If the rest of the month continues to be anything like today, I think I have a very productive month ahead of me! I've been happily crossing things off my To Do Lists (yes, I have multiple lists), and I do this dance each time:
Just a few things I've accomplished today:
- Paid some lingering bills, mostly for magazine subscriptions I've been putting off paying for. That whole "Bill me later" option is so nice until you actually receive the bill in the mail. Ugh.
- Finally ordered our EZ Pass for our car. We used to have one, but according to my mom, I "told her to throw it away," so she threw it away while we were in England. I have no recollection of such a request, nor does it make ANY sense that I would want that, but she seems to be sticking to her story. The more likely scenario is that she did a typical Mackin Girl thing, and pitched it out during a frenzied cleaning spree. I think Rhett, David, and my dad can attest to that happening a lot when we start cleaning or organizing.
- Made Rhett an eye appointment. That's right- I made Rhett an appointment. What am I, his secretary?? But really, I made it for selfish reasons- while he's getting his eyes checked, I can browse their glasses selection and choose some new frames. Because I am blind as a bat, my glasses are ridiculously expensive, so I need to choose a pair and then start saving for them. I also want a pair of RX sunglasses, so that should be a hefty price tag. Luckily Drexel offers very good vision insurance, so hopefully it's within my limit.
- Emailed long-lost friends and made plans to hang out this month. Josh and Andy, I miss you. Read my email and let's make a date.
- Found out when the cherry blossoms are in peak season in D.C.... and promptly sent Rhett about 45 emails letting him know what I want to see and do in D.C. when we go over March 23-25 (peak!)
- Finally listened to Regina Spektor's new single. And smiled. I love that girl.
And all of that on top of work tasks!
Welcome to March, and welcome to the weekend, friends. Enjoy it.
Friday, March 2, 2012
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
It's indeed a small world...
...or Oklahoma is just a small state and we tend to travel in packs.
Since I moved from Oklahoma, I've had several "small world" moments.
To name a few:
- My friend works with a girl from Oklahoma, and we share mutual friends. She graduated a year behind me from another Catholic high school in Tulsa.
- I met a Canadian girl at a party in London who knew my cousin from Ontario. No, that has nothing to do with Oklahoma, but whatever.
- When Rhett's brother and his wife (Geoff & Sandra) visited us in London, the three of us went on a bike tour of the Royal Parks together. There were about 8 girls on the tour who were current journalism majors at OU. We noticed their cutesy Oklahoma tote bags, and then did our best to avoid them during the rest of the tour.
And the one that really blew my mind:
- My co-worker is from Norman, OK, went to school at OU, and she knows Geoff and Sandra. Very, very small world.
Have you ever had a "small world" moment?
Since I moved from Oklahoma, I've had several "small world" moments.
To name a few:
- My friend works with a girl from Oklahoma, and we share mutual friends. She graduated a year behind me from another Catholic high school in Tulsa.
- I met a Canadian girl at a party in London who knew my cousin from Ontario. No, that has nothing to do with Oklahoma, but whatever.
- When Rhett's brother and his wife (Geoff & Sandra) visited us in London, the three of us went on a bike tour of the Royal Parks together. There were about 8 girls on the tour who were current journalism majors at OU. We noticed their cutesy Oklahoma tote bags, and then did our best to avoid them during the rest of the tour.
And the one that really blew my mind:
- My co-worker is from Norman, OK, went to school at OU, and she knows Geoff and Sandra. Very, very small world.
Have you ever had a "small world" moment?
Friday, February 24, 2012
Edit to previous post
Jenna and I decided to skip MMP for a cozy night in with some beers at mine. Best decision we've made all day :)
TGIF + MMP
Tonight I'm going to one of my favorite things ever.
MMP
Michael
Prince
MMP
Michael
Madonna
Prince
That's right. That's all the dj (DJ Deejay) plays. And. I. Love. It. I haven't been to once since before I left for England, and that one was the night after Michael Jackson died. There were about 1 million people packed in The Barbary- I probably burned approximately 5,000 calories and was deaf for days afterwards.
Have a great weekend, everyone!
