As a new year begins, I figured it would be appropriate to write a "year in review" post. A lot has happened, so here are some highlights in bulleted-form, organized by month (just the way I like it).
-January: I resigned from my position at Olivet Nazarene University, packed all of my earthly possessions, and moved to Jeffersonville, Indiana to be with the Man as he completed police academy. I could probably end the list here, as this was the be-all, end-all of my year. So it seemed.
-February: I spent my days in sweats watching Lonesome Dove while attempting to organize our impossibly small apartment. I gained 10lbs and cried on a daily basis. The highlight was my mom's first trip down here since I moved in, and we spent the whole weekend attached at the hip. I cried when she left. And gained another pound.
-March: My sweatpants went into early retirement as I was hired as a part-time Team Sports associate at the local Dick's Sporting Goods. I also learned how to bake a loaf of bread from scratch. Oh and we went to the Arnold Fitness Expo in Columbus, OH. Exciting, eh?
-April: Mom & Dad came down for Family Day at the Man's police academy. The Man made cheesecakes and I got tased.
-May: We survived our first Kentucky Derby. The Man decided we needed a dog; enter Dakota. I had several nervous breakdowns. Dakota stayed. I was promoted to the full-time Sales Leader at Dick's Sporting Goods.
-June: The Man graduated valedictorian from police academy! He also won the IronMan Fitness award, because he's a stud. My entire family came down & most stayed with us in our tiny 2-bedroom place. It was a blast.
-July: My little, annoying, punk-brother tied the knot to sweet, caring, adorable Jessica. I spent 4+ hours on the dance floor in celebration. So happy for them.
-August: My entire extended family took a week-long trip to Gatlinburg, TN. 15 people in 1 cabin for 8 days. Enough said.
-September: I'm sure something really important and exciting happened in September, but I can't remember at the moment. Probably that Dakota learned how to roll over. Oh, Mom came down to visit again and we ate our way across Louisville.
-October: I turned 27. Bah-humbug.
-November: My parents came down for a whirlwind Thanksgiving consisting of dinner at Cracker Barrel and seeing the Muppets movie. I survived my first Black Friday working retail. Ridiculous.
-December: The Man & I competed in our first power lifting meet in Chicago. We decided to move to a bigger apartment across town. I was promoted to Sales Manager at Dick's Sporting Goods. The Man turned 26. I spent 36 hours in Chicago to celebrate Christmas while the Man worked. Dakota continued to chase her tail.
WHEW! What a year, indeed. It has been, without a doubt, one of the most challenging years of my life. It hasn't been easy; packing up and moving 275+ miles away from everyone and everything I've ever known. There were nights when I would simply cry because my heart ached for familiarity. But then there are times when the Man and I are sitting together on the couch, watching endless Friends reruns with our snarky dog at our feet, and my soul is at peace. This is our home -- and I am infinitely blessed.
Happy new year!
Monday, January 2, 2012
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Most Disturbing Conversation with The Man
Quick Kentuckiana geographical lesson:
There are 3 main bridges connecting southern Indiana to Louisville, Kentucky: the Kennedy (I-65), the 2nd Street bridge (downtown), and the Sherman Minton bridge (near New Albany, IN). Recent construction on the Sherman Minton unveiled a few cracks in the foundation, causing officials to shut it down indefinitely. Needless to say, this has caused a LOT of traffic issues as over 80,000 cars travel across the Sherman Minton every day.
All of THAT is to say, the Man has been put on traffic detail for the Sherman Minton bridge, making sure that no crazies try to drive across it. And THAT is to say, he has been rather bored lately so he calls me. A lot.
Whenever we talk, I ask him how work went and if anything interesting happened. Usually he tells me about the crazy homeless man or the 3 prostitutes he arrested, but lately he said nothing interesting has happened. Yesterday he casually mentioned how he had to put his gun away before putting handcuffs on this one dude. To me, pulling a gun is a pretty big deal and I asked the Man why he didn't tell me about this earlier. He replied, "I pull my gun so often, it doesn't really seem like a big deal to me anymore."
