Tis the Season!

Well it is three days until Christmas, which means 5 days off - WooHoo! I want to start by wishing all my friends and family a very merry Christmas! We didn't even decorate for Christmas this year, and the only gifts that went out were to the kiddos in the family. Our plans for Christmas day include a "Friends" style dinner with probably entirely too much to drink.

Everything is going well in the desert, and I'm not even going to complain, because frankly, I would MUCH rather be here right now (I never did handle the negative degrees very well, nor the wind)...I love being able to leave the house with a sweatshirt and be comfortable. Fiance and I took the two pooches for a nice long hike on Saturday. The weather was perfect, I think I got a tan! I'll shut it now, because I know the rest of the US of A is fighting a rough winter thus far.

The countdown is officially on...less than three months (88 days) until the big day. We do a walk through on the 8th of January and choose all of our linen colors and our centerpieces. I'm forcing the fiance to come along, though I think he is tired of the planning phase. After the linens and centerpieces are selected, we are finished until the few weeks before the wedding (which is perfect timing because my wedding planner is away in Europe for a month :) - Lucky.

The future SIL and her husband will be down in the next few weeks to participate in the Rock and Roll 1/2 marathon. Fiance and I were training for it, but after a bout of turf toe on my part the training sorta fell to the wayside. Let's just that I am not looking forward the the following Monday after I force myself to finish 13.whatever miles. It won't be pretty.
Merry Christmas!!!

Writer's Block

The funny thing about a blog is that I feel I need to constantly keep it up to date.  I feel guilty when I have not posted in a week.  Now I have complete writer's block, but need to sit down and begin my homework, so I figure this is a good place to get those creative juices flowing.  

I always intend to do a lot of things when I get home from work, but the sun sets at about that time, and then I am just ready for bed (5:30 or not).  I know there is cleaning that could be done, and there is always laundry to be folded; but it is dark and there are re-runs of "Friends."  

Maybe I will just be okay with lazing the winter away.  

A New Week...

and counting down the days until the new year. Dad comes on Thursday, so that will be a nice respite from the mundane. I can't help but think that 2009 will be a far better year than this year...let's face it, 2008 didn't put much effort into becoming the "best year ever."

Fiance and I spent last week in California, which was beautiful with pleasant weather. We took a trip to the beach and spent some much needed time away from the sandbox. When we returned to Arizona, there was a puddle of water in the garage..."My, that looks like it could be dripping from our place," I calmly say to fiance; who in defense, shakes his head and lets me know that our condo is further over. As we approached the door, I noticed the floor is bubbled up and looked slightly damp, the baseboard had peeled away from the wall and pooling water soaked our door mat. We went inside, to a seemingly normal house - nothing looked wet or out of place.

Recently the fellow above us put in a new travertine floor (withnosoundbarrier...ahem) so we figure the contractor may have not tightened a pipe correctly when he put the toilet or sink back in or maybe punctured a pipe with his nail gun when he was putting the baseboard back on, thus the water leaking down from his pipes through the wall. So, we call a plumber. Plumber cuts holes in our bathroom wall and finds a bunch of standing water, but no leak. So plumber heads into the outside hall...cuts 5 holes into the wall and ceiling before finding the leak and diagnosing the problem. Thank goodness it wasn't our fault, (and unfortunately it wasn't the fellow upstairs, because we are looking for any excuse to get him to remove his loud ass floor) but we still had to pay for the diagnosis, which is not unlike going to a doctor (in fact, I now know why Joe the Plumber was nervous about Obama's tax plan for those making 250,000 or more a year)...59.00 for the service call, 139.00 to drill the holes, so on and so forth. So we had to foot the bill, and now we must finagle with the HOA and Management company to be reimbursed for our contribution. It isn't only that, but the leak ruined our bathroom floor and cabinetry. It is a hideous vinyl bathroom floor, and we want to replace it before we try to sell it, but right now is not a good time. So I have dried the concrete underneath and have arranged the trash can and plunger to hold the vinyl down until Dad can look at it when he comes and give me an estimate on cost of tile.

Just another day in 2008.

We're Outta Here!

Just want to wish all friends and family a very happy and safe Thanksgiving! Fiance and I are leaving for California in the morning. It is supposed to rain, but being a Phoenician and rarely seeing a steady rain, this will be the perfect Thanksgiving. I think I may even hit the beach in the drizzle.

Eat, Drink, and Be Merry!!

Flowers...

Check. Last night I went and finally picked out my wedding bouquets, boutonnieres and corsages. The flowers I chose, I feel are very classic. The maids will be carrying long stemmed calla lilies to be cradled in their arms. My bouquet will consist of green berries, white orchids with a plum throat and deep purple calla lilies. It will be a clutch instead of a cascading type. Fiance's boutonniere will also consist of green berries and purple calla, while the rest of the groomsmen will match the maids/matrons with mini white calla's as their boutonnieres. The corsages will consist of 3 white mini orchids. Hopefully all will come together as I see it in my mind.

