Dear 2008,
Man, will I be glad to see you go. At first glance, it seems like I really shouldn't be that angry with you. After all, it was 2007 that took my husband away from me for over a year. But still, you did bring things like this and this to me out of nowhere.
I did my best to celebrate your arrival. I went out with two friends to an overcrowded bar, even though all I wanted to do was sleep! Maybe you could tell, though, since you decided to do all you could to drag yourself out, throwing a leap year at me and even adding an extra second to yourself tonight.
I did my best to make you go by quickly, and praise the Lord you did. I kept myself ridiculously busy with training and completing umpteen billion athletic feats (OK, like 6, but whatever. It was a lot.). I went on a couple trips with friends. I got promoted. I met some famous people. I went to a handful of concerts (interesting ones and awesome ones). I rode a hot air balloon for the first time and made it to Day 12 for the first time ever with K. Thanks to K, I got pampered a lot, which was definitely awesome. And I was only in one wedding this year (sorry, haven't blogged about it ... but it was just over a week ago, and I haven't even looked at my pictures yet!).
But I spent a lot of 2008 just waiting, getting by. Almost everything I did was designed to get me closer to 2009. Every step, every pedal, every countdown (man, there were a lot of those!) was added intentionally to make the next countdown seem that much closer. I spent a lot of time exhausted, but my plan worked.
Despite your stubbornness and added time, 2008, I won't look back at you as a bad year, but I'm still glad to see you go. And I'm going to celebrate tonight the way I wanted to last year: I'm going to bed. And I'm sleeping in.
And when I wake up tomorrow, I'll have a smile on my face. It's just that I'm really looking forward to so many things 2009 holds for me: My Sooners are in the national championship (here's hoping we don't roll over and die), I'll get to leave Dallas (thank you, Jesus!), K and I will have our "real" wedding (and it will be awesome!), and I'll finally finally finally get to live with my husband (in case you're wondering, we still don't know where).
But the part of 2009 I'm most looking forward to will come only a few days into the year: K will come home.
So please don't dawdle on your way out, 2008. I'm ready to start living to the fullest again.
Love,
me
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Monday, December 29, 2008
Evidently you have to be here to understand it
I just saw a coworker in the kitchen this morning. She asked how my Christmas went -- "Did you get to see your husband? Wait, doesn't he come home soon?"
I said, "Yeah, like in less than a week and a half."
"Oh my gosh! Are you so excited?"
"I'm stressed!"
She gave me a confused look, turned and walked away quickly.
Guess next time I shouldn't be so honest.
I said, "Yeah, like in less than a week and a half."
"Oh my gosh! Are you so excited?"
"I'm stressed!"
She gave me a confused look, turned and walked away quickly.
Guess next time I shouldn't be so honest.
I wonder if this means I'll be scrambling in a couple weeks
In an effort to not repeat the absolute neuroticism of the days (and weeks) leading up to K's last return home, I've been trying to not let the fact that the deployment is almost over get to me.
I think for the most part, it's working. Maybe even a little too well.
Because instead of rushing around doing 50 billion things to prepare for K's arrival, when I have time for peace and quiet at home, I've done nothing.
Never mind the fact I need to dust.
Never mind the fact I have papers to file and organize.
Never mind the fact I could stand to organize and throw out quite a few things that will make the eventual (like in 6 months) move easier.
No, this time, my attempt to prevent the insanity, nonstop cleaning and sleepless nights is to do absolutely nothing.
Surely there's a happy medium in there. We'll see if I find it in the next week or so.
*Before you get worried that K will come home to a pigsty, you should know that it could be until mid-January before he's able to come to my apartment in Dallas. The homecoming will take place in Louisiana. :)
I think for the most part, it's working. Maybe even a little too well.
Because instead of rushing around doing 50 billion things to prepare for K's arrival, when I have time for peace and quiet at home, I've done nothing.
Never mind the fact I need to dust.
Never mind the fact I have papers to file and organize.
Never mind the fact I could stand to organize and throw out quite a few things that will make the eventual (like in 6 months) move easier.
No, this time, my attempt to prevent the insanity, nonstop cleaning and sleepless nights is to do absolutely nothing.
Surely there's a happy medium in there. We'll see if I find it in the next week or so.
*Before you get worried that K will come home to a pigsty, you should know that it could be until mid-January before he's able to come to my apartment in Dallas. The homecoming will take place in Louisiana. :)
Saturday, December 27, 2008
How did you spend your Saturday night? I went dumpster diving.
K and I had only known each other for three months when he turned 27. He had mentioned once that he was wanting to get a casual watch, so I knew that's what I wanted to get him for his birthday. I went to four different stores looking for the perfect watch before I finally wound up choosing a band and face separately.
I was ridiculously nervous that he'd hate it. Really ridiculously nervous. But everything turned out great. K loved the watch.
While K is deployed, quite a few of his "civilian clothes," including the watch, are being stored in my apartment. Over the summer, when I was getting ready for K to come home for R&R, I noticed the watch had died. I took it to the Fossil store to get the battery replaced, and an employee at the store accidentally broke one of the hands off the watch face. I could send it off to be repaired (under warranty), but it would take 3 weeks, which was longer than K would be home.
The employee checked the computer to see if any nearby stores carried the same watch face, but it was discontinued. Since it seemed K would be without his watch no matter what, I decided to wait until the end of the deployment to get the battery replaced. At least that way, it wouldn't just sit running for several months.
I sent the watch off a few weeks ago, and I got it back good as new about a week and a half ago. I put the watch in my mail stack to sort through later.
For some reason, I thought about the watch face yesterday morning. I didn't see it on my table, so I realized I'd probably accidentally thrown it in the trash when I'd sorted through my mail a few days ago. There wasn't anything in the trash that could ruin it, and I was running late leaving for work, so I made a mental note to go through my trash when I got home last night.
Unfortunately, my mental note didn't register until tonight -- and I took my trash out this morning. I looked everywhere in my apartment that I could think of that I could have put the watch face. It was in none of those places.
I headed out to the dumpsters, but sure enough, they were loaded with boxes and Christmas trees (who throws those things away already?!). I searched the bags that hadn't made it into the dumpsters, hoping maybe I'd missed when I'd tossed my garbage bag over the little fence surrounding the dumpsters. No such luck.
I ran back to my apartment and started searching more closely through all of the same places again. I called my dad and told him all about the watch and how I'd misplaced it. Very quickly into the story, I was crying. By the end of it, I was sobbing. I knew it was ridiculous and that K wouldn't be remotely as upset as I was about all of it, but I couldn't help it. When I finished my second round of searching, there was still no sign of the watch.
I couldn't quit crying, and I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep. I honestly felt like I could've thrown up. I really just wanted to be able to talk to K about it right then, but that wasn't possible.
I got off the phone, and I headed back out to the dumpsters, armed with a flashlight. I tried to search as much as I could by touching as little of other people's trash as possible (I'm a huge germophobe). My dad called me back to see if I'd found the watch yet. He offered to drive to Dallas with my brother so the two of them could dig through the dumpsters for me.
The thought of my dad and brother driving two and a half hours late on a Saturday night (they wouldn't have gotten here until 10:30 or later) just to dig through dumpsters seemed awful, but the gesture was so sweet it made me cry even harder. I told my dad I'd keep digging and give him an update soon.
After several more minutes of digging, I was able to find two empty boxes I'd thrown away this morning, which gave me a little hope, but I couldn't see any sign of my garbage bag. I moved around to the other side of the dumpster to get a different perspective. A Christmas tree was on that side, along with quite a few large boxes, so it was hard to really see much. I'd been looking for quite a while, and the whole search seemed futile. I wasn't worried enough to climb into the dumpster and really dig, so after over an hour of crying and searching, I gave up.
I called my dad back and admitted defeat. He offered again for him and my brother to come down and help. I told him no again, and I told him K and I would just have to choose a new watch face together once he's home. It'll have its own sentimental value because we'll choose it together, and it'll be a "Yay, you're home" watch face. Thinking of it that way helped me stop crying.
A few hours (and a hot shower!) later, I've still got a headache from crying so hard. I feel a lot more at peace about the whole thing, especially since K and I can pick out a new watch together.
That being said, I'm still not completely confident I won't have a bit of an urge to go dumpster diving again tomorrow.
I was ridiculously nervous that he'd hate it. Really ridiculously nervous. But everything turned out great. K loved the watch.
While K is deployed, quite a few of his "civilian clothes," including the watch, are being stored in my apartment. Over the summer, when I was getting ready for K to come home for R&R, I noticed the watch had died. I took it to the Fossil store to get the battery replaced, and an employee at the store accidentally broke one of the hands off the watch face. I could send it off to be repaired (under warranty), but it would take 3 weeks, which was longer than K would be home.
The employee checked the computer to see if any nearby stores carried the same watch face, but it was discontinued. Since it seemed K would be without his watch no matter what, I decided to wait until the end of the deployment to get the battery replaced. At least that way, it wouldn't just sit running for several months.
I sent the watch off a few weeks ago, and I got it back good as new about a week and a half ago. I put the watch in my mail stack to sort through later.
For some reason, I thought about the watch face yesterday morning. I didn't see it on my table, so I realized I'd probably accidentally thrown it in the trash when I'd sorted through my mail a few days ago. There wasn't anything in the trash that could ruin it, and I was running late leaving for work, so I made a mental note to go through my trash when I got home last night.
Unfortunately, my mental note didn't register until tonight -- and I took my trash out this morning. I looked everywhere in my apartment that I could think of that I could have put the watch face. It was in none of those places.
I headed out to the dumpsters, but sure enough, they were loaded with boxes and Christmas trees (who throws those things away already?!). I searched the bags that hadn't made it into the dumpsters, hoping maybe I'd missed when I'd tossed my garbage bag over the little fence surrounding the dumpsters. No such luck.
