Weekend Review {09/16}

FRIDAY

School and work on Friday.  I was doing some computer troubleshooting before I left work and ended up leaving almost an hour later than I had intended.  Ugh.  Because of that, I only did a short session at the gym and headed home. 

My new Brooks arrived anddddd they will be going back.  Yes, they are comfortable, but the tongues on these shoes look like some 1990s kicks and I just cannot with that.  I mean.. WHHYYYY??  I do love those laces though, butttt they would never be effective running shoes laces.  I had planned on using these as walking shoes, but I don't love them, so they are going back.  #NotSorry

I gave Teh German the option of staying home or going out for dinner and we ended up staying home and having frozen pizza for dinner.  I was disappointed at first, because I had kinda planned on us going out (as that's usually what we do), buttt it ended up being fine that we stayed home.  We watched Thor: Ragnarok and were lazy.

After the movie, it was bedtime.

SATURDAY

We didn't have plans Saturday until the evening, but we still got up by 0730 because Meri is an asshole.  Teh PT Wife invited us over for 2nd breakfast since Teh NY Chef needed guinea pigs for a breakfast casserole she had made.  BRT.

After socializing for a little bit, we headed back home, made ourselves publicly presentable, and took care of the grocery shopping at Lidl.  I picked up our one of two Halloween/fall decoration pieces: a pumpkin.  I'm interested to see how long this one lasts, because Roux's Humom loves when I put out pumpkins on the front porch for months and months at a time.  HAH!

I wanted a white one, but I didn't want to dig for it..
Sooo, we came home with green.

After we got home from Lidl, it was time to start getting ready for the wedding we were to attend.  I tried to be fancy-casual, like I do.  It was an outside wedding and I knew that my hair would just be big if it left it down, so I googled "easy updos" for some ideas.  When I saw the bun, I knew I was in business, as I kept my hair donut from my Navy days. 

You see, some people roll up a sock, but socks get SUPER heavy when they get wet (from wet hair) and after hanging from your head for many hours..  so I actually purchased a sock donut which kinda looks like a plastic kitchen/dishes scrubber.  Anyways, it's light and doesn't retain water, so it's kinda perfect and I'm well trained in the sock bun life, so this was the easiest "fancy" hair style I could possibly do.

If you're not taking back-of-the-head selfies to ensure full donut coverage, are you even bunning?

We made it a few minutes later than we wanted to arrive, but still early, so it was fine.  Teh German and I both were running behind by a few minutes, so it wasn't really anyone's fault.  When we sat down for the ceremony, we watched the rain clouds (which we had driven through) roll in and when it started to rain and the ceremony hadn't started yet, the guests headed back to the house for cover.  When the rain stopped, we all headed back to our seats and the wedding started.. and so did the rain, again.  This time everyone just sat through the rain.

After the ceremony, we headed to the reception area and tried to stay dry.  Since the wedding was for a coworker of Teh German, about half of the guests were German, which meant that I got to practice my German!  YAY!  That language course and stress wasn't for naught!  Many people (who were strangers) were able to understand me, even though my broken German isn't what it was in May/June.

Teh German only sees his wet pants.
I only see how adorable we are.

Being silly.

The couple used the same wedding planner we did and I thought it was a little bit awkward, but she didn't seem to remember blowing me off after our wedding or the outstanding bill I never paid, so whatever.  We did get a photo of us, the wedding couple, and Teh SC Teacher/Teh SC German with the wedding planner, per her request, since we all used her services.

After dinner there was cake and dancing and someone gifted the couple a Boot that was filled no less than 6 times from the chug-a-lug wagon (pictured above) before we left around 9:30. 

Groom

Bride

When we got home, we took care of the beasts, took care of pre-bedtime chores, then it was bedtime.

SUNDAY

Sunday funday.. ish.  Since we had taken care of the adulting on Saturday, we decided to ride the bike downtown for brunch on Sunday.  We agreed on Millers All Day since I wanted livermush (hush with your judgement).  Teh German actually went down in a freak accident when we were looking for parking, but he is ok and Suzi is ok, so everything is fine.  But I had a fucking heart attack when I checked my mirrors and he wasn't behind me after I had turned and I switched my headset over to talk to him and he said he was down.  I asked if he was ok and he said no.   At which point, I did a u-turn in the middle of the street, in front of a cop, because HE SAID HE WASN'T OK.. and then I saw him riding towards me and I was VERY confused.

Turns out, the headset was breaking up because of the distance between us and he hadn't heard me (or, more likely, was, understandably, distracted).  He was fine.  When I saw him pass me, I pulled off and told him to turn around and meet me.  I could tell he was shaken up but I needed to make sure he was ok for my own sanity.  When he caught up to me, I asked if he wanted to check the bike then or when we parked and he said we could park.  We circled the block and found parking in front of the restaurant and checked the bike over.  Other than a scuff or two, everything and everyone was fine.  Whew.

