Five Things

1. I am apparently officially too short for my favorite jeans. I used to buy "size X regulars." Now I wear a "size X short." Am I getting shorter? Is there a special multivitamin I can take to grow back to my original size? Or is the jeans manufacturer playing a cruel, cruel joke on me since their jeans are the only jeans that make me look like I actually have a butt that are actually sold in my joke of a local shopping mall at a reasonable price? Am I getting paranoid? Hmph.

2. I am married. :) Have been for 16 days now.

3. Now that I have been married for a whole 16 days, I have learned that:
a) husbands do not like to watch the "Real Housewives of [insert your city of choice here].
b) they do, however, like to watch a lot of sports. and shows involving dangerous commercial
fishing. in Hi Def. loudly. with the surround sound.
c) I really don't like watching a lot of sports. or shows about fishing. in Hi Def. especially in
surround sound.
d) we will really need to get another television.

4. I can never go to the Anthropologie website. They have too many beautiful things there. Beautiful, whimsical, clever little things that make me want to open a lemonade stand to save up my pennies to buy said beautiful, whimsical, clever little things. Pathetic, I know.

5. Every time I see "Desperate Housewives" I wish I had beautiful red hair like Bree. I also wish
I was the kind of person who could grow hydrangaes and curl my eyelashes with one hand
and write the perfect Thank You note. Like Bree. Unfortunately, I suspect I would look like Ronald McDonald with such red hair, I am so gardening-disabled that I have killed a cactus, I don't know how to I have woefully uncurly eyelashes, and I can barely chicken scratch a polite thank you. Ah, well. At least I have something to aspire to.

Whoa.

I am getting married in 10 days.

I am on my third cup of coffee for the morning.

I haven't seen my best friends or fiance for a month.

I have the strong urge to make lots of muffins.

I want some more coffee.

I don't think I need any more though. right?

Right.

10 things

1. I am getting married in 16 days. wow.

2. I babysat two little cuties yesterday. I thought I was such a clever babysitter, playing play-doh with them, drawing pictures, playing outside... I thought I would tire them out so when Mommy and Daddy came home they would be all nice and quiet. nope. They, in fact, tired ME out. Well played, little girls, well played.

3. I am getting married in 16 days. Seriously??? Seriously. That's insane. I haven't even finalized the wedding cake, or the flowers, or the favors, or the place cards.. whoops. It will get done. As God as my witness, with Starbucks coursing through my veins, I WILL finish all my wedding projects before the rehearsel.

4. Did you hear that? Yeah, I think God was laughing at me. Silly girl.

5. I tried on my wedding dress a couple days ago. It fits perfectly. Not too big, not too small; just right. *phew*

6. My future brother in law is in charge of the slide show, and I have a sneaking suspicion he may have dug up some pictures of me in my high school band uniform. Will the fun never stop? Oh my. Oh my my.

7. I read a few chapters of The Fantastic Mr. Fox (by Roald Dahl) to my sweetheart over the phone last night. He fell asleep like a baby, so I had to press a few buttons loudly to get him to wake up to turn his phone off... but whilst he was in dream land and I was reading aloud about the Fox family, I started to mentally make a list of all the books I want my children (nonexistent, hypothetical children I will have in the future) to be exposed to... any and everything by Roald Dahl. The Jungle Book by Kipling, everything by Eric Carl (Karl?), Where the Red Fern Grows, all the Madeline books... and then I realized it was almost midnight and I don't have children, so maybe I could finish the list in the morning. oops!

8. Today is the first cloudy, rainy day I have experienced in Grand Rapids so far this month. Everything is cool, dewy, and I could just curl up and take a nap. Even though I got 9 hours of sleep last night. But still.. nap anyone?

9. I am excited to report I will be shopping for some bridesmaid's gifts today! I love buying my friends cool stuff. It brings me joy.

10. I am getting married in 16 days!!!

Socks

Yes, socks.

I generally don't wear socks often. Living in snow-less Florida and having unusually long feet means that flip flops are my day-to-day shoe. Ask anyone. Black flips flops with a little bumble bee on them or leather flip flops that are on their last flop; I wear one or the other every day.

Which means I can avoid socks. Socks make me feel claustrophobic. Socks are funny shaped, and they get sweaty, and they are a pain to deal with when doing laundrey, and one always disappears from the dryer... you can probably tell that I am not a fan of socks.

