How to hate pregnancy like a boss featuring hashtags

Holy 9 weeks!

Now that I'm approaching the end, I can't deny how strangely manageable these past seven months have been. But I'm also afraid that these easy breezy, beautiful (#covergirl) months come at the expense of 24 hours (or more) of hell. They say you forget...but I'll believe it when I see it.

In the beginning of my pregnancy, I suffered from nausea that persuaded me to avoid consuming most anything, but I was (and have been) fortunate enough to lack vomiting as a symptom of my changing body. In the middle, I was able to eat more, but experienced a smattering of two-second heartburn and backaches (the only real symptom I could have done without) coupled with severe irritability and a lack of patience. (Poor David.) Currently, I'm experiencing this feeling of HUGENESS, as if I could fall forward (or pass out from walking up the stairs) at any minute...and I pretty much look forward to any amount of time that my body gets to be horizontal. I don't want to do much of anything, but there is still so much to do. And did I mention the stretch marks? #thestruggle, am I right?

Speaking of stretch marks, I know some women who are so proud of their lil' miracle and are happy to share pictures of their bellies complete with phrases like "these are my victory stripes". #putyourshirtdown. I have a serious complex about the fact that my stomach currently looks like scene out of a pitiful slasher movie. In fact, for a majority of my pregnancy, I've associated pregnancy with this:

I should admit that I actually broke down at work one day because I was disgusted by being able to see Roman move inside me. #world'sworstpregnantwoman

I should also probably admit that on the flip side, I am incredibly satisfied with how AWESOME my hair has become since getting pregnant. Let's be honest, it's fanfrickintastic. #world'smostvainpregnantwoman

It's hard to fathom the degree of change awaiting me in these upcoming weeks. Often, I find myself overjoyed at the prospect of Roman's arrival; knowing that he was created from the unimaginably blissful relationship that I have with my spectacular husband. {--Can I just interrupt this thought process to truly appreciate how amazing David has been? I don't think I could have made it without having him around to tolerate my complaining or avidly admiring my gross body everyday or (literally) picking me up because I'm too heavy to get up off the floor/couch/bed/car/anywhere by myself? #world'sneediestwife--} Other times, however, I'm overwhelmed with fear and anxiety; nervous about how I'll be able to handle mom/wife/scholar/employee at once and still maintain some level of normalcy. I fluctuate between being content and being erratic on the daily. #acutebipolardisorder

Maybe things will get better once he gets here...or at least once he gets on a normal sleep schedule. Or maybe I'll be your average middle class MILF who tucks a flask between her bra and breast pad in case of "emergencies". #priorities. I'm kidding. Please don't call child services.

I feel obligated to thank everyone who has had the...pleasure...of dealing with me in any fashion since I've been pregnant. It has been a roller coaster of ridiculousness that I don't intend to repeat any time soon - if ever. You guys rock. #appreciate. Look for pictures on my facebook page by clicking the link or button to the right!

The perfect view.

I'd like to say "I hate Thursdays", but let's get real. Homework Thursday is more like Homework Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Check it out: I'm actually just in the midst of procrastination (like a pro, if I do say so myself).

I'm going to try not to jinx myself by also saying that I think everything is finally slowing down. David is not working ridiculous hours, so we get to drive home without me having to wait on him or him having to wait on me (well, not for too long anyway). I'm getting off from work at a decent hour, getting my homework done, getting dinner ready, and yesterday, I even had time for a run. (Count it. Number two since I've been here.)

My run last night wasn't too bad. Minimal cramping. It's all a matter of staying properly hydrated and stretching more. But I did it. In this heat. With all the other crap going on. Without David. I need to stay on track. We've definitely fallen out of our pretty solid health routine. Patience, right?

Essie 'Devil's Advocate' and 'Set in Stones'

I know it's not Friday, but here's my Nail Files post anyway. I did the glitter on this number in the car on the way to work this morning...AFTER David spilled my entire bowl of cereal all over the center console in the car. Needless to say, I had another bowl as soon as I got home from work to satisfy that unshakable Fruity Pebbles desire. I had planned on leftovers (I hate them), but David decided to go to his sisters, so I'm all by my lonesome, and therefore, don't have to pretend I enjoy them.