I ran back to my apartment and started searching more closely through all of the same places again. I called my dad and told him all about the watch and how I'd misplaced it. Very quickly into the story, I was crying. By the end of it, I was sobbing. I knew it was ridiculous and that K wouldn't be remotely as upset as I was about all of it, but I couldn't help it. When I finished my second round of searching, there was still no sign of the watch.
I couldn't quit crying, and I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep. I honestly felt like I could've thrown up. I really just wanted to be able to talk to K about it right then, but that wasn't possible.
I got off the phone, and I headed back out to the dumpsters, armed with a flashlight. I tried to search as much as I could by touching as little of other people's trash as possible (I'm a huge germophobe). My dad called me back to see if I'd found the watch yet. He offered to drive to Dallas with my brother so the two of them could dig through the dumpsters for me.
The thought of my dad and brother driving two and a half hours late on a Saturday night (they wouldn't have gotten here until 10:30 or later) just to dig through dumpsters seemed awful, but the gesture was so sweet it made me cry even harder. I told my dad I'd keep digging and give him an update soon.
After several more minutes of digging, I was able to find two empty boxes I'd thrown away this morning, which gave me a little hope, but I couldn't see any sign of my garbage bag. I moved around to the other side of the dumpster to get a different perspective. A Christmas tree was on that side, along with quite a few large boxes, so it was hard to really see much. I'd been looking for quite a while, and the whole search seemed futile. I wasn't worried enough to climb into the dumpster and really dig, so after over an hour of crying and searching, I gave up.
I called my dad back and admitted defeat. He offered again for him and my brother to come down and help. I told him no again, and I told him K and I would just have to choose a new watch face together once he's home. It'll have its own sentimental value because we'll choose it together, and it'll be a "Yay, you're home" watch face. Thinking of it that way helped me stop crying.
A few hours (and a hot shower!) later, I've still got a headache from crying so hard. I feel a lot more at peace about the whole thing, especially since K and I can pick out a new watch together.
That being said, I'm still not completely confident I won't have a bit of an urge to go dumpster diving again tomorrow.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Merry Christmas, Oklahoma style!
I'm heading to Oklahoma tonight for bridesmaid duty! I'm really looking forward to my friends' wedding, and I'm so excited to get to be a part of it.
One thing I'm also excited about is that this time of year in Oklahoma, there's no way of avoiding hearing a certain little jingle. It's been around for decades, and it's really become Oklahoma's own little Christmas carol. (I'm so not exaggerating -- we used to sing this thing on bus trips in high school!)
Give it a listen! Hope you think it's as awesome as we* do!
*By "we," I mean Okies. :)
One thing I'm also excited about is that this time of year in Oklahoma, there's no way of avoiding hearing a certain little jingle. It's been around for decades, and it's really become Oklahoma's own little Christmas carol. (I'm so not exaggerating -- we used to sing this thing on bus trips in high school!)
Give it a listen! Hope you think it's as awesome as we* do!
*By "we," I mean Okies. :)
I MISS MY (a.m.) SLEEP!
I swear, I feel like I'm just so behind! I've hardly read blogs lately, and I've hardly blogged myself lately.
I can pinpoint all this to one weekend: Nov. 1 & 2.
That was the weekend of the NASCAR race and my half-marathon. And the time change. I thought for a long time that it was taking me a while to adjust to the time change. Never mind the fact I've never had this much trouble adjusting to a time change or the fact it's just one stupid hour.
I don't know why it's taken me so long to really figure out what the culprit is: Jeremy.
See, he's been my workout buddy for two years. He knows more what he's doing than I do, so I've gotten used to just following him around and working out with him. I've gotten a lot better results than I ever did by myself.
Well, shortly after the time change, Jeremy decided he didn't want to work out at night anymore. He wanted to go at 5:30 a.m. And since I'd spent this entire deployment being a gym/running/cycling rockstar, I wasn't about to quit just a matter of weeks before K was coming home for good.
So I sucked it up and started getting up and going at 5:30 also. And it's killing me.
Yes, I have my evenings free, but I go to bed early now! Before, I went to bed at midnight on an early night. I'd stay up unti 1:30 pretty regularly, just getting things done. I'd watch TV, do laundry, get things organized, read blogs ...
Now, going to bed at 11:30 is a late night. Most days, it's 11 or even 10:30. Last night? I was in bed by 10. TEN!!! My nights have gone from being productive to just eating dinner, cleaning the kitchen, relaxing on the couch for half an hour (an hour on Mondays for The Hills!!!), and then getting ready for bed. Not exactly productive. And somehow, I'm still exhausted on the weekends! Gah!
Thank goodness, I've got just a few more months of this to go, and then K and I will be living together (finally), and we'll be workout buddies at a reasonable time. I've seen plenty more of 5:15 a.m. than I ever care to again!
I can pinpoint all this to one weekend: Nov. 1 & 2.
That was the weekend of the NASCAR race and my half-marathon. And the time change. I thought for a long time that it was taking me a while to adjust to the time change. Never mind the fact I've never had this much trouble adjusting to a time change or the fact it's just one stupid hour.
I don't know why it's taken me so long to really figure out what the culprit is: Jeremy.
See, he's been my workout buddy for two years. He knows more what he's doing than I do, so I've gotten used to just following him around and working out with him. I've gotten a lot better results than I ever did by myself.
Well, shortly after the time change, Jeremy decided he didn't want to work out at night anymore. He wanted to go at 5:30 a.m. And since I'd spent this entire deployment being a gym/running/cycling rockstar, I wasn't about to quit just a matter of weeks before K was coming home for good.
So I sucked it up and started getting up and going at 5:30 also. And it's killing me.
Yes, I have my evenings free, but I go to bed early now! Before, I went to bed at midnight on an early night. I'd stay up unti 1:30 pretty regularly, just getting things done. I'd watch TV, do laundry, get things organized, read blogs ...
Now, going to bed at 11:30 is a late night. Most days, it's 11 or even 10:30. Last night? I was in bed by 10. TEN!!! My nights have gone from being productive to just eating dinner, cleaning the kitchen, relaxing on the couch for half an hour (an hour on Mondays for The Hills!!!), and then getting ready for bed. Not exactly productive. And somehow, I'm still exhausted on the weekends! Gah!
Thank goodness, I've got just a few more months of this to go, and then K and I will be living together (finally), and we'll be workout buddies at a reasonable time. I've seen plenty more of 5:15 a.m. than I ever care to again!
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
It's a bad time of year for Save the Dates
Over the last few weeks, I've been collecting addresses to send out our Save the Dates. Many people have figured out why, responding with things like, "I can't wait for the wedding!"
A few who aren't really close friends, though, have replied, "I need yours too!!!" I can only guess what that means: They think I'm sending them a Christmas card, so they want to be sure to send me a card too.
I sent out over 40 Christmas cards last week. Maybe that's not a lot, but to me, it was -- especially to do by myself (and signing K's name and mine)! I sent cards to K's family, my family, K's closest friends and my closest friends. I addressed all of them by hand. I sent out every card I had.
But I'm still getting a few, "I need yours too!" messages. Guess I'll be buying more cards tonight.
A few who aren't really close friends, though, have replied, "I need yours too!!!" I can only guess what that means: They think I'm sending them a Christmas card, so they want to be sure to send me a card too.
I sent out over 40 Christmas cards last week. Maybe that's not a lot, but to me, it was -- especially to do by myself (and signing K's name and mine)! I sent cards to K's family, my family, K's closest friends and my closest friends. I addressed all of them by hand. I sent out every card I had.
But I'm still getting a few, "I need yours too!" messages. Guess I'll be buying more cards tonight.
Friday, December 12, 2008
Praise the Lord for iPods and the gym
I'm not a morning person.
I really want to be, so maybe that's why it's taken me so long to learn this. But I would much rather stay up until 3:00 in the morning finishing things I need to do than get up 30 minutes earlier than usual to do them. It's silly, I know, but I also know that in that make-or-break moment, I'll hit the snooze button every damn time. (Even with multiple alarm clocks.)
So maybe that's why I was so not wanting to go to the gym when my alarm went off at 5:00 this morning. Or maybe it's the fact that it's cold, which definitely makes it tough to get out of bed. It could be because I was up until 1:15 last night, thanks to Christmas cards taking about three times longer than I'd anticipated. It could be because after two straight workdays filled with brain-frying projects with impossible-to-meet deadlines, I really needed today to be Saturday.
Or it could be because my attempt at putting off all the anxiety that evidently goes along with having your husband come home from war by trying to not let it get to my head that it's, like, less than a month away is not working as well as I thought it was.
Maybe it was all of those things. All I knew was I did NOT want to get out of bed. I called Jeremy to see what the workout was. Maybe that would motivate me.
It would've been easy for Jeremy to say something like, "Your husband is coming home soon. Get your ass to the gym." And it would've worked. I guess Jeremy was annoyed I'd called, because all he could muster up was, "Shut up and get out of bed. See ya there."
I got up and started getting dressed. As I gradually became alert enough for all five senses to be working, I noticed a weird smell in my apartment for the second time this week. And for the second time this week, I walked into my living room to discover that Piper had managed to get diarrhea without waking me up to let me know to take her outside.
Awesome.
I cleaned it up and, frustrated, headed to the gym. During our 45-minute workout, I listened to nice, angry music by bands like Korn, Disturbed, Five Finger Death Punch and Drowning Pool. (It really is good workout music -- especially for days like this.) My body was still sore from yesterday morning's 5:30 a.m. workout (Yes, we've been doing this on a regular basis.), which made today even more lovely.
At about 6:15, Jeremy said those words I always look forward to so much during our workouts: "We're done."
I headed toward the locker room, but I realized I wasn't as relieved as I usually am. I was still wound up and frustrated. I wanted to run, only it was 30 degrees outside and still dark. Not happening. But I couldn't go home. Not with all this negative energy still hanging over me.
I told Jeremy I was staying for cardio. I headed over to the elliptical (you know my luck with the treadmill), found more angry music and cranked up the volume. I started at a decent pace, and I picked it up more and more and more. I finished by listening to the first song I heard when I was heading back to Dallas the day K left for Iraq. I loved the song before then, but it's become a lot more emotionally motivating in runs. (It's the one I listened to at the end of my half-marathon to make me finish sprinting.)