But would you like to know how I spent my evening last night? Helping out Milli because she found a basket of about a bazillion kajillion (these are precise numbers here) SOCKS. It took me the better part of two hours to pair as many pairs as I could, scan the nearly identical remaining socks to try to match them, and ultimately end up with about 47 zillion (again, exact figures here) pairs of socks, and about 32 bazillion "pairless" socks. There is literally an entire load of laundrey in the washer made up of paired socks. Incredible.

I am not complaining; I had nothing else to do whilst watching 'The Devil Wears Prada' for the umpteenth time, and offered to help.

Ultimately, I feel bad for the poor "single" socks. They have lost their partner, their mate, their other half. I sympathize with you, little single socks. My other half is flying helicopters and watching Discovery Channel in Florida while I am doing wedding-things here in Michigan. I am a sad other-half-less little sock.

I should really talk to a professional about this sock issue. Or maybe just finish watching 'The Devil Wears Prada.' They don't wear socks in that movie.

Michigan.

I am here in Grand Rapids after a weekend at Glen Lake. The wind is blowing in the trees, I am wearing jeans, a long sleeve shirt, and a scarf, and spend almost the entire day wrapped in a blanket, drinking coffee and reading on the porch.

This is quite possibly the most relaxing day I have had all year.

We don't have crisp breezes where I come from. We don't wear long sleeve shirts until, oh, about November. and we certainly don't sit on the porch and read in the afternoon because it is normally so humid that it would be akin to voluntarily reading in a sauna for hours on end.

This is my first "real" autumn since I was eight years old, and I am relishing every second of it.

Of course I miss Future Husband something fierce. I miss living in the happy noises of a house of five folks and one very emotionally needy terrier. I do miss the unpredictable rain storms that accompany hurricane season, and the "y'alls," and the seafood restaurants. Of course I miss palm trees, white sand, the strange rainstorms that happen with the sun shining brightly, and my friends who are the only people who don't think I'm a complete loser because I snort when I laugh. I miss it all.

But soon Future Husband will be here, and we will be going to our wedding rehearsel, and then our wedding, and then our honeymoon, and then we will back amongst the white sand and palm trees. and I will probably then miss the cool breezes and the "you betchas" and the comfy sweaters that make Grand Rapids so cozy to me.

yet another list.

I am having an early sushi dinner with my dear friend and bridesmaid K. I absolutely can't wait; the rumby in my tumbly is demanding a spicy tuna roll.

This is my last Tuesday in Pensacola as an unmarried woman. I am getting married in 32 days, and I can't wait!

I saw the pics from Future Husband's cousin D's wedding... D married the beautiful K over the weekend, and we so wish we could have gone! They are both wonderful people, the pictures of the wedding are beautiful, and we can't wait to see them at our own nuptials!

I have noticed a trend in my cooking lately. Everything is pasta involved... mostly because Future Husband is allergic to grocery shopping, and I haven't had much time for it lately. It's been pasta this, spaghetti that, and even an improvised lasagna... time to switch it up. Future Husband is especially fond of about ten recipes, and he could (and has) eaten those ten recipes around the clock for years. I, however, can't stand it any more, and I also can't abide by a constant barrage of gluey pasta. There must be another way... any thoughts?

Another List.

1. I slept in until about 10am today. I know, I know, sleeping my day away and all that, but boy was it worth it.

2. I figured I might as well continue my "sleep in 'til ten" kind of day, so after working, I ran an errand... which turned into a jaunt to the book store to buy a book and a journal. Yes, a journal. So many people I have talked to have said that the few months before their wedding and after were a really magical, interesting, intense time and that keeping a journal is a great way to preserve all the feelings and thoughts around this crazy time. I have a long history of journalling, too, just ask my mom. As a little girl, I loved putting pen to paper so much that before I could even write, I would ask for a notebook, and on each line intently make loop after loop... I call it, "Primitive Cursive." At the time I really believed I was writing down my thoughts and feelings, which is the root of my firm belief that even if it makes no sense to any one else, journalling and self reflection is important.

3. I also bought the Da Vinci Code.... the book, not the movie. It is another firm belief of mine that while one should read things to expand the mind (I am currently also reading Vanity Faire by Thackeray), I also think it's important to enjoy "mental bubble gum" from time to time. Mental Bubble Gum is what we call, in my family, books that are usually fiction, amusing, and a good way to pass the time in airports or waiting rooms, but are usually lacking in substance, information, or the requirement of a dictionary nearby... fun for awhile, but lacking in substance.

