Happy birthday to D-man! He's *@ today!
And to this cultural icon, who is 50.

Just plain batty

After a LONG 14-hour day yesterday and coming home to an empty house, I worked 6 hours today. All of a sudden this morning I heard a commotion right outside the pharmacy at the door to the break room. We had a bat in the store, and the staff managed to get it trapped in the break room. The corporate help desk laughed at the girl who called it in -- not a stellar day for our help desk. I'm not sure who they called to come get the bat, but the time estimate was 1 to 4 hours. With no bathroom, since the break room is the bathroom hallway. We had technicians going across the street to pee. One of the more, um, unwise staff put on gloves and picked up the bat and carried it out of the store. I mean, hello! Rabies!

Oh. My. Word.

I started at my new store today and all I can say is oh my word. We were extremely busy today, like, busier than I've been in any of the 26 stores in the area that I've worked at so far. When I left at 6:00, we had done 450 prescriptions. We open at 8. Needless to say, my neck and my feet hurt. I don't know what the bathroom in the store looks like yet. As in, I didn't ever get a chance to go. I hope tomorrow will be better. After all, this was the worst day ever to start at a new store, being the Monday after 2 holidays and the first Monday of the year.

Recreational use only?

A couple came into the pharmacy today from another city and the man asked if we could call his pharmacy at home and transfer his "recreational drug" (his words, not mine). Being a product of the 1980's, several recreational (and altogether illegal) drugs crossed my mind -- cocaine, marijuana, meth. He must have registered the confusion on my face, because he soon clarified. "Cialis." The stuff of commercials during male-dominated sporting events.

Please. I will be glad to fill your Cialis (or Viagra, or Levitra), but please don't try to make me think about how you use it. I don't want to know about your sex life. Please.

Random happenings

It's almost Christmas, and it's been quite awhile since I posted. We went out of town for Thanksgiving, and I've been working tons. Here's a run-down of the last month:

• Lunch with a great friend at Cracker Barrel before Thanksgiving -- we stayed for 4 hours! (Since she lived in Europe and we lived in Brasil, this was completely normal for us, but not for the waitress!)
• Thanksgiving with my crazy family
• Georgia beat Georgia Tech
• D-man and I have been decorating for Christmas -- I made stockings, we put up and decorated the tree, and we bought one another's Christmas presents. I'm getting these.
• I am officially full-time at work as of yesterday. That means vacation, holiday pay, and guaranteed hours. A permanent store is coming soon, I hope!
• One of my pharmacy classmates is here in Houston, working for my company, working in my district. Yay for a little bit of home!
• D-man's parents are coming in on Thursday
• D-man graduates from U of H on Friday
• I got my first bottle of corked wine today. I thought it was bad because I have a slight cold, but it was just bland. Ecch.

According to this article, it's apparently a good thing we didn't actually get married in Texas. Now that would be embarrassing.

Cultural differences

Tonight while at work, I had my first Brasilian patient. A mom came to ask me a question about her son's medicine. It was an antibiotic suspension that we mix in the pharmacy before the patient goes home. She brought it back to ask if it was okay that it was open. During this exchange, I could tell that she wasn't from the US because of her accent. She asked me, "Is this antibiótico?" and I immediately asked where she was from, because I recognized the word and the way she said it. Turns out she is from Salvador and her husband is from Rio. I told her I had lived in Brasil, and we continued the rest of the interchange in Portuguese. So fun!

My cultural brain fart for the day: I later realized why she looked at me like I was nuts when I told her we mixed the antibiotic at the pharmacy. In Brasil, the antibiotic comes in a box with 2 bottles: 1 with the powder for reconstitution and the other with the water for reconstitution. The patients mix it at home. Wish I'd remembered that while she was still in the store!

Excitement at the alma mater

This happened at the old Sam U yesterday. I can't believe I missed gunfire (even if it was just at a tire). My days there weren't nearly that exciting. Even with Big Shady around.

30 Years of Big Shady

After working 44 hours in 4 days (Sunday-Wednesday), I'm headed out of town. I've been looking forward to this weekend for a long time. I get to celebrate 30 years of Big Shady -- her birthday is next month! We're converging on her sister's house -- "we" includes me, her mom, her 3 sisters, her, and her roommate.

I am so excited about a girls' weekend that in no way involves work.

Stealth Operations

The scheduler called me yesterday to see if I'd be interested in switching stores for today's shift. Hmmm. I said yes, because I'm a generally agreeable person. They couldn't tell me at first what store I was going to (apparently they'd've had to shoot me). It was totally mafia in nature, complete with me meeting the pharmacy supervisor and district manager in the parking lot of said store this morning and hovering around until they pulled the pharmacist out (I was to oversee bench operations "while they were having their meeting").
Of course, I ended up staying for the full shift, because the pharmacist was terminated. Fired. I haven't yet figured out how pharmacists get fired, because we're so in demand. However, being in demand doesn't mean I can do a crappy job. I still want to do my job and do it well. Apparently I am doing a decent job, because this particular supervisor is impressed with me (for whatever reason) and the store manager told me today that I was a breath of fresh air in their store. I am glad it's not in my district -- it's a hard store to work, since there aren't enough people to work and stay caught up.

Local Celebrity Week

As I've been floating around to different stores, I have seen 2 local celebrities this week. When the first one came in, I thought, wait, that's Mr. Cowboy! I was amazed that I was looking at the guy I see in commercials on TV. The second guy came in tonight, and I knew his name, but it didn't register at all. The front store clerk came back and told us who he was, and I realized that D-man has mentioned his name before in passing, saying that we needed to shop at his store.

I love local celebrities that are really nice!

Most people who come in to buy Sudafed manage to do it with out incident or comment. Today's exchange was a little different:
Exchange #1
Technician: "I need to see your driver's license."
Customer: "Oh, I don't have it."
Tech: "Well, I can't sell it to you without your license."
Customer: "Well, I come in here all the time."
Tech: "I still need your license."
Exchange #2 (same customer, after he's gone to get his license)
Technician: "Driver's license, please."
Customer: "What, do you think I'm going to make a batch with one little box?"
Tech: "I need to see your license."
Me: "The DEA requires us to do that."
Customer: "Yeah, I know."

WHY, oh, WHY do you try to make snide comments and bait us when you know what the law says?

Today was the day for morning-after pills. I had no less than 4 people come in to request them. Of course, I have to do the whole "I need to see your driver's license" thing, because it's prescription-only for girls under 17.
I don't necessarily agree with the availability of the morning-after pill, but I don't feel that it's my place to make moral judgements on people who decide they need it. It's my job to sell medicine.

Girl #1: came in to buy it without incident, and 10 minutes later, brought it back. She looked pretty distressed.

Girl #2: came in with her mom, and the conversation went a little like this:
Me: "May I help you?"
Mom: "YES."
Me: "What can I get for you?"
Mom: "MORNING AFTER PILL."
Me: "Okay." (I go and get the pill, thinking this entire time that if the mom was trying to embarrass her daughter out of having sex with her boyfriend by yelling what she needed to everyone in the store, she was going about it the entirely wrong way -- girl was already embarrassed, and I think that rebellion will probably follow a mom who is such a b****.)

Girl #3: without incident

Girl Boy #4: (I came in on the end of this exchange)
Technician: "We need her to come in."
Boy: "Oh, she's at home. We had a little accident last night." (Really? Did she break her leg and can't walk?)
Tech: "Well, we have to make sure she's over 17, so we need to see HER driver's license."
Boy: "Okay." (I keep thinking that the fact that we can sell this med to guys is a really bad idea, since it's rx only for under-17s. I really would like to know if the creepy college guy is buying it for his 16 year old girlfriend, since it's illegal.)

I hate the FLU.

I don't have it, but everyone else seems to. Tamiflu suspension is not available, so we're having to compound it. It takes a minimum of 15 minutes per prescription from typing to compounding to labeling to checking.

Someone at Roche decided that the CDC wasn't serious about the epi-pan-demic of the flu back in May, so they aren't making Tamiflu suspension at the rate we need it, or maybe they're not making it at all. Flu season has started earlier than normal, and we're running around like crazy people in the retail factory.

I'm kind of glad I can't give flu shots. I feel like that's all I would be doing.

