Archive for June, 2009

mysterious bruises

Published at June 30, 2009 in Blabber. 0 Comments

Well, I guess I have one of those 72-hour headaches.  Excedrin just isn’t cutting it.  Oh well.

I have an old Rufus Wainwright cd in my car that I bought about seven years ago when I was 16.  Yeesh.  That is a scary number.  Anyway, Chris and I were half listening to it when Rufus mentions having “mysterious bruises” and I said, “I have them!”  I am always getting bruised up without a clue as to where they came from.  Chris said he was wondering if I would say something about the lyric since I used to have it on my journal when he first met me.  I had entirely forgotten about that.  I suppose it is nice to know that a part of me has stayed the same through the years–and that part apparently is relating to Rufus lines about bruises.

I’m going to go buy some paint soon for the house.  In 40 hours, I will have the keys and officially be a home owner.

hospitality room

Published at June 29, 2009 in Photography and Blabber. 1 Comment

Another crazy day.  I spent my morning calling all sorts of people.  Setting up utilities.  Homeowner’s insurance.  Home warranties.  Edited a few photos and then off to work.

Aside from a quick trip to Sam’s to buy a couple of window AC units, I have been editing pictures ever since I got home from work.  It’s going well.  I have 46 photos in the flickr album and still a lot to go through on the first card followed by a whole different memory card.

Testing the light on Chris.  Who could keep their eyes open with that sun?  No one.
I still like it, though.

Vows

So many pictures that I want to share.

Jones wedding

Published at June 28, 2009 in Photography and Blabber. 1 Comment

I’m exhausted and have been editing photos for about two hours after taking pictures for about six hours.  I’d say that the day was a success and I am really proud of the work that we have produced so far.  Not only was this our first wedding, but it was also the first time that we took pictures of other people.

Here are a few of my favorites so far.  I have just been picking random photos here and there because I just have tons to go through–and that is a good thing.

I love how Chris looks totally into this:

More photos

rehearsal

Published at June 27, 2009 in Photography and Blabber. 0 Comments

It is 11:45 pm and I am trying my hardest to keep up with all the photo editing or else I know I’ll quit and not want to go back.  I’ll be too excited with wedding photos and won’t want to back track to rehearsal pictures.  Anyway, here are a few of my favorite shots from the rehearsal today.

Andrew and his niece

Andrew’s dad

Kids being bored and hot.

And Chris got a shot of me cooling down in the shade.

extended

Published at June 27, 2009 in Photography and Blabber. 0 Comments

I like when our HDR photos don’t look HDR, just really detailed.
I feel like that is doing it “right” and not getting carried away.  But maybe I’m wrong.

I also feel like we are trying to keep Charity and Andrew from seeing one another, like they are not allowed to be together until the wedding.  Last night I had Stephanie and Charity over for dip-eating.  Chris found a fancy theater in Roanoke that had a midnight showing of Army of Darkness, Andrew’s favorite movie.  Andrew was stoked to find out, so he, Chris, and the newly-arrived out-of-town groomsmen went.  And didn’t get back until around 3:30 am.  I’m so glad we were having a girls night instead.  I would not have been able to make it that long–not that I don’t like Army of Darkness, but I was falling asleep when Stephanie and Charity left at 12:30 am anyway.

Chris was able to find a suit yesterday and it was less expensive than I feared.  The jacket isn’t exactly slim and so I’m trying to convince him to let me try to alter it.  It simply is how blazers are supposed to fit, but we both just like them slimmer.  Because we’re hip.  And scene.  He also got a nice pair of black dress shoes from J. Crew on sale.  He didn’t actually have a pair in black.  Chris is more a brown, gray, blue kind of guy, not black.

Today we’re off to buy a step ladder for me to use while taking pictures and then it is time for the rehearsal.  I’m stoked.  Tomorrow morning I am going to make some sandwiches for the wedding, then head over to the house we’re buying to measure the kitchen cabinets, then it is time to get those two married.

bachelorette

Published at June 26, 2009 in Photography and Blabber. 0 Comments

Yesterday was a bit crazy.  We were on the road a little before 11:00 am to leave Nags Head and stopped by my parents for about an hour before heading home to Lynchburg.  Got in around 5:30 pm to find that our ac had finally been fixed!  It has been about three weeks, I think.  Andrew’s bachelor party was that night and Charity’s bachelorette party started at 7:00 pm. Obviously in two different places and two different attendees and us with one car.  So, I drove Chris downtown to Dallas’s house for the bachelor party and then headed to the other side of town for the bachelorette party.

