Esprit de l'escalier

Wow, I have 11 days until my wedding! It’s just starting to sink in a little bit. The hardest part is that I still don’t know what Kyle has planned for our honeymoon. I’m so excited! I can’t wait to find out! And, being the investigative type of girl that I am, this is a bit of what I do know:

*We need our passports to get there
*It’s not China
*It’s not Italy
*I can play tennis if I want
*The weather is similar to here
*I’m going to love it…A LOT
*We’re staying in a couple different places for 3 to 4 nights each

I also know that the flight is going to be a long one. So naturally I’d like to bring along some good books. Anyone have any suggestions? I’ve got some gift cards to Barns and Noble and they’re burning a hole in my pocket. Let me know some books that are on your list of favorites!

Jon, your posts about LOST are driving me crazy! You do realize I have to wait one more day till I find out what happens on the season premier. It seems so far away. *sigh*
Tell Tracy I said happy b-day. 🙂

Today has been nice. Woke up and had breakfast with my roommate who, until now, I’ve only been able to see three days this last month. Then she dropped me off at the Bear Creek park n’ ride so I could pick up the car that Kyle took there this morning. The problem was that Kyle hadn’t taken the car to the Bear Creek park n’ ride, he took it to the Redmond park n’ ride. He told me that this morning, but I was still half asleep and failed to process the info. Oops. So I walked across Redmond to the other park n’ ride. It was a lovely walk and a wonderful opportunity to break in my new shoes. :)The park, by the way, was beautiful.
After I got the car I took myself out to lunch at this little hole-in-the-wall place next to my kitty’s vet. It’s called the Stone House Cafe and it is an official historical land mark in Redmond. The food was just okay and the service left something to be desired, but it was nice to take myself out. 🙂
Speaking of being taken out, I should mention here the amazingness of my fiance. Last week he took me out to the symphony and we heard an amazing medley of Gershwin’s best. Then last night before picking up my roommate from the airport we went and played around at REI. So much fun.
Anyways, after a not-so-quick lunch, I swung by Fred Meyer to get some groceries and went back home for some much needed cleaning. I also had to sit around and watch the litter box because the vet needed another stool sample from each cat to make sure their last parasite treatment worked. Yuck.
After cleaning, I sat down to do thank you notes and turned on the travel channel and dreamt about where my honeymoon was going to be. (I’m still clueless and Kyle has been using China as a reference word so he doesn’t slip and give away the real location.)
I think I’m going to make it a point not to watch the travel channel too much because it makes me antsy and I start checking my bank account and looking into loans for travel. The last show I just watched was about Italy. Italy is on my top five list of places to see. My list is endless.

Wow, it’s getting down to the wire and I feel like this is the first time I’ve been able to rest and refresh for the past 3 months.
Wedding planning is insane! There are so many details that never even occurred to me before. Silly things like choosing the color of the chair covers or whether or not to decorate your toasting glasses. It’s been such a wild ride and through it all I’ve learned a lot about myself and the people who love me.
I think what I’m having the hardest time with is knowing how to say thank you to the people who have done so much for me. For example, my roommate Michelle. She is such a life saver and the biggest giver I know. I know she’s having a hard time with the idea of me moving out. I’m having a hard time too. We’ve had so much fun together and have grown a lot. We both know that neither of us are falling off the face of the planet, but it’s still hard realizing that we’re transitioning into a new chapter of our lives. I want more than anything to find a way to say thank you for all she’s been for me.
Another example, my mother. She’s the one who has basically organized the entire wedding and has been preparing me for this day. She’s helped me know what steps to take and when to take them; she’s explained to me all the traditions and etiquette so I know what to do and why it’s important that I do it. The works.
Needless to say, I have been feeling very humbled and eternally grateful. And tired.

Wow, I’m not even all the way through my second week of being unemployed and already I feel so domestic. Yesterday, I actually thought about making homemade applesauce! (I looked up the recipe and it’s not really that hard…but it sounds like something only a stay-at-home wife would do.)
My apartment is more clean than it was when I first moved in and I’ve been able to work out for almost two hours every day. The only thing I haven’t been able to do that I’ve really wanted to do is go shopping. Well, I take that back. I went to Target and Fred Meyer to compare prices on air purifiers (the vet recommended I pick one up for Izabelle because of her allergies). When I walked through both stores I wandered into the athletic apparel departments to look at some work-out clothes. I bought some stuff but ended up returning most (if not all) of my goodies yesterday.
It’s hard for me to spend money when I know I don’t have another paycheck coming to replace what I’ve used. I know I don’t really have to worry too much about it because God always provides, but I can’t seem to escape my instincts. Eventually I’m going to have to get over my ‘carry-your-own-weight’ mentality because I’m getting married. And getting married requires that I get over myself and learn to put my financial trust in Kyle. I’m also going to have to learn to spend his money…that’s going to take a long time.
So far the best thing about not working is that I’ve been able to watch the US Open. Every other time I’ve had to record it. It’s so great! Especially since they have TV’s set up in the gym.
It’s a good thing I haven’t been able to sleep in, otherwise I might have missed some of the best matches.

Today was my last day at my temp job with Weyerhaueser. It’s so sad. I get so attached to the people I work with and the jobs I do. Just when I’m getting into the groove of things and really getting to know my co-workers, things change. I know it’s for the best though. I still have a lot of wedding stuff to finish and having the whole month of Sept. to dedicate to it will be wonderful.
I think this will be the first time in my entire life that I will not ‘technically’ be working even though I am able-bodied and in good health. Weird. I hope I don’t get bored or feel aimless.

