Upon returning home from work tonight I found that my Mother had made TACOS for dinner. All ready, for when we got home. AND towels. CLEAN ones. I would write a post but I have some stuff to eat. Later.
Archive for July, 2007
She’s GREAT!
Thursday, July 19th, 2007An Email from John. Topic: Babynames.
Thursday, July 19th, 2007I think we should name our child: Whatever Something Hattaway and then, on her 16th birthday (or him) ask, “What do you want your name to be?” give them some paiote and send them in to the wilderness on a name quest for three days and when they come back repeat the question and legally change the name to whatever he/she/it/they/them/their discovered on their name quest.
He’s crazy. What’s paiote?
Maybe Some Eggs…
Thursday, July 19th, 2007Ahhh! We’re soooo close! And by the way, if any of you were looking forward to a post that did NOT contain something about the wedding, yeah…I had that as a goal at one point. But I give up. As of tomorrow, we’re 14 DAYS away! Seriously, that’s two TWO two weeks. I think everything is in place- to tell you the truth, I’ve had very little to do in all of this. I had the music selection, some choices to make, addresses to find, then there was the dress and the tux coordination, etc., but I think the Moms are doing all the hard stuff. I am very, very grateful for Moms, and think that everything is going to be a lot of fun.
Speaking of Moms, yes, mine is still here. She’ll be here now until she goes back to MA after the wedding. Aside from having a wee trouble working out comfy sleeping arrangements (which I think we’ve fixed) it’s all been good. She’s been going back and forth to the hospital every day, and made her final trip at about 4am this morning to say goodbye to her sister before she passed way. She didn’t quite make it in time, but had spent all of yesterday with her, and felt good about the time that she was there. She was able to have a bit of time with her before turning around and coming home, and after releasing pent-up feelings on my house in the form of cleaning and talking with me a bit (she and I are just alike, we just CLEAN when we’re nervous or sad or anything at all….) she laid down to take a nap and I left for work.
Aside from being rather exhausted today, and having my head absolutely swimming with arrangements for this, appointments for that, and worries about this, excitement for that, I’m doing well. I think I’m due for some good dinner (maybe breakfast, eggs and sausage!) and an early night with a good book. Perhaps I’ll convince my mom to take a spin around the mall with me and try to let John have some time to write, since tomorrow IS date night. Haha. We’ll see….
Boys are not pretty. Period.
Wednesday, July 18th, 2007Apparently, I am not meant to tell John that he has “pretty coloring.” We were sitting in my car eating at lunchtime (I brought him food because he’s been sick and I don’t trust him to eat enough to make himself well) and he was wearing an orange thermal shirt. It was only like, 98 degrees outside, or whatever, but he doesn’t feel good. Sometimes I like to get my face as close to his as I possibly can and look at him. It’s cute because he’ll close one eye and get all squinty, like he’s trying to see me but I’m too close. Today as I was hugging him goodbye, I did this, and noticed that he’s got a very nice combination of pale skin, freckles, blue/grey eyes, and red hair. So I told him the colors were pretty. I didn’t mean that he is pretty. He is handsome. Of course. But he told me that one day I’d learn how to describe these things accurately, preferably before I had a son who would go, “Moooommmm!!!” if I told him he was made up of pretty colors.
Full Steam Ahead!
Tuesday, July 17th, 2007We’re getting so close to August! I can’t believe how much there is to do! On top of all the last minute wedding stuff that needs done/decided/pondered/encouraged I also have quite a lot on my plate at work. We have a goal set to get 10 chapters and the book proposal done before I leave for the wedding. We’ve got 6 done, and I’ve been circling around 2 others and the proposal, trying to get my thoughts and all of the details together to make it work. I think today I got through quite a lot of the confusion, and we’re now closer to have 8 chapters and the proposal done, leaving me with two chapters to start this week and finish up next week. I was starting to feel the strain a bit, especially when one of my files was nowhere to be found. But things are under control, for now. My job will change a bit as school starts, allowing me to focus mainly on the book and the blogging work and less on admin duties (not that I actually do too much, now)- which will be great. It’s going to be rather interesting juggling school, work, and a new marriage (not put in order of importance) come September. Just another of life’s big adventures. I can’t WAIT to graduate. I’m really earnestly interested in getting this book going and learning more about the publishing arena. Grad school, yes, but not for a bit.
