This Is The Training That Never Ends...

It could go on and on my friends. Please tell me if you're interested enough in what I write, you're born before 1990 and get my Lamb Chops reference!

Image of Lamb Chops and Shari via Puppetville

If not, Wikipedia it, then come back here for more reading. Now that there are only people reading this post who understand who Lamb Chops is, I'll move on never to mention it again.

This post is about my work. I've been in training for one thing or another since I started working. There's always something new to learn. In the world of organ and tissue donation, things are real intricate around here.

I'm training right now to be in charge of placing organs with recipients according to the national donor list. This is an amazing responsibility and I feel so blessed that they've chosen me to undertake this.

The only thing is this training is taking forever!! We're understaffed right now (if you want to work in donation, Google will direct you to how to apply for my company without me having to publish that info on this blog. I won't do it!), so most of my shifts are spent answering phone calls from hospitals, coroners, and funeral homes. When I'm not doing that, there's the occasional talking to the families of donors.

Time to learn who to send a kidney to is few and far in between. They've come up with a solution. They want to put me on call. Visions of my life as a harried resident fresh out of med school flash in mind. But this is different than that. I'll still work 40 hour weeks, I just won't know weeks ahead of time which days I'll be working.

If I agree to it, I get a pager in the form of a blackberry. So I'll have two blackberrys I'll have to carry with me everywhere I go. It will be like I'm a drug dealer. A fancy schmancy Blackberry-carrying drug dealer.

Imagine him black, female, and wearing fancy schmancy Blackberry owning clothes.

Once I go on-call, my training should be completed rather quickly. And then once I get that done, I can start training to place the other organs. Soooo much to learn.

But it's worth it. I love that I save lives without having to stick my finger up anyone's butt. I love that I make a difference. I love my job and when I get up to go to work, I'm happy. Well, except when I have to leave Easy, we've barely seen each other during the week since he started working.

So I'm training. And training. And saving lives. And training.

My Home Is My Castle

I don't strut around as if I'm running things in the place, but I do feel like royalty in my home. Taking steps to make our new apartment special and cozy is becoming a fun and accidentally long-term project. I thought it would be like when I've moved into previous apartments; I'd have everything unpacked in one weekend.

I wrote a post recently about settling into my new apartment.

Since then, we've been slowly but surely turning it into home. Our big bedroom still isn't unpacked. And it seems to be getting worse not better. So now our thing is to figure out how to prioritize our home. Things as simple as vacuuming don't happen like they should. We're not home enough for it to matter, but our shedding cat makes it more important.

If I'm only home sleeping between shifts and Easy is only home taking a nap between his day job and his night gigs, when it is supposed to get done?

Here are our options:

I Could Become A Housewife
I do have a penchant for wearing A-line skirts that have a lot o' fabric. And I bake a mean casserole. Perhaps I could give up my job and stay home like the little lady I could be. I would pick up after my man and have a piping hot dinner and a perfectly chilled martini waiting for him when he got home from work.

Wait, our collective annual salary is just over 100K. I'm not giving that up just so our one area rug gets vacuumed.

Image via Photobucket

We Could Get A Maid
A Maid who we paid to come in a clean the blinds, mop the floors, wash the clothes, and of course vacuum would be lovely!

We would give her bonuses at Christmas. And I feel very strongly about this, so we'd give her something toward medical insurance. It's be great. Maybe she'd be very traditional, wearing one of those maid outfits. Oh wait. Hell no.

Image via Fun House Theatrical

We Could Get Rid Of ALL Our Stuff
Why finish unpacking? We can't take all our stuff to New York anyway. Plus, we're registering for more stuff for the wedding. We need to downsize. I wouldn't want to do a yard sale because there's no way to make that happen realistically out of an apartment in crowded Hyde Park in Chicago.

There is another way...

Image via WizBangBlog

Eh, that might get us in trouble with the law. I'm pretty sure Chicago's fire code doesn't allow that...


So what shall we do? I guess we'll have to grow the hell up and make time to keep our home feeling like the castle it could be.


Image via CTRiverValley.com

 Or maybe I'll just keep repeating, "my home is my castle" until it magically comes true. Where is a fairy godmother when you need one?

Back On The Exercise Bandwagon

I've been getting back in shape, y'all. Cue pleasantly surprised applause. Crickets? Darn.

