The Reason for the Season (Part 1)

Hubster's Mom took us on a private tour of Winterthur...it's always so gorgeous this time of year!

I LOVE Christmas...

A lot. :)

And now that I'm an old married lady, Hubster and I are able to start family traditions. That goes for Thanksgiving too! We've had a fantastic few weeks so far and I'll tell you all about them...with some pictures.

A few weeks back, we babysat for the munchkins (our nephews!) for the weekend while their parents went to visit friends in PA. Big Munchkin and Little Munchkin are the best, seriously. And HI-larious! Plus, they love to read. If they are bored or being rough or sleepy, pull out a book and life is good again. Did I mention they're cute? Check it out for yourself:

Hubster and I went to PA to visit his mom for Thanksgiving. There was a lot of sleeping and eating, eating and sleeping on this trip. :) Here's Hub at the dinner table on Thanksgiving getting ALLLLLL of the potatoes out of the pan. He is also a firm believer that this is just the first step in the cleaning process, so he should do it to the best of his ability. He did just start using soap...we're working on it slowly (right Eves?).

Here's Hubster's bro. Someone made it to the couch fast after eating.

And our (little) masterpiece. We have a lil' 3 foot Christmas tree that is sparsely populated with ornaments...but we love it! Those stars are from Maaaaaaaaaaaara last Christmas in Argentina! I think my favorite part of having a Christmas tree is all the stories behind the ornaments.

More pictures from this joyous season later today!

p.s. Hubster is on his was to CO today to snowboard with the guys for a week; pray he returns in one piece!

To teach...

Hubster (I've decided on this name for the man in my life...I think it's cute!) and I work well together. We communicate. We compromise. We love and accept. But. We disagree, pretty stringently, over one little thing in our lives. A dog. We both want (read: are DYING to have) a dog. But I grew up with labs (Nubbin, Bear, Daphne [the love of my pet life] and Sascha). Hubster grew up with Charlie, a German Shepard that left before I was able to meet him. So, what do we do? Thankfully we both want a shelter dog, so I'm thinking that if I pre-screen shelters with labs I may win! :) haha...if Hubster only read my blog, he'd know. But he doesn't!

I'm just thankful we both love dogs and want to bring one into our family. In that spirit...

If a dog was the teacher you would learn things like:

When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.
Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.
Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure Ecstasy.
Take naps.
Stretch before rising.
Run, romp, and play daily.
Thrive on attention and let people touch you.
Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.
On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass.
On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.
When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body.
Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.
Be loyal.
Never pretend to be something you're not.
If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.
When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by, and nuzzle them gently.
ENJOY EVERY MOMENT OF EVERY DAY!

Bare with me...

I've been playing around with the format of my blog...thanks to the lovely Ms. A. Loads of ideas, but I have no idea if I can actually make them happen. We'll see. If you have ideas, feel free to share!

And then the title. As I said in my first post, the song "Standing Outside the Fire" by Garth Brooks is my favorite. Ever. But I feel like using that as the title of my blog is not getting across the point of the song. Plus now that I'm a Mrs. I've been thinking of using something like "The Adventures of Senor and Senora..." I don't know. Help. All 5 of you! I counted (ET, VK, EC, LU, BU...I think that's all of you, right? p.s. LU, I totally stalk your sister's blog, too).

Also I feel like I need some sort of cute catchy name for myself, the hubby, friends, etc. in the name of anonymity. I've thought of a few, but they're generally not PC, so I scrapped them (for when my blog become world-famous, you know how it is).

Here are my ideas:
1. Use only first names.
2. Use initials (e.g. SV or ET or VK or LU...you get the idea)
3. Cute nicknames for those I talk about most (e.g. hubby = hubster or Mr. V or something; Liz = Lizard, Mrs. U, etc.)
4. Ridiculous nicknames (e.g. I can't even think of any right now...long day).

Aaaaaaaand I'm done.

Tagging

Mrs. U tagged me and so I had to pick the fifth photo in my fifth folder.  This one is actually from the fifth subfolder...I have no idea how my Mac organizes my photos!

This is from our engagement photo session.  Diego had just had his eye surgery and was (unfortunately, but hilariously!) wearing his sunglasses most of the time.  We had a BLAST.  I think in this pic, I had caught him off guard and was trying to push him in the lake.  :)  I'm so sweet.  But I HAD to take advantage of his inability to see by pulling a few pranks, right??!!

