Boring Saturday Night

Have we already turned into that old married couple? I have been sitting at the kitchen table for six hours studying Constitutional Law, while Mike is watching crime shows upstairs. I think he intentionally does this when he wants to be alone because he knows I cannot stomach the blood and gore that are portrayed in the re-enactments. I am ready to head home for the holidays. I got my stockings up and holiday cards out, but we do not have a tree this year. :-(

The tree that I bought in St. Louis has been somehow so "tucked away" in the back of the closet that you cannot get to it without uprooting the entire house. I suggested that we go pick out a live tree, but was not quite aware of how expensive they are! Plus, neither of us have had the time. We don't even have any gifts for anyone yet! But, it will all work out. We are leaving for Birmingham on Wednesday and staying there until Sunday. On Sunday, we head towards Atlanta to celebrate Christmas and Mike's father's b'day before heading back to Birmingham. We will stay there one day and then come back to Texas. It will be a lot of traveling, but I am so excited to see my family and friends in Birmingham. It has been almost seven months!

This week, my highlight was when one of my old college roommates and bridesmaid, Lauren, came in town. She was here for her brother's graduation, but came in a little early to work in the Dallas office, and have dinner with me! (Or so I tell myself.) It was so great to see her. I love friends where you can pick up like you just saw them the day before and continue on. We went to eat Mexican and realized what seemed like 5 minutes later that we had been sitting there for 3.5 hours. I have not laughed so hard in such a long time and it was just wonderful to see her.

The rest of the week consisted of working, sleeping and studying. We had our holiday party at work, and after a feast of turkey and all the fixin's, we played Dirty Santa. I was so excited because I stole (yes, I stole) a Snuggie from one of my co-workers. I have been wanting one for so long! And then, someone stole it from me. My next gift was a gift card to eat. Very quickly stolen. I ended up with some cute wine stoppers and wine glass identification things that look like Christmas ornaments. My boss gave me a bottle of sweet tea vodka and a book I have been wanting to read - pretty much right on the money!

The last thing I have to ramble about is that my very best friend from the time we were 2, is expecting a little boy. He is already a week late, and I am getting very impatient!! I can't begin to imagine how she is feeling. The doctors told her, if the baby does not come by the 24th, they will induce and he will be a Christmas baby! I can't wait to get home to Birmingham and meet my little nieces and finally see pictures of my new nephew!

Well, Mike has emerged from upstairs...he is charge of buying the Christmas presents this year because he is on Christmas break. As a student. I will update if anything exciting comes along!!

Thanksgiving Recap

Well, I know I am a little late, but I have to tell you about my first Thanksgiving as a married woman. Mike and I did make it to Hilton Head, and the weather was wonderful. We got in late Wednesday night, and woke up Thursday to start cooking. Let me tell you the cast: Mike and me, Mike's pregnant sister, her husband and their two year old, and my new mom and dad in laws. I had prepared myself to expect new traditions and attempt to embrace them. I truly have never had so much good food at one time in my life. We didn't stop eating for 3 days. And we never had leftovers! There was something new every night! (Which I love because, quite honestly, I don't love turkey leftovers as much as my family does.)

A few blips in the road: My first attempt to make a pie. I have a confession. My mother is a baker. I am not. However, at some point, I told the Cherbonneaus that I would contribute the "Blackburn" portion of Thanksgiving with a homemade pie. Everyone was all impressed that I could make a homemade crust until they found out...I can't. I lied. My plan was to practice several times before Thanksgiving and then have everyone be amazed with my pie baking skills. Yes, I have made pies with my mom, but NEVER alone. And that whole, "practicing" thing just never came to fruition. So, when I was offered one of the pre-made crusts, I took it, saying, "It might just be easier." Now, somehow, Mike's sister had been told that we were having a bake off. That is the only way I can explain this:



My pie got locked in the oven. I can only suggest sabotage. Have you ever heard of an oven with a "lock" button?? We started to smell something burning (perhaps the pecans that I so lovingly chopped?) I ran over to the oven to pull out my materpiece and realized no doors were going to open. After a lot of yelling, "Michael!! Michael!! MY PIE IS LOCKED IN THE OVEN!!" Someone somehow got it out. I have to say, it wasn't so horrible after you smothered it with whipped cream!

Then we had the family photo. I had been instructed to bring black and white so that we would all blend in the picture. Mrs. C decided on Saturday afternoon that she wanted to take the pic. Instead of everyone changing into their planned outfits, everyone just made sure that the colors they were wearing "went together." Of course, this was the day I chose to wear a fushia shirt. I didn't blend. After rummaging through Mike's mother's closet and Kristen's closet (Remember, everyone is at least 2 inches taller than me and someone is pregnant....) I ended up in the back of the picture with a khaki maternity top on. Yep. I don't have a copy, but I am not so ashamed that I wouldn't post it. After the picture, Mike informed me that we had to keep up with his Thanskgiving holiday tradition. When I asked him who it involved, he explained that it was just him. And we were headed to....

Wing World. Or something of that nature. To order a platter of 6 types of wings. We wrapped the night up with a chocolate martini and headed home to play dominoes with the rest of the family. So, we survived. And I learned that every family operates differently. I had a wonderful time spending the holidays with my new family, and am looking forward to seeing how Mike integrates into our holiday traditions...I kinda don't feel like he is going to be getting up for a run with my dad and me on Christmas morning! Hope that everyone is having a wonderful, and somewhat stress free, holiday season.

Happy Turkey Day, Happy Holidays and Happy New Year

I have a tension headache. I really do love the holidays, but where did the rest of 2010 go? I am currently taking a break from filling out my bar application. Again. And, oh yeah, I am late. Did you know that the filing deadline was October 30th in Texas? I called and begged/argued/pleaded with SOMEONE, who could only suggest that I send in a late application with a very compelling letter regarding why I am late. By November 29th. Of course, THEY don't review the applications until December 18th, and then THEY have to notify you by writing.Who are these unknown people that hold the next 6 months of my life in their hands? So, I am just going to keep on studying and hope for the best. I think I have some good reasons up my sleeve, but I need to express them in a way that is more than, "Please let me practice law. I have been working at a pizza place in Missouri."

Aside from that, we are preparing for my first Italian Thanksgiving. On Wednesday, we will fly to Hilton Head, SC to celebrate with Mike's family. From what I understand of this very non French Canadian/English tradition is that we begin eating Aunt Gimo's soup at noon. Every hour we have another Italian dish. Antipasta, ensalata, manigotte (not sure what that is), then the pasta and the Secret Sicilian sauce. And then....a fried turkey...and dressing...and everything else. (I'm contributing a pie...I just didn't feel comfortable offering up green bean casserole.) I may just pack sweat pants because there is no way I will be fitting into anything I own after that meal! Mike's mother told me to pack a bathing suit - ha!

Do you ever have that feeling that everything will be fine, "just as soon as you get on that plane" or "as soon as you get in the car and get on the road?" I feel like I have been the Tasmanian Devil for the past week trying to get things checked off my list. And believe me, we have no Christmas tree up, no wedding Christmas cards picked out and no other festivities to alert you that we are in the holiday mood. But - we will be. I was reading another blog this evening, noting that the author, her husband and two children had just moved to Seattle. She was extremely excited about the snow that had fallen over night.

She wrote, "I was talking to the girls about leaving their seatbelts securely fastened, because Mommy had never driven in snow before...As I cranked the car, guess what came blasting through my speakers, "Let it snow, Let it snow, Let it snow!" It took my nerves away :), and made the drive to school feel more like a sleigh ride."

Ok, I don't know the legalities of blog stealing but I just had to post that. First of all, that song would never come on for me. There would most likely be a news report about an accident on the way to the school...I know, I feel a little like Scrooge, but I wanted to tell her, "If you think this is fun, just wait until February." I have NEVER felt like I was in a sleigh ride in my 2000 Pathfinder whether there was snow on the ground or not. (Actually, I think I told you, I didn't leave the house when there was snow on the ground for the safety of myself and all my fellow Missourians.) Regardless, what I took away from that is - are people really that happy all the time? Why am I so tired and not looking at things more positively? I drink a LOT of coffee!

I have a lot of very positive friends, and I know it is a manner of thinking. Mike thinks that I like to create drama to get worked up about. Maybe. Either way, as I said in my last post, I know I have a lot to be thankful for. And when the time comes, I WILL put on The Nutcracker and decorate our tree. But not until after Thanksgiving. And you WILL get your holiday card in the mail...the wedding one might not come until our 5th anniversary, but, what a fun surprise to open that up in 2015! If I can just get on that plane Wednesday.....

Decompressing

Well, last week was a tough one. It all started last Saturday evening while Mike and I were watching the game. We left the house around 9 pm to grab some Wendy's and noticed that Mike's car was GONE. I thought he was joking and had just moved it to a different parking space, but when I turned around, he was already on the phone with the police. I couldn't believe that this happened when we were sitting on the other side of the wall!

The police came over and I think it finally hit me when were filing the police report. Of course, I started crying and asking the cop "Who steals someone's car??" And yes, we know it is ironic that Mike studies car theft. Thank goodness on Monday we got a call that the cops had found the car and it was down at the impound. I was petrified of what we would find when we actually rescued the car. Amazingly enough, nothing had been touched. I guess some kid somehow got into it (it was locked) and drove it around until he was tired of it? I think the worst part was paying $150 for us to take our OWN car home.