We managed to find a seat at the bar, despite a party of 4 coming in and also sitting at the bar before we did.  The man and I had a disagreement over 2 seats (they had 3 seats initially and needed a 4th) and 2 opened up and I went to them and the man was like, maybe you could ask those people to move down 1 seat...  The couple that was sitting there HAD FOOD and I told the man, I would NOT be asking that couple to move WHILE THEY WERE EATING.  WTF?  I let the man take the seat and waited on something else to open.  This guy and his family looked like Charleston money or rich vacationers, so it didn't overly surprise me that he said I should ask the couple to move, but WHAT THE FUCK?  Really?  Also, the seat at the other end of their party was occupied by someone who was finishing their food, so rather than wait for that seat to open, he took the empty seat so Teh German and I had to keep waiting.. and I get that they were there first, but I hate rude ass, inconsiderate people.

Anyways, we finally got seated and had breakfast and Teh German was less shaken up after he was fed.  I was disappointed that Millers no longer serves livermush, which is annoying since that's really the only reason we went there.  I guess that solves the issue of going downtown for brunch in the future... Oh well.

NOOOMMMMMMMSSSS

After brunch, we headed to the bikes to go home and there was a boy and his grandfather (I assume) who crossed the street with us.  The man said that they boy had been admiring our bikes while they had been waiting for their table, but the boy said he liked my bike better because it was black.  Feeling generous, I asked the boy if he wanted to sit on the bike and he said yes.  Then I asked him if he wanted to hear the engine and he said yes.  I had some technical difficulties getting it into neutral to get it started since I wasn't sitting on the bike and I'd left it in 1st gear when I'd got off since I was more worried about checking on Teh German.  Teh German put Bagheera into neutral and the grandfather sat the boy on her again and I started it up and revved the engine for him.  He was super adorable and shy but still excited.  The grandfather thanked us for taking the time to show off the bikes and told us to be safe and we headed out.

Teh German agreed to take the long way home, so we drove up HWY 61 under the oak trees, by Magnolia Gardens.  I love riding under the trees since it's shady and cool.  Yes, it's a straight road, like all the roads in Charleston, but it's cool and trees.  So trade off.

When we got into Summerville, the fucking lovebugs were HORRIBLE.  I ended up with one on my forehead and then when I got home, I noticed this almost disaster:

Do you see how close to my mouth that dead lovebug is?
THAT COULD HAVE WENT IN MY MOUTH.
vom.

When we got home, Teh German did garage things and I showered and started on homework things.

These are my piles.
I do not love piles, but these are mine.

Around 4, we headed over to Teh NY Chef's house for Sunday dinner.  Everything was delicious, as always, and we socialized until my Mom Guilt kicked in and we left around 6:30 to go home and feed the beasts.  After that was taken care of, I walked the dogs, and then we watched Black Panther before bed.  Then the weekend was over.

______________________________________________

This post is late because Monday was a Monday and I had shit to do.  I have shit to do today too, but here we are.

A good weekend full of socializing and activities.  I did accomplish some school things, but mostly I stayed away from my computer, which never makes me sad. 

This week/weekend includes:
-2 different medical appointments
-The exterminator is coming, but I need to reschedule for a time when someone can be there, because they fucking suck and never do a good job (leaving spider webs on things) and I want them to do the inside this time.
-Concerts: Starset on Saturday and maybe Lee Brice on Sunday, if I get that ticket situation figured out.  The tickets were free, but the way you signed up was weird, so I'm not sure what is happening.

My weather app shows a high of 83-80°F Thurs-Sat and I might just wear a long sleeve shirt on principle.  That's like record lows for not-post-hurricane-in-September times.  I.cannot.wait for it to be "cold".  Seriously.  I'm obnoxious about it too.  #NotSorry

Fall-ionnaire

I'm not gonna lie, part of me has wanted to do one of these fall questions things since the beginning of October when I first started seeing other bloggers do them, but then I was all like, stop being a bandwagon-er, Megan.  So then I decided if I was tagged, I'd do one.  I WAS TAGGED.  Thanks Kimmi.  :)

Lets get to all the things fall, shall we?  We shall.

favorite candle scent 

Marshmallow Fireside from Bath and Body Works.  I have 1 in my closet, 1 in my bedroom, 1 in the living room, and if it wasn't excessive I'd have one in each bathroom, the guest room, and probably the dining room/kitchen.  No I am not kidding.

coffee, tea or hot chocolate?

