Don't get between a Blitz player and his Dutch pile!

Our good friends Nick and Laura were in town and came over for dinner last night. They gave us Dutch Blitz, an Amish card game, for Christmas. I'd never heard of it until now. It's an awesome card game - quick moving and somewhat physical. I would have been a little better at it had I not been fighting the remnants of whatever plague attacked me last week, but I would like to mostly blame it on the fact that the rookies (Mike and I) were placed on the far ends of our table at the beginning. Accident? I think not!

I should back up a little and explain the game basics. Up to four people can play. Each person gets one of four decks of cards all color coded on the back. It's somewhat like playing solitaire - you build up as many piles up to ten as you can (the Dutch piles), pulling from a pile in your hand (the woodpile), from three cards that you can stack like a game of solitaire (the post piles) or a stack of ten cards called the blitz pile. The first person to clear out their blitz pile calls "Blitz!" to signal the end of the hand. It's fast moving and physical because you're going against three other people to fill up the piles that are created. You can get negative points and double points for various card locations when the hand is called, and when someone gets to 75 points the game is over.

It sounds complicated, but the only complicated thing about it is trying to keep pace of everything that is going on. My head was spinning by the time we were done - it really keeps the blood pumping. All four of us (the others more than me, I was on a slow mental roll) were slapping down cards, starting in intense silence which was gradually broken by various noises of frustration (increasing in volume).

The cards were brand new but by the end of the evening were showing definite signs of wear. Folded edges, curving cards from shuffling - I am really surprised that no blood was drawn. However, I should not be shocked that I was sitting with three rather ruthless, aggressive people.

Nick and Laura rapidly gained a lead, but once Mike and I switched places with them, the table--literally--was turned. Now the masters were stretching and reaching for cards an impossible distance away. While neither Mike and I didn't end up winning, I think we made a sufficient gain after that.

I think we need a card table. Come on, if we're going to be hosting Blitz nights, this is essential! After all, square is fair.

it's good to be... sick?

So here I am at work, after a lovely sick Christmas, snuffling and sneezing and sounding like crap. Feeling like it too. The head is all wrapped in cotton-wool and the nose is bright red. It's lovely. Thank goodness it's quite quiet today despite everyone being in the office, so I've actually been able to focus on getting something done. (Yeah, I know. I have to be sick to get something done). Sad.

I probably shouldn't be here. Ah well.

from the brush of an unfulfilled artist...

Merry Christmas!
May you all have a wonderful holiday and a happy New Year.

ruminations on the purposations of Life

Ok, so I made the word "purposations" up, but I think it works.

Even before I officially joined the working world I had begun my struggle with the purpose of my working life and What To Do With It. My personal life has been more than excellent - after all, my family is awesome and I struck gold with my first relationship which by no means is perfect but satisfies me like no other would. But the working life of a person is a different matter, and if you're not sure what your Purpose in life is, it can be quite a challenge.

In college I came to the realisation that I was not truly cut out to be a scene designer. After all, why pursue a career which involves carpentry when one really doesn't have the inclination for woodworking at all? I became aware of the satisfaction of leaving my designs on the paper, rearranging it on the paper, developing and cutting back on the paper. I have always had art in my life, from the very beginning - after all my grandmother is a superb artist and my mom followed suit in school (a fact I did not know until a couple of years ago).

Entering the working world did not give me a boost of confidence - I had no admin skills to speak of and I didn't have any training in graphic design. I temped while gaining experience, and while temping I took some classes to explore graphic design. Through a roundabout way I ended up in an admin job with graphic design responsibilities. Four and a half years after I graduated from college, I finally have some skills and experience which I can market.

But it has always puzzled me. I have always been encouraged to do what I love, and not to settle. But adulthood and now marraige has made me face up to the fact that as adults we do not always have that luxury. I believe you can always change where you are and what you're doing, but it's hard. Should I choose to leave my current job at some moment in the future, I have to weigh the two opportunities together. Priority, unfortunately, is salary. I resent the fact that my job choices are now more limited in a way, essentially to what the salary is. The irony is that my choices also have expanded. I have, in the past, found jobs that I would love to do, that are filled with possibilities, but I didn't have the experience to get them. That was when I was willing to take a lower paying job to get the experience and to work in an environment which sounded great. Now I have a mortgage and a husband and a car payment, and I simply have to take those into account. I do not resent any of it. No, I wanted those things and I still want those things and I don't want to change any of it. My family and personal life are priority, and I will do what it takes to maintain that. That reasoning alone, beginning during the past couple of years, shows me I have truly begun to make the leap into maturity.

