One of the things James always says that he loves about me is that I'm an independent woman. Every time the Ne-Yo song Miss Independent comes on he says, "Just like you!" When the guys that were working for him commented on James being worried about the government shutdown because his "wife probably doesn't work," he replied, "Pshh, my sugah momma works, fool!" (Okay, maybe that wasn't his exact response, but it was something along those lines). And it's not uncommon for me to complain about work at the end of a long day and get the response, "I'm married to such a hard working woman." Ahh, it's nice to be appreciated even if I am currently being a slacker and blogging instead of auditing. Meh.
Aaaanyway, I don't really consider myself all that independent. I have my own car...that my parents paid for 100%. I went to an amazing college and got a great education...that my parents shelled out tons of dough for. Up until four months ago I didn't even pay for my own car insurance. Actually, I still don't. James pays for it. It's true that I have held down a great job for three years...but my dad got me the job basically by calling up my boss and telling him he had a semi-intelligent daughter who had taken an accounting class or two and had recently graduated from college. I have a sneaking suspicion that he also threw in the fact that I'm tall and blonde because my boss is kinda pervy and would probably hire based on that alone.
So yes, I've had a job and paid all of my own bills (with the exception of cell phone for a while there and car insurance) and rent since graduation three years ago. I guess for the most part that makes me an independent woman. But seriously, it's like pulling teeth for me to do something as simple as get an oil change. Also, anything that requires an official looking document terrifies me and usually results in me putting off dealing with it until the document is lost, then crossing my fingers that the issue mentioned in document will disappear as well. I do this even more when I have someone to depend on to take care of it for me. Like James. Ever since we've met he has taken care of everything car related and now that we have a joint bank account he takes care of all the bills. What a weight off my shoulders!! It's just sooo nice to have someone to do all that annoying stuff for you. I love that I can count on him and he'll take care of it. Or at least file it away in a logical place so I can find whatever it is when dealing with it is finally unavoidable.
I still have a job and pay half of everything...but I think I am losing my sense of being independent...which scares me because in instances like now where James is gone for a month, there are some things that I can't help but deal with myself. Two days ago I spent the evening hacking into James' email account trying to figure out what company our car insurance was through so that I could get my new last name on the insurance card. It took about an hour and lots of sounding pretty retarded on the phone with customer service, but I finally got it accomplished. Independently. The next day I had to go to AAA to get my car put into my new name and to take my dad off the title. Of course, this never would have gotten done if my dad hadn't signed the paper work, handed it to me, paid for my AAA membership, and told me exactly what to do. And even then, I "lost" the paperwork, only to find out that James had filed it away nicely in my little file-box in a folder titled "vehicle." He's so smart :) Then after all this I finaaaally went to base with my new insurance card and my new registration from AAA and got a sticker on my car so I can get on base by myself. Also known as: independently. Whew, it was a doozy of a couple of days, but when I told James all that I had done, I knew he was proud of me for finally doing something by myself for once. I believe his exact response was, "What's this? I leave for a month and you become all productive!" Yes, that's right. When I have no choice, I can actually get a thing or two accomplished on my own.
All this has kind of been a wake up call. I don't want to be that person who becomes soooo dependent on her husband that she can't even make a dentist appointment on her own or something. And since James likes that I am an independent woman so much (Possibly because it means I buy him things. Often.) I'm going to go ahead and make a real effort to pull my own weight in our household from now on. Time to put Ne-Yo on repeat.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Our Weekend
This past weekend James and I took a trip up to Monterey to visit my sister's family and to meet their newest little one, Violet. The trip was quick but we both had a great time. On Saturday we all headed out to the aquarium where we let Sammie guide us to all the coolest sea creatures and where Reese tried to kiss a sting ray through some glass. Kind of gross...but pretty cute too. We even saw a couple taking wedding photos by the shark tank (I will not judge, I will not judge, I will not judge).
After that Joni and I took advantage of nap time for the girls by going shopping while the husbands drank home-brewed beer and watched college basketball. For dinner Jim made us some yummy tri-tip and now I'm anxious for James to throw some on the grill too! I haven't had any in quite a while.
