Mike

Happy Halloween, 2012

October 30, 2012 8 Comments

Months ago Mike decided we were dressing up as Frankenstein and the Bride of Frankenstein for Halloween.

Time went by and we never picked up make-up, supplies, clothing or anything relating to this idea.

Cue us, frantically searching couple’s costume ideas 2 weeks before Halloween, and the weekend before an early Halloween party. We didn’t want to pay for the original idea and instead opted to fabricate our own….if we found a better idea.

I threw out a few ideas that Mike vetoed and vice-versa. Our back up option included something political, and while our friends are like minded, I dare not stir the pot.

So I present to you, our D.I.Y. Social Media costumes!

Hopefully you can figure out I am dressed as Twitter and Mike is Facebook. I “made” both costumes, if that isn’t painfully obvious. Since I spent so much time on Mike’s poster board of plenty (ahem, a blend of the old and new FB complete with fill-in-your-own-wall!), my whiteboard meets feather boa Twitter get-up lacks a little…

PSY from Gangnam style can be seen in the background here. I appreciate Eddie not totally photo-bombing this to the fullest extent he is capable of (brother I never wanted…)!

Also, I tweeted everything I wrote on my whiteboard, for the most part. A new fun game became “Where’s my PEN?!” for much of the night. “Oh, in my pocket” or “Found it!” resounded loudly to reassure friends, frequently. PS-dot-com, those of you not in the cool-kids-club: I dig Twitter & Instagram.

So yeah, Happy Halloween from Mike and Vicki. I hope you get more treats than tricks (or whatever your pleasure may be!)

I love this costume.

Filed Under: awesomeness, crafty, dorklove, eat your heart out, Mike

A weak woman, I am not

October 25, 2012 8 Comments

I proclaim myself as strong-willed, confident, and independent. I prefer grocery shopping (heck, most shopping) alone, my 2 hours at home before Mike walks through the door, and cleaning with only my “jams” to accompany me. By myself I accomplish more than with distractions. I enjoy spending time with friends and by my husband’s side, but still cherish “me time” alone.

As Mike sets off for a week and a half business trip, I reflect on the time he traveled for 5 days, in which I thought I might just die without him.

You can imagine my own surprise when my man leaves and I feel lonely and anxious! I mean, what is this? Who am I? Where’s the Vicki who wants the couch all to herself to watch that new Amish series that makes Mike hem and haw?

When Mike is home, we are basically inseparable. We watch our DVR’d TV shows together, run errands, and take the dog on walks. There are times we separate and do our own things, mostly him watching football or playing a football video game (do we see a trend here?) and me tackling school work or crafting, or watching some trashy television.

Then he leaves.

And I’m pretty sure he takes a piece of me with him.

Because only that explanation suffices.

If you need me, you know where to find me. Now accepting dinner reservations and doggy play-dates through the election!

Filed Under: dorklove, i complain because i can, Mike, thats life

Our First Home

October 10, 2012 8 Comments

A little over four years ago, around the end of December, I decided our days of paying rent were over. I wanted to not live with roommates anymore, I needed a place of our own, and I sought out an investment. Mike agreed and around March we found and closed on our first home: a one bedroom, questionably 600 square foot (probably more), recently remodeled condo.

Sure, we will still only boyfriend and girlfriend, but we had dated for about 5 years at that point. We knew the other wasn’t going anywhere and more than willingly signed the deed to our place with two different last names. Buggy before the cart? yes maybe, but I think where we are now proves the point we knew and were comfortable with what we were doing.

Sure, the one closet only fit Mike’s clothes and an IKEA trip provided extra storage right off the bat. Our two cats ran their kitty-500 from the bedroom to living room back to the bedroom many times, in the absence of extra room. Getting a (not tiny) dog probably didn’t help the space issue, but it helped with snuggles. Then after our wedding we received “real” flatware, dishes, serving dishes, china, fancy pots, and a super vacuum along with other random kitchen accessories. It became clear, quickly, we needed more leg-room, cat-room, storage, and extra breathing room. We were probably silly to think this place could provide everything and more. We’ve grown. We need more.