Favorite comment of the day

"I was trying to call in a refill, but I don't have any way to punch the 'C' into the phone."

Love & Coffee

I got a package in the mail yesterday from my friend Corrie. She and I share a passion for Brasilian coffee, and another friend of hers sells fair trade organic coffee called Brazilian Love (from a company called Crown Coffee. My package contained a bag of this coffee, and under the bag is the funnest t-shirt ever. It says:

Make Brazilian Love.

Without the coffee, it's just a dirty t-shirt. I love it.

I. Love. My. Job.

I started working a few weeks ago, and though my job is stressful (what with sick patients and emergency calls to open stores an hour late), I am really enjoying it. God has been gracious to remind me over the past few days that what I am doing is a ministry. It's not really all that religious in nature, but it's service, in more ways than one.

It also pays the bills.

It has begun.

Though the dawgs had an abysmal start on Saturday (who schedules a season opener against the #9 team anyway?), I still love college football. My mom just sent me this, and it warms my heart. This IS college football:

It is people believing that their coach can walk on water. And it is those same people firing a coach who wins ten times a year because of the one team he can't beat.

It is brides and grooms sitting down with a calendar and a schedule so they don't mess up and plan their wedding on the same day as the "big game"-and it's the bridesmaids and groomsmen and fathers of the bride understanding that they are all big.

If you know anything about college football, please read the rest here.

Heigh-ho, heigh-ho

It's off to work I go! I am officially in the system (I was able to log on to the employee website this morning), and go in for training today and tomorrow. Next week may hold more training in my future, and I'm totally okay with that. I've been out for 3 years, and Texas is a big ol' mystery.

Recycle, people!

I will be the first to say that I've been slow to get into the whole "green" craze, but in trying to save a little money, I've picked up one recycling trend. PaperBack Swap (www.paperbackswap.com) is a great little find (okay, so Al joined 2 years ago and I just remembered about it). I get to clear off my bookshelf and bring in new books that I've been wanting to read but not really buy. It's kind of like the library, but the book comes right to your house! (Yes, you have to pay Media Mail rates to send books, but it's still cheaper than buying lots of books, even used! And I still have leftover wedding postage that's not enough to send a first-class letter.)

If you want to sign up, put my username (sabrina78) in the referral field, and I'll get credit for referring you! Read some and save a little (a LOT) of money in the meantime!

Oh. My. Word.

I have never, ever made risotto before tonight, but the Pioneer Woman posted this recipe yesterday. I didn't really think much about it until today, and then it started sounding really yummy. I started craving it and made my trip to the grocery store a couple of days early so we could have this risotto tonight. With crumby (not crummy) chicken. And roasted asparagus.

Goat cheese is tasty. And melty. And cheesy. Mmmmmm.

Now we are craving chocolate for dessert.

A day in the life of a checkbook

When it comes to money, D-man and I come from extremely different backgrounds. He has lots more experience than I do with Father God providing for his needs even up to the last minute. I tend to stress out about money these days because, well, I feel like (please see the "FEEL LIKE") we don't have any. That's not a reflection on D-man as "worse than an unbeliever" -- he provides and allows the Lord to provide in weird, amazing ways that I am not used to, and that are not, um, always as regular as would make me comfortable. We are blessed to have been in a season up until now that he's been a student and we have had the luxury of my not having to work.

Sometimes, when I am trying to save money and cut coupons and be diligent about being a good steward, I tend to feel like we have less than we actually do. I am extremely forward-thinking about what bills need to be paid, but not necessarily about what money will come in. I have seen God's amazing provision in the last 7 months of marriage that I hope will continue far into our elderly years. I realize that at some point, that involves me letting go of some of the security that having a little extra money offers, but it also promises to strip my character to its bare bones and my relationship with Christ to total dependence upon Him in an area that I haven't ever had to worry about. I'm looking forward to it.

My new favorite phrase

WICKEDLY FURIOUS. That's the phrase a friend came up with while trying to tell me how mad she was at her ex. No, she's not from Boston (that would be "wicked furious"). I can't say that I've ever been wickedly furious at anyone; I wonder what it feels like....

See my pretty loaves of French bread that I made yesterday? I think I've finally gotten the hang of it. The bread, I mean. Living in Houston means that I don't use as much flour as is called for in bread recipes, sometimes up to 1 1/2 cups less! We had some really dry, heavy loaves before I figured that out. D-man (and other almost-family) was gracious enough to eat the bread without complaining.

I am almost ready to post pictures of the house -- the only problem is that we've lost my camera's USB cord. D-man took this picture of the bread with his camera, and he was thoughtful enough to get the cookbook picture in the background, so you can see that my bread looked like it was supposed to! Pictures of the house to come soon.

My new favorite place

I have been searching (the web) lately for used bookstores in this area, and I have found a gem. It's 3 1/4 miles from our house, and it's a delightful place to go and browse. I didn't make it all the way through (though it's not very big -- just a converted house), but I already have a list a mile long of things I want to buy from them! They have lots of hardbacks and older editions (including several 1st editions of several Pulitzer novels), and the owner is really friendly.

The Place: Becker's Books (their website is down for maintenance, but I will update if it comes back up soon)
The Inventory: Shelves upon shelves of well-organized books (though I found a John Updike novel on the floor in a stack near the L's -- delightfully disorganized, but not so much as to make you crazy!)
The Locale: Houston, TX

Job search update

I GOT A JOB! I'll be working part-time for my old standby, and I got the offer letter in the mail today. Tomorrow is going to be taken up with sitting in the LabCorp waiting room waiting to pee, and waiting in line at the post office to mail my acceptance to the people up north.

Oh, my word, I am excited!

The Pioneer Woman has a fabulous website with photos, recipes, and anecdotes from life on a cattle ranch in the middle of Nowhere, Oklahoma. She has recently put together a new site called Tasty Kitchen. The idea for the site came out of one of her giveaways (she does them often) where she asked for readers' favorite recipes. The result is a recipe community. Not necessarily a new idea, but a community of people who definitely have similar senses of humor if they enjoy PW. The site has just gotten up and running, and PW is still working out the kinks. It promises to be a lot of fun, and I'm hoping to make some internet friends.

Check it out!

Job search update #3

I applied for 5 more positions yesterday, and I got a call from company #1 -- one I have worked for before. I have a follow-up interview on Friday with the guy who would be my boss if I get hired! It's part-time, but I'm enticed by the flexibility. And the opportunity to work in many different stores. And the knowledge that the holidays are generally not days I'd have to work.

I am looking forward to the opportunity to work in the pharmacy world again!

More home-improvement

The in-laws are coming in next week, and they're staying with us. It's given me excellent motivation to finish our home-improvement projects by next week. Today's project is painting. I had to put texture on our walls and paint over it. It's almost done, thank goodness! Tomorrow's project may involve sealing our kitchen cabinets -- we stained them without thinking about the fact that the stain is water-based. Not good for a kitchen. Polyurethane is definitely necessary. D-man and his dad will probably take on the project of putting the pulls on the kitchen cabinets and drawers next week -- they are all about precision, and I don't have the patience for it!

It is currently raining for the second time in the last two months, and I am enjoying it immensely. I was going to run this morning, but the rain precluded that. The temperature is finally nice enough for me to open the windows and turn off the A/C. There is a cloud sitting over Houston, and we're set to have scattered showers today -- we've had about 4 since 7:30 this morning!

I'm looking forward to the rest of the day -- 95 degrees is the official high, but I have a feeling it won't get anywhere near that.

Best. Chocolate. Ice cream. Ever.

Since D-man has been on my case to get the ice cream maker out of the shed since we moved it in there, we decided that yesterday would be a perfect day to make ice cream. Both our moms made it when we were growing up, but neither of us had much to do with the process.

I found a recipe for chocolate ice cream in The Joy of Cooking, and though it is fairly complicated for a hot summer day (I had to stand over the hot stove stirring the custard mixture constantly for about 30 minutes), it produced the best, creamiest, chocolatiest chocolate ice cream I've ever had. It tasted like brownie batter. I'm not sure that any attempts on my part will do justice to the yumminess of the ice cream, so all I'll do is recommend it to anyone who's willing to put in the work!

A pharmacist's thoughts

My first thoughts along these lines in awhile....