But.

I still have this incessant little voice in my head. It's the voice of people who have always encouraged me and told my generation to do what makes them happy. Are you truly fulfilled in your job? Does this job make you happy? Is this what you envisioned? And the answers are - sort of, kind of, and no. I have so many things I want to pursue: writing, photography, design, art/painting. And I can and will pursue those things. But can I apply those to a job? Sure, but I need experience, training, practice.

I have found the working world to be different to what I expected coming out of school. I feel like I'm still in the mind of a child - I don't want to do that, do I have to do that, this isn't part of my job, this isn't part of my dream. But the adult part somehow wins over and I do it. My company is good to me. They treat their employees right and I do have some flexibility with hours and my job description - I'm doing a lot of their graphic work. This makes it hard to think about leaving. There is a certain level of comfort now.

When asked what I want to do as my dream job, I have a hard time answering. Something creative and challenging and busy. Right now, I've accumulated enough skills that employers will at least take a look at me. And I will continue to broaden my skills and my passions and interests. But my secret hope is that one day, my dream job will just cross my current path and it will set me on a new path. One that will give my Working Life some Purpose, and one that will challenge me and keep me busy. Maybe one day I will figure out What To Do With My Working Life, and be satisfied.

christmas meme

Oh Sweet Violet!! Here's my tagged response.

Hot Chocolate or Apple Cider?
Cider. I only drink this during the holiday season so the association is pretty strong.

Turkey or Ham?
Neither. I’m used to lamb or roast chicken for a holiday meal now we’re in the States. On Christmas Day in South Africa we used to have cold turkey (It was summer, don’t forget).

Do you get a Fake or Real you-cut-it-yourself Christmas tree?
Real. I sent my husband out into the whirling snow to pick out and chop down the perfect tree. See here for a picture.

Decorations on the outside of your house?
Yes. We live in a townhome so its somewhat limited but our doorway is really festive this year.

Snowball fights or sledding?
Sledding.

Do you enjoy going downtown shopping?
I like the window shopping and enjoying the lights and atmosphere. Don’t like fighting the thousands of shoppers to the cash register though.

Favorite Christmas song?
I have to agree with Pug. Baby, It's Cold Outside is awesome. Though I do enjoy the older singers like Ella and Bing, and some of the more fun contemporary versions like BNL’s version of Star of Wonder with Sarah McLaughlin.

How do you feel about Christmas movies?
Two words: White Christmas. I love that movie. I could take or leave the others.

When is it too early to start listening to Christmas music?
In November. On Thanksgiving you have permission to whip out the Christmas cds and play to your heart’s content.

Stockings before or after presents?
After. As in the next morning!

Carolers, do you or do you not watch and listen to them?
Yes, if I had ever actually experienced them. It might be kinda fun.

Go to someone else's house or they come to you?
We go there. We hosted Thanksgiving which was fun but right now Christmas is all about going back “home” to share with our families.

Do you read the Christmas Story? If so when?
No.

What do you do after presents and dinner?
At my parents’ house, in the true foreign tradition, presents and dinner pretty much take all night. It’s a slow, relaxed evening with potential for games. In the past couple of years we’ve gone to a late night church service. It's similar for my husband’s family, except it is during the day on Christmas Day.

What is your favorite holiday smell?
Christmas tree. Mulling wine is a good one too.

Ice skating or walking around the mall?
Walking around the mall. Have you seen me try to ice skate?

Do you open a present or presents on Christmas Eve, or wait until Christmas day?
My parents follow the German tradition of Christmas Eve for presents with stockings on Christmas morning. Mike’s family does everything on Christmas Day. Usually works out nicely.

