Sorry for so many posts

I'm sick. Stuffy, sniffly, coughy, grossness. And I have to stay home from work. No, I don't think I have the swine flu, but people in my office seem freaked out about it and I work with someone who just got finished with chemo, so to keep from compromising everyone else's health, I stayed home today and yesterday. And I'm BORED. So I decided to post a lot. a LOT. Because there's not much else I can do other than lay on the couch watching True Life and Tyra. And now I feel like I'm having a conversation. I always want a day off until I have to stay home. And I WANT to go back to work. BORED!!!

I apologize...

...For the Georgia post earlier this year. The Dawgs... well... this year, just aren't so great. I'm still a fan, but I think maybe for the rest of this year I'm going to stop dressing in red and black from head to toe Friday through Saturday every weekend until Christmas.

One year!

Obviously I'm a little late on this, but a few weeks ago, Ray and I hit the big #1. First anniversary. I have to admit, it was a little anticlimatic since we dated for 7 years (why celebrate such a short time when we've already made it past the 7-year itch?), but a good day nonetheless. We decided before our wedding that we wouldn't give each other presents (didn't for our wedding either), but instead spend that money on doing something we've never done/really like to do. So this year was for me... we went rock climbing! I'm seriously thinking about picking this up as a hobby, so it was awesome.

Anyway, after one year, I'm obviously wise enough to impart some marital wisdom into your lives. So here are a few observations I've made:

1. When we got married, people told us the first year is the hardest. At one year, people told us the honeymoon is over. If the hardest year of your marriage is the honeymoon, I can't wait to deal with the rest of life's problems. I don't feel like this year was a cakewalk, but I also don't think we dealt with a honeymoon phase since we've been together so long. So don't put stock in either of these sayings, please. It's not worth it and it just depends on how you want to view things.

2. I'm convinced that people who get divorced within a year really didn't talk AT ALL before their marriage. EVERY argument we've had boils down to a basic issue we talked about a million times before. That being said, talk, compromise. Talk, compromise. Talk some more, and then compromise one more time.

3. Budget. A lot. Every penny. And budget in some savings and tithe. Thanks to Ray, we're working on a budget influenced by about half Dave Ramsey, half Clark Howard. And both people need to know what's going on with the finances.

4. Decorate wherever you live immediately, or it really never will get done. I still have unfilled picture frames lined up underneath our bar and we have ONE curtain hung over a window on our back door. One. And that was just to replace paper towels that were taped over it for about two months. (The towels said "Home Sweet Home"... we kind of missed them for a few weeks.)

5. Work out a system and stick to it. I do laundry, Ray does dishes. Ray kills bugs, and I'll take care of any reptiles if they ever manage to sneak into the house.

6. Get a calendar to keep track of the other's schedule and create a list of important dates. Well, that's probably good to have for anyone. If I forgot your birthday this year, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Don't you feel more prepared for marriage? :) I should be a counselor ir something.

Update

10 POUNDS! I finally hit it! Obviously I've had some ups and downs--well, mostly ups, since it took me this long to lose 10 pounds. But with a vacation and lots going on in the past few months, I'll take it. AND... I'm down a size! Woohoo! That's all for now. Yay!

Saturday! Saturday! Saturday!

Glory, glory to old GEORgia

Glory, glory to old Georgia

Glory, glory to old GEORgia

and to HELL WITH OK STATE!!!

GoooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO DAWGS!!! Sic' em!!!!

Mmm. I love football season. I've been humming our alma mater/cheesy song from the end of Dirty Dancing all week. And I really miss being there for the beginning of the games, hearing the same songs (I can feel it comin' in the air tonight... hold o-on), calling the Dawgs, watching the history highlight reel while Larry Munson growls out UGA's praises... Go Dawgs! I'm with you in spirit!

Cute?

This absolutely made my day. I have no words.

http://photos.tmz.com/galleries/poodle_pictures

Whimper...

I don't know if I've explained my love for animals to you yet. I might have. I've posted pics of a koala, so I probably have. I cry at ASPCA commercials. And the new Dawn commercials that have oil-soaked baby ducks. Needless to say, I'm willing to take in any mammal that comes my way. So when Ray and I drove by our house to go to the mailbox tonight and saw a cat in the bushes, I got really excited. And when it was still in the bushes when we got back, I went into stealth mode to try to get it to come to me (because I'm convinced that every animal will like you if you show a little affection--rabies or disease don't really come to mind...). But it snuck up behind me! She started rolling around in the driveway, being all cute... And Ray actually uttered, "If you can play with it and NOT sneeze, we can keep it."

