So Instead I Shot a Gun

So I'm slowly making it through all of the mess that this month has turned into. I Also managed to make it through a weekend at Adam's parents house over Easter. And my new tactic of survival is simply spending as little time alone with the Mother-In-Law as possible. Even if that includes having to join the good 'ol boys club and tagging along when Adam and his Dad hang out. Yes, this past weekend, in order to remove myself from Hell's Kitchen (any kitchen that includes Melody,) I went target shooting out in the back field (because these people live in the middle of nowhere, so there are plenty of empty fields). And yes, when I say shooting, I mean with a real gun. A light little .22 rifle. Adam and his father used much bigger guns, (being the big manly man-men that they are). It was the second time in my life that I had ever shot a gun, the first time being last summer when at a Lodge in the Pocono mountains, Adam and I decided to go Clay Bird shooting, (or Rather, Adam practically dragged me along by my hair, once he found out it was an activity option) since at this particular Lodge, they pretty much do everything for you except pull the trigger. They carted us out to the top of some mountain, where there was a shooting range set up. They gave the ladies vests with padding in the shoulder, and gave everyone ear-muff headphone thingies so we wouldn't sue them for the ringing in our ears, and then for each person, they load the gun, show you exactly how to hold it, put your hands and everything where they should go, point the gun where you should aim, and you tell them when to "Pull", which means the clay bird comes flying out of the thrower-thing, and you're supposed to shoot it. Well, believe it or not, I actually did better at it than anyone else in our group. Yeah, maybe that means that they were all just really extraordinarily bad. That's totally possible. (Must be those Native American instincts coming into play. I am also somewhat okay with a Bow, believe it or not. I'm saving that one for getting out of going shopping with Melody.). At the lodge however, I did end up with a bruised shoulder, because that twin-barreled shotgun had a hell of a kick. But being the tough girl I am, I waited until we got back to the hotel room to whine and cry about it. (ha) So, this time in that field in Gettysburg, I was fairly confident in my skills (having been previously coached by a professional at the Lodge), and impressed everyone by shooting at the target, and no, I didn't hit the "10" on the target, but I got close. But most importantly, I didn't shoot anyone in the face. (which, I don't know about you, but that means "success" to me.) And of course Adam's father was dually impressed, and so when I ALSO tagged along to the sporting goods store with them (Melody didn't want to go along, fine with me.), Adam's father kept pointing out all of these "youth rifles" and lighter caliber things that he thinks I could shoot. I did let him know that while I have no issue with what amounts to playing darts with bullets on a target, there is no way I would ever, Ever agree to shoot any living animal with a gun. And most likely I would vomit and/or pass out at the sight, but it's nice to know that he would consider me worthy enough to go. I found the section with tents more interesting, and did buy a new sleeping bag for camping this year. We also need a tent, but they didn't have any that quite fit the budget...er, I mean, they didn't have any that we liked. ;)

So back home we went (it was about 8pm, which meant that I had weaseled my way out of about 5 hours of MIL-time...generally full of Churchly advice and accusations, peppered with the uncomfortable and unnatural silence that comes about when I decide to take the higher road and hold my tongue instead of screaming in someone's face.) So, we get out of the car once we're back, and satisfied with a day of adventure, I promptly slammed the car door on my left thumb. I don't really participate in the whole "hide the pain" notion, so after all the screaming and crying was over, I decided to put back the frozen peas I had been holding on my swollen, bleeding and black and blue thumb, and go to get ready for bed. Except that I couldn't get ready for bed by myself. Ever try to take off a bra without using your thumb? Or unscrew a contacts case? Or put your hair up with one hand? So, Adam was sweet and came upstairs to help me, and in general babied & fawned over me until I was cozy and content. Him trying to put my hair up in a ponytail was particularly sweet and funny. He was all "this is a Lot harder than it looks," What a wonderful guy...

