Happy Birthday Husband

Happy birthday to the weirdest, cutest, hardest working, best guy I know. Love you Mike!

 

 

Damnnnn you're handsome.

Year In Review - Blog Style

Alright…everyone is doing it.  So I’m doing it too! (copy cat) Here is my Year in Review just like every other blog out there.

January:

In January of this year we were still getting used to living in this strange land called the East Coast, we were experiencing our first real snow (and so were the dogs), we made our first trek to DC since our move, and I turned 30 and didn’t totally freak out about it.

February:

In February, I came up with my Pinspiration posts which I just realized I need to do more of, I did a day in photos post which looking back, man being unemployed was cushy, I talked about fear and opened myself up to a new scary job opportunity, and I ended up saying no to the job anyways because it really wasn’t right for me at the time.

March:

I spent most of March focusing on this diet and exercise plan I was a blog representative for that Mike and I quit doing because if we have to eat only protein and veggies for the rest of our lives in order to be thin, we’d rather be fat. Aside from that, my sister visited (yay!) and I finally got really super sick of being unemployed.

April:

We made a trip to see the cherry blossoms, I had a really really boring Saturday and decided to document it and for some reason find this post really funny, I took some pretty photos at the wharf, and we celebrated our 2^nd wedding anniversary.

May:

Most of May was taken up with Blog Every Day in May posts that are not all that interesting (I just don’t do well with prompts). Other than boring posts, we had an amazing trip to DC for our anniversary, I found a rare sunny patch in my dreary unemployment fog, and I wrote about my all-time favorite photo of me.

June:

We had an awesome day at the Great Grapes WineFestival when Mike's brother was visiting, I got a job (!), the bloom is definitely off the rose now, but whatever dude, I was unemployed for 7 months, we visited our first East Coast beach of the summer, I started my job and remembered how un-fun being a working woman is, and we ran our first (and my last) mud run.

July:

Mike’s mom visited and we took two great day trips, one to Historic St. Mary’s City and one to Sotterley Plantation. We had a beautiful hike where I almost got eaten by the world’s most giant snake, I had a blast at a bachelorette party in California, and I got surprisingly pro-America at the movie theater.

August:

I survived my first concert season, but my foot almost didn’t, my watching way too much Bachelor and Bachelorette inspired this post about their oft-used word “spontaneity”,  and I really loved this goofy outfit.

September:

Megan visited and we had an amazing trip to DC with her, Mike and I got schnackered on Labor Day, I took a really pretty boat ride at work, and I can’t stop talking about how happy being near wineries makes me.

October: 

We went to California for an amazing wedding and got to finally meet B (I didn’t blog about either of those things, but they’re worth mentioning) I shared why I’m such a chubby bunny (aka telling you all the shit I ate that day), I cheered myself up by talking about random things I’m good at, and we had a great time at Oyster Fest.

November:

I wrote a random post worth sharing mostly because of the wedding photo and also because I find myself so funny, we had a great cooking class date night, I was cranky a lot, but this picture of a corgi in a hoodie helped cheer me up, and we had a lovely little Thanksgiving.

December:

I shared my Christmas card insert that I’m pretty dang proud of, I realized that I look deformed when I run, we hit our one year anniversary of living on the East Coast, and we had a fun Christmas at home.

Here's hoping 2014 is even better!

This Sunday Currently

Currently I am...

Reading: Just started reading the 4th Outlander book...loving this series so much. Thanks to Betsy's suggestion, I'm adding Gone Girl and The Ocean at the End of the Lane to my must read list.

Writing: Nothing today other than this blog. I've pretty much been off the computer until just now. Very rare for me!

Listening: To Mike's soccer game, Gizmo sloppily drinking from his water bowl, and an old repeat of Top Chef All Stars playing on my computer.

Thinking: That I'm so glad this week is so short and I can't wait for Mike's birthday on Tuesday!

Smelling:  The glass of Yellowlegs sitting next to me.

