Kacey stole my post title

So all day, I had "Tis the season" in my head. Not very creative, but honest to the day.

Then my own Caboose used that in a post she published on her blog today! Great minds, I guess.

So instead, I'll just say, what an amazing day.

In short:
We decorated for Christmas. (We still have to put the ornaments on the tree, though) We re-arranged the living room and it's just so cozy now, we both absolutely love it. Scott's been wandering around the rooms just saying, "I love our house" over and over today.

My friend Ashley and her boyfriend Tyler came out to our neck of the woods and then the four of us went out for lunch and some exploring of a nearby quaint town. Such good company!

Then, our friends Ryan, Ruby and Ruby's 4-year-old Jayda came out to the house. I had a lot of fun getting eskimo kisses from Jayda and planning New Year's Eve adventures with Ruby.

Scott and I are wrapping up our day with some cuddles on the couch before bed.

Tomorrow, we decorate the tree and have two couples over for dinner. Can't wait!

Tis the season. :-)

Thankful Time

Scott and I have been married for two months today! What a neat Thanksgiving and what an opportunity to be thankful for our love and friendship and everything that comes along with that.

We're hosting his parents and grandparents for the second year in a row for Thanksgiving dinner and that reminds me that I am also thankful for Scott's family (now MY family, too) and their support throughout our relationship. It's comforting to know that while my family is so far away, we still have loved ones who would do anything to help us.

Our dining room table is all set downstairs and the kitchen awaits cramped spaces and delicious smells this afternoon. I'm thankful for our home as well. We work hard to keep it cozy and lovely and I think it shows. We love to entertain in it and both look forward to coming home whenever we leave.

Normally at 10:20 a.m. on a Thursday, I'd be hunched over my computer typing a story or on the phone with an interview. I'm extremely grateful that I have a day off. (You have no idea!) However, I love my job and am grateful for the opportunity to tell people's stories. I've written several "good-news" stories lately, which helps the morale a bit, too.

My inbox features e-mails from friends and loved ones; my recent calls on the caller ID includes several of their names, too. I'm incredibly lucky to have so many people who make every bit -- and sometimes more -- of an effort that I do to maintain our closeness through distance and long weeks and months between our visits.

There are a million more gratitudes I say silently to myself every day, and those I especially remember on Thanksgiving.

It's not just football games (though I will be watching) and turkey (though I will be gorging myself on the bird)... it's gratitude, thanks and love. And I have all of that today.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

The Wedding Room

We used to have a living room.
Now it's a wedding room.

Wedding photos everywhere.

Having a 16x20-size version of myself was a much better idea before I could see my pores from the sofa.

However, I love it. We filled up our mantel, above it and beside it with photos of us, our friends and family on our most specialest day.

(It also matches our Engagement Stairway, courtesy of photographer Kelly V).

Speaking of Ms. Talent V.... she's interested in doing a "Mess the Dress" artsy shoot with me in my dress... either under or near water for a spectacular photo to add to her catalogue. Thoughts??? There's always cleaning and preservation, right? :-)

Hubby brownie points

My husband is even more fantastic than I knew!

It's Sunday morning and Scott wakes up before I do, probably due to the dogs begging to go outside, which I never hear. I guess he decides to stay up and be super-cute, because the next thing I know, it's about an hour later.

I've stolen his side of the bed and am curled up underneath ALL of the covers when I hear him clanking up the stairs.

Quiet, the non-morning person thinks to herself.

Then, a peek at the alarm. Grrr, it's only 9:30 a.m.! I remain silent.

Next, I hear him opening the curtains. Clearly you've lost your mind, boy! I think to myself.

But suddenly I smell.. wait, is that pancakes??? And coffee?!

Yes, yes it is.
Breakfast in bed from my husband. What a surprise!
(And it was absolutely delicious, too!)

Whiny Wendy

Let me say this:

I am excited to gain a new, bright, AWESOME office through Scott's ongoing renovation project.
I am, however, sick of paint fumes and my MIA husband.

