Back Home

After 2 crazy weeks, I am finally back at home in Virginia. That is so weird to say because Ohio has always been my home. I guess home is where your heart is and right now it is in Virginia with my husband. That is right - I now have a husband.

More details and pictures to come once I catch up on my life.

Lucy

For all those who are wondering about Flat Stanley, my 7 year old cousin sent him to me as a school project. Of course I had to take him somewhere fun!!

Flat Stanley in Washington, DC

April 20, 2006



Dear Lucy:

Thank you for sending Flat Stanley.  We had a blast.  He arrived on Thursday, April 13 the same day as Aunt Una and Uncle John.  We had a relaxing evening since it was going to be a fun filled weekend.

Friday was very nice.  It was sunny and about 75 degrees.  Brett, Aunt Una, and Uncle John went golfing at Quantico Marine Base.  They forgot Flat Stanley so he had to sit with me while I worked in the morning.  We made pizza from scratch for everyone to eat when they go back.  After lunch we all piled into the car and headed out to see some sites on our way to pick Robert up from the airport.

Our first stop was Fort Belvoir where Brett works.  Brett is a nurse in the US Army.  You need to have a special ID to get on a military base so we decided to take Flat Stanley, Aunt Una, and Uncle John there so they could see what the base is like.  We took Flat Stanley over to the Officers’ Club which is located right on the Potomac River.  We took some pictures for you to see.

From there we drove along the George Washington Parkway pass Mt. Vernon where George Washington used to live.  We made a stop at Lady Bird Johnson Park to take some pictures of the monuments with the Potomac River.  We actually got a helicopter in one of the pictures!!

To waste some time before we picked Robert up, we went to Tysons Corner which is a huge mall.  We found a store called Lucy and took a picture of Flat Stanley in front of it.  He was really excited about that.  He was also excited about the picture we took in Bloomingdales with him on the motorcycle.  Hope he doesn’t get in trouble for that.

We picked Robert up from Dulles Airport and stopped for dinner.  After dinner we went back to my house.  It had been a long day.

Saturday was about 80 degrees and sunny.  Brett, Uncle John, and Robert all went golfing.  Flat Stanley went with Aunt Una and me to finish getting some items I needed for the wedding.  Then we went to another mall and wasted a bunch of time.  We had a hard time getting Flat Stanley out of the Lego store and he wanted to get his picture taken with the Easter Bunny but it was really expensive.  I forgot my camera so I told him next time we would definitely do it.

Saturday night we stayed at the house and had dinner.  Aunt Una, Brett, Robert and I all went in the hot tub.  Flat Stanley stayed in the house with Uncle John.  They were a little tired from all the shopping and golfing.  We had a big day planned for Sunday so everyone went to bed early.
On Sunday we went to Washington, DC – the capitol of the United States!  Uncle John had never been there so we thought it would be something fun to do.  The weather was a little cooler (about 72) because it had rained over night.  

We saw a lot of things while we were in DC.  We saw the White House where the President lives.  We think he might have either come home or left shortly after we walked by because there was a lot of police cars around there and a big limo.  It would have been cool to see the President.  Flat Stanley would have never forgotten his trip.

We also saw the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, the World War I Memorial, the World War II Memorial, the Korean War Memorial, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, and the Smithsonian.  The Smithsonian is actually a bunch of museums.  We went into the American History Museum.  We were there for a couple hours and only got to see about ¼ of it.  It is huge.  There is a lot to look at.

When we were done down there, we headed back to Dulles Airport to drop Robert off.  He flew back to Cleveland on Sunday evening.  Brett, Aunt Una, Uncle John. Flat Stanley and I went back to our house and had dinner.  We relaxed the rest of the night since Aunt Una and Uncle John were leaving the next day.

Since Sunday, Flat Stanley has been a little bored.  Since it is the week, Brett and I have been working so he has had to sit in the house and plan with Pepper.  The weather has been nice in the high 60s to low 80s all week.  It is supposed to rain this weekend so I thought I would send him back to Cleveland so he doesn’t have to be bored any longer.

I hope Flat Stanley had a good time.  I will see him next week when I come back to Cleveland to prepare for the wedding.  See you soon.

Love,Kelly



PS – Hope you had a fun birthday!!!

What a Colorful World

So I went to take the Color Quiz that my dear friend Nikol had on her blog and this is all I got:

Your Existing Situtation
The situation is difficult and she is trying to persist in her objectives against resistance. Finds it necessary to conceal her intentions as an added precaution, in order to disarm the opposition.

