painful when you start back up again (whenever that is going to be allowed), but hopefully your muscles won’t hate you too much.
Get motivated. NOW.
Sincerely,
Your pissed off self
P.S. I know that you checked the weather Saturday morning and it said that it was going to rain and be cloudy all day, but you still should have put on sunscreen. Don’t be silly like that again.
Dear CP,
I miss you! Can you make Memorial Day weekend come faster????
Love,
Your lonely fiance
Dear USA Network,
I am utterly obsessed with Law and Order: SVU. I need you to stop playing it so much because I have set my DVR to tape every episode that you play, no matter what time it is or what day it is. This past weekend did you really have to air 9 episodes in a row? That is a bit ridonkulous. I do need my Benson and Stabler, but don’t you have some other shows to play?
Sincerely,
SVU fan that should be working out instead of watching tv
Dear woman in the bathroom,
Both of us seemed to be on the same schedule on Friday. The first time I came into the bathroom you were primping yourself in the mirror and you had even brought in an eyelash curler. Really? Was that necessary? After lunch we ran into each other again. Once again you were primping yourself in the mirror and brought out the eyelash curler. Are you that concerned about how your eyelashes look at work? Maybe you have some kind of obsession? Maybe I don’t understand because I don’t really wear much make up to work?
Sincerly,
Confused
Dear boss,
Can you give me some work to do? Or maybe make me go to a training? I hate being bored and while I could be surfing the internet to look for the few wedding vendors we still need to book, I'm pretty sure you don't want me doing that.
Also, could you stop being so crazy? I mean, you are making for some good stories to tell people, but if asked, I would NEVER work here. I have a feeling that you are only being nice to me because I am here until June 30th.
Sincerely,
Bored
Dear Spanish embassy,
I was really excited to visit you this past weekend as part of the Passport to DC series. You were definitely one of the embassies that I was looking forward to going to. However, your lines were ridiculous. We waited for over an hour to get upstairs to eat some of the ridiculously good-smelling paella that walked by us, but ended up leaving before we got to eat because we didn’t see an end in sight. I realize that your embassy was probably not set up for so many people, but maybe the food should have been downstairs? The flamenco dancers were cool though….
Sincerely,
Sad
Dear Angelina Jolie,
Can I please give you a cookie? This weekend I watched The Changeling and your scary-skinny arms were distracting me during the entire movie. You used to have a great body (i.e. Tomb Raider), but now I just feel like you are going to break in half. Maybe you should slow down on the baby making/ adopting so that you can eat once in a while. Just a thought.
Sincerely,
Distracted watcher of your movie
I’m not sure I have ever seen foot flushers before, but they kind of make sense. Now I don’t have to touch the flusher myself or awkwardly use my foot after using the bathroom. You know what it is NOT good for though? Courtesy flushes. Maybe you should have thought of that.
Sincerly,
Courtesy flusher at work
Dear self,
You suck. Seriously. You were SO PROUD of the fact that you lost 20 pounds earlier this year. You were steadily working towards a goal weight, only to be derailed by the train that is Washington DC. You are indulging in foods that you shouldn’t be eating. You are sitting around watching Law and Order: SVU instead of outside in the beautiful (well, often rainy) weather working out. You make excuses to not work out…despite the fact that you don’t have much to do during the week. I am very disappointed in you. If you are not careful, you will quickly gain back the weight that you worked so hard to lose. Get your fat a** off the couch and get on a schedule. It’s not like you don’t have the tools! The Wii Fit), 30 Day Shred and weights in your apartment (with no one else to bogart the tv), a gym downstairs in your building (which you have visited ONCE), a park across the street (also visited only ONCE), and a boot camp that you have signed up and paid for.
I know that your hamstring hurts, but just make a damn appointment to see a physical therapist and be done with it! After a month off of running it is going to be painful when you start back up again (whenever that is going to be allowed), but hopefully your muscles won’t hate you too much.
Get motivated. NOW.
Sincerely,
Your pissed off self
P.S. I know that you checked the weather Saturday morning and it said that it was going to rain and be cloudy all day, but you still should have put on sunscreen. Don’t be silly like that again.
Dear CP,
I miss you! Can you make Memorial Day weekend come faster????
Love,
Your lonely fiance
Dear USA Network,
I am utterly obsessed with Law and Order: SVU. I need you to stop playing it so much because I have set my DVR to tape every episode that you play, no matter what time it is or what day it is. This past weekend did you really have to air 9 episodes in a row? That is a bit ridonkulous. I do need my Benson and Stabler, but don’t you have some other shows to play?