I love my job, I really do. I feel that I am getting better and better at it, especially recently.
I have, however, sold my soul to the paper. And I'd like it back.

I am thankful for all of the wonderful presents we received for our wedding.
But people should know my gratitude is immense. I shouldn't have to write the same message over and over 120 times. And NO(!) I have NOT finished our thank-you cards, despite losing my husband to drywall. I sold my soul, remember?

I am so grateful for friends. I have reconnected with old (not as in age), special ones (bridesmaids, this is you). I have gained fantastic new ones (Emily, Jess). Gotten closer to semi-old ones (Ashley, you're totally in this category!).
Part of me, suddenly, feels like I have this huge disconnect with them now. I don't know what to talk about now that I can't blab about wedding dresses, stepmother's toasts and slideshow catastrophes. We're a married couple renovating our house. And we have nothing to share right now. We're boring. Dull. Tired. Secretive.

I'm actually focused, for the first time ever perhaps, not on the future and definitely not on the past. I'm all present, man. But I think too much. I'm running around in circles and at the top point of that cycle is always a funk.

And seriously, feeling sick for an entire week with NO relief or change of symptoms?! How can a person have no sniffles and no fever and just be blah, achy, tired, tired and TIRED?! What medicine do you take for tired? I'm getting LOTS of sleep -- and I've even napped a time or two. But I feel like crap. My leg randomly went pins-and-needles last night while walking through Lowes (to get items for the renovation project, of course -- for the third time!)... first my ankle, then my shin. It was up to my knee area in the car and when I sat on the couch, it shot up to my crotch. Awesomeness. It was gone this morning, but now I'm just back to the old symptoms -- times about 12 on the horrible scale.

Sorry for Whiny Wendy.
I'll try to bring someone else to the next post. This chick isn't welcome.


** Special thank-you to Jeannine and Ashley for your e-mails today. They were the glorious sunbeams of my cloudy-brain day. I love you both.

This must be married life.

While Scott was doing this....





























I was making this...

"You just try to keep moving forward..."

 My job never ceases to introduce me to fascinating people.

I interviewed a really sweet family today. A family who oozed strength and love.

My subject for my next spotlight story for the paper is a 79-year-old woman who less than a year ago, following a debilitating stroke around Christmas, was told (well, her family was told), that she may never say anything other than 'yes' or 'no' and that they should prepare for the worst.

Well she really showed them.

She made complete, clear, easy-to-understand sentences during our interview today. Better yet? She knew dates, time periods and names quicker than anyone else in the room. And she had a super sense of humor, too. Gosh, she was so quick!

Her husband kept petting her affectionately, calling her "Mom" and "Babes."
"This is my sweetheart," he said with a smile.

After all they've been through, he said he would do it all over again, because that's just what you do for the "prettiest lady in town."

Gosh, this is love, I thought, in its truest and most beautiful form. To Hell and back and still using pet names and looking at the other person with deep love.

That will be Scott and me in 40 or 50 or 60 years, I thought. No matter the funks, the sorrows, the disappointments, we will be best friends and companions through it all. Because that's how we've made it work so far. And because our friendship is at the core of our relationship and love.

Hit us with your best shot, world. I'd do it all over again if I had to.

Talkin' 'bout a Sunday drive on a Friday

I have just gotten so ridiculously awful at blogging lately. Please forgive me. It's the Wedding Mind Syndrome thingy.

Anyway... on Sunday... sigh, FIVE days ago, Scott and I went for an impromptu drive.

In the first couple years of our relationship, we used to frequently go for rides around the area, especially as I was still getting acquainted with 'the country.' I learned towns and back roads and we got to have some really intimate conversations about ourselves and our future along these streets and highways.

An essential part of our trips was, like in most places and times in my life, my camera. I captured endless self-portraits of the two of us -- me grinning like a fool and Scott half-smiling, half-driving (thank goodness!).

It's been a long time since our last little road trip, but on Sunday, we just did it. Forgot about the to-do list and the phone calls, e-mails and errands. We just got in my man's manly truck and off we went.

Three-plus hours and three states later and it was just.like.old.times.

