Respecting Those Closest

Yesterday, my husband and I were talking, and I asked him, "What is the number one thing that I could change to make our relationship better?" He said, "Have a better attitude."

His response startled me. In my mind, I generally have a good attitude. I give people the benefit of the doubt, I’m careful not to snap at people who can’t control/didn’t cause my problem, and I work to let minor things go. I go so far as to think about what a stranger or acquaintance might be going through, and cut them slack.

But do I show the same consideration for my husband? Sadly, that answer is often a big “No.”

I come home from work most days tired, and either stressed or annoyed. Though I work hard not to take these feelings out on my husband, I do complain to him about them. What I didn’t realize is that to him, the two are often interchangeable.

Interestingly, I had read this post on BiblicalWomanhood.com on Thursday. Perhaps this loving Christian wife’s pitfall helped to me acknowledge my own, and be more open to the criticism of my husband than I might be otherwise. While it’s good to know that I’m not the only wife that falls into this pattern, it’s scary to think that women (or men) are habitually taking their frustrations from outside the home and planting them in the very place that, in my husband’s words, “is supposed to be safe.”

Benjamin & me on our honeymoon, August 2007

We have enough things to worry about at home without bringing in outside contamination. Home is supposed to be safe – and while “safe” to me may mean being able to voice my frustrations, “safe” to my husband is being able to enjoy his wife in a pleasant environment.

This is not to say that I should not share things that have a significant impact on our lives. I don’t think my husband would suggest that, either. But if I can strive to limit my venting to things that really matter, I will more thoroughly honor my husband. I want my life to revolve around home – not work, traffic, or trivial worries.

We should show the greatest respect and love to those closest to us. And though I had convinced myself that I was respecting him by being open, he only felt disrespected and dumped-on. I need to show his definition of respect, just as I want to be shown mine.

New Year's Resolutions

I’m not a fan of “New Year’s resolutions,” but I figured I could rouse my blog out of hibernation since it’s now 2009. In my experience with friends who make resolutions, they often seem to get lost in the clutter of everyday life by mid-March or so. It’s almost as though the more important something seems at the beginning of the year, the farther it can travel to the bottom of the “to do” list.

At the same time, though, shouldn’t we set goals for ourselves? Shouldn’t we pick a time to start improving in some way, and then work hard to stick with it? Isn’t the turning of the calendar year as good a time as any?

I know that some people can set goals, and achieve them all year long. For those people, I admire your commitment and resolve. It’s amazing! And some goals do, indeed, lend themselves to a January-to-December time frame.

However, many goals may be better supported by a different calendar. I know people at church who, after the Passover in the spring or the Feast of Tabernacles in the fall, will set a spiritual goal to accomplish by the next festival season. Maybe it’s baptism, or reading the entire Bible, or praying every day. Not only do these types of goals have a deep and lasting benefit, they’re also based on God’s calendar!

This, of course, is not to downplay the importance of achievement on a more (for lack of a better word) superficial level. But these, too, can often work on a different schedule. For example, young women frequently set a goal at some point during the year to lose pounds or inches by the following summer. You may give yourself a deadline of a week or two to completely clean your house – or just the living room. Something as short-term as a certification exam or a test at school can be an equally worthwhile, and perhaps more achievable goal.

And for me, achievable is a necessary trait in a goal. With my busy schedule and long list of “to do…eventually,” crossing off a task, no matter how small, feels amazing. For more long-term goals, I find myself putting off starting a project or regimen, feeling as though it’s not worth it to do 1 page of my scrapbook when I want to do the whole thing, or exercise 1 day this week if I know that the other days won’t be open. I need to learn to accept little victories, and celebrate them as such.

So I guess the point is that any time is a good time to commit to change in our lives. Any time is a good time to make a dent in a project, if we can make that “dent” the goal. After all, it’s when we’re the most motivated to grow that we will be most successful. And that can happen on January 1 or the middle of July.

A New Beginning

It’s been about a month since I last updated this thing! So much has happened and changed, but every time I think I need to post, I realize that I don’t have the time to update on everything, and put it off even more. Funny how that happens, I guess.

So here are the highlights!


~ Move to Fort Worth ~

Benjamin & I moved from Richardson to Fort Worth on July 27. Although it took us what felt like an eternity to pack up our 530 square foot apartment, the actual move only took a couple of hours. That’s probably due in large part to his parents, grandparents, and a family friend offering their assistance. The night before we moved, Benjamin didn’t get to sleep until around 4:00 am. I fought the urge to sleep, knowing that a couple of hours would leave me acting totally drugged the next day. Instead, I bought massive amounts of packing tape and bubble wrap, as I had underestimated how much we would use. It’s amazing how much stuff we fit into our first apartment!

I love the new apartment. It’s only about 250 square feet bigger than the one in Richardson, but it feels like twice the size. We have several large closets, and our unit doesn’t share any walls with the neighbors. That means that we have 3 huge windows in the living room and 2 in the bedroom.

While I started organizing the apartment, Benjamin jumped into making it a nicer place for us to be in general. It’s in a middle-quality area, right between the “bad part” and the “good part” of town. The complex is old, but it seems like it’s been taken care of and we got an outstanding deal on it. Still, it was nice to have my husband do a few things that really made a huge difference. Here are a few of the nice things he did:

• Replaced all of the light fixtures. The ones that came with it were old and dirty, and we couldn’t get them clean again. Changing the fixtures also sealed the ceiling better, so that the cigarette smoke from our upstairs neighbors would not seep in.
• Changed all of the doorknobs. We brought our own high-quality lock, and he got silver knobs to match on the interior. He put a lock on our big closet as well.
• Put shelves in the pantry. The “pantry” in the kitchen is tiny, and I was disappointed to again have an apartment without a real pantry. I find that the kitchen is so much easier to keep organized when everything has a place, which is not as feasible without a pantry. Very quickly, though, we decided to use the closet in the dining area as the pantry, and the “pantry” as a drink cabinet (liquor, coffee, tea, sodas, etc). So he built some extra shelves in the closet, and now it’s perfect for our food & the appliances that we don’t use constantly.
• Hung curtains. We picked out some double curtain rods, so we chose tan for the curtain next to the window in both rooms, and avocado green for the curtain that shows in the living room and black in the bedroom. (We started with burgundy, but it didn’t look right with the comforter.) He did lots of drilling, which resulted in lots of vacuuming for me, but now it looks so nice. He even ironed them! (I hate ironing, myself.)
• Printed & hung photos. We’ve had a photo printer for months, but we haven’t really used it. Benjamin has gone nuts printing all of our favorite pictures to display, now, though. Lots of them are in black & white, and he’s done a nice job making them look top notch. I’d really like to learn how to do that sometime. It’s like we really live there now!
• Changed the shower head. He came home one day with a giant thing that looks like my diffuser for my blow dryer! It’s really nice though…there are 2 settings on it, and it sits higher in the shower (the other one was crazy low), so we don’t knock ourselves out now =P