Depends.  In the morning, tea in the evening, hot chocolate.  I will drink coffee if I go to Starbucks, but I really prefer beverages that don't taste like coffee.  Also, I prefer my hot chocolate with peppermint marshmallows (heaps of them).. or frozen with PB.  I'm adventurous, what can I say.

Frozen PB hot chocolate

No that is not enough marshmallows.

what is the best fall memory you have

I'd actually have to say last weekend's motorcycle ride in the mountains with the leaves being at their peak is probably the best fall memory I have.  No other fall stands out particularly.  Fall means it's Renn Faire time but I didn't really appreciate fall until after being in GTMO then Bahrain and not having seasons for 2 years.

Oh you've seen that photo already?
DO NOT CURR. 

best fragrance for fall

Uhh?  People change their fragrance for the seasons?  I wear the same perfume year round and I keep the same candles year round (because I love them so much I buy extra).  My favorite smells are always fall, soooo I think that Toasted Marshmallow from BBW and Autumn Wreath from Yankee Candle are the best not perfume smells.  Most cashmere smells also make me think of fall, so I have the Glade cashmere aerosol spray in my kitchen.

favorite Thanksgiving food

STUFFING.  GIVE ME ALL THE STUFFING*.
*It has to be from the turkey butt stuffing.  Not baked in a pan.  That is not the same.

most worn sweater

My NCSU hoodie I bought back in 2004 when I was a college orientation.
#2 is my Thing 2 hoodie I got for Halloween last year.

football games or jumping in leaf piles

Neither.  I'd rather just walk through all the crunchy leaves.

favorite type of pie

Lemon.  Then chocolate.  Then pumpkin.  Then sweet potato.

what is autumn weather like where you live

It's like normal people summer.  The temps are 50s-85ish.
During what is "winter" for everyone else, it is more like fall in Charleston.

which makeup trend do you prefer: dark lips or winged liner

Uhhh, neither?  I don't really wear makeup, but I guess if I did I'd want to rock some winged liner, but I don't really think I'm that cool.

what song really gets you into the fall spirit

There isn't one unless you count watching marching band videos on the internet.  Marching band in HS was during the fall and so those videos bring me back to HS and prepping for football games on Friday nights and band practice on Tuesday nights.

is pumpkin spice worth the hype

Meh.  Not in my opinion.  It's radioactive orange.  Something that color can't be good for you unless it came from the ground and PSLs don't.  Wait, I retract that statement.  Pumpkin spice is worth the hype IN PUMPKIN PIES.  Duh.

favorite fall TV show

Yeah, I don't watch TV.  I'm considering myself exempt from this question.

skinny jeans or leggings?

Leggings if I had to choose since bell bottoms aren't a choice.  That said, I don't wear leggings as pants unless I'm wearing a dress or a really long shirt that covers my butt.

combat boots or Uggs

Neither?  If I had to pick, I'd say combat boots because I already own those and I've never owned a pair of Uggs because no.

Now they are my riding boots.

Halloween: yay or nay

Yay.  Each year I say I'd like to hand out candy and rarely ever do I actually get to.  This year we are going to a Halloween party and I think we'll be adulting the party and by adulting I mean getting our drank on, not supervising.

fall mornings or evenings

All the things fall.  All the time fall.  I'm not picky.

what do you think about Black Friday?

It is an excuse people give themselves to spend extra money on crap that they usually don't need.  It's unbearably difficult on retailers to support and even harder on those people who have to be at work at midnight because someone needs to buy a tv that is $100 off, when they could wait until Super Bowl time and get it for cheaper.  Aka, I prefer to stay home and stay in bed.

one Fall 2015 trend you love

There are seasonal trends?  I'd have to look them up, but I have read other people say plaid is in for this season and I'll just be honest.. I don't own anything that is plaid.







I know I should tag other bloggers, but I feel like most of the bloggers that I follow were way ahead of the times and have already done this.  Soooo if you haven't done one of these for fall 2015, you're it.  If you have well, you can have a #bestbloggerever hashtag.

What is your favorite thing about fall?
PS.  Mine is everything about last weekend.

Little Notes #6

Dear Teh Bear,
On Sunday, I came home from church and you had: emptied the dishwasher, put the dirty dishes in the dishwasher, vacuumed upstairs AND downstairs, AND gave Phil a bath.  THEN, you suggested going out for lunch instead of eating leftovers or making something.  THEN, we went and ran errands and YOU did the fetching of items while I stood guard over the buggy (yes, the buggy).  You're #1 in my book, even if you think there are "shopping carts" at stores.

This is my "they are NOT called 'shopping carts'" face.