An FDA advisory committee just recommended that the maximum daily dose of over-the-counter acetaminophen (Tylenol, APAP, paracetamol) be reduced from 4 grams (8 extra-strength tablets) per day because of potential liver damage in doses greater than 4 grams/day. They also voted to limit the maximum single dose to 650 mg (the previous single dose limit was 1000 mg, or 2 extra-strength tablets), or 2 regular-strength tablets.

I must say that I agree with it in principle; I don't really like acetaminophen all that much for pain relief anyway. As a pharmacist, I see patients struggle to make sense of the medications they are using, including trying to combine their OTC drugs with their Rx drugs, making sure nothing overlaps or interacts. THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HERE FOR. There is also a prevailing thought in our society of excess that more is better. NOT TRUE. More isn't better, and it can cause permanent damage. A double dose of Nyquil, for example, though bound to dope you up for much longer than a single dose, is not going to make you feel better faster. Those doses and instructions are on the label for a reason. Follow them, and don't take extra. Period. If the medicine isn't helping, consider that something else might help -- a diet change, a lifestyle change, more (or less) exercise -- anything but more medicine. I know: coming from a pharmacist, that's rich advice. Remember, though, that I went to school and learned about what those meds do to the body. I don't use them (except for occasionally), and I'm going to do my dead-level best to make sure I don't have to ever use them chronically.

In the meantime, the FDA has a handy guide to acetaminophen on their website here. Read it, and if you don't understand something, ask your doctor or pharmacist. They can have a conversation with you. The internet can't.

Update 2: the job search

Interview #1 went reasonably well, I think, and I'm excited about the possibility of a part-time job. Interview #2 has been cancelled, due to the fact that they filled the position before I got to interview. That doesn't mean that company is out of the question, it just means that for now, they don't have anything for me.

I am disappointed, because the cancelled interview would have been for a full-time job, with full benefits. I would love an offer from my interview the other day; I love the flexibility of part-time (I get to make my own schedule!) and experiencing different stores. I know that the Lord knows my heart, and that He has our job opportunities and our finances in His hands. That fact brings my anxiety down to a level I can handle.

A very nice gesture

While we were staying with Papa Funk, and our house was getting coated in a thick layer of sheetrock dust, my guitar (a Martin DM dreadnought, which apparently was discontinued this year) sat forgotten, rescued only from its wet case.

In order to avoid permanent damage, Papa Funk captured my guitar and took it to Great Southern Music, and had them give the guitar a thorough cleaning (including the pickup), new strings, and make sure that the wood wasn't damaged or warped by the water. Before he left for India, he gave me the claim check and told me about it. Needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised. I went to pick it up today, and the store reminds me a little of Fretted Instruments, my guitar shop in Birmingham, though without the couches.

I walked in to pick up my guitar and walked out with my guitar, a new case, and a pick. The old case was ruined in the flood, as it was made of pressed board. In addition to taking on water, it was the world's heaviest guitar case. It came with the guitar when I bought it 9 years ago, and I got really tired of lugging it through airports (Amazon.com lists the shipping weight at 40 pounds!). The new case, by my best estimate, weighs about 10 pounds.

As Papa Funk paid for the repairs/cleaning, I didn't stress too much about spending money on a guitar case -- especially one that won't take on water unless the water is high!

Update: the job search

I have 2 job interviews in the next 2 weeks -- one for a part-time position, and one for a full-time position. Both are in retail pharmacies. As much as I would love the flexibility of the PT position, the FT position has much more to offer, including day-1 benefits. Both positions would involved "floating," or working out of more than 1 pharmacy, and not having my own store. I love the idea of being effective support staff to other pharmacists; after all, it's what I did in Brazil!

Interview #1 (PT) is Wednesday, July 1 at 1 pm, and interview #2 (FT) is Friday, July 10 at 1 pm. If you want to know who they're with, leave me a comment or call me. :-)

Reading and book deals!

No, I'm not writing a book.

Barnes & Noble currently has a buy 2, get 1 free promo going with their B&N Classics (selected titles through July 6, with the standard "free book must be of equal or lesser value...."). I got a $15 gift card from Big Shady for my birthday, and I promptly (the next day) went shopping! I searched and searched and finally decided on (drum roll please.....) A Tale of Two Cities (Dickens), The Woman in White (Collins), and The Secret Garden (Burnett). The first two are on this list, which I'm trying to make progress on (you can track my progress here), and the third is one I loved as a kid, and want to read again. I also bought The Yearling (Rawlings), which is on my list of Pulitzer prize-winning novels. All told, after I spent all $15 of the gift card, I paid $5.34 for FOUR BOOKS! That's just as good as going to Goodwill and finding good reads.

HOT

Apparently we have an advisory for extreme heat until 7 PM tomorrow night here in Houston. The heat index has topped 105 (at 108!) and is expected to fall below that (as a high) only tomorrow evening. It's 5:30 and still feels like 103. The actual temp is 97. I must say that I'm glad the humidity level is only 39%. That makes it a little more bearable. Inside, we're running the fans and trying not to max out the A/C. It's thundering outside, and I must say that I would love a little rain, even if it's a 10-minute shower. It hasn't rained but twice since the flood, and the heat is attacking in full force. I am not looking forward to August....

I am beginning to realize that my life as a married woman is boring. I don't mean that in a bad sense, but in a sense that there is so much that passes between D-man and me that is just meant for the two of us. Or that other people wouldn't particularly care about.

Also, I have to admit that I am either a perfectionist or my own worst critic (or both). As a result, my writing isn't getting a lot of attention these days -- not even the introspective kind. Life now involves regularly interacting with at least one other person, and that means that introspection doesn't get a lot of time. Stress and epiphanies come and go without any motivation to put them on paper. The desire not to be interrupted if I happen to be in the middle of a great writing session trumps the desire to write. And so, I don't. Hopefully more inspiration will come soon!

You might be a redneck if....

you, your husband, and your brother-in-law (who was staying with us till last night) hop in the truck and drive after 5 fire trucks and 2 ambulances to see what's going on.

Last night, we were all outside talking (and working on Papa Funk's car) when we heard sirens. The sirens are a normal occurrence in our neighborhood, but these were coming towards us. As we looked for and found smoke, we parked and walked up to the crowd of curious people who had gathered in front of the burning house. The fire, apparently, was electrical in nature (the dryer caught on fire). Just an interesting night with the family in H-town!

Exciting news

THE KITCHEN CABINETS ARE FINISHED!
THE MICROWAVE/HOOD VENT HAS BEEN PUT IN!

I am so, so excited, because our house is looking like it's getting back to normal. The tools are making their way back to the garage, and the dishes and food are making their way back into the cabinets. We still have lots of little chores to do, but they don't seem nearly as large as getting the cabinets taken care of -- the pantry cabinet was the last to go in, and it holds our dinner plates, as they're too big to go in a normal 12" wall cabinet. They are back. The food is back. I'm getting the other cabinets organized accordingly. We can get rid of the piles of stuff sitting around. Now for the backyard....and the garage....

Flood

Nope, not our house. This time, it's the market for pharmacists. Apparently, I live in a city with two pharmacy schools. Everyone just graduated. And everyone wants to stay in Houston. I'm not sure why; it's a popular place for hurricanes, I hear.

The resumé has already gone out to a few chains, and will go out to a few hospitals today. I am so ready to start working. Pray that I will find a job, and quickly!

31

It's just a number. And a fun one, at that!

It's official!

I am a licensed Texas pharmacist! I got a letter from TSBP (Texas State Board of Pharmacy) today and went weak at the knees when I saw the return address. Open now or wait till D-man gets home? I opened it, and the top fold of the letter had my name on it, of course, and the telltale line RE: LICENSE NUMBER *****. Of course, they wouldn't reference a license number that I didn't have, so I kept opening the letter in anticipation. I passed with an 80! 75 is a passing score, and it's not a percentage. I don't know how they score it, so don't ask. I'm just glad that stress is over. Now on to the easy part -- job-hunting! (Yes, I know we're in a recession. I also know that sickness doesn't care. People are sick whether our economy is good or bad. That gives people like me job security.)

Back at home

D-man and I moved back in on Saturday, and we are so glad to be home. I have resumed cooking, and yesterday's lucky winners were BBQ brisket (braised in the oven in my Le Creuset dutch oven) and Texas sheet cake (known as brownies in my mom's house). Both were quite yummy!