4. My friend Amie (maid of honor extraordinaire and the cleverest person I know) is also taking a class at her University about Carribbean (sp?) Gothic Literature. As a lover of Southern Gothic Literature, I'm intrigued to see her reading list. I am well aware that this makes me a total nerd. But I'm also the same person who is in love with her kitchenaid. So there you have it.

5. A new episode of Top Chef is on tonight.... HURRAH! I am personally not too fond of this season, as it seems to be more about scandal, sniping, back stabbing, and other such unpleasantries more than it is FOOD. However, I have loved this show from Season 1, and a true fan is a fan even when the team (or show about chefs) isn't doing so well. *sigh* I am incredibly noble, aren't I? ;)

6. I leave home in 10 days, to spend a month in Michigan preparing for the wedding, and actually wedding-ing, then a week in the Keys for our honeymoon... and when I come back, I will be a Mrs., living with my Mr.... wow. Ten days? Wow.

A List

1. Did you know that breathing underwater via SCUBA is not relaxing? It is, in fact, terrifying, overwhelming, disconcerting, and twenty seven other adjectives that add up to SCARY. That is, when you are a type A, organized-within-an-inch-of-her-life control freak named Lucy. After a week's worth of book work, pool work, and a few horrible minutes in the Gulf, I can absolutely, definitely, most assuredly declare that I am not meant to breathe underwater. The end.

2. I fell in love. She's bold, intuitive, so sleek, and makes the most wonderful little whirring sound. Her name is Roxie, and she is my fire engine red Kitchenaid stand mixer given to me by the most wonderful maid of honor known to mankind. Roxie is the most beautiful piece of machinery I own. I made chocolate chip oatmeal cookies with her help, and they turned out beautifully. I keep looking up recipes that call for mixing just to hear her little "whir." I swear she shines just a little brighter when I use her.

3. I know my relationship with my Kitchenaid is unhealthy. Roxie and I are okay with that.

4. 'Milli' introduced me to the Olay Definity foundation, and I am a changed woman. My skin looks bright and healthy, and NOT like I stayed up past midnight adding to my Wedding To-Do list and watching Real Houswives reruns... the stuff is miraculous.

5. The whole "I am moving in with Future Husband after the wedding" thing has really sunk in for me. Where is all my stuff going to go? Where am I going to put all my sweaters? Is there enough shelf space for all my books? Or will I just stack them in piles in corners and hope no one notices? My goodness. So much stuff to fit into a one bedroom apartment.

6. I also have to move my iTunes library from one laptop to another. I installed iTunes on the other laptop but that's as far as I can get. Any thoughts?

7. Can I just go on the honey moon now? Have someone bring me coffee in bed and leave me alone to read the newspaper? To wander around town and eat in fantastic local restaurants for each meal and not do dishes for a whole week. Please?

8. Please? Pleeeease?

"Stop the World and Let Me Off...

I'm tired of goin' round and round..."

Have you heard that Patsy Cline song? She gets me.

For the past year, I've felt like my life has been on Fast Forward... no pause, no slow-mo, and certainly no rewind. I leave for Wedding Location in less than a month, the wedding is in less than two, and I feel like things are just piling up. There are endless things to do for the wedding, and I feel like there isn't enough time in the day to get everything done. One would think I would look forward to sleeping each night too, since sleep is allegedly when my mind shuts off and lets me rest.

As we say in the South, "No, ma'am!"

Every night I have a different dream that leaves me even more tired than when I woke up. I dream that the baker delivered the wrong cake to the wedding reception, and I end up with a cake decorated for a Monster Truck driver convention. In another, my dress is way too big and I actually have to stuff myself with donuts the morning of the wedding in an effort to fit into it. Last night's dream involved a missing wedding dress, with the only thing to wear being my high school marching band uniform. Yep.

Suffice it to say, I am feeling like I'm going a mile a minute, and my once coveted "Me Time" is now just a dream.

On the other hand, I start scuba classes tonight. ... classes that will teach me how to swim around underwater, to breathe underwater... where no one can call with a chair-cover emergency... where no one can ask "can we add fourth-cousin-by-marriage-twice-removed-Cousin-Myrtle to the guest list?" because you can't really speak underwater... where the whole pace is slow and steady... and the whole point is to simply enjoy your time down there.

Sounds like, for just a couple of days a week for the next two weeks, I will gloriously get to stop the world and get off... even if it is just for a few minutes, or a few hours, underwater... which is perfect because I'm so tired of goin' round and round.

Florists and Scuba and Lists, Oh My!

Oh. My. Goodness.

I don't even have the energy to put together a mildly witty post about much of anything, and also a new episode of Top Chef is on, so here you go, people.