After about 15 minutes, I was sweaty, red-faced and out of breath. For a physical and mental cooldown, I switched to Coldplay. When I climbed off the elliptical, I felt so much better. I had left all my frustration there.
Today is going to be a better day.
I really want to be, so maybe that's why it's taken me so long to learn this. But I would much rather stay up until 3:00 in the morning finishing things I need to do than get up 30 minutes earlier than usual to do them. It's silly, I know, but I also know that in that make-or-break moment, I'll hit the snooze button every damn time. (Even with multiple alarm clocks.)
So maybe that's why I was so not wanting to go to the gym when my alarm went off at 5:00 this morning. Or maybe it's the fact that it's cold, which definitely makes it tough to get out of bed. It could be because I was up until 1:15 last night, thanks to Christmas cards taking about three times longer than I'd anticipated. It could be because after two straight workdays filled with brain-frying projects with impossible-to-meet deadlines, I really needed today to be Saturday.
Or it could be because my attempt at putting off all the anxiety that evidently goes along with having your husband come home from war by trying to not let it get to my head that it's, like, less than a month away is not working as well as I thought it was.
Maybe it was all of those things. All I knew was I did NOT want to get out of bed. I called Jeremy to see what the workout was. Maybe that would motivate me.
It would've been easy for Jeremy to say something like, "Your husband is coming home soon. Get your ass to the gym." And it would've worked. I guess Jeremy was annoyed I'd called, because all he could muster up was, "Shut up and get out of bed. See ya there."
I got up and started getting dressed. As I gradually became alert enough for all five senses to be working, I noticed a weird smell in my apartment for the second time this week. And for the second time this week, I walked into my living room to discover that Piper had managed to get diarrhea without waking me up to let me know to take her outside.
Awesome.
I cleaned it up and, frustrated, headed to the gym. During our 45-minute workout, I listened to nice, angry music by bands like Korn, Disturbed, Five Finger Death Punch and Drowning Pool. (It really is good workout music -- especially for days like this.) My body was still sore from yesterday morning's 5:30 a.m. workout (Yes, we've been doing this on a regular basis.), which made today even more lovely.
At about 6:15, Jeremy said those words I always look forward to so much during our workouts: "We're done."
I headed toward the locker room, but I realized I wasn't as relieved as I usually am. I was still wound up and frustrated. I wanted to run, only it was 30 degrees outside and still dark. Not happening. But I couldn't go home. Not with all this negative energy still hanging over me.
I told Jeremy I was staying for cardio. I headed over to the elliptical (you know my luck with the treadmill), found more angry music and cranked up the volume. I started at a decent pace, and I picked it up more and more and more. I finished by listening to the first song I heard when I was heading back to Dallas the day K left for Iraq. I loved the song before then, but it's become a lot more emotionally motivating in runs. (It's the one I listened to at the end of my half-marathon to make me finish sprinting.)
After about 15 minutes, I was sweaty, red-faced and out of breath. For a physical and mental cooldown, I switched to Coldplay. When I climbed off the elliptical, I felt so much better. I had left all my frustration there.
Today is going to be a better day.
Tuesday, December 09, 2008
Eeeeeee!!!!
(from DallasNews.com)
Cold Front Blusters Through Dallas, May Bring Light Snow Tonight
A cold front moving through Dallas-Fort Worth this morning will create the right setting for possible flurries and even light snow this evening, the National Weather Service said. ...
Friday, December 05, 2008
The military just loves to take its time
Remember back in July when I posted about how anxious I was about getting the list of possible places K could get stationed early next spring? Yeah, we're still waiting on that.
We actually did eventually get a list sent to us in late August, but it was the wrong one. It was for openings in December, January and February. Obviously if K was still set to be in Iraq then, he couldn't very well take over a new position here at the same time. I wasn't too upset that the list didn't apply to us, though -- all the places on it sucked.
So here we are, months later, still waiting for that list. And in less than six months, I'll be packing up and moving with K to one of the places on this list that the Army doesn't seem very anxious to share with us.
I really need to go through my closet to get rid of things I hardly ever wear, but I don't want to start that project until I know what type of weather I need to prepare for. What if I throw out a bunch of old sweaters, and then we wind up stationed in Colorado? Or what if I get rid of a bunch of cute dresses or summery shoes that I hardly wear, and we get sent to Hawaii?
Maybe I should just look at the important phrase of both sentences -- "that I hardly wear" -- and get a move on it.
Colorado is at the top of our list of places we want to get stationed. What's funny about this is it really hasn't gotten that cold in Dallas yet, but for some reason, I'm feeling it more than I usually do (maybe all that Hotter'n Hell training moved up the entire range of temperatures I can handle by about 20 degrees). This, along with the hopes that we'll be lucky enough to get stationed at the post at the top of our list, has made me really into sweaters this season.
There are two sweaters I really really want to buy right now, and they're both on sale. If I knew we were going to Colorado, I could justify getting them. If I knew we were going somewhere warmer, I would know it would be wasteful and unnecessary for me to buy them.
Obviously, there are tons more important reasons for my wanting to know where K will be sent next. I'm going to be starting a whole new life in less than six months. I don't think it's too demanding to want to know where that will be like right now.
It would be nice to start researching the area and neighborhoods. I could find out more about the job market and decide if it's worth it to look for something there, or if I should just hang on to my job now and try to work remotely.
What if we wind up in Germany? It would be nice to have time to ... I don't know ... learn German!!
But also, knowing where we'll go next would make it so much easier to daydream about finally getting to start our lives together as a real married couple.
The suspense is killing me.
But at least for now, it's saving my bank account.
We actually did eventually get a list sent to us in late August, but it was the wrong one. It was for openings in December, January and February. Obviously if K was still set to be in Iraq then, he couldn't very well take over a new position here at the same time. I wasn't too upset that the list didn't apply to us, though -- all the places on it sucked.
So here we are, months later, still waiting for that list. And in less than six months, I'll be packing up and moving with K to one of the places on this list that the Army doesn't seem very anxious to share with us.
I really need to go through my closet to get rid of things I hardly ever wear, but I don't want to start that project until I know what type of weather I need to prepare for. What if I throw out a bunch of old sweaters, and then we wind up stationed in Colorado? Or what if I get rid of a bunch of cute dresses or summery shoes that I hardly wear, and we get sent to Hawaii?
Maybe I should just look at the important phrase of both sentences -- "that I hardly wear" -- and get a move on it.
Colorado is at the top of our list of places we want to get stationed. What's funny about this is it really hasn't gotten that cold in Dallas yet, but for some reason, I'm feeling it more than I usually do (maybe all that Hotter'n Hell training moved up the entire range of temperatures I can handle by about 20 degrees). This, along with the hopes that we'll be lucky enough to get stationed at the post at the top of our list, has made me really into sweaters this season.
There are two sweaters I really really want to buy right now, and they're both on sale. If I knew we were going to Colorado, I could justify getting them. If I knew we were going somewhere warmer, I would know it would be wasteful and unnecessary for me to buy them.
Obviously, there are tons more important reasons for my wanting to know where K will be sent next. I'm going to be starting a whole new life in less than six months. I don't think it's too demanding to want to know where that will be like right now.
It would be nice to start researching the area and neighborhoods. I could find out more about the job market and decide if it's worth it to look for something there, or if I should just hang on to my job now and try to work remotely.
What if we wind up in Germany? It would be nice to have time to ... I don't know ... learn German!!
But also, knowing where we'll go next would make it so much easier to daydream about finally getting to start our lives together as a real married couple.
The suspense is killing me.
But at least for now, it's saving my bank account.
Of all the scenarios I imagined, this one came COMPLETELY out of left field
It was Thanksgiving night. My dad's girlfriend came inside the house and woke my dad, who was sleeping on the couch. She was trying to tell him something about Ringo, his dog. She told Dad that it sounded like Ringo had been attacked. She heard him make strange noises, and then it sounded like something attacked him. "Whatever it was, it was big," she said. Then she heard Ringo whining.
I ran to the bedroom to grab my coat as my dad, still out of it from his nap, tried to process what his girlfriend was telling him.
I ran out of the house, outside the gate, and down the long driveway to the street. I called Ringo's name the whole way, but I never heard a sound -- no footsteps on the gravel, no barking, no whining.
I got to the end of the driveway and tried to decide which direction to go on the road. A car was heading toward me from the right. It slowed and moved to one side of the road. I headed that way, calling Ringo's name again.
My dad and his girlfriend live out in the country, so there are no streetlights. I couldn't see a thing. Luckily, another car soon headed my direction. Just as I heard my dad start his pickup to head our way, I saw through the headlights of the oncoming car the silhouette of two dogs standing in the middle of the road.
I ran toward the dogs, waving my arms to warn the approaching car. I didn't want the driver to wreck in an attempt to avoid hitting them or watch the dogs get hit right in front of me. The car slowed, and I noticed Ringo seemed to be limping. He was definitely hurt.
Just as I reached the dogs, my dad pulled up in his truck. For some reason, the second dog was sticking very close to Ringo, like it had no choice.
Then I realize it didn't. The dogs were somehow stuck together, end to end.
I tilted my head to the side and tried to figure out what had happened. How could their legs be caught? Or were their tails twisted together (but how could that happen?)? What could have ...
Oooooooh ...
My dad started laughing and told me to wave the other car on by us. He immediately called my grandpa to find out how to ... ahem ... separate the dogs safely. Evidently the solution was a bucket of water.
My dad headed back to the house, and moments later, his girlfriend came down the driveway, carrying a bucket. She didn't want to be the one to douse the dogs, so I did. It worked.
The other dog, who -- rightfully so -- seemed pretty upset about the whole thing, immediately bolted down the road when she realized she was free.