On a sad note, I was really looking forward to my mom's visit this weekend. She had some sort of procedure done to alleviate the pressure she's been having for her hip, and can't make the 10 hour drive without anticipating excruciating pain. I guess I can understand. I'm just bummed. It's hard getting in some fellowship time when you live forever away from your church friends, and our neighborhood is full of older adults and families, rather than with people our age. It's great in most circumstances, but not when we're trying to make some friends. Luckily, my new bestie, Amanda, and I get to see eachother every. single. day. at work...so no lack for fun times there. This is how cool we are:

If you can't quite make it out, that would be a taxidermy armadillo that she's pretending to birth from her hoolie. This woman is nothing but class, I tell ya! (But for real, I love her.)

Southern lifestyle is definitely taking a toll on me. I think I said "y'all" for the first time in my life the other day. I smiled when it came out, thinking I must sound ridiculous. But it was alright. No one even noticed.

If you hadn't recognized the obvious difference in my picture taking, I broke down and got an iPhone. Notice how the nail picture is nice and clear and the picture of Amanda looks like I took it with a 1990's camera? Yay iPhone. Really though, I've been having problems with Boost service, and I end up getting a new phone every year. So I figured I might as well make the investment and get on board with AT&T. If you haven't added my new number, please do! It's on my facebook wall, for the friends who are too lazy to get on and check out my awesome picture timeline and haven't seen it.

Speaking of awesome, I think I promised pictures of our new furniture. Here's what we got!

Forgive my messy table. It is homework-procrastination time, after all. It's really coming together over here!

I need to get working on this homework. Stupid Ethics! Who needs you?! Obviously, it's not a good idea to have sex with the mentally unstable clients you're working with. I mean really.Why am I spending three hours working on this nonsense? *Shakes head* I just don't understand school. I spend so much time learning...well...hearing...a lot of common sense. Oh well. I'm only paying $50,000 to learn things I already know. No biggie.

Before I go, I'd like to mention that about a week ago, David woke up and told me about this crazy scavenger hunt dream he had. Today, the daily Groupon is a city-wide scavenger hunt in Charlotte. I bought 'em. One set for David and I, and another set for Amanda and friend. If we get to work as a team, I figured it'd be best to have some people who know plenty about the area, but I have a feeling we're just going to end up competing against them, get lost, get frustrated (David with me) and eventually give up. We'll see though. First prize is a cruise for two!

Happy Homework Thursday, dears. 

And Git er done.

xoxo

My life is full of crazy eyes.

As my Facebook friends might well know, I've been on a crazy cooking spree. I cook everything these days. Well, except for this weekend. I really just wanted to eat out as much as possible. No tedious labor for me, thanks! Right now, I'm waiting for my homemade potato salad to cool and the dryer to ding. Soon, David will start on the sloppy joes and we'll be enjoy yet another delicious meal. Yay teamwork. Here's some of the latest:

Filet mignon, potatoes, and onions

Bowties, broccoli, garlic, red pepper, parmesan cheese

Tomato, watermelon, mint, and feta cheese salad

Black beans, mango salsa, tuna steaks, avocado, and avocado vinaigrette tostadas

Paella (chorizo, chicken, shrimp, peppers, peas, and rice)

Pork chops and string beans, corn, squash, zucchini medley cooked in red wine

Yum, right? Feel free to take a "fat" break.

Having met few people in our area yet, I've been hard pressed to stay distracted from my long work week and the unavoidable exhaustion. So, I planned an awesome weekend for the two of us; beginning and ending with food. We managed to tear ourselves from food long enough to see a comedy show, the new Batman movie (epic--go see it), and shop til I got blisters on my feet. I'd say it was probably best weekend we've had since we've been here.

Andy and Sharon (David's dad and step-mom) will be here next week, and Kathy (David's mom) the week after. Just in time for all the birthdays coming up. David's rounding the big 2-7 (onward toward 30)! Mom and Crazy Eyes (see below) will be visiting in three weeks, too. We should have all of our furniture by then, so I'm pretty excited. We've finally picked out our sets, so stick around for those updates. It should be pretty awesome. No more lawn chairs in the living room!

He's never looking directly at you. Creepy.

Aside from that, I'm so ready to get everything settled so that we can get into an exercise routine. We've be able to do some things here and there, like racquetball tonight. It's falling into place, dears. Soon, our house will be furnished. Soon, we'll be on top of our healthy-life journey. It's all so exciting!

As always, thanks for reading.

xoxo

Busy bees

We have been busy, to say the least. Even though it hasn't felt like it the past couple of days. We've managed to sleep in a day or two, and somehow found ourselves asleep before 9pm a few days this week. We're so old!