Dear Airplay thingy+speakers+Teh Bear's iTunes,
I really enjoy how much boom the muzaks in my living room have now.  It's pretty much a jam session all the time now.  But really the most appreciation goes to Teh Bear for setting up his airplay, despite the complications.  So maybe part of it was self-serving, Teh Bear almost always has muzaks on, buttttt I've benefitted too.  Sunday, I got to listen to the new OneRepublic album, start to finish, on not-laptop speakers while I was putting away all the items from our errands.

Dear OneRepublic,
Between you and Lifehouse, it's a contest who I could listen to on repeat for longer.  When Teh Bear turned you off, I was legitimately disappointed.  I later realized that he could have played his video game with the music still playing, but I'll save that point for another day.

Dear Downy Orchid Allure fabric softener,
Since GTMO we've been BFFs.  There was that time in Bahrain where I had to use other stuff, but as soon as I could find you again, we were tighter than ever before.  After looking at 2 stores, you were not to be found.  I was so disappointed.  Truly.  Pouty face and everything.  This time I went with Snuggle's Wild Orchid and Vanilla, which Teh Bear helped pick out, so I guess it worked out.  PS.  I already miss you.

:(

Dear Walmart,
I hadn't been into your local store in months and it was delightful.  I didn't miss the long checkout lines, the being out of items I need, etc...  Yet, you proved people shop there for a reason...  Walmart has all the things!  Dishwasher magnet that displays clean/dirty, a key duplicator (which they didn't actually have my key, so this doesn't really count), cheap ironing boards, a puncture can opener.. the list could probably go on.  The other beneficial part of going to Walmart is getting to see S.MD's finest..  Just driving through the parking lot we were privy to a woman's thong.  Coming out of the parking lot.. I found this:

Really?

Dear cupcakes in ice cream cones,
You are infinitely cuter and more delicious than normal cupcakes.  Make it funfetti cake and it's like an ice cream party but not in my mouth.  Also, you are way less mess than regular cupcakes..  Usually.  I brought you to two events this weekend.  I feel like it was my last summer cooking hoorah.

Teh Bear picked chocolate icing over purple icing.
I was disappointed, but since I had asked him, I went with his choice.

Dear pumpkin spice lattes,
Y U NO HERE YET?????

Dear last Friday night guests,
It was really great having you all over!  Even if the girls lost at Cranium..  Next time we're playing a game I can definitely win.

Dear yard pumpkins,
I see you out there, turning orange!  Teh Bear says we can't eat you because of all the doggy "waste".. but doesn't that make you organic pumpkins?  Especially after how much I pay for Phil's food.. you'd think that kind of "manure" would the best kind.  IDK.  Even if there is no homemade pumpkin pie at Teh Megan's house OUR house, we'll at least have home grown pumpkins to decorate for Halloween!

That vine is out.of.control.  I'm going to be very excited to finally get it out of my yard.
My landlord was quite impressed by it though!

Dear S.MD,
I've actually been here long enough that often when I go to town, I seem to recognize someone I know.  It's strange and cool at the same time.

Dear Cards Against Humanity,
I love how hilarious you are, but I wish that we weren't always so into the game your players make silent agreements to go through the ENTIRE box PLUS 2 expansions in one night...  Holy moly.

Dear Teh Bear,
We're almost 2 weeks in and I'm still glad you're here.  That's a good sign, right?

Five on Friday #3

Numero Uno.
I finally started my graduate class.  Finally.  Less than a week in I'm already finding miraculous things on the internet during homework time..  at least some things never change.  I have made fun of my classmates for their introduction posts being like eharmony ads, I have lost a 300+ word post when I timed out of the site (at which point I learned to create posts in Word), I have submitted 2 250+ word forum posts and 1 acknowledgement post, I have responded to enough forum posts (probably more than enough actually), I have lulled myself to sleep at work reading the homework, I have spent too many hours trying to figure out what I want to research for this class (it really shouldn't be this hard)...  Mostly, I have enjoyed the feeling of being a student again, even if its just online.  That feeling that you actually do have something you could probably be doing in those bored moments is ironically satisfactory.

Numero Dos.
Less than ONE WEEK till I go down to FL for the fetchin' of Teh Bear.  He has identified a place that has cannolis, which is good because I had a meltdown when he told me the pizza place with the absolutely most delicious cannolis ever closed.  Literally, meltdown.  He thought I was joking when I told him he had to find another place with a cannoli.. our love depended on it.  After talking about "One Day" for a very long time, it's finally upon us and I'm really just trying not to focus on it too much.  Mostly because I'm a stresser-outer--er.  Then there'd be those pesky expectations.  It's really just best if I ignore the problem until it goes away, in a until he's actually here kind of way.  I'm just sticking with being excited.