I am very excited to see the outcome of the decorations and the cake and the florals. Hopefully I get lots of good pictures from all around. Other than that, nothing is new in the land of sand and saguaros. Thanksgiving is next week, and I couldn't be more ready for a break from it all. A nice trip to the beach should cure all. Santa Barbara here we come...

Thanksgiving, Christmas, Veteran's Day and Conjunctivitis...

I just want to start out by thanking all the Veterans out there, your holiday is underrated because I am still at work. The next two major holidays are on their way and it is truly my favorite time of the year. (Plus my birthday is squished in there between the two) Last night I dug out my cinnamon flavored oils and let them burn after dinner. The smell certainly does ring in Christmas; however, driving down the road with green grass, sprinklers, windows down, birds chirping, and the first sounds of Christmas music on the all Christmas, All Day radio stations simply does not work. Now, I know I bitch about this often, but one more time - for all the masses that read this blog - A cactus is NOT a Christmas tree...nor has it ever been.

So on Friday, I came down with conjunctivitis (pink eye for the layman :) and you would think I would have been infected with the plague. I understand that pink eye is gross, and somewhat of a nuisance, but does it really warrant the quarantine? My fiance has pretty much not touched me since Saturday, and those at work (because evidently it is gross, but here at work it doesn't mean I get the day off...oh no, it isn't a sickness) make me keep Clorox wipes in the bathroom to open the door with when I leave, dude...I just washed my freaking hands. I know why people don't want to get it: First there is no over the counter treatment, so you have to go to the doctor, which costs money. Then you need to buy a prescription, which can get pricey, depending on the strain of pink eye. I do have to say...of all "diseases" to get, pink eye has to be one of the better ones. First off...you don't feel sick, sure your eye goops and itches slightly, but nothing that compares to a severe allergy attack. Secondly, people don't bother you, and MOST of the time, unless you work where I do, you get the day off of work.

Holiday Season...

is upon us...I think I may have counted around 7 different holiday commercials on yesterday during Sunday football. (I'm sure this will quadruple after Tuesday and all the political mudslinging has ended)

Still not quite the holiday season in these parts; today will be the first day in about two weeks that the temperature drops below 90. I have to admit the whole heat thing is really starting to wear on both myself and the fiance. Last week the air conditioner "broke" and the fiance was ready to pack up and flee to the autumn weather of Massachusetts; however, after the handyman came and charged us $126 to flip the circuit breaker, Arizona was back to being tolerable.

As most of you know, fiance and I live in a small, one-bedroom condo in central Phoenix. This would be nice for a family of one, but it is ready to burst at the seams with two dogs, a cat and two humans. To make matters worse, our neighbors decided to buy a dog they simply cannot take care of, and it howls through the majority of the evening. It's not especially loud, but heartbreaking to hear. Our neighbor upstairs has decided to put in a beautiful tile floor, and unfortunately for us the carpet that used to be there must have muted the sound of his fender stratocaster for the past two years.

I'm not trying to be ungrateful for what I have - it is a roof over our heads and it is an investment (not a very good one right now, but what is?) I just find it ironic that out of the 1/3 of our complex that has foreclosed, we seem to be surrounded by loud, and somewhat disgusting people. The folks next to us literally have dirt come out of their house when they open the door. It is like living next to Pigpen from the Peanuts. There is always some black goo on the floor outside their door AND they leave their garbage in the hall. For the love of Pete - have some respect for your neighbors.

Little off the topic of holiday season, but hey. So fiance and I have decided to pack up the pooches and the Wii and head to California for the Thanksgiving holiday to stay with my mother. My sister and her beau will be traveling from the Biggest Little City to join in the festivities...Should be fun, just wish it wasn't four weeks away. You go from a little kid wishing away November and December to get to Christmas for the obvious reasons. I go from November to December wishing the days away so I can finally take some time away from work. Funny how your priorities change.

So...

The confusion sets in. I think there comes a time in everyone's life when they have to decide where they want to go and what they want to do. Yet it seems to me that some people don't ever know where or what this is. I am one of these people. I want to do a great many things, but unfortunately lack the time and funds to proceed - that's the kicker...I watch people with less time and less funds do everything they want to do; just throw caution into the wind and know if they fail, tomorrow is another day and they will work though it. So it comes to my attention that I may just be lazy and scared - the worst combo by the way.

Every time I get down at work, this is my thought process: I should just quit and become a waitress and not have to work set hours, yet I don't know if I would be able to pay the bills, and ugh, in this economy? I do really want to be a teacher, maybe I could just waitress until I can pass my AEPA and get my Teacher in Residence position, that would be good...maybe I'll go to jobing.com and see what is out there. What if Chris and I decide to move? I should just wait it out until we know that, maybe I'll go to bostonworks.com and see what is out there in Massachusetts.