Here's a peek at our journey, at least before my camera battery died somewhere in West Virginia and at between 50 and 70 mph.  Starting at our house (!), including Maryland and West Virginia scenery and the always-exciting mini-Tabasco bottle at a convenience store along the way.

This love is fireproofed.

"Fireproof doesn't mean the fire will never come. It means when the fire comes that you will be able to withstand it."

Our friend Ruby told us about this movie at a gathering in Pittsburgh a month or so ago.
"You guys have to see this movie," she said after we were complaining about little stress-inspired spats and being busy with wedding plans. "It's going to change you. It's amazing."

We nodded, smiled, went about our drinking games. I forgot about it, truth be told.
Later that week, however, Scott, being a curious guy and a good friend, found the movie when he was shopping for something or other, brought it home and set it on the dining room table.

It moved from there to the coffee table. Then to next to the TV in the living room. Then underneath the TV. Last week, I put it in the cabinet where we store our video games and Rock Band paraphernalia.

We're too busy, I thought. And I grimaced a bit when I saw that it was sort of religious-y.

Today, after HOURS of tying ribbons on bubbles and filling out thank-you cards (and DAYS of cleaning/organizing the house in preparation for my family's visit later this week), we decided we would try to make some time to relax this evening. I suggested a game or maybe watching a show on TV.

Scott surprised me and suggested a movie.
Oooooh, I thought, thinking about my unwrapped '08 Oscars movies (Rachel Getting Married... Doubt... so many choices!).
But Scott wanted to watch this movie.

I was hesitant but too tired to argue.

The movie stars Kirk Cameron (good start, right??) as a firefighter (even better, right?!) captain in the beginnings of the end of his marriage. His father gives him a dare to try out before he signs any divorce papers and gives up. It's a 40-day love dare, aimed at remembering what love is all about and how to get back to the goosebumps-in-your-stomach wheezy feeling.

The wife in the movie ignores or distrusts the first few weeks' dares (as simple as not saying anything negative... studying the other person all over again... etc.). But the husband never gives up.

And I'm not telling you anymore.

When the movie ended, I was in a sweaty, teary ball in a corner of the couch. Scott held me as tight as possible -- almost to the point where I couldn't breathe -- and then I realized he had been crying himself.

I've only ever seen him cry two times before -- both of them involved the loss of a loved one. This was a different kind of cry. A special kind I really cherish.

This movie did something to us, even if it was just wake us up to acknowledge what we had been taking for granted.

Scott grabbed the phone minutes after the credits finished rolling to call Ruby and thank her for recommending the movie.

At the last wedding we went to, the pastor gave the couple a small crucifix/cross and told them that whenever their marriage or communication should hit a hurdle one should place that cross on the pillow of the other person to let them know they needed to work on their love.

I think we'll place the Fireproof DVD on each other's pillows instead.

And the best part, for all of you shaking your heads or yawning?
We found out after watching the movie that we have exactly 40 days until our wedding.
40.

I believe. If in nothing else, I believe in our love. And our future.
And boy do I love.

Love is not a fight, but it's something worth fighting for.

Just about time to celebrate being a bachelorette -- Part One

I leave tonight for what I'm sure will be a fun-filled bachelorette par-tay weekend in New Jersey.

There will be a group of my closest friends, sun (hopefully), laughter, and more than my fair share of feather boas, as well as a bridal shower one day.

My bridesmaids have been FANTASTIC in their planning and secret-keeping and I am really looking forward to leaving tonight. I'm packed with enough clothes to last me two weeks or more and I'm so happy!

BUT.
I just went through what is likely going to be the hardest part of this weekend. I had to say goodbye to Scott.

I'll more than likely leave the house before he gets home from work tonight and he's not one to call a million times when I'm away, so we probably won't be having any deep convos until Monday night when I return.

And that's fine. My ultra-feminist side screams out amid the smoke from my burning bra and says I don't need a man to make me happy, damnit.