Wishing: That my hair would just magically dry completely straight so I didn't have to do it tonight.

Hoping: Same as always...not internet appropriate...for now.

Wearing: Giant VS pajama bottoms and a long sleeved Minnie Mouse top...I'm pretty sexy right now.

Loving: The world's best Christmas gift that Mike surprised me with - my Stu's Bloody Mary Kit.

Wanting:  To be motivated to up my workouts. Stupid holiday pudge.

Needing: To blow dry and straighten my hair.

Feeling: Lazy, happy, and confused. Weird combo!

Clicking:  Currently, Reddit, Goodreads, and Amazon.

Gizmo says hi.

Christmas Snapshots

I don't feel like writing a post. I'm super sleepy and brain dead. So here are some snapshots from our nice little Christmas.

I should have taken a quality picture of our tree. It was so lovely this year.

This lucky guy ended up with two bottles of his favorite scotch.

Mike shucking his first oysters. He feels like a real Chesapeake Bay dweller now.

The weekend started with lunch with these crazies at Cafe des Artistes

Breakfast of eberskevers filled with apple chutney and covered in maple whipped topping. Oh man, they were good.

Yahtzee!

The eberskever king

True nerds play Lord of the Rings Monopoly on Christmas Day. (I KICKED everyone's asses. The trick is a fortress on the Mines of Moria)

Creepy buggers.

Pug love!

My day after Christmas outfit for work. Festive and lazy!

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas!!

This Monday Currently

I'm a day late and a dollar short, but does anyone really care?

Currently I am...

Reading: Still reading the third in the Outlander series (they're long books, okay?!), a Shape article on tricep exercises because I'm sick of my routine, and some social media stuff for work.

Writing: SHOULD be writing a request letter for work, but my brain is not functioning properly enough at the moment to equal good enough writing.

Listening: To the rain outside, my AWOLnation Pandora station, and my fingers typing.

Thinking: That it's going to be a looooong day and that I hope Christmas goes well.

Smelling:  My new GLAAD melty scentsy thingy and it smells amazing and was way cheaper than actual scentsy.

Wishing: That I was off today and was cuddling with the pups on this rainy day.

Hoping: For two things I can't say on the internet...

Wearing: Black Ann Taylor leggings, mint Hunter rain boots, and a black and white giant F21 sweater. It is raining after all and I'm alone at work so...

Loving: That I brought my strawberry twizzlers to work even though it's way too early to be eating candy, but oh well.

Wanting:  For my day to go quickly and for Mike to find good oysters today for Christmas dinner.

Needing: To get the guest room ready for our guests, make a pumpkin pie, make a quiche, and clean up the house. (Mike will do most of those things, let's be honest)

Feeling: Sleepy and lazy.

Clicking:  Pinterest. Have you ever read the comments on the popular section of the pins? Holy man people have too much time on their hands!!

Me today. (Great photo composition val, that drain isn't gross or anything)



Scenes From My Morning

I don't have a lot going on right now. Just trying to get ready for Christmas, being irritated that it's HOT today even though it's December, and so glad that I have a couple days off coming up. Here are some iPhone scenes from this morning...

Tea and a cookie brought to me by my husband on a rainy, dark day.

We started opening one stocking gift a day last night and Mike loves his new picture frame.

Gizmo keeping my outfit warm for me.

I love our tree this year, oh man.

Gizmo gets the wrapping paper tubes when we're done with them.

Tuffy and his awkward pug leg.

A Whole Year

I can’t believe it, but we’ve officially been on the East Coast for over a year now. We left the Saturday after Thanksgiving in 2012 for that loooong ass trek across the country. Just me, Mike, Tuffy, and Gizmo. Oh man did that truck stink like dog sweat and cheeseburgers by the end of the trip. Not really a lot has happened since then even though it feels like it should have. We live here now, we both have new jobs here, we live in a new apartment…and that’s about it. no big news, no big life changes. Just living in another town with the same ole’ stress and the same ole’ lives. Except, you know, we’re super happy that we’re in a bigger area and close to one of our favorite cities in the world.