The darn thing told me there was more but there were errors on the page and would not go to the next topic.

But I don't agree with what it did say because I love my current situation and I am not trying to disarm anything (unless it is talking about learning to golf then they might have a point).

If anyone else wants to take the quiz that stopped on me go HERE

UUUGGGHHH!!!

I need a drink. Between all the interruptions, my boss having a bad day, and the long list of things that I wanted to accomplish today and didn't, I have developed a headache. Going to bed early is sounding better and better each minute (even though I have to get up at 4am to drive home tomorrow).

More Wedding Preparation

Brett and I are going home this weekend. We are going home for wedding things. We have to get our marriage license, get his tux refitted, get my veil, do my trial hair run, pick up his ring, buy our attendant gifts, and meet with the photographer. We also need to visit with family and friends.

Maybe we should have eloped!!

Family Issues

Getting married is an interesting time. After you get all the tasks done and send out the invitations, you sit in anticipation to see who is going to respond first. You look forward to getting the mail everyday. You toss aside all the bills and junk and rip open the responses to see who is coming and who is not.

I have been surprised that family members are not the first to respond. There are several people of my family who have not RSVP'd yet and a couple from Brett's have not either. Some of those on my side I am really surprised they haven't responded and some I know they won't (and I really don't care about those). However, the ones who haven't and I do care about I am not sure what to think. I know we still have 2-1/2 weeks for people to return them but I would have thought they sent them as soon as they received them.

It should be interesting to see if these family members will come or not. I know one in particular that will make my mom really angry if he does not show up. I have a feeling that he won't because he will have to face all the responsibilities that he should have been dealing with over the last 2 years.

The Unsaid Compliment

I was told today from a co-worker that my boss paid me a compliment. He feels we will be able to handle his whole business just the 2 of us. Are you kidding? I work for a person who manages over $75 million in assets and is in Cleveland. I live in Virginia. Does anyone see a problem with this?

I guess it makes me feel good to know he feels we (or should I say I) can handle everything. The problem is I am not sure how much longer I will keep working for him. I know I will definitely be there through July but after that who knows. I might find something in Virginia. I might change careers. The world is a big place and there are so many options.

The other thing is there is no potential for growth where I am. I could go to production but if I stay for the same company, my current boss will expect me to go in on things with him and split the commission. I don't think so. If I am doing all the work I should get all the rewards for it.

The Condo Saga

We are now being told we will not settle on our condo until the end of July. That means I might have to spend a couple of weeks after our honeymoon in Cleveland while Brett comes back to Virginia. The only reason I would have to stay is since I work from the house I won't have internet access to be able to work everyday. There are some possibilities of me finding a place on post or staying at a friend's during the day so I can work but what a burden that will be for everyone involved.

The other problem is now we will have to keep our stuff in storage for 2 months instead of 1. We still plan on moving out of the house we are renting at the end of May since we won't be here all of June. Doesn't make sense to keep it, pay rent and utilities, and not even be living in it.

As I always say there is always a reason for why things work out the way they do. Hopefully we will figure the reasons for this one soon (adding to my anxiety).

Return of Anxiety

All the anxiety I was feeling last fall had finally gone away and now I feel it creeping back. I guess the good thing is it is for different reasons. The anxiety in the fall stemmed from me being untrusting and checking a certain person's email and learning he was still "chatting" with his internet friends and ex-whatever you call her. We cleared everything up and I felt a little better about the whole situation (remember once you have been hurt it is really hard to be normal again). I still wonder if he is talking to these people and if they know about me and that we will be getting married in less than 6 weeks but right now that is the least of my worries.

Now my anxiety has to do with the wedding. Though I am all "caught up" on my tasks there is still a lot that needs to be done in the last month before the wedding. I am just hoping I get everything done and everyone has a good time. I guess that is the most important thing - that everyone has a good time.

As for my other issues, in the back of my mind I will always be afraid that someone is going to come along and take him from me. It has happened before why won't it happen again? But then I remember how much he loves me and that little thought goes away. Hopefully one of these days it will go away for good.

March Madness Has Begun!!!

The selection process is done and the games technically start tomorrow!! I cannot tell you how excited I am this time of year. Not only do I love basketball, I love to do the office pool and take everyone's money. The first 2 years I participated I did awesome. The last 2 years not so good. This year will be different - I will make my mark once again (and have to share my money with Brett).