I’m usually not good with bachelorette parties.  In fact, I didn’t have one for myself because I dislike them so much, but Charity’s was tasteful and not at all awkward.  I took the camera along to get Charity used to me constantly being in her face and also to get myself used to constantly being annoying.  I got some nice shots despite the very low lighting and am getting more excited about shooting the wedding this Sunday.

Around 11:00 pm, I was beyond tired and had a terrible headache, so I left a little early, knowing that I had a bit of driving to do before I could actually get home.   I went to get Chris and the boys let me crash their party for a little while. I only stayed for what felt like ten minutes to realize that it had been forty.  I didn’t end up home and in bed until around 1:00 am.

The girls.  Self-timed shots rarely come out as I’d like.

The bride

Intense game of Pictionary

 I have so much running around to do today and so much school work too.  Ag.

goodbye NC

Published at June 25, 2009 in Photography and Blabber. 0 Comments

Well, beach time comes to an end today so we can head back and get to all the wedding adventures of Charity and Andrew.

But first it is photo time.

We ate at a restaurant at the beach with an osprey nest outside.  Inside the nest were three little babies.  So cute.  I caught a picture of the mother bird flying off to pick up sticks.  If you look at the larger version, you can see one of the babies protesting.

I’m thinking about adjusting the crop some to get the focus on the birds themselves more without the extra blue everywhere.

new band

Published at June 23, 2009 in Photography and Blabber. 0 Comments

New band:  Katie Elizabeth Anne Robinson
That way it is both of our full names.

 

I’m kind of kidding, but I recently found out that Elizabeth can play guitar quite well and she can sing great too.

obx

Published at June 23, 2009 in Blabber. 0 Comments

We made it down to the beach house in Nags Head yesterday evening.  I was able to spend part of Father’s day with my dad and had lunch with my parents before coming down.  One of these days I will spend more than 18 hours in Chesapeake.  I haven’t been there for longer than that since Christmas, I think.

Anyway.  Abed-nego is in love with pools this summer.  He jumps in and swims in circles.  It has been good to see Chris’ family and to just sit around.

My classes started yesterday.  I’m taking two and it has been quite the adjustment so far.  With English, I did a ton of reading with a few large writing projects.  In fact, last year at the beach house, I brought a backpack full of books on Vonnegut criticism for thesis research.  Now I have started something new.  This is going to be different with a lot of small assignments each week.  It is a bit to keep up with since I am basically taking two 15-week courses in about 8 weeks.  I need to make some lists.  I’m very glad that I have started class during vacation so I can ease into it opposed to starting while working at school and taking care of house stuff.  Monday, though, it is back to work and then on Thursday we close on the house.  And the renovations begin.  And the moving begins.  And then the napping begins.

antiquing

Published at June 20, 2009 in Photography and Blabber. 0 Comments

No festival today.  And no backpacking tomorrow.  Chris is turning into a big time bailer and plan changer.  We had fun downtown anyway.

Chris suggested that we go antiquing downtown since we are on the look out for a new desk and perhaps some storage for our dining room.  We didn’t find much aside from a bunch of old sewing machines.  Half of the fun is just getting to explore those old buildings and guessing what they used to be.

Afterward, we walked down by Amazement Square and decided to grab some salads for a late lunch at the Depot Grille.  The Depot Grille used to be a train station and has a nice atmosphere, but the food isn’t the best.  This time, however, we learned that salads are the way to go.  Inexpensive and very good.  As we left, we came out just in time to see a train coming by and caught a few shots.  In the photo below, you can see the building that was redone for Waterstone and also the Craddock Hotel.

 

More photos

I hate oil changes

Published at June 19, 2009 in Blabber. 0 Comments

Friday.  So glad.  I am pumped for this weekend and then beach house with the Robinsons.  I need to leave in about twenty minutes to get the oil in my car changed.