Thursday, February 23, 2012
My new routine
Apparently I decided to take the month of February off from blogging. But honestly, nothing exciting ever happens in February, so you really didn't miss much. Next Wed. is payday the last day of February, meaning my Least Favorite Month of the Year is over and done with. Hurrah!
A few weeks ago, we got to Facetime with two dear friends and their new baby, Ben. One of them (I think it was Ben) asked me how my new job was going, and I answered immediately "I love it. I absolutely love it." Rhett replied that this is the happiest he's seen me in a long time.
And you know what? It's true! I now enjoy talking about my job and about how my day/week went, instead of just sighing and saying "whatever, same old story." I welcome challenging tasks and feel accomplished once I've tackled them. I have a daily To Do list that's a mile long, and I am genuinely satisfied when I get to cross each item off...or even when I have to move some items to the next day's list.
Rhett and I have established a nice routine during the week. We wake up at the same time now (well...Rhett wakes up, showers, then attempts to wake me up at least 5 times before I respond. My morning laziness has not changed that much), drink our coffee and smoothies together, then go off to our respective jobs for 8 hours. We work out after work, come home, make dinner, watch whatever show we are currently on (just finished "Breaking Bad." When is Season 4 coming out on DVD??), and read and fall asleep by 11:00. I like this routine. I'm happy with this routine. And I'm happy that I'm happy about having this routine.
Does any of this post making sense? I guess that's what happens when I take a month off from blogging...
A few weeks ago, we got to Facetime with two dear friends and their new baby, Ben. One of them (I think it was Ben) asked me how my new job was going, and I answered immediately "I love it. I absolutely love it." Rhett replied that this is the happiest he's seen me in a long time.
And you know what? It's true! I now enjoy talking about my job and about how my day/week went, instead of just sighing and saying "whatever, same old story." I welcome challenging tasks and feel accomplished once I've tackled them. I have a daily To Do list that's a mile long, and I am genuinely satisfied when I get to cross each item off...or even when I have to move some items to the next day's list.
Rhett and I have established a nice routine during the week. We wake up at the same time now (well...Rhett wakes up, showers, then attempts to wake me up at least 5 times before I respond. My morning laziness has not changed that much), drink our coffee and smoothies together, then go off to our respective jobs for 8 hours. We work out after work, come home, make dinner, watch whatever show we are currently on (just finished "Breaking Bad." When is Season 4 coming out on DVD??), and read and fall asleep by 11:00. I like this routine. I'm happy with this routine. And I'm happy that I'm happy about having this routine.
Does any of this post making sense? I guess that's what happens when I take a month off from blogging...
Saturday, January 21, 2012
The saddest ukulele
In July 2010, I bought myself something I had been lusting over for months.
The prettiest ukulele there ever was.
I had big plans for this ukulele. We were going to go on adventures together. I was going to learn to play the Beach Boys’ “Surfer Girl,”, and entertain my friends at our regular picnics in the park, as we frolicked in the open grasslands amongst the royal deer.
(At that time, picnics and parks were actually a regular part of my life. So were royal deer. And public consumption of wine and strawberries)
Alas, my dreams were not meant to be. I learned to play maybe 3 chords with the help of Ukulele Mike and this guy, and then that whole “graduate school” and “30,000+ word dissertation deadline” became a little more important, and the ukulele was set aside.
Where’s the prettiest ukulele now? It’s in its canvas bag in my front closet, silently weeping and collecting dust.
So friends, I have a favor to ask. Please help me fulfill my daydreams of playing my ukulele for you. I don’t need royal deer to do this, but I do need encouragement. And wine. But mostly encouragement and some lessons.
If anyone knows how to play the ukulele and wants to volunteer to teach me, I promise I will dedicate a song or two to you at my first public performance of “Surfer Girl.” Hopefully that takes place in a park under a tree somewhere in the sunshine.
Friday, January 20, 2012
Plans in the making
Planning things makes me happy. I like looking at my ever-present calendar and seeing exactly what I’m doing for the next 4 weekends. And when I don’t have plans for a particular weekend, I smile and become excited about all the things I can do in all that free time. And then I make plans.