1. Thank you to everyone who organized, attended, sent gifts to, and otherwise participated in my three bridal showers. I had a fantastic time meeting some new people, getting to know people I've already had the pleasure of meeting, eating wonderful food, and being showered with endless generosity of spirit, and gifts. Future Husband is especially pleased with the "being showered with gifts" part. :)

2. I have begun packing to move, because once I depart for the Wedding Location in September, I will not return until post-wedding. Did you know that I have three times as many boxes of books than I do anything else? Including clothes? and this is after taking about 40 books to donate. Obsessed much?

3. I have made a list (yes, another list) of everything I need to do in the next month. Multiple Pages are involved. and I am already tired. help. me. someone fire up the coffee maker!

4. I am starting Scuba diving lessons next week. Part of me is a little intimidated. I'm always intimidated by trying something new. The other part of me is reassured knowing that this is the most laid-back sport ever. You are supposed to breathe slow, swim slow, relax, use the buddy system (like in summer camp)... SCORE. I liked summer camp. I can do this.

5. Does it make me wierd that I am not yet bridezilla? At least, I don't think I am...? So far I am very much, "okay, sure, let's figure it out" when things don't go my way regarding The Wedding. People are telling me that's wierd. Maybe I'm just too tired. or maybe it's because at the end of the day, I know everything will be wonderful-even if I don't have flame calla lillies in each centerpiece, even if I don't have time to make a seating chart and people get to sit with whomever (whoever? whosoever? whatever.) they want, even if the stripes in the frosting on the cake aren't perfectly straight.

6. I finally had my, as Oprah would say, "Aha!" moment about my wedding. The day Future Husband proposed was perfect. But between work, school, getting ready to move, etc., Wedding Planning had felt more like "planning just another event that happens to be my own wedding" than it has "Planning MY Wedidng!" ... until we met with the pianist. Something happened. She was playing a few different song options for the Prelude and Processional... and then she landed on "The One." The perfect song, the one that I AM WALKING DOWN THE AISLE TO. and it all just became so real for me in that moment; it was like my own wedding walked up and smacked me in the face, yelling "LIFETIME COMMITMENT, WEDDING RINGS, REST OF YOUR LIFE, I DO!" I know this all sounds like a very aggressive experience, and it was. But in the best possible way. All along I didn't feel connected to my own wedding, and then BAM. All at once. I choked up, my eyes welled up, my breath caught in my chest, my head spun, and I saw myself walking down the aisle, to that song, in my dress, towards Future Husband, and forever. I think people may have been asking my questions, but I had to take a moment and collect myself before I could speak. My own wedding made me speechless. Since then, I am still just as busy and tired, but I feel fully immersed in my own wedding, I am embracing my wedding planning experience, and I can't wait!

7. In cleaning out stuff and packing, I found my brownie girl scout vest, and I can't believe I was ever that small. or motivated to sell cookies.

8. now I kind of want some cookies.

9. can I pay someone to bring me some cookies? like boomchunkas from Cherry Republic? please?

10. I think what I need most right now is a walk down the street I lived on in Maryland in crisp autumn weather, wearing a comfy coat, and then get to watch the sun set while swinging at the playground across the street from my old house. The house was on a big hill in a row with other houses, and I always felt like if I listened hard enough, I could hear the cheers at the football games at the local high school, and that since we lived at the top of the hill, that we were closest to the sky and got to see the airplanes flying overhead just a little more clearly than anyone else.

That sounds perfect.

and a cookie.

On the Road Again...

So my future mother-in-law (otherwise known as "Milli") has been in town since Wednesday, to spend time with my fiance and I, and to attend my bridal shower yesterday. She wakes up really early to do outrageously kind things for us; make pancakes at 5:30 am, move laundrey over, go shopping with us... and is awake until late. She never looks tired, she never slows down, and quite frankly, puts me to shame. I am half her age (forgive me, Milli!), and she has twice as much energy as I do. What is her secret? I haven't caught her mainlining Red Bull or powering her robot battery down at night to recharge... once of these days, I'll catch her at it.