Yesterday I ran some errands in the morning with Chris and then we went downtown to the record store.  We didn’t pick anything up, but it is still nice to be there and feel like I was getting out.  Afterward, I headed to work, worrying about Abed-nego because people are on ladders painting the trim at our apartment.  I’m sure it was quite the task to keep him from realizing that.  Work was work and I came home to get ready for everyone to come over.

Charity and Andrew cooked dinner for Stephanie, Lydia, Dallas, Chris, and I.   It was good to see everyone because it had been a few weeks.  The time is getting closer for everyone to go their separate ways.  Dallas is headed LSU for his Ph.D. and Stephanie will probably be moving back to Ohio in the fall.  It seems that we all hang out less during the summer since we have different schedules.  In my mind, the summer is still beginning, but it really is getting close to July.  That almost doesn’t matter because I’m done with my English M.A. and will be taking education classes.  It feels different and much less intense.  Not to mention that summer doesn’t mean no classes because I’m starting my summer school courses on Monday. I’ll be glad to get a head start and possibly be done with this whole thing next fall.  If it works, I will have been in college for six years with a Bachelor’s degree and two Master’s degrees.  I’d say I’ll be rather qualified to teach….

contingent

Published at June 16, 2009 in Blabber. 0 Comments

Our house listing finally says contingent for its status.  So stoked.  Still waiting to hear back about the appraisal, but I’m sure it went fine.

Two weeks and two days until we get the keys to this little house.

My project at work had its due date moved up.  While I originally had two weeks left for my first due date, I now have until Monday.  Today I worked super hard and fast and I think I am almost where I need to be for Monday.  That’s a relief.

Making big plans for this weekend.  Saturday is the Summer Solstice wine and farm festival in Amherst.  Though I won’t be doing any wine tasting (sorry, I’m just not good enough), it’ll be fun to learn more about local farming.  Then on Sunday and Monday I am hoping to go backpacking if the weather permits.  After that, it down to Nags Head to the beach house with Chris’ family.

the fluuuu at LUUUU

Published at June 15, 2009 in Blabber. 0 Comments

You know how a week ago I said a lot of the intensive students were throwing up?  Yeah, well, now the univesity says that it has had its first case of the swine flu, which was brought in by a distance learning student.  I need to get hazard pay or something!  It isn’t a big deal, though, really.  The student had a very mild case and was sent home.  I’m reasonably confident that people really were just throwing up from the heat because the sickness happened on Monday and the ac was fixed on Tuesday.

 Yesterday was a lot of fun.  We took my cousin, Jacey, for a picnic to the James River Face Wilderness.  Utilizing that picnic basket…  It was hot, but just perfect under the trees.  Then we came home and watched Juno.  I can’t believe Jacey is going to be a junior in high school next year.  And my sister-in-law, Elizabeth, too!

After yesterday and realizing today that June is indeed going to end, I just have to go backpacking.  Every weekend something has come up, but no excuses–this weekend we will find a way.  Maybe we’ll go Sunday and Monday since this Saturday is the wine and farm festival in Amherst.  I really want to try some place new, like in Shenandoah.

picnic

Published at June 14, 2009 in Hiking, Photography and Blabber. 0 Comments

Picnic at the James River Foot Bridge with Chris and my cousin, Jacey.

 

 

 

Rockface with water trickling.  Kind of like a waterfall…

 

Other side of the dam

 

More photos

basket

Published at June 13, 2009 in Blabber. 0 Comments

Ah, Saturday.  I woke up this morning earlier than planned because some lady was going for a walk around our apartment talking really loud.  Keep in mind that I’m on the third floor and this was about 6:30 am.  She must have been yelling.

No car and no one to talk to left me so bored.  I feel far too unproductive when I watch very much tv, so instead I cleaned and did laundry.  Chris got back around 2:00 pm and we talked about the concert.  He had a lot of fun, but I’m glad I didn’t go:  it didn’t end until 1:00 am.  I know I would have been far too grouchy for that.  It is good to know, though, that Chapel Hill is just over two hours away.  Lot’s of shopping there and many bands come through.  Casiotone is coming in July and Grizzly Bear played last Thursday.  They sold out before we could get tickets.  :/  Maybe next time.