So, in house news, we’ve really started to get things set up! EVEN pictures on the walls! The painting arrived from home. It was kind of funny, my Mom packed it up, sent it off, and then beat it out here, and ended up opening the packages when they got here, too! I’m really excited to get the office set up. I really groove on home organization. That will probably be more of an “after the wedding” type situation. But you never know. We may rearrange Jonathan a bit before he goes to allow us to get the stuff we need to into that room. It’s becoming quite a full house! John’s migration continues. It was a good move, starting to move things over slowly. Now I’ve got plenty of time to cater to my obsessive compulsive need for everything to have a place. All we need are some DRAWERS.
So, tonight, I think I’m going to…well, I don’t know. I feel like there is so much to do, but most of it has to do with cleaning and buying desks and sending invites and thank you cards and la la la, and what I really want to do is relax a bit. So we’ll see what happens. Something will, I’m sure.
Mom’s Here
Monday, July 16th, 2007So! A little weekend update. I tend to stay away from my computer on the weekends, these days. Probably has something to do with being on one all day, every day, every other day of the week. Friday night we went to see the new Harry Potter. It was refreshing! Well, it was dark and a little scarier than I expected, but what I loved SO MUCH was that it didn’t go on for 45 hours trying to fit every nuance of the book in for the “die hard” fans. I feel like the story was represented in a way that was interesting and fun, and I didn’t feel tired at the end. Good job..er, Harry Potter people. Saturday I had a fabulous Bridal Shower. Megan and Alicia made wonderful food and came up with fun games to play. Some mission girls showed up, and some of the locals. It was odd being the center of attention, but it was a lot of fun. I’m so grateful that these girls are here and willing to do that for me! We’re having round two on the 1st of August, when all the moms and sisters will be in town. I’m excited for everyone to get to meet everyone else! The rest of Saturday…um, I don’t remember. I think John and I went for a walk? We’ve been walking up in the canyon quite a lot lately. Watched a movie on the futon? Drove around with my brother? I’ll give it a think and let you know if I have any recollection of what we did. Sunday, however, I remember. Picked up my Mom at the airport in SLC- she’s flown in earlier than expected (she was originally coming on the 27th for the wedding) because her oldest sister is dying. It was kind of sudden, and we’re not sure what happened, but she’s probably got a couple days left. It’s been hard to watch my mom go through the loss of another sister, and then there’s all the family politics and craziness that play up during times like this- but I’m glad we’re here for her. She’ll be staying with us now until the wedding…which is (hold on let me check) 17 days away! So, needless to say, the plate’s a bit full at the moment. Although it’s sad circumstances that brought her out, I can’t help but be glad my Mom’s here now. I’m excited for her to have some more time with John, and to see some things in Utah. Plus, it’s just nice having her around to talk to about stuff. I’ve got a good one :)
Blue River Runnin’ Slow and Lazy
Thursday, July 12th, 2007It’s RAINING. It’s raining. It’s raining. I cannot tell you how happy this makes me. As I was driving Jonathan to work this morning (he works landscaping) I said, “What will you do if it rains?” I meant, “Will you need to be picked up because your job is an outside job,” but he responded thoughtfully and seriously, “I will prance around like a gazelle. One of the small, light ones.” And that’s what you get when you stick two New England kids in a desert and expect them to get by with cool showers and lots of lotion. Actually, that was my first tip off this morning. I woke up, and didn’t immediately run for the lotion in an attempt to rehydrate my hands and face. Sometimes I wake up feeling so dry I think if I move to quickly I’ll crack and fall on the floor in a little pile of dust. Ok, maybe that’s taking it too far. But, anyway, I’m very, very happy that it’s raining. I hope it lasts past noon. I’m wondering if it’ll even last an hour.
So yes, everyone, I picked up the dress. It is currently hanging on the wall in my bedroom on a hook specifically installed for this purpose. When we picked it up yesterday, I was soooo nervous. It’s definitely fitted. It’s definitely heavy. So- I’ve started a new “be strong enough to wear the dress” program. It sounds silly- but I need to walk more and go to the gym a little more (meaning at all) so as to not be huffing and puffing around in this thing. It fits- but I don’t want to Dorito myself out of a dress in a month- so I’m going to be a little better about the millions of chips and peanut butter cups I usually consume daily. But it’s pretty. So pretty. It makes me feel pretty. I’m very, very happy.
My Mom is also sending me out a print of the painting we’ve chosen as the theme for our wedding, it’s Chagall’s Three Candles. We’re going to use it at the reception (my mom also used it for the stamps on the invites…she’s a crafty one), but then just have it at our house when we’re done. It’s so beautiful, what a good mom, huh? She’s also sending me out my map of my mission area in England and some lace that we had framed when I got home last year. This home is going to get decorated, yet!
