Wedded Bliss

Mircea and I have been married for almost two months and it is great!  There are some subtle, magical changes between engaged (and living together) to married (and still living together).  While Mircea is still really busy with school, and will be for the next four years really, I have been in full on nesting mode.  It's kind of funny all the stuff I let go in our house (painting, decorating, etc) from when we moved in, but all of a sudden I'm in full on clean, organize, decorate mode.  I live and breathe to make our home comfortable and clean.  And sometimes it seems like the cats live and  breathe to make our home furry and stinky. 

Another interesting item of note is that for the first six weeks of our marriage, one of our friends was living with us as she goes through a seperation with her husband.  It was one of those double-edged swords: it was SOOOO nice having my close friend there but it was also hard for my fragile ego to have someone so adorable and wonderful living in our house...and thinking that Mircea wouldn't go "you know, I probably should marry that girl".  It's funny how insecurity works, but it's definitely something that I'm working on.  I don't feel too crazy though, it was definitely a big change, but still, I need to be able to feel confident in our relationship.  I'm only sharing it because it was definitely an interesting way to start out our marriage.  :-)

If you haven't seen wedding pictures, and you're interested, there are a few on our wedding blog and tons on Facebook.

I hope you are all doing well, I feel like with FB I'm definitely not as engaged in Blogland like I had been before.  I think from updates on others blogs that maybe they aren't either.  Either way, I do have some book reviews and yummy recipes to share and will make every effort to update those soon.

Losing Focus

How many people out there find themselves saying, "could I have A.D.D.?"  I find myself saying this at least three times a week and then feeling really guilty that I can't keep myself focused on one thing at a time.  I go from task to task, getting distracted by Facebook or emails, the cats, or the phone.  I never seem to be able to get anything done.  That's why I read in the bathtub-nothing can interrupt me in there.

While pondering this a couple of days ago, I got distracted and started surfing the internet.  That's when I realized that yes, I'm getting super distracted all the time, but it's because there are so many distractors-not because I should probably be medicated (for this!)  My life seems to be one gigantic distraction.  I could go into all the ways I'm distracted, but I'm probably distracting you from your own life.  So bottom line, I'm going to make an effort to focus on one task at a time, giving it my full attention from start to finish.  The Internet is truly sucking my life away.  I've turned into this monster who can't focus on one thing. I watch tv while working on other stuff, I find myself bored to tears if I'm just sitting without some sort of media in my hands.  I want out-and I'm getting out.

Does anyone have any suggestions on how they've decluttered their brains and focused on completing tasks at hand?

Reading Challenge Book Review: The Virgin Suicides

No, I'm not dead, and yes, I'm still blogging.  Apparently I'm just blogging in my head though and no one gets to see what I write.  Although I had some setbacks in the reading challenge (I just couldn't get into Angela's Ashes, I tried, I hated it) I'm reinvigorated and ready to dive in.  My first jump: The Virgin Suicides by Jeffery Eugenides. 

I'm not really sure what to say about this book.  I really enjoyed his other book, Middlesex, but this book sort of left me with a bewildered look on my face and a big question "why?"  The story is told from the perspective of a now-grown man who witnessed the family across the street and the tragedies that struck their teenage daughters.  It sort of left me with an odd taste in my mouth because I kept wanting to know "why".  Were the girls so upset with the suicide of their youngest sibling that they simply went off the deep end?  Were they tired of being repressed by their parents, particularly their mother who allowed them little joy in their lives?  Unfortunately, none of these questions have answers, but I do think the book was very well written, though not a "tender, wickedly funny tale" as advertised on the back.  Funny it was not.  Although I might rent the movie at some point.  I'm guessing that point will be a very dark time in my life. 

Next stop...Tender is the Night, by F. Scott Fitzgerald. 

When it Rains, it Pours (or should I say Poors?)

I think it's high time I start playing the lottery. In addition to the roof at our old house, the new tires Mircea had to have on his car and the brakes that are also required (luckily he can do them himself), I thought we'd been spending plenty of money lately. Apparently, there is another plan-to spend more! Mircea came home today and informed me that the rental house needs a new furnace. Oh my stars! The renter has had some troubles with the heat and Mircea admitted he was scared that it might explode. Wow! So yet another expense has found its way into our lives. I know I have not been a perfect person, but Karma is really being a bitch lately. A wallet hungry bitch.

I ain't saying Karma's a gold digger...