We had a late lunch and went to Target for a few things.  We finally found a picnic basket for $14!  If you remember, I had seen one at Magnolia, but it was outrageous–$70.  Then off to Home Depot to pick up a new basil plant and look around.  Conclusion:  Ikea is cheaper and cooler.  Good thing there is one in Woodbridge.

Pretty soon Chris is going for a run at Blackwater Creek and I’ll meet him at another entrance for a cool down walk.

carrboro

Published at June 12, 2009 in Blabber. 0 Comments

I’m trying not to write about moving much, but it is the main event occurring in my life aside from work.  I used to do the same thing with writing about school.  Teaching, taking classes, and writing my thesis consumed my life and I had very little else to say concerning my days, making me feel really annoying.  Plus, school is boring talk.

But I don’t have anything else to say so I’ll write about the house anyway.  Deal.  XD

We signed more papers yesterday for the bank and then our realtor helped us pick out new light fixtures–replacement light fixtures were part of the contract.  They’re really nice.  After talking to our mortgage broker and realtor, we’re learning more about how many people have expressed strong interest in our house.  We’re lucky that we were able to move so fast. It was listed June 2nd and we had our offer in June 4th.  Other buyers’ and realtors’ interests gives me even more confidence that we have gotten ourselves a great find.  The house is just so lovely, full of character and potential, yet inexpensive.  I mean, it is the price of the townhomes we were looking at two years ago, yet we could stay there forever if we want to.  It is going to help shape our future so much and will help us to meet some of our goals that otherwise might be unobtainable.  It seems Providencial.

Up next:  pitching some small repairs from the inspection, the appraiser, the underwriter, and then closing on July 2nd.

Chris is in North Carolina with Patrick for a concert.  I could have gone, but I knewI wouldn’t be able to leave until after work.  So, I’m home alone with the pup and bunny, about to make some dinner.  We haven’t been apart over night since we got married.  We have always traveled together. But I’m not trying to make a big deal of it.  I just worry about him driving alone to some place he isn’t familiar with.  He’s doing fine, though.

Things I won’t miss about the apartment:
-The kitchen, bathroom, and hall floors are all scratched up and stained and always look dirty no matter how much I scrub them.
-Maintenance people who can come in without warning.
-The towel rack is always broken and falling because someone put a huge hole in the wall before we moved in.
-The neighbor who hates our dog.
-How absolutely unsymmetrical the den is.  It is impossible to center anything because of the crowned ceilings that aren’t in the center of the room.
-Worrying about our dog barking.
-Having one bathroom when guests visit.
-The lack of storage.
-Carrying everything up three flights of stairs.
-Living on the side of the highway (literally).
-Not having any access to neighborhoods to bike ride.
-Knowing that our money is being thrown away on rent instead of invested.
-Not being able to paint.
-Not having a yard.
-Having to carry my trash a block away to a trash compactor shared by the entire apartment complex and always getting cut in line by someone who drives their trash over instead.
-People always breaking the trash compactor because they throw away crazy things, like upholstered chairs.  Do you really think that is going to compact well and not jam the compactor?

Things I will miss about the apartment:
-Being literally five minutes from everything.
-Standing on our balcony with Chris and pointing out little creatures, such as turtles and fish, in the pond.
-Having a designated place for everything.
-The huge windows.  All two of them…
-Being in our first place as a married couple.

inspection

Published at June 10, 2009 in Blabber. 0 Comments

I just got back from the home inspection.  It took hours and hours–three to be exact.  That man looked at every inch of the house and gave us a list of all of his concerns.  We knew there would be some things, especially considering that the house is over 70 years old, but it is in rather good shape structurally.  Most of our work will be cosmetic.  Cleaning up the hardwood floors, painting, possibly putting in a new sink in the guest/office bathroom.  The good news is the fact that the house is in such a nice area that we would definitely get back all the money that we put in.  I’m so excited to get in there and get to work.  It is going to be awesome when we are done.

Tomorrow we get started on more paper work before I go into work.  The seller’s realtor made it a point to mention to our realtor that they have back-up offers in case we fall through.  Psh.  Whatever.