Since I don’t have anything important or deep to write about our first year here, instead here are some things I’ve learned in the last year:

1)      People in Southern Maryland cannot drive. California drivers may be intense, but at least they know what they’re doing.

2)      People in Southern Maryland don’t know what double yellow lines mean. Alright, that’s pretty much what #1 was saying, but  oh man half the accidents in this town are because of those damn double yellows.

3)     People this close to DC/Baltimore/Annapolis/Alexandria really don’t appreciate it. When people here talk about how far a drive it is to Annapolis (1.5hrs) I always laugh. It was 1.5 hours to the nearest Target where we moved from. We have no problem driving that far to be in a beautiful, water-side town filled with great restaurants and shops.  Worth it!

4)     People here think their commute is bad and I find that funny. You can take the metro. It may be late or suck sometimes, but at least you’re not stuck in LA rush hour traffic!

5)      People don’t take their kids into DC even though it’s so damn close. The museums are free, the zoo is free, and your kids are an hour and 45 minutes away from so much culture…take them dammit!

6)     Just because you’re on the East Coast doesn’t mean they know how to handle weather. The schools here close if they THINK it’s going to snow. Apparently that’s not a California thing like I thought it was.

7)     The East Coast makes me fat. Okay not really, but not running as much because of the cold and laziness has made me fat. And I blame the East Coast.

8)      Taking a red eye from CA to here is way easier than going the other direction.

9)      It’s windy here too, it’s not just a Ridgecrest thing (dammit).

10)  FIVE GUYS IS BETTER THAN IN N OUT SUCK IT CALIFORNIA.

11)  Being near the water makes me happy. I never knew this about myself, but working near the water and being able to look out at it whenever I want brings me this weird happiness and peace I never experienced before.

12)  Not having to put on moisturizer at night because I no longer live in the desert is weird.

13)  My hair is huge here. Just huge and dumb and huge.

14)  Mike hates rain. Who knew?

15)  People who live in Maryland have an accent. A very distinct accent that I had never heard before.

16)  Old Bay apparently goes with everything.

17)  Living somewhere where people take great pride in their industry and their town is really nice. Watching people cheer wholeheartedly for the oyster shucking competition at the Oyster Festival kind of melted my icy little heart.

18)  Whoopy pies?! I mean come on. Those things are gooood.

19)  If you live in the second story apartment of a three story building, you never ever have to turn on your heat and it’s kind of awesome.

20)  The only road kill here is deer and it’s way more depressing than other kinds.

21)  People here can tell if the crab in their crabcakes is local or not.

22)  You’ve never had a crabcake until you’ve had a locally-sourced one in my town. Holy hell.

 

 

And that's about it for now even though I'm sure there could be a lot more deep and important things I've learned. I do love you Maryland, you weird little place.

 

(Photo by Earl P. of the Drum Point Lighthouse)

 

Dream Squashed

Ever think you look really amazing in those super tight running pants? I mean, maybe you do when you're just posed in front of the mirror sticking your butt out and sucking your gut in.

Want to keep that dream alive?

Then don't look at pictures of you running in them.

 

Dream squashed.

Time to go to the gym there thunder thighs.

Not you Mike, you look great in your tights. :)

Year in Review

Now that all of our Christmas cards have gone out (except for the one person who will not send me their address *cough* *cough* answer my e-mail!) I wanted to share the super cute (if I do say so myself) year in review that I included in each card. I completely 100% copied this from one I found on Pinterest found here, but I'm still pretty proud that I pulled it off and what is Pinterest for if not ripping off people's ideas, but it's okay because you link to them on your blog?

Right?

The funniest part of making this was trying to figure out the things to include because although it was an exciting year with the big move and all....we still didn't have THAT many big events. Anyways, enjoy!

This Sunday Currently

Currently I am...

Reading: Just finished Kelly Oxford's book and it was hilarious and made me wish I had written down all my crazy stories from my youth and could tell them as hilariously as she does.