We did have some problems though. Rather than get all into the specifics (I'll go nuts, I’m sure), I'll just do bullet points again. Rest assured, though, we have ample documentation (including letters and photos) in case this turns into a bigger issue.

• Broken window. Before we moved in, they assured us that they would have the broken window in the living room fixed by our move-in date. It looked fixed, so we thought it was fine. The office staff had been really nice & seemed concerned about us being happy. Two weeks later, when Benjamin was measuring for curtains, he noticed that not only was the “window” not even glass, but it wasn’t installed! It had been cut, set in the frame, and held in place with a screen on the outside. Benjamin popped it right out! Needless to say, we were both furious. I took the window (yes, the window) to the leasing offices (both of them) to insist on it being fixed immediately. They were scheduled to be open, being a Sunday early afternoon, but they weren’t. I called the emergency number, which was “not in service.” I then left a message on their office voicemail expressing my irritation and telling them that it needed to be fixed before we went to bed. Benjamin boarded up the window for safety that night. The next day, Benjamin spoke to the office staff 3 times, and each time they promised him that it would be fixed by 4 pm. They even said that the glass man had just arrived at the complex and was on his way to our unit. They never came. So on Tuesday he spoke to the manager, who had never been alerted to the issue. It was fixed that afternoon. I usually don’t like to be demanding, especially when I feel like there’s no need to be a pain. But seriously, the window is 2”x2”, and either one of us (or a criminal) could have just climbed right in. And we’re on the first floor. Unbelievable.
• Deviants. There are 3 boys that live in our building that like to sit right outside our bedroom window and talk, laugh, fight, bounce their basketball, etc, anytime between 10:30 pm and 3:00 am. At first, I would go outside (because I’m a woman & less threatening) and ask them to keep it down. Once there were about 10-12 of them, and one guy started acting aggressive. So at that point, I went inside & called the police while Benjamin went outside & started asking for names. Long story short, to date we’ve had to call several times, and each time the officer that comes says that they have to give a warning before they can issue a ticket. We’ve also given letters to the apartment manager requesting her support. I know they probably get complaints all the time, but they sit on the air conditioner, and talk so loudly that it wakes us up. I don’t want to give too much information, because it’s kindof a legal thing, but the good news is that we haven’t had any problems in almost a week! We’re really hoping this continues, because we need more than 4-5 hours of sleep lol.
• Fleas. When we first moved in, Monte got covered in fleas, and he’s never had them before. I freaked out, and started giving him baths almost every day, vacuuming at least once a day, and washing everything in hot water. My mom even sent us some Capstar tablets for him, which kill all of the fleas that are on him. I know how hard it can be to get rid of fleas once there’s an infestation, and I did NOT want to deal with that. But, they seem to have subsided. We keep him out of the bushes and I’m still vacuuming & bathing him a lot. A flea comb is a great tool, too. Just sit there with a bowl of hot water with Dawn in it, and rinse the comb in the water after each stroke. It kills 'em!

In general, we love our new apartment, and it feels so nice to have started again in a new place.

~ Wedding Anniversary ~

Benjamin & I celebrated our 1st wedding anniversary on Monday, August 4. The day started with me leaving at 6:00 am to go to Plano for my US History exam. Then, since I had taken the day off work, I went home and began my exciting day. I picked up sushi at Central Market on the way home, then took a shower, fixed my hair, put on a sundress, did some light cleaning, and then met Benjamin at his office for lunch. I wanted to have a picnic at the Botanic Gardens (where he proposed), but it was so hot, and he was wearing his business clothes. He gets hot so easily anyway – as sentimental as it would be, I thought subjecting him to the heat wouldn’t be very loving. So we went home for lunch, and I put a blanket down on the living room floor for our air conditioned picnic.

After lunch, I went to the mall to pick up his present. I knew I needed to be home by 5:00, because he said his plans started then. With paper being the traditional first anniversary gift, I really wanted to have our marriage certificate framed in an engraved frame. But our marriage certificate is a really odd size, and there was no way I was going to cut it. So, that was out of the question. Instead, I bought him some nice cuff-links as well as a French-cuff shirt from Express. Those are his favorite, but he doesn’t like to spend that much on himself for a shirt. I, however, justified it with it being our anniversary.

When he got home, we exchanged gifts. He got me a silver clock with 12 tiny black frames around it. (Last weekend he printed black & white pictures & put them in the frames.) He also gave me a burgundy scrapbook that will look nice in our bedroom or even our living room, some scrapbooking supplies, a big black storage for all of that, some black frames (which he put some photos in for the living room), and a photo chest with spaces for pictures on the top. I think I may use it as a jewelry box instead of a photo box, though it’s quite big and it doesn’t have a latch. Either way, it’ll be great to use.

After presents, I went to touch up my makeup, as I’d been running around all day. He told me I really didn’t need to do that, to “trust him,” but I did it anyway J I wanted to look nice for our anniversary! He had made a reservation for us to get a couples massage at a spa downtown. I had no idea where we were, and knowing that I am afraid of needles, he jokingly told me we were there for Botox. The massage was relaxing & very thoughtful, and I was ready to go to sleep after that. But he had made dinner reservations at a tiny Italian restaurant that I’d never heard of. He said it came highly recommended, and it was so nice. We were seated in a corner away from the other guests, and it provided a very romantic atmosphere. The food was delicious, though we ended up trading half-way through. They gave us complimentary champagne & dessert, too.