Is this seat saved?

Today, cousin J graduated from high school, and her graduation started promptly at 1:00. Due to the hour, D-man and I decided to leave church around noon to get there with plenty of time to park and find the rest of the family. We usually sit on the second row (behind the empty first row that Baptists apparently have an aversion to using), and today we sat 3 rows from the back. Every person that passed us made some comment about us usually sitting way down front. I'm not lying. Every single one. Those little old ladies notice everything!

To make up for our sudden heathen-like tendencies, D-man made sure he told people we brought extra Bibles so we could sit farther back. Obviously, the farther back you sit, the more Bibles you need to be holy.

At any rate, it's good to know that people that we don't know all that well at church recognize us, even if only by where we sit.

Sink update

Since we moved it over a little bit, the pipes don't actually fit with the sink anymore. So, we're having a plumber come out tomorrow to set the sink and hook up the garbage disposal and dishwasher.

In other news: I took my test today, and I am glad it's over, though I have no idea how I did. I started cleaning the front bedroom today. Tomorrow is dedicated to finishing that up (maybe). Saturday night is dedicated to Mexican food at home with homemade margaritas. Mmmm!

SINK

D-man got the sink put back in the kitchen last night. There is sawdust everywhere. The appliances are back in, except the refrigerator.

We had to buy a new kitchen sink. The old faucet had rusted enough to be corroded, and the new sink is shiny and pretty and deeper than our last one. That means not as much splashing myself when I wash dishes. It's set, but needs to be clamped down. The pipes might need to be moved. I don't know, but I won't worry about it until this afternoon (Thursday), when I can rest easy that my exam is OVER. More updates to come.

Eckeltricity

Today's project was small, but very important. Since we're adding counter space, the refrigerator is going to be moved down a little. That means the plug had to be moved over to the next stud. That involved turning off the breaker, taking apart the plug, D-man climbing up into the attic, drilling into a stud, moving the wiring over, threading it down the wall, putting the box in the new hole in the sheetrock, attaching the box to the stud, reconnecting the wiring, and turning the breaker back on. Once we get the kitchen cabinets screwed into the wall, we can put the refrigerator back in place. That's one step closer to having a fully functional kitchen.

I put sheets back on our bed today, and I hung the shower curtain back up. There is at least some semblance of home in our bedroom and bathroom. Enough to move back in without cleaning everything else first. All that cleaning will wait until I finish my exam on Thursday.

Kitchen Cabinets.

We have them. The bottom ones are in place (but not nailed in), and the top ones are sitting in Papa Funk's garage waiting to be stained. Countertops are next (probably before the top cabinets), and when they're in, we can move back in. Yay!

D-man is over at our house today finishing up the kitchen floor. I am here at Papa Funk's house studying. (For real this time)

My pharmacy law exam is in less than one week, and I have been doing some practice questions. Let me just say, it's bad business. I forgot how much information there was to learn (even after reading the 575-page book), and how much people like me loathe the law. Not following it, just studying and memorizing it. I have a lot more to review before I'll feel like I'm ready.

I finished sanding today (thank the Lord! The dust gives me allergies and massive headaches) while D-man finished cutting the kitchen floor. He sent me "home" to study and he's installing the floor tonight so it can start curing. My other amazing feat for the day is getting the bathroom and our room back to normal -- swept 50 times, mopped, and furniture in the right places. There is definitely still some dusting to do....

Tomorrow is for priming and texturing the sanded places, so that we can get to paint soon (though we can do that after we move back in). I am guessing that kitchen cabinets will at least start going in on Saturday, and that really means we can move back in. Of course, we can't move back in until we have at least a kitchen sink (and a few cabinets). That day is coming soon.

PROGRESS

I haven't posted much about the remodeling process, mostly because I've been so over it. D-man has been working like a madman, and it's been slow going, because sheetrock takes forever. First, there's the floating. Then, there's the taping and compounding. Then, there's 24 hours between compounding and sanding so the compound can dry properly. Then, there's the extra coats of compound, making sure that there are no cracks. We're on the final sanding, priming, and texturing.

The kitchen floor had to come up, and glue has to be scraped. The new kitchen floor is going down soon, and the kitchen cabinets are next (with more counter space than we had). Cleaning up is first thing after the sheetrock -- that dust is killer!

I forgot

In addition to having no kitchen, I have no car. It's currently in the shop getting dried out and cleaned and diagnosed, which will take approximately 6 more days. In place of the nice, pretty Camry, I have an old (read: almost 20 years) Dodge Caravan that belongs to D-man's parents. It has no air. The check engine light is constantly on. One window is tinted. Only one. It has 170,000 miles on it. The gears don't match the dash (i.e., when it's in reverse, the little line isn't on the R). These are definitely days to be grateful for the car that gets me where I need to go!

I have no kitchen. I mean, the refrigerator is still plugged in and working, but the other appliances are in the garage. I tried to help D-man move the stove out there and gave up after about 2 seconds to avoid throwing out my back. There is no kitchen floor. Wish we had left it in, because the smell is painful. Home Depot and Lowe's are definite stops today, because all we can do right now is let things dry a little more. And pick out kitchen cabinets and a kitchen floor. My hands smell like a combination of pigskin gloves (without the swine flu) and sheetrock. My eyes are itchy. My nose is dry. My house is dusty. The A/C isn't working as well as it should, because we have holes in our walls. Without insulation. I fear next month's power bill.

Remodeling a house during your first year of marriage wouldn't be something I'd recommend, but we're handling it pretty well. Of course, there wasn't a choice -- well, the choice was stinky flood house or dry house. We picked dry house and all the adventures that come along with it.

Help!

My kitchen cabinets are being ripped out. The one exciting thing about that is that I get to design our new kitchen with a little more counter and cabinet space. I had a moment of trauma when D-man started cleaning out the drawers -- it's one thing to decide you want to remodel; it's quite another to have it decided for you by a natural disaster.

Clean-up has begun!

As I type, D-man is cutting sheetrock and pulling out insulation, which is still soaking wet in some places. It is quite stinky, so I'm glad we're replacing it. I am in charge of the paperwork (and eventually, cleaning), except what his mom or dad has to fill out and sign. We're living in a house that was D-man's great-grandmother's, and it's been in the family since it was built in the 50's. It's cute, and a perfect first house (even though it's not technically ours). 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, a livingroomflowingintoadiningareaflowingintothekitchen, a garage.

Next project is the kitchen cabinets. We're going to try and replace them, so I get to design my very own kitchen (within the limits of a 96" x 160" space on two walls, one of which holds a door to the outside)! I'm looking forward to increasing my counter space and pantry space. Any kitchen amenities that you can't live without? I'd love to know!

Flood, 3 days later

We are still in the process of drying out, but the insurance adjusters for our cars and our house have been out to inspect. My Camry (bought brand new in December -- uggh!) is first on the car list, as the water surrounding it was 23 inches deep and 10 inches above the bottom of the door. There was actual standing water in the floorboards. It's drivable (and almost dry!), but I'm sure we'll find some electrical issues before it's all over.

We have begun the process of writing down things that need to be replaced and/or cleaned, and throwing them away. We went to the dump yesterday and will go several more times in the near future. We're currently staying with Papa Funk (D-man's little brother, who lives 5 minutes away) and working here during the day.

I realize that those of you who haven't ever lived in a low-lying area will have a hard time visualizing the depth of the water, so here are a few pictures.


The backyard

Inside the house (you can see the depth of the water on my legs -- this was NOT the highest point).

Flood, Part 1

D-man and I awoke at 5:15 this morning to 2 inches of water in our house. Luckily, we have tile throughout the house and 4-inch tile baseboards. Right? Not today! Over the next hour-and-a-half, the water rose to 8 inches (mid-shin level, seriously!) and it was pouring in the back door and in the door from the garage at one point. Both were closed.

I had standing water in my car. Both our front yard and back yard were under water. The water was waist-deep in the street.

The waters have receded (fairly quickly, I might add, though I'm not used to floods, so this may be normal) and we're drying out. Pictures to come.