On a side note, Mike has been having some tooth problems. He went to see a dentist awhile ago, but they suggested so many issues that Mike kept putting it off. Finally, the pain just got to be too much. He was scheduled to see an oral surgeon Tuesday evening to have all four of his impacted wisdom teeth removed, as well as two teeth that were completely rotted out. They assured us that the procedure would only take an hour. Four hours and one pedicure later (for me), Mike stumbled out of the back. He had woken up during the operation because they did not expect him to be out that long. He was hilarious in his drugged stupor, and I was particularly proud of my husband as he asked me where the cute secretary had gone. I chose not to slap his puffy cheeks right then...:-) As he asked for the car keys, I patted myself on the back for taking them away from him before the surgery, knowing he would think he was fine.

Mike's parents had gotten in from Mexico that evening and met us at the house with Frostys for Mike to eat and some ice packs. I opened the wine. They left the next morning, leaving me with a very grumpy husband, chicken soup cooking, some Lortab and specific instructions from the dentist for steroids and anti-biotics. Poor Mike was still up until 5:30 this morning in pain.

So, I took care of Mike Wednesday and headed back to work Thursday. Ha, oh yeah. I couldn't find Mike's wallet Wednesday and after going back to the dentist and the pedicure place while he slept, I canceled his debit card. When he woke up, he grabbed his wallet out of his pant's pocket. Oops. :-)

When I came home from work Friday, all I wanted to do was sleep. I got in the bed and slept for about 15 hours. I don't think I realized how exhausted we both were until we got a minute to sit. And so, life starts again tomorrow. Mike has to head to San Francisco on Tuesday for a criminology conference (I know) and then we are going to Hilton Head for my first Thanksgiving away from home. Lots of changes over the past few months and I still can't figure out where the year has gone!

Looking back, I just have to think about how thankful I am that my family is healthy and happy, and know that this week could have been much worse....HOWEVER, I think we are good with dramatic events for just a little while. Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend!! PS- Roll Tide

Left Behind

When I was in high school, I was on the dance team. Mike makes constant fun of me and always tells me that he believes I was a huge dork in high school. I insist to him that making good grades and not partaking in drugs and alcohol WAS actually cool in my high school, but he doesn't believe. Mike also does not believe that the dance team was cool. Apparently, he went to a high school where sex and drugs and rock and roll were cool. At my school, I swear, I was awesome.

But arguing my coolness is beside the point. The point is to tell you about our trip to Ireland and how I got stranded in the London airport while 250 people flew safely across the Atlantic back to Homewood, AL. In 1997, tragedy struck. My dance team was preparing to go to dance camp (that really doesn't sound cool) and we were practicing our routine. As I launched myself into the the best toe touch ever, I came down and fell to the floor. As I tried to get up, I realized that my leg was not supporting me anymore. Panic. People were dancing around me and techno music was playing and I couldn't move. I crawled over the wall and someone called my mom. We found out that afternoon that I had torn my ACL.

If you know anything about football or soccer, you have probably heard of this injury. Not so much if you are on the DANCE TEAM. But, we scheduled my surgery and for six weeks I was in physical therapy and walking around with this ridiculously huge brace on my leg. The plus side was that I got to leave class five minutes early so that people would not knock me down during the changing of classes. (That also does not sound cool. I promise that people were not intentionally trying to knock me down.)

Alright, that is the background. Now, each year, the dance team (who is affiliated with the band) gets to go on a trip. There is always one international trip in the term that you are in school, and our trip was to Ireland. Of course, this trip fell during the time I was still wearing my awesome leg brace. I watched for months as my friends prepared for the trip, and was actually interviewed by the news during one of the practices about how I felt not being able to perform on the trip. Interestingly, that piece never aired...

Once the time came, we boarded the plane and headed for Ireland. After at least a week there, everyone was ready to come home. Yes, the scenery there is gorgeous, and I would love to go back, but in a different setting. When you are stuck on a bus, sightseeing what other people have planned for you, things get a little sticky. We got to kiss the Blarney Stone and explore old castles (remember, I am still in my leg brace) but after seven days of eating green soup, everyone was missing their mommas. It was time to go. We boarded a plane from Dublin and made our first stop in London.

Another one of the girls on the dance team had also injured herself, and someone decided the best thing would be for us to get on one of those beep beep carts for the elderly so we wouldn't miss our plane. 15 minutes later, I watched as the plane took off with all my friends in it. With as many people that were on the plane, everyone thought I was there, somewhere, and didn't recognize that I was still sitting in the airport. Thank goodness our dance teacher's husband realized what was going on and decided to stay with us. Apparently, DELTA had given up our seats because we did not check in in time.

Receiving a collect call from their sobbing, oldest daughter in London was not what my parents were expecting when they picked up the phone. While he held it together, I think my dad was just as upset as I was. DELTA ended up paying for a night in a not so awesome hotel, and the next day, my teacher's husband and the two cripples arrived very early at the airpot. We made it home and my best friend said, "There were so many people on the plane, we all just figured you were talking to someone else." None of the students knew that we had missed the flight until their parents told them when they landed in Birmingham. This does not make me feel confident in my sparkling personality.

Looking back on this experience, all I have is a distain for London. This was not London's fault, but I was so ready to be home. My knee is better, and I was able to dance again my senior year. I guess the sacrifice of being stuck in London was all just a price to pay for being cool.

Life Kinda Got in the Way

Sorry guys - we have been busy! I checked to see when the last time I had written was, and felt so horrible. The problem is, nothing majorly exciting has been going on - we are just busy! Thank the Lord, we are making friends here, and that makes our Saturday nights just a little more exciting. We celebrated a friend's 30th Birthday with her by going to a Haunted House and then cruising in a limo until 2:00 am. I have said it once, and I will say it again - recovering from the celebration of turning 21 and the celebration of turning 30 are two completely different things. Mike and I had a nice day of lounging that Sunday after. However, we met some wonderful new people and planned to hang out with them more the next weekend at a Halloween party.

This past Wednesday Mike's parents came in town. They were on their way to Puerta Vierta (so lucky) and stopped in for a visit. Mike's mother and I hit the town on Friday night as cowgirls to celebrate one of her friend's b'days. We had a blast and I was all excited about our Saturday night Halloween plans. Instead, Mike decided to get sick and we stayed home. It probably ended up working out for the best because I am studying for the (wait for it) BAR again. I know. What is wrong with me. However, I found a different program here that starts 2 months earlier than the other program I used, and seems to be more tailored to people that have test anxiety like me, or just take a little longer to grasp the concepts. So, we are now on a countdown to the end of February!

Work is going well, and I still have a lot to do, which is exciting. One of my friends (yes, you Rachel) made the point that since I am clerking, I may have even more motivation to study for the Bar because I am so happy doing a small piece of what I could be doing. I thought it was some good advice, and I am looking at this as a new challenge.

Aside from that, we are just living life. No, the garage is not clean, and no the dishes aren't always done, but we are really happy. I got upset the other day when I was attempting to make a budget and exclaimed, "Mike, we are so poor!!" He looked at me and said, "I know Jenny, but at least we are happy." Sweet thing. Made my night.

So, that's what we've been up to! Oh - also, I am new Mad Men fanatic. I have rented it from Netflix starting from the beginning. If you are not watching this show - you need to. I will try to write more often - just don't want to bore y'all!

New Title * New Post

Kristi - You win the contest!! I thought this was a cute new name for our new adventure in Dallas. Next up were Jenny Does Dallas and Apropros of Mrs. Cherbonneau. The former was nixed because you never know who is reading this thing. The latter I loved, but it made me feel like my mother in law. Thank you all for your creative names! New post below!

What Decade Were You Supposed to Live in?

Today I did this. It was a complete accident, and as you may be able to see by the drawer next to it, this is not how our drawers are supposed to look. However, after fighting 5:00 traffic to drive 12 miles in 30 minutes, I walked into a house where the dishes were piled up and I stepped in cat throw up. As I began to empty the dishwasher, I jerked on the drawer and....well the rest is in the picure. Don't say I wasn't warned. Mike told me several times not to tug on the drawers because it looked like they had been glued together. (If you look closely they really have. At least we know how to fix it.) Anyway, as I began to fix dinner and think about how I wished someone was there to fix it for me, I also began to question my quiet desire to live in the 1950's.

For some reason, I have always thought the '50s would be a lovely little era to live in. Forget Communism scares, no women's rights and the fact that people dealt with anxiety through alcohol rather than doctors - I pictured myself in a little apron making cookies in a cute little yellow (why??) house. I actually told Mike this one time and he told me, "You hate everything the '50's stand for. You would be horrible in the '50's!" Which is actually true. I hate to clean. I don't know how to bake (although you wouldn't know it with all the baking stuff I registered for and received.) And I really like working. So...what led me to believe this would be a great place to live? Of course the movies. (And also Desperate Housewives a little bit.)

So, I took this totally accurate quiz on Facebook that is supposed to tell you what era you would fit best in. Mine came up as the 1970s. I started laughing, but then I thought, I think I could maybe see myself there. It doesn't seem that different from today. Obviously there have been major changes in society since then, but it seems like less of a rigid community than the '50s. There were major issues that were being fought for politically, but I think people's eyes were open to change. Besides, look at us now - major political issues that are going to be life changing for generations to come.