Sincerely,
SVU fan that should be working out instead of watching tv
Dear woman in the bathroom,
Both of us seemed to be on the same schedule on Friday. The first time I came into the bathroom you were primping yourself in the mirror and you had even brought in an eyelash curler. Really? Was that necessary? After lunch we ran into each other again. Once again you were primping yourself in the mirror and brought out the eyelash curler. Are you that concerned about how your eyelashes look at work? Maybe you have some kind of obsession? Maybe I don’t understand because I don’t really wear much make up to work?
Sincerly,
Confused
Dear boss,
Can you give me some work to do? Or maybe make me go to a training? I hate being bored and while I could be surfing the internet to look for the few wedding vendors we still need to book, I'm pretty sure you don't want me doing that.
Also, could you stop being so crazy? I mean, you are making for some good stories to tell people, but if asked, I would NEVER work here. I have a feeling that you are only being nice to me because I am here until June 30th.
Sincerely,
Bored
Dear Spanish embassy,
I was really excited to visit you this past weekend as part of the Passport to DC series. You were definitely one of the embassies that I was looking forward to going to. However, your lines were ridiculous. We waited for over an hour to get upstairs to eat some of the ridiculously good-smelling paella that walked by us, but ended up leaving before we got to eat because we didn’t see an end in sight. I realize that your embassy was probably not set up for so many people, but maybe the food should have been downstairs? The flamenco dancers were cool though….
Sincerely,
Sad
Dear Angelina Jolie,
Can I please give you a cookie? This weekend I watched The Changeling and your scary-skinny arms were distracting me during the entire movie. You used to have a great body (i.e. Tomb Raider), but now I just feel like you are going to break in half. Maybe you should slow down on the baby making/ adopting so that you can eat once in a while. Just a thought.
Sincerely,
Distracted watcher of your movie
5.08.2009
Can you top my stories?
Less than two months to go here in DC! The longer I am here, the more I find out about this place. For instance, last week I was walking down the hall with a random woman and went to walk into my office. She said, “oh THAT’S where you work?” and then made an awful face. Coworkers thought that the story was hilarious, but I found it kind of sad that this office has such a bad reputation!
After I told the story I was forwarded two emails from coworkers regarding my crazy boss. Once I read them, I understood a bit better why the office reputation might be so bad.
In one, some of the employees got together and were going to have a pizza party during lunch. The employees were going to pay for the pizza, soda, etc. so no company time or money would be spent. As soon as my boss got wind of it, this was the first part of his email reaction:
NO! NO! NO! THIS IS NOT HAPPENING. NEITHER [redacted] NOR I WAS CONSULTED, NEITHER OF US GAVE PERMISSION AND NEITHER OF US APPROVES OF THIS ACTIVITY.
Wow. Way to shoot down a PIZZA PARTY. Something that would bring employees together and maybe make them MORE PRODUCTIVE. *snort*
The other crazy email forwarded to me was regarding possible TOXIC MOLD in the office. Ummm hi? Can toxic mold be a problem if you are breathing it in for three months? Regardless, the story goes that coworkers saw black dust coming out of vents in the office. Someone in the office notified the building and testing was scheduled. Meanwhile, the employees lobbied my crazy boss to open the door during work hours. My crazy boss refused to do so, citing “safety concerns”- basically that he was worried that people would come into the office and steal purses/ belongings.
First off, I work in a secure building where you either have you sign in if you are a guest (and show ID) or show a badge every day. We are on the third floor and our office door leads out into the hallway. My company takes up the entire building. We are able to lock belongings in our cubicle drawers. So basically my crazy boss felt that opening the door was not necessary (at this point his office was on a different floor so even if there was mold, it wouldn’t affect him).
One of my coworkers had to go over the head of my crazy boss in order to press the situation. The higher up (of course) said that he was being ridonkulous* and to allow the office door to be open. To make the situation even more laughable, my crazy boss allowed the door to be open but stuck a note on the back of the door only allowing the door to be open from 8am-12pm and then again from 2pm-4pm. When I first arrived, I had wondered why there was a post-it note taped to the back of the door with times listed…..now I know why.
Have you ever had a boss as bad as this?????
*I will admit, she probably didn’t use this word. :-)
After I told the story I was forwarded two emails from coworkers regarding my crazy boss. Once I read them, I understood a bit better why the office reputation might be so bad.
In one, some of the employees got together and were going to have a pizza party during lunch. The employees were going to pay for the pizza, soda, etc. so no company time or money would be spent. As soon as my boss got wind of it, this was the first part of his email reaction:
NO! NO! NO! THIS IS NOT HAPPENING. NEITHER [redacted] NOR I WAS CONSULTED, NEITHER OF US GAVE PERMISSION AND NEITHER OF US APPROVES OF THIS ACTIVITY.