At any rate, this leads me to our road trip tomorrow. That's right; road trip! My mother, Mrs. Milli, my ten year old brother, and I are all piling into a mini-van that we will pack with snacks, wedding things, bridesmaid dresses, and endless to-do lists and dog-eared wedding magazines, and are driving to the great white North. Okay, Michigan won't be white this time of year, but as the humidity probably won't be at 100% like it is here in Sunny Florida, it might as well be. We have appointments with florists, pianists, chair-cover people, and goodness knows who else. We will be attending two bridal showers and hope to spend the weekend at the lake. None of this worries me; I am ready for busy-ness! Back to back appointments, meeting people I don't know, trying to find my way around an unfamiliar town...these things I can do. What worries me? The drive. I can't sit still for 4 hours, much less 16. If I don't run every day, I can feel a buzzing in my legs; they're telling me, "work me out! if you don't, I will develop cellulite with a QUICKNESS in protest! Let's get MOVING!"

This drive just might kill me. Maybe if I take the seats out of the backseat, I can fit a small stationery (stationary?) bike in the back. Or maybe my mom will just get so sick of my asking, "Can we make a stop to stretch our legs and maybe run a quick 5k?" that she will spike my coffee with melatonin and I will sleep the whole way.

One way or the other, I will be getting the Michigan for Wedding Madness 2010. Whether it will be of my own volition? We shall see.

Sleeplessness...

often leads to restlessness. Normally when I'm restless I make lists... lists of things I need to do for the wedding, lists of people to call or email, lists of groceries I need to get... tonight, however, I feel like making a different kind of list. A list I should make more often, I suppose. Tonight I feel moved to count my blessings, to list the things on my mind that have made me smile, even if just for a moment. Tonight I am thankful for...

1. the avocado sandwich at Mellow Mushroom... the perfect *almost* midnight snack.

2. my fiance, who continues to be my best pal, who understands that the season premiere of Top Chef is more important (to me) than the World Cup will ever be, that running out of coffee is in fact an emergency, and who, day after day, reminds me in thousands of small ways why I am marrying him.

3. people who shush their own chatty friends in movie theaters, so the rest of us don't have to miss the dialogue in a movie we paid $9 to see, but also don't have to turn around and shush them ourselves and feel like crotchety old geezers.

4. my wonderful friends, who are travelling to the great white North for my wedding, with no complaints or hesitation, the utmost enthusiasm, and who have questioned only whether or not they need mittens and gloves.

5. my adorable little brother, who says the funniest things, who keeps me young, who asks me what the world was like before the internet, and who has the cutest freckles across his nose in the summer.

Learning Lessons in Thankfulness...

As often happens when my plans are foiled, my hair is frizzy, I forget to make time to eat breakfast (and lunch), I was in a fairly surly mood one day this past week. Not much was going my way and I was feeling particularly sorry for myself...and then, a song got into my head. and I couldn't get it out. It turned my mood around, made me smile, and helped me stop and count my blessings... and it is sung by a delightful little Asparagus. That's right, Asparagus.

In one of the countless Veggie Tales videos I have seen in my lifetime, there is a song that Junior Asparagus sings about thankfulness, and the verse I always get stuck in my head is as follows:

"I thank God for this day, for the sun in the sky, for my mom and my dad, and my piece of apple pie...for our home on the ground, for His love that's all around, that's why I saw thanks everyday."

Yep. That's right. Right in the middle of my pity-party I was so enthusiastically throwing for myself, I was put in my place. By a fictional singing asparagus.

So now, whenever I'm starting to feel whiney, I just think to myself, "I thank God for this day, for the sun in the sky..."

This I Know For Sure... I think.

Every month I get Oprah's "O" magazine in the mail, and after I skim the movie reviews, interviews, and oh-so-profound quotes about the meaning of life and other such things, I get to the one monthly feature that I just can't get excited about. I love the different writers in the magazine, have tried the recipes and genuinely enjoyed them, and have put a lot of stock in the book reviews. However, there is that one darn article that appears month after month that I just can't take seriously. "This I Know For Sure." At the end of each magazine, there is an article about a recent revelation of hers. These musings usually have something to do with the meaning of life (Oprah seems to have this all worked out) or being grateful (apparently Oprah counts her blessings daily... I can only imagine. "#1: Dr. Oz's infinite supply of botox #2. my four personal assistants without whom I would not remember to count my blessings"). The bottom line is, though, that the center of each article is something she knows "for sure." My problem with this--how many things can we really know "for sure" in life? I don't know about you, but I don't have the whole purpose of my life worked out yet. At the ripe old age of 21, I don't have a whole lot figured out "for sure." However, as they say, "don't knock it 'til you try it." And so, in fairness to Oprah, I am hereby making my own list of "Things I Know For Sure."

1. When in doubt, throw it out. This applies to suspicious leftovers in the fridge whose origins are unknown or mascera that may or may not be left over from the 8th grade formal. When it comes to things you eat or wear; moldy eye make up and congealed turkey gravy are not good for you. This I know for sure.