Monday! Whew! Talk about out of shape. I couldn't believe we'd only been sans exercise for a month. You'd think it was a year! While we both finished our very first Charlotte run with pretty decent stamina and buckets of sweat, both of my legs were cramping as I neared the end of my workout. With every step, I was anticipating falling head over spaghetti legs and flat on my face. More water, more potassium. Noted, body. It's three days later and I'm finally starting to feel some muscle relief. *Shakes head* This is an utter disaster. All that work....basically undone! The good news is that I'm more motivated than ever to get this whole "new beginning" thing under control. We're doing so well in everything else. As soon as we can get back on track with regular exercise, I think we'll be set.

4th of July 2011

Tuesday, we decided to ring in 4th of July at Dave and Buster's. It was fun to eat out, play games, and day dream about giant stuffed bananas. Against his better judgment, David has agreed to help me save up tickets so that, one day, I'll be the proud new owner of said banana. *Swoon.* He's so good to me!

Wednesday: Happy 4th!!! We spent a few hours swimming with the family at the Y, followed by extremely delicious food that led almost directly into napping. I woke up, ate more food, and then drove home...to sleep. I'm pretty sure we were both passed out before 6. I didn't even hear fireworks through my mini-coma. Did I mention old?

Today was a long day. We both had to be in to work at 6am, and left around 5:30pm. I had way too much coffee. I'm still a little wired. I'm anxiously awaiting my sugar crash--gratefully prolonged by apple pie and ice cream (did I mention we were eating healthier? diet fail.). I'm hoping to fall asleep within the next hour or so. I can't wait for Friday! (Nothing important is happening on Friday. Sadness.)

This weekend will be full of moving (I hate moving.) and niece-ing. Saturday, we're due a sleep over with the girls. And they get to meet Leo! Very exciting.

Hope everyone enjoyed a fun, safe 4th of July.

Happy birthday, America!

xoxo

That time you remembered that God is why it's possible.

I want to begin by saying that God. Is. Awesome. 

Everything that's happened in the past month or so has not just been luck, but true direction and opportunity from the Great Almighty.

Check out God's light shining down on us...literally.

I'm behind in blogging. Admittedly, I haven't been keeping up with the 100 or so blogs I frequent. I haven't read. I haven't written. In fact, I can barely find time for sleeping in between work and homework and family and church. BE GRATEFUL! I'm staying up way passed my bed time in order to get this post out.

David (finally!) has a job. With me. Which is perfect (thank you, God) since we're now a one car household. I was afraid we'd be spending so much on gas and that our schedules wouldn't work. But now we commute together, I still don't have to see him all day because I'm in the office and he's in the field, and even though he usually works longer hours than I do, we only live 10 minutes away; making it convenient to pick him up after I've already gone home. David's first week was paid daily in cash. That, with the birthday earnings from the previous week, was just enough to get us gas, food, pay bills, and whatever other necessities we needed to make it through the week.

He's happier. It's pretty obvious.

I've already worked overtime my first week...which I believe is going to be a reoccurring thing. My boss has considered moving me to salary to avoid having to pay me $200 extra dollars a week because I end up working 10 hours a day, and working a few extra on Saturday. We're busy, busy, busy!

Speaking of church, we've started going to Providence Road Church of Christ. I love it! The service is perfect. Lots of singing, lots of worship, lots of friendly people, lots of community outreach, and plenty of women holding prominent positions in the church. All of it was strange to see at a COC, but I enjoyed the change of pace. God really directed us to the perfect fit.

As an update, all of our stressful nonsense seems to have worked out. We ended up having to sign the title over to the wrecker company that towed David's crapped-out Xterra during the move. The few places in Georgia (where the car was broken down) that gave money for parts/scrap metal were only offering us about $300. When we discussed the "storage fee" with the wrecker company, we would pretty much break even, so we agreed to swap the title for the fees and just break clean and start over. It saved us from having to do any traveling and left the arrangements up to them. It was a bit of a loss because we're down to one car, but I hated that ugly (in its defense, it was David's fault that the car had an ugly mug), sun-screen-smelling car anyway.  All that means is that we can get a newer, safer car that can fit more than two people...if you catch my drift. Not that that'll happen anytime soon, but I'm glad I don't have to trade my Mustang for another car. It all works out in the end.

And! I'm back on the homework wagon. This is my last week of this session, followed by a two week break, and then new classes. I really screwed up my GPA this quarter by missing two weeks of assignments, but I did what I could. All I can say is that I'll do better next week. It won't be as exciting as having a 4.0, but damn it, it's been a rough month. And here we are. Alive. Maintaining. And happy.