WHAT?!

See, as much as I love animals, I'm that allergic to most of them. So this was a BIG deal. So of COURSE I played with her for a little while. I thought I might have had him... this cat had a big scar (fairly fresh on her shoulder)... I sang a little Sarah McLachland (sp?)--no, I really did (I could rock one of those commercials), cat jumped in his lap, but eventually I had to come inside. So we waited with baited breath to see what would happen. And what did I do ten whole minutes after this wonderful creature came into my life? I SNEEZED. And it ruined the whole thing. No more cat for Anna. Because of one sneeze. And now a poor, hungry, lovable kitty is waiting on my front porch for someone to save it from its hard life in the streets because something in my body hates animal dander. It's some cruel trick, I tell you.

Harumph.

Accountability?

As a follow-up to my last post/vent, I said a few times that I weigh as much as a contestant on a "big" reality show. Slightly more, in fact. BUT! That's changing. I started trying to lose wight when I stepped on a scale in January and weighed 30 POUNDS more than when I graduated high school. And since I lost weight my freshman year at college, I gained 35 POUNDS. So I got my rear into gear. Since I know myself and I tend to give up when I get discouraged, I realized that this should be a lifestyle change. So Ray and I joined a gym, and I tried to make working out a habit. Now it is, so I'm trying to eat less and make that a habit. Once I'm used to that, I can start eating more healthy. And so far, I've lost 7 pounds in about 2 months! And I'm fitting into clothes that were tight when I got married! To keep me on the right track and since I've vented about overweight people), I feel like it's time to let you in on my journey. Now, I'm not ready to let you in on my "number", but we'll see about later. We'll talk again when I hit 10.

Oh, reality tv...

I'm sure you've heard of the show "More to Love" on Fox. I'd heard of it, didn't want to watch it. I'm just not into reality dating shows (now, any other reality tv...). But when I heard people bashing it this morning on the radio I looked into it a little more. And here are my thoughts:

-Some of those girls are still lying about their weight. I weigh as much as a contestant on the show and she is a good three sizes larger than me (and not much taller). Sorry, there's just no way.
-Since when did the word curvy become a substitution for fat? Curvy means boobs and hips, not rolls and muffin tops. Just because the average size of women in America is a 14-16 doesn't mean that's healthy. There's a point where you have to see yourself from a health perspective and not size and get your butt in shape. Don't worry, I'm yelling at myself too, remember, I weigh as much as a contestant. I know most women will never be size 2, but you can at least be the healthiest size you can be.
-I don't think the viewers are going to like what they see and I don't think the guy is as open minded as he seems. He kicked off the four heaviest women in the first episode.
-People thought this show would be about normal people. If it weren't trying to exploit women's sizes, they wouldn't have names the show "More to Love" or broadcast their height and weight along with their ages and careers.

Sorry, I guess I just had to vent.

Major Victory

Running in heels=hard.
Running in heels in the rain=harder.
Running in heels that are too big in the rain=practically impossible.

But SUCCESS! I actually made it across the entire parking lot today doing exactly that. Jumping speed bumps, maneuvering between bushes and through pinestraw... and my ankles are fine. Steady as a... well, I don't really know, but I was awesome. This coming from the girl that has had three major sprained ankles. #1--tripped over a rock. #2--fell in a pothole. #3 got caught in a skirt I was changing out of. Yep, I'm a regular Grace Kelly. Making the parking lot dash al lthe more impressive, dontcha think?

So long...

Since I've blogged! I think it's because nothing is really going on right now. When I started this thing, I was graduating, getting married, finding a job, a house... Now I have my degree, I'm married, I have a house, and a job... and life is fairly normal right now. My friend Leslie and I used to talk about how we didn't like the word "content" because we felt like a lot of people used it as a synonym for "complacent." But I feel like content is the only word to describe me right now. I love my job, I love my hubby, we're settling in to a church and friends and family and we have somewhat of a routine... I never thought I'd say this, but I'm happy where we are, ready to grow as a person instead of ticking off major life goals. Huh.

