Boys Weekend... with Girls

So Paul's big quad trip was last weekend and I did go. Mm, it was ok. I saw a Bald Eagle so that was pretty sweet.

It rained basically the entire time. We didn't get to go to the Dark Sky Park but we did see a lot of stars on Saturday night from the house. Otherwise the girls just kinda cleaned up after the boys all weekend since they were riding their toys in the mud. So there was that.

Us girls did the cooking too. The men fussed over the fireplace pretty much the entire time they weren't riding... it was a nice fire though.

On Sunday I got some interesting photos during the breaks in the rain.

The townspeople of Emporium, PA are very nice. Paul even got free coffee on Sunday because it was Easter. Who knew? Woulda been nicer if it was free gas or something but we'll take it!

The Easter Bunny didn't visit us but we did have a nice Easter dinner. Ham and everything. The fridge was stocked full of food when Paul and I left on Sunday night. I hope they didn't have to throw anything out as the rest of the group was leaving Monday morning.

Not much else to report except that we saw more animals driving home than we did the whole weekend. That Bald Eagle was pretty awesome and there were some gross vultures. Saw a lot of deer. We accidentally killed a squirrel while driving and we are both sad about that... a chipmunk almost his life too but we somehow missed him. This leads me to conclude that chipmunks are smarter than squirrels. Might not be true but that was my nature lesson last weekend.

How nuts is this...

Exactly two years ago I was tramping around Egypt. Huh. I'd love to go back!

Newport, RI

About a month ago, Paul and I went to Newport to visit our friends Annabelle and Gordon. :) They are so awesome. I met Annabelle when I moved to France. She is the best. I can't even describe how much I appreciate all the talks over dinner and wine, her amazing spirit, her wisdom (way beyond her years), her sensitivity, her adventurous inclinations and her openness. You can read about her life on her blog Roses Behind Keyholes. She is a fantastic artist and writer. There is an entry that describes the town we lived in and I really feel like I'm back there when I read it. Which is awesome because I miss it so much. I'm thankful that Anna is a part of my life. I'm thankful too that she met Gordon because he is a great person as well and he is from Rhode Island. Which gives Anna the opportunity to hang out in the US and it gives all of us the opportunity to get together... which is what happened in March and I miss them already.

Poconos

There are so many pics I haven't posted in the last couple months! Here are some from the Poconos. We went with my sister, her husband and some of their friends at the beginning of March. It was nice to get away... especially since my little nephew was there too! I barely let go of him all weekend. Ha. :)

YAY

This little stinker is soooo cute! Ticklish Penguin

That's all!

What a day

We are in with an awesome photographer! Whew! Maybe I'm exaggerating a little tiny bit when I say I was holding my breath - but that was a big concern. I think anyone getting married would want an awesome photographer on their team... or maybe I'm just nuts. Either way, I'm breathing a little easier today.

Erm, actually I've been sad today because my boss (well, my friend that I work for) had to put his dog to sleep on Monday. I knew the doggie for most of his life and I saw him almost every day for the last year. He was one of those dogs that is simply irreplaceable. Very smart, very sweet, calm, tender and rediculously loyal. I always thought of him as an old soul. He seemed to understand things you were saying or the way you were feeling. It's taken quite a toll on my friend, his wife and their other dog. It was definitely strange coming in today knowing that he wouldn't be here. I was shaking when I came in this morning. I loved that guy. When I think about it too much I start to cry so... let's move on.

Yesterday I cleaned out my closet at home which was interesting. So much junk. I hate doing that kind of stuff but it does feel good when I'm done. I'm even getting better at throwing crap out now too. That helps a lot. Living with Paul has taught me several useful things: feed the boy if you don't want a crankypants, cooking is actually fun, find a place for your crap and always return it to it's place. I always knew that stuff but I'm only just getting a little better at doing it. It must be love. Hahaa.

Say cheese!

Even though we are only just entering our 'serious wedding planning' phase, I'm overwhelmed by the generosity of our families - from help with money to very helpful advice. It's not a surprise because they have always been there for us but it is so sweet and very much appreciated.

What IS surprising is how many vendors are ALREADY booked for May 4th of next year. Sigh. However, if you are in the area (Philly) and looking for an awesome photographer on any other day, here are a couple I love, love, love, LOVE.

Alison Conklin Photography Alison is totally amazing. She is so sweet and fun... and her photos are outrageously wonderful.