So all that's left this month, is the visit from Nichole and Jake (the vegetarian, artsy fartsy couple from Ohio. Some background: Nichole is the sister who is insane. The one who, when Adam and I set our wedding date, said that we couldn't set it for THAT day, because SHE was getting married the week before that! One little problem with this statement? She wasn't even engaged yet. And Jake...well, Jake is pale, gaunt, and only speaks softly. He doesn't ever have any real opinion, ever. Except for when it comes to the fact that he won't eat meat. However, perhaps this is only the side of Jake that the family sees, because apparently off of his friends are crazy bar-hopping, binge drinking jocks, and Nichole and he always seem to be recovering from a wild weekend of partying. However they are both such limp rags around us when at Adam's parents house, that it seems kind of hard to believe. Perhaps they are people who are very good at having split personalities...in Nichole's case, I believe this to be very likely. She has a history of depression and illogical issues in general. Growing up the Gifted Golden Child and then having your twin marry someone who is ahead of you on every life goal you have, will do that. Adam and I met first, got engaged first, married first, bought a house first, got our current jobs with good salaries first, took an overseas vacation first. And for EACH of those things, as soon as she hears word of us doing the next big thing, she always tells everyone that she is going to do it sooner...but somehow it just never happens. And then she acts coldly towards us for a few more months. Even though I have tried time and time again to be friends with her, she is having none of it. Sometimes she is sweet to get along with (before we have completed doing whatever it is, and while she is still saying she and Jake are doing whatever it is First), other times she will be incredibly standoffish or even outright rude, for no reason that I can fathom other than that we beat her to her "goal" (which isn't her goal until we tell her it's what we're hoping to do. This weekend will prove to be very interesting. It will be the first time they will see our house...and while they did try to buy a house of their own, the home inspection didn't pass, and so they have temporarily given up. Nichole says that their next trip is going to be to visit the art cities of Europe (incidentally, next year Adam and I would like to take a Viking Cruise up the Rhine), and then she wants to have kids. And THEN they'll save up and look for a house (?), but it's not priority to have a house before they start a family. (??) Adam and I are hoping to begin trying in about 2010, when we have a good chunk of money saved up, and we hope to be able to survive on one salary, so that someone can be home with the child, at least until they start grade school. I happen to think that once you have a baby, the child has to be priority....how the hell are Nichole and Jake going to save for a house AFTER they have a child? Finances certainly don't get LESS tight when you have kids...and how are they going to pay for daycare (around here, that's $1,000/month)? Or survive on one salary? Unless one of them has received a hefty raise, I don't think that's going to happen. I'm sorry, but starting a family is a serious responsibility, and not something that you do, just so that you can "Do it first". I think it's important to have it planned out so that the parents can spend as much time as possible with the child, and to have plenty of emergency savings in case it's needed. They can't afford to save up a downpayment for a house, so they are going to have a baby instead, and THEN save for a house. And this is Nichole's logic...the GIFTED child. Well, whatever. It's not my life... I know that if I give her my opinion on the topic, that will just drive her even more crazy than she already is. And that, dear friends, is pretty frigging crazy. :) So, um, WHEN is this month finally over??