I had told Benjamin that our anniversary is very important to me, and I wanted to do something special. I said that either he could plan something, or we could plan something together. He took over, and did a wonderful job. I hope I can do something equally amazing next year for him.

~ College Graduation ~

This summer I took 15 hours (5 courses) so that I could go ahead & finish my degree. I took Criminal Justice, World Music and Advanced Composition at the university, and Statistics and US History at the community college. I finished my last final exam on August 14.

Unfortunately, I’ve had trouble getting my community college transcript to the university. Now they’re saying I might not be able to officially graduate until the fall. Of course, this is all simply because of a time difference in when grades are available at the 2 schools, and has little to do with me. But they’ve extended my deadline until Thursday at 5:00 pm, so hopefully it’ll all work. Otherwise, I'll be finished, but just won’t have my diploma until December.

Picture Links!

I realized that I don't have very many pictures on here! And since I just went through & copied all of my wedding blog posts into this one, I thought I'd update other stuffs too!

These are all of the pictures that I have on Facebook.

~ WEDDING PICTURES ~
Engagement Pictures
Rehearsal
Getting Ready
Ceremony
Reception
Honeymoon

~ COLLEGE PICTURES ~
Fall 2005
Spring 2006
Dallas Formal 2006
Zahra's Birthday
Summer 2006
Fall 2006 (1)
Fall 2006 (2)
Snow Day 2006
Spring 2007

~ SPECIAL ALBUMS ~
Mommy
Monte
Feast 2006
High School

The Adventures of Montezuma

Yesterday was a fun day for Monte. He seemed a little perkier than normal (which is really saying something), and his behavior rather amused me.

First, I took him outside after work. Since he seemed eager to run around, I let him off his leash & we played fetch with Bear. Then, all of a sudden, he ran over to the swimming pool gate, slipped between the bars, and trotted over to the steps (I had set him on the first step a few days ago to get him used to "swimming"). I set him on the top step, thinking he would try to jump right back out, but he just started drinking the water! It was as though he liked the taste of chlorine! So then I had to take him out...we don't want him getting chlorine poisoning.

When we went back in, I put him back in the bathroom with the baby gate so that I could do some reading. Mom & Chester gave him a strange-looking toy that's shaped like a cat head & tail attached by a rope. This is one of his favorite "group toys" so we always take it when he'll have other dogs around. What was funny, though, was that Chloe came up to the gate, laid down, and started sticking her paws through the gate. Monte responded by bringing the cat toy over to her, and they started playing with it together! It was cute to watch :)

After class, I came home & took a bath because I wasn't feeling very well. Monte always loves it when I take baths, because he can put his front feet up on the side of the tub & feel as tall as me. He gives me lots of kisses on my nose, and brings Bear to me to throw for him. But last night, after the first couple of times I threw Bear, he ran up to the tub and flung it in with me! It was hilarious! I didn't want him playing with a wet toy after that, so I put Bear up on the toilet seat lid. Monte got frustrated, because he kept reaching up to grab it, but he just missed it each time. Finally I put Bear on the floor mat so he could play. Then, he got so excited that he actually jumped up onto the side of the bath tub...all 4 feet! I think it startled him as much as it startled me, because he immediately jumped down. He's not really fond of baths lol.

Jello Shots

We made jello shots this weekend. Actually, we made them twice. The first set were lime with vodka. I couldn't eat them, because the smell of vodka makes me think of the doctor's office and needles. I didn't realize when we made them that they'd smell so much!

The second set was orange with tequila. I liked them a little bit more, but I could still taste the alcohol. I guess I don't really like the taste of alcohol.

I keep on trying new things, as they say, but I keep reverting back to my favorite margarita. I suppose now I can at least say I've tried it!

...But now we have a bunch of jello in the pantry that I don't know what to do with. Maybe non-alcoholic jello shots?

Job Search & Apartment Hunt

I'm getting frustrated. Actually, I've been frustrated, and now I'm really frustrated.

First, the job.
I can't find one. Not one that I like, anyway. And my resume is up to date, but needs some serious revisions. And by the time I get a new job, I'll have a college degree, for goodness sakes, and I would kindof like to be sought after! I know that's selfish, but that's what 15 hours in the summer is doing to me. I'm getting cranky. And frustrated, but we already covered that. Actually, I would be perfectly with a high-level executive assistant position, as long as I actually got to make judgments and didn't have numerous random people hovering. What I'm really looking for is technical writing. It'll get my foot in the door, so to speak, with the writing community, but won't be as competitive as journalism (in which I hope to have my master's degree in a couple of years).

But, then there's the apartment.
We don't have one. Do you have prospects, you ask? Why, yes. I have done copious research to find apartments that fit my very specific requirements. Benjamin has pretty much left the apartment-picking up to me, so this should be less complicated than it is. Let me list them here for simplicity:

• 2 bedrooms
• 2 bathrooms (preferable, but not necessary)
• a big kitchen (very important. What's the use of having a fantastic chef husband if there's nowhere for him to make his magic? well, that kind of magic anyway.)
• be close to Benjamin's office
• be close to major roads so I can get to work if I ever find a job
• not have freaking bugs (very important because I'm ready to pull my hair out with Waterview)
• have room in the bedroom for my theoretical vanity (since I don't actually have one yet. Benjamin thinks if we have a bedroom the size we have now, we'll be able to fit my theoretical vanity, but I want to measure to make sure.)
• a giant kitchen (I've raised my expectations in the last few minutes.)

My favorite one is a 1-story townhome. It had everything I required, but they don't have that floorplan. And we're supposedly above their income limit, so I can't have the 2-story that is available.

So, my second favorite. I called them today. The lady sounded about 60, and was so very sweet. She didn't even yell at me for not knowing that it is a "55-and-older" property. She said, in her really caring old lady voice, "You sound pretty young, though." I should have told her I'm 55.

Then there's my third favorite. They don't have the 2-bed 2-bath available until September, but they do have a 2-bed 1-bath. Yay! It's also a lot cheaper, and we don't really need the extra bathroom anyway. (We can spend that money on my vanity, and then I won't have to straighten my hair in the bathroom while Benjamin showers!) But I couldn't look at it today. I get to drive across town tomorrow and be there between 4:30 and 6:00, at which time they may or may not have the one empty apartment available to show me. And if they don't, tough luck, cause the new people are moving in Saturday.