So just so you know, posts will probably be fewer and farther between. Sorry. I have laundry to do.

Awww...

In case you ever wondered how easy it is to make me cry when it comes to animals, this is what made me tear up this morning:

*via Postsecret

So I'm lame. I know.

I hope I'm not...

So I just got done watching the movie "Taken" with Liam Neeson. Whoa. Brooke, Don't watch this movie. You'll never want to travel and you don't like violence all that much, and this movie is pretty much death after knockout after death. That being said, if you still want to see it, stop reading.

Basically this guy is some ex-government agent whose daughter gets kidnapped in Paris for the Albanian sex trade, and he goes after her. Needless to say, his training helps him out a little (probably wouldn't be a movie if they didn't), but what really got me is how realistic the movie was in terms of feelings. The dialogue wasn't all that great and really--who gets away with causing a 12 car pile-up nd killing a bunch of people at a construction site with absolutely no police involvement? But this guy wasn't messing around when it came to his daughter. He hit to kill, none of this punching around, rapid gunfire stuff. Sure, that was a part of it, but he mostly got down and dirty getting the guys who took his daughter. My dad always said that he didn't mind going to jail if someone hurt me. That's how this guy was. I kinda had to giggle when I watched this because I could imagine my dad in one of the car chases driving in the front seat and Ray in the back yelling at him to go faster. I mean, my dad's a big guy and Ray's a black belt. I'm pretty sure they could take care of anyone who messed with me (or anyone in my famiy, for that matter. So if you want to see a really awesome action movie with randomly touching father-daughter moments, watch "Taken." Just be prepared to cringe. A lot.

And now I'm going to bake some brownies. Goodnight.

I have a pet!

Well, not really. Here's the story. Ray was outside on our patio on the phone, pacing around (because he can't talk on the phone and sit still), when he saw a leafy twig poking out of our grill. When he opened it, he saw a nest! He was about to reach for it when he saw noticed two beady little eyes peering out at him. He didn't know if it was a bird or not, so when I got home, of course I investigated. It was a mouse! Being the animal lover I am, I sat there staring at it and talking to it, but thinking about it now, I'm sure I was just some big predator squawking at it, ready to eat my find, so... it ran. Towards our open back door.Ray jumped in front of it and it ran to our bushes. When he went to move the grate from the grill, we noticed there were three little babies in the nest! So little, so cute. Ray wanted to leave them, but I couldn't just let them die in our grill. So I made him move the grate to our bushes, so at least if the momma found them they could scamper away. And I know she found them because it rained last night and we looked at the nest and there were more leaves over it. And I can't stop checking on them! Ray thinks that now they'll infest our house, but we'll see. They're just so cute!

Thoughts for the week

1. If you buy a brand new Land Rover with a snorkle for the engine on it, please take a hammer and some sandpaper to it to make it look like you would be in situations to need a snorkle.

2. People really do pay attention to you in your car. Lesson learned after dancing to Kelly Clarkson and having a van full of frat boys laugh at me.

3. I really do have absolutely no idea what it's like to deal wth babies. Ray's sister is having a baby shower today and I was absolutely lost in the baby section at Target. Thank goodness for registries!

4. Along the same lines as using a baby registry, when you're buying people wedding presents, please use their registries. Almost seven months after our wedding, we still have about six picture frames that we have no place to put them.

5. My birthday is in two weeks, and I feel like I'm already there. For some reason, I really didn't like the number 22. 21 was fine, and I think I'm 23, but there was just something about 22. Hmmm.

6. Spring is no excuse to wear clothes that you shouldn't. Skinny or not. Please try not to look like a hoochie. P.S. Heels with short shorts kinda put you on the fast track to that one. Just sayin'.

7. I love May! Spring is the best.

8. I made fried chicken and gravy the other day and I did it without setting anything on fire, dropping anything, or creating havoc in the kitchen in any way, and it actually tasted really good! I'm finally getting to where I can cook pretty well.

As Promised...

First off, the captitol from my room window on the 22nd floor:

Then, the street that the restaurant we at in was (did that sentence make sense?):

And the bell tower of the city, glowing purple:

View from the vending machine of the mountains one evening:

And now for some destruction from the week... leftovers from a cooking demo and the aftermath of a whiskey tasting (stunk up the entire floor we were on).