Unfortunately, all this 50-hours-a-week-ing and homework and other exhausting stuff has made it nearly impossible for us to run. My body is aching to eat good food; begging me to get my behind on the pavement, but it's just been too difficult. I'm getting up at 5am, dragging home anywhere between 5 and 9, and after dinner and homework, I'm DONE! Once everything slows down, and our schedule falls into a pretty solid routine, we need to start back. We're eating crap because it's convenient (though we've managed to successfully stay away from fast food...with the exception of our two nights at CookOut), and too poor to eat like we used to. Being an adult is HARD.

Hopefully, I'll get caught up with everyone else in the next week or so. Thanks for sticking with me, folks! It's been an insane few weeks. Much love to those who have stuck by us from the beginning. "If you were absent during my struggle, don't expect to be present during my success." Thanks, Will Smith, for some words of encouragement.

xoxo, Lovies.

50 Shades of Terrible Literature

Here we are. Two young (well, I'm young) adults enjoying patio chairs in an under-furnished living room, finishing out the weekend with ham and turkey sandwiches and MLB and homework.

David is hyperventilating next to me; second guessing the answers on his math test; working fervently and asking me questions I don't have the answers to. I don't know anything but basic math and, strangely, extremely difficult calculus. What happened to the in-between? I haven't a clue. Thanks, Mr. Powers, for making calculus so fun. After high school, I took some calc classes at Florida State and basic algebra fell to the wayside. I can't understand the bottom from the top. Plain and simply, I am mathematically useless.

Leo is sleeping on the floor between our feet. He does a lot of sleeping. Sleeping and peeing and chasing his green ball. His favorite activities.

Check out my very happy man.

As a passing thought and the inspiration for this blog title, I'm currently reading the 50 Shades of Grey series. 

The writing is terrible. 

The smut is highly unrealistic and exaggerated. 

It's pretty much literary porn. 

I find myself rolling my eyes at everything.  

And I wouldn't give it my recommendations for a good read. 

The only reason I'm still reading it is because I've already purchased all the books. 

Poor me.

 *****

After weeks of being MIA from Nail Files, I'll definitely be posting next week with my latest nail creation. I've finally removed the acrylics and I'm back to my old ways; coming up with fun, lovely, tiny works of art. Without officially linking up, here's this week's:

Yes, thank you for noticing, I have a new phone camera. It's not an iPhone, but it'll do. I was due for a free upgrade on my Android. Honestly, I love it. I may stick with this one and avoid the iPhone all together. It has everything I want, everything is unlimited, and I'm only paying $50 a month. 

Today, I'm 22 years young. It's strange to think that I've surpassed 21 (shut my mouth, right?). So much has happened to me in my short years. Most significantly (sans the best and worst of people):

New Jersey

Soccer

Florida

Music

IB

Tallahassee

Bachelor's

Meridian Woods

Engagement

Lawsuit 

Disengagement

Master's

North Carolina

And so we find ourselves in the present. I've seen the best and I've seen the worst. I've had plenty of, barely enough of, and dangerously low amounts of money. I've partied in the coolest clubs, and sat through the most humbling worship services. I've seen God, and I've seen Satan. I've been lost, and I've been found. I've known love, and I've battled hate. It has been a most trying, albeit exciting, 22 years.

Today, we got a pot and pan or two after surviving for a week without any kind of kitchen hardware. The Hindman family threw me a wonderfully pleasant birthday lunch. We slept. We read. We homeworked. And hopefully this week, we'll start jobs, we'll find a church home, and we'll testify to the safety and security that God provides.

Thanks, everyone who gave me thoughtful birthday wishes.
Thanks, everyone who's helped with the moving and the finances and the tough decisions.
And thanks, of course, for reading.

xoxo

New beginnings.

Whew! So...my last week's freakout has not been lost on me. I'd like to blame it on my very carefully hidden Puerto-Rican-ness, but it was all me. Too real. A perfect representation of how passionate I am about what I believe in. After last week, I'll be lucky to get one or two readers from now on. But in all reality, I'm sure the haters will still read: that's just human nature.

Plenty of good news. A pinch of bad news. But mostly just good news. 

I'm currently scheduled to pick up two jobs. One of which I start tomorrow. I've still been applying for a bunch, trying to find the best fit for our budget. David is busy busy busy applying for the "thousands" of jobs here in banking city. So that's exciting. Prayers greatly appreciated.