All in all, I think I am pretty happy with the decade I am living in. I appreciate the fact that Mike felt masculine enough to ask whether I wanted him to chop up peppers tonight. (He asked...he didn't actually ever cut them though....) I appreciate the fact that I have the option to leave in the morning and show that my brain holds something besides recipes. SIDEBAR:[Before I get hate mail - I love stay at home mothers and do not think that their only talent is memorizing recipes. In fact, I would love to have that luxury one day.] And I appreciate the fact that I can come home, rip off the front of a drawer and know I won't be knocked to the floor by an angry, drunk 1950's husband. In fact, my 2010 husband and I kinda laughed about it, after I kicked it around for falling on my toe.

Sorry - I recognize this is kind of all over the place but the thoughts I wanted to talk about weren't connecting as well as I thought they would. Good night!

2 Updates

1) I am sick. Nauseous, exhausted, sick. (NOT PREGNANT.)I blame Denny's.

2) My twin blogger is writing a book. How do you compete with that??

We Heart Denny's

Did you ever think that your new favorite restaurant would be Denny's? If you are shaking your head, I will assure you, neither did we my friend, neither did we. However, there is one about .5 miles away from our house and Mike has designated it his new favorite wing joint. I am having a hard time saying, "no, no, let me cook" after work, when we can just head to Denny's and get a Patty Melt and french fries with the BEST RANCH ever!! And no, we don't eat there. It's not like a date night. One of us picks up the food, and we plant ourselves in front of the television to spend some "quality time" together. As I am writing this, I am becoming concerned, and going to make myself get up and run tomorrow. I think I am also going to the grocery store.

However, until tomorrow, let me tell you some new and wonderfully surprising things about Denny's.

1) They don't just do breakfast. I never knew this! I was the one to pick up the meal this evening and I walked in to find multiple things that appealed to my naughty taste buds. Patty melts, cheeseburgers, wings, and quesadillas - you will never get bored when you are visiting Denny's.

2) No one cares what you look like. I went to get a pedicure this evening after work and did not blink any eye walking into the "restaurant" with my pedicure flip flops on. The guy in front of my was pushing 400 pounds (which may soon be us if we don't watch it) and had a jersey on that said "John." John had to leave his food on the counter because his credit card was declined. Again, I didn't bat an eye. You can do whatever you want in Denny's.

3) Denny's actually has salads! I discovered this when I was perusing the menu somewhere between bites of my patty melt. If you are ever in the mood for something "light" they truly do have a selection! (Also as I scarfed down my grease fest, we were fast forwarding through episodes of The Biggest Loser.) Again, some guilt there.

After this post I have decided we will not be heading back to Denny's for awhile. However, for tonight, it was just what the doctor ordered. Ha!

My Grandma is Sick

This isn't going to be one of those funny, sarcastic posts about the ridiculous things that go on in my life. However, it has been on my mind for awhile and I decided to let y'all in. For several months, we have noticed that Grandma has been repeating stories or can't always hear what you are saying. I get it. She is 80 years old and she is allowed to laugh politely even when no joke has been told. If you make it to 80 and are still able to help me pick out wedding bands because "you don't want me driving all that way by myself" you can pretty much do anything you want. However, there have been some significant issues that we have discovered over the past couple months that made our family wonder just how bad her memory was getting.

Apparently, she has been spending a lot of money on things that don't need to be fixed. First, someone knocked on her door to see if they could take a look at her furnace. I was actually surprised that Grandma let this guy in, but he told her she the furnace needed to be replaced - and she paid for it. Then someone called her from the Honda dealership to remind her to update her warranty. She paid the $2000 - she hasn't owned a Honda in over 2 years. So, these details are a little disturbing. My aunt and uncle keep an eye on her and told us that she was in some sort of car wreck because there was a dent in her car. She has no idea how it happened.

So, my aunt took her to the doctor. What Grandma told me is that they wanted to check her eyes. Apparently, there was more to the story. The doctors administered a test to determine whether she should be driving based on her comprehension and memory. Simple questions like asking her to remember a word for a minute. She scored a 15 out of 29. So, she is not allowed to drive....except she still was. She told me that she could "see" just fine and she was going to only drive at night. Eventually it got to the point where my uncle was scared that Grandma would come home to find the house burned down from leaving the oven on, or something of that nature. They suggested she move in with them. Now, my aunt and uncle have 3 boys - 2 11 year olds and one 6 year old. They are busy, but I know how much my Grandma loves spending time with them. They also keep her on her toes. So after a lot of anger (she is stubborn, my Grandma) she agreed to move.

Right now she is "vacationing" with my parents for a month, and I asked her to come visit Mike and me in Dallas to explore the city. She told me she would have to think about it. :-) I can't imagine how this feels to someone who is slowly recognizing that they are losing their memory. My father told me a story the other night involving an issue from his childhood that was never resolved. My grandfather passed away in 1992, so my Grandma was the only source of the memory left. When Dad asked her what happened, she told him that the issue never occurred.

We watched my other grandmother deal with very bad dementia before she died. I think it gets to a point when the person afflicted doesn't realize how out of it they are...it is harder on the ones around them. So, keep her in your thoughts. This woman is a fighter, and as she has gotten older, has become more of a "person" to me that just my grandmother. She has an identity and a very memory filled life and it is scary to think it can be so easily washed away. So, that's what's going on here. Hopefully there will not be a lot of posts about this in the near future.

Domestic Bliss?

I love working. I love having the job that I currently have...getting up in the morning, making coffee and putting on my "job clothes." I love walking around in heels and a cute outfit, as petty as it sounds. And I love that all the time and money that I invested in law school is finally starting to pay off. I can't tell you how many times I questioned whether law was the right path to take over the past two years. Mike always said, "Why don't you wait until you start practicing before you make another life decision?" ("And get into more debt" is probably what he was thinking.) Regardless, he was right and I am really enjoying the office where I am and the assignments I am given.

However, with this major change, another event has shifted. Mike is a full time student. He has classes that he attends, but for the most part, he creates his own schedule. When I had nothing to do, this was great. We would watch movies late into the night, sleep until noon and then he would go off to school. It was wonderful and ridiculous at the same time. Wonderful because I really do love to sleep. Ridiculous because while he had a place to take off to, I was still at home. And so, we have moved to Dallas. We have a cute new place that is decorated "girly" and I have more motivation to do things around the house than I have had in two years.

The issue is that Mike is still on the same schedule. In fact, he just left at 11:30 pm to head to school. This drives me nuts. We have argued about this for years, going around and around. But the crux of it is, you can't change someone. I think part of it is control and wanting to somehow control him? (or at least his time schedule because I think I know what is better for him?) Are there really night owls and morning people? Personally, I believe I am more of an "after 11 am" kind of girl, but whatever. I am struggling to somehow accept this chapter of our lives (that seems to be going on FOREVER) but I don't know that it will ever change. Another chapter will always offer struggles, and I understand that. It's just this one that I am currently trying to figure out.

I am headed to bed while my husband is headed to school.

Well, this was a juicy post. I always wonder why people put their whole lives out on the internet for anyone to read. I don't mind doing it because I hope that someone out there is somehow relating to me. I know that I read blogs where I am happy to know that I am not the only one experiencing different things. (Do I sound like Oprah? She always says silly things like that. "I know, some of you are out there cooking dinner, and you just had your Ah-ha moment!)Regardless, we will continue to figure this whole marriage thing out one day at a time. :-) Good night!

Bookstores and My Twin

This afternoon I went to the bookstore. I love books. I love being at the bookstore; it is one of those weird places of solitude for me where you can browse for hours and not realize how much time has gone by. I personally think there should not be any cell phones allowed there as major decisions are being made. You can decide whether you are in the mood for the best sellers, the Classics, or Oprah's Book Club. (I got one of each today.) I have decided that I needed Anna Karenina in my "library" at least to get used to the idea of reading it. Then when I decide to conquer this 817 page literary masterpiece, I will have it in our home. When we moved from St. Louis, Mike's mother couldn't believe that we were both bringing all our books with us. She asked me why I wasn't going to donate them to Goodwill or throw them out. These thoughts horrified me. Who throws out books? As cheesy as it sounds, once I finish reading a novel, it has somehow impacted my life, whether I know it or not. And what if I want to read it again?

One of the best things about my parent's house is their collection of books stacked along the walls in the basement. For summer reading, we rarely had to buy the books - my parents usually had a copy. And when we are bored over the holidays or when we are visiting we can always go downstairs and find SOMETHING that will suit the mood we are in and entertain us for at least a few days. So, at some point, I hope that Mike and I will have that for our children. Novels for our children that we have held in our hands and thought about or even been educated by. (I am going to make sure that Mike's criminology books are locked up so our children don't get any weird ideas...:-)

Anyway, back to the beginning. While I was browsing the store, I began looking in the cookbook section. I have really been trying to be more domestic since we moved, and I enjoy putting dinner together, knowing that it is healthier than the pound of wings Mike would order otherwise. Ever since I watched Julie & Julia, I have wanted to get the Julia Child's cookbook and attempt to create some French dishes. I know, this is not original, I am sure that everyone who watched that movie was somehow inspired (maybe?) to begin exploring these recipes. However, I was shocked to see how expensive cookbooks are! Yes, I get it. You will have them forever. But still - I couldn't justify spending that amount of money on a cookbook and decided I would either get it on my next trip or ask for it for Christmas.