And now for the opening reception. Cubed cheese (big no-no in the culinary world), some yummy bison, and of course, the drinks:

Finally, a dancing doll and then the real thing, some native american dancers to open the show:

Oh yeah! I forgot. Finally, A cool blue bear outside the convention center and me with the winner of Top Chef, Hosea Rosenberg.

Hope you enjoyed! Now, off to the real world.

Aaaaannnnndddd, I'm back!

Wow, It's been awhile. So, you want to hear about my trip to Denver? Well, you get to hear about it anyway. First, we'll talk about the actual work part, because, well, it's probably not that interesting. I sat at the registration desk from 7-6 every day. Every Stinkin' Day. Lots of People, lots of questions, and then ots of time to sit and be bored. But I got to see a lot about what goes on at conferences and meetings, which I enjoyed. Definitely something i could see myself doing someday. There were fun times, though. Opening reception at the Denver Art Museum, lots of food, getting to see a little of Denver (meaning the street we lived on for a week). And we saw a bunny! Right in the middle of the city, outside the museum.

By the way, notice the snow? Yeah. Every other day. Or hour, take your pick. The weather was crazy! I thought I was leaving bad weather in Georgia.

It was warm when we got there, but they'd just had a blizzard.

Then, Sunday was really nice. And then, Monday, this is what we got.

And, Monday afternoon... warm again.

Oh, and the walk to the Wednesday night reception was sooooo pleasant...

I don't really have pictures of Thurday of Friday, because I don't remember leaving the hotel (registration desk, you know). Or Saturday, really. But it snowed Saturday, so a pic from out the window. And then Sunday... IT WAS 12 DEGREES! Ugh! And what did I come home to? ICE AND FLURRIES IN APRIL! Oh well. I also never though I'd be happy to feel humidity again. Seriously, my skin was getting scaly and (gross alert) my nose was a little bloody the whole time. And I never thought altitude would ever affect me as much as it did. I was dizzy literally every time I turned around. Ahhh, there's no place like home. But really, it is a beautiful city with lots of character and I wish I'd gotten to see more (but maybe next time in the summer:) ).

Next post: The week in pictures (minus the weather, 0f course!).

It's coming, I promise!

The long-awaited (ha) post on my glamorous trip to Denver, that is. I've just been so tired, I haven't had a chence when I wasn't sleeping. So, just so you can experience it with me, here's a view from my hotel room:

Agh!

Denver.
Less than 48 hours.
Denver is in the middle of a BLIZZARD right now.
Seriously. Wind chill 2 degrees.
Trying to figure out what to pack.
What do you pack to be inside a hot hotel all day and then out in the elements at night with no time to change?
Wasting time.
Gotta go.

I'm not LAST!!!

Ok. So I've never been what you call a "natural athlete." I like sports, love playing most of them (the exception? Softball. Got knocked out when I was little. I had one of those moments where I woke up and eveyone was standing over me like in the movies... but I digress). Even played soccer in high school for a few years. But was I good? No. I can't even walk without spraining ankles or bruising arms (you'd think I'd be able to see walls in my way...). I was always, ALWAYS the girl picked second or third to last, and the only reason why I was never last was because my athletic friends felt bad for me or didn't want to pick the weird people. I got used to it. I've always been more artistically gifted, and I'm okay with that.

When Ray suggested we start playing tennis a few years ago, I thought, sure. I'll make an idiot out of myself, but it'll be fun and soon it'll be out of his system and I can go back to dragging him to the Fox for musicals. Imagine my surprise when I turned out to be pretty good. Imagine Ray's surprise when I started beating him. And imagine, one more time, how shocked, absolutely shocked I was when tonight, a guy watching his girlfriend's tennis match, asked if I played on a team and if I wanted to join theirs! AGGGHHH! Super cool! That's never happened before! Someone actually watched me play a sport without laughing! And actually think I would be an asset to a team! Whhooooaaaaa. And, yay! Maybe friends, if they call me. Good week. Especially since I had a weird low yesterday. BUT! No focusing on that. Total answer to prayers on multiple levels. Yay!!! I'm the coolest ever.

Wild Blue Yonder

Off I go... to Denver! Thanks to the IACP, I'll be spending almost nine days in the beautiful state of Colorado. Nine days. That's the longest I've ever been away from home before... I feel like such a big girl, traveling by myself to go on a business trip. Ha. But really, I've always wanted a job that let me travel, and now's my chance! And, one of my goals in life is to visit every state. Probably weird, I know, but to see a slice of life from every area of the US is pretty appealing. Now, there are some states that I'm okay with only driving through (Iowa? Rhode Island?), but apparently Colorado is a state to see. Too bad I have to work the whole time.

