Month: August 2014

Labor Day

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Hooray for a long weekend! I contemplated working Monday but decided a three-day weekend was in order.

I made my lady breakfast, and later today it’s off to kayaking and lunch with Chris’ family and then dinner with more of her family.

Soon to be my family, I guess.

I hope I don’t chicken out with kayaking like I did with zip-lining. Fear of drowning and all. But I went kayaking once…and it ended horribly. Literally the end. I’m rather girthy, and the kayak had a small seat opening. I wasn’t able to leverage myself out of it, and the 90-pound blond workers were zero help (as was my ex). So I embarrassingly just turned over on my side and crawled out of it on my hands and knees. Yep. I’m super smooth.

I’m hopeful for those kayaks with the big mouth today!

Tomorrow is a pretty exciting day. Chris and I have the tasting for our wedding!

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Surprisingly, I couldn’t find a picture of us eating, so I chose this adorable picture of us with a toddler who apparently loves her mommy, per the shirt.

Yeah!

We are allowed to bring four people with us, and Chris’ sister, Amy, flew in from Raleigh to attend (thanks, Amy!). Our mothers are also joining us, and so is my brother. It will be a good time with good food, I’m sure. And we are usually a pretty good time.

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This dog sure thinks so.

I’m pretty excited about the menu we chose, and it all sounds delicious. There was a bit of a sticky situation because Chris’ aunt really wanted us to get Parmesan-crusted chicken, and we didn’t. Sadly, she will just have to starve. We all have to make sacrifices to ensure the perfect Chronica wedding.

Partner

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I always hated the word “partner.” I mean, not in all contexts. Just the one that refers to my significant other.

I get that it’s a non-gender-specific term, that it’s weightier than girlfriend/boyfriend, and all that jazz, but personally, I just don’t like it. It sounds like I’m talking about someone I’m in a law firm with.

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Come see us with all of your legal sports needs!

So, yes, “partner” is one of those words that I hate.

However…the longer I’m with Chris, the more I feel like I have a real, honest-to-goodness partner.

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Not enough fries on your Primanti’s sandwich? Your Smiley cookie not happy enough? We can help!

I have dated a few women — and one guy, embarrassingly (it was college. I was experimenting) — and lived with one person other than Chris. You know, one of those things where you think you’re happy and it seems like a good idea at the time. And she had her good points, I guess, but, man, it’s like night and day.

I guess maybe I don’t hate that word as much anymore since, you know, I feel like I actually have one.

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Don’t let bad decisions paint you in a corner!

The longer we are together, the more of a partnership it feels like. I just feel lucky to have her and to have our life…

Partner.

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Call now!

Zip Lining

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It was a weekend of ups and downs.

I got to spend time with a lot of my favorite people, which was awesome. We did a 5K yesterday to benefit pulmonary fibrosis research and then picnicked after with a giant group of awesome people that I am not related to but who always act like I am. After was a trip to Sarris, which I didn’t fully enjoy because of carsickness. But I had a few bites of Chris’ deep-dish apple pie with caramel sauce, and it was spectacular.

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Beth accidentally took off with my hat, and then I could only find Chris’ bandana.

And quality time was spent with my two closest friends from high school (who, oddly, I didn’t actually attend high school with. Mostly). Sadly, there is no photographic evidence of this. But here is one of me with the Pirate parrot and my hunchback.

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This morning, I made breakfast for my lady, and we ate outside. It was nice.

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Then back to WV for more fun times. What fun times, you ask? Zip lining. Or, for me, climbing a giant tower, chickening out, and climbing back down said tower. I never did a Walk of Shame in college — or after, for that matter, because I’m super pure — but, man, it sure felt like that.

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Very long Walk of Shame.

Fun fact — I am terrified of heights. But I wanted to try. So I got up the tower, on the block, they strapped me in, and…I just couldn’t do it. Honestly, I think I may have started panicking when I took that first step on the tower. I couldn’t have been out of breath that soon! And yet, it felt like basketball practice in 5th grade with some pre-wheezing.

I keep telling myself that it’s okay, that I’m allowed to fail, that it’s great that I tried. But I’m very competitive, and all I can feel is that I failed. It was both embarrassing and frustrating. And maddening and sad. And it even made me lose my appetite for an hour.

What if this is just the first thing? What if I lose my nerve for other things and chicken out? Or…what if this was just one thing and it’s okay that I didn’t do it. In my head, I know it’s probably the latter. But it’s difficult getting there.

Bright side — it was half price, so my failure was cheap. Another day saved by a coupon.

Then more picnicking, which was nice. And a fun car ride there.

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I mean, I’m good at a lot of stuff, and it’s probably a good thing for my ego to fail. Remember that psychic I saw? He told me that my dad — or, you know, whoever he was talking about — said I needed to try and fail at more things. DONE!

And then I had to say goodbye to Beth, who goes back to Texas Tuesday. It’s sad because she is great. Lucky for Texas. Sad for the tri-state area.

And then when we got home, the avocados we bought weren’t ripe, which was also pretty sad.

So, ups and downs.

To end on a high note, here’s a funny story. Someone congratulated me on getting married, which was sweet. Then she turned to the gay lady next to me and congratulated her. Unfortunately, that gay lady wasn’t Chris but my friend Jennifer…who also happens to be my ex. Because I am smooth, I shook my head, jerked my thumb at Chris, and tactfully said, “Nope. This one.”

Chris is a lucky lady.