Our home! It's wonderful! It's a 2/1 in an awesome, beautiful, friendly community. it's got plenty of space for all of our stuff, an awesome fireplace, a walk-in closet, and a balcony. Leo loves it. Especially all the food and shopping around us. Having limited funds does not help me (or Leo) here.

David's car, on the other hand, is somewhere in Georgia at the moment. No thanks to the u-haul man, we're now a car short. The entire trip up here ended up being a 17 hour ordeal after being stranded in B.F.E. for 7 hours. That's really the only bad news. Oh, and the fact that someone labeled one of the boxes Pots and Pans, only to discover that there were not actually pots and pans in said box. That and we don't have a microwave. So we're eating fruit snacks and cereal. Yay!

Only 6ish days until my 22nd birthday. Man I'm getting old! (David will resent that.) We anticipated company this weekend, but it looks like money is tight for everyone. So family time instead.

Loving Charlotte!

Pictures soon.

xoxo

Cohabitation, Judgment, and Wonderment.

WHY IS IT SO DARK IN THIS HOUSE?

I can never see anything. I'm always fumbling around trying to find a light switch, most of which don't even bother working. And the lights that do work are much the same as candle light. Stupid 1 million year old house.

Seriously though. I'm going to miss it here. I'm going to miss my roommates (however slobby) and the games we play. I'm going to miss watching GCB with Mal on the dankest couches I've ever had the displeasure of sitting on. I'm going to miss teasing Maggs about sleeping in her bed while she's away. I'm going to miss being able to vent about my day and boys and stupidity. Not that I can't do that with David, sans the high pitched voices and exaggerated excitement.

This week has been interesting, to say the least. I think today was the second time since I've been at my home church that I've felt trapped and uncomfortable. Both of which (not surprisingly) have had to do with my relationship with David. 

We've received a little backlash this week from people who don't agree with our living situation. The whole not being married, but living together thing really gets under people's skin. I suppose that's the danger of revealing too much of yourself to your church "family". It's no surprise that one of the biggest complaints that non-Christians have about Christians is that there is so much hypocrisy and so much judgment--most of which is unbeknownst to the offender. It's that boldness that encourages people to say what they want to say without knowing anything about anything. Sometimes good. But usually just bad. Though you really aren't entitled to this, know that David and I have a good, healthy, Godly relationship. And it's been that way since we started dating. Say what you will: your mistakes and inhibitions are not mine to bear. While I understand that *you* (ahem) might be concerned for me (us), and feel your opinion need be heard, there is a time, a place, and a way to communicate. Do be mindful of how words are quickly misconstrued and have significant impact on your Christian (or otherwise) relationship. Not to mention, I actually thrive on people telling me what I can not do. So thank you, doubters, for making it even easier for us decide. I'll close this rant by saying that all of the parents are 100% behind us, and that God continues to pour blessing after blessing upon us; reaffirming and solidifying our decision. He is SO good to us.

There's still so much to do! 

So far, we've started packing up our perspective places, and bought an awesome washer/dryer set for a decent price. For whatever reason, it finally feels real. Making big purchases and big decisions always seems to have that effect on me. Tomorrow it'll be all about securing a house (hopefully it's still available!!) and running errands. Friday, we'll pick up the UHaul and Saturday we'll be out of here. Sunday through Thursday, we'll be unpacking and getting settled. Friday will be my meeting with the family I'll be working for, and on Saturday, Lauren and Tyler will be visiting with us in our new place and helping celebrate my 22nd birthday. Still nothing in the way of exercising and homework. Hopefully, everything will go back to normal after the move.

More updates soon.

Stay classy!

xoxo

The newest news that I know.

Let's talk about what I should be doing.

WHY must I have homework due (and lots of it!!) when important things happen in my life?

Seven days ago, I was fired from a job that I hated. Today, I was called by two new employers looking to hire me; one of which was in Tallahassee, the other of which was in Charlotte.

For all those not up-to-date on our business, we have spent the last week putting in dozens (literally) of applications. To be safe, we put in a few for Tallahassee. But we'd been hopeful that God would give us the opportunity to use this "end" as a new beginning. For a week, I've been praying hard, and asking for direction. When I got the call today about the position in North Carolina, I couldn't have been more ecstatic...or more sure that this is what we were supposed to be doing. I was practically screaming my excitement at David. And the job is perfect! More about that when it feels more real. For now, I just want to cry. So much to do in so little time. Leaving everything behind. Moving to a new place where I don't know anyone. Ya know.