Over the last week, we've had an eventful time. D-man's mom came into town this weekend to take care of a little business, and we went to the warehouse where their crate stuff is stored (the stuff they crated to bring back to the US from Brasil). Included in that crate stuff was my china cabinet (made from the wood of a demolished farmhouse), my tea set (which we managed to find half of), and my marble-top table with palm leaves inlaid on top. The cabinet is in the house, and the table is waiting for a place. I'm not sure where it's going yet.

I started my running again today, and I feel surprisingly good. I have been fighting a headache all weekend, and I thought it may not be helped by running (as opposed to walking), but there is currently no relapse in sight.

Interval Training, Interval

I have been on a sort of hiatus from training for the past week, due to knee pain, which is apparently very common for beginning runners. It started last Saturday and kept getting worse, even after I decided to take a few days off on Monday. Then I figured out that the knee pain wasn't only from running. It was from really being sick. (Oh, the joy of being married -- sharing everything -- yes, everything) I've had a cold, complete with body aches, that was graciously given to me by D-man as he was trying to get rid of it himself. After a few days of sick-infested bedding and torrential rain here in Houston (praise God our house didn't flood), I am feeling somewhat closer to my normal state. Not 100%, but close enough to get on the bike today and think about running again soon.

Pulitzer 2009

The Pulitzer prize winners will be announced today at 3 p.m., EDT. Update on the winner for fiction/novel to come.

Update:
The winner has been announced. This year it's Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout. On the list it goes!

Abundant blessings

D-man and I spent the weekend in Louisiana with Big Shady and her family, and I was completely blessed and refreshed. I hadn't been there in 3 1/2 years, and I had forgotten what a retreat it is to be there. Her parents are amazing people, and I love being around them. Her nephews are the cutest little guys ever, and they had much fun playing with Mr. D-man. Complete with flipping the canoe. Twice. Once with the boys in it, and once with the dog.

It is amazing what a weekend away from home, as restful as home is, will do for your soul. I was blessed to see Big Shady and participate in her family's version of the Passover dinner, celebrating God's specific provision for their family at this time of year, every year. I was blessed, as always, to hear her dad preach, and to worship in ways that I often don't feel comfortable with elsewhere. I was blessed to make Big Shady laugh with a comment that wasn't necessarily meant to be funny. I was blessed to watch Mr. D-man play with Big Shady's nephews and know that he is going to be a wonderful father someday, as he is being a wonderful husband in the here and now. I have prayed that we would have eyes to see God's specific provision for our needs (sometimes it's only a matter of perspective!), so that we may celebrate it. May He be faithful, as He always is, to answer.

Recent Headlines

A current headline on weather.com: "Western storminess leads to severe storms"

Interval Training, Week 2

I started week 2's workouts today, and I was really excited about the difference I felt in the running portions of the intervals. I was able to run a little longer without looking at my watch (all the while wondering when it would be over), though by the 5th 90-second interval, I had the world's biggest side stitch and didn't know if I could do number 6 (which turned out to be 2 full minutes instead of 1 1/2). That I am writing this post says that I did, in fact, complete number 6, and I survived well and am quite proud of myself.

On to the 5K!

Interval Training, Day 1

I decided a couple of days ago that I was going to start some interval training. Why I decided that I cannot, for the life of me, figure out this morning. I can walk 3 miles at a pretty good pace without getting winded. I hate to run. HATE it. So, I can't figure out what inspired me except the novelty of a challenge. The particular intervals I'm doing are designed to get you from nothing to running 3 continuous miles in 9 weeks. Pretty good, since we're thinking about doing a 5K in about that. Free Astros tickets come into the motivation for that one -- 2 for each participant. It's good to have goals.

Anyway, I did my first session yesterday, and I am SORE. I'm not sure how I feel about that, except I'm glad that I was acquainted with exercise and didn't try to start from nothing. Anyone out there have any ideas or advice on how to get the most out of interval training?

We've been home for a week, and I'm still not quite over Spring Break. What did we do, you ask? Well, we went to my dad's wedding, of course! Being in that part of the country already, we decided to head along the interstate to see D-man's parents as well. He had the fabulous idea to spend a night in the Big Ham on the way home so we wouldn't have to drive 14 hours in one day. And so we could see the family, which turned out to be really entertaining. There were 9 of us at dinner, including our token single friend, who's so distressed at being single and almost 30 that it's just funny. Did I mention that everyone in the family except me (and D-man, but he's not original, of course) is younger than him?

D-man ended up being very normal around these folks, though in the past he's apparently been holding back. When I say normal, I mean he jumped right into the conversation, made everyone laugh at least once, and got the "stamp of approval" right across his pretty head scar. Not his idea.

Random updates from this past week:

• Sirloin was on sale (I know, BORING), and D-man grilled out last night. He worked Thursday night almost all night, and so we slept in yesterday and had a generally lazy day. Sooo nice. I'm getting distracted. The steak was quite possibly the yummiest I've had (by D-man's assessment, too). Ever. And we got to eat outside. H-town is nice like that, though it's supposedly in the 40's this morning (I haven't been out yet to see).
• I'm supposed to be studying for my pharmacy law exam, but I keep finding ways to put it off. I TOLD Big Shady that it would eventually come down to procrastinating with excuses of having to clean the house, and it has finally reached that abysmal point. Her response yesterday was, "Oh, Jen, no it didn't!" Mine was, "Oh, I told you it would." Yeesh. (Study update: I managed to study for a few hours today, until my brain started spinning. Then I decided it was time to quit.)

Rodeo girl

I suppose that now I'm really a Texan. After March 22, I will be more of one. D-man called me last night as I was on the open road (in 6:00 traffic) and said, "The cheap seats are still available for the rodeo on March 22. Wanna go?" Now, we've been talking about going for a couple of months now, and Houston's rodeo is apparently a pretty fun outing. There is the rodeo itself, you know, with the bullriders, there is a livestock show, and all sorts of other stuff. There are also concerts every night. This year is full of famous stars like Rascal Flatts (they opened the rodeo last night), Alan Jackson, Keith Urban, Reba McEntire, Darius Rucker (you may know him as "Hootie" from Hootie and the Blowfish), and the ultimate closing band, playing on March 22, ZZ Top.

I would have settled for Brooks & Dunn on March 21.

Big Shady caught the bouquet (though my sister definitely gave her some competition!)!

The happy couple

The beautiful centerpieces that doubled for the rehearsal dinner and 6 of the 10 tables at the reception

Exciting news! My friends Allison and Gaines have Baby Boy Redd #2 (now known as Ethan)! He was born on Wednesday afternoon, before the need for a repeat C-section, for which mom, dad, and friends are thankful.

I am in love with my Kitchen-Aid mixer. Behind my waffle maker, electric griddle (that we're babysitting for the m-i-l), and toaster oven. Favorite kitchen appliances? Anyone?

I have been cooking a lot lately, as the D-man likes to eat (I can't blame it all on him; I love to eat, too!). I love to experiment in the kitchen, and I am thrilled that we have gotten 4 cookbooks for wedding presents (including one that a friend made for me, filled with recipes that she's been using for the last 40 years).

I have no intention whatsoever to make this blog about cooking, but I have to tag a couple of recipes that I have made lately and are fabulous.

Recipe the first:
Chicken calzones
Found in Discover Dinnertime
Served with: marinara sauce

Two:
Tex-mex chicken and rice casserole
Found in Better Homes & Gardens Cookbook
Served with: chips and salsa

Three:
Guacamole
Found in The Joy of Cooking
Served with: chicken quesadillas and chips
SO yummy!

Transitioning

D-man and I have been married for a few weeks, and the transition has been surprisingly easy. While it hasn't been completely seamless (I'm not sure it ever is), I have loved every minute of it. I am finding that I have been through some major transitions over the past 5 years, and I have just now figured out why they've been bothering me. As a regular person, I read and researched and formed my own opinions about the Bible and what it said (at least the practical application of it in my own life). I heard the voice of God, not audibly, but through His Word and through trusted godly men and women around me. As a missionary, I was surrounded by men (and some women) who had been to seminary. I wouldn't take too kindly to someone who is not a pharmacist coming in and telling me that what I know isn't right. So, I assumed that I would be better served by being quiet, as others seemed to know more than I did. In a nutshell, I was intimidated by being around people whose backgrounds weren't like mine (though I made some very good friends during that time), who I thought knew more than me about God and His work and His provision and His Word. My own experience didn't seem to be important, though I think that was more of my own impression than anything.

