Mr. Darcy is a Very Important Character

I had the most wonderful experience last night: I read the first couple chapters of Pride and Prejudice with a first-timer.

Lee has a 12-year-old sister, Danielle, who loves to read. I often tell her that someday she will have to read Pride and Prejudice, as all young girls should, so I was delighted when she announced that P&P was next on her list. A few days later I ran to Barnes and Noble to pick out a copy for her. There was no way I would let her borrow mine because she needed one of her very own. You know, so she can draw hearts on the page(s) where Mr. Darcy proposes or dog-ear her favorite pages for easy reference.

So I'm over visiting a couple weeks ago and we get out her P&P and started reading together. Who wouldn't love to read P&P without a veritable NUT looking over her shoulder, clarifying conversations, explaining old spellings, properly pronouncing locations (Darby-sure), giving appropriate tone, and assuring her which characters are actually important (Mr. Bingley) and which aren't so much (Mrs. Long)?!

Then last week Danielle gives me a call. P&P is hard. (That's true. I started with Sense and Sensbility at her age and after a chapter decided I should wait another year.) Could we have some regular phone dates to read it together? HELL YES!

She might come to regret this soon since I like to pause and discuss the social structures of the time, what "Austen is really doing," and make sure she gets all the jokes, but she's going to be so ready when they actually get to this in school. Or maybe I'm just molding another English major. Both excellent possible results.

But the best part is that Danielle has no idea what happens. None. None at all. It has been about a decade since I first fell for Darcy's subtle charms but I think even then I had some idea that Darcy and Elizabeth were THE couple. Like when you read Wuthering Heights or watch Gone with the Wind (or read it), you've heard of Catherine and Heathcliff, Scarlett and Rhett. I think I had some ideas about this Elizabeth and Darcy, but Danielle has none and I love it!

Last night Danielle asked, "Why is Mr. Darcy an important character? He's mean."

Just trust me Danielle, Mr. Darcy is a very important character. We'll find out why in another 100 pages or so.

Is it sad that I know which moment in the five-hour film this is from? He's watching Elizabeth play the piano at Rosings. It's one of my favorite scenes.

A Moment to Brag

Can I just take a moment to brag? Lee is freaking awesome.

I've been struggling with some laziness lately and to compensate I have made a ridiculous list of things I want to accomplish this week. I often ask Lee to help out, but for whatever reasons in how my crazy mind works I've spent a lot of time over thinking when I can get certain chores done this week and how Lee can help and maybe I should just do it all myself...

So this morning as we were getting ready for work I asked Lee if he could dust tonight and maybe something else, I hadn't decided, so much to do... And then -- this might not seem like much, but it meant a lot to my dorky OCD heart -- he told me, "Can you just tell me everything you want to me to do now because when additional tasks are hypothetically looming, I'm less likely to start on them." Then he incorporated an amusing analogy about needing to know how much the check needed to be made out for because once it was written he didn't appreciate requests for additional cash withdrawls. I could ask for any amount, but I needed to decide on an amount and ask. Which is totally fine with me.

Over the course of our relationship, one of the central frustrations has been me struggling to delegate yet getting grumpy that I do it all myself. And once I delegate, I micro-manage and don't understand why things aren't being done right now. (What do you mean Warhammer doesn't have a pause button?!) But lately we've really hit our chore groove and Lee has been sharing important insights, like how of all the kitchen tasks he least hates unloading the dishwasher (Oops, I forgot to add that to this evening's list. Hmm...) and he prefers a task list up front as opposed to me perpetually tagging on random things.

So tonight Lee will dust, vacuum and hopefully unload the dishwasher, leaving me plenty of time to go to the grocery, make dinner (tortellini, EVOO, garlic, parm -- both easy and delicious), laundry, and clean the bathroom. I feel so much better about my to-do list now!

I'm a Weeper

I cry. A lot.

More often than not, I cry over fictional things. Common examples include: Steel Magnolias, the Friends series final, Gilmore Girls series finale, Extreme Home Makeover, Grey's Anatomy (When Alex and Izzie got married I cried so hard I had to have Lee come sit with me. I could barely ask him to come sit with me because I was crying that much.), Nicholas Sparks (I hate his books but they make me cry and I hate him more.), The Lovely Bones, and the list goes on. It's kind of sad. Especially when you consider how many times I've seen Steel Magnolias and the Friends season finale. Oh, I can't even talk about the Gilmore Girls finale without choking up. When Luke stays up all night making the tent and then Rory and Lorelai pull up and it's raining and everyone...yeah, I can't do it.

And for some reason, Christmas has become one of those things that makes me cry. I mean, I love Christmas and it's happy tears, but the moment they start to sing "Oh Holy Night" on Christmas Eve, even if the soloist has a horrible voice, I cry. Really though, have you ever thought about the words? They are absolutely stunning: Long lay the world in sin, and ever pining, until He appeared and the soul felt its worth. That's pretty sweet.