2. Smile. A lot. Those who know me well know I am not Miss Mary Sunshine. I am not a morning person, I get grouchy when I don't have the right amount of coffee in me at any given moment, and am generally more akin to Oscar the Grouch than cheery little Elmo. However, being the grouch gets you no where and nothing. When I can't find any ripe avocados at the grocery store, I smile, almost maniacally at the produce guy, and he is more than happy to look in the back for me. When they don't have my size in the only golf shirt that isn't a hideous pastel color, a smile is usually all it takes to get the guy in the sports store to look in back storage for me. When I'm on the phone with someone trying to get one little question answered and they keep giving me the roundabout, I put on a smile and put on my "patient" voice. People can hear a smile through the phone, I swear it's true. While it is said that flattery gets you everywhere, it's usually obnoxious and reminiscent of used car salesmen; I say, a smile gets you everywhere. And even when it doesn't, it can usually get you the only decently ripe avocado in the whole produce department. This I know for sure.

Ok, I know that's only two things I know for sure, but let's face it, there aren't many sure things in life. I DO know for sure that it is midnight and beyond time for me to get to bed, and that I will finish this list later. Those things I know for sure... I think.

Wedding Music...

Most of the time, music at wedding receptions is pretty terrible. If we're being honest here, NO one likes Shania Twain ballads and the Cha Cha Slide that much, do they? Drawing on my own experiences, I find most reception set lists reminiscent of that syrupy sweet non-music they play on the "Soft Rock" radio stations. Every song has about the same idea; "I love you, you love me, we beat the odds, now we're stuck for eternity."... Pretty bland stuff. Like retirement home food; sure, it'll do, but overall it's repetitive, grey, and flavorless. I myself plan to try to go for some old (Sinatra), some new (Alexi Murdoch), some borrowed (Elton John covering Sinatra), but probably no blues. Let's face it, some aspects of wedding planning are just plain dull. Picking the "appropriate" wordage for the invitations, narrowing down which four cousins will be ushers. I have to say, though, this whole music thing has got me pretty excited. Different songs bring back different parts of our history together; the work-out music from the gym, sneaking looks at each other across the elliptical machines...plane rides to Texas to see him after four long months of Skype dates... the long trip to Michigan for Christmas, and unbeknownst to me at the time, our engagement... the whole thing. Corny, I know, but true. Music has been a consistent player in our relationship when nothing else was. I hope we can put together some music for the reception that really "feels" like us. However, even if this little project never gets completed and we end up with an endless loop of Michael Buble and Top Forty Love Love Songs, one thing is for sure... I myself will perform a Kenny G solo on a jaw harp before I will allow the Cha Cha slide to infiltrate the playlist. You can take THAT to the bank. :)

The List.

Anyone who knows me knows, I am a list-maker. I am a planner, an organizer, an outliner; I had my first day runner at 12, and I am the kind of person who organizes her book shelf by genre. Suffice to say, I am a little on the organized side. And so it follows that I have made myself a "to do" list for the summer. On top of my daily "to do" lists for wedding planning and work, I have, in fact, created an entirely seperate "to do" list. This list, however, is different. There is no mention on this list of florists, insurance companies, dry cleaning, or grocery shopping. This is a list to end all lists, my piece de resistance... my list of things I want to do this summer.. not things I should do or things I need to do. That's right. Things I WANT to do... I am blissfully working my way through it, starting with watching the movies I never have time to watch during the school year; between student teaching, classes, work, and wedding what-nots, a thousand and one movies came and went through the theaters that I meant to see but didn't. THIS is the summer for movies! A few other things on the list; get to the top of the toughest climbing wall at Weatherford's-no more wussing out halfway up. It's time to get down to business with my climbing technique! Next on the list is scuba certification. Why not? I need more of an adventure than buying out-of-season grapefruits at the local farmer's market. Latest addition to the list; golf. I know what you're thinking... it's not simply to appease my golf-loving fiance. OK, well, maybe that's part of it. However, the driving range is less than 10 minutes away, I love an excuse to buy argyle, AND... there is nothing quite so satisfying as the sound of the iron hitting the ball and watching it sail toward the sun... even if it lands 25 feets away with a resounding plunk, taking some dirt and grass with it. :) My list keeps growing and I sometimes wonder if I'll be able to accomplish half of it before the summer is gone... but you know what they say... every journey begins with a single step! Or in my case... movie rental. :)