I have to say, for the record, that I feel like the luckiest girl in the universe right now. Too many good things, a fiance who I LOVE, who cracks me up and and makes me think and supports me in all of my desires and endeavors, a brother who loves me enough to brave utter dehydration to spend a couple months with me before I get married, parents who understand and love me, and support my life choices, AND, ON TOP OF ALL THAT my new expanding family is loving and supportive and wonderful as well. Oh yes, and don’t forget a cozy, attractive place to live and good friends (the soul kind) scattered from coast to coast. Don’t know what I did to get it so good, but I’m happy about it.
Ok. I think I’m done running at the mouth about how I love my life right now.
Wednesday Means We’re in the Middle
Wednesday, July 11th, 2007So, on my way to work today- FOUR cops. Where were they yesterday when I needed them?? John is sick today :( I had a pretty uncomfortable stomach problem, a little bit on Sunday, mostly on Monday- it felt just random enough to be some sort of bug, and now I think I’ve passed it on to the man that I love. We’ve got to stop that!
So, last night, the salad went over just fine. I saw some people eating it, and then I purposefully didn’t even look at it as I was leaving so that I didn’t have to know how good it ended up being. The party was nice, and I did get to know a couple of new people. Mostly, though, I talked love and marriage with the girl who lives upstairs. I think it bores people pretty quickly to hear me drone on and on about how I’m nervous about this, excited about that, can’t wait to go to Maine blah blah blah, but get two recently married/engaged girls together, and they can talk the subject to death without offending anyone. Tonight I’m off to pick up my dress (hopefully, as along as it’s all set and ready to go, and fits well) and go out to dinner with Megan and Alicia. We’ll finish planning the shower, and just have a little girl time. It’s funny, I was explaining to Alicia on Saturday that at first when we’d go out, I’d think about John the whole time and really just want to go home. Even if we ended up doing absolutely NOTHING, I just wanted to be near him. Now, I feel like that compulsion has calmed down a bit. Will I miss being around him tonight? Yes, but I can still go out and spend some time with friends. Plus (and this is actually important) it gives him time to write. We’ve both expressed concern that by being together every second of every day (except for when we’re at work, of course) we limit his time and ability to concentrate on his writing. If he wants to be a writer, he needs to write. He’s got a new “secret” project going on right now. He seems to be making pretty good progress, and that’s kind of exciting. That is that. So, I need to find ways to distract myself. It’s good. Progression.
So yeah, that’s the morning-time update. Perhaps, more later.
GRIPE and other general stuff
Tuesday, July 10th, 2007I swear, I should have never entered my car today. It all started trying to get out of my driveway (we won’t get into the wonders of a shared driveway) and then extended to a crazy man pulling a U-Turn, crossing in front of me and STOPPING while I was traveling at a very legal 50 mph. It was almost BAD. OR the OTHER man who decided that his desire to take a left at a light was stronger than the LAW giving me the right of way to go straight. Almost two collisions later, I’m home. And I’m getting a ride to the Relief Society activity tonight. It’s a swim party. And I’m meant to bring a salad. So, as I’m standing in the grocery store I realise that I have NO IDEA what “salad” means. Do they mean lettuce and carrots, or are we talking about potatoes and mush? I opted for potatoes and mush. So…yeah…I considered backing out of this little evening a few times for fear of being judged because of my inability to actually a) make something myself and b) know what they were talking about in the first place. (Why don’t they make those sign up lists more specific?) But, I can’t hide behind my lack of domestic talent. We’ll see how this goes…
Just Another Day
Monday, July 9th, 2007I opened this application not knowing AT ALL what to write today. It’s been a good day. Went to work. Did work. Ran by Costco. Came home. I think I got quite a lot of sleep last night- maybe even too much, I had some incredibly distressing dreams. Made me start my day in a wee funk.
The rest of the weekend was good. Looking back, not sure what we did. Actually, Saturday night we went to see Transformers. It was really, really good. It was a fun movie to watch. Lately when we’ve gone to the movies I’ve sat there thinking to myself, “When is this going to be over?” If I didn’t have a soda or some candy to keep me occupied, the experience was a bust. (Hence the reason I REALLY didn’t enjoy Fantastic Four…besides the fact that it just sucked.) Sunday we had our final meetings with clergy types in preparation for marriage. At least, I think we’re done.
We went on a walk tonight up the Canyon. It’s always nice to just walk and talk over our day and make plans about the wedding and next semester. Now we’re just ‘laxing the night away. Hopefully no more weird dreams tonight!