Numero Tres.
This week felt like it took forever.  Maybe its because the past 7 months flew by, ask anyone, they'll tell you.  August is just c.r.e.e.p.i.n.' along.  Maybe its because I've been working out on not normal workout days, which means waking up extra early and then getting to work at regular time, instead of late like on PT days, making the days seem extra long.  Whatever it is, I'm glad Frrrrriiiiday is here!

Numero Quatro.
It's going to be a dog weekend!  Krazy Kody came to stay Monday night.  I've never been more glad to have a dog on a work day when he started pretending to be my alarm barking 5 minutes before my alarm went off.  He does this on the weekends too, which makes watching him on weekdays infinitely better.  Saturday at 0300, Teh FL Greyhound Lady and I will be headed to meet the dog hauler to get some new greyhounds!  Even though its ridiculously early, meeting the hauler and seeing those pups for the first time and knowing they will be adopted soon is such a rewarding experience.  Finally, I'm ending the weekend with Buddy and Gracie (Teh FL Greyhound Lady/Dude's dogs), who are coming to stay while their parents are out of town.  Gracie loves Phil and Buddy always loves attention, so it's a win-win.

Numero Cinco.
Nature has been kind this week.  We're still experiencing some delightfully low temps for this time of year.  Truly, I remember being miserable last year from the end of June until mid-September.  I'm hoping that with this mild summer we will have a particularly cold and snowy winter (or at least cold to kill off all the bugs).  Earlier this summer, I noticed a plant growing in my yard.  I had no idea what type of plant it was, but I knew it was of the edible/vegetable/garden type and I assumed it came from my neighbor's box garden they built this spring.  Either way, I've been letting it grow.  When I had to weed eat the yard a few weeks ago, I had to relocate the vine that was growing across my yard, to grown down my yard.  Well, it's out of control now, but the mystery of what type of plant it is has been solved, FINALLY!!

This bee was hard at work!  I was moving the leaves and flowers and he was still at it.

PUNKINS!!!

Vine, you're drunk, go home.
(I'm actually planning on running the vine back up the yard since it's now 1/2 way across again)

Afternoon walk with Kody and Phil.  Beautiful blue skies, freshly cut grass, temps in the low 80°Fs.
Ahhhhhh.

Relish 22-31

Finishing up the last of the Relish 2012 posts.  Sorry for boring you with tales of convalescent leave and overseas trips and Teh Bear and my baggage.. but I mean..  this saved me from vacation recaps!!!  :)



22 December:

(image)

Whether we actively seek it out, trolling the streets or pages for it, or it finds us, entirely unprepared, soaking wet in the shower and without a darn thing to write on, we need inspiration to grace us. It’s what gives heart to our work, color to our lives, and is the plaything of our soul. What, where, or whom inspired you this year? And better still, what did you do with it?

Usually, I get most inspired to write when I'm feeling angsty or ranty.  I'm, apparently, very good at being snarky.  As for inspiration for other things..  well, it just depends.  Inspiration to clean usually comes from the fact that when something is dirty, it irritates me.  It's constantly on my mind.  How easy it would be to just take care of the chore that is plaguing me.  Then I do it and feel like a weight has been lifted.  It's crazy.  Lub inspiration comes from watching cheesy movies or reading cheesy books.  I'm not sure if anyone else is like this, but watching a TV show (ok, Grey's Anatomy or How I Met Your Mother usually) or movie (romantic comedy because sometimes even Teh Megan is a walking cliche') can put me in a more lovey mood.  Teh Bear has noticed this.  I'm not sure if it scares him or if he appreciates it, he hasn't really complained either way.  That said, the only reason I get "lovey" while watching Lord of the Rings is because I just want it to end faster...



23 December:

(image)

We all have them; moments we’d rather not remember, let alone have lived through in the first place. Though real life won’t let us, imagine you had the power, just for today, to edit your own history of this year. What would you choose to omit? What would you burn from the record? And what would you gain or lose by doing so?

I feel like this is a trick question.  I honestly don't wish I could omit anything..  Do I have things that happened that I wish I could change?  Yes.  But omit?  No.  Outcomes would be so much different if things were changed, but omission doesn't really do anything but hide a situation in my opinion.  If I had anything I wish I didn't have to remember it would be all the times that I've gotten down about still being in a long distance relationship.  Sometimes, I'm on FB and see people posting that they're moving in together or engaged or married or having kids (seriously, though, if you're a Fertile Myrtle, maybe more on the birth control?) or any number of life events like seeing Teh Humanitarian and Teh Coast Guardian kiss while making dinner or while playing games on the wii, big or little things with a significant other that I feel like I'm missing out on.  I wish I could omit these moments of jealousy that bring me down and poison my attitude, which usually gets taken out on Teh Bear.  Hopefully, it would lead me to a more positive perspective.  To include the fact that I have a pretty sweet life that probably makes some people jealous.  Not that, that is what my intentions are, but I'm also sure that's not the intentions of the FB posts I'm seeing from my FB friends.