All this time I spend planning a life that doesn't exist instead of working with the life I am living. This, I fear, is going to be a problem, isn't that the first step...admitting that there is a problem? I keep thinking to myself that 2008 has been just awful; full of sickness, divorce, and death; for sure 2009 has to be better. I feel like I may be wishing a good part of my life away for hopes of something better in the future.

I wish there were some antidote for people like me that would prevent me from being able to think about the future and force me to live right now. I'm working on it - every day. I am tired of finding myself down in the dumps because I feel as if this is it...as good as it is going to be. I should feel happy that it can get this good.

Wedding...wedding...and more wedding...

Planning a wedding is, to say the least, not what I thought it was going to be. Last night we had meetings with a few of the vendors who will be providing the goods at the wedding. While choosing the menu, I found it wasn't what I would want to eat, because clearly I won't have the time. Hors d'oevers are served while we're having more pictures taken and dinner is time for us to walk around and visit with guests. Not that I am complaining, it just seems silly to me that I choose the menu. I should have sent out a survey to the invited guest with a "pick your favorite" and picked the top four favorites.

The one thing I was excited about was the cake design and flavors; because it is a 3-tiered cake, the top level - for fiance and I - is what we want. Apparently carrot cake is not a popular selection for a wedding cake in a consensus of guests. So I went with "I love Chocolate" and "Strawberry-Champagne" for the two other tiers. The bar was another story. Whereas hard liquor is not allowed on the premises, it is a beer and wine only reception (there is a champagne toast, but I just pretend to drink champagne...I spit it out like grade school fluoride when no one is looking). Choosing a wine merely by color is not good enough for me. I am by no means a wine-o, but this is a wedding...not a night of poker with a box of wine. There was no tasting...beer, whatever, throw something lite and regular on some ice and people will drink it. Wine, however, can definitely be an issue. I went with a Chardonnay, Cabernet Savignon, and Pinot Noir. Though I don't know the brands...so let's just prepare for the worst, but hope for the best on this one.

So now it is finding those songs to put into all the most important spots: Bride/Groom, Father/Daughter and Mother/Son. Fiance had mentioned some sweet NIN for the removal of the garter, and maybe Sheriff for the first dance. I threw up in my mouth a little bit. All I think of when I hear Sheriff is Joe Dirt. We'll compromise on this one. That's what we have a DJ for.

I'm now caught up until January (except a few little things that will need to be taken care of before then) January through March will be busy...bring it on.

I thought these were pretty flowers...so I took some pictures. They are in the garden at our wedding venue.

At the End of Every Summer...

Fiance and I fall victim to the last stretch of temperatures above the century mark and swear off Arizona forever. This summer is no different. As the temperatures continue to climb above 100 degrees, I become especially nostalgic. Dreaming of Missoula: the rain through November, and the snow through May...shit, I even miss the inversions. I miss walking to school every day...even when my scarf became rock-hard with frozen breath (sounds a bit nasty), and the top of my legs were numb and frozen to my jeans, and the smell of the UC at Christmastime. Frankly, I miss my friends, I miss my family, I miss just having some sort of weather. So now it comes time again to start looking at other places to live. Sure we have a mortgage we can't be rid of, two car payments that are outrageously expensive, and two dogs and a cat (who would love a yard). Moving isn't exactly practical at this point in our lives, but for Pete's sake - people are not meant to live in this oppressive heat!

Christmastime and Thanksgiving are not meant to be enjoyed with a Corona at a pool party, and summers are not supposed to be passed away holed up in the house. One thing...I have to give Arizona credit for it's amazing winters...and after Christmas had passed I would gladly spend my days in the lukewarm days of winter...but the summer...no matter what, it never ...never... will be enjoyable. Trust me, I've tried...

Real Quick...

For those of you who follow my rantings and ravings, and also speak to me on a regular basis, know the fiancee is an actuarial student. Today, he passed his second exam - the one he has been stressing over for the better part of a year...HOORAY!!! I have my original man back, and he no longer has the Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde thing going on. Too bad I have a MT Seminar tonight and will not be able to enjoy his new found freedom and return to sanity. I will be sure to make up for it over the weekend...

Less Negativity...maybe.