(I also got misty on Palm Sunday this year, what can I say?!)

So Saturday I'm at Target with my mom perusing Christmas cards with my cell phone calculator for advanced price analysis and I see this card.

I don't technically cry but I get all choked up and so does mom (I inherit my weepiness from her. You do not want to be there when we watch Stepmom.).

A debate ensues over if I really like this card or not. I mean, it's kind of cheesy but it did make me cry. Then the woman down the aisle reminds me that if it made me cry then clearly it's the one. That's how you pick out your wedding dress after all. (I cried when I decided on my wedding dress, but I still doubt I picked out the right one. Anyways...) So I got a box.

In other shopping news, I got a new purse (50% off at Kohl's!) to replace the one Reagan used as a litter box. Oh, and she appears to be perfectly healthy so that's strike one for the little punk! (Who am I kidding?! I can't get rid of her. I still love that crazy fluffy cat.)


And since it is Music Monday, I just found this Single Ladies cover via @tugonthis and I think it's awesome.

A Change of Plans

I'm a little Type A. Okay, maybe more than a little. Sudden plan changes really bug me, even little ones. Even if I've planned nothing and now something technically cooler has come along, I don't like it. Today has been full of "special" sudden events and some small to medium sized plan changes. Overall, I think I'm okay with it. Does this mean I'm growing? Doubtful. I think it just means I need a nap.

I have been feeling a little lazy lately. I come home from work and my motivation meter is at -20. I fall asleep in the chair because I'm too lazy to drag myself to bed. And I've been getting up later and later, which has been screwing with both my and Lee's morning schedule. I had hoped that this morning would be better but it wasn't. I snoozed too long, even though I had plenty of sleep and was plenty awake. The bed was comfier than the bathroom and it won. After a series of pep-talks, I vowed to cheer up, persevere and next week we will do better. "We" being me and pep-talk-giver who lives in my head.

So I'm looking for my sunglasses in a hurry to take Zoey out to potty and finally head to work, but funny thing is my glasses case is wet. Huh. And so is my adorable Clinique makeup bag. And my cute little notebook is soaked in something smellier than water...must be animal urine!

For a number of reasons it was ultimately concluded that my dear, beloved, perfect Reagan peed in my purse this morning.

So now I'm running later AND trying to get the cat urine off my belongings. Thankfully, the Fossil wallet and camera were spared. The purse might be a lost cause, but at least it was a $15 Walmart purse. A fabulous purse, but a $15 purse none the less.

I yelled and cursed Reagan a lot as I cleaned up, got a new purse and headed out the door, but after talking to coworkers and Lee's mom who is above-average with pet knowledge, it appears that she may have a urinary infection.

So Reagan, I am sorry for yelling those horrible things at you this morning. (Note: Apology pending veterinary diagnosis.)

Instead of getting errands done at lunch, I came home and created a kitty haven in our bathroom (I really wish we had two of those right now.) where we can better control where she'll decide to pee and better see if there's any blood in the pee. Fun!

Oh, did I mention I was going to go home (like the where-my-parents-live, two-hours-away home) right after work? For my friend's baby shower tomorrow? And Lee's got drill this weekend so he will be gone from about at least 6 am to 6 pm all weekend?

Or I was going home. I'll be staying in Louisville for the night to monitor Reagan's situation and get her medical attention if needed.

Honestly, I'm kind of relived. Not so much about the situation where I need to buy a medicine dropper to collect cat urine off the bathroom floor, but like I said, I've been lazy and I'm hoping that tonight I will actually get some things done that need to be taken care of, mostly laundry. And it's an extra night to hang out with Lee. And if I was at my parents' house I'd just be worried about my precious little kitty. (Note: Precious status pending veterinary diagnosis.)

Eat More Donuts

I eat breakfast once I get to work: cup of coffee and breakfast bar. By 10:30, I'm hungry again and hunting for a snack.

Today though, I had a donut. A medium-sized chocolate-covered cake donut. I was surprised to look at the clock and realize it was 11:19 and I hadn't even thought about a snack. This made me wonder, "Is breakfast bar plus snack potentially MORE calories than yummy donut?"

Donut packaging says that my donut has 290 calories. My organic chewey granola chocolate chip breakfast bar has 140 calories. Let's say I take the healthy mid-morning snack route and munch on some plain almonds and dried cranberries. That's probably at least another 100 calories. But sometimes I slip in some candy. If I had eaten one of the Reese's peanut butter cups, that would be another 87 calories. So my "healthy start" could total me 327 calories. That is 37 more calories than tasty donut!

Donuts for the win! 

Yes, I do understand that my organic breakfast bar and nuts and berries are better for me and filling me with antioxidants and fiber and other crap, blah blah blah. ;) 



image: D Sharon Pruitt

House Hunt Update

Awhile ago I mentioned that Lee and I had started looking at houses, and I feel it's a time for an update.