24 December:

(image)

For today’s prompt, think about one of your favorite days from this last year that you’d never want to forget. What physical feelings or sensations can you recall? Were there any scents that were present? What did it look like – were any colors more prominent than others? Any special sounds that you’d like to hold on to? Did you enjoy any special tastes that day? Spend some time exploring the little details of what you remember. After you’ve identified a couple of senses that stand out to you about that day, you can access how great that experience was at any time by conjuring up those associations.

For the first time this year, Teh Bear and I flew together.  This isn't really a momentous event, but usually we are flying to each other, not flying together, so in the fact that it was out of the norm, it was special.

I had arranged for our flights to actually meet in at the Minneapolis (MSP) airport so we could fly the rest of the way to Denver together.  Teh Bear was all like, "Rawr, free baggage on Southwest!"  While I was all like, "WAAAHHH, holding my hand on American!"  I won.  :)

I remember hurrying through the day, rushing at RDU even though I had enough time to check in and make it through security with more than ample time.  I was impatient with boarding and waiting on the plane to take off.  I was fidgity, distracted, and knew that vacation, vacation wouldn't start until I was with Teh Bear.  Once we finally landed at MSP, I was anxious and excited and felt lost almost.  Because I was looking for Teh Bear.  I knew he was there somewhere.  I went to our concourse and he wasn't there and then I set out looking for him (since our concourse was at the very end of the terminal).  As I was walking away from the terminal I spotted Teh Bear... and then I tried to hide behind the very tall dude I was walking behind to see if Teh Bear would see me.  There was a lot of people traffic and I'm pretty little, so I didn't want him to miss me and I side-stepped directly into Teh Bear's walking path.  He was looking down at his iPod for just a second and looked up and then I was there, he almost ran into me.  Being little means being good at being sneaky.

We hugged.  Note: hugging with backpacks on is hard.  It's like, where do you put your arms?  Ok, maybe its hard for me because for Teh Bear, he can just set his arms on my backpack, but I either have to reach around his backpack (with my midget arms, not happening) or just awkwardly try to slip them under his backpack, which doesn't usually work out so well.  So backpack hugging = awkward/hard.

At that same moment, vacation, vacation had started.  There was no more hurry or rush.  There was hand holding and kisses and shared flying stories.  The people of the terminal had been so loud before and now they were quiet.

We did learn that we have very different plane boarding priorities.  I based it off the fact that I'm short and he's tall because Teh Bear's reasoning for trying to board ASAP (yep, he's one of those people that stands in front of the door until his zone is called) is so that way he doesn't get stuck having to put his carry-on under the seat so he has leg room.  "I fly economy for all the leg room," said no one ever.  I'm more like, "Well, I got a seat number and it will be there when I get there, so I'm going to let all these fools go ahead of me and I'll just continue sitting here and enjoying the free wi-fi while they stand there for 20 minutes."



25 December:

(image)

Granted, this prompt might need to wait until today is over for its response, but thinking on this whole year what was the sweetest surprise you were treated to? Is there someone specific to blame, or was it the Universe at large that brought about this unforeseen delight? Tell us or show us.

For Teh Sister's graduation, Teh Bear and I went to NC for the celebrations.  This was Teh Bear's first time meeting Teh Family.  My (not really) surprise was that Teh Family welcomed Teh Bear immediately.  I like to believe that Teh Family isn't really that hard to fit in to, but we do seem to have a certain dynamic that some prior boyfriends struggled to fit in to.  They just didn't feel fully comfortable, etc.  With Teh Bear, it was like he'd been there for a long time.  There was no awkwardness (to me at least, maybe there was for him).  Teh Dad was even "normal."  In the past, Teh Dad has sometimes tried a little too hard and things would start to feel awkward.  He always claimed that the "man bond" made it ok, but it was awkward.  Really.  For everyone.  Ok, me.  But that's what matters here.  :)



26 December:

(image)

While plotting our lives and carrying on our routines it’s easy to lose track of when the last time was we let our minds run amok, let our imaginations run wild, and really let ourselves off the hook for wanting the things we want. Whether it’s a trip around the world, the man of your dreams, or a job that finally feels fulfilling to YOU: where did you let yourself dream this year? And if you realize now that you haven’t perhaps today is a good time to schedule it in.