Living in the Lap of Luxury

Funny how your mood can change with the weather. Or with the delivery of an area rug. Right now, my husband and I are working on refinishing our living room...new paint, new flooring, new TV (much to the delight of Adam), and soon, (March 15th,) a new dining table, and then at the end of April, the grand finale of it all, a new sofa & loveseat. Hey, what can I say...we're doing our part in revitalizing the economy. (Ahem, tax refund.) So just this past evening, our new area rug arrived. Now, I had reservations about buying this rug, because it was only available online...and YOU know how different colors online can be from in real life...and our room is mostly shades of tan & coffee, with one accent wall of a very specific shade of Red. Kind of a slightly terra-cotta, weathered-barn Red. (no, really, it's nice.) Which means that everything in the room has to be warm-toned...gold & cream, rich reds, creamy oranges, warm browns...it's very kind of World Bazaar looking in there...eclectic world traveler. (not that we actually Are world travelers, but the illusion is nice.) It also means that if the red in the rug was the wrong shade of red, it would look like puke. But, we unrolled that baby, and I swear I heard the sound of angels...(of course it also could have been the sound of the dog hacking up something in the corner, but I'm gonna say it was angels because I'm poetic and classy. Yeah.) It was BEAUTIFUL...matches everything perfectly, and is actually much better looking in person than in the picture online. (well, not "person", but you know what I mean...that really is a weird phrase, isn't it?) So, we hung a couple of new pictures on the newly painted walls, and enjoyed the nice new rug, while we watched our new (bigger than before...okay, it's Giant.) tv. :) Ahhh...such a relief to get rid of the hideous purple walls from the previous owner. Yes, I said purple. Deep purple. With a rasberry colored carpet (circa 1980, I'm sure). Ughhh...it was like living inside a moldy grape. Only slightly less juicy. But now, NOW we can luxuriate on our (high-quality laminate) wood flooring, with our (50% off) new area rug, and watch the new (no interest for 3 years, 25% off sale) Tv, surrounded by nice new artwork (Overstock-type store) and accent peices (50% off at Target). HA, who says redecorating has to be expensive?? You know what our living room smells like? VICTORY. (and sometimes like feet when Adam takes off his shoes. But mostly, victory. And Febreeze. Gotta love that stuff.) Now all we have to do is put the baseboard moldings back on the walls...and wait for our other stuff to come in! Who me? Getting the nest ready? Naw.... at least, not for This year. But I think I can definitely see it in the cards sometime within the next 3 years...afterall, at 29, the clock is ticking. As my fanatical friend who just had a baby a year ago keeps shouting at me... although it's my personal opinion that perhaps misery loves company...

March Madness

Right now, I should be sleeping. I have to get up at about 5:30am tomorrow (being the first business day of the month....a day when I have all sorts of crazy reporting to get done & completed at work, more than Any other day of the month). And yet, here I am, head full of stressful thoughts of all the things that could go wrong this month. We have furniture (a new dining table & chairs) being delivered March 15th. Then on the 16th, we're having my parents over for dinner...this serves both as a Happy Birthday to my Dad, and Easter dinner with my parents as well. Then on the 17th, I have an appointment to get a cavity filled (oh, joyous delight...) and then the weekend after THAT, we're going to Gettysburg for the weekend, to have Easter with Adam's family. Just in case you don't remember, this is the mother-in-law who thinks I am just not NEARLY churchly and self-righteous as I should be...she's sure I'm going to hell, but she's glad to let me know that she'll be praying for me...and inquiring as to when the Last time I went to church was...afterall, I AM running around naked in the forest and dancing around fires in the moonlight, right? Well, choosing not to go to church on a regular basis is close enough to being a heathen pagan for her. It's such a temptation to just tell her just Where she can stick her church bulletin. But then again, I consider myself a Quaker, and so I try to ascribe to the peaceful nature of that belief system as much as possible). Some people just can't believe that anyone who leads a life any differently from their own, could possibly be happy. This is also a woman who has never even stepped foot on an airplane, never been on a vacation more than a day's car trip away from her hometown. Sheltered? It's not even funny how inadequate that word is in describing this woman. But I digress.... So, March. Easter with Adam's parents. And then the weekend after THAT, another fun-filled weekend with relatives of Adam's. Except that weekend it will be at our own house. Adam's twin sister Nichole (the artsy-fartsy golden apple of his mother's eye), and her pale vegetarian (also artsy) husband Jake, are coming to see our house for the first time. They're flying in from Ohio to come see us. Now, normally I would enjoy having a couple our age come to visit with us for a weekend - sounds like a fun time, right? Except for the fact that Nichole is nuts. She is the sister who is alternately so friendly you could make syrup from her smile, and then so jealous and psycho that you wonder if she's plotting to kill you while you sleep. To understand her now, you have to understand her childhood. She was the GIFTED one...she was the one who went to the BIG UNIVERSITY while Adam just went to a technical school. She was in Gifted classes all through grade school, the ARTIST, the one who is different and ADVANCED. Until Adam met me. He met me, and all of a sudden, HE was the one whose life was moving faster... when Adam and I announced our engagement, and then picked & announced when our wedding would be, she called her mother, to tell her, NO, We can't have our wedding on THAT day, because SHE and JAKE were getting married the week before that! One problem? Oh yes... Jake hadn't actually proposed to her yet. But she was sure it would be anytime soon, and so we can't set our wedding date for That day. Wow... that was first introduction to the insanity. As events went, she and Jake were married about a year after we were. Next up, the buying of the house. Adam and I were looking around, and so we had mentioned it to Nichole at one point. Well, 2 weeks later, Nichole called to let us know, They had Bought their first house! Now, I was happy for her. "Good for you, that's wonderful news!" Except that they told us this, before the home inspection. Turns out, the place was overrun with termites. The entire foundation was unstable...they could not purchase the house. A big letdown. Well...hate to say it, but about 4 months after that, we bought this house. For Real. So, while they're drowning in their debt from Nichole's Big Name University education, we have our debts nearly finished. (just a couple thousand left in student loans). And now the psycho and her anemic husband are coming to see our home. They have yet to find one of their own that they can afford. So, the last weekend of this month will be either miserable insanity, or a fun time. Depending on how jealous and crazy Nichole is feeling at the time. So pretty much every weekend of this month is going to be filled with some kind of craziness. God, I can't wait for April to get here.... but I do think I feel well enough to at least get some sleep now....