So, there you have it.  Now I tag Eva and Victoria to find the fifth photo in their fifth album!

And I simply have to tell you all how wonderful my hubster is.  Seriously y'all.  Here are just a FEW reasons:

1. He spent 1+ hour last night on the phone with Verizon because I messed up the internet...and he kept telling me how much he loves me and doesn't mind doing things for me.  Plus I hate dealing with that stuff!

2. He never lets me do the dishes...and he's even using soap now (aren't you glad to hear that Eves???)!

3. He does the BEST (excuse my un-p.c. name for this) retarded raptor impression!  It's THE funniest thing I've ever seen...and never fails to make me crack up.

I could go on, but I don't want to disgust all 3 of my readers (are there more? B & L, do I count you as one reader since you have one shared blog? hmmm..).  I hope you have a great day!  

I DID IT!

So, clearly I'm ridiculously slow 99% of the time.  I haven't been posting much lately because I would have to sign out of my new email (with the maaaawwwwied name...still love that!) and sign on with the old email.  Well after, what, almost 6 months, I've finally figured out how to change this blog to my new email account.  This means I don't have to log out of gmail to get onto blogger.  Lazy?  Yes.  

And in that spirit...I'm going to get back to work!  I promise I'll post later (Mrs. U tagged me yesterday, so I've got to post for that!).  

xoxo 

p.s. You probably have NO idea how happy this makes me.  Suffice it to say, I'm beaming!  haha.  Oh the simple things!

Fall!

Yes, it's been fall for awhile now.  I LOVE the fall.  I adore pumpkins and colorful leaves and the brisk morning air (as long as I am bundled up).  Last weekend the LLAMAS were here.  L & L & I went apple picking and it was marvelous!

And all of the delicious apple crisp we made afterward was FAN-FLIPPIN'-TASTIC!  

Alright, that's all for now.  It's time to spend a day with the hubby!  

p.s.

I want a new layout...any ideas of where to get one? I'd like something brighter than my old dark blue, but this isn't quite right either. Also, I'm HTML challenged, so I need something that's REALLY easy to cut and paste. K, thanks. :)

Jingle Jangle

Do you remember how, in elementary school, the sound of the teacher's shoes was both a magical and frightening noise. Well, today my skirt is the loud wardrobe piece. I love this skirt. I spent too much on it in a little boutique in Clarendon, but it was worth it. It's a really simple, flowy A-line off-white cotton base (2 thinnish layers) with metal (non-sparkly) sequins in rows. It is seriously the most comfortable thing ever. I would wear it sometimes when I was a teacher because I knew the kids would at least give me their attention when they heard the jingle jangle of my skirt (what? I used EVERY tactic I could to get their attention sometimes...I should tell you sometime about my earring strategy).

And it makes me happy. :)

Oh, two other things. I'm currently in like with these websites, for completely different reasons:

1) www.pandora.com This is a radio station website that allows you to customize a station just for you. I'm feeling Counting Crows meets Third Eye Blind this morning, and Pandora is meeting my needs!

2) www.sojo.net (Disclaimer: I have only read a few articles thus far, but they were all thought provoking and I found myself agreeing with a majority of the opinions.) I generally don't stump about my faith or my political beliefs, but I really like this website. I think it brings a very well-rounded view of the intersection of the Christian faith and how it should play out in politics and life in general.

Alright, back to business! Work has been keeping me on my toes lately (which is nice)...as has this: www.friendsofstjude.org/dc. I hope you'll be at Blues Ball!

Fine China

I heard today that a girl I went to high school with is in the midst of my own personal nightmare. She was married a little over 4 months ago, 2 weeks before D and I were married, actually. Her husband was deployed to Iraq in September and was injured in a random attack a few days ago. Last night he passed away. My heart breaks just thinking about it.

I just love D so much. And I know that some of you may not want to hear all of the gooey things. I’ll spare you (though I mean the gooey love too). I’m sure that you all have a person in your life (I hope!) who you just love beyond reason. It could be a parent, a child, a best friend, a spouse, a partner…whomever. There are days when I am just ASSTOUNDED by the amount of love I feel for this man. I’m overwhelmed with joy and I smile like a crazed cat. And at other times, I’m overwhelmed in a completely different way. It’s at these times that I cry at the thought of loosing him one day. What gets me through these moments, the thoughts of all the bad things out there in the world, is my faith in God and His plan. And knowing that the love D and I have (and I hope you all get to experience with someone some day) will make it possible, I believe for us to walk through this life side by side, whether that be literal or figurative. He has touched me in so many ways. Let others touch you. And try to touch their lives too.