Sunday morning after a quick coffee with the fam, we left to meet up with James' friends, Dan and Jen, from the Academy who have just been stationed in Monterey. James and I flew out to Annapolis for their wedding shortly after we started dating and since then the only time we've seen either of them was at our own wedding so it was nice to hang out with them without all the pressure of weddings in the air.
Unfortunately we forgot our camera on this trip :( But we did manage to take a couple photos on James' phone. Here's one of James and I outside the aquarium:
And here's one of James with Violet:
We got a few more with Sammie and Reese in them as well, but they were shirtless due to an earlier tea party disaster so I decided to leave them out.
We left Monterey at about noon on Sunday and made the long, five hour journey home just in time for me to repack and get picked up by my boss for a business trip to San Diego. Then James locked himself out of the apartment. The end!
After that Joni and I took advantage of nap time for the girls by going shopping while the husbands drank home-brewed beer and watched college basketball. For dinner Jim made us some yummy tri-tip and now I'm anxious for James to throw some on the grill too! I haven't had any in quite a while.
Sunday morning after a quick coffee with the fam, we left to meet up with James' friends, Dan and Jen, from the Academy who have just been stationed in Monterey. James and I flew out to Annapolis for their wedding shortly after we started dating and since then the only time we've seen either of them was at our own wedding so it was nice to hang out with them without all the pressure of weddings in the air.
Unfortunately we forgot our camera on this trip :( But we did manage to take a couple photos on James' phone. Here's one of James and I outside the aquarium:
And here's one of James with Violet:
We got a few more with Sammie and Reese in them as well, but they were shirtless due to an earlier tea party disaster so I decided to leave them out.
We left Monterey at about noon on Sunday and made the long, five hour journey home just in time for me to repack and get picked up by my boss for a business trip to San Diego. Then James locked himself out of the apartment. The end!
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
A Lesson for the Day
The other day I had a sort of epiphany. It started out small and grew into a giant revelation about life. And it all began with my new sunglasses.
A few weeks ago I finally got fed up with having to decide between wearing my regular glasses when I'm driving so that I can read road signs or wearing my sunglasses so that I can keep my eyes open on bright days. I came to the realization that I was going to have to shell out the big bucks and get some prescription sunglasses so as to avoid making a choice either way. So I went and tried on millions of pairs until I found the perfect ones...large enough to have good eyeball coverage, but small enough that I don't look like the all too common species of insect, the Female Southernalifornius. The instant I put them on I knew I had made a great decision. I looked pretty fly and I could actually see. It was amazing.
As I started wearing my glasses around everywhere, I began to accidentally wear them indoors without noticing. I'm not sure what the deal was because you would think the world suddenly getting darker would tip me off, but it didn't. I guess the fact that I could see and read and do everything normally with my super rad shades on overtook all my ability to sense change in lighting. After realizing I had done this a few times, I started to think about how much easier it is sometimes to just keep your sunglasses on when you're inside rather than taking them off an not being able to see, or taking them off and switching to regular glass which typically is more effort than it's worth especially when you're stepping inside for only a few minutes. So it's official: I've turned into one of those too-cool-for-school people who wears sunglasses outdoors and in.
That's when it hit me that maybe it's the same for those many other people who I have judged over the years for wearing their sunglasses even when they are inside. Or when it's not sunny. Maybe they aren't high on ecstasy. Maybe they don't think they are better than everyone else. Maybe they just can't see without glasses on. And that's where the epiphany began. I have judged so many people over the years for doing exactly the same thing that I do now, and the reason I judged them is because I didn't understand why they were doing it. I didn't look at the situation from their perspective. I simply judged without giving the fact that they might have a good reason for doing such a thing any consideration. And that's something I don't like about myself. I am one of those people who makes instant judgements upon meeting people, and I have been proven wrong so many times that I know I need to make an extra effort to be more open to people about why they are the way the are or why they might do the things they do. Just because someone doesn't do something a certain way or behaves in a way that is not what I'm used to doesn't mean it's "weird" or "wrong". It's just different. And that's okay.