Ringo, though ... Poor Ringo. He was bleeding, and he seemed to be in pain. We tried to get him to follow us back to the house, but he was more interested in checking on his manhood than paying attention to us. I wondered if we'd have to take him to the vet.
Somehow, though, after just a minute or two, Ringo seemed to be back to normal. In a split second, he seemed to forget his pain. We watched incredulously as he bolted off, disappearing in the direction his lady friend had gone just moments before.
Short-term memory. One-track mind.
Typical male.
I ran to the bedroom to grab my coat as my dad, still out of it from his nap, tried to process what his girlfriend was telling him.
I ran out of the house, outside the gate, and down the long driveway to the street. I called Ringo's name the whole way, but I never heard a sound -- no footsteps on the gravel, no barking, no whining.
I got to the end of the driveway and tried to decide which direction to go on the road. A car was heading toward me from the right. It slowed and moved to one side of the road. I headed that way, calling Ringo's name again.
My dad and his girlfriend live out in the country, so there are no streetlights. I couldn't see a thing. Luckily, another car soon headed my direction. Just as I heard my dad start his pickup to head our way, I saw through the headlights of the oncoming car the silhouette of two dogs standing in the middle of the road.
I ran toward the dogs, waving my arms to warn the approaching car. I didn't want the driver to wreck in an attempt to avoid hitting them or watch the dogs get hit right in front of me. The car slowed, and I noticed Ringo seemed to be limping. He was definitely hurt.
Just as I reached the dogs, my dad pulled up in his truck. For some reason, the second dog was sticking very close to Ringo, like it had no choice.
Then I realize it didn't. The dogs were somehow stuck together, end to end.
I tilted my head to the side and tried to figure out what had happened. How could their legs be caught? Or were their tails twisted together (but how could that happen?)? What could have ...
Oooooooh ...
My dad started laughing and told me to wave the other car on by us. He immediately called my grandpa to find out how to ... ahem ... separate the dogs safely. Evidently the solution was a bucket of water.
My dad headed back to the house, and moments later, his girlfriend came down the driveway, carrying a bucket. She didn't want to be the one to douse the dogs, so I did. It worked.
The other dog, who -- rightfully so -- seemed pretty upset about the whole thing, immediately bolted down the road when she realized she was free.
Ringo, though ... Poor Ringo. He was bleeding, and he seemed to be in pain. We tried to get him to follow us back to the house, but he was more interested in checking on his manhood than paying attention to us. I wondered if we'd have to take him to the vet.
Somehow, though, after just a minute or two, Ringo seemed to be back to normal. In a split second, he seemed to forget his pain. We watched incredulously as he bolted off, disappearing in the direction his lady friend had gone just moments before.
Short-term memory. One-track mind.
Typical male.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
A lot to be thankful for
By the grace of God, K has been safe.
By the grace of God, the deployment is set to end early, in January.
I have so much in my life to be thankful for -- and I am, every day -- but this Thanksgiving, these things are at the top of my list.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
How did I almost forget to share this story?
Last Saturday, the OU game was a pretty big deal. ESPN GameDay was there, and the outcome was going to make history no matter who won, not to mention the effect it would have on bowl contenders. The game started at 7:15.
K called me that night, and we talked until a little before 7. Even though it was 4:15 a.m. in Iraq, he was going to stay up and watch the game.
My husband, who I really worried/freaked out in September of 2005 by crying because we lost to TCU (Hello! It was the first game of the season!!! At home!!!! To TCU [who would actually turn out to be pretty good that year, but who saw that coming? Clearly we didn't!]!!!!!!).
We were in New Jersey at the time for the wedding of one of his closest friends. I had decided it would be OK to go only because it wouldn't be that big of a game, so I could justify missing it. It was my first game after I had graduated, so it was my first time to know OU was playing football and I was not there in my uniform to show my support.
When I found out we were losing, I felt helpless. There was nothing I could do. It was awful. So I cried.
K said to me, "Are you serious? Are you serious right now? It's just a game."
"Just a game?!" I shrieked, before filling him in on all that that loss could potentially mean for our season.
Eventually, thank goodness, K began to find my love of Sooner football endearing. He even told me that since he had never been to a football school in high school or college (while I've never NOT attended a football school. Seriously, there were less than 500 people in my entire high school, and two of our football players now play for the NFL), he would never be able to fully understand or relate to my dedication and love for the Oklahoma Sooners, but he was glad that I have that.
Over the course of this football season, K has actually referred to the OU football team as "we" and "us." When I told my dad this exciting news, his response was, "He just might work out."
But last week ... last week really did make me fall in love with K a little bit more. Not just the fact that he stayed up to watch the game even though he had a cold. He actually called me at halftime to give me a "Boomer!" and talk about how awesome "we" looked and how "our" defense was kicking a$$.
We had a comfortable lead, so he was going to bed -- as he should. By that time, it was after 6 a.m. for him!
K called me Sunday night, and his voice sounded awful. He could barely speak, since a night of staying up late had enabled his cold to get to him a little more. He was exhausted, but he was happy. He said something about the third quarter.
"What? I thought you went to bed at halftime."
"I was going to, but I couldn't. I was too excited."
Just when I thought he couldn't get any sexier ...
K called me that night, and we talked until a little before 7. Even though it was 4:15 a.m. in Iraq, he was going to stay up and watch the game.
My husband, who I really worried/freaked out in September of 2005 by crying because we lost to TCU (Hello! It was the first game of the season!!! At home!!!! To TCU [who would actually turn out to be pretty good that year, but who saw that coming? Clearly we didn't!]!!!!!!).
We were in New Jersey at the time for the wedding of one of his closest friends. I had decided it would be OK to go only because it wouldn't be that big of a game, so I could justify missing it. It was my first game after I had graduated, so it was my first time to know OU was playing football and I was not there in my uniform to show my support.
When I found out we were losing, I felt helpless. There was nothing I could do. It was awful. So I cried.
K said to me, "Are you serious? Are you serious right now? It's just a game."
"Just a game?!" I shrieked, before filling him in on all that that loss could potentially mean for our season.
Eventually, thank goodness, K began to find my love of Sooner football endearing. He even told me that since he had never been to a football school in high school or college (while I've never NOT attended a football school. Seriously, there were less than 500 people in my entire high school, and two of our football players now play for the NFL), he would never be able to fully understand or relate to my dedication and love for the Oklahoma Sooners, but he was glad that I have that.
Over the course of this football season, K has actually referred to the OU football team as "we" and "us." When I told my dad this exciting news, his response was, "He just might work out."
But last week ... last week really did make me fall in love with K a little bit more. Not just the fact that he stayed up to watch the game even though he had a cold. He actually called me at halftime to give me a "Boomer!" and talk about how awesome "we" looked and how "our" defense was kicking a$$.
We had a comfortable lead, so he was going to bed -- as he should. By that time, it was after 6 a.m. for him!
K called me Sunday night, and his voice sounded awful. He could barely speak, since a night of staying up late had enabled his cold to get to him a little more. He was exhausted, but he was happy. He said something about the third quarter.
"What? I thought you went to bed at halftime."
"I was going to, but I couldn't. I was too excited."
Just when I thought he couldn't get any sexier ...
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Coolest Save the Dates* ever
I think so, anyway.
*Yeah, so we ordered them a couple months later than we'd hoped. It turns out it takes quite a bit of reminders, phone calls and help to get a list of family and family friends when you only have two dads to work with on it!
*Yeah, so we ordered them a couple months later than we'd hoped. It turns out it takes quite a bit of reminders, phone calls and help to get a list of family and family friends when you only have two dads to work with on it!
Monday, November 24, 2008
Sometimes I'm busy when I'm not blogging
- The Coldplay concert was awesome! I will so totally see them again. (Chris Martin, if you must retire at 33, you better have a big farewell tour, because I really really really want to see a Coldplay concert with K.)
- I got my first passport in the mail last week! I can officially travel the world now. And go to Mexico with a huge group of friends once our husbands get back from the deployment next spring. Woohoo!
- I went to see Twilight last Friday night with AJ and a friend from work. I haven't read any of the books, and I don't know if I'll start (Seriously, why doesn't he just turn her into a vampire already?! It's such an obvious solution!), but I sure managed to get a crush on Edward! Never mind the fact that he's only 22 ...
- Um, college football is awesome. (Sorry, Knot!)
- I'm a teensy bit (OK, really) scared for next Saturday's game. (We're playing our second-biggest rivals, the OSU Cowboys, at home in
Stoolwater*ahem* Stillwater. SO MUCH rides on the outcome of this game!!!) - I ran on Sunday for the first time since my half-marathon! The pathetic part: I can feel it in my calves. And I only ran 2 miles. Isn't it awesome how long it takes to build up to that strength and distance ... and how quickly your body can lose it?
- There will be a big military ball this spring after the soldiers return home from Iraq. I happened to be running an errand at the mall when I walked by a big rack that said "70% OFF." I stopped (duh!) and managed to find a gorgeous dress that was only $51 (original price: $170!!!). I now have my dress for the ball. Score!
Lots of little bits of pretty cool news. Saving the best for last:
- K is coming home in January!!!
I don't think that last one has hit me yet. It's starting to. Once it does, though, ohmygosh I'll be freaking out. So it's good it's taking its time, because I have WAY too much to do between now and then. But to look on the bright side, at least it'll get here even faster!
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Sometimes you've gotta laugh at the irony
I bought the tickets months ago. I got up early the morning they went on sale and went straight for my computer. I had saved the venue's site on my favorites list, so I clicked on it and refreshed my window over and over until I was allowed to purchase.
The show was sold out in minutes, but I got my tickets.
When the band's latest album came out last June, I bought it minutes after midnight. I fell asleep listening to it and imagining how awesome it will be to hear the songs live.
So imagine how I felt when I woke up today -- the very day of the Coldplay concert -- and realized that sometime during my peaceful slumber, a cold had taken over my body.
Awesome.
(On the other hand, given the band's name, it is kind of funny ...)
The show was sold out in minutes, but I got my tickets.