Wow. Way to shoot down a PIZZA PARTY. Something that would bring employees together and maybe make them MORE PRODUCTIVE. *snort*
The other crazy email forwarded to me was regarding possible TOXIC MOLD in the office. Ummm hi? Can toxic mold be a problem if you are breathing it in for three months? Regardless, the story goes that coworkers saw black dust coming out of vents in the office. Someone in the office notified the building and testing was scheduled. Meanwhile, the employees lobbied my crazy boss to open the door during work hours. My crazy boss refused to do so, citing “safety concerns”- basically that he was worried that people would come into the office and steal purses/ belongings.
First off, I work in a secure building where you either have you sign in if you are a guest (and show ID) or show a badge every day. We are on the third floor and our office door leads out into the hallway. My company takes up the entire building. We are able to lock belongings in our cubicle drawers. So basically my crazy boss felt that opening the door was not necessary (at this point his office was on a different floor so even if there was mold, it wouldn’t affect him).
One of my coworkers had to go over the head of my crazy boss in order to press the situation. The higher up (of course) said that he was being ridonkulous* and to allow the office door to be open. To make the situation even more laughable, my crazy boss allowed the door to be open but stuck a note on the back of the door only allowing the door to be open from 8am-12pm and then again from 2pm-4pm. When I first arrived, I had wondered why there was a post-it note taped to the back of the door with times listed…..now I know why.
Have you ever had a boss as bad as this?????
*I will admit, she probably didn’t use this word. :-)
5.07.2009
More wedding decisions
Monday was spent running wedding-related errands. We figured out the wording that we wanted for our invitations and then ordered them (along with the response cards, direction cards and matching thank you notes). The invitations will look like this:
Carlson Craft Invitations
We picked up our wedding rings, made sure they fit, and then left them with the jeweler to get them engraved. We wanted to keep the engraving simple so for his ring we have “XXX (my initials) to YYY (his initials) 10-03-09.” The initials are reversed for my ring.
Finally, I think that we FINALLY have a winner in our many ideas circulating on ways to name the different tables AND our favors. I suggested naming each table a different place that we have visited as a couple, and then including a picture of us at that location on the table. For the favor, I wanted to donate to a charity…. CP was iffy on the table naming idea; did not like the charity donation idea for a favor.
We flirted with getting chocolates from a local chocolate shop for a while as it would be fairly easy and inexpensive. My aunt suggested that we make a huge batch of interestingly-flavored jam and put them in 3 oz containers (for all of the people flying) for the favor.
After contemplating those ideas, I think we have finally settled on something more “us.” We are contemplating naming each table after a different herb or spice. Then for the favor we would print out a different favorite recipe for each table that used the corresponding herb or spice. To go even further, CP wants us to dehydrate homegrown herbs, seal them with our vacuum seal and then include them with the recipe. I think that it is a great idea…..but it is definitely going to take a lot of work!!
Carlson Craft InvitationsWe picked up our wedding rings, made sure they fit, and then left them with the jeweler to get them engraved. We wanted to keep the engraving simple so for his ring we have “XXX (my initials) to YYY (his initials) 10-03-09.” The initials are reversed for my ring.
Finally, I think that we FINALLY have a winner in our many ideas circulating on ways to name the different tables AND our favors. I suggested naming each table a different place that we have visited as a couple, and then including a picture of us at that location on the table. For the favor, I wanted to donate to a charity…. CP was iffy on the table naming idea; did not like the charity donation idea for a favor.
We flirted with getting chocolates from a local chocolate shop for a while as it would be fairly easy and inexpensive. My aunt suggested that we make a huge batch of interestingly-flavored jam and put them in 3 oz containers (for all of the people flying) for the favor.
After contemplating those ideas, I think we have finally settled on something more “us.” We are contemplating naming each table after a different herb or spice. Then for the favor we would print out a different favorite recipe for each table that used the corresponding herb or spice. To go even further, CP wants us to dehydrate homegrown herbs, seal them with our vacuum seal and then include them with the recipe. I think that it is a great idea…..but it is definitely going to take a lot of work!!
5.06.2009
Missing home already.....
[programming note: I meant to post this yesterday but I went straight from work to drinking margaritas! Needless to say, when I got home last night....I was ready for bed! :-) ]
Oh what a great weekend! After arriving back in MA, CP picked me up at the airport with Fuzzy Britches in tow, her tail thumping against the back seat in excitement. Boy have I missed both of them! That night, CP and I went out to dinner at a new-to-us restaurant. Unfortunately, it was not that good, but oh well.