Favorite Christmas memory?
Once again, see this entry.

Favorite Part about winter?
Snow falling with cosy atmosphere, music and a good book to read while on the couch.

Ever been kissed under mistletoe?
Yes. But not by my husband. To be honest, I don’t think I’ve ever seen mistletoe hung here. My great aunt always had it hanging in the entry way on Christmas Day when I was little.

my life in checkboxes

Courtesy of fat little pug. My additions and thoughts are in bold italics.

[] I'm afraid of the quiet. On the contrary, I really enjoy it.
[X] I am really ticklish. Mostly I am afraid of losing control.
[] I'm afraid of the dark.
[] I'm afraid of facing my back to open doors at night.
[] I am homosexual.
[X] I believe in true love
[X] I've ran away from home. Once, when I was little, I was so mad I ran outside our gates, which I had always been told not to do. Sat there for ten minutes, got really afraid and came back inside.
[] I collect comic books.
[X] I shut others out when I'm sad
[X] I stayed out all night.
[X] I open up to others easily. When I'm not upset.
[] I am keeping a secret from the world.
[X] I watch the news.
[] I own over 5 rap CDs.
[X] I love Disney movies.
[X] I am a sucker for pretty eyes.
[X] I kill bugs. Spiders. Only if they cross my boundaries! Other bugs I will capture and let free, depending on the kind of bug.
[X] I curse all the time.
[] I have (had) "x"s in my screen name.
[] I've slipped and fell in public. Only about a hundred times.
[X] I've slipped out a "lol" in a real conversation. I've also used other Chittie words like DH and MOH.
[] I love Spam.
[] I bake well.
[] I have worn pajamas to class.
[] I own something from Abercrombie.
[X] I have a job.
[X] Talked on a phone for 5 hours.
[] I love Dr. Phil.
[] I like someone.
[X] I am guilty of tYpInG lIkE tHiS. But I go back and fix it. I can't stand seeing letters like that!
[X] I am self-conscious.
[X] I love to laugh.
[X] I have tried alcohol.
[X] I drink alcohol on a regular basis. Not every day but occasionally for dinner or when we got out.
[X] I have tried a cigarette. Do cloves count?
[] I have tried a cigar.
[] I have smoked a pack in one day.
[] I loved Lord of the Flies. Totally disturbed me.
[] I have cough drops when I'm not sick.
[] I can't swallow pills.
[X] I have a few scars.
[X] I've been out of this country.
[X] I can't sleep if there is a spider in the room.
[X] I love chocolate.
[] I bite my nails.
[X] I am not comfortable with being me. Sometimes I nitpick at myself too much.
[X] I play computer games when I'm bored.
[X] gotten lost in the city. But husbands are for getting us there in the first place, right?.
[X] Seen a shooting star. Several. Sometimes many, other times just one.
[] Had a serious injury
[] Gone out in public in your pajamas.
[] Have kissed a stranger.
[X] Hugged a stranger
[] Been arrested.
[X] Beverage come out of your nose while laughing
[X] Pushed all the buttons on an elevator.
[] Made out in an elevator.
[X] Swore at your parents. Not proud of this one.
[] Kicked a guy where it hurts on purpose.
[] Been skydiving.
[] Been bungee jumping.
[] Gotten stitches.
[] Drank a whole gallon of milk in one hour.
[] Bitten someone.
[] Been to Niagara Falls.
[] Gotten the chicken pox twice.
[X] Crashed into a car. I've been rear-ended and been in cars that have been rear-ended. Brad!
[] Have been to Japan.
[X] Ridden in a taxi.
[] Shoplifted.
[] Been fired.
[X] Had feelings for someone who didn't have them back.
[X] Stole something from your job.
[] Gone on a blind date.
[] Had a crush on a teacher/coach. My sixth grade science teacher.
[] Celebrated Mardi Gras in New Orleans.
[X] Been to Europe.
[] Slept with a co-worker.
[X] Been proposed to.
[X] Been married.
[] Gotten divorced.
[X] Saw someone/something dying.
[X] Driven over 400 miles in one day.
[X] Been to Canada.
[X] Been on a Plane.
[] Regretful tattoo.
[] More than 5 tattoos.
[X] Seen the Rocky Horror Picture Show.
[] Been in a bloody fist fight.
[] Thrown up in a bar.
[X] Eaten sushi. Does the sushi from Dominicks count?
[] Been snowboarding.
[X] Been skiing. Cross-country skiing.
[X] Been ice skating.
[X] Cried in public. I'm a cry-baby. Once those floodgates have been opened...
[] Walked purposely into traffic with your eyes closed.
[X] Liked someone even though you knew you shouldn't have.
[X] Thought of someone almost 24/7
[] Hated the world.
[] Been in jail.
[] Shot someone.
[] Got shot.
[] Got stabbed.