And is it bad that I'm already stressing over what to pack for this trip? I have to fit nine days worth of stuff in one suitcase. And that has to include casual and work clothes, warm and cool weather clothes, and enough stuff to go to a cocktail reception and gala dinner. But if anyone can pack tight, I'm pretty confident in my skills. My suitcase might weigh a ton, but I guarantee I won't use the big one from our luggage. Don't really know where I got these skills or honed them, but whatever.

But this trip also makes me want to go shopping for new clothes. Winter clothes. Because I don't have many. Anyone know where to get winter clothes in March?

Why, oh why?

So, Ray and I are in the process of finding a church home. Waaayyyy easier said than done in the Bible Belt. I never really found a church to go to in Athens. And I visited a lot of churches. And I know there are certain sermons that are "make it or break it" sermons for guests--money, Christmas and sex. Well, what do you think I hear at every single church I visit? Yep, narrow that one down by the time of the year. Not kidding. I've been to one church in the past five years where the first sermon I heard wasn't on finances or relationships. But I guess you get a pretty good picture about the values of a church body in how the pastor preaches on the topic and the crowd's reaction, which is nice. There have been a few that I've avoided completely after one visit and a few that made me really like the church.
But still. Five years. Two topics. Huuuuugggghhhhhhh.

That was fast...

I'm almost better. I was only sick for three days... it's like a record or something for me...

And again...

Ray got sick. Now I'm feeling that tickle in the back of my throat. Yay.

Skinnamarinky Dinky Dink

Warning: If the title of the post didn't already get that song stuck in your head, stop reading NOW!

Have you ever heard that if a song is stuck in your head, sing the whole thing to get it out? Well, I have, and to cleanse, I'm sharing my song of friendship and happiness with the world. (Please feel free to sing along out loud and do the motions for everyone to see. Spread the good feelings.)

Skinnamarinky dinky dink, skinnamarinky do
I love you
I love you in the mornin' and in the afternoon
I love you in the evenin' and underneath the moon
OOOHHHHH
Skinnamarinky dinky dink, skinnamarinky do
I LOOOOVVVVVE you!!!!!!

Heh...

'Nuff said.



*This post is not necessarily to be taken as criticism toward our current presient. Technically it could apply to any of the fast-talking, promise-making, lying hypocrites that we elect every year.

**But really, could anyone else's fall from grace have been so swift?

Anybody there?

Have you ever had a time where you realized how badly you want things to change immediately? Here's mine. Ray is going to a bachelor party/cookout Friday night, meaning I get a night to myself! But the thing is, I'm tired of doing things either with Ray, by myself, or with family. Sure, they're all great options, but I haven't been around friends since my wedding. I don't think I've ever felt this lonely, but it's weird (and super hard) to make friends really quick in a new place. Ho-hum, woe is me. So if anyone feels like making the trek over here, please do. I'm bored and need people.

So in my last post...

Remember how sore I was? No more. I was raring to go on Saturday, and guess how far I ran (jogged... slowly...)? Two whole miles! When I haven't run that far since my senior year of high school playing soccer... Super proud of myself. And, Ray and I had already decided to run a 5K late April, so I don't have that much to train for! Yay!

That's all.

I hurt.

So Ray and I joined a gym about two weeks ago. Not for any type of New Year's resolution or anything, Ray's always been a member somewhere and we both want to get healthy. And this gym offers a complimentary session with a personal trainer to see where you are and what you need to do to reach your goals. Our guy was really cool, but when he gave us our fitness test... oh. my. goodness. I was sore before we left. And Wednesday, my legs were actually swollen. They're still swollen. And for some reason, my right calf decided it doesn't want to extend my leg anymore. I've literally been limping since then. And it still hurts. What the crap. Am I that out of shape? Granted, we did a million workouts just on our legs because he said they have our strongest muscles. But still, warm-up on the stair stepper (which has really small steps that arene't really useful for a bigfoot like me... I think I really impressed him tripping on that machine, over and over...) squats, steps with weights, more squats with medicine balls, jump squats, planks (yay abs), lunges with weights, calf raises, and more lunges. In twenty minutes.