In that vein, I pulled out our wedding china for dinner tonight. Life is too crazy, uncertain, short, hectic…I don’t want to save up all of these things, but more importantly, I don’t want to save up all of the love and passion within for some ambiguous day in the future. The food won’t be amazing, neither will the wine. But the plates, and our love, will be.

When’s the last time you used your china (or wore the dress that makes you feel beautiful, or took pictures because it’s what makes your heart sing)? Do it. Live.

p.s. The new genius feature on iTunes is perfect today. I “genuised” a Coldplay song. The songs that are playing range from a little melancholy to upbeat to reflective. Check it out…Ben Folds “Luckiest” just came on. How appropriate. J

Making the Effort

I'm really going to start making the effort to post every (or every other?) day on here. I'm so blog obsessed that when other people don't update their blogs, I get a little bummed! Sad, I know. Maybe this won't be the case when, in the future, I have a job that's a bit more...demanding? We'll see.

Anyway, just wanted to share my new skillllllllz. :) A few months back I bought an old but never used sewing machine. I had a pile of clothes that needed to be hemmed, seams to be fixed, etc. etc. etc. and I decided that it was crazy to spend so much money taking them to the dry cleaner (if I were still in NC, I'd head over to Shirley, the lady who altered my wedding dress for $20!!). When I first busted it out, I had to teach myself how to thread the needle, align the bobbin and all of the other things that go along with making that silly machine work. Well, I was so proud that I accomplished this feat only to discover that...it didn't work. WHAT?? Booooooo. Turns out that it just needed a little tune-up (thanks to Appliance Fix-It, they rock!) and I'd be back in business. Well, last night I FINALLY sat down to work on a few of the things that needed the sewing touch. And I did it! I will qualify this with a hearty "no stiches look beautiful" but they are all functional! Even my most favorite pair of jeans, that I had ripped the belt-loops off of, are fixed. Maybe they'll last me another few years. Or maybe not, they're almost indecent for public due to holes! Oh well. We can't win them all, huh?

Alright, back to it. I've got a long day ahead with a St. Jude HH followed by Grey's with Kiki! And then I get to head to NC tomorrow to bring my hubby home (and see my bestest too!).

xo

Charm City is Calling...

I miss Baltimore. A ton. I was up there on Friday (for something I'll discuss in a later post, when plans are a little more concrete), and really REALLY didn't want to leave. I appreciate a lot that DC has to offer, but it will never compare in my heart and mind to Bmore. And the following article didn't help to get Charm City off my mind:

http://www.theotherjournal.com/article.php?id=364


Back to work for now...more later.

Alvin, Simon, Theodore!

I've been really reluctant to post this, but I feel like it may be the only way to make it real. Like, stick with it REAL.

I'm running. Well, I've started running (and one of the songs I listened to today was the Chipmunk's theme music, hence today's title). My hubby has always been an avid runner (he's completed 1 marathon, a few 1/2 marathons and countless other shorter races), and we really enjoy working out together. So, I'm starting a running routine. I found these programs (thanks to Kiki!) and I'm beginning really slowly. Like run/walk slowly. I used to run in MS and HS, but that was ages ago...and with a bum knee and messed up feet, I've always been reluctant to get back into it. However, now that I've had an office job for over a year, the lack of time outside is really starting to take a toll, and the gym was expensive and rarely used, I want to get back into it. I'm going to do my darndest to stick with it, so make sure to check in on me sometimes! Anyone else out there running? Maybe we can plan buddy runs when I've had some time to not be too bad? :) We'll see how it goes! So far, I'm LOVING the routine and the gorgeous weather. And in just a few short days, my body is already feeling better.

Hmmm...what else? The hubby is a little over half-way through his rotation at pukey Dukey. Nah, Duke has one of the best surgery programs in the nation, and I've never really be in on the whole Duke/UNC rivalry. I've missed him SO much, but I know that we are so blessed to be able to share our love, even if it's from a distance. One day the military will separate us for much longer time periods, so I'm considering this "heart stretching." Absence sure does make the heart grow stronger!