in honor of my grandfather

If you know where to look there is a yellowwood tree in Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens where my paternal grandfather's ashes were laid to rest.

On one of our pilgrimages there with my dad, he talked about reincarnation. Placing my grandfather's ashes under the protective roots of this tree was almost a form of reincarnation, as the tree would absorb the nutrients from the ashes and use them for life of its own. I really like the idea of my grandfather's essence being absorbed and reflected in a tree reaching up to the heavens which he had studied so passionately. There is a feeling of connection there, connections between the heavens and the earth, the ongoing thread of familial themes, the similarities and disparaties of generations leading and molding generations.

My grandfather died almost a year before I was born, in 1978. He was an astronomer who was part of the program at Radcliffe Observatory in South Africa. He discovered these Globules, named after him, in 1950. According to the website where I found this picture taken by the Hubble Telescope, the globules are "dense, opaque clouds of interstellar gas and dust." They are significant because they are possibly the beginnings of a new star.

I look at my father, and wonder what my grandfather must have been like. I think that he and my dad must have been very similar. When I look at pictures of my grandfather, my father's face looks back at me. Physically they had the same build. Did they sound the same?

My grandfather passed on the science gene to my dad and my uncle. They both work in scientific fields, and I know from an early age my dad would sometimes spend time with my grandfather on his night watches at the Observatory. My dad loves rocks and crystallography.

I know he enjoyed music. My dad's entire family played an instrument and this is something I see in my dad to this day. The gift of music is something I have often given my father in the form of a CD. None of us Thackeray girls got the genes. When I spend time with my aunt in London going to a classical concert or just spending time with her in her flat, listening to some amazing artist whom I've never heard of before, I feel the presence of my grandfather. Not a ghostly presence. More of a knowledge that he instilled these values and appreciations into my father and his brother and sisters, that this connection is still there over time and generations.

I feel deep, intense loss of a man I never even knew. I am so appreciative of the times that my paternal grandmother has talked about him. I am so appreciative of the time with all three of my remaining grandparents. They are all so full of lessons about life and about our history, and even about me as an individual. I like feeling that connection.

Quote of the Day

A true friend is someone who thinks you are a good egg
even if he knows that you are slightly cracked.

Bernard Meltzer

It's a Christmas tree, thank you very much..

Following Pug's example,here's our tree this year. Mike chopped this baby down and hauled it up our flight of stairs. He picked it out all by himself and I think he did a great job.

I need to find a picture of the type of tree we had in South Africa. I'd never seen such perfect trees before we came here. The trees we had had the longer needles and looked more like pine trees than fir trees.

The tree didn't get decorated until Christmas Eve in our family, which was when we celebrated Christmas. The door to the living room was firmly shut the entire day, and no one could go in. One of our parents, usually my dad, would get us pre-occupied with some activity - perhaps a children's carol service or flying kites with my father and my uncle (don't forget it's summer during Christmas in SA).

On our return we would get all dressed up and then we would anxiously wait for the bell to ring. The bell was a tinkling signal that Father Christmas had come. We would rush down the hall and the door would open... to reveal the most incredible sight. Candles lit on the beautifully decorated tree, choirs singing hymns in the background, and everywhere brightly colored gifts. I can remember the pure magic of that experience. And then the greatest excitement of waking up in the morning to our Christmas stockings dropped off by Father Christmas during the night.