And I don't.
But Scott just honestly and naturally makes me so happy with so little ease. He's my other half for sure, and I doubt I'd even need a bachelorette party, or a wedding for that matter, if he didn't complete me. (Oh, you Jerry Maguire fans just high-fived one another thinking about that scene.)

Plus, my usually non-sappy fiance got way too deep just before we went to sleep last night, telling me to have a blast but that he'll miss me a lot.

Aww.
He likes me, he really likes me!!!

All my bags are packed, I'm ready to go. I'm standing here outside your door. I hate to wake you up to say goodbye. But the dawn is breakin'...

A Wimbledon to call our own

When Scott and I bought our home, it was a quick gut-feeling blur of signing papers. We were at the realtor within half an hour of our first --and only-- tour. Said tour only lasted 15 minutes, too.

We spent months trying to remember the different rooms and built-ins and trying to imagine the amount of work that laid ahead of us.

One thing we noticed but didn't quite check out thoroughly was the tennis court -- yes, I'm so serious -- in our backyard. We knew it was there, thought it was cool, and totally disregarded the 80 years of ivy, weeds, dirt, mud and a bunch of what-is-this crap.

We were just thrilled that we had this cool "bonus" on our property. We took up tennis two summers ago on a whim and while we are not quite Venus and Serena, we enjoy it and know enough about the rules to keep score.

We set out in April to clear it out, thinking we would have it done within a week, the summer becoming our personal tennis grand slam.
We just finished this weekend. And it's really only a semi-finish. We still need to paint lines, pull some more weeds and patch up some rough spots.

BUT! It has a net! And there are no major tree limbs or other obstructions to start a catastrophe of emergency room possibilities.

We have to thank our friend Ben, because honestly without hours upon hours of his own sweaty time, it would be a long way from semi-finished.

We played in the dusk the other day; the three of us struggling to even see the yellow ball between the impending darkness and our exhaustion from hours of sweeping and ghetto-rigging the net (hint: empty beer bottles are being used).

So today, once Scott got home and I finished some stories for work, we went frolicking up our back sidewalk, rackets in hand to play our first official game as significant others on our super-awesome-in-our-backyard-cant-believe-its-(semi)done tennis court.

And yes, I actually have serious-looking tennis outfits. I like to pretend my tennis racket-embroidered Nike apparel will distract my opponents from my un-awesome skills.

We had a couple of minor interruptions -- well, namely a fire call I had to listen to for about 20 minutes before returning -- and without a full fence around the entire perimeter we chase quite a few stray balls -- but we got through one match.

And for the record, I won. 6-2.

A picture is worth a thousand words...

Our engagement photo session on Friday went amazingly. From the minute we arrived at Kelly's house, we were comfortable, excited and just plain ole happy.

For only being at this full-time for a couple of months, Kelly has really figured things out. Her studio configuration in the upstairs portion of her house worked really well and from the first stop in her backyard through her town and then back to her home, I was constantly surprised by her eye.

One minute, it looks like a cool stone wall. Four days later, in a photo, our backdrop looks way better than me and Scott. :-)

We got our invitation to view her photos online and I've already browsed through them half a dozen times... (and have invited pretty much every loved one with an e-mail address to do the same).

The photos are great. Some of them bring me back to the absolute purest love Scott and I have shared... those days before wedding planning and taking care of a house and five animals. Friends and family have already written me back telling me their favorites and raving about different photos.

I have too many favorites to choose prints just yet.

There are several where Scott and I are just looking at each other with 100 percent love and adoration. (gag, I know.)

There are a few that show off my left hand bling in such a lovely way.

And there are soooo many of the two of us just being goofballs and laughing our way through poor Kelly's evening. But I guess that means we had fun!

Some of my favorite moments also included Scott getting prodded to actually give a decent teeth-y smile and to focus on his posture. You bet I'm still teasing him about that one. And I just loved our impromptu dance twirling at one point.

Kelly's beautiful photos have brought me and Scott back to the very beginning and to that love we have been taking for granted for far too long now.

Now what event can we make up to get more photos taken???

I'm too busy for a normal blog life right now.

And I don't have kids and am not even married yet. This ought to go downhill quickly.