Later on that night, we were talking about our work weeks when the Man looked at me and said, "There's one other incident that happened, and I'm ok, but I'm not going to tell you about it. All you need to know is I'm home and I'm safe. I'm trying to protect you from worrying."
Whoa. Hold up.
I know that the Man is a cop and cops sometimes run into very dangerous & sketchy situations. I'm not naive about what my husband does, but sometimes I choose to not think about what could happen. It's my way of coping. So when the Man comes home and I'm face to face with reality, it's a bit shocking. I trust the Man's training and instinct, but in moments like this I have to put my faith in the God who brought us here. When the Man walks out the door, we can't rely on his training or strength to get him through the night -- but rather the One who guides, protects, and provides.
Talk about a test of faith.
There are 3 main bridges connecting southern Indiana to Louisville, Kentucky: the Kennedy (I-65), the 2nd Street bridge (downtown), and the Sherman Minton bridge (near New Albany, IN). Recent construction on the Sherman Minton unveiled a few cracks in the foundation, causing officials to shut it down indefinitely. Needless to say, this has caused a LOT of traffic issues as over 80,000 cars travel across the Sherman Minton every day.
All of THAT is to say, the Man has been put on traffic detail for the Sherman Minton bridge, making sure that no crazies try to drive across it. And THAT is to say, he has been rather bored lately so he calls me. A lot.
Whenever we talk, I ask him how work went and if anything interesting happened. Usually he tells me about the crazy homeless man or the 3 prostitutes he arrested, but lately he said nothing interesting has happened. Yesterday he casually mentioned how he had to put his gun away before putting handcuffs on this one dude. To me, pulling a gun is a pretty big deal and I asked the Man why he didn't tell me about this earlier. He replied, "I pull my gun so often, it doesn't really seem like a big deal to me anymore."
Later on that night, we were talking about our work weeks when the Man looked at me and said, "There's one other incident that happened, and I'm ok, but I'm not going to tell you about it. All you need to know is I'm home and I'm safe. I'm trying to protect you from worrying."
Whoa. Hold up.
I know that the Man is a cop and cops sometimes run into very dangerous & sketchy situations. I'm not naive about what my husband does, but sometimes I choose to not think about what could happen. It's my way of coping. So when the Man comes home and I'm face to face with reality, it's a bit shocking. I trust the Man's training and instinct, but in moments like this I have to put my faith in the God who brought us here. When the Man walks out the door, we can't rely on his training or strength to get him through the night -- but rather the One who guides, protects, and provides.
Talk about a test of faith.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Conversations With the Man (Part ?)
The Man: "How much lemon juice should I put in the tuna salad?"
Me: "Just a squirt."
The Man: "How much is a squirt? I only measure in pinches & dollops."
*EDIT*
After posting, the Man informed me that I misquoted him in the above conversation. He does not measure in pinches & dollops, but rather hints & dashes. My apologies.
Me [referring to our neighbor who just had a baby]: "She is so cute!"
The Man: "I'm not usually a fan of those flat shoes, but...."
Me: "What are you talking about?"
The Man: "You didn't notice her shoes? She was wearing those flat ballerina-like shoes. I don't normally like those, but hers were really cute."
Me: "Are you kidding me with this?"
The Man: "You're just not observant. I notice such things."
Me: "You can't remember what you just ate for lunch, but her shoes you notice."
The Man: "That's what makes me a good cop."
The Man [pulling a burnt piece of toast out of the toaster]: "There! That's how you make toast."
Me: "It's completely burned. That's gross."
The Man: "Charcoal is good for the stomach, my grandma used to say."
Me: "You know that's not charcoal."
The Man: "Same difference."
Me: "What did you have for dinner tonight?"
The Man: "We went to some weird European place called The Blind Pig. All they served was pork and ham and bacon and stuff."