So even though it's quite possible that people who wear glasses indoors really aaaare just trying to look cool, there is still some truth behind the revelation my sunglasses made me have. I've been working on being less judgmental and having more of any open mind about people and situations for a long time, but it is something I want to continue improving on every day. There is a story behind every person that we don't always consider when we react towards them. It's time for me to really start appreciating everyone for their uniqueness and treating everyone with the same respect because even if something seems weird or ridiculous to me, there's likely a darn good reason for it.
A few weeks ago I finally got fed up with having to decide between wearing my regular glasses when I'm driving so that I can read road signs or wearing my sunglasses so that I can keep my eyes open on bright days. I came to the realization that I was going to have to shell out the big bucks and get some prescription sunglasses so as to avoid making a choice either way. So I went and tried on millions of pairs until I found the perfect ones...large enough to have good eyeball coverage, but small enough that I don't look like the all too common species of insect, the Female Southernalifornius. The instant I put them on I knew I had made a great decision. I looked pretty fly and I could actually see. It was amazing.
As I started wearing my glasses around everywhere, I began to accidentally wear them indoors without noticing. I'm not sure what the deal was because you would think the world suddenly getting darker would tip me off, but it didn't. I guess the fact that I could see and read and do everything normally with my super rad shades on overtook all my ability to sense change in lighting. After realizing I had done this a few times, I started to think about how much easier it is sometimes to just keep your sunglasses on when you're inside rather than taking them off an not being able to see, or taking them off and switching to regular glass which typically is more effort than it's worth especially when you're stepping inside for only a few minutes. So it's official: I've turned into one of those too-cool-for-school people who wears sunglasses outdoors and in.
That's when it hit me that maybe it's the same for those many other people who I have judged over the years for wearing their sunglasses even when they are inside. Or when it's not sunny. Maybe they aren't high on ecstasy. Maybe they don't think they are better than everyone else. Maybe they just can't see without glasses on. And that's where the epiphany began. I have judged so many people over the years for doing exactly the same thing that I do now, and the reason I judged them is because I didn't understand why they were doing it. I didn't look at the situation from their perspective. I simply judged without giving the fact that they might have a good reason for doing such a thing any consideration. And that's something I don't like about myself. I am one of those people who makes instant judgements upon meeting people, and I have been proven wrong so many times that I know I need to make an extra effort to be more open to people about why they are the way the are or why they might do the things they do. Just because someone doesn't do something a certain way or behaves in a way that is not what I'm used to doesn't mean it's "weird" or "wrong". It's just different. And that's okay.
So even though it's quite possible that people who wear glasses indoors really aaaare just trying to look cool, there is still some truth behind the revelation my sunglasses made me have. I've been working on being less judgmental and having more of any open mind about people and situations for a long time, but it is something I want to continue improving on every day. There is a story behind every person that we don't always consider when we react towards them. It's time for me to really start appreciating everyone for their uniqueness and treating everyone with the same respect because even if something seems weird or ridiculous to me, there's likely a darn good reason for it.
Friday, March 18, 2011
A Dangerous Hobby
Ever have someone ask you that awkward question, "So, what do you like to do for fun?" I hate that question. Maybe it's the weird looks I get when I answer, "Crochet and watch movies with my mom," or the disapproving glares when my response is, "I really enjoy reality TV." I suppose the question might not be so awkward for someone who enjoys cliff-diving...or someone who sails every weekend out in the deep blue sea and has a leathery tan face to prove it...or a person who volunteers at a homeless shelter every night. You can't judge someone with hobbies so cool and admirable.
I guess hobbies are one thing that contribute to our uniqueness though. I mean, you can't help what you like. I certainly didn't judge the young woman I met on my cruise last May when she shared her passion for hula-hooping. Weird? Yes. But also pretty cool. Even though the hobbies I do have are sometimes embarrassing to share, there is one that tops them all that I will never reveal to someone I have just met and am still trying to impress. But for you guys, I will make my confession.
I...love...Symptom Checker on WebMD.com. Nearly every time I have an itch, an outch or anything else out of the ordinary I log on and see what new disease I have. It's great because I can find out if it's serious enough to see the doctor or if there are ways I can make it better from home. But it doesn't always end so well. Often I log off convinced that I have a brain tumor or that my arm needs to be amputated. Once my virginal friend with the same hobby became certain that she was pregnant. Her symptom? The sniffles. It's a dangerous, dangerous game we play on WebMD. I say, search your symptoms with caution. And don't always believe what you read on the Internet. Good luck!