I'm Back

Hello,

So, yes I realize that after the first 17 or so posts in my blog, I totally stopped. Utterly. Just dropped off the edge of the earth. I don't know if it just grew old, or it could be that because work suddenly got much busier and I didn't have the time away from my boss that I had had...whatever, enough with the excuses. I'm back. And today I'm working from HOME. That's right ladies and gentlemen, Working....From Home. My boss was generous enough to grant me my own laptop (heaven knows that nothing as frivolous as bad road conditions or sickness or family matters should keep me from Getting the Job Done! More specifically, nothing should stop me from from getting HIS job done for him. We couldn't inconvenience the bigwig when the admin needs to stick around at home, could we?) But really, I'm quite warming up to sitting at the desk answering emails while wearing my sweatpants, no shoes, hair up in a hideous bun with odd peices sticking out here and there. No morning or evening commute adds about 2 hours of me-time to the day. And, of course there is the huge benefit of Not having the boss looking over your shoulder. Of course, he's on vacation this entire week. (Must be nice). And so, I have the option of working from home. It's not so much "working", as listening for incoming email noises as I clean the desk and pick up clothes off the floor, and wash dishes and whatever else needs to be done. With music playing in the background and the dog (oh, yes...we have a dog now! I'll talk more about her later on..) snoozing on the floor. There just seems to be something very COZY about having an animal sleeping in the same room as you, don't you think? Well, I'll write more later. I think that I would like to start this up again for the New Year. Writing seems to help my brain out...since I haven't gotten to keep up the blog during the day, I've been writing in a journal before bed each night. Just seem to need something to help get all the Thoughts out of my head, or else they end up swirling around my head all night. It's exhausting when that happens.... Well, I'll go see who's still blogging around in my links now. Nice to be back!

