WEDDING PHOTOS... AGAIN | OCTOBER 19, 2007

Steven and I received our wedding photos DVD from Bobbi+Mike today! I AM SO SO EXCITED!!! Steven and I have a folding photo screen that we are anxious to put wedding photos in... I am so anxious that I mocked up a version of it last night... but we didn't like the way it looked, ha ha. Now that we have the actual photos I can play around with it some more.

And of course, I wanted to share some of my favorites with you!

I love this one of me and my sister. For once, I am actually helping her with something!

This one of the girls getting ready seems so artistic to me! It's so cute!

Divas.

I like the close up of my beautiful bouquet.

Aww...

I love Steven's dad's smile in this photo!

This is probably my favorite of the bunch. Christina just finished her speech with the punch line and I was laughing so hard! Her speech was awesome.

I just think we look cute. Ha ha.

I have never seen my dad movin' and grovin' like this, so it's another favorite.

Alright, enough of that! Thanks again to Bobbi+Mike. (I will put a regular post up tomorrow - I just wanted to share these photos).

FRIDAY QUESTION #25 | OCTOBER 19, 2007

If you could have been there to witness any specific moment in history, which moment would you choose?

Well, Steven and I just finished our Star Wars marathon - watching all six episodes back to back (could you guess from the October 16th post?) - and it made me think about how cool it must have been to see the original Star Wars in 1977. I would love to go back in time, and sit in a theater and watch it, without knowing any of the story. I bet the audience was blown away with the visual effects of the movie, and the awesome plot. (Yeah, I really believe this is a "moment in history." I am that big of a dork).

And I would love to be there to find out all the other subtle plot twists - in The Empire Strikes Back, when you find out Darth Vader is Luke's father, or in Return of the Jedi, when you find out Luke and Leia are siblings. The original trilogy is so much better crafted than the prequels... anyway.

So, I bet some of you readers remember seeing Star Wars in the theater in 1977?

MY BROTHER IS TALENTED | OCTOBER 18, 2007

My older brother, Nick, sent me an alternative photo for Steven's new hair style. Do we like this better?

Seriously Nick, where did you find this photo? It's pretty creepy.

He also made this portrait of me and Steven with Oreo Beards.

Anyway, sorry for the lackluster post. I have been feeling a bit overwhelmed by this blog and trying to figure out wordpress lately. Luckily, a friend is going to help me, and I hope to have the blog reformatted by October 31st. The format will change a bit until I figure out how to make my own "theme"... or maybe I will be lazy and stick with whatever wordpress gives me.

But I am trying people, I really am!

THE MAN ON THE TRAIN | OCTOBER 17, 2007

There is a man in a motorized wheel chair who rides the same train as me downtown every day. He gets on to the train one stop after me and sits on the bottom, while I sit on the top.

I have never talked to him (probably because I am sitting on the top and usually asleep), but I have noticed other people know him and chat with him on a daily basis.

Well, yesterday, I woke up a bit earlier than normal (so five minutes before the last stop in Union Station instead of one minute, ha ha) and noticed that he was opening one of those cardboard Amazon boxes. You know, the boxes that have one sided glued shut and you have to use the Force to open it/rip it apart?

He was struggling. His hands were shaking and I realized he must not have much control over his fine motor skills. People sitting around him (he sits in his wheel chair in a special part of the train car) were watching him struggle.

So, I left my seat, walked downstairs, and offered my help - which he gladly accepted. After talking to him, I realized he had a speech impediment as well.

I felt awful all day. Why is it that I am willing to help this disabled man on the train, but that I generally regard my other fellow train riders with contempt?

Does someone need to visually be in pain for my compassion to be sparked?

I was the same way in Rome - I felt awful for the abused and homeless animals, and I took care of them - but I felt frustrated and annoyed by the homeless.

I am not downright mean. I am not even a mean person! But I sometimes think mean thoughts. I think I could work a little more on my general compassion - and on giving people the benefit of the doubt! I don't want to be gullible, but I don't want to be cold-hearted either.

TIME FOR ANOTHER HAIR-RELATED VOTE | OCTOBER 16, 2007

Time for a math equation:

No, the answer is not "kim's dream husband, it's =

Steven is thinking about changing his hair style, and has found inspiration from Obi-Wan Kenobi (Episode II). So he wants to know... what do you all think? Is it a go, or a no-go? Let's see how many responses I can get. THAT MEANS I AM EXPECTING COMMENTS, ANDREW AND DAD (Nick, are you out there too?).