After dinner this evening, I checked the blog of the girl with whom I feel I am in competition. Remember the one that does all the same things I do, but seems to do them better, faster and more beautifully? Would you believe that she JUST BOUGHT THE JULIA CHILDS COOKBOOK?? Then she posted pictures of several of the recipes that she has made from it. I couldn't believe it.

I marched into Mike's office and started telling him about this outrage (and how it is a little weird.) Mike suggested that (and this is so typical of a scientist) all bloggers might have the same types of personalities and so it is not absurd that this particular girl (who now lives in Seattle - see, she just had a big move, just like us) would be doing all the things I am doing. I still think it is crazy. And so, I may be putting up Rachael Ray for a little while, sucking it up, and investing in Julia Childs. I will let you know how that goes :-)

And We Are Still Leaking

So...it rains a lot here. These torrential downpours where out of no where the rain just starts coming down slanted, thunder is rumbling and lightening is flashing. I really don't mind the rain - just not at 5:00 when I am headed home from work and can't park in our garage. Soooo....as I told you, we had some minor issues with the house. When I asked Mike when the people were coming back to do the repairs, he replied, "I'm gonna be honest. I had a paper due so I wasn't really listening." WHAT? Apparently today was the day they were coming back. No one was home. Now it is pouring. Of course it is.

So, I after I just mopped up the office, I called our landlord. He made me feel like it was our fault that no one was home. Ok, in a way it was, but why didn't they try to call me? Besides, I could hear that our landlord was in a bar and I seemed to be interrupting his darts game. He gave me the number to call for the handy man, but of course, who picks up a 205 area code after 5:00? (or ever.)

Mike does have class at 7, so I am alone to listen to the rain, watch Oprah and Project Runway and hope that this guy calls back. Tomorrow we are supposed to go to Oktoberfest here (I know it is September) but it is featured in USA Today every year as one of the best ones. HOPEFULLY we will get the garage cleaned out and be able to enjoy ourselves. Have a great weekend!

Content

I don't want to jinx it, but things are going extremely smoothly right now. Almost to the point where I would like to say we are getting settled, and finally, content. Of course nothing is ever normal here and there are going to be the daily occurrences that make me throw my hands up and say, "of course." A quick example - last week we had horrendous storms from some Tropical Depression. (I know, I should watch the news.) Regardless, Mike called me into the study to show me where water was leaking in through the windows. As he continued to search the house for further damage, he found a piece of the garage ceiling had fallen down and water was coming in upstairs.

Once we called our landlord, he came out and took care of it which was a relief. It is definitely a plus that we are renting - who knew that crazy storms pass through Texas all the time? We also have had some issues with the shower door in the master bath. The issue is, I got stuck. It was really the scariest thing! We have a glass shower and I shut the door (like normal people do.) When I was done, I went to step out and the door wouldn't open! After several attempts, I started banging on the shower door and screaming, "HELP." Of course, I had closed the door to the bedroom and Mike had the tv on downstairs so he didn't hear me. As thoughts of me being found passed out from lack of food and water ran through my head, I finally decided to kick the door. I was vaguely worried that I would break the glass, but the thought of continuing to be a rat caught in a cage was not enticing. After my second or third kick the door bounced out. Mike couldn't figure out why I was so upset when I came downstairs dripping and frantically talking jibberish. The door will be replaced on Wednesday.

Aside from that, nothing too exciting is going on. Mike's best man came into town on business and was our first non-family guest. Of course, he arrived the day the house started leaking, but oh well. He was a good sport and we really enjoyed his company. (He also didn't say anything when I woke up in the middle of the night and realized there were no sheets on the guest bed.) I snuck in to give him another blanket (which is kind of weird in retrospect) but I felt horrible! Damn martini on a Wednesday night!

That's about all the exciting stuff. People drive like crazy people here, and it is still in the high 90s. No one really cares about college football (go figure) but I am going to try and be a good sport and see if I can root for the Cowboys. I am really enjoying work and have been able to go to court twice, which is kind of a rush for me. I know, I am a dork, but it is so fun! Sooo, that is what has been going on in our lives. Don't worry - not much has changed. Mike left for work/school a little while ago and I am about to curl up with a book. Hope all is well!

A Little of This, A Little of That

I just got off the phone with Best Buy for the second time in a week. Mike decided when we moved here that he needed new bookcases to keep all his Criminology books in, and found a pretty good deal at Best Buy. (In all fairness, one of his old bookcases is now in use as a china cabinet.) So, we ordered two bookcases to be delivered. When they arrived, one of them looked like the workers at UPS had taken a hammer to the sides. When we called to explain the situation, Best Buy sent out a new bookcase, but failed to pick up the old one. In addition, the new bookcase has a big chunk of wood take out of it. I now have two 100 pound pieces of wood laying in the middle of my entryway/dining room.

Today marks Mike and my's 3 month anniversary. My dad started laughing when I told him that my parents should fly us to the beach to celebrate. I feel like it has been WAY more than three months! Who gets married, moves, starts a new school, starts a new job, gets fired from the job and hired at a new job when you first get married? It is ridiculous. Granted, I am very happy to be married to Mike and have a job FINALLY, but there still seems to be something missing. I'm wondering if I am one of those people who is always going to find something to get upset about or if I just need to complete the transition here by finding some really fun friends.

It is currently 6:15 pm and I am still waiting for the temperature to fall below 90 so I can go run. (Also, my IPOD is dead and charging.) That is one of the things I just searched through about 6 boxes to find...Mike is getting ready to go to school and do work and I am going to....? Sorry if this sounds very "I feel sorry for myself today." My best friends from home were all together this weekend, either pregnant or as new mommas and I think I am feeling a little far away and in a sense, left out. It's weird that they are all going through this very precious stage in life together and I am not.

We have made some friends here and were lucky enough to spend some time at their house yesterday stuffing ourselves and watching college football. We had a great time and are looking forward to continuing to hang out with them! Ok, I am going for a run - hope everyone is having a great Labor Day weekend!!

Reunited and It Feels So Good

I am a little nervous to tell y'all this, but...I have a new job. I know. It is crazy. However, I am actually working in the LEGAL field, doing all the stuff I trained for three years to learn how to do! On Monday I met with another attorney whom I had been referred to. He is the DA of some area in Dallas and apparently is the "Guy to know." I explained my situation and we mulled over the fact that the legal market is saturated and there are no jobs for aspiring young lawyers like me. He told me to "hang on a minute" while he made one call.

A few minutes later, he was rushing me out the door because the lady he called was leaving in 30 minutes. Apparently the firm where I was headed had just fired their clerk (that scares the heck out of me.) I talked with the two attorneys in the office and they said they would give me a call the next day to let me know one way or the other. Can you believe I finally have my own office, with my own computer and a WINDOW?? It is so exciting. I am just scared to death of doing something wrong and getting fired yet again, so I am trying to be as by the book as possible.

Today was exciting because I got to go to court with one of the attorneys. Although I wasn't allowed to speak, it was still a lot of fun to be in the group listening to what was going on. So finally, two years after graduation, I am hoping we might just be on the right path!

New Name

I need a new name for the blog. A lot of people offer prizes for those who come up with the best blog name, but I don't embroider or sew, and I can't really cook/bake you something if you don't live in Dallas. However, if you want your name announced on this super cool blog, I am taking suggestions! Hope everyone is having an awesome Friday!

Is There a Need for TV?

For two weeks, I was given the opportunity to see what our lives would be like if we didn't have television as a distraction. Aside from missing internet, I was so happy. There was no constant noise from as soon as we woke up until the time we fell asleep at night. You could have a conversation without asking/yelling that the tv be turned down, or "could you please pay attention to me rather than staring at some crime show that you can pause?"

I will say that we missed the news, but isn't that what the newspaper is for? Mike and I also watch different types of news. He enjoys Fox News while I prefer CNN. When CNN is on, Mike feels the need to make comments like, "Oh Obama, I am so glad that you were able to take a vacation while the United States is in crisis." Ok - if this was reported on Fox, would I get the same reaction?? He went on vacation either way! Regardless, it is just the point of having the noise.

We seemed to forget in these two weeks, how important it was that we not miss an episode of "Jersey Shore" (yes, I am honest. We watch it) or "Project Runway." In fact, when we were setting up our recordings, I couldn't remember half the things that I HAD to watch before we moved here. I am not all high and mighty. I definitely watched movies when we didn't have cable and I was too tired to read, but still, I think TV has gotten a little out of control.

By the way, did you know you can get books read to your children on video now?? We seem to be missing the point...

That's all for now. I am going to attempt to organize our bedroom...somehow in just 4 days we have a laundry pile up! How does this happen??

How to Be Hired and Fired in 7 Days

Before I start this story, I have to say CONGRATULATIONS to my friend Ellen and her husband, Chuck. They had their first baby this afternoon, a beautiful little girl named Kate. So exciting!! I keep having dreams that I am in Birmingham meeting my little nieces, but alas, we are not. And would you believe that I have two more friends expecting in the next six months?? These are all friends that I grew up with in Birmingham!