OH and right before he left, we had to buy this:

Yep, we are the proud parents of a new Honda Fit. We had been planning on getting a new car next year when Dieg started his residency, but the old Tercel (aka Poopy) died. Black smoke on the side of the interstate needing a tow thank goodness we could donate it for a tax rebate - dead. Oh well. Some times life throws things you just don't expect, huh?

Alright, time to make dinner and get some other stuff done (including some work! boo!).

Night!

Wii're Havin' Fun!

Just had to say, I'm currently in Raleigh with two of my best friends (Eva and Lindsey) and I want to move here sooooooooooooo badly.  Diego will be here for the next 4 weeks and I'm really happy that I'll have more of an excuse to visit.  These two rock. :).  I'm heading home Monday early, but had to let you know that I'm having a GREAT time with my amazing friends.  xoxo.

Pictures Promised...

So, these are totally out of order, but here is a hodge-podge of this summer's adventures!

The one and only Daniel Brumsfeld was in from Argentina, so we made a night of it, wore our finery, and even poofed my hair enough to block half of Dan's face!

Few people know that my creative juices are fueled by my intense love of barely-legal, hard-core...NEIL DIAMOND!!!!  

We had a rockin' good time at the concert.  And our moms were REALLY jealous.

For Diego's birthday in July, I took him out on the Mall for a picnic dinner with a few surprises.  The first is the book he's holding. The second was dinner (I made empanadas! and they were YUMMY). The third was a trip up to the top of the Washington Monument, a first for both of us.  And lastly we met some friends out for dessert and drinks in Alexandria.  

Enjoying empanadas, salad and our vino (aka Sprite).

Because the wedding was such a small affair, we had a post-wedding BBQ at home in NC.  Some of my family came in and lots of friends were there.  Here's a pic of Diego, my uncle Scott, my cousin Cliff and my Bro.  Diego fits right in!

And now on to Maine!

Diego and I took a trip (for my birthday, early!) to Maine to visit SP and Brian.  The boys went out to the Navy base to check out the airplanes.  And then they went on a "secret mission"...to the golf course.

Here we are sailing on Saturday.  It was GORGEOUS!!!!

More sailing!  The wind was perfect and we were truckin' right along in the water.  Brian said the wind hadn't been as strong for them yet; we were even at a 30 degree tilt at one point!  Almost enough for a swim with the seals: we saw 4 of them!!

The boys, getting a little frisky.  

Wow, I need to post pictures more often.  That was easier than I thought and really, who doesn't love looking at blogs with pictures anyway!

Night y'all!

I love that girl...

This past weekend, Diego and I went up to Maine to visit two of our faves, Brian and SP.  It was a GREAT 3 days.  We got in laaaaate Thursday night and were welcomed with cold beverages...the only way!  Friday, SP and I went shopping/strolling in Freeport (Dad, if you're reading this, I didn't actually go to Maine without visiting you.  This is a dream post...yeah, that's it!).  We found some lovely deals (one gooooorgeous purse), and had a late lunch/martini time.  SP made all of us dinner and then we hung out, like the good old days!  

On Saturday, we went out on their sailboat!!!  B bought it when it probably should have been sent the way of all old boats but saved it, fixed it up, and now they have the most beautiful little sailer ever.  The boys enjoyed themselves out there on the water.  Apparently boating and Mr. Booze go hand-in-hand...so much so that Diego took an (intentional) swim in the bay.  He thought he could catch us.  Let's just say his last name isn't Phelps ;).  After sailing, we went to Portland to check out the scene...where mayhem would later ensue.  We had the MOST amazing dinner at a woodfire grill there later in the evening and then went to this little hole in the wall hookah bar.  MMMMMMM.  

Despite trying to stay awake until our flight early Sunday morning, Diego and I didn't make it.  We took a brief nap and the hitched a ride, courtesy of JetBlue, back to DC.    And that was that.  I'll post some pictures tomorrow.

Night all!

MAINE!!

I'm SO excited because Diego and I are heading up to Maine today to visit two of our BESTESTS SP and BXavier. Woop! We saw them both last at our wedding, they were two of the craaaaaaaaazies standing next to us on the alter. :) I'll let you know how our weekend goes when we get back.

ALSO, today marks 2 months of marriage! Can you believe it? I can't!