Well, I haven't been doing it for very long, so there's a chance I'll fall right back off again, but I have hope. The other bride bloggers on weddingbee.com have inspired me to not neglect my fitness just because I've got more demands on my time right now. Here's what I've been up to:

Diet

I haven't been eating the best diet, but I haven't been eating too badly and I certainly haven't gained any weight. I do have the lucky (I think?) benefit of the opposite of stress eating. When I'm stressed, like I've been with planning this wedding, I don't eat. I will go all day and night and then it occurs to me to eat. It's not that I even get hungry, it's that it crosses my mind that it's been 15+ hours since I've eaten.

I've also been staying away from junk food and fast food for the most part. It's just that pesky home-made baked goods that get to me. I can't help it, I like baking for my man. Easy appreciates it, so I'll keep doing it, just maybe a little less.

Exercise @ Home
My Wii Fit Plus is my best friend. I want to keep it up, but it's hard to find the time when there's so many other things I could be doing at home. But I took some time out of my day yesterday to exercise, and I hope to keep it up the on my next day off. Wish me luck!

Exercise on a Date
Easy and I took a long walk after dinner the other night. It was romantic and sweet. And it was a good exercise. I felt great after that walk. I wasn't tired like I usually am after a big dinner. I'd love to make that a routine to get in some exercise on date nights. At least while it's still warm. I'm not going for a one hour walk in Chicago past October. Maybe by then we'll go jogging instead.

Exercise Away From Home
Starting today, I'm going back to yoga classes. I figure if I go right when I get off work to the early morning class, I should be able to work it into my schedule without losing sleep or anything else. I'm going to try it out this weekend since I work three days and see how it goes. If it goes well, it will be my new plan. Toned thighs, I will welcome you back to my world shortly.

Future Hobby/Plans
I miss rock climbing and ballroom dancing. They were great ways to exercise and have fun. I'll work them into my schedule at some point. Sooner rather than later, I hope.

Not Accepting That The Honeymoon Could Be Over

Easy and I have been having some issues lately. I don't want to go into detail, but let's just say they've been big enough where he's questioned more than once whether I would leave him over it.

I think we learned a lot about love and trust and communication in this past week. We learned the actions that match our feelings and words. I was confronted, for the first time, with the depths of my emotion and just what that meant for us as a couple.

After spending years as an emotional dwarf, I've been opening up to Easy about things more and more. Feeling betrayal wasn't something I was prepared to handle. Now that I've been forced to, I honestly feel stronger coming out on the other side of it.

Been tested by fire and emerged stronger. Maybe that means the honeymoon phase is over. Isn't that usually what happens? Reality sets in and suddenly all your fantasies about how things could always be happy float away, like so many hot air balloons.

But I refuse to accept it. Easy certainly wants us to stay in our honeymoon phase forever. I think we can. Knowing that any and every blow to our happiness won't keep us from finding that place again makes me even more confident. Nothing will stop us from looking like this for at least part of every day.

Engagement Party For The Ages

Our engagement party was amazing!!!!

There were all these little details there that I can't imagine how my mother pulled off. It was this fantastic party that brought together all the people Easy and I love all into one place.

It alleviated my fears of how well our two families would mix. It also set the stage for a rocking party come February.

I definitely want my wedding to be a big party. Now I really believe that's a possibility.

Up next is writing all the thank you notes for the party. I hate writing thank you notes, but I'm really so grateful to everyone for coming, I will just suck it up and go for it.

Although the party went well, I'm really glad the next event isn't until December. I'm interested to see how that will play out with so many women from my family and Easy's will fit together into one event.

Trying to keep down the stress in life isn't as easy as it usually it. Wedding planning stress, plus short-handed-at-work-whilst-also-training stress, plus settling into life with the fiance stress is a lot. We're trying to stay grounded, and so far it's working.

What should I do to deal with the stress that doesn't involve alcohol or something reckless?

Best Weekend Ever!!!

This weekend should one of the best ever for Easy and I. We had a great week last week between me finishing a huge section of training at work and Easy getting job offers plus finishing recording his CD. And now we have an amazing weekend!

Our engagement party on Saturday. A baseball game on the 4th row on Sunday. I just know it's completely fitting that we should enjoy the hell out of this weekend.

I hope to have lots of great pics to share when the weekend is over.

What are you doing this weekend?

Like A Baby

Not like a baby like that. Well, actually kind of like that. Jake was noisy and uncoordinated. I'm like a baby, at least according to Easy. Just not quite that way.