Anyway, I am alive -- and well, for the most part, despite allowing some half-bitch crazy woman into my soul for a few days. Scott is glad that said bitch is on at least a one-month vacation (more likely three for me.)

I digress.

Wedding plans are going well. We are joyfully collecting our RSVPs and especially enjoying the comments some of our loved ones are putting on them.
Example 1: My friend Drew writes "Mr. Drew Lastname, CPA" in honor of his newly-established title.
Example 2: Scott's friend Ryan draws an arrow to the "Mr.", writing "That stands for Master" on a corner of the card.

The bridesmaid dresses have arrived! I totally confiscated three of them for delivery at Super Secret Wedding Weekend coming up in two weeks. I can't fit into any of the three I have (darn you, you thin gorgeous model-like bridesmaids!) but that doesn't stop me from using every possible opportunity to go into our guest room and just look/drool at/on them.

Flowers, centerpieces and favors are all decided on. Phew. Such little details take SO much brainpower.

In other news, Scott and I have been taking time to enjoy our home and each other by having game nights (It had been so long since we did any activity other than sleep that we forgot how much fun playing a 9 years and older game could be.)

Our tennis court is almost at completion. After months of staring at thick ivy and then piles of ivy, wood, and other debris, I can finally peer out of my office window and see concrete. It's amazing. We just need some lines painted, some dirt pressure-washed the heck out of this yard and our net to arrive before I start beating Scott with my cute little tennis outfits I purchased on a splurge last summer when I wasn't preparing for marriage, family or a FUTURE.

Animals are good. I would say more, but all of their cuteness is totally negated by knocking over and then eating bathroom trash and using our hardwood floors as a bathroom because we are outside dealing with aforementioned three-foot deep ivy.

Work is work.
I have nothing to say there. Nothing I can, at least. :-) I've been really busy and I love my job and am proud of the work I'm doing. I guess that's all I could hope for, really.

We have a fun and busy weekend coming up.
Tonight, Scott has a play-off softball game for the church league here. He loves his baseball/softball and I'm glad he can go and get that manly time. I'll probably sit at home with a glass of wine, reading on the front porch or something else that is equally exciting for a lady such as myself.

Tomorrow, co-worker Kelly is going to take engagement photos of us! She just started a photography career on the side and she's willing to risk that career by snapping photos of two stressed and over-tired individuals who have to remind each other that they love each other and that despite the fact that being engaged can suck, they should probably have photographic proof that they survived through it. I am looking forward to it. She has a great eye and I'm just so excited that she's excited!

Then, on Saturday, Scott and I, as well as a couple of his friends, are heading out to Pittsburgh to enjoy another friend's picnic as well as hotel complete with in-room whirlpool tub. I really am excited for the picnic, but did you see that part where there's a whirlpool in our room??? Relaxation, my friends, is the key to survival in this crazy life.

Well, Scott's on his way to work and I'm on my way to my two-hour morning nap.

Make all the Jersey jokes you want.

As a Jersey Girl through and through, nothing makes me quite so happy as returning to the land of Turnpike exits, thick accents, the glorious shore and malls every 10 miles.

For the first time in SIX MONTHS (!) I am heading to Jersey this weekend. I'll be staying with my mom's sister, Aunt Alice, Friday and Saturday and will make a stop to see my dad and family Sunday on my way home.

I'm heading out by myself this trip, only because we couldn't find anyone to watch the pets, but also to a: let Scott get some things done around the house and b: to give me and my aunt some one-on-one time.

My aunt and I hope to figure out wedding favors (she's helping with those) and to pick out a dress for her to wear at a super-special occasion on Sept. 26. :-) Other than that, I can almost guarantee there will be hot dogs from world, er Bayonne-famous Petridis, down the block from where my mom's family grew up, some laughs and several bottles of wine.

I desperately need a Wendy Time-out (part of the reason for my lack of blogs lately) and there's no better place in the world for me to do that than my ole home state.