AND (because I know he doesn't read this and probably won't see...) I have to brag about my hubby. He just got his Step 2 board scores back and WOAH am I married to a smarty pants. Seriously, he worked so very hard for this (and ALL of his med school accomplishments), and he really deserves to be recognized. I won't share specific numbers, because I know he'd be REALLY embarrassed, but suffice it to say that if he weren't Navy, he could get into ANY residency program in the nation. I'm married to a med school rockstar! :)

Later gators!

TODAY is the best...

So, I was just thinking about married life. Now that I'm an old married lady (as are quite a few of my friends), it's kind of an odd sensation to know that the "biggest days" of my life are behind me. I feel like many people put so much weight on the day they got engaged or were married. And I completely agree that they were big, great, huge, memorable, fun, exciting, exhausting days! And if I'm being completely honest, there are things that I would go back and change if I could (e.g. Engagement Day: I accidentally threw a door into my husband-to-be's face...oops. It really was an accident! Wedding Day: There were a lot of pictures I wish I had, people I wish I'd been able to spend time with, etc.) Obviously, none of these changes would affect where I am today. I mean, I know that other people might remember our wedding for the cake flavor or the hot as hell dance floor.

But I get to remember it as the day I started the rest of my life with my best friend. That's why my wedding day was perfect, for me. And knowing that, each and every day, is what is most important. I've said it before, and I hope and pray I remember it every day of my life: I would have married D while wearing a potato sack dress, in the courthouse, with PB&J sandwiches for dinner...just so long as we were married. (Insert sounds of people yacking...)

What I'm trying to say is that there are lots of days in my past, and hopefully in my future, that were or will be the "biggest day" of my life! And they all hold a special place in my heart and memory. But I want to live knowing that TODAY is the best day of my life. Knowing that TODAY is better than yesterday was, loving my husband, my Lord, my friends...and that it will be if I make it so. I hope that today will be the best day of your life, and I hope that I always wake up and remember that today will be the best day of my life!

If Kiki is still reading this...

I know, I know. I'm that girl. The one who gets a blog and the promptly ignores it for 2 months. Or maybe a little more, but who's counting?? So, the monogram has officially changed! New SS card and everything! I have to say, I'm pretty excited to get all of my new credit cards/IDs/etc. in the mail (even my insurance one). :)

So...about the wedding...

IT WAS MARVELOUS. I know, it was my own so I'm a little biased, but I had a spectacular day! I know there will always be little things that go wrong or not according to plan when in the throes of such a big event, but anything that made me even the least bit nervous left my head immediately when I saw my fantastic groom for the first time.

My bridesmaids were amazing. So calm, cool and collected.

And of course Katie, our "coordinator" extraordinare!

My mom was beautiful and cried at the drop of a hat which actually just made me laugh most of the time.

Even our youngest attendants were angels (99.99% of the time...apparently Peter had something

to say during the objections part of the ceremony...haha!).

I am so thankful to have so many photos and there are SO many more that are held only in my mind (even with so many photographers, they couldn't catch EVERYTHING). The moment that is probably the most memorable for me was just after we finished taking photos at Wren after the ceremony. All of our family and friends had headed to the Alumni House for the reception. Diego and I took our first married stroll under the trees lining the Sunken Gardens. Part of me is sad that we don't have photographic evidence, but another part of me wants to hold it forever in the recesses of my heart where time cannot tear it or leave water marks. It was perfect.

All in all, the whole day was a whirlwind, as everyone has always told me! But it was fun and relatively stress-free. We got to dance the night away with our closest friends and family and will always cherish the day we became our own little family!

Maybe it's all of the changes happening in my life right now, or maybe it's my obsessive facebook stalking, but I'm having a day of teaching nostalgia. I'm SERIOUSLY missing my kids, the classroom, the challenges of it all. I think

I want to beeeeee them.

Almost 2 years ago...

And now... I CAN'T BELIEVE that the wedding is 3 weeks away! And less really, because I count the beginning of wedding festivities (my mom arriving in DC on Tuesday the 17th) as the real beginning. Mom and I will hang out in DC Wednesday (we'll check out the zoo and my pool) before heading down to the 'burg. Thursday we have to get our marriage license, have a meeting with the caterer, massages and wine (courtesy of one soon-to-be husband :)) and finally the SATC movie and cosmos at ACarroll's. Woohooo! Friday I think we're hanging out with my dad for pics in CW, having coffee with Sandy (the priest and close friend), then lunch and nails followed by the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner! And then of course, Saturday will be packed full of fun activities with my bridesmaids, family and friends!!! I've told quite a few people that I'm really not nervous about anything...except about NOT being nervous. Seriously, I think 98% of everything is done and I just have a few tiny things (wrapping gifts, double checking times with vendors) to do in the coming weeks. Sigh. Yay!