I am like a baby in that once my basic needs are met, I'm good. I need to be fed, not sleepy, and not cold.

He laughs when he sees that I have a huge attitude and then I eat a sandwich and turn back into Glinda the Good Witch, instead of the alternative.

I never noticed that about myself til he pointed it out. But it's definitely helped me assess my moods and what I need to do to be a more pleasant person more consistently.

I know some people are really even keel and even-tempered. That's never been me and now I know why. All I need is a nap, a sandwich, and a sweater to go through life almost permanently happy.

Anyone ever find out interesting things about their quirk through another person?

I Finally Had My Girls' Night Out...

...And it kind of made me feel old. This was actually a while ago, but I"m just now getting around to blogging about it.

My girls came and scooped me up and we headed to Navy Pier. <a href="http://quitethelovelife.blogspot.com/search/Michelle">Michelle</a> wanted to go to Margaritaville, so we were all down to try it.

I haven't been able to drink tequila since an over-indulgent experience years ago. I can put away tequila shots with the best of them, but it couldn't touch my tongue.

I don't know what the Margaritaville people put in their drinks, but I'm all over a good margarita now since that night. I had a very tasty drink and I've been back on the tequila bandwagon since. I still love you tequila shots, but you're no longer my only agave option. Winning!

There was only one bad thing about the night. My girls brought a new chick to the party. She was sweet and I liked her a lot. After the night, Michelle called to tell me the girls who brought her (her cousins who I call Thing 1 and Thing 2 in my blogs) wanted to apologize for the new chick because she's normally not like that.

"Not like what?" I asked. I found her to be funny and sweet and cool. Apparently, Thing 1 and Thing 2 neglected to tell me their friends was recently un-engaged. They say she's usually more talkative than that and they're sorry she was a wet blanket.

I'd love to see this girl when she's her normal self 'cause I really liked her. But I definitely added Thing 1 and Thing 2 to my list of people who make bad decisions. We spent a good portion of the night talking about my fiance Easy. I was recently engaged at that time.

I didn't bring him up, the twins did. They wanted to congratulate me and then proceeded to ask a ton of questions about him and us and being engaged. Had I known what their friend had been through, I wouldn't have even encouraged that line of convo. I love talking about Easy, 'cause he's wonderful, but not in front of a recently un-engaged girl. Sheesh.

We ended the night early, but we still had fun. We just came back to my apartment and cracked open some wine and beer. It's definitely not the same list of activities (or order) we'd do for a night just a couple years ago, but it was really enjoyable. Getting older isn't the worst thing in the world.

Flaky friends, only Gloria has excuse.

Back From The Dead!

My phone is back! Oh yeah!!

<iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/qSpWvodDlJI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

I'm feeling very happy because I don't have to shell out unexpected money to get a new Blackberry. I already had to do that last month for my car breaks. Goodness, this being an adult thing isn't all it's cracked up to be.

I knew that, but I prefer to focus on the positive. And I'm positively happy my phone decided to just start working again.

I miss my friends. I need to catch up with them. I've barely updated <a href="http://quitethelovelife.blogspot.com/">my other blog</a> with info on their love lives.

And my parents would normally be concerned I'd fallen off the face of the earth. But their new son, Easy is waaay better at keeping in touch than I am. So they know I'm alive 'cause they both talk to him a couple times a week. I think it's pretty sweet actually.

Even though there's so much going on all the time with friends, family, work, romance, and wedding, I finally feel like I can breathe. Maybe it's because I"m getting in a groove. Maybe it's cause Easy and I finally settled an issue that's been hanging out in the background for a while. I'm not sure entirely, but I feel good.

I'm tired as hell cause I only got 3 hours of sleep last night, but I feel good.

I have a very busy weekend coming up with this engagement party, but I feel good.

My apartment still isn't completely unpacked, but I feel good.

Smile!

Used To Be Something of a Rover

That video is from Guys and Dolls, it's one of my favorite musicals. You should really watch the whole thing, but this scene in particular took on a new meaning for me the other day.

I was watching the movie in my new apartment, and Easy came and joined me about halfway through. When that scene in the video came up, I cracked up laughing. Since the first time I watched this movie, I wanted to be seated next to my significant other so I could be amused by that line.