Tony Hoffer Photography Unfortunately I've never met Tony and his wife but if you watch the video on their site, you might fall in love with them like I did. I just found out this morning that they are not available on our wedding day... and my heart sank. Shh. Don't tell anyone. Their work is also totally beautiful and they seem to have a lot of fun creating as Mr. and Mrs. which I think is so great.

So, since I am particularly picky about pictures, my search continues. This is one thing we will have to splurge on but without seriously breaking the bank. I think we've finally settled on a price we feel comfortable paying and I have an email out to another wonderful photographer so... fingers crossed!

I'm also going to look into renting a photo booth. We got to play with one at a trade show and it was so much fun.

Yesterday we celebrated my Grandmom's 85th birthday, Paul's 31st birthday and my brother's 23rd birthday. I think I've eaten cake (and ice cream!) every day since Paul's bday on the 14th. This is not good. Might have to eat something healthy today.

Aces!

Ah I forgot to share this link a few weeks ago. Representative Weiner cracks me up in this clip. The whole thing is worth a watch but if you don't have the time, fast forward to about 8 minutes in... Anthony Weiner KILLS At Congressional Correspondents' Dinner ...LMAO... stupid Fox News.

Five card stud, nothing wild... and the sky's the limit...

Do you know what that's from? :) Nerd alert and it does have something to do with this post. A little bit.

To begin: Happy Birthday to the most gorgeous man on the planet! In my opinion anyways.

Thanks to my running endeavors, I have learned that I am not a runner. I will be totally screwed in the event of a tsunami, fast zombie, meteor and alien apocalypse. There is no place I will get to fast enough to hide... my only chance is slow-moving zombie apocalypse. I think the closest cemetery has pretty high fences too so that is to my benefit. I'd bet too that I am that idiot in the movie that trips and gets left behind.

I am a pretty good fast-walker so that's ok. Hopefully I will still have a nice looking tush by bikini time.

Last night I had a dream that my wedding was a total disaster. :) Paulie wasn't ready, I didn't have time to do my hair, make-up or get my dress on... half of the people that we invited weren't there, the ceremony was a terribly fumbled 5 minutes and the rest of the party was just as bad. It didn't stress me out but it was one of those dreams that felt real.

So Paul asked me to go with him on that trip I mentioned. Out to Emporium, Pennsylvania. Hahahaa. Where? Apparently it's close to the city of St. Mary's. I didn't know where that was either. Now I know that it's clear across Pennsylvania in the middle of nowhere. That part I don't mind, I love the woods and hiking. It's the surrounded-by-strangers-all-weekend part that bugs me a little. I did, however, discover Cherry Springs State Park which is exciting me right now with their claim to fame:

"Due to it's exceptionally dark skies, Cherry Springs State Park is one of the best places on the eastern seaboard for stargazing and the science of astronomy..."


Um, YES! Also, the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources declared Cherry Springs the first Dark Sky Park in the eastern US. More info here: Cherry Springs Dark Park I'm more that just a little thrilled about this idea now. I'm also thrilled for the opportunity to get some photographs. When I was a kid I was really taken by the Franklin Institute in Philly, especially the astronomy exhibits. It's still fascinating to me... that and oceanography. I was interested in anything that didn't have much to do with people. Haha.

Anyway, there is also a cute old timey movie theatre in St. Mary's. I doubt it's worth the trip but it's gonna be a long weekend... so maybe. So far there is rain predicted for the whole weekend. I don't know how much quad riding the boys will get in. Ah, this should be an adventure.

Oh good lord

Made a little wedding website today... lol... they are silly but I can keep some junk straight here (like RSVPs which is awesome) so it's in effect! I liked that they had a lot of different page options and things like the weather forecast, a google map marking our place, a photo album, registry links, etc. And I could add music which is cute! I'm a big sucker for this stuff it seems and that's ok with me.

Paul's birthday is in a few days and I got around to getting him some little gifts today. He buys himself some pretty impressive gifts so I don't have to work too hard. :) Haha... and in a couple weeks he is going away for the weekend to ride quads with some people I am not super in love with so there's his gift. Blech. One thing I hate is being alone at night! Not looking forward to that. Oh well. I'm a big girl now.

I love Tosh and his stand-up act is on Comedy Central right now. He's a snarky, sarcastic, hilarious genius. I gotta say I agree with the guy a lot of the time. Things and people in the world are incredibly bizarre and he is right on target with his material.

