Thursday, February 23, 2006
The Nicest Post I've Read In a Long Time
I know I'm giving away my first name by linking you here, but you have to read my Dad's latest post. I just read it and it made me cry.Thanks Dad - I love you!! |
Tuesday, February 21, 2006
My Birthday Extravaganza - Wherein I Brag About the Awesomeness of My Husband
My husband rocks. He really does. Do you know how lucky I am? I have a sweet, caring, intelligent man who truly loves me. I married him as a teenager, not knowing what the hell to look for in a life companion, but somehow I (Providence, actually) got it right. I am a blessed woman.I turned 30 on Sunday and Huz made every effort to make it a wonderful time for me. It wasn't just Sunday that was celebrated, it was the entire weekend. It was truly an extravaganza.
When I came home from my class on Friday night, I had a surprise party waiting for me. Seventeen people crowded my little house with happiness and laughter. Huz had stayed home from his classes the entire day so that he could cook and prepare everything. He made everything that was served - from the goat cheese/sun-dried tomato bruschetta, to the hummus and fresh crudites (that's veggies if'n ya didn't know the fancy term), to a cranberry-champagne punch (which I had 3 glasses of - hiccup!), to the prosciutto-wrapped figs with gorgonzola cheese and toasted walnuts, to the chicken sate with peanut sauce, to the Irish cream chocolate mousse cake.
I neglected to take pictures of the spread until it was nearly gone, but here are the remnants.
Also, I am the photographer of the house, so there are none of me at my own party - except one and it's bad. Here are some of my friends who were there, though.
The next morning I received a homemade breakfast - lemon ricotta pancakes with fruit and honey and spinach/sun-dried tomato/goat cheese scrambled eggs.
We then went shopping and both got a new outfit for the evening, which was spent in Tennessee's only 5-star hotel. Oh yeah. The Hermitage was a beautiful place, built in the 1920s and recently renovated making it a modern, luxurious place to stay.
After a lovely meal in the hotel restaurant, The Capital Grille, we came back upstairs to our room where Huz had arranged for a bath to be drawn, complete with bath salts, bubbles, rose petals, and candles. *sigh* It was marvelous.
The next day we went to the Cheekwood Art Museum and Botanical Gardens where an exhibit called "100 Artists See God" was showing. It was really good - showing every possible emotion toward the divine (from anger to reverence to the inexplicable) and we both enjoyed it. Also, the grounds were lovely with a fresh blanket of snow, just for me.
Then - yes I know that should be it, but it isn't - I had an hour and a half-long massage at a spa downtown. Totally wonderful and relaxing.
I am overwhelmed by the love that my dear husband has shown me. He kept me so busy and so happy that I simply had no time to cry! Thank you sweetheart. I love you.
If you want to see more pics from the big celebration, feel free to check them out here. |
Sunday, February 19, 2006
You Say It's Your Birthday
Hello world. I'm thirty. That's right, I'm the big 3-0 and it doesn't even bother me. I didn't cry at all today. I've been too busy having a great birthday weekend to cry. All I can say is, Wow. I have a great husband. He gave me a wonderful birthday. I'll tell you more later because I'm tensing up freshly-massaged shoulders and I don't want to do that.Bye. |
Thursday, February 16, 2006
Super Cat
"Nah, Nah! You can't get me!"
"Heh, heh. Okay. I'm bored being up here. Hey Mom! Stop taking pictures and help me down!"
Mom doesn't respond. She thinks about how to get down.
She sizes up the distance between the entertainment center on one side of the room to the love seat on the other side of the room.
She gets distracted by the t.v.
Then gets focused again.
And she juuuuuuuummmmmpppps!
Cambridge, Super Cat |
Give Me a Present
Dear Readers,I decided that not enough of you comment. I mean, I can SEE you visiting me, you know. And I only get about 10% of you to leave a comment. There is someone in Arizona who visits all the time - who are you? Say something. Also, there are quite a few from the East Coast that stop by. What have you got to say?
How about for the rest of this week (the last week of my twenties, people), all who visit my little site leave a comment. It can be "hi" or "hey" or reaaaalllly long. I don't care. Just give me a shout out for Pete's sake!
That would really make my day.
Thank you.
