Movin’ on Up!

May 4, 2013 10 Comments
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Preface: I spent way too long on this post for it to look the way it does and also jump all over the place. It perfectly reflects my life right now.  You’re welcome.

In the course of ten hours (on the same calendar day) we hired movers to get all our things out of the condo, closed on that former home, purchased our new forever home, and had those wonderful men with muscles and a truck move all our new things into the new place.  It also happened the first day of standardized testing fell on our moving day, so this teacher showed up for the last 3 hours of the moving-in piece.  Thank goodness for husbands and Power of Attorney (and also paid men who move your stuff)!

We did it. We moved. And now? We unpack.

moving_in_3((sidenote: I can’t figure out how to get this darn picture bigger. just click on it, mmkay?))

(mover men know how to get your box spring in through the 2nd floor bedroom window)

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But first we attended my college roommate/bestie/interwebz guru wedding!  Yes, 4 days after moving we picked up and headed to Asheville where there are no boxes and only microbreweries, beautiful scenery, and fun times.  We broke the cardinal rule of unpacking by opening about a gagillion boxes for the sole purpose of finding my boots (yes, the boxes were well labeled…all with “boots”).  The distraction proved necessary and the celebration fabulous.  Many pictures and a post are forthcoming, of course.

The worst part of taking a vacation after moving is coming home to realize the unpacking elves took a vacation too.

Our animals are adjusting well, exploring loving the extra space and ability to run up and down the stairs.

I’m getting used to the absence of sound.  Although we’re still in DC proper, we no longer live next to a fire station and this street lacks traffic.  Those are nice changes of pace and will suit us well in the years to come.  Our neighbors are likewise very nice and I’m planning on how to get the sixteen year old girl next door to watch the cats when we travel next.

 

In the process of setting things up we discovered our desktop lacks a wireless card since previously we had it hardwired in that other small place we lived for almost 5 years!  (hence, the phone picture and lack of posts, recently)

Don’t worry we ordered a new, stronger router and wireless card.  Soon the 800 pictures from the last two weeks will escape my dSLR and turn into posts on ALL THE THINGS we’ve been up to….and there’s a lot of great blog fodder in there.  (including the time I fell off a chair at a wedding rehearsal party and thought I fractured my kneecap for the week following…)

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Things are good, busy, hectic, and full of boxes – but good.

I’ll leave you with this gem of a picture.  I think it proves machines will take over the world one day.  Our refrigerator is smarter than this thirty-one year old!

 

Any unpacking or adjusting advice out there?

 

 

Filed Under: awesomeness, future, newlyweds, shut the front door, thats life, update

The Story Behind the Whine

July 6, 2012 5 Comments
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It’s time to debunk/demystify/squelch any concerns/thoughts/rumors you might have from months of cryptic posts. I promised a story, and now that it’s come more than full circle, here we go:

Months ago I began pleading with the universe for change.  At that time, Mike’s graduation was around the corner and we were looking for a new opportunity.  Specifically, Mike wanted to put his Master’s Degree in International Relations to use.  He applied to some killer job scenarios in differing places and the odds seemed stacked against us.  Mike continued on his search and I continued to praise the high heck outta him.  The state of the economy seemed to work against his job search, as did the timing.

A wee bit later, Mike, feeling frustrated, came up with a scenario I thought was the worst idea ever.  But I stood by him.  The thing is I love my job, where we live, having the privilege to drive a car, and our current lifestyle.  I didn’t exactly agree, at all, with his brain-fart of an idea.  (Sorry honey, I can trash it all I want now that I know it’s not happening!) It caused my anxiety level to rise, resulting in crazy dreams.   However he was reaching and I wanted to help him get to his goal.

And this whole time I had my ticket to BlogHer12 and emailed my wonderful roommate with updates of  “I’m going!” or “looks like I might not be going” and “find/don’t find another roommie.”

AndPlusAlso, enter the Great Migraine Challenge of 2012.  That, by the way, was recently solved with a tiny, daily synthetic hormone you might know as The Pill.  Go freakin’ figure.

We can all disembark from this crazy emotional roller coaster with the announcement of Mike’s new job!  The One Campaign has a new member, who will be traveling often to reach into the Senate race.  Cue a different anxiety and hysteria on my part, but at least this comes with an income.

Remember when I said something amazing simply had to be on the horizon? Well, aside from the random water damage in our condo, things are on the up-and-up.

Good things come to those who wait? G-d has a plan? Whatever cliche you want to apply to this story, I think the Facts of Life theme song pretty much wraps it all up:

When the world never seems
to be livin’ up to your dreams
And suddenly you’re finding out
the Facts of Life are all about you, you.

 

youuuuuuuuu!