They really point right at the camera. I still chuckle when I think about it. This happened back when we first moved in together, so that was the end of June.

This sparked a conversation about the changes expected and unexpected about living together. We expected that we'd enjoy each other's company. But we didn't expect to be so happy about it. Even after we spend an entire 24 hour period together, once we separate, one of us calls or texts the other to say, "I miss you already."

We also expected we'd make a good team in the house. We mostly do because of our ability to divide up housework and responsibilities. The hardest thing for me to get used to is how much stuff he uses. Toilet paper, toothpaste, floss, milk, you name it. Easy uses it in ridiculously comically large quantities.

But we're working on better utilization and other solutions. He's trying to use less floss. I agreed not to get upset about his use of toilet paper considering the alternative (yuck!), and now we buy milk two gallons at a time.

An unexpected change was how we consult on our schedules. I wouldn't call either of us fiercely independent, but we also are our own people. An unexpected change was that we both sort of naturally started checking with each other before we make or change plans.

I wonder what other changes we'll begin to notice as more time passes.

A Reunion Concert And Phone Woes

It wasn't a reunion for me that I'm talking about. It was for Easy. His friends from high school started a group in which they each played an instrument. Saturday night, they had a reunion concert.

It was at Easy's church. It was really enjoyable. It was gospel music with a jazz flair. I was glad to go with Easy to this concert. I got to spend more time with his friends and bond with them. I also got to chat wedding planning with the sister of Easy's best man.

Here are some photos from the event:

They had a wonderful video that played before and after the show. That is their symbol for MV8.

They started playing and I was immediately enjoying the show. Good times.

Oh yeah, Easy doesn't just play alto sax. He also plays the flute.

And he raps. Well, he hasn't really done it since high school, but he's good at it. He could win a cipher still I bet.

This is the group members who were there for the concert, plus all their friends from high school who came to the show.

This is the five who played in the concert. There are three more who couldn't make the show. I'm hoping they'll play the next one.

They are currently planning on having another show around Christmas. I think it will be even bigger and better and I can't wait.

I love that I'm marrying a musician who's actually talented and undertakes ventures that are easy to support! It would be hard to support an artist who wasn't that good at what they did...

Moving on the phone woes. My Blackberry is acting up. The keyboard is functioning improperly. I really only turn it on to try and check my voicemail. Each time I put in the battery, I have about 3-8 minutes of proper functioning before it goes hay wire.

I'm not due for a phone upgrade until October, so I'm contemplating what to do about the phone. I'm definitely sticking with BB, and I want the flip phone, but I just don't know if I can shell out that extra money right now. Le sigh.

Missing My Mister

Easy is a musician. Did I mention that? Well, he plays the alto saxophone and he has a music group called Quatuor de Force, a jazz quartet.

He's been writing music and this past week he's been practicing with his group to record a CD. That's right, he put together an album. His music is amazing, and if you like jazz or neo soul or just good music, you'd love what he's written.

While he was working on actually recording the music, I didn't see him for days. He and I haven't gone too many days without talking since we decided to date exclusively last October. Even when he was in Europe for a month, between gmail and video chat, we still spoke almost every day.

Though Easy has been busy recording his album, it didn't take 24 hours of each day. I worked Wed-Fri though and slept almost the entire time I wasn't at work. Add to that the fact that my BlackBerry has given up on cooperating with my desire to use it for any purpose other than an alarm clock, and we have no way to communicate.

I was missing my man like crazy! Getting home from work on Saturday morning after my shift ended made my heart swell. Being away from him sucks!

You're Such A Tool, But Yet I Love You

I have two major tools in my life. One is my super sexy wedding binder from russel+hazel.

The other is our wedding website.

I don't know what I would do without these two tools. I love them wholeheartedly.

I carried my wedding binder around with me everywhere I went. Somewhere between coming to terms with our old wedding venue and some bridesmaid-dress related stress, I stopped carrying it.

It sat by the door, ready to be carried along every time I left the house. Instead, I would glower at it as I walked past. It just sat there in it's adorable carrying bag I bought at Staples.

I paid more attention to the website. But I really focused my attention on the part people would see (such as the screen shot above). Well, that and the guest list.

The guest list caused me no small amount of grief. Getting the list whittled down, tracking down addresses, and getting them all into the website was a very involved project.

But then the clouds parted. I saw on the website a very easy format to put the guest list info into that would make it very easy to upload into the computer. I'm a hgue fan of putting in a lot of work on the front in to never have to do it again.