MAP OF HUMANITY | OCTOBER 15, 2007

While Steven and I were in the frame shop this weekend, a worker there showed us this cool map that had just been brought in by another customer.

(Click on Map for larger image)

It's called The Map of Humanity. It's was created by Rex Libris and James Turner. It maps a fictional world where the nations are named after human emotions and states of mind, and (only some?) real cities are placed within their boundaries. I am not sure when or why this was created, but I would like to find out.

When I noticed the map had real cities in it, and that there was a island nation named "Utopia," I was curious to see what cities were in it. Well, ironically, the cities were just called "City1," "City2," "City3," and "City4," etc. I would like to take some time and look at a print of this map more closely. I would order it for myself if Steven and I hadn't just given the frame shop a 36"x50" map to frame!

SO GROWN UP | OCTOBER 14, 2007

Steven and I have gone into "total home re-organization" mode. Can you imagine how much fun that is for an architect and engineer? We do a lot of the planning and scheming together, then Steven does most of the product research and of course... SPREADSHEET design! Because, as I have learned, if you don't have a spreadsheet for a project, it's going to fail. There is no argument here - IT WILL FAIL (I am being sarcastic. Steven just loves excel. It's so cute).

We have a spreadsheet that organizes our total home re-organization project room by room. We have budgets, priorities, and schedules. So far, we have started with the loft (it's our office, which is not really a loft but a 11' x 24' room) and the living room. We have done a lot of work in the loft - all new shelves and desks, some frames, we have ordered a filing cabinet... I can't wait until it is all done (Thanksgiving deadline!) so I can show you all the before and after photos!

Anyway, the exciting news is that we finally ordered a couch and love seat for our living room! A few years ago, we found a couch that we loved - it was Bauhaus brand, and a simple, elegant style and fabric. The dealer wouldn't give us a good price on it, so we passed it up and never found anything similar again. The store then closed.

We have been looking for a couch for quite awhile, but every style we like is in that dreaded micro fiber, and unavailable in other fabrics. We really, really need to get rid of the old, hand-me-down couch we have. It's ugly, and only seats two. How are you supposed to entertain if you can only comfortably seat three (we also have an armchair)?

We walked into a furniture store this weekend, not expecting much, but found the couch and love seat! Ironically, they are the Bauhaus brand... and this is actually the same location we found the first couch, only under new ownership.

So hooray for finally being grown-ups and buying new furniture. I remember when my parents were excited about furniture and drapes when I was a kid, and I didn't give a crap. Now I understand how it can make you feel a lot more comfortable in your home.

HOW I'M DIFFERENT THAN MY MOTHER (I) | OCTOBER 13, 2007

I love to throw things away - probably a bit more than I should. There is something so liberating about getting rid of stacks of paper, old magazines, clothes that don't fit anymore... I feel like I am clearing up space and freeing my mind.

I have been this way for awhile. I used to keep intense journals in high school (not surprised?). The summer after my freshman year of college, I threw them all away. They embarrassed me, and made me remember how stupid and immature I sometimes acted. I don't regret throwing them away, even though some people were really surprised to hear that I did.

Now I periodically try to organize and get rid of unnecessary things around the house. Steven is the same way - he doesn't like the clutter.

There is one thing I can't figure out how to get rid of though, and I am sick of storing it - old photos. I want to find a service that will scan them all for me, so I don't have to hold on to the originals anymore. So far, this site looks the best. Does anyone have any experience with this, or a recommendation?

FRIDAY QUESTION #24 | OCTOBER 12, 2007

Which punctuation mark would best describe your personality?

The exclamation point! Because I am loud, out of control and usually excited. I think that might describe a few of my readers too...?

FUR BABY PART II | OCTOBER 11, 2007

According to this book, a fur baby is a pet. They are calling it a fur baby because it "is like a parenting prep course."

"Getting a pet is a fun and common way to dip your toe in the parenting pool without getting in over your head."

"Best Reasons to Get a Fur Baby: Unconditional love, pets desensitize you to grossness, you'll form a disciplinary style, and basic responsibility."

I've never heard of this and I think it is funny because I always tell Steven that Data is like our "baby," but for different reasons - you have to feed him, he follows us around the house whining, we can't leave him alone for very long, and he gets into things he isn't supposed to. Based on my limited interaction with young children, they act very similar.

But I don't consider Data a "prep course." And I don't think Steven does either!

FUR BABY PART I | OCTOBER 11, 2007

Okay - first guesses - what do you think a FUR BABY is? I'll post the answer a little bit later.

And it's not that insightful or brilliant, just something funny (okay, funny TO ME!).