Ok, well I'm ready to stop ranting. I know all of this is just what I have to go through to find the perfect one. Who knows, maybe my "favorites" actually stunk or had rats or something. Yes, yes, they had rats.

Water Off in Phase III

Dear Resident(s),

Due to an unforeseen emergency repair needed within your phase, it will be necessary to shut off the water to your phase Friday, April 11, 2008, between the hours of 10:00 AM and 6:00 PM. This repair will affect hot and cold water in your apartment home. We will strive to get the water back on as quickly as possible.

Once the water has been turned back on, it is possible that it will take longer than usual for the water to run clear or heat up. Please allow the faucet to run for a few minutes to clear the line of any debris and heat to an acceptable temperature.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and thank you in advance for your cooperation in this matter. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact the information center at 972.454.5000.

Sincerely,

Waterview Office People

There have been so many stinking "unforseen emergencies" in Phase III over the past couple of month, I'm about ready to scream. I mean, back when it was about once per month, I was satisfied to attribute the inconvenience to the crappiness that is Waterview. But now, it's increased to once a week.

Two weeks ago, the water was going to be off on a Friday. A Friday! And Fridays are my cleaning/laundry/organizing/making-everything-nice-for-the-Sabbath days! Since 10am-6pm is pretty much the whole day, I was forced to fill up vases with surplus water. That way, I could at least wipe off counters & wash a couple of dishes.

So, I have just been notified that the water will be off again - this Friday. Maybe I'll do all the laundry on Thursday night. I won't be sleeping because they're having a "luau" right outside my window until all hours. Poop.

I am slowly...

(Original post at www.abforever.blogspot.com)

I just remembered this annoying song that I used to know:

I am slowly going crazy - 1 2 3 4 5 6 switch
Crazy going slowly am I - 6 5 4 3 2 1 switch

And then you repeat. I'm not sure why I remembered that.

Mom had hip surgery again on November 14. It was supposed to be the last one to remove more bone, and then she'd have her first hip replacement in December and the second next year. However, she developed a staph infection in her bone while at her rehab hospital. After running a fever, she was taken to the emergency room at another hospital, and had to have an unplanned surgery. The infection is still there, though, and she's on really strong antibiotics for several weeks, administered through a catheter in her arm and chest (so as not to destroy her blood vessels with a normal IV).

I finished my finals, and I must say I'm unhappy with how the semester went. I'm going to slap the "experience" label on it though, and remind myself that I was working a lot and trying to focus on my marriage this semester. I've had a good GPA all along, so one sorta-bad semester shouldn't hurt me too badly.

Actually, today I was off work. Now that school is done, I'll have 2 days a week where I can relax & run errands. Hopefully I can get stuff straightened up around here, too. We really need to do that =/

So now I'm just waiting for Benjamin to get home, so we can go spend another crapload on new tires, and then get my car inspected. I hate maintenance stuff.

Home Sweet Home

(Original post at www.abforever.blogspot.com)

Well, sort of =P

It's been forever since I've written on this thing, so I don't really even know where to start! Benjamin and I had a beautiful wedding, made complete by our family and friends who shared it with us. I can't believe that I wanted an outdoor reception, though. It was hot! Mom & I checked the forecast the day before the wedding, and all was supposed to be sunny and dry. On Saturday, though, we realized that Benjamin didn't have the vest to his tuxedo, so we made an emergency trip out. It was nice though...we were so busy that neither of us had an opportunity to really get nervous!

Ok, well I'm getting ahead of myself lol. Julie & I went to Houston on Tuesday, and Tuesday night Megan, Jill and Veronica threw my bachelorette party. It was lots of fun...they even had a Disney princess tablecloth! (though there were some "inappropriate" paraphernalia drawn on it hehe). I got a little loopy and ended up falling asleep. I was partially awake again when they had a slightly-dressed guy burst through the front door and run through the living room.

Benjamin was supposed to work all day on Thursday and then drive to Houston on Thursday night. However, the little sucker (ok, sweet and sexy babe) left work without telling me and showed up at my parents' house in the very early evening!

On Friday night we had the official rehearsal. However, it didn't really count, because Julie was in Georgia for a convention, Amanda was on her way to Houston, Jason was at training for his new job, the flower girl was en route, and the minister was at church camp in Ohio. Benjamin & I went to get manicures & pedicures, and were a little late. The "wedding coordinator" (aka meany-poopy-head) was a total snot, and started treating me like a little kid. She was telling Benjamin's parents to do the wrong things, and trying to completely take over myyyyyy wedding!

Wedding Coordinator: come on!
Benjamin's mom: I think we weren't supposed to walk in during this song.
Wedding Coordinator: It doesn't matter, it's fine.
Me: *nicely* Hey, could we try that again, with the other song?
Wedding Coordinator: You want to do it again?!
Me: *slightly less nice* Well, they weren't supposed to come in to this song.
Wedding Coordinator: *huff*

Later...
Wedding Coordinator: You need to do the unity candle now.
Me: *listening to the minister/Benjamin/etc* *notice she's yapping, so I look at her*
Wedding Coordinator: *really snotty look* Can we take this seriously please?
Me: Sure. *hand on hip, 4th grade girl rebellious look*...(hey, it was my wedding)
Wedding Coordinator: Fine! I'll just let you do it your way.
(keep in mind, we didn't want her there in the first place...she wasn't "coordinating" anything)
Me: *sweet tone* Thank you!
Wedding Coordinator: Uh! *snatches our candles & walks off to get her purse*
Wedding Coordinator: *to my dad* It doesn't look like you'll be needing my services here any more this evening.
Dad: Oh, ok! Bye!

I asked Ethan if he had gotten it all on tape, and he said yes. I can't wait to see it. She was sooo mad hehe.

The day of the wedding went smoothly for the most part. I was a little worried that something major would be forgotten, but it was all great. I remember making Julie go out & take pictures from the balcony so I could make sure enough people were there to start. (I didn't want everyone having to be in the balcony!) When Dad & I came in, I hardly noticed anyone in the audience. I didn't realize beforehand that I wouldn't see the audience at all until we were presented Mr. and Mrs. The main things about the ceremony that were "funny" I suppose, were that I couldn't blow out my candle after lighting the unity candle because my veil blocked it, so Benjamin had to blow it out. Then, when Benjamin was allowed to "kiss the bride," we kissed for what I guess was a long time. People started laughing, and the minister kind of cleared his throat a little. At the reception, Jill, Veronica & Matthew commented that it was quite passionate. Jill said she accidentally pinched Matthew, and Veronica said, "I'm told that if you begin a marriage with a lot of passion, it'll continue that way. So, I think you'll have a passionate marriage!"