Things have been going well so far. We're narrowing down what we're willing to sacrifice (basement) and what we're not (two full baths), deciding where we really want to live and where we'd rather not.

And we've already fallen in love. Or at least serious like.

Let's call her House A. Honestly, she looks much nicer than what I thought we'd be able to afford. Two and half baths, two car attached garage, the only house we've looked at with an actual walk-in closet and a true "master suite." We're a little disappointed that it has only one living area, but it is a gigantic living area so we could definitely make it work. And Lee likes it. Lee doesn't often get excited about things, at least not to the crazed extent I do, and he loves this house. Oh, and by far the nicest neighborhood we've looked in. Excellent location.

But -- the roof is 15 years old, and the ac and heater are about the same age. The stove would need to be replaced immediately and the dishwasher soon after. It needs some exterior painting and replacement windows. That's a lot. Yes, we can get insurance. Sure, at the rate Louisville weather has been working we're due for another major wind/ice disaster to take out power and cause enough roof damage to blame it on the weather. Yet, that's a LOT of stuff due to be fixed in the next five years, especially when you consider that we're looking to need one or two new(er) cars, an MBA, and one to two kids in that time frame as well. There are aesthetic things I'd like to be able to do at some point, but with all our money going to windows and roofing, would I still be able to put down hard wood floors (probably laminate), new tile in the bathrooms and paint the front door and shutters? Oh yeah, a dining room table and master bedroom set would be nice too.

So after we looked at House A, we looked at House B. B is still in the price range, although $5,000 more and doesn't have a garage. However, House B has a basement, beautiful kitchen, about 700 more square feet, newer ac, heat and windows. It's not in my favorite neighborhood, but it's not a bad area and this house is in a nicer part of it. But, it just doesn't give us those warm-fuzzy feelings.

And once again, I remind myself that we're not buying a house today. It's a bit of money to get out of our lease, and I'd still like to have another month or so of saving's going into this, but it's getting closer! Once we get into January it will be cheaper to ride out the lease than to break it and at that point we should be more good-to-go if we find it. Maybe a newly roofed version of House A? *fingers crossed*

image: ulybuy

Friends, Dog Attacks and Head Wounds

I try to avoid long posts because in all honesty, I never read all of a long post so I doubt anyone would read all of my long blog post, but there are three random bits that I must share with the world today. I refuse to break up these three very different, yet mildly (by a thread) related topics.

Friends
If I made a list of all the things I'd like to change about myself or improve on, it would be quite lengthy. We don't need to go into it all now (We can save that for January 1.), but one thing is a desire to keep in better touch with my friends. Yet after the past 48 hours, I think I've decided I can cross that off the list.

Relationships will change when you don't live in the same sorority house or have the same lunch block anymore. There's no avoiding it. The important thing is that you keep in touch enough, and do the most you can, so you're still a part of each others' lives.

Sunday night I went out for dinner and coffee in Lexington with three of my sorority sisters.

I LOVE Ramsey's friend chicken! 

In no time at all we were laughing, sharing too much information, and talking about people we don't like (There's something to add to the January 1 list!).

Last night, some friends from high school came over for dinner, and even though it feels like forever since the last time we saw them, that didn't really seem to matter, although it does help that we mutually stalk each other online. (Sarah might have walked in and gone, "Oh! It's your asymmetrical mantel arrangement!" I love the Internet!) 

I know it's gushy and overly-sentimental, but the past two nights I got to spend with people I love a whole lot and who I don't talk to nearly as often as I want to, or as I used to, and it makes me giddily happy. 

Dog Attacks
This video was taken last night before my friends arrived. It is awesome for two reasons:
1. It's hott to watch husband vacuum. He's so helpful!
2. It's a riot to watch Zoey attack the vacuum. So glad I finally got this on film. Now if only I can get some shots of her and Reagan wrestling.



Head Wounds
I am a huge wimp and mild hypochondriac. Yet once I survive my "major" injuries, I like to brag about them because I'm quirky and that's what I do.


Last night I had unprecedented success with a Rachael Ray recipe when I made some Cumin and Lime Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Spicy Creamed Corn. It was quite tasty.

I think it might be the oven's fault, but with the oven on 500 degrees for the 30 minutes it took to roast the tenderloin, the apartment got very smokey and we had to open a lot of windows. So once our friends left, I went into the laundry room to shut the window. It's a smaller window and sits up a little higher than the norm. Apparently, this window will also fold out, as I learned when I went to shut it and pulled it down ON MY HEAD. The window put a gash in my forehead and landed right at the top of my nose. (The bridge perhaps? It was right at the top between my eyes.) There was some bleeding and a lot of whining that ensued.  Sarah, being a nurse and having just left, almost got a phone call to immediately come back and fix me, but Lee promised I would be fine, even though he wouldn't shine lights in my eyes to check for a concussion. I had to do that myself. And my head still hurts today. :(
 
ouch.