[insert game show music here]

SPECIAL SPARKLY THINGS | OCTOBER 10, 2007

Everyone should have one outfit, or at least a top or accessory, that looks like it was designed with them in mind. Not only is the garment's tailoring perfect, but the color and style as well.

Easier said than done, right?

This thought came to me because of a coworker. One day he came in wearing an azure-ish blue, button-down, long-sleeved shirt. "That shirt looks really nice on you," I said. Two other coworkers walked by and told him the same thing within 10 minutes! A few weeks later, when he was wearing the same shirt, we took the elevator down together and a lady stopped him as we got off (and she got on) to tell him, "that shirt looks great on you!" He said to me, "wow, people really like this shirt! I get stopped all the time when I am wearing it."

For me, it is a long sleeved, red, v-neck shirt (with a bit of sparklies on it that Steven despises). A lot of people (okay, older people) have told me they like it on me. I think it is the v-neck. I seem to work the scoop neck well too.

And I love Steven in a one-color button-down with a striped tie, in his grey suit.

So what is your special garment?

(Oh, and happy birthday to my BRO in MO - Andrew - how old are you now? 29? Damn, you're old!!! You're like my yoda.)

COLD&WINDY | OCTOBER 9, 2007

Bleh. I have at least five posts sitting in the queue. This is abnormal. I usually have lots of ideas flowing in and out of my head for what to write here (all day long, it never stops), but if I start to write one then try to pick it up later, it never flows. I usually don't "start and stop" write like that, but have been recently. For me, writing is either 100% committed and spur of the moment - or it doesn't work at all.

But bleh bleh bleh, I feel out of sorts today. I have no reason to feel this way. I am finally over the cold from HELL, working on a fun web-design project at work, and looking forward to going to Aruba in November... but I still feel kind of crappy. Oh, and my aunt and uncle had a baby girl today - and that isn't even cheering me up!

I think I feel discouraged because I have been trying to read the wordpress instructions and am really, really confused. I usually have one of those "slightly over-confident, I can do anything" attitudes, and wordpress is killing it. I WANT to have a blog with rss, because now that I use google reader, I realized HOW ANNOYING it is to keep up with a site without rss. And I WANT to host wordpress on my current isp, but I don't get it. Oh yeah, and I DON'T WANT to redesign my site to make it work for rss. I like it the way it looks now. And I am a stanca tatanka whiny pants.

Whew.

Someone help me.

Thanks to everyone who filled out yesterday's quiz! I had a lot of fun reading your guesses! Just so you know, I made it purposefully tricky, because I'm a little stinker like that. And if you read Steven's response in the comments section, he gives away most of the tricks (because he's a little stinker like that). But he didn't get the most right - Robin did - she only missed 2! And she has been reading this site the shortest amount of time! You rock Robin! I've posted the correct answers in the comments section from yesterday. I hope more of you do this quiz - it's fun!

HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW ME? | OCTOBER 8, 2007

Hilly had a fun self-made "how well do you know me?" quiz on her blog... so I decided to copy! I had fun writing it, and I hope you have fun answering it! Select one option from each question as if you were me answering. Just leave your answers in the comments and I will post my answers there tomorrow when I update.

1. An ideal Friday night is:

• partying in a club downtown until the wee hours of the morning
• dinner with a group of friends
• snuggling on the couch with Steven and Data
• staying late at the office

2. I follow a vegetarian diet because:

• my doctor told me to
• eating meat makes me physically sick
• I am a firm believer in animal rights (moral reasons)
• everyone in my family is a vegetarian -it's the way I was raised

3. My biggest regret is:

• not doing an "engagement" photo session with bobbi+mike
• not seeing Attack of the Clones in Spanish when I was in Spain
• not traveling more when I lived in Europe
• why waste time on regrets? I live a regret-free life!

4. I have the "giving spirit," and I am going to donate money to:

• my poor sister
• PETA
• March of Dimes
• my local animal shelter

5. In my car, the radio station is set on:

• classic rock
• hip hop
• NPR
• the radio doesn't work!

6. My dream job is:

• being a stay-at-home-mom
• on-location writer for Fodor's
• acting
• working in the Lucasfilm model shop

7. My closet is:

• meticulously and anally categorized and organized
• Messy! I know where things are! Why does it matter how it looks?
• as it should be - loosely organized by garment, season and color!
• only half full!