About this post's title...a few weeks ago, Diego and I went to dinner for my cousin Amy's college graduation (she's a ROCKSTAR) and met some Rizzotto family friends, Brian and Caroline. And Diego and I are in love...or something :). They are this amazingly fun and put together couple, both W&M grads, they have an 18 month old son who is cute and really well behaved and they just have it all together! Amy and her BF and Diego and I are going over to B & C's tonight for a BBQ dinner and I'm pretty excited. First of all, my Ames is moving to CO for the summer and won't be at the wedding, so any time spent with her is always superb...and of course meeting the BOY...and hanging with B&C. Woop! I'm psyched. And hungry now too...hmm...

I know I've been really really bad about posting on here, and I should be better. I mean, I know that when I blog-stalk and there aren't new posts, I'm always disappointed! I'd love to know if you ever check out my blog...the only person I know of is Lizardbreath :). We're totally blog-stalking soul mates!!! Although that may change when she and her hubby have their baby girl in 2.5 weeks!!! OMG I'm so excited to meet her, probably a few days before the wedding. In all honesty, I may be more excited/worked up about meeting the new baby than the wedding (not that I'm not psyched for myself, but how AWESOME is the gift God gives in new life?????!!!). So...if you blog-stalk me, leave me a comment! Just FYI, I totally blog-stalk all the people linked to Liz's blog, as well as Eva and a few others (I HEART Google Reader because it tells me when updates are posted...although I still check manually...I'm laaaaame).

XO to you all. :)

Drizzling

I feel like the weather is a reflection of my mood. I'm just kind of blah today. Work is fine...things are a bit busier than normal (this is all relative, hence me writing a post to kill some time) with Aman gone. She's off on her honeymoon and I'm in charge of her work until she gets back in 2 weeks. But it's also a super-quiet time of the year. Apparently until like August, things will be chill. No complaints from me...well, maybe just that I'm bored. I have felt so torn lately between staying at this job because it's stable (um, anyone checked out our horrid economy lately?) and finding something else where I'd feel more fulfilled (I don't want to spend the little time I have on Earth unhappy for at least 8 hours every day). Holding pattern, here I come? My prayers have not yet been answered, at least not that I can tell, but really who am I to say? Maybe they have. I have ALWAYS struggled with patience and accepting things in God's time. I continue to struggle with this. A lot.

So, on to less depressing/frustrating topics...44 days!!!!!!! I really really really can't believe that the wedding is getting so close. We got engaged over a year and 9 months ago! Wow. I've been very pleased with how everything is falling into place and think that once the big day has arrived, I won't be too stressed because it will all be done. I think what I'm most excited about is the honeymoon!!! I just can't wait to be married and completely relax, not worrying about family, the apartment, med school (for Dieg), etc. etc. etc.

Until then, I'll be counting down...:)

Throwing it all away...

I am outraged. Really. I just saw one of the building's cleaning ladies in the women's restroom doing a normal clean. What bothered me is that I also saw her throwing away half used toilet paper roles. You may be thinking "who cares" or "I hate when the TP role is empty" but REALLY??? Is it REALLY necessary to chuck so much TP? I can't help but think about a few things:

1. The number of trees that could potentially be saved
2. The roll itself, made of cardboard, could be recycled
3. How much energy was wasted (in pre-, during- and post-production of that product)

UGH. I'm trying not to become a crazy person whose life is based on the three R's (reduce, reuse, recycle...duh), but the more I think about it, the more sense it makes. I want to help our environment, cut down on my own costs, become a well-informed consumer and prioritize my time and money. I think that all of these things are completely do-able, especially with the first R, reduce. I'm certainly not as dedicated as this guy but I certainly applaud his efforts.

Here are some of the things I do:

1. Cut down on my commute by working longer hours 4 days a week and not driving on Friday.
2. Wash my clothes in cold water.
3. Hang dry most of my clothes.
4. Use CFL bulbs.
5. Bring my lunch, in a reusable lunch box, reuse plastic bags, buy food in bulk (when I can), reuse water bottles and use a reusable mug for tea.