My parents did the greatest job of keeping the magic alive for so long. We don't do this anymore, obviously, but I believe it created a solid base for when we moved here, not having any family around to continue our traditions. We had to create our own new traditions. Christmas Eve has this association for me now - not just of the tree, or the music, or the presents - but of family and a strong reminder of what is really important at Christmas.

something Wicked this way comes

I'm through accepting limits
'Cuz someone says they're so
Some things I cannot change
But till I try, I'll never know!





We saw Wicked last night.

Wow.

It was amazing. I spent the entire show drooling. It was the best technical show I've seen in a really long time - lights were superb, costume, makeup, set were all great... the singing was good too - we saw Ana Gasteyer (not sure if I got her name right) from SNL as Elphaba. Glinda was excellent. I always go into these shows a little cynical because of the hype (Lion King, for instance, I found a little disappointing because I'd heard so much about it and because it was line for line out of the movie), but this one was really worth it. Original. The way they connect the book with the movie and the events following up to The Wizard of Oz was phenomenal, and I felt that there was such a powerful message behind the story to boot.

Leaving the theatre, I reflected that I was feeling surprisingly nostalgic. My theatre days, such as they were, were hard with weird hours but full of energy and excitement and possibility. I was also in a secure environment - a school environment with predictable, defined hours and (relatively) no worries about income or rent or board. I'm not sure I would ever realistically try to get back into it, but there is a little "what if" lurking in my heart. The "what if" deals mostly with being a scene designer, a little with lighting design. I have begun to regain some of the magic and awe I used to feel as an audience member, and I don't want to lose it again, to be honest. A lot of that disappeared with being backstage during shows - somewhat in high school, more so in college.

I will be content, for now, to be sucked into the magic of theatre. After all, it's why I wanted to study it in the beginning.

i need some humor today

about me

I thought I would mention a few interesting things about me and my life today:

• We're off to see the Wizard, the wonderful Wizard of Oz. Ok, all together now! Actually we're going to see Wicked tonight.
• I am dead tired today. I didn't get to bed before 12:30 last night, so I'm like a zombie today. Don't talk to me. I may just bite.
• My (basic) knitting skills do exist. A little rusty, to be sure, but I can remember the knit stitch. And my mother reminded me of the sweater that I started in primary school (and never finished) which proceeded to be passed down to Anna and then Lara as they got to that assignment in their schooling.
• I learned what my husband thinks about the holiday season, from a retailer's point of view. I've always known that the season sucks for him, but we've never really talked about it. Just sort of accepted what it means to us as a couple (with a minimal amount of bitching, of course).
• My family (and by that I mean ILs as well) are awesome. I have the best family in the world. I treasure every moment with them. My dad is doing a wonderful thing this Christmas and spending it in England with his mom, my grandmother. I wish we could all be with them, but it is just not meant to be. And Mike's family is including my own on Christmas Day. While Christmas is not going to be the same, Mike is absolutely right: all that matters is spending it with people about whom you care and who care about you. And you treasure the moment, even if you can't be all together.
• I can be moody and temperamental and yet people still seem to love me and accept me for who I am. The hardest thing is learning to laugh at myself and not take life so seriously.

tread lightly where love is concerned

It always amazes me how fragile the human spirit is when love is concerned. It is so easy to take it for granted, but so hard to put the shards back together. The pain from one second of thoughtlessness can take a long time to ease.

Quote of the Day

To love and win is the best thing.
To love and lose, the next best.

William Makepeace Thackeray
Author of "Vanity Fair"

sleigh rides

On Sunday afternoon I went with my family to hear the DuPage Symphony Orchestra play their holiday concert. I love going to these kinds of concerts - I enjoy the experience of listening to music live. There is a quality of sound, of life, to the music that one just does not get from even the best recordings. It transports me into another zone - I am just barely aware of my surroundings as the music wraps itself around me. Unfortunately this also has the effect of lulling me to sleep with the longer pieces and it ends up with me struggling to stay awake, therefore removing me a little from the experience. With the shorter pieces it's easier to become engaged with the pieces before the soporific effect takes hold, especially when they're livelier.