So now it's that really annoying part of reality where I have to start thinking about expenses and have to make sure we have somewhere to live in the next week. We've got lots to pack, lots to toss, and lots to prepare for. Coming to Tallahassee was liberating because I knew I'd be out of my parents house, and on to new things. But sh** just got real, fools! For the first time, I'm taking a [monstrous] leap of faith without having much security. Soon, I'll be catching you up from our (gasp!) couch in our new apartment. What?

Oh, and while I have you here:

WE'RE NOT GETTING MARRIED. 

That seems to be the real issue (for the people we've told) with this whole moving in together thing. *Gag* Dealing with his night gas is enough. To damn myself for the rest of my life is a big step that I'm not willing to take just yet. But seriously. Let me help you off that high horse. I've been there, done that. Everyone remember Justin? Too soon, people. Too soon.

Moving right along.

If you're local and want to help, it would be much appreciated. We need some serious lifting and packing assistance. I believe we were talking about getting the truck on Saturday morning (19th) and heading out the same day. Unfortunately, this cuts into our first 5kness. Obviously, we can't be caught up worrying about 5king when we're planning on moving the same day. Priorities, right? Priorities and sadness. Speaking of fitness, I haven't run in what feels like forever. Homework and working out. Two things I have not attended to at all this week. Excellent.

Blessings in disguise

For those of you who haven't heard...work and I broke up. A sad reality...or not? It is really quite hysterical since I've been droning on about how much I hated my job. Unfortunately, now, we're just two unemployed bums looking for the big break. Luckily, they "were not required to give me a reason for termination", so I could apply for unemployment. Still. You're taking away my livelihood. Some explanation would have been appreciated. Turns out that I'm not the first (and assuredly not the last) to get terminated for standing up to management (ie. making it known that I was unhappy about the way things were being run). I think the saddest part about the whole ordeal is how close I was with my supervisor. She knew that David and I were pretty much sharing my income. She knew how much pressure I was under both at work and as the sole provider. Point and case why you should keep your superiors at a distance. I get too friendly. I'm your average chatty Kathy. I crave those friendships. This is my first to have gone sour, though. Sometimes a power trip is just what someone needs to ruin everything. But what goes around comes around, darling. No hard feelings.

These types of situations generally have good outcomes for me. God is so good! And He blesses my life in the strangest ways. We're hardcore looking for cash. But most importantly, we're looking for a new start. Somewhere new. Unless something pops up unexpectedly, I'd like to be done with Tallahassee. So we're searching. Searching for jobs elsewhere. Determining our budget for cute houses and apartments much sooner than I ever thought we would. And like everything, He will show us the way. In the meantime, we have SO much time to spend together, complete with sleeping in (for like the first time ever) and having the entire day to just get things done. So far, we've managed to visit my favorite museum in town, spend time with friends, exercise, set up a (one time) job for easy money (any one else need a home cleaning service?), make plans, and stay up all night talking without feeling rushed or obligated to hit the sack before 3am. And now, as 2am rounds the bend, I feel sort of liberated. The taste of freedom is so sweet. Let's hear it for not waking up and hating my life. Woo!

Yea, we actually go out in public like this.

And the best part about it? My darling David has been so wonderfully supportive. Sometimes he knows just what to say. I'm lucky.

On a crappy note, the straightener I bought (before the break up, mind you) arrived on Friday WITH EUROPEAN PLUGS. I mean...really? Really. You're an American. Selling products in America. And you don't bother to put on the item description that the product will be pretty much useless unless I want to spend more money to buy a converter? Jesus. The nerve!

I feel like I'll be blogging less regularly since I'll be spending more time at home. I should be able to get more homework, cleaning, and reading done. Speaking of homework, I have a 7 page paper due tomorrow night (tonight?). I should probably start that. I could say that I'm torn up about my job situation and couldn't bare to think about academics, but I'd be lying. No matter what, I still would have left it until the last minute. World's best procrastinator, people.

Thanks for the continued support through this crappy ordeal, dolls!

xoxo

Not a song link-up

Hello, no-longer-link-up-Thursday. What a beautiful sunshiney day.

Seriously though.

I'm sitting at my desk contemplating why I still work here. And how much longer. Let's analyze:

• Yay! I have a job.
• Yay! Ability to pay bills.
• Yay! No credit cards = no credit card debt.
• Yay! Fun trips with the beau.
• Yay! Leo doesn't starve.
• Yay! I don't starve.
• Yay! New things to feed my shopping addiction.