Love,
The Comment Junkie |
Wednesday, February 15, 2006
Most Un-Romantic Date Ever
Valentine's Day was yesterday and the only thing I got was a rose from a 65 year old man. It wasn't some homeless guy on the street or anything - it was one of the Drs. I work with. It was really sweet and unexpected. Why didn't Huz do anything? Well, having my birthday 5 days later always takes away from Valentine's Day, plus he hates the holiday because it's so commercialized. I agree, but it still makes me a bit sad if we don't do anything to celebrate. It's not always like this, but it was this year. He better have a fabulous birthday weekend planned for me is all I can say!Anyway, I'm reminded of a romantic day that he planned for me a few years ago - I think it was "just because" and not for any holiday or anniversary (the "just becauses" are the best kind, aren't they!?). It was an awesome idea, but it failed miserably. You'll see why.
On a late Saturday morning in our Chicago apartment, he handed me the Tribune, said something (which I didn't understand but later found out was a hint), and left. I watched as he drove away, thinking, "Okaaaay. I thought we were spending the day together. WTF!?" I started flipping through the paper to see if a note would fall out or something, but none did. Flip, flip, flip. Nothing. This wasn't very fun - standing alone in my living room flipping through the damn newspaper. I decided to call him on the cell phone and find out what the heck was going on and what I was supposed to find in the bloody newspaper. He gave the hint again, which I told him I didn't understand (yes, I was a dumb blond that day - blame it on hormones). He finally said, "look in the classified section!" and hung up. I looked and after scanning the ads I FINALLY found a little ad that said something like "To my sweetheart. The day has come - go to 1022 Davis Street. TKH" (I didn't get the TKH thing either - it stands for The Kind of Hearts.)
Off I went (we had 2 cars at the time - this would never work now that we share one) to find the strange address. I drove up to Evanston and got mixed around all the one-way streets trying to find the place. I finally found it and parked. It was a florist. Feeling unsure of myself, I walked in not knowing what to say to the shop keepers. I stammered, "Um...I think I'm supposed to pick something up?" They looked back at me with blank stares. Then I said, "Maybe my husband sent me here on a treasure hunt?" They squinted their Asian eyes at me in incomprehension. I finally gave my name and asked if there was something here for me that my husband may have already purchased (though, admittedly, I had to call him again to find out what the hell I was supposed to do because the shop people had no idea who I was or what I wanted). It finally dawned on them that, "Oh yeah. This must be the lady whose husband called 10 minutes ago to remind us what to do when she got here." Flustered and embarrassed, I took my lovely long-stemmed roses that they finally produced and headed out of the shop smiling despite of myself.
Once in the car, I read the note that was attached which told me to drive to the Victoria's Secret shop at a nearby mall. I was getting into the groove of the treasure hunt, even if I was pmsing.
Off I went to the VS store and, feeling more confident this time, I told a salesgirl that I was on a treasure hunt and my husband must have bought something for me to pick up. The teenaged girl looked under the desk briefly and said there wasn't anything there. I insisted that there was something he bought for me, that's why I was told to come to this particular store. The salesgirls all kind of looked at each other like, "Who is this chick - there's nothing here for her and we'd rather gossip than help her!?", and finally got a manager for me to talk to. I explained my situation to her (yet another teenager, by the looks of her) and waited patiently as she went to go look in the safe in back. I waited and waited. About ten minutes went by and she finally came back out - empty handed. She told me she couldn't get the safe open. I left the store at this point and tried to call Huz again. I was in tears over the whole thing (I TOLD you I was pmsing!), but my damn phone wasn't working. I gave up, tried to compose myself, and went in asking them to try the safe again. Short of rolling her eyes and sighing, the manager retreated to the back room, this time with an entourage of salesgirls at her side to help her open what I could only imagine as a huge, heart-shaped steel safe that, somewhere deep inside, held a present for me. I continued to wait, getting more and more upset by the fact that I wasn't having fun and that I'd rather just be with Huz instead. Finally she emerged from the back with, lo and behold, a box in her hands. She roughly handed it to me (grr!) and I spun on my heels and left.
In the car I opened it. Damnit! It was beautiful, but a size small. "Surely Huz knows me better than this! My boobs with NEVER fit in a small...$%@^&*@" Yeah, I was really grumpy at this point. I headed toward the address on the card, which was to a hotel north of the city. When I got to the suite I collapsed in his arms crying over everything. It was so not what it could have or should have been. It was very disappointing to us both.