So if anyone has any tips on how to loosen ridiculously cramped muscles, let me know.

Speaking of the gym, there was this guy there who looked like he hit the 'roids pretty hard and only walked when he was in the gym. Seriously, this guy's upper body looked like the Hulk, all bulging and veiny, but his legs could be used as a model's stand-in. Soooo skinny and not muscular. I decided to call him Foghorn Leghorn. A really good comparison if the picture wasn't painted good enough.

Everyday moments that make me love being married #3

Knowing exactly what channel the tv is set to when I turn it on if Ray watched it without me (ESPN, of course).

It gets better...

In my last post I posted a picture of a koala being rescued from fires in Australia. Get ready for the obligatory collective "Awwwwwwwwwwwww!!!"

When they took this female koala (which they nicknamed Sam) to the wildlife shelter, she met Bob, another rescued koala. Now they're inseparable... from near death and pain to finding your best friend... They actually got tears from me this time. Here's the story if you want to read it: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29123220/

Picture of the week

A rescue worker fighting the wildfires in Australia found a koala in the forest. Seriously, guys, I teared up when I saw this.

I'm procrastinating...

I really don't want to get ready for work. Don't mind going to work, but sometimes I wish I could go to work like I went to class, hair in a wet ponytail from my shower, no makeup, and a t-shirt, jeans, and flip-flops (of course not in this cold weather, silly!). Oh, the days...

I got my hair cut!

Yay! It's the first time since August... and til then I was trying to grow it out for the wedding... ick, so long and yucky. But it's shorter now and sooooo much more comfy... ahhh.

Really...

Have you heard about those one second commercials Miller High Life is doing for today's Superbowl? They decided to make one second commercials because they wanted to be frugal like the people who drink their beer. Since a 30-second ad during the Bowl costs about $3 million, they spent only $300 thousand. But here's the thing. They bought multiple one-second spots in various markets across the country. Meaning that in all, they still spent more than $3 million for all their commercials combined. Now that's just sneaky. Let everyone think it's the company for the common man and still spend the big bucks to bring in your cash for their booze. Clever. But have you seen some of these one-second commercials? Very funny. And customized for each city they'll air in. Absolutely genius. Here's the site: http://www.1secondad.com/. I never thought I'd be spreading the word about a beer company, but it's kinda funny considering I've never even drunk beer and probably never will no matter how good an ad is.

And for those who care, cheer for the Cardinals. They're the only team in the country that hasn't won a Superbowl since the leagues combined. I do love an underdog!

Everyday moments that make me love being married #2

Waking up to the smell of eggs and bacon cooking on a Saturday morning... because I love breakfast foods (and the fact that Ray loves to cook them)!

Why hasn't the rhythm gotten my hips?

I love to dance. But thanks to a latin dancing aerobics class last night, I might have to stick to the Hitch move--elbows bent, sway from side to side, keep it in the center. Now, I like to think I have a fairly good sense of rhythm... timing, beats, all that. But apparently my head hasn't communicated that to my lower half. I really do think I was the second worst dancer there, other than the 45-year-old lady that refused to smile and was super stiff but you could tell she was having a blast. We had to walk in place and she was putting this weird '80s footloose groove to it. I didn't even have that going for me. I can't shake or shimmy, certainly not what the instructor or half my classmates were doing. ChaCha? Merengue? Whaaaa...? Alas, my hopes of becoming famous just to win Dancing with the Stars are dashed. I think I pulled a few muscles I didn't know could be pulled.

But you know what? It was sooooooo fun... I might just go back. Maybe the rhythm will chase me around the room until it actually does get me. Because that's the only way I'll ever look good doing those dance moves.

Rollin' Rollin' Rollin'

I. hate. traffic. I know, I was sooo excited to move and be closer, but it still takes me an hour or more to get to work. And my gas mileage dropped from around 350 miles per tank to 278. Eesh. That's only because it's so freakin' cold and my car heater doesn't work so I have to leave it running for 15 minutes in the morning just so my feet don't go numb by the time I get to work and so I don't run off the road because I'm sitting on my hands to keep the blood flowing.