What I am figuring out now is that my experience with God is the most important thing in my life. It opens my eyes, it grounds me both as an individual and in my marriage, and now He is showing me (He is always good to do this) that He doesn't work the same way with everyone. I know that can sound relativistic, but I don't mean that His principles change. I mean that because I am who I am, and because He knows me better than anyone, He knows where to prick to make me sit up and take notice. He knows what words will comfort me in times of distress. He knows what I will soak up from His Word and the books that I read and the conversations that I have.

He is using our marriage to open up a whole new vision of Himself. He is, as always, a faithful Teacher.

Poll

I think wedding cake makes a fabulous and fun breakfast food. Thoughts? Opinions? Please share!

No, I haven't fallen off the face of the earth. D-man and I were married last Saturday, in a small ceremony with 350 guests. Heh. I love that his dad was able to marry us, and that not only women, but several men as well, cried.
I love being Mrs. F. so far, and I hear that it only gets better. To all of those who were present: we are so glad you could share our special day with us! To all of those not able to be there: we missed you terribly, but hope to see you soon!

Last-minute countdown

Well, folks, we are at 5 days (and counting anxiously)! The D-man arrives tonight, after 2 grueling days of travel from Houston to Nashville, including 2 flat tires on the U-Haul trailer on Saturday before they even got to Baton Rouge! My little sister arrived yesterday after many tears, 2 cancelled flights, and a night spent in the Wichita, Kansas airport. I am ecstatic that she is here, though she might sleep till the D-man gets here, which means my time with her is limited.
There are all sorts of detail-oriented things to do this week, and I am a little stressed out. Not about getting married (the courthouse would be okay with me), but about getting all these details done and worked out. I feel like I'm forgetting something. Marriage license? To the courthouse tomorrow. Check. Groom? Arriving tonight. Check. Bride? I'm around here somewhere. Check. What more is there?

A short update

I know there hasn't been much in the way of wedding planning on here, but that's because I've been doing it instead of writing about it! We are just tying up last minute ends so that we can enjoy Christmas and the new year and the week of the wedding. We are in the teens -- 18 days left! D-man and I are both ready to take this next step and be married.

Here's what's gone on since I got back from H-town: 2 dress fittings, a meeting with the organist, e-mailing back and forth with R to finalize the order of service, designing and mailing invites for the rehearsal dinner, finalizing the menu for the reception and rehearsal dinner, buying a car that I love and will last us 10 years, emptying my checkbook (for the aforementioned car), and shopping for Christmas presents. Needless to say, it's been busy! I hope I can get some more writing in before the craziness of the wedding comes, but I can't promise anything.

79 out of 239....

My commentary to the paragraph below is that the older you get, the more films you will have seen, so if you're 20 and have seen 85, then maybe you have no life. 30? Not as sure about that. I could get up to 85 quite easily with a few more of these, but then I think I'd be done -- there are quite a few of these that I have no desire to see.

There are 239 films on this list. SUPPOSEDLY, if you've seen over 85 films, you have no life. If you wish, copy this list, go to your own facebook account, paste this as a note. Then, put x's next to the films you've seen, add them up, change the header adding your number, and click post at the bottom.

() Rocky Horror Picture Show
(x) Grease
(x) Pirates of the Caribbean
(x) Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Man's Chest
() Boondock Saints
(x) Fight Club
(x) Starsky and Hutch
() Neverending Story
() Blazing Saddles
(x) Airplane
Total: 6

(x) The Princess Bride
() Anchorman
(x) Napoleon Dynamite
(x) Labyrinth
() Saw
() Saw II
() White Noise
() White Oleander
() Anger Management
(x ) 50 First Dates
(x) The Princess Diaries
(x) The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement
Total so far: 12

() Scream
() Scream 2
() Scream 3
() Scary Movie
() Scary Movie 2
() Scary Movie 3
() Scary Movie 4
() American Pie
() American Pie 2
() American Wedding
() American Pie Band Camp
Total so far: 12

(x) Harry Potter 1
(x) Harry Potter 2
(x) Harry Potter 3
(x) Harry Potter 4
() Resident Evil 1
() Resident Evil 2
(x) The Wedding Singer
(x ) Little Black Book
() The Village
() Lilo & Stitch
Total so far: 18

(x) Finding Nemo
() Finding Neverland
() Signs
(x) The Grinch
() Texas Chainsaw Massacre
() Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning
() White Chicks
() Butterfly Effect
(x) 13 Going on 30
() I, Robot
() Robots
Total so far: 21

() Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story
() Universal Soldier
(x) Lemony Snicket: A Series Of Unfortunate Events
(x) Along Came Polly
() Deep Impact
(x) KingPin
(x) Never Been Kissed
(x) Meet The Parents
(x) Meet the Fockers
() Eight Crazy Nights
(x) Joe Dirt
() KING KONG
Total so far: 28

() A Cinderella Story
() The Terminal
() The Lizzie McGuire Movie
() Passport to Paris
(x) Dumb & Dumber
() Dumber & Dumberer
() Final Destination
() Final Destination 2
() Final Destination 3
() Halloween
() The Ring
() The Ring 2
() Surviving X-MAS
() Flubber
Total so far: 29

() Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle
(x) Practical Magic
(x) Chicago
() Ghost Ship
() From Hell
() Hellboy
() Secret Window
() I Am Sam
() The Whole Nine Yards
() The Whole Ten Yards
Total so far: 31

() The Day After Tomorrow
() Child's Play
() Seed of Chucky
() Bride of Chucky
() Ten Things I Hate About You
(x) Just Married
() Gothika
() Nightmare on Elm Street
() Sixteen Candles
(x) Remember the Titans
() Coach Carter
() The Grudge
() The Grudge 2
() The Mask
() Son Of The Mask
Total so far: 33

() Bad Boys
() Bad Boys 2
() Joy Ride
() Lucky Number Slevin
(x) Ocean's Eleven
(x) Ocean's Twelve
(x) Bourne Identity
() Bourne Supremacy
() Lone Star
(x) Bedazzled
() Predator I
() Predator II
() The Fog
(x) Ice Age
() Ice Age 2: The Meltdown
() Curious George
Total so far: 38

(x) Independence Day
() Cujo
() A Bronx Tale
() Darkness Falls
() Christine
(x) ET
() Children of the Corn
() My Bosses Daughter
(x) Maid in Manhattan
() War of the Worlds
() Rush Hour
() Rush Hour 2
Total so far: 41

() Best Bet
(x) How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
(x) She's All That
() Calendar Girls
() Sideways
() Mars Attacks
() Event Horizon
(x) Ever After
(x) Wizard of Oz
(x) Forrest Gump
() Big Trouble in Little China
() The Terminator
() The Terminator 2
() The Terminator 3
Total so far: 46

() X-Men
() X-2
() X-3
(x) Spider-Man
(x) Spider-Man 2
(x) Spider Man 3
() Jeepers Creepers
() Jeepers Creepers 2
(x) Catch Me If You Can
(x) The Little Mermaid
(x) Freaky Friday
() Reign of Fire
(x) The Skulls
(x) Cruel Intentions
() Cruel Intentions 2
() The Hot Chick
(x) Shrek
(x) Shrek 2
Total so far: 56

() Swimfan
() Miracle on 34th street
() Old School
() The Notebook
() K-Pax
() Krippendorf's Tribe
() A Walk to Remember
() Ice Castles
() Boogeyman
() The 40-year-old Virgin
Total so far: 56

(x) Lord of the Rings Fellowship of the Ring
(x) Lord of the Rings The Two Towers
(x) Lord of the Rings Return Of the King
(x) Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark
(x) Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
(x) Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Total so far: 62

() Baseketball
() Hostel
() Waiting for Guffman
() House of 1000 Corpses
() Devils Rejects
(x) Elf
() Highlander
() Mothman Prophecies
(x) American History X
() Three
Total so Far: 64

() The Jacket
() Kung Fu Hustle
() Shaolin Soccer
() Night Watch
(x) Monsters Inc.
(x)Titanic
(x) Monty Python and the Holy Grail
() Shaun Of the Dead
() Willard
Total so far: 67