Writing:  Christmas present labels...allllmost done!

Listening:  To Mike watching soccer in the next room and me watching reruns of Grey's. We just finished watching some Dexter (we watch too much tv) AND I WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS!

Thinking:  I'm super sad that tomorrow is Monday.

Smelling:  Nothing. I'm never smelling anything.  Is that weird? (It's better than smelling farts I guess)

Wishing:  That I could stay home tomorrow cuddled up on the couch because there's supposed to be more freezing rain and I just really don't want to go to work.

Hoping:  For a positive outcome to something I'm working on. 

Wearing:  Plaid Abercrombie pajama pants that I bought back in Bakersfield (that makes them like 10 years old) and a brown Abercrombie thermal from the same time period and I just realized I'm wearing an entirely Abercrbombie outfit even though I refuse to physically walk into those stores and the CEO probably thinks I'm too fat to shop there.

Loving:  The giant glass of Barboursville Pinot Grigio that my husband poured me.

Wanting:  This adorable dress from H&M. (This section will pretty much always be a dress I want...)

Needing:  To figure out what I'm going to wear tomorrow and to the Board Dinner on Wednesday.

Feeling:  Buzzed (woo hoo!) and anxious.

Clicking:  Netflix, Amazon, and blogs. The uge.

Thanksgiving in Photos

There isn't much to write about our first Thanksgiving on the East Coast. It was lazy and cold and pretty and tasty and boozy. Which sounds pretty darn good to me. Instead of a mushy, rambly post about our holiday, here are some crappy iPhone pictures to sum it up.

The Dad.

The Husband in his Christmas sweater.

Me. This is what I look like 80% of the time.

The Step-mom

Mike and Monica slaving away while I took iPhone photos and rambled on and on about nonsense.

We stayed at the 1804 cottages at Barboursville Vineyards and dinner was in their tasting room and it was DELICIOUS. Also the wine? Oh man, we bought two bottles during dinner, that's how good it was.

Yum yum yum.

I of course, wore the least amount of anyone there and luckily got sat by this toasty fireplace. Lucky me and my bare legs!

It wouldn't be a fancy dinner without a bow tie, right?

This game was effing hard, but fun. I know nothing about where wine is from apparently.

My step-mom got drunk. It was amazing.

After dinner, we went back to our cottage to drink wine, eat a bunch of cheese, and play an alcohol board game.

We were so lucky to come home Friday evening so we had all day Saturday and Sunday to relax before work started back up. We spent it being super lazy and putting out our Christmas decorations. I love this time of year!

This Sunday Currently

Currently I am...

Reading: The third book in the Outlander series and I am officially sucked in and they just cast this guy as the lead dude in the tv show made off the books so yeah...I'm in.

Writing:  This blog of course and my Christmas card labels.

Listening:  We've had a very weird mix of tv/movies on in the background today from Elf to Dexter to soccer to Grey's Anatomy.

Thinking:  I have way way way too many cute sweaters on my wish list and that I should just buy some. Except I just spent $32 at the Forever21 online sale today so maybe I shouldn't...

Smelling:  The nasty sour candies I'm currently eating because that apparently helps when I feel nauseous. My body is weird.

Wishing:  That I had found all the boxes I needed at Target yesterday so I could finish shipping Christmas presents.

Hoping:  For December to go by really really quickly.

Wearing:  Nike under armour black pants, a hot pink tank under a black Nike long sleeved shirt, a white Nike sweatshirt, and my running shoes. 

Loving:  That I have step-mom made ragu waiting to be heated up in the fridge for dinner tonight and a tasty bottle of wine to go with it.

Wanting:  This gorgeous dress I found on Ebay.

Needing:  To change my clothes and straighten my hair for work tomorrow.

Feeling:  Sleepy and lazy and sad I have to go to work tomorrow.

Clicking:  My Amazon wishlist to delete things that are no longer for sale. My wish list is insane btw...I want way too many pieces of clothing.