work trip talks.

[ I’m fairly certain that’s mayonnaise on my fingernail. Classy. ]

You know that saying, “absence makes the heart grow fonder?”  It’s pretty cheeseball but it’s just so true!

Casey is on another work trip, and I swear we have the best conversations when he’s gone.  That sounds terrible but seriously – I feel like we both put a little more into it when we’re apart than we do when we’re in the same room. Last night when he called we talked about our days, our dog, our house, our yard, Volkswagens, the laundry, macaroni and cheese (always) and the fact that even if we wanted to do drugs, we wouldn’t know the first thing about how to get them.  (We have no street cred)

But for real, the talks, they’re just so good!  It’s not like we’re completely mute when we’re together but I really feel like being apart makes us want to connect a bit more.  Is this normal?

Now I’m hungry for macaroni and cheese.

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perspective.

Happy Memorial Day to all the people!

This post is comin’ at you not from a beach or a barbecue or even a comfy cozy couch, but from a desk on the 5th floor of my office.  Truth.  In fact, I’ve spent a large part of my “holiday” weekend working.  And I’ll be honest, it really blows.  Because seriously, who wants to work over a long weekend? Not this lady, that’s for true.  I envisioned spending my Memorial Day drinking  summer shandy’s and eating tofurkey corndogs – not setting up meetings and proofreading ads.  Ok, ok so even though it does legit suck that I have to work – I’m aware that I’ve been kind of a wiener about it.  And I’m kind of sick of myself.  It’s like hosting a pity party and I’m the only one that showed up.  Sweet party.

Today though!  Today I had a bit of a reality check.  It’s not that I forgot today is Memorial Day, it’s more that I hadn’t given much thought to it since I’ve been focusing more on (what should be) a vacation day rather than the day itself.  But today as I was hunched over at my desk, sulking about working on a holiday, I remembered that yes.  It is a holiday.  And there’s a reason for that.  Memorial Day isn’t just the official start of summer, it’s not about barbecues and parties and yard games.  What it IS about is paying tribute to the men and women who serve our country.  Today, I got some perspective.  Even though I am holed up at a desk in a eerily quiet building and I have soggy socks from running in the rain and all I had for lunch was a diet coke… the only reason I’m able to be at this desk and have swampy socks and eat and drink whatever I want is because of the values and rights that those men and women have given their lives to preserve.   They’re heroes, and the day is about honoring them.  I know that.  I just needed to remind myself.  So I took a good long look at my reflection in my computer screen and told myself to buck up.  Shape up or ship out.  Go big or go home.  Pee into the wind.  Or something like that…  

It’s not so bad.  It could be worse.  And what I’m doing this weekend is peanuts compared to what some people do every single day.  Anyways, perspective.  I needed that today.  Thank you to everyone who has served our country.  I hope you all get a shandy or a diet coke today.

spill.

So yesterday I started writing a post about how I got a new bike last weekend and I’d started riding it to work this week and it’s been so exciting and environmentally friendly and EXERCISE! and wind in my hair, blah blah blah.  But now, I have a different story to tell about my new bike – because I have since fell off of it.  To make a short story shorter, last night on my way home from work I caught my wheel in a streetcar track and face-planted onto the asphalt.  Or I guess more like side-planted.  It all happened so fast that I’m not entirely certain of the details, but I do know that my tire slipped and I fell in between two parked cars and when I opened my eyes, there was an extremely friendly Asian man who didn’t speak English that was helping me up.

I basically just hightailed it out of there out of pure shock and mortification.  But about halfway home I started to feel the aches and pains of my spillage.  Nothing major, just a big ol’ scrape on the elbow, numerous colorful bruises and tons of sore spots.  Casey fixed me up like a champ.  He cleaned out the elbow, bandaged me up and fed me wine.  Good guy, he is.  But the fall did scare the bajeezus out of me.  I’ve replayed it in my head with a million other outcomes… what if I had fallen the other way into the street and there was a car coming?  what if I hadn’t been wearing my helmet?  what if I would have ripped my favorite jeans?  You know, all the scary things.  All things considered, I feel pretty lucky.  But I also feel pretty stupid that it happened at all.