It was nice to have a day off of work.  I’m such a wuss.   Yesterday, no one threw up, but a girl did run in crying and I asked if I could help her.  She said no, that she wanted to be alone.  I shrugged and just sat there.  Why run in on me if you want to be alone?  Go to the bathroom or something.  Education majors are weird.

not a daycare

Published at June 9, 2009 in Blabber. 0 Comments

Work was weird yesterday….  We’re having intensives on campus, so I am doing work in the “hospitality room” while making sure there are plenty of snacks and drinks for everyone.  Apparently, the classrooms are really hot and people are getting sick from it.  Like, throwing up from having terrible headaches.

I finally saw Doubt last night.  I really liked it.  Not something you’d watch over and over, but I enjoyed it.  It wasn’t quite as complicated as I was expecting, but whatevz.

We got up early today to play tennis.  I’m just so bad at it.  No more, I say.

Well, back to work.

dachshund tennis

Published at June 7, 2009 in Blabber. 0 Comments

What a Sunday.  Abed-nego has been really energetic lately since we haven’t gone for a run in a few days.  We headed to Riverside Park to throw the ball for him and then played tennis with him on the court at Peaks View.  He seemed to be having a lot of fun chasing the ball back and forth, and people were watching and laughing.  Not sure if they were laughing at him or how terrible of a tennis player I am.

Came home and made dinner.  Abed-nego had been hiding under the couch mysteriously much longer than usual.  We pulled him out to find that a layer of the pads on his front paws was ripped and hanging off like a flap.  Poor puppy.  Immediately after dinner, we took him to the emergency vet and they fixed him up.  Now he is mostly sore and sleepy, snuggling under the blanket.

p.s. Our ac is still broke.

Thunder Ridge Wilderness

Published at June 7, 2009 in Hiking, Photography and Blabber. 0 Comments

I missed my niece’s third birthday party yesterday because we were waiting around town to hear back about the contract.  :/  By the time we found out the good news, it was too late to drive back to Chesapeake for the party. After thinking of going back to Chesapeake for so long and now not being able to, Chris and I really felt like getting out.  We both were in the mood to buy something.  Something small.  I don’t consider myself to be very materialistic, but sometimes it is nice to have something new.  None of this, though!  The perfect cure for wanting to purchase something is the wilderness.

We got on the Blue Ridge Parkway and drove toward Roanoke.  We hadn’t ever actually taken that direction before.  Not before long, we found an AT parking lot for the Thunder Ridge Wilderness.  Last summer, we hiked the James River Face Wilderness along Matt’s Creek toward Thunder Ridge, so it was interesting to be on the other side.  Pulled off and hiked the trail a little. We hadn’t planned this, so I was in flats and Chris in sandles.  Chris had read that there is a river or something around there, and we heard rushing water, but our feet just weren’t prepared to explore that much.  Quitting rather quickly, it was nice to see trees anyway.  We drove along more and got some shots at an overlook, found the entrance to the Apple Orchard–which we have been wanting to check out for a while–and some other little small trails.  You could spend so much time exploring on the Parkway.  I guess that is the point of it.  Chris must have said, “I’m so glad we’re staying in Lynchburg,” a million times.  And I agreed with each utterance.

I’d rather find beautiful new places and have new photographs to be proud of than to buy new stuff any day.

Thunder Ridge Wilderness

This one reminds me of ET for some reason.

An overlook

signed

Published at June 6, 2009 in Blabber. 0 Comments

He signed the contract.
I think it will feel more real once the listing goes from “active” to “contingent.”

since I hadn’t written about the process before

Published at June 6, 2009 in Blabber. 2 Comments

A lot of emotion comes with purchasing a home.  I’ve tried to keep myself from getting emotional, tried to remain logical, because houses can be swept up by another buyer quickly and if you are emotional, you can make bad decisions, like buying too much or purchasing a nice home in a bad area just because the interior is attractive.

Since Chris and I decided not to make our house search public until we felt confident, I guess I should explain how this all happened.  I always keep an eye on real estate in Lynchburg to note the trends and the possibility of suddenly finding something.  This whole “serious” house search was inspired by a cute ranch in a great neighborhood in Boonsboro.