Instead, we are adjusting well to Dallas, and I was even pleasantly surprised when I woke up this morning to find the temperature had dropped 30 degrees! It was 75 this morning and I was FINALLY able to go for a run. I know Mike was happy that I was able to run out some of my energy and anxiety.

Now, for the job. When we came down here, I was referred to a real estate agency by one of my college friends. She went to elementary school with the guy who owns the company and he is doing really well. Please keep in mind that he is also 30. Once we rented our house, I became friends with him on Facebook (always the social networking site) and noted that he needed a personal assistant. I decided to contact him about this and was hired as soon as we met. I worked for 2 days and then the entire next week. My list of duties included: Getting his Escalade gassed and washed, letting his dog out three times a day, and picking out new brown dress socks for him.

However, I was also given some responsibilities at the office. Suddenly, I was in charge of marketing, as well as the hired on I.T. person. It was stressful and I stayed several evenings until almost 7 pm.

On Friday evening at 8:00, I received a phone call from my boss. I was already dressed up to go out with Mrs. C and Mike and we were literally getting ready to drive away. My boss informed me that this relationship was not working and he would have to go "a different avenue." I was shocked. I asked three times for specifics as to what had gone wrong, and reminded him that I had only been around for a week - how do you know someone that quickly? Each time he was questioned, he stated that the relationship was not working and he was not going to go into details.

I burst into tears after I hung up. Mrs. C was FURIOUS. She kept talking about what a jerk he was, and how I couldn't take it personally - he didn't even know me! She offered to stay in, but I knew I would just sit there and try to figure out what I had done wrong. So we headed to a piano bar, I got a martini and proceeded on with the night. I am still having a hard time digesting this (who gets fired???) but also accepting this guy is a narcissistic jerk who seems to want everything placed as the most important thing going. By the way, did I tell you I drew up a contract for him, and also read through a contract and dumbed it down for him? All for an hourly wage?

Regardless, I am going to focus more on my legal career and look at this as a blessing. (Maybe tomorrow. :-) )

Moving to the Big D

Well. We are here! I don't even know where to start because so much has happened in the past two weeks. Let's begin back in St. Louis when we rented a 22 foot truck, two guys to load it up and 6 hours later. We STILL had more furniture to load up. So the next morning, Mike's father left in the truck as I called around frantically trying to find a U-Haul trailer that we could load and hitch to Mike's car. We finally found a place available and started loading up. I can't even tell you how many boxes we loaded, unloaded, packed, repacked and STILL left things in our storage unit. I can't get over how much stuff we have. At 5:00 am one morning (the second night of sleeping on the floor in our condo)I told Mike I was done. I was leaving and refused to spend one more night in that place. When we woke up, I helped him load the last bit of things into the trailer and took off. I rolled into Dallas around 1:00 am. Mike didn't leave with me and secretly unloaded the trailer AGAIN trying to fit more things in.

Once we all got here, we began unloading. And unloading. We still can't use our garage because there is so much stuff in there. And oh, did I mention it has been 107 degrees here every day since we arrived?? You don't leave the house here unless you have your hair in a ponytail and are very scantily clad! Mike's mom left yesterday after helping decorate and unpack. She was so helpful in organizing things and "helping out" to buy a few "necessary" things for the house. Who can live without a few new candles and extra decorative accessories?

I made my first and last trip to IKEA. That place is nuts. We walked, and walked and walked some more. When we finally checked out, we had more in our cart than we came for, and I had popped an anxiety pill. BUT we were able to enjoy 2 hotdogs, 2 waters and a bag of chips for $2. Mike and I may end up heading out there just for cheap date nights!

So, Mike started classes last week. I will write in my next post about how I was hired and fired as a personal assistant within one week. (I know, I can't get over it and am still dealing with the blow to my pride.) However, we are getting settled in and are really happy to have relocated. We have already hung out with some friends that I knew in college and I just feel like we are going to be very happy here.

PS - Mike has not moved from the couch since the cable guy came today. Apparently we moved to Dallas so we could get a discount on U-Verse. I can't really tell a difference except that I now know I can know watch my DVRd Real Housewives of New Jersey in the other room.

PPS - I turned 30.

I will post again tomorrow to continue to catch you up. I want to show you pictures of our house! I am headed to bed as it is already 12:30. Good night!

The Last Three Days

We are moving on Friday. Mike's parents are going to be here in a few hours and I am very concerned that they are going to look at our condo, get back in the car and head back to Atlanta. Although we have been packing things, they are not as visible as all the stuff that is still laying out. One thing I discovered yesterday as I attempted to shove coats into a plastic tub is: we have too many jackets. What are we going to do with these in Texas and how in the world did we manage to accumulate so many over the past few years? Apparently I needed a jacket for every outfit, but Mike was not far behind me.

I am exhausted and am waiting for my coffee to kick in before anything I attempt to organize anything else. Last night Mike grilled hamburgers and I asked him what three things he was going to miss about St. Louis. After informing me that we were not on the Bachelor and that it was a "staged" question, he answered with, "The ability to find your way easily around the city??" and several other very boring points. Mine were:

1) My friends
2) The running routes I have discovered.

Do you think it is time for us to leave?

Packing and Relaxing

This is what I woke up to today. Before I went to sleep last night, Mike informed me that he needed to go through and pack up some of his papers. Apparently, he got distracted before that last key part was complete. href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCt4hYoxpGIMMxuBXBfYQyevQHXaZ6I994Zl-TocOqPnqHnbus9XGNu8QAQ5BofD-xf4NtIJYAH4e80soynpH8TgXwkUw41s7H_dee6GdFUHADAExbLtJH1th-hyCaSppyohYij0Kadink/s1600/IMG_0205.JPG">
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Here's the deal. I can't figure out how to write in between the pictures, and I don't know why there are weird symbols showing up, so I am just going to write what I need to write down here. First of all, the second and third pictures show just how much packing we have left to do. That has been our designated spot for wedding presents since we have run out of storage. Surprisingly enough, we have actually packed up quite a bit of it....you just can't tell. Look at sweet Lullabelle. I don't know who is going to have the panic attack first - her or me.

The next pictures were to show that we took some time off Saturday night to spend some much needed quality time with some of our favorite people in St. Louis. Mike grilled, we drank wine and played board games. It was a lot of fun, and something to look forward to as we continue to wake up every day trying to figure out what to pack next. Thankfully, Mike's parents are coming in town Wednesday. Mike's father has volunteered to drive the U-Haul truck, and I am hoping that we might get a little extra packing help from a new set of eyes. Sometimes it is easier to pack/clean when it is not your house!

As promised before, I need to tell you about our trip to the University of Texas - Dallas (UTD) and the floozie secretary. Mike and I met with the graduate director of the school to help him figure out more precisely what his plan is next year. She then took us to meet the Dean of the school. As we walked into his office area, we were met by what I can only call a Texas Barbie. Her blonde curly hair flowed gracefully down her shoulders and her flawless skin and perfect smile greeted us when we opened the door. Mike's teacher introduced her, and I quickly dismissed her name because I didn't think we would be having a lot of interaction with her. UNTIL, the teacher introduced Mike and stated, "Mike is also in the Phd program with you." Of course he is.

Mike began babbling about how he will "see her in the fall" and walked away to meet the dean as I stood there feeling very short and pimply. Kind of like 7th grade all over again. I stuck my hand out and introduced myself as Mike's wife. She was very nice and of course, I don't think she is out to steal my husband, but it was a little intimidating. As we walked outside, Mike's professor whispered to me, "Don't worry, they don't all look like that." See - even she gets it!

So, we are going to be packing up the rest of the week. Please be thinking about us as make this crazy move without hopefully going crazy ourselves!!
Now, if I could only get this one to get out of the bed....




Have a wonderful Monday!!!

A Slump

So, we are moving in exactly a week. We haven't started packing. I feel like I am sitting in cement and just can't get the strength to to break out of it. I have never moved by myself (without my parents) and although this sounds very childish, I just don't know where to start without my mom directing me. I finally went to Target today to get some bins for our clothes, but never actually got any clothes into them.

Our real estate agent came by a few days ago and stated, "I really don't envy what you have to do in the next few days." Aside from assuring us that we will lose lots of money on our condo, I felt like we were in a episode of "Hoarders." Outgrowing this space is an understatement. We are bursting at the seams. I kept apologizing as we went through each room, desperately trying to convince her that we are generally much neater when there is space to put everything. The wedding presents do not help the situation. People were so generous, but we have presents stacked in their boxes behind the couch. And now I am beginning to question, do I really need a wok?

Last night was my last night at work. I will not miss these days of coming home at 3:00 am, but I am going to miss the girls that I recently met and really clicked with. I think that even after all the complaining I have done for the past two years, we have made some incredible friends and incredible memories in St. Louis. It is a very bittersweet time, and that is also an issue. Not a lot of time to process the change.