Brrrrr... it got cold in here all of the sudden. I think it's time for a cuppa, pyjamas, blanket and Tosh. If Paulie was home I'd include him. Bum.

One step at a time

Sometimes I get the feeling that people think I am under the impression that I'm the most awesome person ever. I'm assuming it's because I have strong opinions and no problem expressing them... but I really don't know. Rest assured though, kind reader, I have an impressive list of issues. Insecurity, jealousy, fears, laziness, self pity, outrageously poor body image, depression, needing to be in control or know every single little thing. The list goes on and does not get any cooler. Everybody has their problems. My issues can have a very negative impact on me HOWEVER they also make me very accepting of other people and ideas, they help me not to judge others too quickly, I seem to have a bottomless well of patience with people that I love, I'm friendly, thoughtful, open minded, respectful, realistic and sincere. I'm not embarrassed to make either list and I'm not ashamed of them. There are things I need to work on and I am happy to be me... and I'm happy to be on the way to become a better version of me.

I think from age 6 until maybe like a year ago (lol) I lived in a perpetual state of almost-embarrassment or embarrassment. Before that I was totally awesome. :) I'm not exactly sure about why people had a problem with me, kids will be kids maybe, but it was very clear that I was one of the outsiders. I didn't care about fashion or make-up, I didn't develop the way the rest of the girls did, I had frizzy hair, I bit my nails. I was awkward, shy, emotionally fragile, sheltered, naive and too nice for my own good. I didn't know that the opinions of people in school didn't matter and I suffered a bit for it. Again, however, the friends that I had were real friends that loved me for who I was - not for what I had or what I looked like. This made school and life bearable and fun. When I got out of high school I tried college but that didn't go too well, of course. 13th grade. I worked for a bit and then went to France. Thank god I did. I needed to get the hell out of the U.S. and definitely out of this area. That experience and all the traveling I did while I was over there introduced me to so many different cultures, people, thoughts and ideas. I finally learned I'm not the loser that I believed I was and that was a nice feeling. Sometimes those negative feelings do come up in certain situations but at least they aren't the soundtrack of my life anymore. Baby steps.

Anyways, just had to work that out of my head.

This week is coming to a close and that is super awesome. I'm absolutely sick of hearing from jerk off politicians and CEOs of billion dollar companies.

Ugh, the dishes are dirty and I sincerely don't want to wash them. It's been a couple days though and they haven't done themselves. Weird, isn't it? I guess I have to get to that...

Real quick, I think I just fell in love with baby's breath bouquets for the wedding.

Here's hoping for a relaxing weekend.

Here's something fun!

So, the Palin's. Whatta family!

Bristol Palin joined a teen pregnancy prevention nonprofit and then made $262,500 from the foundation. What is interesting is that the nonprofit only gave $35,000 in grants to counseling and health clinics. lmao... I hope people start to see through this family's little charade.

Bristol Palin's Nonprofit Paid Her Seven Times What it Spent on Actual Teen Pregnancy Prevention

Sweet Dreams are NOT Made of This...

The weather we had here yesterday was AMAZING! Today, eh not so much but at least it's getting warmer. Is that hail hitting my window? Ugh. I'm going out with my sisters in a little bit to check out some engagement rings for our little sis! I can't believe we are all at this point in our lives. It's cute!

I don't know what's going on... but I am fairly sure the conclusion will be carried out in a mental institution.   Recently I have been having many dreams about Paulie. Unfortunately they have all been happening right before I wake up so I remember all of them. Yuck. In every single one of them he is a complete jerk and usually cheating on me. Right in front of me. And somehow every time, he tries to make me believe that I'm in the wrong. lol. I don't wake up crying or anything, I do wake up severely pissed off. That fades quickly though. It's just an annoyance.

Not that I necessarily believe in dream interpretation but I do check out dreammoods.com when I have a particularly interesting dream. Here's their take on the subject in case anyone else is enduring the same torture:

To dream that your mate, spouse, or significant other is cheating on you, highlights your insecurities and your fears of being abandoned. You feel that you are being taken for granted. You are lacking attention in the relationship or that he or she is being less affectionate. Alternatively, you feel that you are not measuring up to the expectations of others.

Oh lovely

Yeah, this oil stuff is a real super idea. Is everyone asleep? I'm not sure what's going on in this world.

Penguin Rescue Operation After South Atlantic Oil Spill

Greed is powerful stuff.