When it came to vacation, vacation.. I did everything I/we desired to do.  There was little consideration to cost (which I haven't really regretted like I normally do) and my goal was just to enjoy myself with Teh Bear for two weeks.  No, I'm still not done with vacation recaps, because I really just needed some down time and photo editing really lost all joy when it came down to it.  Working with a handful of photos is fun, but working with 300 photos, it all just starts to blend together and then you just apply the same settings to each one and try to tweak them and then it's almost midnight and you need to go to bed but you just want to finish one more but you're too tired and they all look the same and they aren't even that good and who even cares and you should just go to bed because you have to work/do something in the morning and you can just start photo editing again the next day.. even though you'd rather vacuum and mop the entire apartment and even clean the bathrooms than photo editing, so you don't ever get back to it and then you feel guilty that you're a bad blogger and someone might have wanted to see your Grand Canyon photos except that you are lazy and have no motivation and every time you open Lightroom part of you dreads even having the icon on the taskbar...  
Oops, that got out of control.  Relishing.

I told Teh Bear that we could do anything we wanted and we did.  In the planning stages we hit some roadblocks, but once we got past those everything panned out exactly how it was supposed to, which I knew it would.  It was nice to be able to see the vacation vision come together so nicely.



27 December:
Show me the beauty of your choosing, what it is that you have embraced this year that made you feel gratitude for your life.

Biltmore house orchid

What I have embraced:
-Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
-Beauty isn't always physical.
-I have skills that I don't believe are as awesome as they probably are.
-I often underestimate myself.
-I'm not actually as much of a bitch as I'd like people to believe.
-I may not be where I thought I was going to be, but here isn't so bad.
-Purple isn't my favorite color, but all my best flower pics from 2012 seem to be purple.



28 December:

(image)

Sometimes I get started thinking about food while lying in bed, though I am no cook, and I literally can’t sleep at night. There is something about experiencing it all; the textures, the scents, the satisfaction… it’s a magic that defies explanation really. Torture me now with tales of the foods you’ve savored this year… What were your favorite flavors? Why?

Sweet stuff is the best.  Like pumpkin cake with cream cheese icing.. which I made 3 times this year.  The pumpkin brings that taste of fall and the cream cheese gives you the sweetness of Christmas to come.  It makes you feel like snuggling up with a blanket and a book in front of a fire.

NOMNOMNOM...



29 December:

(image)

I couldn’t agree more with the little bit of art. How you see yourself is everything. Where this year did you begin to see yourself differently? What are the words you’d no longer use to describe yourself? What are your new favorite descriptors?

I've seen a lot of change in myself over the past few years.  Where in my early 20s I was a snarky, mean, cold-hearted, bitch.. Now I'm just a snarky, cold-hearted, woman.  I'm still sarcastic, but I'm no longer viciously sarcastic towards people.  As I've reached my late 20s, I've realized that friendships are stronger when you have good intentions and are good on your word.  Saying "we should hang out" is different than saying "Hey, tomorrow, let's have lunch."  I've realized the difference and I'm more pointed in my relationships with others because of it.

Also, maybe I'm not as cold-hearted as I want to be because I've realized more and more as of late that I'm quicker to tear up about sad/lovey/depressing stuff and I used to be that stonewall of emotion.  I'm becoming Teh Dad and Teh Gramps...  oh noes.  Sometimes though, it's still hard for me to express my feelings to Teh Bear when I want to be cheesy or have hard to discuss with him.  It's easier to be nonchalant than upset over something, which I've realized doesn't really help the situation like I wish it did.  Emotionless Teh Megan is just a hard contender to deal with.



30 December:

(image)

If you don’t take risks, you can’t reap rewards. If you don’t stretch, you don’t grow. If you don’t challenge yourself, you can never realize just how powerful, capable, and incredible you are.Where in the last twelve months did you up your game? And if looking back now you don’t really feel you have, that’s ok. You’ve got a clean slate coming up: what risks & challenges will you choose for yourself next year?

When 2012 started, I was feeling very overwhelmed with being back in America again and with having a new job that I'd never done or trained for.  I was feeling like I was going to fail at work and that they would never respect me for who I am as a person and the work that I had done before (which didn't even apply to this job).

At some point, everything just came together.  One day, I realized that people were asking me questions I could answer.  That flowers were blooming and it wasn't 100°F outside and I could go take pictures without being miserable.  That I was drive-able hours away from my family if I needed to go home.  That I could be there again.  That I'd get to see Teh Bear more than 2 weeks a year.  That work was rewarding because I knew enough to get through and started to impress people because I am a hard worker and do know what I'm doing and I'm responsible and I don't sneak around to avoid work.