Everyone is always so surprised that I know the teams so well. It isn't that I know the teams well; I just pay attention throughout the season. Some people do the pool just to do it and have to have their significant other or children pick the teams. Not me. 100% a Kelly bracket!!!

So hopefully but April 4th, I will be a little richer.

Reunion Weekend

It looks as though I will be spending the month of June in Cleveland. Brett has to be in Fort Knox, KY for most of the month and I technically won't have a place to live for the month. Our lease is up at the end of May and our condo is not supposed to be done until the end of June. We could stay in the house but that would me that I would be packing all by myself (I don't think Pepper would be much help).

The ironic thing is there are so many things I will be able to accomplish while I am in Cleveland that I am looking forward to it. First of all, I still do not have my life insurance license. I feel I need to get this in order to progress in my career especially if I start looking for a new job after we settle into the condo. There is a weekend class the first and second weekends of June. I am hoping to take the class and also the exam before we leave on our honeymoon.

And today I got an email about Reunion weekend at Xavier University. It is planned for June 15-17. I had mentioned to Brett that maybe I would go to Cincinnati while I am in Ohio and that was when I was planning on going. I have emailed my friends that live there and suggested a weekend get-together, even if we do not go to any of the scheduled activities.

Since Brett will be busy the whole time he is at Fort Knox I figured that I might as well take advantage of the situation. Getting the license (even if I have to pay for it) and visiting some friends sounds like the way to do just that.

Cleaning Service

So I have finally finished cleaning the upstairs of the house we are living in. It took me longer than I anticipated and I didn't do the one bathroom or Brett's office. So I suggested to Brett that we get a cleaning service to come in when we move and clean the house because I don't want to do it again in 3 months. Brett stated that it will be easier the next time and that we will be able to handle it (notice the we part).

I am vowing now that when we move into the BRAND NEW condo I am not going to let it get as filthy as this house got. This place has a major dust problem. We change the filters every month and they are supposed to last 3 (anyone see a problem with this?). I will make sure that a cleaning schedule is established and both of us stick to it. I think that it is only fair that since there will be no yard work to be done that the house cleaning be shared.

As for this place, we will see what we do when the time gets closer for us to move. If Brett is gone a lot, I am getting a cleaning service. I don't want to clean this house by myself.

Baseball Fever

It is that time of year again - baseball season. Well, sort of. Okay it is really only spring training but that only leads to one thing - baseball season. I cannot wait. I love going to ball games. I love to watch the game and also all the different people that go to the games.

This year I will go to my first Indians' game of the season in April. Brett and I bought a block of tickets and are having the wedding party (and a few extra guests) join us on the Thursday before the wedding. Because we did it this way, we will get our names on the scoreboard and they will even take a picture of it for us. I think I am going to frame that one once we get it. I also get 2 tickets for any game during the season. Brett and I are going to have to figure out when we will be able to go to another one.

I am sure we will go to a couple of Nationals' games this year. We went to one last year and it was fun. But it isn't like being at home and seeing the Tribe play. Nothing beats that.

I am also playing softball this Spring and Summer. I have gotten in touch with the Xavier Alumni Chapter here and they have a team. I guess last year was their first year and they were 7-7. Hopefully I won't suck too bad. I didn't play last year due to the move and I am a little rusty. Oh well. At least it will get me out and meeting more people. Hopefully I won't get hurt. Maybe I shouldn't play any games before the wedding.......

PS - I am glad I have DirecTV and TiVo. MLB Season Ticket all the way!!!

Spring Cleaning

You would think with Brett being gone for almost 2 weeks that I would find some fun things to do around here. Not the case. I have decided that I am going to do a Spring cleaning like no other (even though it is not Spring yet). The reason for this is simple - too many things going on in a very short period of time.

We are getting married at the end of April. We have bought a condo that should be done by the end of June. Our lease ends in May. We were going to pay monthly until the condo was ready and we could move out. Problem here is that Brett will be gone for almost the entire month of June and we leave for our honeymoon at the end of June. So the solution is I will go home to Cleveland with the dog and hang out there while Brett is at Fort Knox and we will move out of current house at the end of May and put everything in storage.

With this being said, I figured I better do a good cleaning now and then it won't be so much work come the end of May. I want everything to look better than it did when we moved in so that we get our whole deposit back. We would like to use this money in Hawaii. I have charted out 1 room a day while Brett is gone. I am going to do windows, doors, floor boards and carpets. I am half tempted to wash the carpets too but I don't feel like renting a carpet cleaner.

And maybe I will get to work on my wedding scrapbook a little also while he is gone!!