Kyle and I spent this last weekend at a cabin on Treasure Island (WA) with his parents and Ryan and Charlene. It was nice and relaxing. It’s sooo beautiful there. I feel like it’s a really special secret place that is known only to a select few (composed mostly of the elderly or hermit-type folks). In actuality, it’s just way out in the boonies and if people are going to go on vacation, by definition that means driving more than two hours.
I got a lot done while I was there too. Together we assembled over 60 invitations and I was able to address a good portion of my envelopes. I still have a ways to go, but I feel good about how much we finished.
The best part of the weekend (besides playing cards and lounging in the hammock) was picking blackberries and getting an awesome recipe for blackberry pie. (It’s amazing what you can get from a weed). 🙂

Yesterday was absolutely crazy. It was glorious.
I woke up early to pick up Michelle at the airport, then she came with me to the chiropractor where she watched and grimaced as I was folded into various pretzel shapes and eventually straightened out. Thankful for her help that week and for enduring the chiropractic session, I treated Michelle to breakfast and we set out for Issaquah to retrieve her car.
Both of us arrived at our jobs late, but it was worth it in order to stop for breakfast. After work I raced to pick up Kyle at the Park N’ Ride and get Ricochet to the vet for his final round of shots. He wasn’t too pleased with us and pooped in his carrier on the way home. So we had the joy of bathing him and disposing of the soiled box.
From there Kyle and I went to an amazing prayer meeting at the Cramer’s house to lift up his parents and the others involved with the Global Training Network ministry. It was fantastic and energizing. We prayed for safety, healing, moving and shaking. There was laying of hands and laughing in the Spirit. The LORD’s power and presence were strong and we left feeling changed.
My brother called while we were in prayer and I listened to his message on the way to Safeway to pick up dinner. It was already 10 and he’d called around 7! He was asking for help and advice on how to respond to his friend whose ex-fiance died suddenly in his sleep Friday. Whoa! Apparently the rest of her friends hadn’t responded with much compassion and she turned to him for support. I wasn’t sure what to say and I wasn’t thinking clearly because I hadn’t eaten in a while. I told him I’d call him back after dinner and pray with him about it. That’s a hard situation! (More on this later)

Theres the skinny…time for lunch!

Wow, it’s hard to believe that I’m back in Seattle. My head is still spinning from all that has gone on this past week. My mom and I got a lot done and we couldn’t have done it without the help of Loreanne, Andrea and my roommate Michelle. Those girls have the patience of preschool teachers. Thanks so much guys!
I only wish I could have spent more time just relaxing and having fun with them. Hopefully my next visit won’t be so non-stop-wait-don’t-forget-this-that-and-by-the-way-have-we-eaten-today. You know what I mean?

I went to pick up my roommate from the airport this morning. Lucky girl got to spend one more night with my family while my flight left Sunday evening. After I picked her up she came with me to my chiropractic appointment. On the way there we saw the scariest thing. At the stoplight at the intersection of Westlake and the Fremont Bridge there was a fender-bender. It didn’t look like a big deal but I guess the guy in the front car thought differently. He leaped out of his car and stormed over to the driver-side window of the car behind him. He was pounding on the window and screaming. The woman on the other side of the glass got out and started screaming back. They started moving in between their cars, making outrageous gestures and yelling. From what I was able to see it looked like he pushed her first, but I wouldn’t be surprised if she instigated it. But she pushed back then he lunged at her going for her throat. He was seriously choking her! I’d never seen anything like it in real life before. Thankfully there was another person there to break it up. The light turned green so I didn’t see how the confrontation ended. I hope all was resolved!

I woke up late this morning. But thankfully I’m not groggy. Being groggy at work is the worst. I’m so thankful that my boss Darla is forgiving.
The only bummer right now is that my upper back, between my shoulder blades, is not feeling so hot. I think maybe I slept on it wrong. I dunno. Maybe it’s because the adjustments from yesterday are still setting. I put a hot pack on it last night as soon as I was home from work and I thought for sure that would take care of it. Either way, it’s going to be a long day of labor since all the literature we were waiting for finally came in the mail. (that means I’ve got a lot of lifting and standing ahead of me…which is OK because I feel like I’m getting a workout.) I should start making it a more of an actual workout…maybe start doing some squats with the boxes on my shoulders or do those backwards push-ups on the edges of them (like you would do with a chair). This could have promising possibilities. *picturing the lean, toned physique I could have on my wedding day*

Another funny thing I learned today is that Darla and her husband used the same workbook “Before you say I Do” in their pre-marriage counceling 12 years ago!
I’m hoping that just means it’s a classic. haha.

Yesterday I got my hair trimmed. I was kind of hoping to do something new and different, but she just took a bit here and there and made it all nice, smooth and shiny (like it used to be when I used to spend my money on really nice expensive salon shampoo’s and such. I think I’d like to start doing that again. I’ve become such a cheap person.)
It’s funny to me how every time I go to get my hair done…the person cutting my hair never lets me do anything ‘too drastic’.
“You have such pretty hair, you should keep it long.”
“Do you know how many people pay money for color like yours!?!”

After the wedding I really want to get it cut shorter. Maybe something that comes along my jaw line with a bang sweep that I can tuck behind my ear (because that’s inevitably what happens.)
Then again, I think I’ll have to work my way up to this point. So I should probably start by cutting off enough so I can just get it into a pony tail. That way I can donate the rest to make wigs for cancer patients. I’ve always wanted to do that.