A Beautiful Friday, and a Garden Full of Surprise

Well, here we are on a GORGEOUS Friday morning, boss is away all day, it's going to be about 72 degrees outside, so it's not too hot, not too cold...just perfect. Flowers are blooming, sun is shining, light breeze is blowing, and the trees are finally getting all those new leaves. Of course, I still have to sit here in the office all day, being assaulted by fluorescent lights and institutional grey carpet, but at least I can sit and look out the window without my boss interrupting my thoughts. :) (How Dare he interrupt my personal internal conversation for something as menial and unimportant as WORK?? Sheesh, the nerve of some people...) ANYway, in checking on my plants last night, here is the status. Okay, so the watermelon seedlings that I started back in March/April? They're all dead. Of course, that doesn't mean that I give up - not by any means! I'm much too stubborn to have the good sense of knowing when to quit. Failure just translates into "try later." BUT, but - the Morning Glories are growing and vining all over my windowsill...they will be gorgeous, and as soon as it stops getting so cold at night I'll put them out. (still getting down to the low 40's at night). Also, I am growing some hot & sweet pepper plants, and they are growing like a dream. (must be hardy little buggers..) And the squash. But you can't just say it like "the squash". You have to say it like "THE SQUASH!!" They are growing like weeds. Some of them even have tiny little places where you can see they will be getting flowers. ALL 5 Squash plants that I started, are still alive and growing like crazy. I don't have the heart to throw a few out, since they obviously have their hearts set on living and flourishing...who am I to stand in the way of a determined plant? I have a feeling that there will be many, many squash in our future. Anybody need squash? It's yellow crookneck, and I would totally be willing to mail some out if we have a crazy huge crop! Anyway, maybe I'll put a sign out in the front yard & sell the extra, or something. Heh, I guess we'll see. The basil is worrying me. (Okay, not like, it's actually on my mind or anything, but when I look at it, I think "ohh, that's probably not good." It's still tiny, and the stalks are so thin that the 4 small leaves it has, are weighing it down so that it's leaves are resting right on the dirt. It's like it can't lift it's head up. Yeah, not good. Parsley is spindly, but getting there. And the snow peas that I have planted outside already are doing GREAT. And the garden outside brings me to another topic. Okay, not so much another topic, but an expansion of what I Found in the garden. The other day I was out there, admiring my snow pea plants, and I noticed the dirt was kind of messed up - looked like it was dug around in for some reason. So, I took my hand and moved it back. And do you know what my hand hit? Furry, spongy turds of CAT POOP!!! In my VEGGIE Garden! Now, we had noticed the neighbor's cats around, here and there...didn't think much of it, until Now that I have been ASSAULTED with POO NUGGETS. Okay, I know - fertilizer and all, but that is just not sanitary. And so now what do I do to keep them from using my beloved garden as a litterbox? I don't want to keep wire fencing over the whole thing....such a pain to set up and get to the plants, and all because of my neighbor's cat. But I don't know...I just may be forced to do the chicken wire fence thing anyway. I mean, they let their cat run outside, and there are quite a few in the neighborhood that run around. Who would have thought that I would need to take precautions against my garden getting Pooped In? Very infuriating. But, it's not ruining my day. In the larger scheme, (remember this, people.) the important thing to keep in mind....is garden-fresh salsa. If you're having an awful day, it's important to remember what's REALLY important in life isn't the poop. It's How you DEAL with the Reality of Poop, that matters. May you all have a wonderful weekend, and if I don't write more before then, a lively Cinco de Mayo! (because Anytime you get to celebrate Anything with a bottle of Corona beer on a Saturday night, you Know it's a worthy holiday.) :)

We are the Socially Awkward

Recently, a friend said to me "I saw you on Main Street the other day, you drove past me while I was in my car going the other way, and I waved but you didn't see me." Okay, I don't know why, but I tend to avoid looking directly at other drivers while driving my car. It's like, I just have some kind of subconscious fear that should I actually make eye contact with another driver, red beams of light will shoot out of their eyes and sear my retinas while simultaneously frying my brain...kind of like alien lasers from some bad 70's sci-fi movie. WHY can't I look directly at other drivers? Maybe it's that fishbowl effect of thinking that everyone is looking at you, while you are in your car. (Like anyone else even cares what you're doing in your car...they're all just as busy as you are, trying to not look at anyone while still keeping an eye on the general locations of other vehicles.) Except for perhaps men who are just out looking at women in cars, looking for someone to catch their gaze, in order to stare at them and cause general uncomfortableness in their sad quest to be flirtatious? Maybe I am strange this way, but looking at people in other cars also goes under the heading of my own social strangeness in that I Cannot, WILL NOT, blow my nose in public. Nope, that is just too much of a personal act - I mean, what if you didn't get it all? Heaven forbid I would have to go throughout the day with red nostrils and a booger dangling out. Of course, a simple look in the mirror would fix this. But somehow, it just seems wrong and inappropriate. My husband will occasionally blow his nose if we're in a restaurant, as I look on a combination of both horror and awe at his daring.