Finally, my husband. Isn't it fun to call them that? He seems to think that we are going to pack up this place in a day. And so I come home to find that he has found multiple new trashy day time television shows and no movement from the couch. I can't fix this, as much as I have yelled/screamed/cried. The most response I have gotten is when I sit quietly. He knows there is something wrong when I am not talking a mile a minute. Talk about the stress of your first year of marriage! When asked what his plan was, his response is, "I have one." That just doesn't put my mind at ease.

So, I ate some ice cream for dinner. I am hoping to throw some t-shirts, etc into these bins tonight and get a fresh start in the morning. And yes, I know that people move all the time and maybe I am being a baby, but this is what we are dealing with right now. Tomorrow night we are having a bbq with some of my favorite people in St. Louis, which should be a lot of fun. In addition, I have this looming knowledge that I am turning 30 in exactly 13 days. That, and the thoughts that come with it are a post for another day. So, I will be updating because writing always makes me feel a little better. Hope all is well and everyone enjoys their weekend!

There's Always Drama With Us

We got a house!!! After my last blog, we got on the road and made the ten hour drive to Dallas. Luckily, some of Mike's parent's friends, and quite possibly the nicest people I have ever met, allowed us to stay with them during the frenetic week. We had previously spoken with a real estate agent who was going to find some rental properties for us and planned to meet with her the next day.

First I have to tell you about the great people we stayed with. The wife is retired and they have three children (one is my age and has wonderful connections in the city.) The husband works from home and at 5:00 every day there were cocktails and appetizers waiting for us. Quite honestly, I couldn't hang. I woke up with a headache every morning! As we began to look at houses, we realized how much furniture we have and began to get an idea of the square footage we would need. I have desperately wanted a guest bedroom ever since I moved in with Mike, but we just didn't have the room for him to have an office and a separate bedroom. I had my heart set on a 3/2. We found the perfect place that INCLUDED the washer, dryer and refrigerator, but then found out that we were in competition with another couple for the place! Once we finally signed the lease, we were told that the owners of the house liked us better :-). I personally feel that it was all because of a dog.

When we walked into the house, their dog was caged so he wouldn't jump on anyone. Apparently earlier that day, the other couple came to the house and the dog was growling and barking at them. When I knocked back on the door and asked to take a few pics of the house (I know, that's annoying) the dog was out and running around....AND..he loved me. We played around and I am pretty sure that sealed the deal.

So we got the house and were able to leave TX in time for me to work on Friday. One a side note, the people we stayed with have a neighbor who hangs out with them quite a bit. He is divorced and enjoys spending time with other people. Well, he called around 10:00 one evening as we were drinking martinis and watching a movie. He had locked himself out of the house. Mike nominated himself as the criminologist of the group and assured us all that he knew how to break into the house. After attempting to use a tennis ball with a hole in it to blow the lock out, and the a paper clip to pick the lock we were still standing outside. The people we were staying with decided to take a leap of faith and check the window we were standing by the entire time. It was open! And so, they reached right through the window and unlocked the door.

Keep in mind, the entire time the neighbor was on the phone talking to his friend about how he was locked out of his house. I was pondering how Mike knew how to break into houses and wondering if there was a connection between that and the length of time he has been in school. As this post is getting long, I will leave you with the thought that I must tell you about the floozie secretary Mike will be working with. Yes, everything is bigger in Dallas.

It's 4:45 am...What Are You Doing?

You must be wondering what in the world I am doing up at this hour. Although this has become close to my regular bedtime, there is a reason that we are up and about. I am waiting for Mike to finish packing so we can drive to Texas. We have some news. We are moving to Dallas!! Can you believe it? Just after the honeymoon, Mike got a potential offer to move to the University of Dallas, Texas and continue his education there, along with some other perks. The more we talked about it, the more it sounded like a great idea. Let's be honest. I think we all know my feelings about St. Louis, and I have an amazing number of contacts that have come out of the woodwork since we started throwing this idea around.

For Mike, this is a chance to get his name out at another university and show what a great Criminologist he is! Really the most important thing is that it will be something that we are starting together, just as our married life is beginning. Yes, I will have to find a new name for the blog, but I think we will be able to handle that. So, we are leaving this morning to make the trek down to Dallas and start looking for a place to live. Here's the deal. Dallas is one of the biggest 9 cities in the U.S. I didn't quite realize this, but after talking to one of my friends in San Antonio, she told me that I am going to have to get used to getting on the highway to get from point A to point B. I have gotten somewhat used to that here, but I think there is some sort of spaghetti spiral or something that they call the highway connections down there. It makes me nervous.

Another great thing - no ice and hard winters. From what I understand, it does snow, but it is similar to snow in Alabama. I can handle that. I may actually leave the house in the winter, rather than bundling up for 5 months in front of the television. Now, things are a little overwhelming at this point. Mike has to be at school by August 18th - that gives us exactly a month to sell this condo and get moved down there. It's not going to happen. So, we are getting this place put on the market and looking for a place to rent. When I heard what the starting prices were to lease a house my jaw dropped. I don't know where we will end up, but let's all keep our fingers crossed that it is not in a trailer down by the river. (And on the wrong side of the tracks!)

So, that's our news. I am trying to take things one day at a time and as my mother in law suggested, "Drink a lot of coffee." I really am just so excited about this new chapter in our lives!! On a side note, just as we are moving to Dallas, I will be close to be becoming an aunt for the second time to my friend Ellen's baby, Kate! Something is in the water, but don't worry, I am not drinking it yet. Hope all is well with everyone!

Some News

First of all, I have to say CONGRATULATIONS to one of my best friends, Emily Miller and her husband, Ryan. They had their first child today, a sweet baby girl named Harper Elizabeth. I started crying when I actually heard the news. It is such an indescribable feeling - knowing someone from the time we were in middle school, through different boyfriends, marriage and then a baby! (Also, please keep in mind, I have 2 more BEST friends having babies in the next 5 months.) I have been trying to breach this subject with Mike, but I am not sure where we would put the baby or what we would feed it... I am just thrilled for the Miller family, and missing Birmingham more than ever. I was thinking about what a different dynamic I am experiencing up here in the mid-west. More because I don't have the friend base that I would have in Birmingham, but please let me tell you about my evening at work.

Let me preface this by the fact that it is 2:51 in the morning. Yes, Mike and I have become nocturnal.(It goes well with the new Twilight movie, doesn't it??) However, it does not help our social life. Anyway, I went to work this evening around 5, hoping that some people would want to get drunk on a Wednesday night. (Let's be honest, that's what it's all about isn't it??) So, I did ok with all the normal customers (aside from one jerk family who left me NO TIP.) But that is a story for another day. My boss is a great guy - he is probably in his 40s and hired me even when he heard that I was a horrible waitress. However, it seems to be more about personality, and dare I say it, looks, in this particular venue. Regardless, he usually comes in every night to make sure that things are going well, since it is his livelihood. It is interesting - you get to see him in his element. Host, friend, and sometimes, wasted. Well, this evening he had a friend in town and we were told that he would not be in until later because they were headed to the "East Side."

If you are going to the East side in St. Louis, you are trying to do one of two things. A) You want to get shot. B)You are headed to the strip clubs. So, we assumed that my boss and his friend were attempting the latter, and didn't see them until almost 10:30. I can't tell you what his friend would be like if he was sober, but he did not make a positive impression on me this evening. After ordering more alcohol - (which is fine - I don't judge) however, when it affects me, we start to have an issue. As this fine older gentleman asked me where all the hot girls went, and I replied, "They may still be on the East Side" he said, "Well, let's go!" I told him that I was good. His response: "I Bet you are." I'm pretty sure there is a sexual harassment claim there. After my sideways glance, he went on to slap my rear end. If you are the bosses friend, does that make it ok? My boss did make a valiant effort and say, "Hey, she's a married woman!" His response: "Well, so am I!" When I asked him where his ring might be, he got very quiet. And so, another night passes when I thank the Lord that I have this fabulous law degree that keeps me away from the creeps.

I came home to watch some DVR'd programs and tried out a new wine, called "Mad Housewife." If you are interested, it is actually pretty good. One of our friends gave us seven (7) bottles of wine for one of our showers (I know, she knows us too well) and this one was surprisingly very good! When Mike got home, I was not a mad housewife, I was dancing to "So You Think You Can Dance" and hoping that he was in the same mood. (He wasn't. And still isn't.) So, I will continue to entertain myself until my bedtime around 5:00 am. We desperately need a routine...

If you are bored and want a new song, try "Jar of Hearts" by Christina Perri. That is what I debuted this evening for Mike. (It was on So You Think You Can Dance.) He shut the door, but I think it is pretty great!! Hope all is well with everyone!!!

Also, if anyone knows how to upload pictures from Picassa to your computer to a blog, I would be most grateful. I really would love to share some pics with y'all!

Where I Have Been

Sorry I haven't written. I am digging myself out from underneath a pile of thank you notes, and when I get done writing those, I don't really feel like writing much else. The tricky thing about thank you notes is being able to truly express your thanks in different ways over and over again. I just hope that people don't compare notes!
We are back in St. Louis and back to reality. I still haven't changed my name...supposed to do that tomorrow. It is such an odd thing, changing your name. I really love both my middle and last name, but hopefully we can implement one of them into a baby name in the future :-)

So. We got married. Did I tell you our ceremony was supposed to start at 6 pm sharp? That is exactly when a huge thunderstorm hit. Talk about drama. Vases were flying off tables into cement walls. I was in a room with all windows and had to go hide somewhere else. Thank goodness 1) we had a tent and 2) I had 10 bridesmaids that all ran over to calm me down. One had her phone with her to show me that the storm was about to blow over. It actually did and the procession went on....until....I was supposed to walk down the aisle. Another thunderstorm came through! My dad and I waited while he showed me HIS blackberry assuring me that the storm would blow over. Thank goodness it did as well and the rest of the night went smoothly. The storm cooled down the weather so it was comfortable to dance outside and we had a blast!