I guess hobbies are one thing that contribute to our uniqueness though. I mean, you can't help what you like. I certainly didn't judge the young woman I met on my cruise last May when she shared her passion for hula-hooping. Weird? Yes. But also pretty cool. Even though the hobbies I do have are sometimes embarrassing to share, there is one that tops them all that I will never reveal to someone I have just met and am still trying to impress. But for you guys, I will make my confession.
I...love...Symptom Checker on WebMD.com. Nearly every time I have an itch, an outch or anything else out of the ordinary I log on and see what new disease I have. It's great because I can find out if it's serious enough to see the doctor or if there are ways I can make it better from home. But it doesn't always end so well. Often I log off convinced that I have a brain tumor or that my arm needs to be amputated. Once my virginal friend with the same hobby became certain that she was pregnant. Her symptom? The sniffles. It's a dangerous, dangerous game we play on WebMD. I say, search your symptoms with caution. And don't always believe what you read on the Internet. Good luck!
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Obsessed
Ever watch that show "Obsessed" on A&E? Well, neither have I, but it sounds like something I'd enjoy. If I was ever on the show it's possible I'd be highlighted for my obsession with text messaging. I'm not as bad as some, but I compulsively check my phone to see if that glorious little green light is blinking at me in the corner. This is when my phone is on silent. And when it's not on silent? If I hear that delightful twinkling sound I can't help but immediately check out what's happening with whoever took the time out of their day to send me a message. It's like a tick.
I've always been kind of socially awkward. I can't stand mingling, forced encounters with new people I feel obligated to be nice to, or talking on the phone. If I must be contacted I much prefer a quick text or email to a phone call. Maybe that's rude of me but the way I see it, an awkward person in the flesh can only exponentially increase in awkwardness on the phone. There are a few exceptions of course, but they are few and far between. If I have ever answered a phone call from you, you are a lucky person indeed (lol).
Anyway a grand catastrophe occurred last night and lasted throughout most of today. It only ended about 5 minutes ago actually. My phone wouldn't text. And not just that...the ONLY person I couldn't text was JAMES. How does that happen?? I could receive his texts and make phone calls and text to anyone else I wanted, yet for nearly 24 hours there was text silence between us because of my lame phone. It was torture, especially since I am on a business trip so texting is our only form of communication until I call James before bed. Needless to say, it was a rough day.
So after we both turned off our phones and then tried again and they stiiiill didn't work (that always works with computers, why not phones too?) I finally called customer service. The customer service rep called me back in my hotel room (creepy because I had to give him my room number...hopefully Verizon Customer Service Headquarters is far, far away from Reno) and tells me to try to send another text to James. So I do. And of course...IT WORKS. I said, "Wow! Did you do something already??" and he said he hadn't. It's just one of those things I guess....like when as soon as your doctor can finally fit you in for an appointment, your once deathly illness is mostly resolved and you look like a whimpy poo-poo (one of my greatest fears), or when you call the maintenance guy about your broken garbage disposal and the note he leaves you is that it worked when he tried it. Am I the only person this type of thing happens to? Am I destined to look a fool? Oh well...I guess if these are my biggest problems I'm a pretty lucky lady :)
I've always been kind of socially awkward. I can't stand mingling, forced encounters with new people I feel obligated to be nice to, or talking on the phone. If I must be contacted I much prefer a quick text or email to a phone call. Maybe that's rude of me but the way I see it, an awkward person in the flesh can only exponentially increase in awkwardness on the phone. There are a few exceptions of course, but they are few and far between. If I have ever answered a phone call from you, you are a lucky person indeed (lol).
Anyway a grand catastrophe occurred last night and lasted throughout most of today. It only ended about 5 minutes ago actually. My phone wouldn't text. And not just that...the ONLY person I couldn't text was JAMES. How does that happen?? I could receive his texts and make phone calls and text to anyone else I wanted, yet for nearly 24 hours there was text silence between us because of my lame phone. It was torture, especially since I am on a business trip so texting is our only form of communication until I call James before bed. Needless to say, it was a rough day.