When the band's latest album came out last June, I bought it minutes after midnight. I fell asleep listening to it and imagining how awesome it will be to hear the songs live.
So imagine how I felt when I woke up today -- the very day of the Coldplay concert -- and realized that sometime during my peaceful slumber, a cold had taken over my body.
Awesome.
(On the other hand, given the band's name, it is kind of funny ...)
Good thing I wasn't getting my hopes up
My first responses to my little ad:
Hi there 31 swm. I'm 6ft 197lbs with 9.6 % Body fat. I have brown hair, (if I don't have it shaved all bald) brown eyes, and tan. I do have my Masters in Business. I do have a job. My father and I own a Business ... building racing engines for professional racers. I never would have thought this, but I love what I do for a living. I love to dance, and work out in the gym. I also drink from time to time. I don't smoke or do any drugs. I've never been married, and I don't have any kids. I do have pictures if you would like to see. My cell phone is ...
Brian
Second response:
hi im 19 and I love running but havent been running andwan to get back in shape im 140 now but wan to run just because it will help me feel better and so on. well I would love to run with u . im hispanic
What I'd like to say to the first guy:
Dear Brian,
Thank you for taking the time to respond. However, I think we have a slight misunderstanding. I don't give a shit how tall you are, what color your eyes are or especially what your body fat is. I also think it's gross that you're tan in November.
I am married, although I don't have kids. My husband is about 5'11". I don't know his body fat or weight, but there's a pretty good chance his arms are bigger than yours.
Congrats on your master's degree, and your business sounds cool too. Maybe you should talk to my brother.
You mentioned absolutely nothing about running, though, so you won't be talking to me.
Thanks for nothing,
me
What I'd like to say to the second guy:
Dear hispanic, How can you love running if you haven't done it before? That doesn't make sense. Also, what does being Hispanic have to do with running?
TTYN,
White girl
Hi there 31 swm. I'm 6ft 197lbs with 9.6 % Body fat. I have brown hair, (if I don't have it shaved all bald) brown eyes, and tan. I do have my Masters in Business. I do have a job. My father and I own a Business ... building racing engines for professional racers. I never would have thought this, but I love what I do for a living. I love to dance, and work out in the gym. I also drink from time to time. I don't smoke or do any drugs. I've never been married, and I don't have any kids. I do have pictures if you would like to see. My cell phone is ...
Brian
Second response:
hi im 19 and I love running but havent been running andwan to get back in shape im 140 now but wan to run just because it will help me feel better and so on. well I would love to run with u . im hispanic
What I'd like to say to the first guy:
Dear Brian,
Thank you for taking the time to respond. However, I think we have a slight misunderstanding. I don't give a shit how tall you are, what color your eyes are or especially what your body fat is. I also think it's gross that you're tan in November.
I am married, although I don't have kids. My husband is about 5'11". I don't know his body fat or weight, but there's a pretty good chance his arms are bigger than yours.
Congrats on your master's degree, and your business sounds cool too. Maybe you should talk to my brother.
You mentioned absolutely nothing about running, though, so you won't be talking to me.
Thanks for nothing,
me
What I'd like to say to the second guy:
Dear hispanic, How can you love running if you haven't done it before? That doesn't make sense. Also, what does being Hispanic have to do with running?
TTYN,
White girl
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Desperate times call for desperate measures
It's been 16 days since I ran my half-marathon. I had planned on registering for another in December. Thank goodness I hadn't yet -- that would have been $70 down the drain.
See, I don't like the idea of running by myself in the dark (and neither does K). And since, thanks to daylight savings time, it's now dark before I even leave work, I convinced Jeremy to train with me for the run, even though he couldn't run it. Awesome plan, right?
Except Jeremy keeps cancelling on me. I have not run since I crossed the finish line at my half-marathon. Bummer!
I've finally given up on him and put an ad on craigslist. Considering I read a listing there today with the title "i want you to lick my feet," I'm thinking I won't get my hopes up too much.
See, I don't like the idea of running by myself in the dark (and neither does K). And since, thanks to daylight savings time, it's now dark before I even leave work, I convinced Jeremy to train with me for the run, even though he couldn't run it. Awesome plan, right?
Except Jeremy keeps cancelling on me. I have not run since I crossed the finish line at my half-marathon. Bummer!
I've finally given up on him and put an ad on craigslist. Considering I read a listing there today with the title "i want you to lick my feet," I'm thinking I won't get my hopes up too much.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Happy Veterans Day, K!
My PowerPo!nt skills are a little lacking*, but it's the thought that counts. :)
*Also, not all of my snazzy transitions and animations copied over into this format. But you get the general idea.
Thursday, November 06, 2008
Weekend o' races
You may or may not remember that my brother works for NASCAR. And you may or may not know that the NASCAR race last weekend was in Dallas. Which meant my brother was here.
And he got me pit passes.
My friend Danielle, who is a big fan of NASCAR, came down from Oklahoma so she could join me for the VIP weekend. Saturday morning, we headed to the track so we could hang out with my brother, check out the action in the garages, and get pictures of and with as many drivers as we could.
We did a good job of keeping our cool. We were excited, but we weren't squealing or gushing. We got our pictures and let the drivers go on about their business. I think my brother was a little embarrassed by our incessant picture taking (although, being my brother, he should totally be used to it). (Note: This is just a portion of the pictures we took. We got even more drivers than this!)
Getting our credentials. (Credentials!!!)
The trailers in the garage area. And Robb!e Loom!s, who was Richard Pe.tty's crew chief back in the day.
The pit crew uniforms inside Bobby L.abonte's trailer. (Not just anyone can get inside the trailers. Lucky for us, we know people!)
Us with Kasey Kahne. He was the driver we both wanted a picture with most.
Brian Vickers
Martin Truex Jr.
Kevin Harvick. He was in a hurry, so since Danielle's a big fan of his, I sat this one out to be photographer.
Love Dale Jr., but he's impossible to get a picture with. You have to fight through the crowd.
Tony Stewart. Not a fan.
Carl Edwards. Like Jr., he had quite a crowd too.
Richard Petty! The King!
Bobby Labonte, who I totally have a crush on now. He's a little short, but he's so hot in person. (Yes, K knows about this crush.)
There was a race that afternoon, and we got to watch it on top of the team's trailer in the infield. Pretty cool!
After our long day at the track, we took it easy Saturday night and tried to go to bed early. On Sunday, we got up bright and early for my half-marathon. K's roommate's fiance (got that?) came up from Houston to run it too. We ran together for a large chunk of the course.
We weren't quite over the racing fun, so we headed back to the track to hang out with my brother some more and watch a race on pit row.
Carl Edwards, who Danielle and I both really like, won the race, which was awesome. We got to see him do his signature backflip out of his car!
As you can see, we had a looooooong, packed weekend, and it was definitely a rare experience. And (as you can see) we made sure to capture everything so we'll never forget any of it!
And he got me pit passes.
My friend Danielle, who is a big fan of NASCAR, came down from Oklahoma so she could join me for the VIP weekend. Saturday morning, we headed to the track so we could hang out with my brother, check out the action in the garages, and get pictures of and with as many drivers as we could.
We did a good job of keeping our cool. We were excited, but we weren't squealing or gushing. We got our pictures and let the drivers go on about their business. I think my brother was a little embarrassed by our incessant picture taking (although, being my brother, he should totally be used to it). (Note: This is just a portion of the pictures we took. We got even more drivers than this!)
Getting our credentials. (Credentials!!!)
The trailers in the garage area. And Robb!e Loom!s, who was Richard Pe.tty's crew chief back in the day.
The pit crew uniforms inside Bobby L.abonte's trailer. (Not just anyone can get inside the trailers. Lucky for us, we know people!)
Us with Kasey Kahne. He was the driver we both wanted a picture with most.
Brian Vickers
Martin Truex Jr.
Kevin Harvick. He was in a hurry, so since Danielle's a big fan of his, I sat this one out to be photographer.
Love Dale Jr., but he's impossible to get a picture with. You have to fight through the crowd.
Tony Stewart. Not a fan.
Carl Edwards. Like Jr., he had quite a crowd too.
Richard Petty! The King!
Bobby Labonte, who I totally have a crush on now. He's a little short, but he's so hot in person. (Yes, K knows about this crush.)
There was a race that afternoon, and we got to watch it on top of the team's trailer in the infield. Pretty cool!
After our long day at the track, we took it easy Saturday night and tried to go to bed early. On Sunday, we got up bright and early for my half-marathon. K's roommate's fiance (got that?) came up from Houston to run it too. We ran together for a large chunk of the course.
We weren't quite over the racing fun, so we headed back to the track to hang out with my brother some more and watch a race on pit row.
Carl Edwards, who Danielle and I both really like, won the race, which was awesome. We got to see him do his signature backflip out of his car!
As you can see, we had a looooooong, packed weekend, and it was definitely a rare experience. And (as you can see) we made sure to capture everything so we'll never forget any of it!
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
Do you think they have meetings for this?
My friend Danielle was in town for the weekend, and she came to watch me finish the half-marathon. She took some pictures when I crossed the finish line, and that's what I'd planned to post last night. She didn't realize I was planning on sprinting the last leg, so what she captured in the finish line photo I uploaded last night was a bunch of speakers and an empty finish line.
I'm that fast when I sprint. lol
So that's why I haven't posted pictures yet. Luckily, AJ came to take pictures as well, and she said she got some good ones that she's going to send to me today. They should be on here soon!
I feel completely recovered from the run now. A massage on Monday night definitely helped reduce tension in some sore muscles!
I had really been looking forward to a break from running, so it's been very surprising that I can't stop looking for more runs to do. I'm ready for another. Now that I've done a half-marathon and beat my first 15k time, I'm wondering how much more I could shave off my time if that was all I had to run. Or a 10k -- I could probably get a pretty decent time with that one, too.
So I guess this is where it all goes downhill. I can't believe how quickly it happened. For the girl who hated running, all it took was a little half-marathon to become totally addicted.
