Love & holidays

I'll admit, I've been behind on my blog for a while. Posting Ten on Tuesday is pretty much all I had time for, and by the time I've caught up with my Google Reader there's not a lot of time to actually post.  But I'd like to work on this a little, so let's start slowly with a little bit of a list.

+ Biggest & brightest reason I've been absent? I got engaged!  Back in October M & I headed out to Kansas for a KU football game (my first trip out there).  He wanted to show me the town where he spent his college years since in our home it's Jayhawks all the time.  Well, toward the end of the campus tour he started acting a little weird.  We made it to the campanile which overlooks the stadium and he pulled out the most beautiful ring.

We spent the rest of our trip celebrating it up and cheering on the football team even though they lost.

+ Because of the engagement it's been a bit of a whirlwind around here.  As per usual, everyone we come in contact with wants to know details.  Have you set a date? September-ish.  Where is it? Not sure yet. Etc. etc.  Add in the fact that almost every other friend I have is engaged or married right now that's all they want to talk about.  But we have appointments on Sunday to look at some venues...so stay tuned.

+ Thanksgiving came and went with a lot of drama.  My grandparents usually do dinner at their house, but my mom called me the Tuesday before saying my grandfather had a really bad cold.  Because of this my grandmother didn't want to get the rest of the family sick.  My mom offered to host the event, but I reminded her that her oven was out of commission and in turn Thanksgiving was at our place.  Almost 20 people over and a 25 lb turkey?  That would make most people's head spin...let alone two days before the event.  Add in I've never even roasted a chicken before, let's just say I was a little anxious.  But it went off w/o a hitch...no burnt turkey and everyone had a great time.

+ As for now?  I'm hopelessly trying to get my holiday shopping done in time.  I managed to get my cards out, but I have another 250 to do at work so I just keep remembering to breathe.  Anyone else running behind schedule???

Leave the drama for your momma

Last I mentioned about the house was that the inspection was coming up, so let's just fast forward and say it passed. It actually passed with pretty flying colors which is a major plus. The problem now is that moving day has come up super fast and we will be fully in the house tomorrow afternoon. Am I ready? Of course not. Packing is kicking my butt and all the stress that goes along with it.

A lot of the things I have in my apartment are from my great grandmother's house. She passed away a few years ago and to this day it's still hard. She was like a 2nd mother to me, and I lived with her until she died. So when I moved out I took a lot of stuff with me because I had such an emotional attachment to everything. Things that I didn't even particularly love, things that I found to be ugly, whatever. They all stayed with me because I couldn't part with them. But I am determined to get rid of a good chunk of them...the Goodwill will appreciate them and they'll go to a good home. At least that's what I thought when I started. Last night after every glass I wrapped up I found myself sobbing. Grief hits you in the strangest of ways, no matter how long it's been since you lost someone.

It doesn't help either that I've been under significant stress. Moving stresses me enough, but my family is bringing the drama as well. It's all well intentioned, but my mother & grandmother are freaking out because M and I are moving in together and I don't have a ring on my finger. I know it's old fashioned and I know they are just being momma bears protecting their most precious cub of the family...but it's driving me crazy. I know he has plans and engagement will happen when we're ready for it but in the meantime I don't appreciate feeling like I'm openly defying their wishes. I swear, best intentions drama is the worst kind.

But you know what almost makes this all worth while? This pantry.
I'm so excited to organize this thing, OCD tendencies FTW!

Day One

Like countless people around the country I am now officially unemployed. It hit me like a ton of bricks right in the chest but I understood. The economy is in the toilet and I know that it was one of the few ways that the company I was working for could stay afloat, but it still hurts. It hurts that I was one of the chosen few to be let go, it hurts that despite my best efforts to show how valuable I could be it didn't work, it hurts because I know there were better places to make cuts (like those people who actually don't do work all day).

But I can't dwell, I know it all happened for a reason and as cliche as it can be...it's a blessing in disguise. I can now find a job that I can be happier with. I don't know if I want to stay doing the same kind of thing as before, although if there are any positions in Seattle-ish for purchasing I won't ignore you. It's been suggested for me to go back and finish school, although I'm still paying off those loans from before and the idea of going into even more debt makes me anxious. Something else can fall into my lap or I could network with just the right people, so all it needs is time and I can make it work.

Besides, if I wasn't unemployed I couldn't pick my little brother from school today because he's sick. We're now hanging out at the parents while he plays video games, we drink candy cane tea and lounge by the fireplace. It can't be all bad.