Why is money an essential part of my life??? I should have married rich. That's what my momma always told me to do. Sadness. Instead, I'm fending for myself and David on a meager $12/hour paycheck. Pretty good compared to other recent graduates, but I desperately need want something new before I jump out the window of the fourth floor of this stupid building. I wouldn't even die. I might just break a leg or two...if I'm lucky. If I could even break the window. I think we have that thick, bullet proof glass. It's a pipe dream, really.

That awkward moment when:

Everyone understands that you hate your job.

You hear that your "friend" is not really your friend, but secretly bitter that you undermine their authority by sticking up for yourself.
You understand all the horrible things people said about working for the state.

You feel guilty because you should appreciate the things you have.

You fail at being grateful, so you go back to hating it.

That's enough for now. Enjoy this song.

xoxo

Not Nail Files...what??

I know, I know. You were really hoping for a nail file update. I've decided that I like the sleek look of my pink and whites, so I'm going to enjoy them for a little longer.


Surprisingly enough, I just had a hysterical conversation with a caller about how backward the state of Florida is, and how much "the system" sucks. Inefficiency! This state is ridiculous. But the more I think about it, the more I can acknowledge that I'm ready for employment change. Not because I'm bitter about how much my job description has changed since last year {ok, maybe a little}, but because my job has finally brought out the worst in me. It makes me angry, frustrates me, and creates inexcusable levels of aggravation and intolerance. I want to hang up on every person that calls, but not before telling them that FLORIDA is not the COUNTY that they live in (insert expletives here). On one hand, I wonder if God is putting me in these situations to amp up the pressure and give me something to try my nerves. But I go to bed at night dreading waking up at 6:30 am, and I wake up in the morning praying that I have a stomach virus, or some other unfortunate malady that will render me incapable of going to work. But like drugs, bad friends, partying, and living in a pretend-reality, I need to nip this in the bud as quickly as possible.

Needless to say, I've started job hunting and putting in some applications. We'll see how that goes.

Fitness Update! I got on the scale this morning only to find out that I lost another pound! Based on my poor diet choices last week, I feel pretty good about the loss, even though it's only one pound. Can I just say that I will NEVER again wait a week in between training days? Also, I will NEVER again forget to charge my iPod before a run day. Wednesday's run was SO painful on every part of my body, like I was running for the first time. I felt every pound of pressure, every stride, every time. I couldn't focus on my breathing (insert cramps here) because I was so focused on just finishing. At one point, I slowed down to barely jogging; afraid I would stop. It took some serious self-motivating to get myself going again. I was a mess, for real. Good news is that I ran a complete 5k in 35ish minutes, so less than 11 minutes a mile. Now if I could just stay focused on shortening my run time (to about 28 minutes), I'll feel good about May 19th. I'll have to run tonight and Sunday without David. Poo.

Last night, David and I reserved seats at Painting With A Twist. Paint and wine is the perfect combo! I had some delicious Beaujolais and enjoyed my typically horrendous artwork. It really wasn't that bad, but compared to David (no surprise here), I just sucked it up. I still hung it up in my room anyway. It was a blast. I recommend googling to see if there's one in your area.



We got to pick our own background color. David did a "sunset effect" and I chose a coral.



I had to cut Mr. "WHY DO YOU ALWAYS TAKE PICTURES OF ME?" out per his request, but notice that his hand still makes an appearance.



Look at David's awesome shading skills on the left, and then over at my color disaster on the right. Oh well.



This weekend, the boys are off to Melbourne for some camping/gambling/baseball/sans-women adventures. No road trip is complete without chicken teragon sandwiches and snack packs, though. These boys (mostly just mine) are so damn spoiled. I think I'm just overcompensating for the fact that I really want kids. Luckily, "my David" (Kossin) will be in town for Sandy's graduation; offering a comparable solace for "David 2"s absence. Maybe I'll be able to get some homework finished and some sleep while David 2 is away. One can dream!

xoxo

South Florida Wedding Adventures

WOW!

It's so good to be home. 

Seriously. 

I don't think I've ever been this happy to just....do nothing.
And by do nothing I mean I'm back at work.
Man that sounds bitter.

Did I mention that I hate my job?
I suppose I'm lucky to have one.

 

First of all, the week leading up to the wedding was insane. Talk about exhaustion and deliriousness.

I think I spent 60% of my trip shopping. Which would normally be great, but no one likes to pressure-shop. I vaguely remember screaming at David to hurry the f* up...in my head...quite frequently. Sigh. Men don't understand urgency. We managed to get in some great quality togetherness, despite all the weddingness. 