Yikes.
*******************
UPDATE: I found a half-marathon in December that I totally want to do, but Jeremy couldn't run it because his Christmas party is the night before (can't run when you're hung over). I ran it by him (badum-ching!) that he could train for the run with me, but just not run it.
He actually went for it!!!
I'm so signing up!
I'm that fast when I sprint. lol
So that's why I haven't posted pictures yet. Luckily, AJ came to take pictures as well, and she said she got some good ones that she's going to send to me today. They should be on here soon!
I feel completely recovered from the run now. A massage on Monday night definitely helped reduce tension in some sore muscles!
I had really been looking forward to a break from running, so it's been very surprising that I can't stop looking for more runs to do. I'm ready for another. Now that I've done a half-marathon and beat my first 15k time, I'm wondering how much more I could shave off my time if that was all I had to run. Or a 10k -- I could probably get a pretty decent time with that one, too.
So I guess this is where it all goes downhill. I can't believe how quickly it happened. For the girl who hated running, all it took was a little half-marathon to become totally addicted.
Yikes.
*******************
UPDATE: I found a half-marathon in December that I totally want to do, but Jeremy couldn't run it because his Christmas party is the night before (can't run when you're hung over). I ran it by him (badum-ching!) that he could train for the run with me, but just not run it.
He actually went for it!!!
I'm so signing up!
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
She's going the distance
I ran my half-marathon yesterday. I ran all of it.
And I ran it over 6 minutes faster than my goal time -- and about a minute and a half faster than the time I really wanted to finish in. (I had a goal time and a "shooting for" time. I was aiming for my "shooting for" time, but my goal time was a more reasonable expectation for my first run at this distance.)
What's also cool is that I hit the 15k marker in the run at 1:33, which was 7 minutes faster than my 15k time in July!
Final time for the half-marathon: 2 hours, 8 minutes and 41 seconds. My pace was just under a 10-min-mile. Plus, I had enough energy left to finish sprinting!
Next time, I'll shoot for 2 hours or less. But for the next week or two, I'm taking a little break from running unless I really really want to do it.
Pictures from the run and from my VIP weekend are hopefully coming tomorrow. For now, I'm going to bed. Once you read how I spent the rest of my weekend (and I really mean the rest of it!), you'll understand why.
And I ran it over 6 minutes faster than my goal time -- and about a minute and a half faster than the time I really wanted to finish in. (I had a goal time and a "shooting for" time. I was aiming for my "shooting for" time, but my goal time was a more reasonable expectation for my first run at this distance.)
What's also cool is that I hit the 15k marker in the run at 1:33, which was 7 minutes faster than my 15k time in July!
Final time for the half-marathon: 2 hours, 8 minutes and 41 seconds. My pace was just under a 10-min-mile. Plus, I had enough energy left to finish sprinting!
Next time, I'll shoot for 2 hours or less. But for the next week or two, I'm taking a little break from running unless I really really want to do it.
Pictures from the run and from my VIP weekend are hopefully coming tomorrow. For now, I'm going to bed. Once you read how I spent the rest of my weekend (and I really mean the rest of it!), you'll understand why.
Friday, October 31, 2008
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Fuming
On Monday, Oct. 13, I dropped my car off at the body shop. The man who did my appraisal told me the car would be finished on Friday, Oct. 17. "You'll have my car done on Friday? Really?" He nodded. Sweet.
So Thursday afternoon, I called so I'd know what time I should pick up my car. Of course it wasn't ready. The same man told me it would be ready "the tail end of next week." (Oct. 23 or 24)
Late afternoon on Wednesday, Oct. 22, I called to see find out if things were still on track. Of course not! The receptionist told me it would be put together on Thursday, then painted on Friday. It would be ready for me on Tuesday afternoon (Oct. 28).
So I called Monday afternoon to make sure things were still set for Tuesday. No surprise -- it still wasn't ready. The receptionist told me my car would be going to the paint shop on Tuesday, so it would be ready Wednesday or Thursday. "I thought it was supposed to get painted on Friday," I said. The receptionist answered that that was just what she'd been told.
Well, since today is Wednesday, I called the body shop to see if I'd need to pick up my car today. The man who'd done my appraisal had answered the phone. "Didn't you speak to Liz on Monday?" he asked me in an icy tone.
Are you serious?! I was being polite, and this guy is giving me an attitude because I'm calling to find out if my car will be ready because he originally told me it would be done a week and a half ago!
I said, "I don't mean to bug you guys with phone calls, but it's just that I have to return the rental car clean and full of gas, so I'll take care of those things right before I drop it off. I just want to know when that will be beforehand so I can tell my boss."
The man told me my car might be ready tomorrow. That's what he's "shooting for."
After we got off the phone, I called my dad to vent. I was frustrated that I kept hearing dates, only to find out when those dates arrived that they needed more time still. And the man at the shop is getting fussy with me for calling?!
My dad that in the 34 years he's been driving, when he's had a car in the shop for body work, they've always just called him when it was ready to be picked up.
I reminded my dad that the boneheads at the shop (I used a more colorful word this morning) had told me my car would be ready almost two weeks ago. "What am I supposed to do? Sit around and hope they haven't stolen my car, sold it or closed up shop?"
So now I'm even more frustrated. I'm angry that my car isn't ready yet, I'm tired of driving a rental car, and I'm worried that I've made the stupid shop people angry so they'll do a shoddy job on my car (if they ever finish it).
I miss my car. I just want it back! Sometime this year, please!
So Thursday afternoon, I called so I'd know what time I should pick up my car. Of course it wasn't ready. The same man told me it would be ready "the tail end of next week." (Oct. 23 or 24)
Late afternoon on Wednesday, Oct. 22, I called to see find out if things were still on track. Of course not! The receptionist told me it would be put together on Thursday, then painted on Friday. It would be ready for me on Tuesday afternoon (Oct. 28).
So I called Monday afternoon to make sure things were still set for Tuesday. No surprise -- it still wasn't ready. The receptionist told me my car would be going to the paint shop on Tuesday, so it would be ready Wednesday or Thursday. "I thought it was supposed to get painted on Friday," I said. The receptionist answered that that was just what she'd been told.
Well, since today is Wednesday, I called the body shop to see if I'd need to pick up my car today. The man who'd done my appraisal had answered the phone. "Didn't you speak to Liz on Monday?" he asked me in an icy tone.
Are you serious?! I was being polite, and this guy is giving me an attitude because I'm calling to find out if my car will be ready because he originally told me it would be done a week and a half ago!
I said, "I don't mean to bug you guys with phone calls, but it's just that I have to return the rental car clean and full of gas, so I'll take care of those things right before I drop it off. I just want to know when that will be beforehand so I can tell my boss."
The man told me my car might be ready tomorrow. That's what he's "shooting for."
After we got off the phone, I called my dad to vent. I was frustrated that I kept hearing dates, only to find out when those dates arrived that they needed more time still. And the man at the shop is getting fussy with me for calling?!
My dad that in the 34 years he's been driving, when he's had a car in the shop for body work, they've always just called him when it was ready to be picked up.
I reminded my dad that the boneheads at the shop (I used a more colorful word this morning) had told me my car would be ready almost two weeks ago. "What am I supposed to do? Sit around and hope they haven't stolen my car, sold it or closed up shop?"
So now I'm even more frustrated. I'm angry that my car isn't ready yet, I'm tired of driving a rental car, and I'm worried that I've made the stupid shop people angry so they'll do a shoddy job on my car (if they ever finish it).
I miss my car. I just want it back! Sometime this year, please!
Monday, October 27, 2008
Homecoming: not just for old people
So I'm a little behind in writing about it (it involves pictures), but two weekends ago, I went up to Norman for homecoming. The last four drum majors of the Pr!de of Ok.lahoma marching band made it their mission to make alumni band more appealing to the ... um ... more recent alumni.
ER and I took the bait. And I'm glad we did. It wound up being a nice little reunion with several friends we hadn't seen in the last few years. (And we learned it had been eight years -- 8 !!! years !!! -- since we were freshman in the Pride!)
College bar chandeliers are awesome!
We got to practice in the indoor practice facility, which was built while we were in college. It was pretty cool to be back in there again. It's definitely a part of Sooner football that not many get to see.
After our little rehearsal, we made sure to get some pictures alongside some of our favorite parts of the university. Also, unlike when we were in band, we got to watch the homecoming parade!
As ER and I walked across campus, I could not believe how insanely happy I was to just be in Norman, doing the game day thing, and kind of reliving our band days. The only thing that could've pushed it over the edge into pure, utter perfection is if K had been there -- but, as I told ER, if K had been there that day, I might have exploded from excitement. (Yes, I'm aware I'm a dork, but don't make me remind you how ridiculous of a fan I am!)
ER and I alongside Boomer or Sooner (they look the same). They're the awesome horses who drive the Sooner Sch.ooner each time OU scores.
As we waited for pregame to start, ER and I got to see the awesome new scoreboard on the south end zone. We marched pregame and halftime, which was neat to do again (but a little nerve wracking, considering our "alumni" uniforms left us pretty easy to pick out on the field). Like many games in our college history, we saw Toby Ke!th (he's a Sooner fan!). We won the game (yay!), and afterward, a group of us went out for pizza and beer on campus corner.
I'm thinkin' it's safe to say ER and I will be doing alumni band again next year.
ER and I took the bait. And I'm glad we did. It wound up being a nice little reunion with several friends we hadn't seen in the last few years. (And we learned it had been eight years -- 8 !!! years !!! -- since we were freshman in the Pride!)
College bar chandeliers are awesome!
We got to practice in the indoor practice facility, which was built while we were in college. It was pretty cool to be back in there again. It's definitely a part of Sooner football that not many get to see.
After our little rehearsal, we made sure to get some pictures alongside some of our favorite parts of the university. Also, unlike when we were in band, we got to watch the homecoming parade!