I really think the tipping point was right before I left for Scotland when people were worried that I was going to get to go on the DET and that I was needed.  I mean, I was just standing watch, which isn't all that impressive, but I was needed.  Sometimes, that alone is empowerment enough for me to step it up.  When I came back to MD, every thing had clicked into place.  Work just worked.  I didn't feel lost as much, and eventually, I didn't feel lost at all.  Soon enough, I didn't care about any judgement I received from asking questions because most questions I answered on my own.

Sometimes, I just have to struggle for a bit to realize that I am doing just fine.. and once I make that realization, stepping up isn't nearly as hard as I thought it was going to be.



31 December:

(image)

Through each meander of my life I have always been able to look back and deduce what benefit I reaped from that period of time, the decisions I made, the experiences that found me. Sometimes it was a cherished new friendship, valuable new skills, or simply the inspiration of it all that changed me, and this path I’m on, forever. There is simply no waste or mistake in this life; we can harvest from every part of it some aspect to be grateful for. There is always a reason for what we endure, sometimes we just have to dig a little to find it. What was your “reason” for this year? When you look back in twenty years what will stand out as the reason you had to live this year before you could embark on all the rest?

This year, my "reason" was to learn to be grateful.  Being back in America for the first full year was overwhelming and delightful.  I realized while being overseas all the things that I had taken for granted.  I hope there are still days in 2024 that I still stop, look around me, take a deep breath, and thank God for where I am and what I'm doing and all that has been provided for me.  I learned this year that I don't have to do it on my own and there are great things all around me, most of the time that I don't even notice.  But when I do notice the tiny details, a weight is lifted and I can breathe easier for a few moments because nothing on my to-do list really matters, all that matters is the moment.






Merry 2013!

A Pinterest Success

A few weekends ago, the 20/30s Group at church met up and we were hosting the dessert part of a Progressive Dinner for InterVarsity, a christian group for college students.

I found a 2 ingredient cake on Pinterest.  I'm a huge fan of easy, so I figured it was worth a shot.  Additionally, I had to make this cake on Friday evening after work, so I needed something easy and quick.

Ingredients:

Cake ingredients

Icing ingredients..  The container = powdered sugar.

To make the cake:
Set the oven to 350°.  Mix the pumpkin and cake mix together.  That's it.  No eggs, no oil, no water.  Just the pumpkin and cake mix.  2 ingredients.  For realz.  Yeah.  Oil/spray your baking dish (I used 9x13, but the original post did cupcakes, but I needed this cake to serve at least 30 people so cake it was) so the cake doesn't stick.  After batter is mixed, put it in the baking dish and smooth out as well as possible.  The cake shouldn't be lumpy, but it wasn't super easy to spread, so I wasn't too concerned over perfection.
I cooked my cake for 35ish minutes and I live at the beach, so if you're higher altitude, do your own adjustments.  Ya know, like with a regular cake.

Ingredients for the icing:
1 package (8oz) cream cheese, softened (don't try to soften cream cheese in the wrapper in the microwave.. apparently the wrapper is actually metal.  Lessons learned.  /shrug)
1/4 cup of butter, softened
1 teaspoon of cinnamon (or maybe 1/2+ a teaspoon, I felt like it was a little cinnamony for my taste)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups powdered sugar

Directions for icing:
Mix all ingredients together.  You may want to add powdered sugar a cup at a time so you don't end up with a huge cloud of powdered sugar all over your counter (not that I've ever done that before.. pffth).  No real special directions here.  Mix and blend until the icing is creamy.  If the icing feels.. granulated (for lack of better words), keep mixing, your sugar isn't melted enough... Teh Sister taught me that with the buttercream icing.

Damn, Bets does good work! 

Once the cake is cooled (yes, this is actually important), spread the icing over the cake.  If the cake isn't cool, the icing will because melt-y and more like a glaze... and it will all run to the edges since the middle will probably be higher than the sides.  I was in a hurry, it couldn't be helped.

There was no cake left at the end of the night.  It was devoured.  I got compliments on it ALL night long.

This is how pumpkin spice cake should look.
Oh, wait.  JK.

Since it was so easy, after dinner this past Friday night, a few girls came over and we were going to watch What to Expect (don't waste your money, seriously).  We were also in the mood for some dessert.  I had picked up all the ingredients for pumpkin spice cake when I'd went to Walmart with Teh Humanitarian the evening before.  So I, easily and quickly, whipped up the cake while they were changing into warmer clothes, wimps.  I didn't have all the icing ingredients, but luckily I still had some extra icing from the prior weekend.  Before the cake was cooled, I spread the icing on (which was only ok, since I needed the icing to thin out so it would go further.  The little bit I had left covered almost the entire 9x13 cake.  WIN!).

Since I remade the cake, I was able to get a photo of it this time around!

YUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM.  PS.  Happy October!