I love these hats. I have about 8,234,238,765 pictures like this one. Just different hats. One day, I will collage them all for you.

Beachy! Sorry about forgetting to put sunblock on your other shoulder, baby.

My cutie and I waiting at the drive-in! This is when having a convertible works wonders.

Cabin in the Woods....eh. At least it was on a huge screen.

We love us some water parks! I got slashed on one of them, though. I'm likely to have contracted the HIV.

 We ate a LOT of food, but only ran one time over the course of 10 days. 

Neither of which was a good idea. Dammit. Yolo, right?

Yay, for FINALLY finishing the C25K. Now it's just maintenance. INSANITY starts May 1st! I'm sure I gained some weight back on the trip. I'll do a fitness update with details soon.

My absolute South Florida favorite! Havana's Cuban cuisine :D

California Pizza Kitchen: lettuce wraps, dynamite shrimp, and delicious pizza creations.

Dada's: amazinnnnnng rehearsal dinner. Baked brie is so wonderful.

While I'm not a fan of Mediterranean food, this arrangement made it look quite enticing. Not that I tried any of it...

This pizza (and three others) was delivered to us like this. Was it in your briefcase, delivery-man-sir? I got white-girl cray cray (more like Jersey girl crazy) and got us four FREE new pizzas.

Preparation for the wedding was ridiculous, if I do say so myself. So much to do in so little time!! We were working ourselves to death, but the wedding, itself, was beautiful. Everyone's hard work was definitely worth it. 

Midnight cake ball prep for the bridal shower.

The bridal shower Bunco was a hit! It was definitely one of my favorite nights of the week. Well, except for a bachelor party (ahem) mishap. The consensus is that men are generally stupid and inconsiderate.

Flower selection was a tedious (cold!) job. But we wound up having beautiful arrangements thanks to Donna (the groom's mother) and yours truly.

Check out these nails! We looked so hot after waxing (my first Brazilian!!), manis, and pedis. Being a woman is hard (expensive) work.

David, Me, Connor (Laur's brother), Lauren, and Tyler at the rehearsal dinner.

It was a great week for pictures. We got a new Panasonic Lumix for an awesome shelf deal!! Much more convenient than carrying around my huge Canon. 

11 years of awesomeness. And I finally found a coverlett for my dress that I loved!

We're seriously adorable. I love this man. Never in my life have I been so grateful.  

Wedding day prep! Lauren got all the girls customized hangers, bags, and robes. I can't wait to see the bridesmaids' photo shoot. Only slightly provocative and risque.

Damnnnnn, I looked good. Kristen (makeup) and Amanda (hair) were stellar. I actually ended up wearing a pair of the photographer's throw away contacts because Lauren decided she wanted me sans-glasses. I guess it worked out. I looked hot. :P

Forgive the boob grab picture. We were getting her into her dress. She looked great!

I love this picture. While it looks like Sky is getting ready to hit me, we were actually showcasing our dance moves for the bridal party.

What an awesome bridal party: Nick, Me, Connor, Lauren, Ty, Sky, Lopez, Amanda, Kyle

A balancing act: this is what happens when the bride is super short. Thank God for parking garages and car stops.

Yay! Post "I do" pictures.

Decorating this gymnasium (which also doubled as my high school IB testing site) only took about 5 hours. I wish I had gotten a picture after all the flowers and centerpieces were out, but it still looks awesome in this pic! Great work, decorating team!

Sweaty dance faces. What a trooper.

My other David.

A hilarious rendition of the garter find. The flower girl thought it was a cute game and wanted in.

He totally showed me up on the dance floor, which doesn't surprise me. I tried though, I really did.

"Now all that's left is yours!" I can't begin to tell you how many times I've heard that lately. Jesus, people. I'm trying to get my life on track here! Stop pushing me! It did, however, redefine the reasons I'm in love with him. Weddings and stress always do that. I'm a lucky girl. Without him, I would have been an anxious, crazy mess.

The last exciting adventure happened just when we thought we were in the clear. The exhaust manifold in my car completely cracked, leaving my car sounding much like a run-down, old, crappy motorcycle. If it's not one thing, it's another with this stupid car. The repair barely burned a hole in my wallet, but the mustang sounds better than ever. All that's left now is unpacking, organizing, and getting back on schedule by eating properly and exercising regularly. Oh yeah, and catching up on the 70-some-odd blogs that I read. Hello!

xoxo

Missed you guys!