A revelation

I am very unmotivated to work out every day. I know in order to obtain the weight and body that I want this is necessary. However, I hate doing it. I think I have finally figured out why I don't like it. Being indoors.

I think when I am indoors I think about it too much. I pay attention to the clock too much and not on what I am supposed to be doing. When I am outdoors I don't pay attention to the time but just on what I am supposed to be doing and my surroundings.

I can't wait for the weather to get warmer so I can go and ride my bike or go for a walk (not up to running yet but hopefully by the end of the summer). I am also going to take up golf this summer and will be playing softball a couple days a week. Hopefully I will be able to keep the weight off that I have already lost and lose a few more pounds and tone up before our honeymoon in June.

Addiction

Most people are addicted to something, whether it is Taco Bell, alcohol or Friends. I must admit I am not addicted to any of those. (To be honest with you, I don't think I have seen a whole season of Friends in its entirety.) I will admit I have become addicted to 24 and so has Brett.

So here is how our evenings have been going:

• Brett gets home from work around 6:30-7pm.
• Cook, eat dinner, clean up.
• Start watching 24 around 8pm and try to squeeze in 2 episodes.
• Crawl into bed wanting to watch the next episode.

We have one disc left of Season 4 which we plan on watching tonight. Starting tomorrow we are going to watch all of Season 5 we have on TiVo. We didn't want to start watching it when the season began until we were all caught up. The thing is you get so tied up in the action that you don't want to stop watching. I don't know what we are going to do when we are all caught up and have to only watch 1 episode (with commercials). It is going to suck!!

Never Go to Bed Angry

Whoever said never go to bed angry should get a medal. It is so true. It just makes your morning crappy and makes you feel like never getting out of the bed. What makes it worse is when you try to rectify the situation before going to sleep and the other party doesn't respond.

I can tell things weren't peachy this morning. I got my normal greetings but that was about it. No joking about me being lazy and not getting out of bed (but who wants to get out of bed at 5:30am?). And now I am sure there will be silence for much of the day.

Maybe I should have tried a little harder to "fix" the problem but I honestly didn't know something was wrong until the last minute. I gave my two cents about the situation but that didn't seem to work. Hopefully things will be fine later today.

My advice to everyone - NEVER go to bed angry no matter how small the tiff.

The Signs are Here

I know the wedding is getting close because I am going to mail the invitations today. This means we are about 8 weeks for the wedding (actually 66 days). I also know it is getting close when all the little things start going wrong.

The first thing is Brett and his ring. Due to the fact that he has lost 25 pounds since Christmas his ring is now too big. Now normally this would not be a problem but since the ring is titanium and I got if through a friend we are not sure if we can exchange it for the new size. (For all those who do not know, titanium rings cannot be resized.)

The second problem is my flower girl dresses. When Chelsea's dress was ordered, they told Brett's mom that she needed to order a size 9 due to her waist or hips (I can't remember which). Being that we figured they knew what they were talking about we ordered that size. Big mistake - literally. The dress is so big that if any alterations are done to it it will be ruined. So now I get to fight with the store to get them to reorder the dress in the proper size.

Not only is Chelsea's dress too big but so is Paige's. What I am going to end up doing is giving Chelsea Paige's dress and ordering a new one for Paige. I am ready to be Bridezilla on this if I have to. I really like this dress and it is important to me and Brett that all the girls be in the wedding.

I won't even mention the bridesmaids' dresses.

Can't wait to see what is next on the list of things to go wrong.

Valentine's Day Guilt

After almost 5 years of doing whatever you would call it, Brett and I spent our first Valentine's Day together. We had said we weren't going to get each other presents since we just purchased the condo. I should have known better.

Monday night Brett comes home and tells me he bought me a present even though we said we wouldn't. Sweet but upsetting. Why is this upsetting? 'Cause I actually listened to him and had just bought two cards that I was going to give him. So who looks like the shmuck? You guessed right!!

I got a beautiful Waterford picture frame. This is a big thing to me. First of all it is my first piece of Waterford and secondly it means I get a picture on the mantel. This is a big deal because the first time I visited Brett in Texas I asked if I got to be on the mantel. He said not yet. When we moved to Virginia I asked if I got to be on the mantel and he finally said yes. That was 8 months ago. The problem now is that I have a frame but I don't have a picture of the 2 of us nice enough to go in it. I could wait until the wedding but I don't want to.

I get to go right next to the picture of President Bush. What a lucky girl I am!!!