Me: "So a good place to take a Jew?"
The Man: "Exactly. Except everything was in French and I couldn't understand anything, so I just ordered a hamburger. It was the only thing I could pronounce. That and french fries. And a coke."
The Man: "When you eat Qdoba, do you feel like your insides are going to fall out?"
Me: "Not exactly."
The Man: "Must just be me then."
Me: "Just a squirt."
The Man: "How much is a squirt? I only measure in pinches & dollops."
*EDIT*
After posting, the Man informed me that I misquoted him in the above conversation. He does not measure in pinches & dollops, but rather hints & dashes. My apologies.
Me [referring to our neighbor who just had a baby]: "She is so cute!"
The Man: "I'm not usually a fan of those flat shoes, but...."
Me: "What are you talking about?"
The Man: "You didn't notice her shoes? She was wearing those flat ballerina-like shoes. I don't normally like those, but hers were really cute."
Me: "Are you kidding me with this?"
The Man: "You're just not observant. I notice such things."
Me: "You can't remember what you just ate for lunch, but her shoes you notice."
The Man: "That's what makes me a good cop."
The Man [pulling a burnt piece of toast out of the toaster]: "There! That's how you make toast."
Me: "It's completely burned. That's gross."
The Man: "Charcoal is good for the stomach, my grandma used to say."
Me: "You know that's not charcoal."
The Man: "Same difference."
Me: "What did you have for dinner tonight?"
The Man: "We went to some weird European place called The Blind Pig. All they served was pork and ham and bacon and stuff."
Me: "So a good place to take a Jew?"
The Man: "Exactly. Except everything was in French and I couldn't understand anything, so I just ordered a hamburger. It was the only thing I could pronounce. That and french fries. And a coke."
The Man: "When you eat Qdoba, do you feel like your insides are going to fall out?"
Me: "Not exactly."
The Man: "Must just be me then."
Friday, September 2, 2011
The One Where She Updates Her Blog
In an ideal world I would work 40+ hours a week, maintain a clean & orderly house, walk the dog every morning, and greet my husband with a homemade dinner all while looking like Jessica Alba.
But let's be honest: I work 40+ hours a week, my house is filled with police gear & dog toys, I "walk" Dakota by having her chase her ball up and down the stairs, and the Man is lucky to get frozen ravioli for dinner while I still have pants on.
It's life.
So needless to say, updating my blog hasn't exactly been one of my top priorities. This is unfortunate as a) I love to write b) it's a way to update y'all on our lives and c) it's the only way I can keep my vocabulary & spelling in check. (In that sentence alone, I had misspelled almost every single word. This is sad.)
So here's an update. The Man finished his first 8 weeks of probation in the 4th division (near Churchill Downs for all of you who aren't familiar with Louisville geography) and has moved to the next phase in the 1st division (equivalent to Chicago's loop geographically, the West Side criminally). He'll be with his probation officer through October, then he's out on his own. He absolutely LOVES being a cop, and I'm still adjusting to being a cop's wife. I'm learning more of the terminology, I'm trying not to worry when he comes home an hour late, and I'm taking full advantage of the police discounts at local restaurants. (Half off at Papa John's? C'mon now, you would too...) He's also taking a Brazilian ju-jitsu class, which is just another excuse for him to beat people up. As long as it's not me, I'm ok with it.
I'm still working as the sales leader Dick's Sporting Goods, and rumor has it that I'll be moving up to management in the next few months. Never thought I would become a retail manager, but I love my job and am undoubtedly the best speller in the store (my time at Oxford is really paying off). When I'm not at work, I'm in the gym training for my first powerlifting meet. The Man thought it would be fun, which it will be for him as he can lift a bazillion pounds. I, on the other hand, am just trying to work up to the "Aw, look at her. Bless her heart for trying" status. At least I'll get a t-shirt.
Dakota has been working on walking without a leash and has successfully gone potty outside without a leash 3 times today. She also ate the rest of her bone and got a bath last night. Big news.