() High Tension
() Club Dread
() Hulk
() Dawn Of the Dead
(x) Hook
(x) Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe
() 28 days later
() Orgazmo
() Phantasm
() Waterworld
Total so far: 69

(x) Kill Bill vol 1
(x) Kill Bill vol 2
() Mortal Kombat
() Wolf Creek
() Kingdom of Heaven
() the Hills Have Eyes
() I Spit on Your Grave aka the Day of the Woman
() The Last House on the Left
() Re-Animator
() Army of Darkness
Total so far: 71

(x) Star Wars Ep. I The Phantom Menace
(x)Star Wars Ep. II Attack of the Clones
(x) Star Wars Ep. III Revenge of the Sith
(x) Star Wars Ep. IV A New Hope
(x) Star Wars Ep. V The Empire Strikes Back
(x) Star Wars Ep. VI Return of the Jedi
() Ewoks Caravan Of Courage
() Ewoks The Battle For Endor
Total so far: 77

(x) The Matrix
() The Matrix Reloaded
() The Matrix Revolutions
()Animatrix
() Evil Dead
() Evil Dead 2
() Team America: World Police
() Red Dragon
(x) Silence of the Lambs
() Hannibal
Total so far: 79

Big Shady and the OTHER D-man

Sometimes life is just fun. I went to see Big Shady this weekend, and I expected a raucous good time, which I got. Dinner at P.F. Chang's, a trip to Toys 'R' Us and Wal-Mart, the purchase of four (4) books at B & N.... I also met the other D-man, whom I've been hearing a lot about. Friends, we have entered the Twilight Zone (cue music)....

B.S. (an appropriate abbreviation) had been telling me that I wouldn't believe how much her D-man and my D-man were alike. She was right. I am still in a little shock, though in a pleasant sort of way. They have very similar senses of humor, and if her D-man's parents had used his dad's middle name instead of first, they would have the same middle name. They love cheese. They even look alike. Scary. Too bad my D-man can't remember his name.

I am so happy for Big Shady that I can't even stand it, and not because she has a man like mine. I am blessed that God has been showing her (and me!) how big He is, and that He answers our wisecracks about His sense of humor. He definitely has one, and it is weird just like ours.

Housewarming

I have been in Houston for the last week with the D-man, getting the house ready to have a woman in it (besides my m-i-l -- this used to be my in-laws' crash pad when they came home from Brasil). Here's a run-down of the last few days:

Friday: Pick D-man up from the airport, Thanksgiving dinner with dad

Saturday: Pick up the rental truck, watch UGA get their hearts broken, load said rental truck (with lots of discussion about how to tie furniture down so it wouldn't slide around)

Sunday: Load the last (forgotten) bits of furniture and boxes onto the rental truck and leave, finally, at 8:30. Drive I-20 to I-59 to I-12 to I-10. Hit massive amounts of traffic in Meridian, MS (a semi ran off the road) and between Hammond, LA and Lafayette, LA (just a bunch of idiots and Alabama fans going back to Texas).

Monday: Start the painting project that is sure to leave me sore until the wedding. Paint 1 coat in each bedroom. Make 1 trip to Home Depot to buy paint for coat #2. Find out they don't have one of the paints in stock. Make trip to Home Depot #2 -- no paint there, either.

Tuesday: Paint coat #2 in the back bedroom. Go to Wal-Mart (for groceries and assorteds, including a DVD player to replace the one that D-man sliced his finger open on that didn't work anyway). Go to Home Depot #3, pull the can of base paint from the shelf, take it to the nice man at the paint counter, give him one of the 2 labels I already have that tells him how to mix the paint, and get the paint for the front bedroom. Paint coat #2 in the front bedroom.

Wednesday: Drag the D-man to Wal-Mart for groceries and assorteds (not as much fun as I thought it should have been), waste 2 hours, take the extension out of the desk so that we can put a bed in the front bedroom, get lots done and feel like crap (methinks it has been a little touch of the flu -- or could it just be a cold combined with the aching joints of old age?).

Thursday: Roll the rest of the coins that were in the bottom drawer of the filing cabinet -- we are rich with a grand total of $105.00. Clean the refrigerator so I can feel okay about storing things like fruits and vegetables in there. Move some furniture. OH! Another trip to Home Depot. Apparently I'm expensive. Waste some more time. Take all of the in-laws' stuff to the other house (the one that they now crash at -- another, SINGLE, son is living there). Find gift card to Pappasito's and go out to eat. Load bookshelf with books (as much as we can, because D-man is going to get more shelf supports today at . . . . Home Depot!).

Friday: Well, we're just getting started. D-man should be home any minute from work (after a stop at the Home Depot -- it's quickly become my favorite store in Houston), and then we'll get going again. I'm headed back home today and am sad to leave my hubby to be, but I am really looking forward to coming back in just over a month. When this house is "ours" instead of "his."

Yummy food

We had a meeting this morning with the owner of the restaurant where we're going to have the rehearsal dinner. I am so excited about it after talking with him.

He is good friends with my uncle, who also happens to be a loan shark at the local bank. Chef T had a meeting with said uncle the other day (my uncle did his restaurant loan), and he said that if the party wasn't done right, he'd raise Chef T's interest rate. Heh. The bank man is part Italian, so he could be part of the mafia, if we had one. We love knowing all the right people.

Chef T is a fancy chef for my little hometown, and his cooking style is self-proclaimed "Hawaiian fusion." It's a mix of seafood, chicken, beef, and island cuisine. Our dinner will be NICE, complete with floor-length tablecloths and stemware. Dessert will be delectable, because Chef T's instructors recommended that he be a pastry chef when he graduated from culinary school. It's a pity that he doesn't love baking, though his regular cuisine is excellent.

Does anybody remember when Susan died from licking her wedding envelopes because the glue was toxic? (For those of you who didn't get that reference right off, Susan was George's fiance on Seinfeld.)

I think about that and laugh every time I lick a wedding invitation envelope. Soon I'll be able to stop licking!

Dallas

Well, the D-man and I just returned to Houston from a weekend in Dallas -- we have now officially finished our premarital counseling. We were greatly blessed by D-man's choice -- he chose a couple who were missionaries in Brasil for 38 years, and they have been married for 58. We figured they knew a little about marriage....

And so, we watched them interact and listened to the great things they had to say. They can't stand to be apart, even after all this time. I hope that in 58 years, D-man and I can look back and tell an even deeper story than we can now.

My baby brother is in Korea, and he sent me this video. Though I have never even been to Korea, I found myself laughing out loud. I think it applies to anyone who has lived in a foreign country.

Exciting times

I finally feel like I've gotten a few things under control. I still have a million things to do, but they are doable. My invitations came yesterday, and I'm excited about starting the process of assembling and addressing. 900 stamps are awaiting me as well.
Yesterday was an extremely productive day, and my to-do list is extremely lessened -- those phone calls just about kill me. I made two very important ones yesterday, and the phone calls are over for now.
I'm headed to Houston this weekend, with a side trip to Dallas. I haven't seen the D-man since August, and I am SO ready for this trip.

I know everyone says this, but my recent lack of blogging is due to simple busyness. I have not stopped running since I got home from Brazil almost 3 weeks ago. We have been making wedding decisions, ordering supplies, and checking off lists.

I had a panic moment today; I ordered invitations. I okayed the proof that the company sent. I am not stressed out that I am getting married; I will not rest until I have the invitations in my hands and know that everything is correct (type, size, etc). I often wonder why my life seems to invite stress. Or better yet, worry. I worry about entirely too much, entirely too much of the time. Planning seems to exacerbate that particular trait that I have -- not just for the wedding; any kind of planning will do. I'm not sure whether or not that has anything to do with the 6-month wait for my visa, with the perpetual need to send just one more document, with the feeling that there would always be one more thing to do.

I am also going through a little bit of culture shock. I have stepped into a totally different lifestyle, though I am hoping it will slow down now that we've gotten a good handle on wedding planning. I have been shopping at least 5 of the 20 days I have been home, and I feel like I am sustaining (or at least stimulating) the U.S. economy because my spending habits are so different here. Even though I'm not the one paying for the wedding, it's still a lot of money to spend, and I am having a little trouble adjusting. There always seems to be something to buy, or some bill to pay. I still have to look for a car and wonder exactly what will be best. I am still planning a wedding (and looking forward to being married). And I am still me, even in a different country.