These are just a few, but I'd really like to find out more about and start:

1. Composting organic food scraps.
2. Grow our own herbs and a few veggies (do-able, even in a small apartment).
3. Buy 50%-75% of our food from local, organic sources (I HEART the farmer's market).
4. Drive even less; that means both for work and play.
5. Buy more second-hand items.

What do you do?

Believe?

I wrote the first half of this post a month ago...

I have heard for quite some time about the underground phenomenon that is the HBO series "The Wire." We didn't have HBO in Baltimore, so I never watched it but it came to have a cult following with a lot of the TFAers I know. So after some time away from Baltimore and out of the classroom, I think I can now check out the hype. My roommate Netflixed season 4, the one about the school system and we started watching it last week. Man did I get more than I bargained for.

Although I didn't teach in the worst part of town (the mayor lived about a mile and a half from our school) with horrible gang violence (although I did have a kid bring a gun into my classroom during my second year) like where the Wire kids live, within the first 5 minutes of season 4, I was hooked to the kids. Michael, Dukie and Namond (middle school boys) all struck such a chord with me. There is a scene within the first few episodes where a girl gets cut really badly with a box cutter in their classroom.

I flashed back to the earrings-off-hold-my-purse-I'm-going-to-kill-a-***** fights at Glenmount. That first year especially was full of more violence than I had ever seen, on TV or in real life. It was also full of more growth, learning and achievement than I ever expected in the precarious balance. I couldn't help wondering how my kids are doing...I've stayed in touch with a few and get updates from some of the teachers at the 'mount, but a large part of me wants to return to the day-to-day with them (or their younger counterparts, since they're all in or about to be in HS now).

I wonder what this year would have been like had I stayed in Baltimore. I wonder how my attitude would have changed, or not. I wonder...I must believe that my kids, and all the kids of Baltimore, will succeed and that maybe in some minuscule way I had a part in it. I don't, realistically, dream of Ph.D.'s or huge salaries for a lot of my kids. What I hope they have and believe they deserve are long, fulfilling lives. I really need to believe, especially when I watch the Wire, that Baltimore has not damaged them beyond the point of repair.

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Flash forward to 4/8/08 - I found out early last week that one of my kids (yes, they will always be mine) had been killed in a car accident. Hi name is Mohsin. Mohsin was probably the brightest, most driven student I taught. He excelled academically but also in every other aspect of school and life. And it wasn't like Mohsin kept his nose crammed in a book. He was friends with Aaron, one of the "high-flyers" or disruptive kids...they played football together at recess and on weekends. A few of the other Glenmount teachers and I went to Mohsin's viewing (it was a Muslim affair, and very different than anything I've ever been to, especially in the South), and although it was difficult, I'm glad we did.

I feel like from the day I left Glenmount, I began mentally preparing myself for that dreaded call. And I guess I always expected that I would hear a different name...the name of a kid who had been traveling down a bad path and, well... Not Mohsin. With some distance and reflection, I think I am ready to take this lesson and continue forward. Life is short (and so we've been told over and over) and the end could be right around the corner (again, not the most revolutionary thought), but it is also sweet and moving. I want to live a bright life...a thankful life...a purposeful life. With my experiences over the past 24+ years as well as my two with crazy 7th graders in Baltimore, I now feel that I am on the path to do just that. Thank you Mohsin. Thank you Glenmount. Thank you Baltimore.

It's almost the weekend...

...and I can't wait! I'm not sure why, but I swear this week has just been dragging on and on. It may have something to do with the fact that my last 4 weeks have been short because of a weekend function. It may also be that I'm super anxious about all I have to get done this weekend. I/Diego and I have to:

1. Pick out tuxes.
2. Finish my taxes (gulp...why do I ALWAYS procrastinate on this???).
3. Address wedding invitations.
4. Go apartment shopping.
5. Attend the Spanish Catholic Center Gala at the OAS.
6. Break in a pair of shoes. :) Of the wedding variety.
7. Set up and attend the Friends of St. Jude (www.friendsofstjude.org/dc) Nats viewing party.

Whew. I have to say that when I write it out, I am much more excited than anxious (minus the taxes) because all of this stuff is so fun/forward looking! Woohoo! I'm sure I've said it before, but I CAN'T WAIT to be Mrs. Vicente. :) Really.