As ER and I walked across campus, I could not believe how insanely happy I was to just be in Norman, doing the game day thing, and kind of reliving our band days. The only thing that could've pushed it over the edge into pure, utter perfection is if K had been there -- but, as I told ER, if K had been there that day, I might have exploded from excitement. (Yes, I'm aware I'm a dork, but don't make me remind you how ridiculous of a fan I am!)
ER and I alongside Boomer or Sooner (they look the same). They're the awesome horses who drive the Sooner Sch.ooner each time OU scores.
As we waited for pregame to start, ER and I got to see the awesome new scoreboard on the south end zone. We marched pregame and halftime, which was neat to do again (but a little nerve wracking, considering our "alumni" uniforms left us pretty easy to pick out on the field). Like many games in our college history, we saw Toby Ke!th (he's a Sooner fan!). We won the game (yay!), and afterward, a group of us went out for pizza and beer on campus corner.
I'm thinkin' it's safe to say ER and I will be doing alumni band again next year.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Just what I needed to hear
One of the reasons I could laugh about my little car accident so quickly -- aside from the fact it was completely my fault for being such a ridiculous fan that I forgot to drive my car -- is because it was so minor. Considering we were traveling at least 55 mph, it definitely could have been much, much worse.
The truth is, I had had this feeling that something bad was going to happen. I don't know what it was that brought it on, but it had been there in the back of my mind for a little while.
The very day before the car wreck, a coworker sent me a link to a site with a ticker for all these different statistics. It showed the number of births and deaths all over the world. It had a ticker for people diagnosed with HIV, people involved in car accidents, and deaths from serious illnesses, suicide, war ... I reset the counter, and the numbers instantly started over from that moment. It was crazy how fast some of them grew. It felt like I could jinx myself just by watching some of those numbers climb.
I quickly closed out of the site before the ticker reached 1 for deaths due to war. I didn't want to know how often that ticker updated.
That something's-going-to-happen feeling had been in the back of my mind since before I saw the ticker. Seeing that site, though, just seemed to reinforce the feeling. Which is a huge reason that little fender bender was almost a relief. I told myself that the wreck had filled the bad-thing quota/"premonition," so everything else will be OK. It worked for the most part, but things are obviously going to be stressful no matter what as long as K is deployed.
Then, last week was pretty rough at work. We had a big company meeti.ng announcing that almost 20% of em.ployees would be la!d off. It would all be done by the end of the week. (Try concentrating after news like that!)
I began thinking about what I'd do if I were in that almost 20%. It might be hard to find a job at first, so I could take whatever job I could find until I found another "real" job. I realized that as long as I had K, everything would be OK.
Luckily, I found out fairly early that my job was safe. But the realization that I can get through anything as long as I have K made me a little uneasy, given where he is right now.
This morning at church, the sermon touched on the economy and all the problems people are having with their jobs, including layoffs. I couldn't believe how perfect the timing was with everything we'd gone through at work last week.
In his sermon, the pastor pointed us to a few Bible verses that can help us in times like these. As he spoke, I thought about the verses, K and the events of the previous week.
But the final words of the pastor's sermon grabbed my full attention:
"It is never naive to trust in God's plan."
I was shocked at how comforting those words were.
The truth is, I had had this feeling that something bad was going to happen. I don't know what it was that brought it on, but it had been there in the back of my mind for a little while.
The very day before the car wreck, a coworker sent me a link to a site with a ticker for all these different statistics. It showed the number of births and deaths all over the world. It had a ticker for people diagnosed with HIV, people involved in car accidents, and deaths from serious illnesses, suicide, war ... I reset the counter, and the numbers instantly started over from that moment. It was crazy how fast some of them grew. It felt like I could jinx myself just by watching some of those numbers climb.
I quickly closed out of the site before the ticker reached 1 for deaths due to war. I didn't want to know how often that ticker updated.
That something's-going-to-happen feeling had been in the back of my mind since before I saw the ticker. Seeing that site, though, just seemed to reinforce the feeling. Which is a huge reason that little fender bender was almost a relief. I told myself that the wreck had filled the bad-thing quota/"premonition," so everything else will be OK. It worked for the most part, but things are obviously going to be stressful no matter what as long as K is deployed.
Then, last week was pretty rough at work. We had a big company meeti.ng announcing that almost 20% of em.ployees would be la!d off. It would all be done by the end of the week. (Try concentrating after news like that!)
I began thinking about what I'd do if I were in that almost 20%. It might be hard to find a job at first, so I could take whatever job I could find until I found another "real" job. I realized that as long as I had K, everything would be OK.
Luckily, I found out fairly early that my job was safe. But the realization that I can get through anything as long as I have K made me a little uneasy, given where he is right now.
This morning at church, the sermon touched on the economy and all the problems people are having with their jobs, including layoffs. I couldn't believe how perfect the timing was with everything we'd gone through at work last week.
In his sermon, the pastor pointed us to a few Bible verses that can help us in times like these. As he spoke, I thought about the verses, K and the events of the previous week.
But the final words of the pastor's sermon grabbed my full attention:
"It is never naive to trust in God's plan."
I was shocked at how comforting those words were.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Screw you, Express!
Remember The Coat I blogged about a few weeks ago? The one I really, really liked but didn't want to spend $168 on?
Well, it's been on my mind ever since I got the card in the mail with the picture of The Coat on it. I've looked for it online repeatedly, but it was never there. I made two (2!) trips to Express last week to see if The Coat was in stock, hoping to try it on. Maybe I'd see that it wasn't really cute in person, or maybe it just wouldn't be flattering on me. That way, I could quit thinking about it and quit debating about spending $168 on a stupid coat (even if it was really really cute).
On my first trip to Express last week, I saw that a friend of mine from college was managing the store. I talked to her for a while, and I mentioned to her that I was in there to see if they had The Coat. "Oh, you mean the one everyone's been calling about?" she asked.
Great. (I had really kind of hoped I was the only one who had seen a picture of The Coat.)
My friend told me they had a black and white version of The Coat in stock, but they hadn't gotten the white one yet. She took me over to it. It was cute, but it was $198. I figured it was more expensive because of the pattern. Either way, $198 was definitely out of the question. Even if it was also really cute.
On my second trip to the store, I thought maybe I'd try on the black and white coat just to see how that style would fit me. I managed to catch a glimpse of the price tag again, and I immediately high-tailed it out of the store.
Yesterday, The Coat (in white) was finally online. It was listed at $198. I thought maybe I'd read the price wrong on the mailout I'd gotten a few weeks ago, so I checked it when I got home. It definitely said $168.
I called one of the stores nearby and spoke to a manager. I told him about the price discrepancy between the mailout and the online store. The manager actually told me that the company had originally sold The Coat for $168, but because there was so much demand for it, they'd raised the price to $198. I couldn't believe it!
Immediately, I called Express Customer Service. I told him exactly the same thing as I'd told the manager. To my surprise, he gave me the exact same reason for the discrepancy as the manager. He said they'd actually sold out of The Coat three times, so they raised the price to $198 to cut demand. "If people really want The Coat, they'll pay that price," he said to me.
"No," I said. "I won't. Not $198. That's completely unethical! And false advertising!"
He actually agreed with me. He told me they'd gotten lots of calls about the discrepancy that day. He gave me the Express Custumer Relations number, so I called them this morning. The woman I talked to there told me The Coat had been mispriced in their system -- it was supposed to be $198 from the beginning. They had fixed the problem before The Coat was out, and they sent out a correction card last week. I told her what the store manager and customer service rep had told me, and she responded that she was sorry I had been misinformed.
But how could two people give me the exact same story, completely unprovoked? It still seems a little fishy to me.
So even though I still think it's really really cute, I'm pretty sure I'm not buying The Coat anymore out of principle alone.
Well, that and the fact that it sounds like everyone else will have it.
Well, it's been on my mind ever since I got the card in the mail with the picture of The Coat on it. I've looked for it online repeatedly, but it was never there. I made two (2!) trips to Express last week to see if The Coat was in stock, hoping to try it on. Maybe I'd see that it wasn't really cute in person, or maybe it just wouldn't be flattering on me. That way, I could quit thinking about it and quit debating about spending $168 on a stupid coat (even if it was really really cute).
On my first trip to Express last week, I saw that a friend of mine from college was managing the store. I talked to her for a while, and I mentioned to her that I was in there to see if they had The Coat. "Oh, you mean the one everyone's been calling about?" she asked.
Great. (I had really kind of hoped I was the only one who had seen a picture of The Coat.)
My friend told me they had a black and white version of The Coat in stock, but they hadn't gotten the white one yet. She took me over to it. It was cute, but it was $198. I figured it was more expensive because of the pattern. Either way, $198 was definitely out of the question. Even if it was also really cute.
On my second trip to the store, I thought maybe I'd try on the black and white coat just to see how that style would fit me. I managed to catch a glimpse of the price tag again, and I immediately high-tailed it out of the store.
Yesterday, The Coat (in white) was finally online. It was listed at $198. I thought maybe I'd read the price wrong on the mailout I'd gotten a few weeks ago, so I checked it when I got home. It definitely said $168.
I called one of the stores nearby and spoke to a manager. I told him about the price discrepancy between the mailout and the online store. The manager actually told me that the company had originally sold The Coat for $168, but because there was so much demand for it, they'd raised the price to $198. I couldn't believe it!
Immediately, I called Express Customer Service. I told him exactly the same thing as I'd told the manager. To my surprise, he gave me the exact same reason for the discrepancy as the manager. He said they'd actually sold out of The Coat three times, so they raised the price to $198 to cut demand. "If people really want The Coat, they'll pay that price," he said to me.
"No," I said. "I won't. Not $198. That's completely unethical! And false advertising!"
He actually agreed with me. He told me they'd gotten lots of calls about the discrepancy that day. He gave me the Express Custumer Relations number, so I called them this morning. The woman I talked to there told me The Coat had been mispriced in their system -- it was supposed to be $198 from the beginning. They had fixed the problem before The Coat was out, and they sent out a correction card last week. I told her what the store manager and customer service rep had told me, and she responded that she was sorry I had been misinformed.