Anyway, I'm convinced my traffic woes are all because of Ray. Why Ray? you might ask. How would he control traffic? See, Ray has this amazing ability to jinx things. If he likes a top sports team, chances are they'll start losing all their good players (and consequently, losing games) in a few years (anybody follow the NBA or the Suns? all Ray). He boldly proclaims we're actually going to be on time for something? Nope, something other than my habitual lateness will interfere with our punctuality. So in this case, we were talking about my commute last Thursday and he said, "You've had fairly good luck with traffic since you started commuting after you graduated. You haven't had to deal with any major accidents or anything." So on Friday, the traffic people on tv said the commute was lighter than normal. Yay! I thought. Ummmmm, no. It took forever! Not kidding, every morning and night since Ray's little declaration I've had to go through at least one wreck. So thank you, Ray, dear husband. I needed this. Really.

Operation Domesticating Anna Part 2

Okay, so this one involves Ray, too. We actually fixed things in the house today!

My success: Figuring out how to open the tub drain to remove the massive and gooey clog left behind by the previous owners of our townhouse. Thanks, Liquid Plumr, for not working at all. At least you gave me a money back guarantee!

Ray's success: He made our washing machine work! It hasn't been filling since we hooked it up, just running and draining. We were preparing to buy a new one (I was convinced we just needed a repairman), but when we were talking to the appliance guy about our water heater (a whole 'nother story completely) we brought up the washer problem. He immediately told us what was wrong. Wow. Easy problem to fix. But Ray did it and we were soooo glad we didn't have to buy a new one.
*FYI: If you ever hook up a washer yourself, don't push the draining hose all the way down. Apparently it creates suction or something.

Oh, yeah, and the water heater thing? Ours decides it doesn't like heating water and shuts itself off every day and a half or so. Thank goodness for the reset button. Maybe it just doesn't think it's fulfilling its destiny. Or maybe it feels like it should be another household machine, like a dishwasher or something.

Tranny appliances. Oh, boy.

Hmmm...

Who know that it would be so hard to decide where to put all the great stuff we got from the wedding and the things we had before? I've already hung/set up candle holders, sconces, picture frames, and other randomness all over and our table is still covered with others I want to use. I guess it's because I want to have people over and I want them to see it all, but that just doesn't seem possible. I suppose I'll just have to give people tours whether they want it or not.

Speaking of things, since Ray and I have become slightly more financially secure and live in a really nice townhouse that's more house-y than apartment-y, it's hard to be content with what we have. We already have so much more than so many others, but since we moved, it's been "we can get this!" or "I wish we could get that now!" Furniture, tvs, even a car. I'm finally learning to be grateful for the things I've been given and rest in the fact that God will provide for our needs. I think I'm feeling less entitled, too. I always thought that since my family had certain things, I should have them too. Right now. Immediately. On a silver platter. But I like the fact that now we have to budget and make do for now so we can really appreciate the things we'll get in the future.

Oh, I feel like such a grown up...

Everyday moments that make me love being married #1

Sitting on the couch on a Friday night with the hubby eating Ben & Jerry's Phish Food and watching the Real World. Nothing better.

And I'm back!

Ahhh... after an exceptionally long time away from the internet, I'm finally tapping away writing inane blog posts for close friends and random strangers that happen to click a link on those close friends' more interesting/better written webpages. BUT! It's from our new townhouse in Acworth! Yay! We moved! Three months of living in the beautiful North GA mountains with absolutely nothing to do and no one to see and now we're living five miles away from a mall, three movie theatres, dozens of churches to choose from, gyms, restaurants, and NORMAL PEOPLE!!! But you know how I really wanted to leave Ellijay because of the cold? Remember when I talked about snow the first cold snap the state had? Here's the view from our apartment that day:

And here's what it looked like in Woodstock outside of our house the day we moved:

See those little white dots? Snow. Yep, that's right. It snowed on moving day. As we were trucking stuff into the house. Obviously not as much as Ellijay, but not what I wanted once we left. I don't know what I expected. I did grow up here, I know it's no Miami or anything, but come on. It's not supposed to snow this much down here! Oh, well. My commute is still only an hour. 25 miles=one hour. As opposed to 75 miles and 2.5 hours. Ah, relief.

So anyway, don't forget about me and keep stopping by, because these posts with every minute detail of my spectacular life will continue being posted, just for you. Aren't you lucky.

What a week...

So ,you know how I declared that my New Year's resolution was not to worry?

Someone upstairs has a sense of humor.