For you non-Lynchburgers, Boonsboro is the “rich” side of town, which then turns into Rivermont (also quite rich) and then downtown.  Boonsboro and Rivermont have beautiful old homes that are almost always well taken care of.  In fact, Randolph College is on Rivermont Ave itself–and is a half a mile from our street.  Lynchburg used to be full of millionaires and Thomas Jefferson even believed that it would be one of America’s major cities, right up there with New York, because of the ferry of Thomas Lynch (hence Lynchburg).  It was a trading post.  Because of the wealth, the houses have amazing architecture like I have never seen anywhere else.  I’m not that well-traveled, but there are just hundreds and hundreds of amazing houses.  So, I’ve always wanted to live in Rivermont or Boonsboro, preferrably Rivermont, though, because it is closer to downtown, has more character, and is closer to accesses to Blackwater Creek, our favorite park with 17 miles of trails.

Historic downtown Lynchburg is undergoing revitalization.  The city has a big project to turn Fifth Street into an area similar to Richmond’s Carytown.  This process will take a long time, I’m sure, but Rivermont is only going to continue to rise in value.

Anyway, the house in Boonsboro sold before we could get to see it, even.  I was confused because this isn’t 2005.  This is the year following the worst year for the housing market.  I thought things were slow?  I thought it was a buyer’s market?  However, with an $8,000 tax credit for first time home buyers, our price range was moving very fast, especially in a high demand area like the ones we have been wanting to move to.

So, we looked in different areas, but the houses just didn’t feel quite right–or safe.  Then a cute house in Rivermont popped up.  It was only 809 square feet–smaller than our apartment–but we were determined to make it work because it was so nice inside.  The shutters even had squirrel cut outs!  But it was withdrawn before we could look at it because the owners found renters.  Ugh!  By this point, I was feeling ready to give up.  Nothing else was for sale in Boonsboro/Rivermont within our price range.  In fact, very little is for sale in that area this year and listings in our price range are incredibly rare.  What were the chances of getting lucky yet again?

Then on Tuesday morning, I noticed a new listing….  A cape cod on a great street in Rivermont.  Our realtor was out of town, but she had arranged a back-up.  I called her Wednesday to request a showing.  We set up an appointment for Thursday at 4:00 pm….  Four people saw the house on Wednesday.  Three on Thursday (including us).  It was cheaper than the house in Boonsboro and much, much larger than the small house in Rivermont.  It felt perfect. It needs a little comsetic work, but nothing we can’t handle.  We were even able to talk to the owner–who looked like Kurt Vonnegut!  He really did!  The owner is moving to North Carolina to start a restuarant.  He used to be the cook at Longwood, which is where we went for undergrad.  Everything felt just as it should and we knew that we were running out of time with so many people coming to see this adorable cottage of a home in a great area.

So, we put in our verbal offer.  He accepted.  And that is how we found our house.

I very much prefer this house to the ranch in Boonsboro and the small house in Rivermont.  It has a lot of character and I have always loved cape cods–who hasnt’?  I’m so glad that it worked out this way.

And now we’re still waiting to hear back about the actual hard copy of the contract.  Things could still go wrong.  He could not like the contract–though I really doubt it.  We still have to go through the home inspection, but I don’t foresee any surprises.

phobia

Published at June 5, 2009 in Blabber. 0 Comments

Exhausted!

I got to the office today at 9 am like usual and started on my work.   Our realtor called to set up a time to go through the contract, and we decided to meet at noon for my lunch break.  Since we have one car, I had to pick up Chris and then we drove out to meet the realtor.  It took about an hour and then the seller’s realtor came by to pick the papers up.  We haven’t heard back yet, but we didn’t put anything in that wasn’t included in our verbal contract, so our realtor said not to worry.  The seller’s realtor is just slow and non-responsive and never answers his phone.

Chris and I decided to eat fast food for lunch to perpetuate my feeling of skipping school.  You know, like when you have a doctor’s appointment and get to eat bad food for lunch before going back to school.  Then I dropped him off and headed back to work until 4:00 pm.

