Wow...I'm getting married!

Ok, ok, so it's more than a year until the big day, but it deserves to be said...I'm getting married!  Tony proposed on May 20th, 2012, while we were in St George.  I was pretty surprised by the proposal, and I think we were both surprised by my response...Yes! 

It has been so long since I thought about ever getting married again, and I was absolutely content to spend the rest of my life with things just the way they are.  And, it turns out, I am also content to commit my life to this amazing man, who surprises me each day.

Oh, and wedding plans - whoa!  So much to do, and thankfully, so much time.  I've never been good at planning ahead, or planning anything, but I am up to this challenge.  I've seen a lot of weddings, I have even helped plan a wedding.  Without really having to think about it, it is all pretty much there.  Tony and I have very similar ideas about what we want - a big party!  Make a promise in front of our friends and family, then party on!

I hope to keep this thing updated with ideas, plans and progress.  Forget Will & Kate, this really is the wedding of the century!

Proud of myself today!

I don't believe it is a bad thing to have pride in yourself.  Whether you like it or not, we all make judgements the instant we meet a person, based on their appearance, demeanor and circumstance.  From that point, we continue to make judgements, maybe negative, maybe positive, if we choose to continue interaction with said person. 

With that in mind, having pride in yourself and your actions helps you build a positive judgement of yourself.  Admit it, you judge yourself every day ("I really screwed up", or "I am so amazing, I even amaze mysef!").  A positive judgement of self makes you a stronger person, and definitely more enjoyable to be around.  Please, don't mistake this for being conceited or overly confident, that is just annoying!

Today, I am proud of mysef, because I achieved a small goal, that is part of a larger goal.  I completed a 15 minute yoga routine.  I have spent the last week or so learning each part of the routine, the breathing techniques, poses etc, and this morning it was all put together.  I am so proud of myself!

I know it sounds simple, who can't complete a 15 minute yoga routine?  But I did this before 5:30 AM, a time when I am usually wishing I could just get some darn sleep so that I can be a fully functioning human being by 6 AM.  Ultimately, I decided that since I was awake anyway, I may as well get up and do something.

I was motivated to make the most of this time when I found a small book at Barnes & Noble, called "Morning Cup of Yoga".  The book is dedicated to this short routine, to help you wake up, stretch, and get in touch with yourself.  The routine is designed to be done in the kitchen, using the kitchen counter or a straight backed chair for support.  I do it in my pj's! 

Yes, today, I am proud of myself!

New Blog

If you are interested, and some of you may be - check out my new blog - www.mightygrape.blogspot.com

On a suggestion from a good friend, I decided to start blogging about wine, I love to drink it, and I love to write, so it just makes sense!

Was the car behind you flashing their brights?

It was probably me. Why? Because you were driving 10 miles an hour below the speed limit in the EXPRESS lane!!! It's called an Express lane for a reason, you complete retard - people are trying to move EXPRESSLY from one place to another! If you want to drive at 55 in a 65, or 45 in the 55 work zone (admit it, you did it!), then do it on THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE FREEWAY! Everyone over there is driving slowly, that's why there are so many lanes, duh! You wanna play with the big boys on the left side of the freeway, then it's five miles an hour over speed limit, or nada!

Thanksgiving

You may not know this, but Thanksgiving is pretty much my favorite holiday. I am thankful every year, that American's have a holiday that I can use as an excuse to cook and eat so many of my favorite foods! Awesome all American cooking, turkey, stuffing, strange casseroles that only exist in the US (marshmallow sweet potatoes, beans with those crunchy things on top, each of you has a local family favorite!), it's all GOOD!

It's also helpful that I really love to cook - I think the picture says it all. This was my turkey last year, which I had to proudly defend, as so many other's gave their recommendations ("orders"!) on how to cook a great turkey. I listened politely, then went about my business, ignoring all the advice, and trying to remember what my mother used to do. My Mum is THE greatest cook to grace the face of the earth, and I grew up with some pretty fabulous Christmas dinners (no Thanksgiving in the UK, boo!). Oh, I also pulled out the Joy of Cooking, a cooking guide no kitchen should be without.

This year I hope to cook dinner our new house, with my somewhat new family. Megan and I have always had each other, now we have Tony, the best addition to our family imaginable. He is willing to eat anything, and he always has a compliment about the food, even when it is not my best effort.

OK, I know it's not all about the food, it's about being thankful for what you have, and I am, oh yes I am! I get to cook, cause I have a home with a kitchen to cook in. I can afford the food, cause I have a good job. I can sit down to eat with a family I love, and they love me back (I am sure it has NOTHING to do with the food!). Although I don't get to see them as often as I would like, I have wonderful friends, and amazing family.

Oh, and although I don't update this as often as some people would like, I am greatful for you too!

So, about the guy...

...yeah, yeah, there's a guy - I know, I couldn't believe it either! I met Tony just over a year ago, I came home, and he was sitting on the couch, visiting with my roommate. I thought he was sort of cute and that was about it.

About a month later my roommate asked if I would mind inviting his friend out, next time I went to my fave dive bar, The Canyon Inn. I grudgingly said yes, and made a promise that if this guy was a complete party pooper, my roommate would have hell to pay.