But how could two people give me the exact same story, completely unprovoked? It still seems a little fishy to me.
So even though I still think it's really really cute, I'm pretty sure I'm not buying The Coat anymore out of principle alone.
Well, that and the fact that it sounds like everyone else will have it.
Monday, October 20, 2008
The last week of R&R
I already wrote about the majority of Day 12 of K's R&R. After we finished the balloon ride, we headed to OK to see my family. We got to my hometown that Tuesday night, and we spent Wednesday hanging out with my dad. He and K went golfing, and I went with them to walk the course.
K taught me how to swing a club while we were there. The closest to a real game of golf I'd ever come was miniature golf -- not quite the same. Swinging the club felt a bit unnatural, and I have no idea who decided all the rules and developed the proper technique to do it, but I did pretty well for my first shot! The ball went straight, which my brother made sound like is tough to do on your first swing when I talked to him later that afternoon.
That night, my dad cooked us the same dinner he has to make every time I go to Oklahoma. He's a butcher, so it's his job to know meat. This means he grills pretty much the best steak you'll ever eat in your life. We had that, salad and baked potatoes, and after we were all completely stuffed, we spent the evening sitting outside talking under the stars -- nice and relaxing.
We headed back to Dallas early the next afternoon. Over the next few days, we did quite a bit of wedding planning. We met with our photographer and our reception coordinator, and we interviewed two DJs. We spent pver 3 hours choosing place settings, kitchen appliances, and pots and pans. Luckily, almost everything we chose was a mutual decision (I compromised on his choice for our everyday dinnerware).
One night, we met up with AJ, Heather and B, and Elle for Mexican food and a silly night at our favorite piano bar. Oh my gosh, we had so much fun!
We girls danced and sang, exhausted ourselves, rested, and danced and sang some more. In one of the pictures below, I'm pretty sure I'm yawning while dancing. I was pretty hot from breakin' it down (ha!), so Elle took the liberty of cooling me off by putting her ice cold beer bottle against my neck -- and spilling her beer in the process. I love that it's all captured on film!
We also got a nice, long laugh when a girl at the table next to us actually passed out on K's shoulder. A minute or so later, she sat up, looked at K and said, "Your shoulder is really comfortable," and went back to sleep. We were all rolling over that one.
Those last few days, we spent a lot of time to ourselves. That Saturday night, we went for Italian ice in a cute little shopping center. We sat outside enjoying our ice cream and just talking and laughing about different things from our day. It was so relaxed, simple and just so us that as I look back, it's one of my favorite moments from the entire R&R.
We went to church on Sunday, and the pastor actually had K stand up so he could tell the congregation he was home from Iraq. It was sweet.
That Monday was our anniversary. In between DJ interviews, K and I went by the running store I'd been wanting to visit for a while. We both got fitted for shoes, and K bought mine for me. That should give me some good motivation to get out and run -- and one more reason to kick butt at the hal.f-marathon I'm running on Nov. 2.
Before I compromised on K's choice for our everyday dinnerware, we had gone to several home stores to try to find dishes that both of us really liked. At one of the stores, I managed to find a set of dishes that I absolutely loved. I knew they weren't K's style, so I didn't suggest that we get them, but it was like someone had made these dishes with me in mind. I loved them!
Days after we'd been to the store, I was still thinking the dishes, so I decided I was going to go back and get them. K even helped me justify the purchase: "You'll probably want a nice, different set of dishes if you have the girls over or something." Well, K wound up buying me the dishes as an anniversary present. Now I love them even more.
That night, we tried to figure out where we wanted to go to dinner to celebrate our anniversary. We looked at several very nice restaurants in the area. Honestly, though, hardly anything on the menus sounded appetizing to me -- if I even knew what any of it was. K felt the same way. We talked about just going to Ol!ve Garden or something (at least we both know we like that place!). Still, we wanted to do something a little different.
I remembered a restaurant I'd randomly found a couple years ago with ER, her mom and her aunt. It was a random, hole-in-the-wall restaurant that didn't look that special from the parking lot. Inside, though, is romantic and authentically Italian. And the food is delicious. I had intended to take K there at some point, but I'd just forgotten about it. We decided to go there for dinner for our anniversary, and I'm so glad we did! K loved it. There was a rose on each table, and the restaurant was quiet and almost empty on a Monday night. The food was obviously homemade, and it was delicious. We'll definitely be going there again!
The next day, we went to Spr!nkles for the first time. Man, do they have some yummy cupcakes! Since we'd stuffed ourselves so much over K's trip, we decided to stay in for a healthier dinner that night. We marinated some chicken and cooked rice and broccoli. We used my pretty new dishes, and the flowers K had gotten me as an anniversary present made a nice little centerpiece as well (yes, I have a dining room table, but I hate it -- it was free -- and I hardly ever use it).
It was good to spend our last night to ourselves. Too quickly, it was Wednesday, and K was on his way back to Iraq.
The first two weeks (believe it or not, since it took me so long to get these posts up) d r a g g e d b y. After that, I was finally readjusted to the routine that had gotten me through the 9+ months of the deployment that had passed before R&R.
At least now we're just a week away from 11 months, and we're only a little over 3 months away from K being home for good. And if that time goes by as quickly as K's R&R, then he'll be home safe and sound before we know it.
K taught me how to swing a club while we were there. The closest to a real game of golf I'd ever come was miniature golf -- not quite the same. Swinging the club felt a bit unnatural, and I have no idea who decided all the rules and developed the proper technique to do it, but I did pretty well for my first shot! The ball went straight, which my brother made sound like is tough to do on your first swing when I talked to him later that afternoon.
That night, my dad cooked us the same dinner he has to make every time I go to Oklahoma. He's a butcher, so it's his job to know meat. This means he grills pretty much the best steak you'll ever eat in your life. We had that, salad and baked potatoes, and after we were all completely stuffed, we spent the evening sitting outside talking under the stars -- nice and relaxing.
We headed back to Dallas early the next afternoon. Over the next few days, we did quite a bit of wedding planning. We met with our photographer and our reception coordinator, and we interviewed two DJs. We spent pver 3 hours choosing place settings, kitchen appliances, and pots and pans. Luckily, almost everything we chose was a mutual decision (I compromised on his choice for our everyday dinnerware).
One night, we met up with AJ, Heather and B, and Elle for Mexican food and a silly night at our favorite piano bar. Oh my gosh, we had so much fun!
We girls danced and sang, exhausted ourselves, rested, and danced and sang some more. In one of the pictures below, I'm pretty sure I'm yawning while dancing. I was pretty hot from breakin' it down (ha!), so Elle took the liberty of cooling me off by putting her ice cold beer bottle against my neck -- and spilling her beer in the process. I love that it's all captured on film!
We also got a nice, long laugh when a girl at the table next to us actually passed out on K's shoulder. A minute or so later, she sat up, looked at K and said, "Your shoulder is really comfortable," and went back to sleep. We were all rolling over that one.
Those last few days, we spent a lot of time to ourselves. That Saturday night, we went for Italian ice in a cute little shopping center. We sat outside enjoying our ice cream and just talking and laughing about different things from our day. It was so relaxed, simple and just so us that as I look back, it's one of my favorite moments from the entire R&R.
We went to church on Sunday, and the pastor actually had K stand up so he could tell the congregation he was home from Iraq. It was sweet.
That Monday was our anniversary. In between DJ interviews, K and I went by the running store I'd been wanting to visit for a while. We both got fitted for shoes, and K bought mine for me. That should give me some good motivation to get out and run -- and one more reason to kick butt at the hal.f-marathon I'm running on Nov. 2.
Before I compromised on K's choice for our everyday dinnerware, we had gone to several home stores to try to find dishes that both of us really liked. At one of the stores, I managed to find a set of dishes that I absolutely loved. I knew they weren't K's style, so I didn't suggest that we get them, but it was like someone had made these dishes with me in mind. I loved them!
Days after we'd been to the store, I was still thinking the dishes, so I decided I was going to go back and get them. K even helped me justify the purchase: "You'll probably want a nice, different set of dishes if you have the girls over or something." Well, K wound up buying me the dishes as an anniversary present. Now I love them even more.
That night, we tried to figure out where we wanted to go to dinner to celebrate our anniversary. We looked at several very nice restaurants in the area. Honestly, though, hardly anything on the menus sounded appetizing to me -- if I even knew what any of it was. K felt the same way. We talked about just going to Ol!ve Garden or something (at least we both know we like that place!). Still, we wanted to do something a little different.
I remembered a restaurant I'd randomly found a couple years ago with ER, her mom and her aunt. It was a random, hole-in-the-wall restaurant that didn't look that special from the parking lot. Inside, though, is romantic and authentically Italian. And the food is delicious. I had intended to take K there at some point, but I'd just forgotten about it. We decided to go there for dinner for our anniversary, and I'm so glad we did! K loved it. There was a rose on each table, and the restaurant was quiet and almost empty on a Monday night. The food was obviously homemade, and it was delicious. We'll definitely be going there again!
The next day, we went to Spr!nkles for the first time. Man, do they have some yummy cupcakes! Since we'd stuffed ourselves so much over K's trip, we decided to stay in for a healthier dinner that night. We marinated some chicken and cooked rice and broccoli. We used my pretty new dishes, and the flowers K had gotten me as an anniversary present made a nice little centerpiece as well (yes, I have a dining room table, but I hate it -- it was free -- and I hardly ever use it).
It was good to spend our last night to ourselves. Too quickly, it was Wednesday, and K was on his way back to Iraq.
The first two weeks (believe it or not, since it took me so long to get these posts up) d r a g g e d b y. After that, I was finally readjusted to the routine that had gotten me through the 9+ months of the deployment that had passed before R&R.
At least now we're just a week away from 11 months, and we're only a little over 3 months away from K being home for good. And if that time goes by as quickly as K's R&R, then he'll be home safe and sound before we know it.
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