I came home to Chris and Andrew playing video games.  Then Dallas called to set up dinner plans.  We went to his house downtown where he cooked Indian food for dinner while listening to The Basement Tapes and we talked about plans for Andrew’s wedding (Chris and Dallas are groomsmen), our probable new home, Roman history, Pynchon, Baptists, Evangelicals, Parisians, people from Kentucky, and so on.  I’m glad that the boys let me tag along.

So, now I am home and very ready for bed.  But I’m sure Chris isn’t.

moving to Rivermont

Published at June 4, 2009 in Photography and Blabber. 5 Comments

Chris and I are moving
in July
to Rivermont
just like I’ve been dreaming since we first arrived in Lynchburg.

This is like my dream house and the owner accepted our offer today.
It is in such a classy neighborhood and we can bike to Blackwater Creek.

It is going to be cheaper than our rent, including taxes and insurance.


3 bedrooms, 2 full baths, hardwood floors throughout, slate roof.

loves it!

half a decade of Katie and Christopher

Published at June 3, 2009 in Photography and Blabber. 0 Comments

Ah.  Our second wedding anniversary.  It sounds so small, like we regressed because we have been together for five years as of today as well.

I went to work today and seriously shredded paper all day.  There is a wall of cabinets full of files to be shredded, so I made a little bit of a dent in that….  Tomorrow I am starting the SACS accreditation project.  I think I’m going to be updating a database and writing reviews of assessments.  I came home and Chris gave me a potted pink gerber daisy.  Stoked to work on our garden eventually.  As planned, we downtown to Waterstone for dinner, split crab dip and our favorite pizza.  Picked up Vicky, Cristina, Barcelona and watched it.

Looking back on this past year together, I think we’ve grown a lot together.  I wouldn’t say that our first year together was difficult, just hard because we were adjusting to graduate school.  This second year, we better understand one another’s little quirks, so we look out for each other, communicate better, and have established our “manners”–as Flannery O’Connor would say.

I took some portraits of Christopher today, something I hadn’t done in a week or so.  Everything has gotten so busy lately as I’m adjusting to my new job and figuring out some other “life” decisions.  I need to get those up soon.

One of the portraits of Christopher.
We need to get a white sheet to hang up….

Numbers

Published at June 2, 2009 in Blabber. 0 Comments

I have learned a bit about numbers today.

First, I was told that it was supposed to get into the 90s today, and our ac still isn’t fixed.  Help, please.

Later, I learned that my credit score is in the “excellent” range.  Awesome.

Then, I received an email to inform me that my Master’s thesis has been downloaded 31 times since I posted it to the library on April 28th.  And I thought no one would ever see it.

Tomorrow is our two year anniversary.  Two years of marriage, five years of being “together.”  Chris is taking me to Waterstone for crab dip and pizza.  Yummm.  We did the fancy dinner thing last year at Crown Sterling, and it was fun, but I’m really just not too … refined, I guess.  That is some good pizza and I am more than looking forward to it.  I’ll save my anniverary blabber and year-two recap for tomorrow.

And now I’m off to Rivermont because life is better downtown.  So pretty.

three

Published at June 1, 2009 in Blabber. 0 Comments

Today is Abed-nego’s birthday!  He is now three years old.

As much as I love that dog, I find celebrating an animal’s birthday a little weird when people get too into it.  Either way, we went for a run at Blackwater Creek and will probably give him some dog ice cream later on.  Frosty Paws.  It is left over from last year.  Ha.  I always forget to give him treats….

I saw a deer while running this evening.  That makes two deer sightings in two days.  They always remind me of Mr. Rufus because they just stare and munch.  And then run away.  Just like my bunny.

So, I spent the day making phone calls and trying to do some organizing.  I have a meeting in the morning and then I may go to work afterward for a few hours.  I haven’t decided yet, but I don’t have to if I don’t want to.  This whole “set your own hours” thing is pretty awesome.  My summer school classes start in about three weeks, and although I just graduated three weeks ago with a Master’s degree that was incredibly difficult to earn, I’m already excited to jump back into school mode. It is a lifestyle that I have gotten used to.  I just might always be in school for the rest of my life, chasing some degree or another, and that is actually rather appealing to me.