Over summer we hit our breaking point. We rented a storage unit and all of a sudden SPACE appeared. We painted where we always wished we had and beauty appeared. Our first home finally became what we wish it always looked like, but will never really be for us (unless someone can give us another bedroom, an attic, and maybe a craft space?).

I will miss this building, with only 12 units allowing me to really know all my neighbors. My neighbors take my dog out when a migraine hits, or watch the cats while we’re away. We have happy hours together. We watch out for each other.

I will miss this living room, where Mike and I curl up on the couch and watch TV, where friends come over to hang out, where our animals all coexist somewhat peacefully.

I will miss this kitchen where we baked cookies, made dinners, and cheers to good times.

I will miss our bedroom and having all my clothes in one place!

You can’t really “miss” a bathroom, but it’s been good to us, in whatever way a bathroom can do that…

For now I’m ready to stop vacuuming every day, in the event that buyer comes along. I’m ready to stop wiping down the counters and making the bed every morning. I wish putting on a sweater for the change in weather didn’t involve a drive to the storage unit to trade out shorts for pants and sleeves.

We’re ready for the next place, wherever that may be. Someone PLEASE buy our first home. It’s been good to us, and I know it will be good to the next person/people!

All photos borrowed graciously for this post. If you want more information about this lovely condo for sale in DC, please contact Capitol Realty Team.

Filed Under: future, halp, Mike, newlyweds, pets, photography, shut the front door

Reverse Stereotyping

October 2, 2012 6 Comments

I love my husband, dearly and completely. I also love birthdays and celebrating.

So it may come as a complete surprise to you when I tell you I can’t remember my husband’s birthday.

Here’s my long winded excuse as to why I can’t ever remember my husband’s birthday: My best friend’s birthday is either the day before or after my husband’s birthday, but I can never remember which it is. Also my eldest niece shares a birthday with Mike, thus making the remembering harder. So many important people, so little calendar and brain space.

Here’s the short story of why I can’t remember: I’m calendar-lazy.

Calendar-lazy: (n) Origin: English, made up 2 minutes ago; relying on technology to remind oneself of important upcoming dates

Facebook does a great job of telling me friends’ birthdays and makes wishing them well even easier. My google calendar is set to remind me of upcoming important dates, too. Unless I never enter the important dates. Because, duh, a wife should know her hubby’s birthday.

Except me.

I couldn’t tell you my husband’s birth-date if I was booking a flight and it depended on getting that good rate before time expired.

Which is exactly what just happened to me.

Mike is out of town on business and in a hotel with horrible cell reception. Not wanting to be so terribly obvious that even though he reminds me every time, I again have forgotten his birthday, I text once. Five minutes later I call, without answer.

I figured I’d get creative and text my sister since her daughter & my husband share a birthday. But then I also confess the scenario, so it makes sense why I’m asking about April at the beginning of October. Except she was out and didn’t reply fast enough to my timely needs (because not everyone has their phone attached like me…). So I decide my brother-in-law can be roped in on this silliness. And no instant reply. Finally I called my mom, who laughs and asks why I can’t remember, as in “whats wrong with you are you having another migraine?” (which bee tee dubs, would be an appropriate reason for me to forget such information, but no, not this time).

For the record, my brother-in-law texted back while on the phone with my mom, and my husband shortly there-after. Maybe Mike’s right about that patience thing. Also, he’s right I do need to sear April 9th into my memory.

I figured if I write about it, maybe I have a chance of remembering next time.

…that and I need to call myself out on such things. Where I succeed in baking or other domestic wifely duties, I fall short in remembering one important date! One date!

Good thing my husband never pulls this, or he’d never hear the end of it!

Filed Under: birthday, Mike, newlyweds, thats life

Boys (and girls) of Summer

September 15, 2012 Leave a Comment

Recently I took my camera out to a mosquito infested field to watch my husband’s intramural softball team secure a spot in the play-offs. The Sons of Pitches are a fine group of “athletes.”

And I think this series of photos is a fine tribute to summer’s end.