When I tossed the bouquet, Julie & Amanda had a little tustle. I have a picture of them both going for it, and another one where Amanda has a "ha!" look on her face, and Julie has her fists clinched and seems to be charging. It's awesome =P

Juliane & Ryan gave their speeches, and both were so heartfelt. I know that Benjamin and I love our siblings dearly, and were so glad to be able to share the first wedding for both families with them.

I rode all the way to Galveston in my wedding dress. This was not the best idea, for 2 reasons. One, it can feel somewhat comfy while you're standing up, but when it's late and you're tired, and the bra is digging into your boobies and bruising your sternum, it's not quite so comfortable. Two, we didn't really think ahead about how we were going to fit my giant dress in our luggage for the cruise. But, I wanted Benny to be able to take it off of me, so I suppose it was worth it. And since he doesn't pack much stuff, there was room in his suitcase :)

We spent Saturday night and Sunday night in Galveston. Sunday we walked around a little bit, went to the grocery store, and got a pizza from Dominos. Or Pizza Hut. One of those places lol. Monday we took a taxi to the port. Benjamin wanted to make sure we were there "on time," so we ended up getting there before anyone else. We were wearing our "Bride" and "Groom" shirts, so everyone we talked to thought we were part of a wedding party. Of course, that meant that they sent us up to the waiting room with the actual wedding party, which was apparently preparing of an on-board wedding. Other than them we were the first ones on the boat! We had opted to carry most of our luggage on, a decision that we remedied getting off the boat. (If you take a cruise, don't carry your stuff. It's a long walk.) Going through security, one of my bags set off the alarm, and when we saw which one, I freaked. (You don't need to know the details.) To make a long story short, we had crashed Benjamin's bachelor party the week before, and his mom had gotten some handcuffs for me to put on him during our raid. I had stuck them in my bag and forgotten about them, and, well...apparently they don't allow handcuffs on cruise ships. Oops!

On the boat, we lugged all of our luggage (is that why they call it luggage?) to go eat lunch before the rooms were ready. Benjamin called our parents to tell them we had made it, and his mom told him a funny story. It totally made our day. Everyone, including Mrs. Wedding Coordinator, had been asked not to wear perfume to the wedding, because of allergies. She showed up about 10 minutes before the wedding:
Ryan: Do you have the candles for lighting the unity candle?
Wedding Coordinator: I don't know! I thought you didn't need me!
Ryan: *really nice voice* We don't...we just need the candles.
Wedding Coordinator: Well, I may have some in my car. I'll check.
Later...
Aaron (usher): *doesn't know who she is* Are you friend or family?
Wedding Coordinator: Well, I'm not family!
Aaron: *smells perfume on her* Ok, well I'm going to need you to sit up here.
Wedding Coordinator: *epitome of ticked off*

My parents and Benjamin's parents had gone to lunch on Monday, so they got to hear the story before we did. The cruise was awesome! I wasn't scared at all, and I didn't get seasick! More about that later, perhaps. Our room steward learned our names, and would always come in our room while we were gone & make cool towel animals to put on the bed. He even arranged my pink pillow on the bed with the others =P

We stopped in Progresso and Cozumel. In Progresso, I got sick from the cigarette smoke and the heat, so we just bought some tequila and got back on the boat. In Cozumel, we did some shopping. Benjamin wanted to rent a motorcycle thing, but I forgot about the fact that we could go all over the island. Instead, we bought more tequila (he brought back a ton of tequila), and took lots of pictures. It sprinked a bit, and we were ready to go in, so we got back on the boat and drank a margarita. On the last day, we needed 4 more cups to complete our "4 yellow, 4 pink" collection, so we had to get started early. We split our first pina colada around 10 am. And I don't hold liquor very well, so needless to say I was a little wobbly for the rest of the day.

Now we're back (duh, Adriane), and getting into the swing of things. The apartment still isn't organized, but at least we've opened all the presents, and the ones we need to take back are filling up the back seat of my car. I still have a ton of thank you notes to write, but I'm dreading that. I think it's the sheer volume of notes that is stressing, not the act itself. If I do like 20 a day, it shouldn't take too long.

Good News & Bad News

(Original post at www.abforever.blogspot.com)

We got the Forum! On the right date! Yay! *is excited*

On the other hand, I made another appointment to try on that dress again at 7:00 at David's Bridal. I fought through traffic for just under an hour (it's right at 10 miles), only to find that the store was closed due to power outages. Thanks for calling me to tell me my appoinment was cancelled! Eh, I guess everything was electronic or something :(

So I went to the Verizon store, and got a headset for my phone. My hope is that my parents will no longer threaten me with bodily harm (maybe it was just hanging up on me...) when I call them.

Today was the longest day everrrrrrrrr! I went in to work 1/2 an hour early, so that I could take an extra 1/2 hour for lunch, to go to Arapaho Classical Magnet & take a cake to my tutoring class. It's their last day of 3rd grade! I left work at noon, got the cake, took it to the class (where only 4 students were since it's apparently the teacher's birthday, and they kicked her out to decorate). I waited until the last minute before I needed to leave, then wrote a note to the class on the board, and said goodbye. Rikki gave me a hurt look, and said, "But Miss Bounds! We need you to hang streamers!"

...So I hung streamers. And was late getting back to work.

Then there was a crap load of rain, which I did not expect. I went to David's Bridal anyway, and, well, now I'm home in my comfy pjs that for some reason have this spot in the leg that has been poking me for several weeks, even though there's nothing sharp in there! I think it's time for some sleep...

WHAT Registry?!?