So there you have it. I told myself I'm going to update my blog more than just once a month, but if it's anything like my other goals, I wouldn't count on it. Except for my "eat a piece of chocolate everyday" goal. That one's right on track.
But let's be honest: I work 40+ hours a week, my house is filled with police gear & dog toys, I "walk" Dakota by having her chase her ball up and down the stairs, and the Man is lucky to get frozen ravioli for dinner while I still have pants on.
It's life.
So needless to say, updating my blog hasn't exactly been one of my top priorities. This is unfortunate as a) I love to write b) it's a way to update y'all on our lives and c) it's the only way I can keep my vocabulary & spelling in check. (In that sentence alone, I had misspelled almost every single word. This is sad.)
So here's an update. The Man finished his first 8 weeks of probation in the 4th division (near Churchill Downs for all of you who aren't familiar with Louisville geography) and has moved to the next phase in the 1st division (equivalent to Chicago's loop geographically, the West Side criminally). He'll be with his probation officer through October, then he's out on his own. He absolutely LOVES being a cop, and I'm still adjusting to being a cop's wife. I'm learning more of the terminology, I'm trying not to worry when he comes home an hour late, and I'm taking full advantage of the police discounts at local restaurants. (Half off at Papa John's? C'mon now, you would too...) He's also taking a Brazilian ju-jitsu class, which is just another excuse for him to beat people up. As long as it's not me, I'm ok with it.
I'm still working as the sales leader Dick's Sporting Goods, and rumor has it that I'll be moving up to management in the next few months. Never thought I would become a retail manager, but I love my job and am undoubtedly the best speller in the store (my time at Oxford is really paying off). When I'm not at work, I'm in the gym training for my first powerlifting meet. The Man thought it would be fun, which it will be for him as he can lift a bazillion pounds. I, on the other hand, am just trying to work up to the "Aw, look at her. Bless her heart for trying" status. At least I'll get a t-shirt.
Dakota has been working on walking without a leash and has successfully gone potty outside without a leash 3 times today. She also ate the rest of her bone and got a bath last night. Big news.
So there you have it. I told myself I'm going to update my blog more than just once a month, but if it's anything like my other goals, I wouldn't count on it. Except for my "eat a piece of chocolate everyday" goal. That one's right on track.
Monday, August 1, 2011
Did I Stutter?
The other night I went to bed utterly exhausted, more so than usual, and I couldn't figure out why. As I was starting to drift off, it dawned on me: I spent the majority of the evening repeating myself. We don't have kids yet, but we do have a very cheeky dog who tends to find her way into mischief. Pair her with my ever-so-snarky husband, and you've got one exhausted wife.
I started thinking about all the things I say to the Man and to Dakota, and realized that I repeat myself more times than necessary. Examples?
-"What are you eating now?"
-"Please stop eating that."
-"Are you supposed to be eating that?"
-"Don't do that; that's gross."
-"I think you need to go outside."
-"You smell."
-"I don't want to _____, I'm too tired."
-"Please don't pee on the rug."
-"Go to bed."
-"Get off the couch."
-"When was the last time you took a bath/shower?"
-"Why don't you listen?"
-"Sometimes I think God put you in my life just to annoy me."
-"You're trying my patience."
-"So help me God, if there's a mess in there...."
-"I love you." (I had to throw this one in to make up for everything else.)
It's a never-ending crapshoot as to what they're going to do next, but I love 'em and wouldn't trade them for the world.
I started thinking about all the things I say to the Man and to Dakota, and realized that I repeat myself more times than necessary. Examples?
-"What are you eating now?"
-"Please stop eating that."
-"Are you supposed to be eating that?"
-"Don't do that; that's gross."
-"I think you need to go outside."
-"You smell."
-"I don't want to _____, I'm too tired."
-"Please don't pee on the rug."
-"Go to bed."
-"Get off the couch."
-"When was the last time you took a bath/shower?"