Of course, I will most definitely miss Scott.
Don't laugh, but we actually have not been three days apart since the very beginning of our relationship... say, three years ago! It's not a big deal, I know, but in a way, it sort of is. We manage to be together much of the time without being joined at the hip. And we have a great "friend" relationship, too. Of course, I'll be ditching him two more times before our wedding -- for some bachelorette party/bridal shower shenanigans in early August and then of course the night before the nuptials.
Absence makes the heart grow fonder, right??? :-)

My car has new brakes -- and a new horn! (Ask me sometime about how I broke.my.horn)
Scott even cleaned ye olde Santa Fe!

I'm packed. (sort of)

I have my Bruce Springsteen CD in the player in my car, ready to go.

I am ready.
The Jersey Girl shall return!

Born to run, born to love

Today, Scott and I took Proud for a greyhound Summer Blast, or as we called it, his reunion. The group that we adopted him from in January holds this annual get-together for greyhounds and their owners (or two-legged friends as they're called).

There were more than 120 hounds at the park today, from several different states. Some of the retired racers were just off the track looking for homes; others were getting up there in age or had injuries and illnesses. All of them were just lovebugs though.

Including our normally socially awkward fella.

Proud marched his way to every. SINGLE. dog, head-butted them and gave them the 'greyhound handshake' (a good, effective sniff to the crotch and/or butt), making friends wherever he went. He was so overwhelmed by everything going on (vet advice, shopping at vendors, an obstacle course, a costume parade) that he didn't lay down one time.

I don't think there are many types of dogs... wait, many species in general that would be friendly, calm and sweet enough to surround themselves with all those dogs, all that commotion and all that ear-scratching and pull it off successfully.

Scott and I both said aftewards how much the event made us appreciate the breed and, of course, our Proud Man.

The best part?
The group 'roo.'

Basically, they lined up a large amount of the dogs at the end of the event and got a few of them to start their version of a bark, which is sort of a half-whine, werewolf-like yelp up to the sky. Within seconds, every single normally-quiet animal was trying out their vocal chords. Proud kept looking up at me and Scott like "Wait, are you sure this is allowed? Is this cool?"

Finally, Scott got down near Proud and made the sound (sort of ) himself. Proud lurched his big nose into the air and joined in on the "roo."

And it absolutely melted his Momma's heart.

Delirious from writing my zip code 135 times

I haven't written in a few days and it has nothing to do with whether or not I have anything to say and more with how much I've lost my mind each night after between one and four hours of working on invitations before I fall asleep and drool on our pretty little wedding-themed stamps.

All sense of control was lost when my first purple glittery pen died after 20 invitations. Carelessness took over the first time I put a stamp on upside-down and remained through soaking our self-pity in the always-handy Yuengling.

It is really exciting to be taking the time out -- together, as a couple (Yay, Scott!) -- and adding our own little bit of extra time and effort with hand-written return envelopes and main ones; wondering if the aunt in Georgia really will make the trip and smiling over the loved ones from New Jersey, New York, Florida and Arizona who have already booked their hotel rooms.

We're so happy. So excited.

Last weekend's wedding really got us anxious for our own, and now I feel like things have gone into a bit of a slow-motion watching-from-afar TV movie moment. Complete with various size envelopes and cute little RSVP cards.

It's sort of this waiting period. Waiting for the bridesmaid dresses to arrive. Waiting to send out the invites so that we can wait to hear back from people.

I am so happy; so amazingly content.
I hope it's the beginning of a long, long lifetime of said contentment.

With all due respect, a lifetime with no more bells and rings and ... stamps.

I only took wedding and reception photos until about 7 p.m.

Because after that, I was too drunkified.
Or too busy dancing? Catching bouquets ? Doing the YMCA? Making nice with the bartender? Embarrassing my fiance?

All of the above?





The soon-to-be couple, Nick and Erin.

T-minus 18 or so hours at this point.


















Scott testing out his groomsmen gift.
Engraved with his initials, too.
















Nick's really thoughtful, sweet note to Scott.
(I loved the part about how awesome I am!)














Bill's girlfriend, Sarah, enjoys a dirty martini with me after the rehearsal dinner.