(Original post at www.abforever.blogspot.com)

We went to Houston this weekend to visit my family, and today we went to Macy's with my mom to start our gift registry. We went to a "Service Counter" where it looked like we were supposed to begin, and after a short wait (during which Mom offered to get their attention by casually opening the cash register) a lady came over to help us. I explained that we needed to start a gift registry, and she gave me the most unpleasantly surprised look I can imagine, and asked, "You two are getting married?" I was like, "Yes." Then she pointed us to another counter.

Later in the car, Benjamin brought it back up. He explained that the lady bugged him, and in response to her indignance (did I make up that word?) he wanted to reply, "Yes! I love her very much!"

And I know I didn't look terribly young, because Benjamin said so. Plus, I looked extra cute, and seriously marriable, and was sporting a very pretty diamond ring on the cooresponding finger. I just don't understand her amazement. Poo.

And speaking of poo, apparently Monte likes to eat cat poo, and then Chester likes to bring poo to my parents & their guests as presents. We have some very un-selfish dogs.

After we got past the Marriage Police, we got to use the spiffy little scanner to scan UPCs :) Benjamin went a little scanner-happy, and registered for 12 butter dishes...(actually, it was an accident that we made together). But I'm happy to say that we have officially registered for our wedding china & silverware. We also picked out stuff for the bathroom, but when we went to scan it, our little scanner friend rejected the entry because apparently it was on clearance...so we had to buy it today.

I have a feeling I'll be a rather handy wife...

(Original post at www.abforever.blogspot.com)

This has absolutely nothing to do with my wedding, but I'm going to try to fudge it to make it fit =P Yeah, I'm good like that.

At work, my boss came over & noticed that I had some magazines (corporate, not bridal) on my desk, and that it looked a bit cluttered. She's like, "we need to get you some hanging baskets & stuff!" and I proceeded to put on my most-favoritest-but-also-most-pain-inducing shoes & follow her to IT, where she, Belen (the other new girl) and I raided them of their cool organizational stuff.

Then, we returned to DR, where 6 of us (count them, 6) tried to hang the gadgets on Belen's cubicle wall. Finally Spencer came over to help, and after watching for a few minutes being of zero assistance, I started to put my own thing up. My boss asked, "Did you get it?" and I said, "Juuuust about...yup!"

Then she shouted, "Adriane's done! Spencer, do you need her to come help you?" and everyone laughed. Of course, I had hung it higher than we wanted, so I had to take it down. Spencer seemed pleased by this, as evidenced by his "yes!" and his fist in the air.

Still, for a girl, I think I figured out that building-type task rather well...Bring on the leaky sinks and the burned-out lightbulbs! Of course, I'll have a husband to do those things for me, now won't I? ;-)

Light as a heifer

On Monday night, Julie & I watched Gold Diggers of 1933 for Film Musicals class:

*Girl & Guy dancing*
Guy: Why, you're light as a heifer! I mean, feather!

Then yesterday, we watched 42nd Street in class:

Girl: *passes out during rehearsal...they carry her into the lobby...she wakes up* Oh my, I guess I passed out.
Guy: *hits on the girl who just passed out*
Girl: *bats eyelashes, etc etc*
Guy: remind me to tell you I think you're swell!
Julie: *leans over to me* Adriane, remind me to tell you you're light as a heifer!

Maintenance just came to unclog our bathtub drain. As expected, it was just hair. Lots and lots of hair.

Monte pooed on his mat! Twice! This is a big accomplishment for him :)

Oh, and while we're discussing old movies, here's part of an email from Benjamin <3:
Ummm, you didn't mention anything about catching up on school work on Sunday. :-) I figured that you would want to, but frankly Scarlet, I don't give a crap. ;-) I want to smooch you.

I want to smooch you too <3

Now that I've probably alienated most people, that is all!

Customs! Beware!

Julie & I are going to pick up Jessica from Love Field this afternoon.

Julie: I can drive. I just need you to be there to say, "hey Julie, you can't go in there. Look at all the signs that say DANGER." And I'll say, "but look, this is customs!"
Me: Julie! We're not even going thru customs!
Julie: *with irritation* I don't know any airport terms! The only ones I know are "customs" and "beware"!

And I just killed a fly. By myself. Yes, I'm proud.

Zahra may have to be one of the cutest people in the world. I love you more than I miss you too, sweety!

Julie & I are disappointed by the number of bugs in our apartment. We have both found Roley Poley Cemeteries in various areas. "Sad days."

Yay, Richardson!

This weekend was busy but wonderful. I had exactly zero incidents of running over things (count them, zero), though I nearly died about 2 miles from church. Not to worry, I was brave and survived. Benjamin & I watched tons of "Lost" and he cooked Saturday night, and Sunday we made the pilgrimage to Richardson so I could move in. Yes, I moved in all of my stuff single-handedly. Everyone else just watched. Why did they just watch, you ask, instead of helping? Well, they were totally amazed by my sheer strength, of course.

Mom came up too!!! I was terribly happy that she made the trip, seeing as how the day before was her first time back to church in Houston. Two long days in a row has gotta be tough.

Yesterday, Megan & I tried to run "errands" on campus. We got my wireless set up, I sold back the Government book for which they only wanted to give me $17 in April, etc. I realized I can't buy my parking permit because I don't have my stinking registration or whatever it is they want. Argggggggh!

I did some cleaning & organizing, then went grocery shopping. Frankford was backed up, sadly, and it nearly ruined my faith in the "backroad" system. Midnight Madness at OCB wasn't terribly crowded. There are a couple of books I couldn't find, but I got all the rest for $254. Yay! Actually, it'll be $304 because I'm buying my College Algebra book from another girl. Yay again!

Then I decided I wanted pie. So I went to Tom Thumb (aka Randall's) who had virtually none of individual slices, and I certainly did not want to get an entire pie, as there's no one else here. So I got a cheesecake (a little one). I was then disappointed to find that it was frozen so unbelievably solid that I could not cut it. So I let it thaw on the counter, so I could cut it. It was still frozen though, so I put it in the microwave. Good idea, right? Ha! You wanna know what I got? Half-frozen-half-hot cheesecake.

Julie's coming today!!! She'll be here in about an hour :D And then Zahra is coming later on...I can't wait guys!!! I'm off to jimmy Julie's lock (don't ask).

Ok, here's that nostalgic post we've all been waiting for!

Stop. Go no further. Start the song Closing Time. Have you started it? Ok good. Now you may proceed.