8. You're taking me out for dinner and letting me choose the cuisine (you're so nice). I choose:

• italian
• mexican
• indian
• mandarin

9. If I could afford one of the following luxuries, it would be:

• a personal cook, so I would never have to think about food again
• a personal trainer, to help my body get into ideal shape
• a personal masseuse, to give me massages all day long
• a chauffeur, so I would never have to fight traffic again

10. I stress out most about:

• whether or not people like me
• my health/weight
• becoming a licensed architect
• my student loans

HUGGABLE | OCTOBER 7, 2007

"Extreme" hugging is being banned in suburban Chicago middle school because it "causes students to be late for class." (Sun-Times article here) The school's principal says the hugging is "more appropriate for airports or for family reunions than passing each other every few minutes in the halls."

Jeez...

I've definitely noticed the hugging trend grow. I was shocked the first time a friend greeted me with a hug. It felt too intimate and wrong. I was accustomed to only sharing hugs like that with my grandparents. I think that, as Americans, we are trained to value our personal space, and sometimes a hug feels like an invasion of that.

I became more accustomed to hugging in college. I spent a lot of time with my classmates and a few of them started to feel more like family than friends. Hugging them to say hello or goodbye seemed natural.

And of course, when I lived in Europe, all of my hugging inhibitions went out the door as I had friends from all over the world who weren't shy about hugging, giving a kiss on the cheek, or holding hands. Now it seems like I hug my friends all the time, even if we are just meeting for lunch!

I think I hugged everyone who came to our wedding - some people I had never even met (I found this ridiculous picture of myself preparing to hug one of Steven's coworker's wife as if we were long lost friends - it was the first time I met her!). And when I met up with some fellow bloggers for DaveCago 2, I gave them hugs, because they felt like friends, even though, again, we had never met.

So... what is so bad about hugging? I recognize it is not appropriate at work, or when meeting a client, etc., but I think it is a sign that we are becoming a more intimate culture, which isn't necessarily a bad thing.

FRIDAY QUESTION #23 | OCTOBER 5, 2007

Everyone hears discussions they consider boring. What topic can put you to sleep more quickly than any other?

You're gonna hate me - but it's television (bet you thought I'd say sports - nope!). I rarely watch television. I have no idea what the new shows are, and I hate it when that is ALL that people will talk about. I don't mind a little bit of tv talk - a recommendation or a funny recap of a show. I appreciate it when people tell me about a show they think I will like, but when that is all someone wants to talk about, ever... it drives me nuts. There are other ways to relate to people besides what they watch on tv!

Side Note: The wedding slide show is now in the September archives, but also on the wedding page.

FEELING BLEH | OCTOBER 4, 2007

You can tell it's a slow week when I am just posting amusing cartoons. Oh well. Sometimes I don't have much to say.

LURKERS | OCTOBER 3, 2007

This is interesting... some people are so in tune with their webstats that they know when people are lurking - visiting their sites but never leaving comments. I don't pay attention to my stats, but I do know that a lot of people read who never comment. How do I know? They tell me. Or they mention something that I only wrote about on my blog. I don't care if you read and don't leave comments. Sometimes I don't comment either, because I don't know what to say. But just humor me and say hello from time to time!

WAH | OCTOBER 2, 2007

My lack of sleep/healthy lifestyle finally caught up with me. Now I am at home with a bad cold, playing the "what I can I eat that won't make me want to throw up," and "I'm too cold, wait! I'm too hot" game.

My boss was really cool about letting me go home early. I am lucky I work in such an understanding firm. And I honestly don't have much on my plate this week at work... but I feel guilty about going home. At the same time though, I felt guilty about being there and coughing and sneezing and hacking and possibly infecting my coworkers. And I don't want to be that person who gets everyone else sick because they refuse to go home.

I have blogged a lot about being sick. Check out my Sept. 8 2005 post - that stupid "I love Sudafed" and "I love Puffs plus Lotion" image I made is my most commonly hotlinked image. Isn't that funny?

CONFESSION | OCTOBER 1, 2007

You are probably going to like me less after I tell you this, but, I gotta keep it real here.

I hate taking showers.

You know how most couples argue about who is taking the longer, hotter shower? Steven argues with me about not taking a long enough shower. He doesn't believe I am really getting clean in my in-and-out two minute or less showers.

I kind of think this started in Rome, when I had three roommates, all sharing one shower (no, not at the same time you sicko). I took a shower at night, after they all went to bed, so I tried to keep it quick and quiet. Then, when I moved out of that apartment, I had a new apartment where the hot water heater took an hour to warm up... and I never had the time. I took WAY TOO MANY cold, QUICK, showers.

And I just don't like getting dried off and all ready! Come on girls, you can back me up when I say it is a lot of work to dry your hair, etc.! I would rather just stay dry.

At least I always wear deodorant.

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