Filed Under: thats life, update, wandering

10 months later

April 19, 2012 12 Comments

ten months into marriage and no this post is not about babies.  Here’s what we haven’t done:

  • made a wedding album (or even started picking out pictures for said album)
  • spent all our wedding gift cards (hoarding the Macy’s ones)
  • used the fine china stemware
  • opened the Cuisinart-mixer box
  • discarded any of the RSVP cards from the invitations!
  • discarded the left-over programs
  • resold/re-purposed the frames from the table numbers
  • gotten rid of the old vacuum which the Dyson replaced (yes, 2 vacuums in house)
  • updated my passport (they sent it back because I overpaid them)

and here’s what we have accomplished

  • reclaimed our kitchen table from miscellaneous wedding planning crap
  • dry cleaned my wedding dress & stashed it in box in the corner
  • changed my last name (with SSN & driver’s license. others need to be done)!
  • enjoyed our first round of winter holidays & respective birthdays together
  • gave everyone framed wedding pictures as gifts
  • framed a single 8×10 picture for ourselves
  • talked with our wedding photographer & sent a bagillion emails apologizing for not starting our album yet
  • hung our Ketuba
  • sent out all thank you cards (within 6 months of getting married even though etiquette says you have a year)
  • watched the wedding video 4 times
  • started planning a one year anniversary trip!

It’s hard to believe we’ve almost been married a  year!

Filed Under: update

On Being Married

July 7, 2011 7 Comments

First things first, I promise to go through and do a recap of the wedding events — once our professional photographer gets all 700 photos edited and returned to us. And there is no rushing that! I will not get in the way of a woman and her photos! (especially when they are of me!)

But as for now? Now Mike and I are enjoying being newlyweds, both with the summer off – to boot!  As a school teacher myself and Mike heading into his 2nd year of grad school: half of June, all of July and part of August are totally ours.  Jealous? Thought so! 

So you might be wondering how we fill the time?  Get your mind out of the gutter! Somehow, even though our wedding is over, the to-do list is still there!  The countless items we never made time to deal with and shoved in a pile in the corner, the dog who suddenly hates to go on walks, and the thank you notes (oh lawdy, the thank you notes) all get their dose of attention.  There are duplicate gifts to return and registry items to purchase with our “finish your registry for 10% off” coupons.  The kitchen table still needs uncovering/rediscovering, but eating in front of the TV continues to work, for now. 

All in all, Mike and I are relishing our time with each other.  Grocery shopping has a new spin when you’re lucky in love and doe-eyed.  The DVR is almost full but we make plenty of time to catch up on our shows (sidenote: how happy are you that True Blood is back?!). I can honestly say the world is silly-wonderful right now.  With no timeline or expectations, we love spending this treasured time with each other. 
And who could want anything more?

Filed Under: honeymoon, newlyweds, update

Checking In

June 18, 2011 7 Comments

I seem to wake up earlier than my alarm, every morning, these days.  No matter how much valium lulls me to sleep, I open my eyes to see that the clock has yet to even hit the hour of my rise-and-shine time.
That’s ok, though, because I can use that precious time to blog!
And take it all in.

A huge thank you goes out to Lara, who stayed with me while her man gallivanted with Mike and company on his bachelor party.  Having a cool headed, creative, meanwhile easy going and not related person with you leading up to your wedding is clutch.  Lara was just that. and then some.  This girls deserves a “putting up with a bride just before her wedding” medal, award, and recognition. 
So thank you, Lara!
(btw, I also plan on saying this in real life)

My good friend Ali was the first to arrive.  In the lobby of the hotel we stifled squee’s and our giddy excitement.  We enjoy happy hour, briefly, but long enough to reminisce and get some good stories out there.

Then my mom, dad, sister, brother in-law, and sweet nieces arrived. I about died of excitement then!  I took my mom, sis, and  4yo niece to get their nails done.  Let me just tell you: sparkle mani/pedis are the cutest things evah.

Meanwhile, trying to catch up with friends who flew all the way from London, we grabbed a bite and some drinks. 

OH oh, and what they say about eating: that you’ll have no time?  totally true.
Also my stomach goes from being in knots to non-existent, so there’s that too.

And if the last tangent didn’t illustrate such, there’s a heavy case of “wedding brain” going on right now.  It’s like ADD with a veil. 
Start this.
Walk over to work on this.
Remember that you need a check for this.
Go back to the first thing,
only to remember that there was something else about the other thing….

Right.
Someone told me to enjoy the craziness.
Because that’s exactly what it is: PURE exhilarated joy.
And I rather like it.

Now off to synagogue for our Auf Ruf!
(No post on that, no time, just go here: Aufruf)

I’m getting married tomorrow!

(please excuse anything wrong about this post. I checked for squiggly red lines under words. I clearly didn’t even re-read it.  There’s no time for anything! Only fun!!!!)
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Filed Under: awesomeness, besties, BlogBook, family, Judaism, Mike, party, update

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