The D-man is currently a full-time student and HATES not making any money. SO, He decided last week to apply for a job at UPS. They offer great hours for what he needs, and part-time is pretty much standard at UPS. Since he has worked there before, and they apparently loved him so much last time, they hired him and he starts on Monday. Morning. Like 3:30. Not an hour I ever see.

His hire date makes him part of the seasonal crowd with an option to return for permanent part-time in January. That means he doesn't have to take time off work to get married. Excellent, since he (like me) hates asking off. He can be done with the season and accept the permanent position (if that works out) after we get back to Houston. Our Father continues to provide everything we need as we walk towards marriage; I am so grateful.

For those of you who are not interested at all in wedding planning, please bear with me for the next few months, for that is exactly what I am doing (if you couldn't already tell). January 10 is the big day, and we have hit the ground running since I got home from Brasil.

I have been home for almost a week, and already I have gotten tons of planning done. I have been dress shopping, have picked out bridesmaid dresses, picked out invitations (and font), and I have found my dress. I ordered it yesterday and it's beautiful.

Other to-do's this week?

• Make hotel reservations for the D-man's family
• finish the guest list (kind of)
• order invitations

Ceramics

So the m-i-l is a giver. She loves to give gifts. I was the blessed recipient of yet another of her giving sprees a couple of weeks ago. We went to a ceramics factory about and hour-and-a-half north of Rio, and she decided that I needed a cafezinho set. She has been very vocal about wanting to send a gift for each of my showers, and I think she finally got the gifts bought.

Here is a list of what she bought for the D-man and me:

• a coffee/tea/dessert service for 6
• a plaque with our last name on it decorated in the pattern of my choice (it matches the tea service)

Things that I bought include a couple of plates (for decoration), two mug/plate sets with the Brasilian flag on them, and a dish to put my small jewelry in. We're headed back this week to see what else we can buy -- sensory overload can be fun!

Trashy. Gossip. Laughable.

I went to the State Board of Pharmacy website today and did something I haven't done in a long time. When I was working and getting the board's newsletter every month, I rushed to the administrative hearings section to see whose license had been revoked or suspended. I always wondered if I knew anyone.

Then always came the question, "What did they do?" I remember my partners and I speculating on how in the world people did something bad enough to get fined by the State Board. I mean, you have to really break the law. There was the one guy who, upon a narcotics inspection, was short 800,000 Lortab in his inventory. I mean, what is that if not using, trafficking, selling drugs on the street to make a lot of money?

What's your guilty pleasure?

Ike

Well, even though I'm still in Brasil, Ike had me worried. The D-man lives in Houston, in what will be our house after we get married. His house has flooded 3 times in the past 8 years, so hurricanes and heavy rains make him and his family pretty nervous.

I talked to him during the weekend and got frequent updates. He had power the whole time, except for an hour one night (I can't remember which one). He had internet and phone service until Saturday night, AFTER the storm hit. Blech. He had minor roof damage and a leak into the coat closet. But only the coat closet.

What saved him? Or the house, I should say.... He put boards up around the bottom of his fence coming into his yard (see picture at left -- the right side of the picture is the street side). That, by itself, kept the waves from coming into his yard and into the house. Props to a man who plans well for impending emergencies!

So many numbers!

In addition to the rapidly growing (MASSIVE) guest list, my mom has had several people tell her they want to give me (and the D-man, if we can get him up to GA before the wedding) a wedding shower.

The list is up to about 40. Only in C-town, not to mention the few in the 'Ham that have offered. I love that everyone is so excited. I love that more showers mean more presents (is that tacky?).

We're already going to delegate the privilege of giving a brunch for the out-of-towners on the day of the wedding. Any ideas for the other 36 people?

Addendum

It hit me the other day, when I was looking over mom's guest list, that only 1 of the couples on her list lives out of town. THE 180-LINE SPREADSHEET DOES NOT INCLUDE OUT-OF-TOWNERS. Oh, my. We are preparing for the bash of the year, apparently. My m-i-l's guest list is seeming really short right now.

What's in a name?

Names are fun. Especially mine. My soon-to-be name, I mean. Everywhere I've looked, I've found that my first name (which won't change, of course) is a Cornish variation of "Guinevere" and means "fair lady." I've always loved the romantic attachment of my name to the legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table (though I don't so much love the association with the king's most trusted knight).

My new last name is going to be Fairchild, which, being a good English name, means just that. Fair child. I have to laugh at God's sense of humor. Who thinks my new name will be a bit redundant? Anyone? Who thinks we should name our first girl Sabrina?

Boxes

Lately, I've been having trouble keeping things nice and separate. I've always been able to do that, but my ability to keep things neat is leaving me. And I don't mean my house.

Case(s) in point: I am currently maintaining (or helping to maintain) 4 blogs. One is quickly coming to a close, but that still leaves 3. They are all attempts to separate different parts of my life. One is Brasilian, one is for the next phase of my life, one is to keep track of the books I'm reading, and the last is one I co-author by making general commentary about what I'm reading.

Sometimes I wonder if I am spinning plates or juggling knives, if something is bound to fall and destroy the order I work so hard to create. I am learning (albeit slowly) that life is messy. Compartments don't always work. People tend to drift from one compartment to another -- from friend to family to work and back. I try not to put people in boxes, to let them be who they are, but those compartments are just so handy. They keep people at bay, far enough away so that they don't see me at my most real. They lift responsibility from me to give of myself for others. At the end of the day, I can't justify that. And so, though it's hard to stay out of the boxes, I try. Life is messy. Jesus was messy. God is messy. Since I follow Him, my life will be messy. People will drift. Categories will be dynamic and fuzzy. What is truly order will seem like disorder to me, who is not used to the ways that God works. Still, after 18 years.

One thing I know. His way is always best.

Toasting....

When Arab J, the D-man's mom, and I went to Minas Gerais, we bought pewter. My future m-i-l saw some gorgeous champagne flutes and started asking me questions about them:

"What do you think of those?"

"Would that be a good wedding present?"

"What's the advantage of having a storage box?"

I'm sure there were several other questions involved, but that trip was 3 months ago. Unlike the D-man, my memory is failing quickly. I do remember my answer, though:

"If I were to buy those for someone, I would give them to the couple before the wedding and ask them to use them to toast at the reception."

Turns out, she was asking me those questions for ME. And so what are we going to do? As we're not going to have alcohol at the reception (for so many reasons -- cost, the tendency of people to overserve themselves, the reception is at a church), I thought about how we can use them. Eureka! We're toasting with Guaraná (a Brazilian soft drink that looks enough like champagne to cheat with). Exciting for us, though I really hope we get more to eat and drink at the reception than wedding cake and Guaraná....

Guest considerations

I have been talking with my parents about my budget, and I mentioned to my mom that the D-man and I were anticipating inviting 300 people to the wedding. Her response was, "Um, that's not enough." She sent me her (flexible) guest list, and the column of LAST NAMES takes up 180 lines on a spreadsheet, and most of those are couples. Instead of freaking out, I have to laugh and remember that I am from a small town where people know who I belong to by looking at me (I look strikingly like my mom, though people who haven't met my mom say I look like my dad). Not to mention the number of people that the D-man's mom has been in touch with over the past 10 years.

As much as I would love for our special day to be small and intimate, God is helping me to remember that a true celebration involves the entire community celebrating with us. And my parents are paying for it -- if they are willing to pay to invite as many people as they wish, who am I to argue? And so I say, "The more, the merrier!"

Holiday

I have recently found out that we're going to have a slim Christmas. Relatively speaking, that is. All of my relatives that usually come for Christmas are waiting 2 weeks and coming for the wedding. I can't tell you how much that thrills me.

Who's coming:

• One brother, who is leaving for Korea next week (to stay a year)
• One sister, who lives in Montana
• One cousin, who lives in Colorado
• One cousin, who lives in Florida
• One aunt, who lives in Florida

The lonely ones left at Christmas will be myself and my brother (who will be living a short drive away in Atlanta). We're looking forward to better presents.

"One man's ways may be as good as another's, but we all like our own best."
--Admiral Croft, Persuasion (Jane Austen)