Here's my week:
Sunday, I got sick. A great thing right before you start your first full week of work, right? On Monday, the first thing my boss says to me when I walk in the door is, "Are you okay? Do you need to go home?" So in my first week I have to take sick leave that I haven't earned yet. Then, on Wednesday I had a coworker that has had no professional interaction with me tell one of my supervisors that he didn't think I was good at my job. And Thursday. Oh, Thursday.

I woke up, got ready, and left like normal. But then I realized I left my ring and watch at home. So I pull into a road to turn around. Keep in mind that it's been raining 40 days and nights, so the ground is really wet. I don't quite make it and my tires start sliding in the grass into someone's yard. The only way to avoid either sliding into the river of drainage off the mountain that's been created from the torrents or sliding into someone's house down the hill was to cut right very quickly. Further into this yard. Oh, yeah, and I stopped on top of their septic tank. How did I know? Um, remember the rain? Thanks, high water table. My car starts to sink immediately and of course I do the smart thing and spin my tires a lil' bit, flinging chunks of sewage-filled mud into the air. I called Ray, and he tried to get me out, but no. We had to call a tow truck to pull me out of someone's waste. And I stepped in the gunk earlier in my brand new $50 heels, so I'm standing around in poo-filled shoes. And because of all this I had to go home to clean up and call my boss to tell her I'll be late. Sick leave and lateness in the first week. And now I've been driving my car around with bits of fibrous poo all over my car. I look like such a redneck because my car squeaks and has more than a few scars and battle wounds.

To top off the day, Ray and I volunteered to take my parents' dog for the week while they visit Brooke in Baltimore, so I had to pick him up after work and drive really slow all the way up to Ellijay with a very rambunctious poodle in my lap. And since we've had him I've been woken up every hour on the hour every night and have had to clean up his messes four times.

Did I mention we're moving next weekend and we haven't packed?

So next year's resolution: no resolutions. They only cause problems.

Oh, the irony...

Just heard a news story about an 86-year-old woman who scared a burglar away from her house by grabbing his testicles. The cops tracked him down and booked him. The intruder's name? Michael Dick. Heh.

Operation Domesticating Anna Part 1

So all of you know by now I struggle with all things homemaking. But I like to think that the creativity I use for other things can apply to home-related things. Decorating, baking, cleaning, whatever. For example, I can't wait to get a shadow box to put some mementos from relatives in it (doily of a yellow butterfly made by my aunt--my grandmother on my dad's side's favorites-- and my great-grandmother on my mom's side's gloves and earrings). Or when I unload the dishwasher and start taking pictures of the glasses to eventually be framed and hung on the wall (don't worry, I have a vision, and pictures will be posted as soon as I'm done).

But I think my family is trying to push all that along fairly quickly. I got lots of picture frames and candleholders for Christmas, and a few baking cookbooks and oven mitts. Hmm. And for some reason, Austin (Ray's nephew) fell in love with me on New Year's and wouldn't leave me alone. I think it was because I brought cookies. Oh, it's a cruel cycle.

What's yours?

I'm usually not a big fan of new year's resolutions. I either forget what they are or get discouraged when I don't follow through with them. But yesterday Ray asked if I made one and I think I did right on the spot. So to share with the rest of you, I'm not going to worry as much. I'm typically pretty optimistic about most things. But when lots of things start to happen, I forget the good and only think about the bad. So, no more worrying. Things will be taken care of. What people think don't matter. Changes will happen.

Happy New Year!

Whew! These past few weeks have been a blur! Christmas, new job, new house... a little overwhelming.

To be honest, I'm kind of glad the holidays are over. We had to do a lot of driving, and my uncle dies a few days before Christmas and my aunt was in the emergency room Christmas Eve/Day with a stomach problem called diverticulitis. On Christmas day we went to my dad's side's gathering and it was okay, considering half the crowd lost their dad/granddad, but obvioulsy it was kind of quiet (hard considering there were at least 25 people there). On Friday we went to the funeral. And for New Year's we went to Carrollton (a two-hour drive) to celebrate with Ray's sister and her husband. In between all that we were trying to get the lease signed for our townhouse, and since the original plan was to move this weekend I started packing. Anyway, my job started Monday so I'll be glad when I can settle into a routine.

Sorry this was kind of a downer. To be resolved in posts to come.