The first half of the program was a symphony by Tchaikovsky. Whenever I hear this composer's work I visualise the harsher environment of Russia with the bleak tundra and the snow. I also think of the research I found when I was researching Uncle Vanya, a play by Anton Chekov (who lived more less at the same time), for one of my scene designs in college. I have an incredible visual of boards placed in village streets to keep people off the muddy paths. Everything in the pictures I found were just so dirty with the incredible contrast of the wooden boards against the mud. I used these visuals for my design, which was one of the last ones I did before I graduated. The irony of this design was that for the first time since I had started the program, I truly felt I connected with the material and that my design was a true opening of my artistic mind, as a designer. The sad thing is that I had pretty much decided that I didn't want to do theatre as a career by that point. I was burned out and disappointed with my program and most of my professors. I look at Uncle Vanya and Russia with a slight sadness now, of what might have been.

The second half of the program was a lot of fun. In addition to a Christmas polonaise by another Russian composer, they had a series of shorter pieces that were "sleigh ride pieces" from around Europe. One of my favourites was the Amadeus Mozart piece, "Die Schlittenfahrt." There is so much fun and joy in the piece. There were more but I don't have the program in front of me. I enjoyed these because they really evoke the feeling of moving on snow with the jingling of horses' harnesses and the occasional crack of a whip (case in point, the famous Leroy Anderson Sleigh Ride piece that everyone knows).

Wrapping Presents - O Joy!

We are super organized this year. All of our major shopping is done and we decided to sit down last night, pop in a movie and wrap presents. More accurately, Mike got the itch to wrap - ever the procrastinator, I could care less and could wait until Chrismas Eve to wrap. Which is contradictory to the fact that I want total artistic control of wrapping - I want the full say in how everything is presented and wrapped and color-coordinated. C'mon - how much fun is it to pick out paper and a color scheme and put it together in a perfect Martha Stewart presentation? Actually, it usually looks better in my imagination than when I'm finished. The irony is that Mike and I both had the same idea for wrapping this year - plain brown mailing paper with ribbons or raffia. Mike even went the extra mile and bought rubber stamps and ink. Um - who are you and what did you do with my husband?? However, Mike can attest to the fact that I suck at wrapping. Give me a box or square edge to wrap and I can sort of make it look decent.

I forgot that I married a wrapping perfectionist whose mother is the epitome of perfection when it comes to wrapping with no wrinkles. Good lord. I was ripping paper and waving scissors around in an attempt to cut raffia and battling the corners of boxes and funny shaped objects. Tape and raffia discards and brown paper lay in a turbulent pile around me. I glanced up while struggling to get the tape to stick to the heavy-duty paper, and there is Mike, cool as a cucumber, cutting a straight, smooth line while presents sit to the side with perfectly pressed, articulated corners. He's on his third gift. I'm starting on my second. He refuses to let me stamp the paper and emboss the prints with a heat gun because its too much fun (he just discovered how fun it is to watch the embossing powder turn the ink into a new, magical color!). I could not get near the heat gun all night as a result.

Which was ok. I gave up in frustration, grabbed my watercolors and finished watching Oceans Eleven doing some random painting which we will probably end up using for our Christmas cards.

Just had to post this...

Hand-made Quilt from Family in South Africa

Look at what we have hanging in our foyer now! Family in South Africa sent us this quilt that they had put together as a wedding shower gift. Each square was made by a different person and represents different times/locations significant to me/us in South Africa. Really amazing - and so much love put into it.

on holiday parties...and a grey hair?

So I went down to Indy last night with Mike for my employee holiday party. What a difference to last year. People were happy and relaxed and intermingling. I suppose the writing was on the wall last year - it was right before they fired the Senior VP and let go a bunch of people, and a lot of the higher-ups were not at the party last year.

My coworker (who was responsible for everything) was a little stressed, snapping at someone who had misunderstood the situation in terms of rooms and was asking why the room situation wasn't the way it was last year (someone else, who is no longer with the company, planned it). Mike is my witness - she was so rude to them, and instead of treating them kindly, got really upset and walked away. Now I won't sound like a nutcase when I have to vent about her - I get that kind of treatment from her from time to time. But that aside - it was a blast - we had a dj this year and people were dancing and grooving on the dance floor.