After arriving home, I was a bit shocked to see the mess that is our house. The living room, second bedroom (because it doesn’t get used), and the office were all clean. The kitchen, bedroom, and eating area were not. Dirty clothes all over the floor of the bedroom (“well, the clothes hampers are downstairs in the basement” CP said), dog hair tumbleweeds on the wood floors, and mail strewn all over the place. Needless to say, I was a bit shocked because CP said that the place was “cleaner than when I am home.” Huh. Riiiiight. Both of us were tired and had to get up early, so I decided to deal with it later.
After our first day of check-out dives on Saturday (more on that another day), CP and I stopped at a local seafood store and decided to buy lobsters for dinner. Mmmmm lobster. As I did three loads of laundry, cleaned/ scrubbed his bathroom, swept the floors, picked up the house, and cleaned the kitchen, CP made dinner. CP didn’t ask me to clean, but I guess I was feeling guilty about not being around to help out so I actually took some pleasure in cleaning the house for him. (?????)
My lobster was delicious and decadent. We also had corn, a sweet potato and champagne. :-) The champagne was a suggestion from my parents for our wedding as it tastes good, but is inexpensive. We watched most of Slumdog Millionaire that night- I say some because the stupid DVD skipped right at the end of the movie and we missed about 10 minutes of a really important part (I won’t give it away for those that haven’t seen the movie). Stupid Blockbuster.
Sunday we were exhausted from diving in the ocean so after randomly stopping at a delicious restaurant for lunch, CP and I spent a nice night on the couch napping, snuggling and watching tv.
Wedding-related stuff tomorrow....
Oh what a great weekend! After arriving back in MA, CP picked me up at the airport with Fuzzy Britches in tow, her tail thumping against the back seat in excitement. Boy have I missed both of them! That night, CP and I went out to dinner at a new-to-us restaurant. Unfortunately, it was not that good, but oh well.
After arriving home, I was a bit shocked to see the mess that is our house. The living room, second bedroom (because it doesn’t get used), and the office were all clean. The kitchen, bedroom, and eating area were not. Dirty clothes all over the floor of the bedroom (“well, the clothes hampers are downstairs in the basement” CP said), dog hair tumbleweeds on the wood floors, and mail strewn all over the place. Needless to say, I was a bit shocked because CP said that the place was “cleaner than when I am home.” Huh. Riiiiight. Both of us were tired and had to get up early, so I decided to deal with it later.
After our first day of check-out dives on Saturday (more on that another day), CP and I stopped at a local seafood store and decided to buy lobsters for dinner. Mmmmm lobster. As I did three loads of laundry, cleaned/ scrubbed his bathroom, swept the floors, picked up the house, and cleaned the kitchen, CP made dinner. CP didn’t ask me to clean, but I guess I was feeling guilty about not being around to help out so I actually took some pleasure in cleaning the house for him. (?????)
My lobster was delicious and decadent. We also had corn, a sweet potato and champagne. :-) The champagne was a suggestion from my parents for our wedding as it tastes good, but is inexpensive. We watched most of Slumdog Millionaire that night- I say some because the stupid DVD skipped right at the end of the movie and we missed about 10 minutes of a really important part (I won’t give it away for those that haven’t seen the movie). Stupid Blockbuster.
Sunday we were exhausted from diving in the ocean so after randomly stopping at a delicious restaurant for lunch, CP and I spent a nice night on the couch napping, snuggling and watching tv.
Wedding-related stuff tomorrow....
5.01.2009
Reunion!
This afternoon I will be flying back to MA (unless thunderstorms in DC or the swine flu get in the way of course). At the airport, I will be meeting CP.....
.....who does not look like this random clip art guy and will most likely NOT be carrying a rose. Regardless, I will still be VERY EXCITED to see him.
Also in the car will be Fuzzy Britches......
......the cutest puppy ever! I haven't seen her in a month and I can't wait to give her a BIG HUG.
.....who does not look like this random clip art guy and will most likely NOT be carrying a rose. Regardless, I will still be VERY EXCITED to see him.Also in the car will be Fuzzy Britches......
......the cutest puppy ever! I haven't seen her in a month and I can't wait to give her a BIG HUG.
We will (hopefully) be getting our scuba certification this weekend AND ordering invitations, ordering bridesmaid dresses, and picking up my wedding ring!!! I probably won't be back until Tuesday. Have a fabulous weekend everyone!
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