The next morning our flight for Aruba left at 6:30 am. Yes, we were half asleep when the car came to pick us up, but we made it and had an awesome week. If you are looking for an incredible place to spend a vacation, I strongly suggest Aruba. We were able to lay out and hang by the ocean/pool, but there was also a mini night life and excursions during the day so we were never bored. I was so sad when we came back. I really wanted to accidentally miss the plane, but unfortunately we made it back.

EXCEPT. Michael and I almost spent then night in a customs cell in Aruba. What?! you may be asking. Well, here we go. Mike decided that it would be really cool to bring my father back some illegal Cuban cigars. He bought 2 from a street vendor and assured me it would not be a problem to SMUGGLE them back into the US. When I heard the word "smuggle," I am not going to lie. I got nervous. But of course, Mike assured me there would be no problems. So, as we are going through customs (and I am grumpy because we are leaving a beautiful island) we get pulled over for a "random" agricultural screening. The authority figure guy asked if we had any fruits, veggies, and point blank, cigars. Mike answered no to each of these questions. By this point, I have my arms crossed and am trying not to cry as I imagine us locked in a cell while we attempt to call home and explain this debacle. The customs man had us open all 6 pieces of luggage and he went through them very thoroughly. SURPRISE! He just happened to find 2 cigars not well hidden at all under some shorts.

The guy told us to wait there while he went to get the captain. Are you kidding me?? Now Mike was receiving non loving death glares from me while I paced back and forth. The Captain, came in and gave us a history lesson on the embargo on Cuban goods (not what we cared about) and then told Mike he could voluntarily give up the cigars with no consequence other than a signed form. (We are probably on the no fly list now.) The Captain proceeded to then tear up the cigars and the tins they were in in front of us. It was a lot of fun. People kept walking by thinking they needed to stop in that area. Nope, this is just for the criminals people, keep walking.

We finally left and Mike gave my dad the signed piece of paper for his souvenir. This better not be the beginning to the way our trips are going to go in the future! I will make the next post all pictures so you can get an idea of how much fun we had!

We're Married!!

I know it has been awhile since I wrote, but we literally got back from Aruba on Sunday. Since then, we were in Atlanta and Birmingham, celebrating just a little bit more with our families. When we got back to St. Louis last night, it was almost like the wedding had happened a year ago. Everyone tells you to cherish the day and remember as much as possible about every single minute because it will be such a blur. It was true - all I remember is how incredibly happy I was that the majority of people that we truly love were all together to celebrate this momentous occasion with us. I am actually exhausted and realize that I am going to have to do the wedding and the honeymoon in installments, but I wanted to leave you with this. Our videographer (Nick Weeks - he is awesome) showed this towards the end of the ceremony and I loved it. I am now Mrs. Jennifer Blackburn Cherbonneau - kinda weird, but so exciting!!!

www.snaplifestudios.com

(Right now we are the "featured clip" but you may have to search for us in the future.)

I Just Can't Stop

So, I have a confession. For the last 2 weeks I just can't stop crying. I don't know what my deal is, but you would literally think that someone had died. In fact, I am wiping HUGE tears away right now as I watch "Oprah Says Goodbye to Nate Berkus." What in the world? I shopped for about 5 hours today, and almost started crying when I couldn't find a dress for the rehearsal dinner. (Don't worry - I did. Disaster averted.) I don't know if it is stress, or just the idea of a huge life change. Don't get me wrong...I cannot wait to get married. Believe me. I have been complaining about NOT being married for the past 3 years! It is just so bizarre knowing that in 9 days, I will be Mrs. Cherbonneau (the 2nd.) All of the planning, the organizing and the little "tiffs" that have occurred since September is coming to an end, and this thing is for real!

I was never one of those girls that paraded around with a pillow case on my head, pretending to be the bride, but planning this party (and of course, the beautiful ceremony ;-)) has been a lot of fun. It has opened my eyes to who my true friends are - the ones that will stand by you when there is a break down about bridesmaids dresses. Let's be honest - you just aren't yourself when you are under this type of stress! I am wondering if Mike wants his ring back...

Tonight I listed off all the things that are wrong with Mike. Why would I do that? Who wants to marry someone that can tick off the things that drive them crazy about them? Poor guy - what is he going to have to deal with when I get pregnant? (And yes, I have broken 3 bows. Mike actually broke one on "accident" the other day, and then informed me that that would be the child I would take care of on my own.)

All I can say is that words truly cannot describe how excited I am to marry Mike. Regardless of the tears, he is THE person that I know I can turn to with anything - worries, laughs, and a dirty house. I am thrilled to have all of those that we love together in one place to celebrate with us and I am ecstatic to board a plane on June 6th and head to Aruba. I am pretty sure the next few weeks are going to be crazy, so I will leave you promising to post TONS of pictures when we get back. I wonder if there are any sad movies on tv....?

Too Much Noise!

I just filed a noise complaint. I know, I have turned into that annoying person who calls during your parties in high school and everyone has to flee the premises before the cops actually arrive. However, I feel as though I was very legitimate in my call. First of all, it is 11:30 at night!! Yes, it may be Friday, but it is super annoying to be watching old DVR'd Oprahs when there is music blaring across the street from you!

Now, this is not the first time this has happened, I have just never been the caller. (I promise we live in a safe neighborhood!) Anyway, the condos we live in are across from the pizza joint, and a store called "i am." I haven't figured out exactly what the hours of operation for the store are because there are always people in it. There is also a parking lot next to our condo where people who work at the pizza joint park. I know from previous conversations that this is where my ex-co workers used to sit in their cars, listen to music and get high. Mike made a complaint around 5:00 one evening about a car blaring their music in the parking lot. Turns out, it was my favorite dish washer (we watch out the window) but he shouldn't have been playing his music so loud! Plus, he denied it was his when the cops got there. Serves him right.

Tonight, I noticed that music was playing across the street incredibly loud for at least 30 minutes. (Ok, maybe 15, but still a long time.) I began to think maybe I should call the police, but who do you call? Do you call 911? Mike, of course, was at school, so I called him for instructions. After refusing to call for me, he told me to call 911 and issue a noise complaint. I was nervous that I was taking away from someone else's actual emergency, but I called and the operator took a lot of information from me. Then I perched myself over the back of our chair to see what would happen.

Let me tell you, if I had been shot, I would not have been happy with the response time of these police officers. However, since that was not the case, I will give them the 5 minutes it took them to get there. Of course, right after I called, the music was turned off. I felt stupid, but no one has my name, and let's hope it stays that way. When the cops pulled up, I watched as multiple people left the store in a hurry and several people came to speak with the officers. Then I started to worry. "What if they shoot the policeman?" "Do I go down and try to help?" "I am already in my pajamas!" Luckily, right about the time I decided to be a coward and call for help if something went awry, another officer pulled up. They were there forever talking to the people in charge, and I started to feel nervous when the cop pointed at our condo and then to the store. I also felt stupid for not having turned out the lights and peering through the blinds with popcorn. (Ok, no popcorn, but all the other stuff is true!)

I did leave for just a second, and when I came back, the officers were gone. However, I think the after party is back. I just heard some girls yelling outside....where is my phone?

Fun Times In Birmingham

Well, Happy Mother's Day to all you mothers and mothers to be. We celebrated last week because I was still in Birmingham and my Grandma was visiting. We had a great time, got a cake and grilled out. I have to tell you, my Grandma was so much fun while she was visiting for our shower. This lady is 78 years old and has still got it. She still has her smart, sarcastic wit, but is truly one of the most caring people I have ever met. I have enjoyed getting to know her as an adult, rather than my "grandma" and have learned so much from her, particular since I have gotten engaged.

My mom, grandma, and youngest sister left early last Saturday for my shower in Atlanta. Y'all, this shower was beautiful One of my bridesmaids came down from Columbia, SC just to attend, as well as multiple other people who generously gave up their time on a Saturday afternoon. (I can't lie - I would have come just for the food :-) It was great to get re-acquainted with Mike's parent's friends, and things will be a little less foreign for me when the wedding rolls around in 26 days!! I am so excited and honored to have so many people who care for Michael and me and are willing to come visit with us.

We left the shower with several huge bags of homemade cookies (one which was meant for Mike but never quite made its way back to St. Louis. He wasn't happy) and headed back to Birmingham. I stayed for a few days after, while we celebrated Mother's Day and then went to look at wedding bands!! When I say "we" I do mean, me and Grandma. We actually took a little road trip to a jeweler a few hours away. When Grandma heard that I was driving there, she volunteered her time and person because she "Just couldn't imagine me driving all that way by myself." We were able to get some good quality talking time in and found the perfect band. We are still working on Mike's. The one I chose for him is apparently "too girly." I don't know what we are going to do with him.