We chilled out on the sofa for a while and got ready to go out for a nice dinner. Huz ironed his dress pants and turned to step into them when the iron got knocked off the ironing board and went careening straight down onto the top of his foot. He let out a wail and I quickly helped him to the bed. As he lay there we both watched in horror as his foot doubled in size within 5 minutes. Forgoing the fancy restaurant attire, we threw on some jeans and hobbled him through the lobby to the car. Our date that night took place at an emergency clinic and we ate McDonald's food for dinner. No broken bones, just a bone bruise.
Whew. Talk about one steamy, romantic date, huh?
Oh, and the lingere fit perfectly. Who knew? |
Tuesday, February 14, 2006
Feast Your Eyes On...
my birthday present that we bought this past weekend. I was so happy to find that I didn't have to compromise leather, frame, or spring quality and still be in our price range. The sofa was 40% off (!!!) and both it and the "Evan Smoker Chair" have a hardwood, kiln-dried frame, 8-way hand-tied springs, and high density foam wrapped in down. Oh yeah! They will be a dark brown (fudge or espresso - whatever floats your boat) and will arrive in a short 2-4 weeks. I better re-paint my living room before they get here. Didn't I tell you? I decided I don't like that green paint. I prefer a warmer color - think fresh apricot.Sahweet! |
Monday, February 13, 2006
Monday (t minus 6)
My last Monday of being a twenty-something was pretty good, if I do say so myself. I had a busy day at work and before I knew it, it was time to go (how I love it when that happens). I also had a colleague ask me to lunch, during which he happened to say these exact words, "you're young and attractive," which pretty much made my whole day. Now, before you get in a tizzy, it was a casual comment and the guy is married with a kid and he knows I'm happily married. In fact we both mentioned our respective spouses throughout. But, still, it was nice to hear that from a person other than the one who is obligated to say it, you know?I went home, bundled up to brave the 30 degree weather, and went on a run (yay me!). Then I did the dishes. That's not terribly exciting, but having a clean house is next to godliness in my book, so it made me feel better.
Now, as another colleague of mine suggested, I need to start working on the Turning Thirty Bender. Hmmm, I hope I have the makings of a chocolate martini in my liquor cabinet. |
Friday, February 10, 2006
The Nicest Email I've Received In a Long Time
"Did I tell you today that I love you, my darling daughter? 'Cuz I do, you know, I really do!!! ~Mo" |Wednesday, February 8, 2006
Sick Noises
I've been home sick for the last day and a half with a head cold. Do you know how much noise there is at home during the day? A lot. I thought it was silencio when I wasn't here (I know, that's ridiculous. If a tree falls in the forest with nobody around to hear it, it STILL makes a noise, damn it!) So I had to contend with various sounds whilst slumbering on the couch (poor me, I know). There was some construction going on in the parking lot next door so the lovely rat-a-tat-tat of a jack hammer accompanied my nap, the guitar guy next door kept playing the same two notes over and over and over and over - waah-way-waah-way, the songbirds that I usually find charming were annoying me to death with their tweety-tweet-tweets, and Huz's CD playing on his laptop while working in the study began its background drone - wah-mah-jaw-wah-boom-boom-boom.Ugh.
My half-asleep dreams consisted of a swirling, head detached from body rat-a-tat-tat, waah-way-waah-way, tweety-tweet-tweet, wah-mah-jaw-wah-boom-boom-boom rollercoaster ride.
Or something like that.
Anyway, I'm better now and it's Huz's turn to be sick. Heh. Don't say I never shared anything, babe! What? You're sleeping? Hmm...where is my CD player? |
Sunday, February 5, 2006
And He's Back on the Shit List
As you may recall, Neville decided that he likes my little succulent plant which is called Hobbit. (No, really, it is.) While I like hobbits too, I don't go around digging up other people's plants just so that I canI did what anyone would do and stuck the plant somewhere less tempting than the dining room table. On top of the fridge it went, where I thought, "Surely he can't get to it now! Mu-wah-ha-ha!" The hobbit enjoyed its new lofty home for about a week. Then I discovered this:
Ugh. Cats and their acrobatic skillz. |
Friday, February 3, 2006
Nashvilleisms
"Is it broke?" |Thursday, February 2, 2006
Guaranteed to Put Me in a Good Mood
This never fails to put me in the right mindset. |Wednesday, February 1, 2006
Dark Dressing
Don't you hate it when you get dressed in a dark room and later notice that you put your undies on inside-out?I do. |