Still St Lucia Bound

I promised I'd update. State Farm will cover the damage after we pay a gigantic deductible. (yes, Mircea has learned his lesson on deductible setting) But at least we're still going as we definitely need the vacation. We're getting married 3 weeks from today-I can't wait!

Snowed In

Let me just say, getting snowed in isn't nearly as joyous as it was when I was a child. Long gone are the days of playing outside, building forts with the neighbor kids, and eating copious amount of ice cream that my dad would store out in our "snow freezer". Unfortunately, this is not how getting snowed in works as an adult. Getting snowed in involves tons of shoveling (which Mircea wants to do and won't let me help with) not getting mail for 5 days (Mircea didn't shovel in front of the mailbox) and EATING. I'm so bored I'm eating. Not getting on the treadmill, bike or elliptical downstairs. No, I'm eating. And here's why...

The roof at our old house caved in a little bit from the weight of the snow. We just filed a claim with State Farm this morning, but it will take them awhile to get out there. We sure hope it's covered, but people keep telling us that there may be an "act of God" clause that means its not covered. What? Why buy insurance on my house if its only for acts of humans? Surprisingly, humans are fairly competent at home care-at least the humans I know. So the long and short of it is that if we need to pay out of pocket for this repair...we're going to cancel the trip to St Lucia since we got full refund insurance on it, and we'll pay for the repair out of that. Terrible, right? But I can't imagine putting the repairs on our credit card, getting in debt (when we already have a small balance) and attempting to get our heads above water so we can start a family. So alas, that might happen...and it's launched me into an eating frenzy.

This frenzy of course started when I got snowed in with Robyn and Rebecca and we had fancy meals planned to go with our wine drinking. We made such yummy treats, drank tons of wine, and drove Mircea crazy. If I had to be snowed in with anyone, it would be Robyn and Rebecca, but by the end of the time, I was definitely ready to go back to my normal life. Which really hasn't happened yet since we keep having more snow and I've been working from home since my car is really the only one that works in the snow, and Mircea HAS to go to work.

I'll post some pictures later. And I'll post an update on whether or not we actually get to go to St Lucia

I'm Still Blogging (a little)

The only excuse I have for my lack of blogging is that there isn't a darned thing going on right now. I've put a couple of posts on the wedding blog but mostly it's just been so low key right now there isn't much to talk about.

I do have one exciting thing going on in my life, if you use the term "exciting" very, very loosely. I'm applying for a leadership development program through my employer and the application process is extremely difficult. I have spent a ton of time on this lately, but hopefully the pay off will be there. I'd really like to be a part of a program that can help me develop my leadership skills and make contacts within the command. My application is due the day we go to St Lucia and we don't find out who got accepted until June. JUNE!

Mircea's mom is throwing me a Bridal Shower this weekend. It's so sweet that she wanted to do that, and it's so cute that she's extremely nervous about it. I feel so bad for her-I know what it was like the first time I entertained-I was a nervous wreck. I know it will all go well and I'm looking forward to spending the afternoon with my best girls. I always feel weird when there's a party for me or a "look at me" moment, but all in all, this should be a really good time and there will be some yummy food.

Speaking of food. I would like to stop gaining and losing the same 2 lbs every week. This is ridiculous. I really have nothing else to say about that.

Looking Forward to 2010

I am really looking forward to 2010. It's going to a big year for me and for my sweet Mircea. I'm proud that all the "lessons" that I've learned and the experiences that I've had over the last few years have made me the person that I am today. I'm excited to get married, I don't have any anxiety over the marriage as I feel I'm finally bringing my whole self to a relationship and trusting the love that I am being given. It's a nice feeling, that's for sure. I think this year will bring a lot of changes in my life (and Mircea's) including our marriage and the prospect of having a family (though that won't happen in 2010-I at least pray it won't, but shortly into 2011 would be fine!)

Even though 2009 had some sadness to it, it was a pretty darned good year. And if you read my Christmas letter, it sure seemed like I traveled a lot while leaving Mircea at home with the kitties. Not this year! Mircea will be returning to school to pursue a Mechanical Engineering degree. He's already studying and getting all prepped and I hope that he finds the studies reasonable and he's not killing himself trying to work full time and go to school. I'm proud of him trying, that's for sure.