So, me and my girls (Tina & Lisa) go out, and meet up with Tony. Only he i s not the quiet couch potato I remember - he was the life and soul of the party. Joined in the conversation like one of the girls, came out and danced with us (which is more painful for us than him!), and generally just fit in.

Tina started inviting him to go golfing with us, and hang out, and I sort of figured that they would hook up. I mean really, Tina is the cute one. She is vibrant, and fun, full of personality, and brings light and happiness to most situations. Her blonde hair is very reflective of her personality. Me on the other hand, well, my dark hair is very reflective of my personality. I am dark, and pessimistic, and I don't do small talk. I never get asked out, and have been told that I can be intimidating. I have also been told that I need to dumb it down a bit (don't hold your breath for that!). Apparently, guys don't like girls with opinions, especially when we share them.

The thing is, Tony doesn't do blonde and sparkly, he happens to prefer strong and dark! Much to my surprise, Tony and Tina did not become a couple, and, before I went to the UK in the summer, I realized that the more I hung out with Tony, the more I looked forward to hanging out with Tony. And, he really didn't mind the bitchy, pessimistic, dark side of the moon comments.

Let me quickly say (as if I could!), that Tony is neither dark nor pessimistic. He is the bright light at the end of the tunnel (and it's not an oncoming train, yippee!). He is easy going, straight forward, and pretty simple. Not simple as in stupid, but simple, as in not complicated. And since I am complicated enough for a whole room of people, it all works out rather well.

When I got back from the UK, I realized that I needed to do something about Tony (and I really wanted to shag him!!!). It's been a long, long time since I have turned on the charm for a guys benefit, I usually reserve that for friends and family! But it just seemed like the whole situation needed a little more effort on my part - my effort at the time being less than zero, I felt that moving it to a 1 seemed like a good bet. And it was, and it still is.

We've been dating since August. I know, chronologically, not that much time, and, if I were a teenager, I would tell myself to slow it down a bit. But, when you are in your late 30's (and now that I am preparing to be face to face with 40 I can say that), six months is like six years. I mean, all the games have been played years ago, there's no messing around. It either is, or it isn't, and in this case, it is. Yes, I think this may be for good - but please, don't expect wedding announcements in the near (or distant) future. I am perfectly happy to live in sin for the rest of my life, and just be happy.

Best of Intentions

It has been a while since my last post - and, to be honest, I haven't had too much to say. My life is not an exciting mix of social events and travels, just the daily grind of working 10-12 hours a day and the constant learning experience of being a mother. BUT - I have wanted to post - I do a few things from time to time. And I have wanted to write about them, and, I have started to write about them. In fact, on my other laptop I have saved three drafts of different posts. The car show (dreaming about all my future rides), new boyfriend (he's the best), Megan growing up, you know, that sort of thing.

Then, last night, as I was surfing for pictures of Miley Cyrus (Megan is off to the hair salon today), I started to get viral warnings - "Your computer is at risk" "Scan now!" "Danger, Will Robinson, danger!". OK, so I'm just kidding about the Will Robinson bit, but you get the drift, right? Suddenly, I can't close anything out, and hundreds of pop ups start swamping my screen, so I hard boot, figuring I will stop it from spreading (wishful thinking, I know!). A few minutes later, I re-boot, log on and...I am stuck in a boot cycle, logging on, logging on, logging on again. That's it, a crash and I can't even log on, I am done.

I have never experienced a computer issue that I could not resolve, never! I can usually fix them, cause they are usually minor. I am super careful about what I open, download and view. Surfing for Miley Cyrus pictures? Seriously? Dude, it's not like I am some kind of perv, and typed "naked miley cyrus" - just "images of miley cyrus".

This all started cause Nicki sent us an email of Milly & Miley, and Megan loved Miley's hair color. Those pictures did not show it very well, so off I went, surfing the internet for more Miley Cyrus pics.

Quick side note - Nicki is one tough cookie, and I am sure that Milly continues to fight because she see's the example of strong women around her, goddesses who preserve the true nature of womenhood through their work and actions. Nicki had a great example to learn from as well, her mother. Here's a shout out to the whole Broby family - the best example of family I have been blessed to know.

Well, that's it, half written posts are locked on a system that has crashed. Pictures of Megan, Tony and I having fun at the car show. Pictures of Megan growing up, becoming a beautiful young women, pictures of other random stuff, GONE!!!

OK, so not really gone, I can take the laptop into a computer shop, who will charge me an arm and a leg to find my stuff, and hopefully, put me back in touch with it, but, let me get back to my original point...sometimes, it's hard to keep up, even with the best of intentions.

I spend 50- 60 hrs a week in front of two monitors, researching and resolving investor questions, reviewing loan docs, reviewing sql queries for data requests and reports, and reporting on it all. When I get home, and on the weekends, I generally am not motivated to sit in front of yet another computer, and write a post about my so called life.

However, my life is good, in fact, it's great. Megan is growing up, and coming into her own. She is strong willed, and somewhat stubborn. She doesn't like to study or do homework, and is only just realizing that she is pretty smart.

I am dating a wonderful guy, who is respectful, responsible and motivated. As an added bonus, he is really cute! We are looking to move, and become a family of our own. That'll be exciting, right?

That's it for now - until the next time I realize I have left this too long, and think of something to say. In the meantime, take of you and yours, and keep posting, cause I do love to read what you write.