THEN there is also the issue that nobody ever talks about. It's taboo, yet Everyone does it. Yes, I'm talking about singing in the car. Singing loudly, and badly. Just bellowing out that song at the top of your lungs... The other day there was a girl next to me in traffic with her window wide open...and she didn't care - this brave soul just went on crowing and yodeling in a distinctly loud and off-key fashion, to whatever tune she was listening to....now why do I feel like I have to have all the windows shut tightly and the doors locked lest someone hear me utter a note? Well, I am here to tell you, you timid people of the world that won't blow your nose in public, that if you want to, don't worry about that fake social persona you put on for the world - if you want to yowl and howl along to your favorite song, then by goodness you should do it, and not fear that you're putting yourself out there!! And so today, as you drive yourself home from work, I hope that you have no fear of cranking up that radio and bellowing...even if your windows are open! Go ahead and just let it all out. Your loved ones will still love you anyway. :) Now, blowing your nose in public? That's a different story.

A Few Worries, and Woman's Best Friend

Well, here we are and it's Administrative Professionals day, and here I am wasting time writing while my boss is out. Some admin. I turned out to be, eh? Ah, well. I don't know why, but I am just going through this phase where I feel kind of blue today. Yesterday was fine, and I am sure that we all have these days, but sometimes you just want to take a day to sit in your favorite chair with a blanket and a mug of coffee or tea, and think. My husband is looking for a part-time job since cash has been kind of tight for us lately, and while I know it will be a good thing for us to put away as much as possible now, in preparation for my foray into the world of sales (where I will still get a base salary, but it will be less than I'm bringing home now if I have an off month in selling). So, that back-up fund of savings is very very important. And, I know that he wants to do more fun things, go out more, have the freedom of a more free-flowing cash fund vs. the shoestring budget that I have us following currently... but there's also the fact that he and I will be seeing each other much less, and a part-time job not only means less time With me, it also means that I will be having to pretty much do all the shopping, cooking, cleaning & laundry, While also working full-time. And, there is also one small added stress to this. A stupid one, but a valid one. Adam has been wanting a dog for years now. He had a dog growing up, although his parents never allowed any animals in the house - it stayed in the yard, and since they live out in the country, was allowed free roaming through all the fields surrounding the house. It was not a pet dog in a way that I consider someone to have a pet dog. They never took him to the vet, and he never came inside the house so they never had to worry about taking him for walks or putting him out to go potty, or planning their vacations and adding in kennel costs. BUT, he wants a dog. And of course, since we live in the suburbs, the dog will be an inside dog. We did decide to adopt and adult female, German Shepherd/Staffordshire terrier mix. She is slender like the German Shepherd, but smaller in stature and with a shorter, lighter coat that's more honey-colored. We went to see her last weekend and walked her around the block... she is very sweet, ladylike on the leash, knows her commands - sit, stay, etc. But, she is a special needs dog in that because she was so severely abused as a puppy - until she was rescued at 6 months of age, she is terribly frightened of other dogs, and will growl and shake and sometimes snap & lunge in defense of the harm that she thinks they will do to her. (the foster mom thinks that the other people sicced other dogs on her, and when she was rescued, she was being dragged around on a chain & being beaten with a baseball bat.) She does trust & love people since she was rescued fairly early, but, we will always have to be careful in Never taking her off the leash in public, and we must keep her away from strange dogs her size or larger. My only concern is that in the park up the street where we plan to walk her, I have seen dogs off the leash occassionally. I guess, worst case scenario, I could pick her up off the ground if another dog is coming towards us. She'll be quite an armful, but I think I could do it, in order to protect her (and keep her from biting another dog). Other than that, she is the sweetest. I am excited, as this Monday the rescue is bringing her to the house for a look-over. (there is a dog that lives next door, on the other side of the fence, and I think they want to check that it won't stress her out too much...even though she won't be able to see the dog, she will hear him barking and will be able to smell him over there.) But, this also adds a slight stress to the situation. A dog means more money each month towards things like food, vet bills, kennel stays if we should go away for any overnight trip. Also, there is training to take into consideration, and more housecleaning. Adam won't be home much if he gets a part-time job, so it will be me doing most of the work with the dog. And this is supposed to be "his" dog. Of course, if he IS gone that much, I suppose it will be nice having a companion around the house. Even if I do have to scoop some poo out of the yard... guess this is sort of preparation for kids down the road... I do feel better now that I've gotten that all out!