Once that happened, things got better. Suddenly, my fiance Easy and his mother were able to track down their addresses. My parents became a big help in getting our Save-the-Dates out.

And then the best thing ever happened: we changed our wedding venue back to the place I'd been secretly pining for since we first saw it.

This actually looks a lot like a Justin Alexander ad with my exact dress on weddingwire. I couldn't get the ad to come up of course, so no screenshot. Sorry.

Oh, but I did go to the Justin Alexander website and I found it. I'm hesitant to post it because Easy still hasn't seen my dress. If he promises not to look, I'll post it. You promise not to peek, Easy? Okay, everyone else scroll down and you'll see it.












I knew you'd look! That's why I didn't put up the ad. Perhaps eventually I will show it, cause I really love the ad and I'm going to save it as an inspirational picture for my photographer for the day of the wedding.

Moving on. Being the reasonable person I try to pretend I am from time to time, I never outright said I wanted that venue and no others. But when it finally happened, I felt a weight lifted. I didn't even know that weight was there, but I sure as hell noticed when it was gone.

Monday, on my way out the door, I stopped and picked up my wedding binder and bag. I took it with me to work. I even cracked it open at work and began filling in the stuff I'd neglected for 2 months. I took out stuff I didn't need anymore.

Besides all the work I do at work, I felt very productive wedding-wise. It's amazing to come out of doldrums you didn't even know you were in. I knew I felt some kind of way about my wedding binder, but I didn't know just how bad it was until I didn't feel that way anymore.

And now I love all my wedding tools again. Checklists, guest lists, and menus, oh my!

My Mansion For A Day

If you still read my now completely wedding-centric blog, you may be asking yourself what's so fantastic about the Patrick C. Haley Mansion that I could be on the edge of giddiness at the thought of having my wedding there.

Well, I finally unloaded all the pictures from my camera so I can shower you with a barrage of loveliness to help you understand just why I am happy. I am writing the post ahead of time, and God willing, the contract will be signed with the Mansion by the time this post publishes.

So without further ado...


When you first walk up, you think, what a lovely looking mansion. Gosh, I hope those steps aren't slippery.



This is what it looks like when you first walk in to the ballroom. Stairs leading down to tables, chandeliers, and a garden through the windows. Cue contented sighs.



Even if you don't drink, how can you not be enthralled by the beauty and sophistication of this bar. That would be open. For the entire wedding. Open. The whole time. I'm just saying.



This is the front of the ballroom, where the ceremony would take place indoors. See the skylight? See the garden through the endless windows? Yeah, that's hot.



Then, turn to look at the ballroom from up front where the ceremony would be held. Gosh, it's lovely. And look at the head table, all made up. Don't you simply have to take a closer look?



This almost makes me want to have a real head table. Almost. But there's just too many of us. But the chair covers are amazing, as is the silver and gold on the tableware. Begin to drool, and not over the food.



Say, you're getting married in February. Are you really considering sneaking outdoors for a few *hopefully* in-the-snow photos? After seeing this, yeah, you are.



You hear about all the lovely spaces around the mansion upstairs to explore before the ceremony and during cocktail hour. You imagine people mingling. You also imagine one of your feistier friends sneaking up here during the reception...



Oooh, more to explore? All those chairs are included? Winning!



There's a third floor?? What's up there? Suites for the wedding party! Is it just me or does this room look like an upscale barber shop/cigar club? I have been envisioning photos of Easy getting ready in this room since I first laid eyes on it.



After seeing the guys' room, I waited with bated breath to see the bride's room. And it is ah-mazing! Perfectly round, bright windows, lots o' floor space to accommodate my ridiculously large number of bridesmaids. Good times. You don't even see the abundance of mirrors in this photo.



Eventually, the tour is over. On the way out, this is a last look at the ballroom from the outside. Yup, there's a fountain there too. I hope they put twinkle lights on it in the winter...

 So.... do you get it? Do you see why this place is perfect for me? Every time I envision my wedding, I see it as a big party for lots of people Easy and I love. The party is fancy, cause that's how I roll, but it's also in a setting that speaks to my love for beauty and nature.

The hands-on service they provide isn't half bad either. The one thing I couldn't show through the photos is the smell of the food they were cooking the day I took all these pics. It smelled amazing! I can't wait for the tasting.