Yesterday one of my bridesmaids and great friends up here threw me a shower at her house. It was so nice, and since I only have a handful of friends up here, it was very casual and easy. The girls that I have met through running came, as well as one more who I met through my BAR courses. We had a great time chatting and enjoying each others' company. I have pictures, but I am too lazy to get them on the computer. I know, it would make this blog much more interesting. Sorry.

Finally, the job. I LOVE IT. Now, I am not aspiring to be a waitress for the rest of my life, but I am very happy with the place I am working, as well as the girls that I am working with . I can't lie - it is more of a bar than a restaurant, but they do have good food and I can wear jeans and a polo. There seem to be some regulars who come in, and I have been told that this is where I will really make my tips. I sort of feel like I work at Hooters, just a little, but I am trying to get over it and just try to make some money. Man was law school a great investment!!

Ok, I am headed for bed. Mike got back from his Bachelor Party in New Orleans today and is already snoring away. I don't think he has slept in 48 hours. My sisters and I are going to NOLA next weekend for my "bachelorette party." All my girls are spread around the country, so a sisters trip ended up being the best option. I am really excited about it and can't wait to get back down south.

Hope everyone had a fabulous weekend and Mother's Day!! Will hopefully update sooner than later!

Ramblings of an Insomniac Bride

So....I have to tell this story because it is hilarious. Right after I wrote the blog about Oprah, my parents and youngest sister went to TN to find a place for her to live next year. (She will be starting grad school.) While they were with the realtor, my other sister called to tell my mother that the lady who was doing the alterations on my wedding gown had called. Her name is Coco. (Can you see where this is going?) Mom hung up without questioning Julia, and told my father, sister and the realtor that Oprah had personally called me. I mean, seriously? I still think that is hysterical!

Hope all is well with everyone. I have been in Birmingham since last Tuesday, getting my wedding groove on. We are having final appointments with different vendors and just getting all the loose ends tied up. This past Saturday, my friends who I have grown up with threw me a bridal tea. Let me tell you something I have learned being a bride. I don't know what the heck I am doing. The tea started at 2:30 and for some reason, I decided I had plenty of time to work out, shower and get ready before we needed to leave. I did not factor in that the bride is supposed to be early to these events. As I was putting on my fabulous new blue wedges, I noted that it was 2:30. I shuffled mom and my future mother in law into the car and jumped out at the place where the super cute shower was set up. We were having tornadoes and rain all that day. As I burst through the front door (with guests looking at me because they arrived BEFORE me) I realized I probably looked like a hurricane myself. I tried to compose myself with a mimosa before I started to make the rounds.

The shower was wonderful. I am so lucky to have such wonderful friends and family, and felt so grateful that they would want to throw me a party. That evening my girlfriends and I went out for a wonderful dinner and caught up on life. It was perfect.

Aside from that, we have another shower to attend this weekend in ATL. Some of Mike's mother's friends are throwing it and I am very excited. My grandmother is coming in town from Virginia to make the party as well. I think it is going to be a blast. Oh! And we finally nailed down a honeymoon spot! We will be spending 7 luxurious day in Aruba. No Natalie Holloway comments please.

Poor Mike has been at home alone, but he seems to be doing just fine. He called me at 11 pm to tell me that his friend had "kidnapped" him and they were headed to the casinos. That's fine, I will just keep logging in all the RSVPs that we have received and writing thank you notes. I did leave him alone without thinking that we are getting presents and he is by himself with them. He opened one over the phone tonight and didn't stop until 3 were opened. I am scared of what I am going to find when I get home. He may have already had several meals on our fine china!

Oh! I forgot to tell you that I got a new job....waitressing. I know - I wasn't a very good waitress, but this basically fell into my lap. A friend of a friend owns a restaurant and asked if they knew anyone who needed a job. Ding, ding, ding! I think this is going to be a much more laid back environment, and hopefully enjoyable. They even said if I am any good, they may put me behind the bar! (I guess I don't need to tell them I spilled a beer on that 4 year old kid at my other job...)

Hope everyone is surviving this miserable pollen - I am not. Have a great week!

Oprah

When you say or hear, "Oprah" isn't it funny what sort of a reaction is stirred up? Some people hate her, some people think she is fabulous, but everyone has to chime in when someone says, "Hey - did you see that Oprah yesterday?" Generally, I enjoy the show but I do think she has become a little narcissistic this late in her career. She tends to compete with the guest counselors that appear on the program to put in her two cents, and is suddenly an expert about sexual abuse and predators because she was a victim. Now don't get me wrong, I think she has probably invested a lot of money with a therapist to become an expert, but it does kind of get on my nerves. Either way she is a household name and at this point can really say whatever she wants. You can watch or not watch - it's your choice.

Monday there was a show on (the third in a series) about sexual offenders. Now, I already have a strong opinion about this and the people who offend, but I am not going to get into that here. What I was angered by was how Oprah made it so clear how much she hated anyone that has ever abused a child. It was completely skewed towards her experiences and really didn't give anyone the option of disagreeing with her. Now, I am not disagreeing, and I hope this blog doesn't become controversial, but her feelings were intense. It was no longer an afternoon talk show that is in the background while you make dinner. She was calling them monsters as she described to us the island off Washington state that is available for the "Most Violent Sex Offenders." Essentially, it is a place where sex offenders are sent AFTER they have served their criminal sentence, but a judge determines they are not fit to be re-introduced to society. More or less, this is punishing a person before they have committed a crime.

This institution is funded by tax payer dollars ($165,000 per person/year) and is basically a college atmosphere where these people may stay until they decide they want to go through the treatment system, when they may then be let out. If you never decide to attend therapy, no biggie. You can stay there until you die. Oprah LOVES this place. She LOVES that these people are locked away on an island away from society. Without going into detail, this really hit a nerve with me so I decided to join the Oprah fan club. And write her some fan mail that was not very "Fannish." I am hoping that my negative reaction among the hundreds of emails praising her strength and perseverance she will notice mine. Not so sweet. Not so loving. And she will invite me on her show.

She will say, "Today ladies and gentlemen, is a voice that has spoken out against me. Come on out, JEEEEENNNNNY!!!!" Then we will discuss the matter at hand, she will pay off my student loans and set me up with a sweet job in a Family Law Firm. Is that too much to ask?

One of my friends asked me tonight, "Do you ever feel like someone is just pushing you to see how much you can take of life sucking?" I started laughing, but not too hard because she had just gotten mugged. That's right. Here in my awesome town. In broad day light. This blog is too long, but that is your story for tomorrow.

If you DID see that Oprah, I would be interested to hear what your thoughts are on the building in Washington.

P90X and Some Blogging Competition

So, I haven't written in about a week. The wedding mania has calmed, and I have become focused on how I am going to lose just a little bit of weight for the wedding. (This is because I made a batch of dip last night and ate the whole thing. I can't stop myself.) Anyway, dad and I decided that we would not be in shape to run a 1/2 marathon in the time we had left, and my knee was hurting from the last one, so I got the P90X videos. If you are not familiar with this program, it is a set of 12 DVDs that you do each day (with one day of resting) for 90 days. I am pretty sure they were created in hell. They promise results in 90 days if you are consistent.

The problem I have run into is that I cannot move after I complete these workouts. I am literally so sore that getting off the couch is a problem. And I am sore in places that I didn't even work out! I did push ups/pull ups the first day, and ended up with my abs screaming every time I tried to move! (And don't be fooled, I can't do a pull up.) I am also supposed to be following their diet, but I don't think a batch of dip is included, so I am opting out of that choice.

So we will see. I would love to have some definition in my arms, but it would definitely be easier if I had someone pushing me everyday. Mike came in while I was doing some sort of extreme cardio and told me I wasn't doing it the way that the people on the tv were. I yelled at him. I know, I am ashamed, but I was in so much pain, and he was standing there eating a cookie! He has learned to stay in the other room while the videos are on.

Moving right along to my next subject. I have a competitor in the blogging world! Ok, she doesn't know that we are competing, but she is really starting to irritate me. During law school, I found this girl's blog that I really liked. She has two children, is married to a surgery resident and seems to be perfect in every way. I have actually left comments on her blog and feel as though we have some sort of relationship that we clearly do not. Recently, I have been comparing myself to her. (Not the family stuff, just what she writes about.) First of all, I swear if I try to do something, she does it ten times better, and we always seem to try these things around the same time. Examples:
1) While I was training for my marathon, she decided she would train for one and of course, ran it much faster than me. (I am attributing this to longer legs, even though I have never met her.)
2) Recently I have gotten an inclination to cook and try new recipes. Of course, I click on her blog, and she has set out the recipe on how to bake bread and has pictures of bread she has baked (something like 12 loaves) that she gave out as Valentine's Day gifts!
3) Yesterday I checked her blog, and guess what she is now doing. Yes, you are correct. P90X. Are you kidding me?? I couldn't believe it. AND she is 3 days ahead of me. Ugh.

Mike doesn't understand why I am threatened by a girl I have never met. I tried to explain to him that it is like running on the treadmill at the gym and trying to go faster than the person beside you. He didn't get it. Does anyone else?

Alright, I am going to attempt to make it to the shower without further injuring myself. Hope all is well with you!