In about 12 hours (I’ve been working on this throughout the day), I'm going to be moving for the 2nd time in a year. I'm so unbelievably happy to get to go home, see my family, spend oodles of time with my Mom...it's been hard living so far away. By the same token, though, I'm going to be so sad to leave this place - this apartment that has become my home away from home, these friends, this environment of intellectual stimulation. So, in the style of Zahra's post (her's is more picture-inclusive than mine), I shall proceed to give a list of grievances. Ah, how this reminds me of a day about 8 months ago when I was doing this very same thing.

While I'm certainly going to miss many aspects of this life I'm leaving, most of it revolves around the lovely girls of apartment ****. These girls have turned into more than amiable roommates. They've made my freshman year experience one that I will always look back upon with fondness. They have attained the status of best friends. And for that, they hold a special, irreplaceable place in my heart. I will miss them the most.

Things I Love About Julie
* Her French accent which she "can't help"
* Her decision to marry Switchfoot...collectively
* The inertia which causes her arms to flail behind her torso upon walking
* The way I never dread the sound of "Aaa-dri-on" (now "A-shri-on") in the distance
* She is always ready to watch a Lifetime movie with me & Sparky
* Her insistence on consuming every last speck of...whatever (lick that bowl, Julie!)
* The way she confidently declares herself endearing...but that she doesn't fully comprehend the limitlessness of that statement
* Her daily updates on Erwin in my absence
* Finding her slippers tucked neatly under the table for her to come back to
* Her pretty paintings that make our living room sparkle

Things I Love About Zahra
* Her beastly willingness to protect us amid our Lifetime fears…and to fight
* The fact that she LIVES to "lock me out"
* The way she "moves in" every Sunday evening
* That she is "the world's official hugger"...and never fails to deliver on that
* That she designates and entire load of laundry to her panties
* Her offer to come all the way to Houston just to chaperone a date
* That we reached a consensus to take a nap under the warm pink UTD blanket after Hope Floats

Things I Love About Valene
* Her facial expression after muttering “huh?”
* Her disgust with spinach…and our taste for it
* That she gave me part of the vacuum fuzz after cleaning it out
* The unrecognized peer pressure which she exerts on the rest of us with her spiffy sayings

I’ll miss the Waterview network connection hating me, and kicking me off alllll the time. Zahra, thank you for not blocking me on AIM, even though you threatened to do so. Having a reliable internet connection will be saddening.

I’ll miss Julie grabbing Luke & Lorelai with her bare hands so that we can clean their filthy water. I’ll miss having 4 people around to feed them constantly. And I’ll miss making beta babies!

I’ll miss the free movies that Valene found as part of our cable package. Sleepless in Seattle, West Side Story, Funny Girl…all better when you have great girls to share them with. Oh what fun, moving the couch up to the TV…we’re tough girls!

I’ll miss naming the boys that come into our lives. More than that, I’ll miss having those boys around to do things for us. I wonder if my brother….

I’ll miss hearing Julie’s door open in the mornings, and jumping out of bed immediately. That was better than any alarm clock. What! Julie’s up before me?! Aaaah!

I’ll miss calling the maintenance men for everything that needs done in our apartment. I treasure all of those maintenance reports that we have laying around. We’re on a first-name basis with several of them now!

I’ll miss looking at Jackie Chan every time I go into Julie’s room. I have to say, he’s beginning to grow on me now. Of course, the same can’t be said of Julie’s attitude toward my fuzzy posters. It’s ok…I’ll also miss her systematically removing them from my walls in the hope that I won’t notice.

I’ll miss shouting “someone’s food is ready” because the impatient microwave keeps beeping once a minute.

I’ll miss Julie trying to make me get new PJs. You’ve tried everything, and I’m still wearing cheeky monkey! Perhaps, though, we can get matching ones in accordance with your bribe.

I’ll miss the interrogation chair, and the reign of WABB over our relationships with boys. I’ll miss the confused look on many guys’ faces as we actually carried out the interrogations we promised. Remember when Cake Boy (ok ok, Tony) brought us that HUGE cake as a peace offering? I’m glad we gave him another chance.

I’ll miss Julie’s singing on the way to the grocery store or the movies. You’ve made me love Moulin Rouge, hun! You’re so unbelievably cute.

I’ll miss Thursday lunches in the PUB. How I’ve looked forward to those each week, and hated missing them on occasion. Even when I would be working the lunch rush, it was cheering just to see you guys come in.

I’ll miss the PUB itself, and the good friends I have made working there. I’m so blessed to be able to have fun at my job.

I’ll miss Roommate Weekends, and broadcasting our mutual love to the masses. “Do you have roommates? You should get some.”

I’ll miss taking trips in our pajamas. Wal-Mart, the Meteor Theater, the mailbox…ah, the memories.

I’ll miss Julie singing “Bad Day” and playing it on her computer when I have one. I’ll miss being able to hear the song on her computer when she goes to Zahra’s xanga, since my computer hates me & won’t play it.

I’ll miss having a home to come back to when I feel weezy.

I’ll miss taking pictures of everything. It feels like everything we’ve done has been properly documented visually. I love our three best pictures.

I’ll miss the menopausal weather. Hot. Cold. Moderately warm. Freezing beyond comprehension. Yeah, it’s always a surprise. Sorry I’ve been slacking on delivering the weather report each morning!

I’ll miss having no room in the refrigerator for legitimate stuff (like milk) because it is so full of to-go boxes.

I’ll miss the yellow walls, and Julie’s paintings.

I’ll miss finding my panties in a bag on my doorknob. I’ll miss having girls around who understand how you can have an entire bag full of panties.

I’ll miss waking up to the shrill sound of smoke detectors…and laughing in the living room while they continue to shriek for half an hour in the middle of the night.

I’ll miss eating french fries from the PUB. But not before we’ve re-cooked them in the oven & showered them with Tony Chachere’s (sp??)

But more than all of that, I’ll miss having girls to call maintenance for me. I’ll miss hearing my name (with a French accent, of course) on a daily basis. I’ll miss the people with whom I take grocery store trips, and the girls that live to lock me out. I’ll miss having those awesome friends who are willing to ask weird questions to make sure that the guys I’m hanging out with are worth it. I’ll miss deep conversations that last until the wee hours of the morning, and buying lots of pillows with my new bedding, confident that we’ll use all of them.