Self-portrait of a lady in red.



















Isn't he handsome???




















Almost husband and wife!


















Bubbles outside the church.
I definitely have a crush on the one groomsmen.



















3.5 months to go!
I really, really can't wait.










Congrats to Nick and Erin!
Hooray for love!!!

Time-out for suckers

Today is a day off of work for me. Usually, I would be elated for some make-up-less days in pj's or sweats, with nothing on the agenda but a good book or a couple of items on the to-do list. But I'm half-ticked this time because my day off is the result of being semi-suckered into working Saturday, a day when I was planning on going home to NJ and spending it at a family picnic with my aunt, whose birthday is Sunday.

I guess it just wasn't meant to be.
Or I'm just a sucker.

I've already tackled one thing on my to-do list, and that involved sleep -- and lots of it. After Internet-ing it for a little bit, it's time to close the laptop lid and move far, far away -- you know, to downstairs or something.

I've had a pile of books on the floor next to my bed that I look longingly at every night. Hopefully I can at least cradle one of those in my hands for a bit today.

If the weather stays decent (dark, menacing clouds are overhead currently) I may tackle the weeds that I have successfully been growing in my gardens. And if I can figure out how to turn on the lawn mower, I may just get that out of the way for Scott.
Or maybe not.

::Does rain dance::

Hopefully Scott and I can get some time together tonight, although this morning he was already rattling off who we can invite over and what we can do tonight. Sigh. Is it too much to ask for a little one-on-one time that doesn't involve household chores?

Tomorrow, Scott has a day-long bachelor party for one of his childhood friends who's getting married next month and who will be a groomsman at our wedding.

And I'll be...
working. YUCK.
Although If I get out of the office in time, I just might make the wife-to-be's bachelorette party.

Five Guys... or maybe just one particularly handsome guy

This photo was taken at a local AA baseball game Tuesday that was eventually rained out -- but not before we could travel 40 minutes, tour the facilities looking for an ATM that was found -- and out of order. We then had a slice of crappy pizza, bought with the team's "Coins" that we got with Scott's credit card in the gift shop in place of ATM money. Scott is embarrassed.















Today, Scott and I decided to embark on one of our little drives, with the goal of finding fabric so I could fancy-up the benches in our breakfast nook and mud room. We had a splendid time and even went a little nuts (yes, bad joke) at a Five Guys restaurant -- if you've never eaten there, you have to try it. We really enjoyed ourselves. It was good to get away and just be goofy, laidback selves for a bit.









I love this man.

Jeopardy! blunders

So, let me preface this by saying I know how lame we are.

The only show we regularly DVR anymore is Jeopardy. Ever since we were first together, it just sort of became one of our things to do for fun. It actually started when Scott and I lived with his parents, as a little something fun we could all do for half an hour after dinner.

But of course I'm too competitive to let anything be just plain fun. There have to be rules. Like no one can call out a Final Jeopardy question until the music stops. I actually walked out of the room once because Scott's dad called answers out like three days in a row.

"That's cheating! I KNEW that answer, anyway! Hmrph!"

Scott and I have been lacking in the correct answers lately, however. And they're not just stupid, they're hysterical.

Such as...

Category: FIVE-letter words
Clue: This is shouted by ER staff before putting the paddles of a defibrillator to a patient...
Scott: CHARGE!
(We know use the word 'charg' as often as possible in our sentences)

Category: (I don't remember)
Clue: This sacred river in India...
Wendy: The Ghandis!
Answer: Ganges (I should get points for being close)

Category: Take a ride (or something)
Clue: This such-and-such ride is found in such-and-such Austrian city amusement park.
(simultaneously...)
Wendy: Melbourne!
Scott: Sydney!
Answer: Vienna.
::Long pause::
(Scott tells me later that if that wasn't bad enough, he actually thought for a minute, 'Wow, there's a Vienna in Australia?!??')

Category: Co__ed (words begin with CO and end with ED)
Clue: To form a clot
Wendy: Clotted!
Scott: Dumbass!