-"Why don't you listen?"
-"Sometimes I think God put you in my life just to annoy me."
-"You're trying my patience."
-"So help me God, if there's a mess in there...."
-"I love you." (I had to throw this one in to make up for everything else.)
It's a never-ending crapshoot as to what they're going to do next, but I love 'em and wouldn't trade them for the world.
Monday, July 25, 2011
Alive and Kickin'
A typical Monday night:
-The Man is updating his workout journal, shirtless, while watching Friends.
-Dakota is licking my leg in an attempt to get onto the couch.
-A pan of brownies is cooling on the stove.
-There's a fly trapped in the blinds.
-I haven't showered in two days.
I realize that I have done a lackluster job of updating my blog, and for that I apologize. Here's a quick update of the past two months:
-The Man graduated valedictorian from Police Academy in early June. He also won the Ironman physical fitness award. He's awesome.
-I'm working at Dick's Sporting Goods and am slowly getting over the stigma of working retail. I can sell baseball bats and quote Shakespeare. Well-rounded.
-Dakota is Dakota. I'm still adjusting to having a dog, but at least now I don't have a nervous breakdown every time she barks. She's equally cute as she is snarky. Just like me.
So there. I could write a lot more, but I'm exhausted and those brownies aren't going to eat themselves. I'll update again this week when I have more time and less chocolate temptation.
-The Man is updating his workout journal, shirtless, while watching Friends.
-Dakota is licking my leg in an attempt to get onto the couch.
-A pan of brownies is cooling on the stove.
-There's a fly trapped in the blinds.
-I haven't showered in two days.
I realize that I have done a lackluster job of updating my blog, and for that I apologize. Here's a quick update of the past two months:
-The Man graduated valedictorian from Police Academy in early June. He also won the Ironman physical fitness award. He's awesome.
-I'm working at Dick's Sporting Goods and am slowly getting over the stigma of working retail. I can sell baseball bats and quote Shakespeare. Well-rounded.
-Dakota is Dakota. I'm still adjusting to having a dog, but at least now I don't have a nervous breakdown every time she barks. She's equally cute as she is snarky. Just like me.
So there. I could write a lot more, but I'm exhausted and those brownies aren't going to eat themselves. I'll update again this week when I have more time and less chocolate temptation.
Saturday, May 21, 2011
A Dog Like Me
So you've met our dog, Dakota:
And you've met me: the world's most anal dog owner. We had only had her for a day or two when the Man pointed out some personality similarities between our little dog and me. I ignored his smart remarks at first, but as time goes on, I'm starting to notice a strange similarity. For example(s):
- Dakota is downright stubborn when she wants to be. She knows when it's bedtime, but will lay down a few feet in front of her kennel and refuse to move. She will clench her teeth when it's time to administer her medicine. If she doesn't want to do something, good luck changing her mind.
- Dakota is a line-pusher. She knows she's not supposed to go downstairs when we're upstairs, so she'll lay down as close to the steps as possible. One time I caught her trying to sneak down along the wall, out of my line of sight. She likes to see just how far she can go without getting into trouble.
- Dakota is an instigator. One of her favorite pastimes is picking a fight with our good friends' 75+ pound German Shepard mix. This dog could eat her in one bite, but Dakota doesn't care. She's completely unaware of her size and will challenge any competition.
- Dakota is a scaredy-cat. Despite her "tough-dog" image, she won't go near the dishwasher, washing machine, vacuum, or blow dryer. We've just recently gotten her used to Duke, the Man's ridiculously loud truck.
- Dakota is sensitive. She hates being yelled at or scolded, and will do everything she can to win back our favor.
- Dakota hates mornings. Good luck getting her out of bed -- she'll only leave because she has to go to the bathroom, then it's right back under the covers.
So you see, I think this dog and I were made for each other. And with all our powers combined, we can terrorize the Man like never before. I guess this dog-ownership thing isn't as bad as I thought.
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