The memories…

In the past 8 months and 19 days, we have accomplished so much. Much more than a group of skimpy college girls could be expected. We have:
(click the * for a picture!!)
* Gotten through a pregnancy & learned French insults
* Successfully sauntered Wal-Mart in PJs at midnight without getting raped
* Learned how to do normal body functions in a class that 1/3 of us don’t take
* Cured Julie of her brownie addiction
* Established ourselves as virgins
* Taken pictures with Abuelo
* Been through some hard times, and remained there for each other
* Experienced the awesomeness that is giant QuikTrip cups
* Considered skydiving together…nah!
* Had fun with balls (hehe)
* Shrunk our collective female fat zones
* Traded clothes & warned each other of possible death-by-weather
* Made it through Govt 2302. ‘Nuff said.
* Realized that our best dates are with each other
* Giggled about boy parts during Thursday lunch
* Put glucose tablets to a much more “creative” use
* Gotten married. Some of us more than others…
* Been totally awesome princesses
* Gotten gussied
* Turned on one another, but made it through in the end
* Been scarred by the sight of nakey boys & discussed nakey trees
* Ordered & eaten 3 medium 1-topping pizzas
* Handled the three-musty-Mexican-maintenance-men & called maintenance for EVERYthing! They must loooooove us!
* Discovered the tragedy of the female condom & hemorrhoids
* Prepared for a tornado
* Had a slumber party on the balcony
* Grown quite accustomed to talking on AIM & banging on walls
* Experienced the happiness of Julie & Zahra’s marriage
* Left Olive Garden with 10 to-go boxes
* Gleefully pounced upon each other
* Caught & detained the blog culprit…but she still commits her crimes!
* Become tenacious wildcats in Jujitsu
* Dedicated Zahra the confrontational-phone-call maker…for bills and the cable guy
* Named boys & done interrogations with WAAB
* Spoken out against modern sexuality
* Played some serious flag football
* Toasted our 1-month anniversary
* Disturbed an entire movie theater with our fashionable exit
* Learned where we come from…through the people upstairs
* Lived through fire
* Rewarded ourselves with a couple of our favorite jelly donuts
* Left our comfort zones & made new & lifelong friendships

Tonight we had our reminiscence session. We sat on the couch, in our PJs of course, and ate french fries. We talked about our time together. Zahra recalled “hating” me when I moved in, because I apparently gave her a weird look. How was I to know that she was supposed to be there?! We realized that we attended the same orientation last April. The 3 of us recalled our first eager telephone conversations and unleashed first impressions. Julie thought I was going to be a drunken popular girl…but when she came in & saw me “freaking out” over groceries, she knew she had nothing to fear. I thought she was going to be a really anal smart girl…which she is (without the anal part :-p). Zahra addressed how unfair I have been in taking up all of the communal kitchen & storage space…and Julie agreed. Apparently, I have too much crap…but I can’t live without it. Then Julie started to go into her room. I thought she was coming to my room to read this screen (a super no-no) so I ran to stop her. In the process I hurt my foot. She doesn’t care…she said I deserved it. Poo. :-)

I’m sitting here, now at 2:30 in the morning, after just having had a discussion with Julie. Mostly, we talked about how much I miss orchestra & what a big part of my life that was. I’ve often thought about where I would be in my musical pursuits if I had followed my original plan to go elsewhere.

But tonight, after our reminiscence session, I realized that Julie, Zahra & I ALL wanted to go elsewhere. I wanted to go to Sam Houston & major in music. Zahra wanted to go to Rice & made this known through her attitude at UTD orientation. Julie wanted to go to Baylor & got a new car instead. I remember fighting my parents about this school, telling them it was the last place I wanted to go. I even had all of my friends hating the idea with me.

Even after deciding that I did want to come here, I still catch myself wondering. I wonder what I might have kept if I hadn't abandoned my “first choice.” What’s ironic is that after 8 months, I now realize what I would have lost if I had.

Love Always,
Adriane

There is crud dripping from our ceiling. I saw a cup on the floor full of yellowish junk, but dismissed it. Then Zahra told me about the dripping. I looked up and saw 3 big wet circles on the ceiling. The ceiling is going to collapse on us & squash everything we own. Hopefully no one will be in the kitchen or living room, so they won't get squashed along with the normal contents of the rooms.

Linguistics was interesting today. Behold, several quotes:
Professor: Since you've forgotten everything...When I say "constituent heirarchies" what goes through your head?
Class: *silence*
Professor: ...besides "you bastard"?

The professor went to turn off the lights, and tripped over his laptop chord displaying the PowerPoint presentation. It was crazy...he landed against the wall & the laptop landed with a bang on the floor.
Professor: *looking at fallen computer* If this works again, everybody should buy a Dell.

It worked...so we were looking at phrase trees.
Professor: In which noun phrase tree are the men AND women old?
Student: The 1st one...but the 2nd one'll get you out of a lot more trouble!

Today's Random Fact: Apparently I'm a show-off...

Brrrrrr!

Or Grrrrrr! Ok, now I'm bugged. What's up with the freezing cold water after it's been "heating up" for about 10 minutes?!? I supposed this means no shower for me. Grrrrrr.

This brings back memories of another sad shower situation, long long ago. The only difference is that now I know how to work this faucet, which I could not accurately claim back then.

Brownie Bath

I just turned on the water in the bath tub for my shower. First, it spattered resistantly, so I turned it off, waited about 5 seconds, and turned it back on. This time, water came out, but not in its usual clear, clean form which coaxes us to actually put it on ourselves to increase our own cleanliness. No. Instead, it was a nice shade of brown. Yuuuuummy. It continued to spatter, as if to remind me that it only spat out that colorful liquid at my request. I guess now I should go take that shower...it's probably clear by now.

Today's Random Fact: Apparently, I'm quirky. I'm the girl that draws morphology trees, that loves her dictionary, that has a particular sanitizer bottle that she likes to use, that says "please/thankyou/your welcome" to everything, that studies the menu during social time, etc. Actually, not all of the things for which I have been named quirky are nerdy...I just realized that most of those listed above are (therefore, a misleading list)...whatever.