But I came home today to have Mike look at me funny and say, "You have a grey hair."

WHAT??? not funny.

Ok. This is not the first grey hair I've found. We were waiting for our photographer one day, before our wedding, and Mike yanked out a thick, curly, grey horse hair from my head. Not something a future bride wants to find a few weeks before her wedding! I dismissed it though as being a freakish accident. But to have a second (normal) grey hair? I can't ignore it. I'm only 26 but I suppose I have to begin to face the realities of time already. I guess I'm just in denial.

Holy Snow, Batman!

Um, wow. At 3:30 I looked outside to I-88 which passes right by my office building and traffic had already started to slow down. This normally happens at 4:30, as I'm about to leave work. This sucks. Working in Oak Brook and living in Aurora is just not conducive to happiness in the winter. I predict that I will be home at about 6:30 or even 7 pm tonight.

I guess its a GOOD thing I stranded Mike at home today with my little Honda, and took his 4WD Blazer (heehee).

Please everyone, drive safely tonight.

One of my favourite pictures from our wedding. 

So, yeah. It's cold.

Me on our honeymoon.

Ok, so I'm trying to figure this all out! My knowledge is a little sketchy despite the web design class I took last year and all the bio work I did on the Snot. It's really cold outside and I'm wishing we were back in Hawaii (hence the picture attempt!). I'm currently sitting in our living room half-watching this British comedy I occasionally watch. Sometimes I just enjoy British humor/writing simply because it is so different to what you typically find on television here. What hooked me on this show was that the Quidditch/Flying teacher from the Harry Potter movies is the mom on this sitcom, and the guy who plays her son was in Love Actually. It's actually pretty funny.

Mike is currently cleaning his car out right now. Brr. I have to take it to work tomorrow because I need to load it up for my company's Employee Holiday party in Indianapolis on Friday. I got volunteered to drive the horrible votive holders that we're giving the employees as a christmas gift down to the hotel. Yuck. Not my style at all. At least we're still getting a bonus this year. And I'm anticipating a much more fun party - my new boss is likely to get drunk which should be an experience. He'll probably end up teasing me (or Mike) about that embarassing moment shortly before our wedding - if you attended my bridal shower you know what I'm talking about. I'm not mentioning it on the web. Not yet and not two minutes into me doing this! Maybe when I'm more of a veteran.

the dawn of a new addiction

Well, I followed my nose and here I am!

Thanks to my friend Bratsky, with whom I've been recently whiling away the really slow hours at work. I can definitely feel an addiction coming on, though for me that is really not unusual. Especially when I'm not being challenged or utilized at work! I see a whole new world of addiction coming on. It really started out with theknot.com (aka thesnot) while I was engaged, and now I have a new bunch of friends over at the Lounge - ya'll know who you are. Of course, there's always regular email. Now this. I swear, its a miracle I can get ANY work done. But at least I'm socializing right?

I guess I consider myself pretty self-reliant and shy. It's hard for me to socialize with people outside my group-and I suppose even my friends might suggest that its really hard to get me to hang out with them! Though it's easy to hide oneself away during high stress times like engagements and moving house. I think I find it hard to multitask in a sense-I get really focused and saturated and unable to tear myself away from whatever I'm doing. Now that for the first time in forever I don't have anything pressing to do, I am truly appreciating the close circle of friends that I have around me: the ones I see on a regular basis, and the ones with whom I am close but who I don't see a whole lot. The older I get the more I realise that its not the quantity, but the quality of friends that truly count. And right now it couldn't get any better.

I have to say though, regardless of how well I keep in contact with my friends and family, I was blown away by the love shown to Mike and me on our wedding day this past August. I still get choked up by the thought of what people said and did for us during that whole experience. While my wedding day was one of the best days of my life, I would not be doing it justice by limiting it to one day. The year and a half that Mike and I were engaged was intense. It had its ups, it had its downs, but I still cannot comprehend the overall feeling that we got from people. Getting married was wonderful. And being married? Four months into it I can honestly say that it is so incredibly more than I expected, and I had expected it to be great.