On Friday, I had a miserable day at work. It was just plain frustrating. Instead of letting myself be a duck and letting it roll off, I sat and stewed in it all weekend. On Sunday, I came to a realization that being negative only adds toxicity to your life. I have enough problems controlling my stress levels, the last thing I need is added work drama on the two days of the week that are supposed to be relaxing. (Let's all pretend for one minute that we don't have cleaning, catch-up shopping and other random things we are committed to on days that we don't go to the job that has some sort of monetary gratification) Yesterday, I made it a point to be positive about everything...when I felt myself starting to slip into the "why me" mode, I simply became a duck. I find that it actually helped a little bit. So I went home feeling quite lovely, had a Mexican dinner and went to try to get my fingerprints taken. (for the third time, and this is another story) Well...I'll be back again today, because I failed to read the directions, and forgot a very vital part of the package...my cashier's check. Lord knows you can't trust anyone these days so we need money orders and cashier's checks to pay for things. So I cry out "Oh, for the Love of Pete," and quickly turned to the lady helping me and said, "Oh, that wasn't directed at you."

Now normal me would have gotten into the car and peeled out, heading home at mach 5. (1 701.45 m /s - looked it up...thanks wikipedia!) Instead I channeled the negative energy into normal energy and went to the gym for a wee bit, swam a half a mile and sat in the steam room. I just let all those little beads of sweat carry all the angry out of me. I giggled a little bit as I pictured an angry face falling and shattering on the tile - I think the others in the steam room thought I might have been in there just a bit too long.

For the first time in weeks, I went to bed and fell asleep without staring at the wall for hours letting all the angry little thoughts manifest themselves into some gigantic scenario. Usually I see myself homeless, jobless, friendless and fat. Last night I saw my pillow and crashed. Could it be a lack of the negative? Maybe. This experiment is still in the developmental stages - we'll see how long it lasts. I was up before the sun this morning (5:00 a.m. down here) and ran three miles - easily.

Here is a picture my sister sent me last night of Christmas Eve in 2005. I see I'm drinking beer and have drunk eye. No, my sister doesn't have drunk eye, she is missing one. Maybe I am subconsciously being sympathetic?

It's Official!

Today Fiancee and I received the good word that my sister-in-law to be and her husband will be joining us for the the half marathon in January. This is good, because I need all the motivation I can get, not to mention I'm extremely excited to see them.

I have been running pretty much every night, and please don't lecture me on the dangers of running everyday, I know what my body can handle. I hope to eventually work up the mileage and the amount of cross training I do. Baby steps, baby steps. I even started a training blog...and to further the motivation - I will not allow myself any new clothes until I have been consistently training.

I was thinking about this half marathon during my run last night when my iPod died. (The stupid thing has a pathetic amount of battery life after charging) I got to thinking, would my iPod last me through a half marathon, because I will be the one they have to come around and pick up in the trolley because I will not finish in the time allowed (4:30). Then it came to me...it is the Rock and Roll marathon and there are bands littering the route...would I really need my iPod? This could be a very amazing thing, since I have yet to find a pair of running earphones that do not kill my ears...My sister and I have strangely formed ears, and the normal iPod earphones just don't fit. I was glad to find out this was a hereditary trait. Seems the sister and I have several unpleasant hereditary traits in common.



Now...it is go time. My motivation is up, my expectations are low...what else could spell success.

I'll keep you posted on my progress...for now, here is a picture of my wee nephew on his first birthday...gotta love the blue frosting.

Summer's gone...

And I couldn't be happier. My winter is my proverbial summer...hiking, camping, swimming, running, training for half marathons (a goal I set before I decided I was no longer setting goals - and now my future sister-in-law and her husband may be making a trip to Phoenix from the Windy City to run it with us) No worries, I'll be sure to post the pictures.

I had been doing really well, running every other day, swimming in between, but then the monsoon hit...I mean this literally. We lost power and an entire night of sleep and it appears it blew my motivation away in the hundred mile an hour wind gusts.

No update on the wedding planning...I feel as if I have everything done that I can at 6 months out. Plus, there are more pressing matters to attend to. 2008 has not been the best year, and frankly, I can't wait to see it go.

Pictures next time...

Here We Are Again!

I had this blog sometime ago...and with the inspiration of my dear friends, I have decided to once again start it up. Last time I blogged, I remember writing about becoming a modern-day Pheidippides and a triathlete supreme to boot. I was becoming a knitting extraordinaire, attempting my first sweater and knitting baby hats for all the little babies in my life...those little babies are now one and a half and one year, and my sweater? Half done, wrong size and tangled under my bed in a plastic bin.

Goes to show where life can go. I am engaged now and planning a wedding in March. I say "planning" because I have a sneaking suspicion my fiancee and I will be running off to elope before this year is over. A nice beach wedding sounds wonderful!!! (and not the "beach" on which I currently reside)

As a change to my blog from two years ago; I am not setting any goals - forget what the self-help books tell you. Goals make you think you can do things that are neither physically nor mentally possible. So far I am still an assistant - though no longer at an engineering firm, but a Golf Association...I am going to school to get my certification/Master's degree in Cross-Categorical Special Education...my track record on getting through post Bachelor's Degree programs hasn't exactly been successful, so I'm taking it one day at a time.