So after we both turned off our phones and then tried again and they stiiiill didn't work (that always works with computers, why not phones too?) I finally called customer service. The customer service rep called me back in my hotel room (creepy because I had to give him my room number...hopefully Verizon Customer Service Headquarters is far, far away from Reno) and tells me to try to send another text to James. So I do. And of course...IT WORKS. I said, "Wow! Did you do something already??" and he said he hadn't. It's just one of those things I guess....like when as soon as your doctor can finally fit you in for an appointment, your once deathly illness is mostly resolved and you look like a whimpy poo-poo (one of my greatest fears), or when you call the maintenance guy about your broken garbage disposal and the note he leaves you is that it worked when he tried it. Am I the only person this type of thing happens to? Am I destined to look a fool? Oh well...I guess if these are my biggest problems I'm a pretty lucky lady :)
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
James the Great
For all of you who haven't heard, my husband is an amazing man. The fact that such a great person would love me makes me feel extremely blessed. This weekend he showed his love for me by flying one of my best friends out from Texas to see me for my birthday. Who does that?! My man does!! He meant it to be a surprise but has yet to learn how to keep a secret from me. He kept it quiet for quite a while though! I was impressed!! And even though it wasn't a surprise in the end, it was still perfect. I had lots of amazing and much needed girlie time and I couldn't have asked for a more perfect weekend!!
Here's a pic of me and Jules. We got mistaken for sisters three times this weekend.
I just don't see it...haha.
In addition to the girlie time we also got to visit my newest niece and birthday buddy, Harper. My parents were in town too so it was just a friends and family filled weekend!! Here are some pics my mom took:
Doesn't James look great with a baby in his arms?!? We've been warned that pregnancy is contagious so we are staying away from babies for a while. Well...at least until we go visit my sister and Violet next weekend. Aaaah!
Here's a pic of me and Jules. We got mistaken for sisters three times this weekend.
I just don't see it...haha.
In addition to the girlie time we also got to visit my newest niece and birthday buddy, Harper. My parents were in town too so it was just a friends and family filled weekend!! Here are some pics my mom took:
Doesn't James look great with a baby in his arms?!? We've been warned that pregnancy is contagious so we are staying away from babies for a while. Well...at least until we go visit my sister and Violet next weekend. Aaaah!
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Tears of...Joy?
It is no secret that I am a pretty emotional person. This week I've been crying a lot. At work, at home, in the car. But only out of one eye. And it's not emotion related. Something is apparently wrong with my eye. I'm currently waiting for the doctor to get back to me on that one.
Anyway, all the tear wiping that's been going on lately, especially when it takes place in my office, has brought back a lot of memories from last year when I used to cry in my office all the time. The fact that lately my tears have been purely physical and not emotional not only makes me happy...it also makes me feel relieved. While James was gone I cried all the time, and I started to think I might really be losing it. I began to wonder if I really was crying because I was sad that James was gone, or if I was just off my rocker. Since he's been back the tears have stopped so it looks like I'm not going to have to check myself into a mental institution anytime soon. That's as good a reason as any to celebrate. Oh also, it's my birthday. So there's that.
Another person who is crying today is my newest niece who is so far unnamed. Happy birthday little birthday buddy niece! Man, what a babylicious family I have.
Anyway, all the tear wiping that's been going on lately, especially when it takes place in my office, has brought back a lot of memories from last year when I used to cry in my office all the time. The fact that lately my tears have been purely physical and not emotional not only makes me happy...it also makes me feel relieved. While James was gone I cried all the time, and I started to think I might really be losing it. I began to wonder if I really was crying because I was sad that James was gone, or if I was just off my rocker. Since he's been back the tears have stopped so it looks like I'm not going to have to check myself into a mental institution anytime soon. That's as good a reason as any to celebrate. Oh also, it's my birthday. So there's that.
Another person who is crying today is my newest niece who is so far unnamed. Happy birthday little birthday buddy niece! Man, what a babylicious family I have.
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