For me, making plans far in advance keeps me level-headed, yet wildly excited. So, here is a list of some fun/exciting/routine things I have planned for in the next few months. This list can also be named “Extremely Random Things I’m Excited About.”
- Sara comes to visit this weekend! Years of living just a couple hours apart, and finally she is making the journey. I think she’ll like Philly- I know I do. I already told her she WILL be running up the Rocky steps for my amusement, and she WILL jump up and down at the top, and she WILL share many cheesesteaks with me.
- Snow tubing in the Poconos. There is nothing better than flying face first on a rubber tube down a slick snowy hill for hours. In freezing temperatures. And then going back to a cozy cabin and having a pajama party with your favorite friends.
- Volunteering at Philly Craft Beer Fest. 4 hours of being an expert on whatever beer I happen to be serving at that moment, and then getting to drink whatever beer I want for free and without having to wait in line. And I get a free t-shirt and a hot dog.
- Getting my hair trimmed and highlighted in March. Right now my hair is looking pretty….awesome. Actually, no, just the opposite. It’s in that weird, in-between stage that loves to flip out a la Carol Brady. Luckily, its able to fit back in the tiniest little ponytail, so when it starts flipping out (literally and figuratively), I can punish it by pulling it back.
- Trips! So many trips to take. Not sure if you can tell, but Rhett and I like to travel. Within one month of dating, we went on our first trip to Austin, TX. Since then we have been to about 10 different countries together, and I don’t know how many states. Over the next several months, we plan on going to Boston to visit Jackie, John, and Baby Benjamin, NYC and/or D.C, Colorado over Memorial Day weekend, and then finally, our big summer Europe trip- 2 weeks in England, France, and Spain. A return to our favorite old stomping grounds, with plenty of friends to visit along the way. :)
- Meeting new babies. That’s a weird thing to plan for, but I am so excited to meet Baby Benjamin, Baby Jen/Kevin (not sure of name or sex of baby yet), and reunite with Baby Ryan. Until I meet these babies, I get to play with Baby Dominick, my favorite Philly baby.
Question: What are you looking forward to?
For me, making plans far in advance keeps me level-headed, yet wildly excited. So, here is a list of some fun/exciting/routine things I have planned for in the next few months. This list can also be named “Extremely Random Things I’m Excited About.”
- Sara comes to visit this weekend! Years of living just a couple hours apart, and finally she is making the journey. I think she’ll like Philly- I know I do. I already told her she WILL be running up the Rocky steps for my amusement, and she WILL jump up and down at the top, and she WILL share many cheesesteaks with me.
- Snow tubing in the Poconos. There is nothing better than flying face first on a rubber tube down a slick snowy hill for hours. In freezing temperatures. And then going back to a cozy cabin and having a pajama party with your favorite friends.
- Volunteering at Philly Craft Beer Fest. 4 hours of being an expert on whatever beer I happen to be serving at that moment, and then getting to drink whatever beer I want for free and without having to wait in line. And I get a free t-shirt and a hot dog.
- Getting my hair trimmed and highlighted in March. Right now my hair is looking pretty….awesome. Actually, no, just the opposite. It’s in that weird, in-between stage that loves to flip out a la Carol Brady. Luckily, its able to fit back in the tiniest little ponytail, so when it starts flipping out (literally and figuratively), I can punish it by pulling it back.
- Trips! So many trips to take. Not sure if you can tell, but Rhett and I like to travel. Within one month of dating, we went on our first trip to Austin, TX. Since then we have been to about 10 different countries together, and I don’t know how many states. Over the next several months, we plan on going to Boston to visit Jackie, John, and Baby Benjamin, NYC and/or D.C, Colorado over Memorial Day weekend, and then finally, our big summer Europe trip- 2 weeks in England, France, and Spain. A return to our favorite old stomping grounds, with plenty of friends to visit along the way. :)
- Meeting new babies. That’s a weird thing to plan for, but I am so excited to meet Baby Benjamin, Baby Jen/Kevin (not sure of name or sex of baby yet), and reunite with Baby Ryan. Until I meet these babies, I get to play with Baby Dominick, my favorite Philly baby.
Question: What are you looking forward to?
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