I'm also going to try to post a few pictures on here. I haven't before because I usually update my blog at work (I'm SO bad...but I only do it when I have nothing else to do, so it can't be that bad, right??) and don't have access to photos.

Alright...1 more hour until I'm out por el fin de semana! Have a good one!

Wedded Bliss...

Diego and I are officially less than 90 days from our wedding!!! I'm SO excited. :) The last two weekends have been really wedding-heavy. I was down in NC getting a lot done with my mom in the middle of March and this past weekend, Diego and I went to Williamsburg for lots of meetings with vendors. It really does seem like time is speeding up as we get closer to the wedding!! As far as I can tell, we've got everything under control: the venues, caterer, photographer, DJ (who we LOVE!), organist, invitations...and on and on. The only thing I don't know about is the honeymoon. Diego's keeping it a secret...he's only told 2 people (my mom and his aunt/godmother), so good luck getting it out of him. I know that it's in a warm location, is near hiking and is near some sort of historical place. Hmmm...and I'm pretty sure we're not flying really far, so I'm guessing it's in the Caribbean or Central/South America somewhere. Do you have any ideas?

The other big thing on our plate (besides getting married!!) is finding a place to live next year. I get a little frustrated looking because we could literally pay a mortgage on a cute little 2 bedroom in the area or we can pay rent. :( We simply can't buy now because we have no idea where we'll be in 2009, but being a home-owner is certainly a top priority for us in the next few years. In San Diego maybe?? We'll see!

As I ramble, I keep picturing myself standing at the alter on June 21st with the most amazing man I know and I CAN'T WAIT TO BE HIS WIFE!!!!!!!!!!! :)

Dancing Shoes

So, we are officially 122 days away from the wedding! Geez, I just can't believe it. I think that having a long engagement was good for us but it sure did build the anticipation. I just can't wait!!! We are pretty much on track to have everything done, without too much stress...I think. :)

One of my favorite activities we're doing in preparation for the wedding is taking dance lessons. We found this great dance studio in Clarendon and go on Thursday nights. Last week we worked on the waltz and foxtrot with turns and other basic steps. We're in a class of about 25 people and our instructor, Nadia, is great. Because Diego's schedule is so crazy 99% of the time, we usually spend our time doing very mundane things: cooking, studying/paperwork stuff, or watching a movie. I love everything we do together, but it's really been refreshing to have a physical activity in such a jovial social atmosphere to look forward to each week. And the bonus is that he's on his OB/Gyn rotation and doesn't have to be on-call ever on Thursdays! Man, did we luck out!

This is certainly not to promise a dynamic-dancing-duo at the wedding, but I will promise two sets of feet that are a little less beat up after dancing. :)

Where Do I Stand?

So, this blog is literally in the process of being born as I sit at work on a very quiet Friday. I have nothing to do and I hate wasting my time (unless, of course, it's in a pile of my girlfriends, with junkfood, and a good movie!), so I feel that this is more productive than web surfing, right?

I chose the title of my blog, "Standing Outside the Fire," because of a line in my favorite song, of the same name by Garth Brooks. Happy or sad, defeated or enlightened, joyful or melancholy, this song always manages to re-focus me and remind me of my priorities. Check out the lyrics:

We call them cool
Those hearts that have no scars to show
The ones that never do let go
And risk the tables being turned

We call them fools
Who have to dance within the flame
Who chance the sorrow and the shame
That always comes with getting burned

But you've got to be tough when consumed by desire
'Cause it's not enough just to stand outside the fire

We call them strong
Those who can face this world alone
Who seem to get by on their own
Those who will never take the fall

We call them weak
Who are unable to resist
The slightest chance love might exist
And for that forsake it all

They're so hell-bent on giving ,walking a wire
Convinced it's not living if you stand outside the fire

Standing outside the fire
Standing outside the fire
Life is not tried, it is merely survived
If you're standing outside the fire

There's this love that is burning
Deep in my soul
Constantly yearning to get out of control
Wanting to fly higher and higher
I can't abide
Standing outside the fire

Standing outside the fire
Standing outside the fire
Life is not tried, it is merely survived
If you're standing outside the fire

Standing outside the fire
Standing outside the fire
Life is not tried, it is merely survived
If you're standing outside the fire

~Garth Brooks



I hope to use this blog as a place to discuss my thoughts, communicate with friends and family, and just spend some quality time (because playing another game of sudoku just ISN'T productive!).

Enjoy.