I think 2010 for me really will have room for a lot of personal fulfillment, and I hope that I will follow through. I'd like to finally learn to knit (stop laughing Patty!) and if I can get my knee fixed I'd like to really start running again. Maybe I can finally learn Romanian too, but I'm not going to count on that. I'd like to lose another 20-30 lbs this year. I managed to lose 20 this year, so I'm happy with that. I guess it proves that some small changes can make a difference but I'd like to put a better effort to it next year. I want to lose weight and get healthy so I can basically get pregnant and gain weight all over again. :-) Not exactly, but I'd like to be my healthiest before getting pregnant so I've got a fighting chance of staying healthy once I'm pregnant and after I have a baby or two.

Wishing everyone a Happy New Year!

Book Challenge!

I'm trying to explore more hobbies for myself and there's no better time to do so than when Mircea starts school in a few weeks. My life doesn't revolve around him on a daily basis by any means, but most evening after our days' events we do end up parking our butts on the couch and hanging out. Alas, that butt-parking will cease and while I've signed up for some exercise classes I also started working on a reading list, which I've already been dutifully crossing books off of. Today I read my friend Sarah's blog and she'd posted this Gilmore Girls Reading Challenge. I think I'm going with the Rory, as I do have a fair amount of free time on my hands and I'm currently averaging about 2 books a week and Mircea's not even in school yet!

Here's my list: My criteria was that I hadn't already read the book-even as a child-which is why my children's book list is short!

Classics:

Jane Austen Pride & Prejudice
Emily Bronte Wuthering Heights
Charles Dickens Great Expectations
H.D. Thoreau Walden (I didn't read it the first time!)
Leo Tolstoy War and Peace

Childrens/Young Adult

L. Frank Baum The Wizard of Oz
Lewis Carroll Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
Kate D. Wiggin Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm

Modern Classics (I have more of these to make up for childrens)

F. S. Fitzgerald Tender is the Night
Franz Kafka Metamorphosis
M. Mitchell Gone With the Wind
George Orwell Nineteen Eighty-four
JD Salinger The Catcher in the Rye
John Steinbeck The Grapes of Wrath
Kurt Vonnegut Slaugherhouse Five


Non-Fiction

A. Bourdain Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly (even though he was a total asshole on his No Reservations: Romania)
Ann Collett Swimming with Giants: My Encounters with Whales, Dolphins and Seals
William Gibson The Miracle Worker
Jack Kerouac On the Road
Michael Moore Farenheit 9/11

Other

J. Eugenides The Virgin Suicides
Henry Farrell What Happend to Baby Jane?
Frank McCourt Angela's Ashes
William Styron Sophie's Choice
J. Susann Valley of the Dolls

Wedding Tizzy

I could make up a 101 excuses for not blogging (or write a book of the same title and make millions) but in reality it's three-fold; 1. Facebook is faster and more succint, 2. my life is slightly boring, and 3. all i could talk about is wedding planning and even I don't like that...

...but I'll talk about it anyway. I really thought Mircea and I were making it easy on ourselves by having a destination wedding and a casual reception when we return home. It's not easy. It's never easy. There's all kinds of stress about trying to bring your own photographer to a Sandals resort (but I'm doing it anyway), trying to figure out if having a pulled-pork BBQ is fancy enough and your friends won't think you're a cheap skate, and sending out Save-the-Dates, Bridal Shower invites (Rodica wasn't sure what to do), reception invitations and wedding announcements. It's crazy, but I thought that I wouldn't invite people to the reception from miles away b/c I didn't want them to feel obligated to come, and yet I didn't want to uninclude them so I'm doing seperate announcements. The joy of this is overwhelming since it took me two months to decide on invites that I still haven't ordered because I'm a chicken. I did however, do two fun things. I finally talked Mircea into going to the stores and registering for gifts and we spent a couple hours talking about the kinds of things that we liked, the way we saw our stuff long-term and it was just fun. Even if we don't receive those items, it was just a fun day. The second fun thing I did was order favors for the reception. I'd been against favors mostly because they have the tendancy to be just crap, but I decided on a semi-useful favor, at least for our group of friends. I'm going to do personalized shot glasses, fill the bottom with a little bit of finely crushed pretzel (to look like sand) put a few m&ms on top and a little drink umbrella in it. I saw the idea on the internet and thought it was adorable. Plus, since our friends all like to play quarters and FOUR of my shot glasses have been broken to date, I figure I've just found some easily disposed of shot glasses to use instead of my awesome Purdue ones that have been destroyed.

I'll try to post more. But is anyone even reading?