I totally contemplated driving to work today, especially because I really am so sore.   But then I figured I should suck it up and not be such a baby.   So I hopped back on the bike and at speeds of 1.3 mph, made my way downtown.  Watch out!

Honestly though, I didn’t see this coming.  I thought that the first fall I would have would be caused by my attire.  Which is not as ridiculous as it may sound… if you don’t believe me, please refer to the outfit I wore when test-biking bikes over the weekend.

Seriously, who wears a long skirt when picking out a bike??   ^^ This guy! ^^  That’s who.

It’s honestly a toss-up as to what’s more uncomfortable: wiping out while biking in jeans and rain coat, or getting fitted for a bike when you’re wearing a long skirt (AKA skirt hiked up to nether regions while straddling a bike in front of a total stranger).   I guess I’d say the fall is the worser of the two, purely because of the residual war-wounds.  And it’s probably fair to say that the bike shop worker was more weirded out by our interaction than I was.

The takeaway here is: helmets!  And maybe bike shorts.

three.

Today is Casey and my third anniversary.  And instead of spending it together celebrating, I’m at work.  Watching someone pound the crap out of a giant piñata.  Literally.

Ok, so technically the piñata beating happened earlier today but it did happen.  And I have since eaten 2 tootsie rolls, 3 Dum Dums, 1 jawbreaker and 4 butterscotches.  Apparently it’s 1991.

Anyways!  As I was saying, Casey and I have been married for three years, today.  I knew that I’d have to work late tonight, so we celebrated last night by going out on a smokin’ hot date.  And by smokin’ hot – I mean that the only seats available at the restaurant were along the counter bar of the open-air kitchen, where there was the most intense wood burning stove that would occasionally shoot out burning hot sparks onto the unfazed chefs.  Literally the sparks would land in their hair and on their beefy shoulders and they wouldn’t bat an eye.   Anyways, despite the tropical temperatures, I couldn’t have been happier to celebrate three years with the cutest boy I know.  I mean, just look at him.

On one hand I can’t believe it’s already been three years since we tied the knot at that place with all the wine.  On the other hand, I think of everything that we’ve done and seen and MOVED over the last three years and it feels like a lifetime.

Regardless, there’s no one in the world I’d rather be experiencing this with than you Caseface – you are the love of my life.  After 3 years of marriage, 6 months of engagement and 4 years of dating, I still cannot believe my luck that I landed you.  I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – I love you more than I love when I see a waiter bringing me my food.  And that’s a lot.

I love you so much that I’m bringing you home a butterscotch.  Maybe even two.

I hope Gus is giving you extra kisses tonight in my absence.  I’ll see you boys later. xo Wife

10 things I learned from my mom.

In honor of Mother’s Day, I thought I’d pay tribute to my most favorite lady in the world.  I’ve learned a lot from my mom throughout the years, but here are a few gems that stick with me….

* Always remember birthdays. And anniversaries, and special events.  Send a card, people will appreciate it.

* If you have something nice to say to someone, say it.  Don’t hold it in just because it seems insignificant.

* No matter how long the car ride is, bring snacks.  Or just have a snack drawer in your car.  Actually, do both.

* Forgive.

* There is a right way and a wrong way to load a dishwasher ;)

* You don’t always need to follow a recipe.  Just use lots and lots of spices.  Just dump ’em right in.

* Everything happens for a reason.

* 3 words:  movie theater popcorn.

* Be nice to everyone.  Even if you don’t want to be – it’ll make you feel better in the long run.

* Coffee.  Lots and lots of coffee.

I love you mama Ziggy! ;) You mean the world to me and I couldn’t be more proud to have you as my mom.  I wish I could be there to celebrate with you today – but I’m so glad we got to kick it last week.  Good times (blap blap blap!) 

Also, now that I’ve buttered you up, hopefully you won’t mind as much when I tell you that I just realized some of the coffee I served you last weekend expired in 2011….

Happy Mother’s Day!!

S