Another Weekend, Another Wedding

David and I had a fabulous time in Chicago this past weekend. We went up with Lindsay and Russell to attend a fraternity brother's wedding (the first of many more to come in the next year). Believe it or not we weren't even the last to arrive at the ceremony! (gasp) Although we did cut it close; I believe they were seating the mothers when we snuck in the back pew.

Everything was just great until (insert creepy music here): the cocktail hour! Now this was a first for me: the cocktail hour lasted 3.5 hours; and that's BEFORE the reception started! It was all planned, so we knew what we were in for ahead of time (i.e., trouble!). Imagine what happens when you have access to a full open bar starting at 3:30 and going strong until midnight, with a shuttle to drop us off between the hotel and the reception venue (safety first!). Like I said, trouble. ;)

The night starts off great. Lindsay and I look fab in our new Macy's dresses (got 'em on sale!).



And we finally make it to the reception. I'm getting sleepy from the wine, but David appears to be doing just fine. Let's eat!



And then things start to get crazy.......



and weird.....



and just plain scary!



That's what an afternoon of cocktails will do to a person.

A New Enemy

We have a new enemy in the neighborhood. Don't worry, it's not a someone, it's a something. It appeared out of the blue late last week and has made its presence known to everyone who drives down our street. The culprit: a devilish, gigantic speedbump smack dab in front of our house. Kudos for the safety precaution (people drive way too fast down our street), but so far the speedbump has caused more angst than relief. First of all, it's the biggest speedbump I've ever seen, more like a small hill than a bump really (I can fit my car on top of it). Second, it's solid black, which means you can't see it at night. So here we have people who still drive too fast despite the speedbump, either because they are idiots or because they can't see it, and every time their cars bottom out as they go over it (which is very often), it startles Chase and he lets out a woof. So imagine what it's like at our house these days. We've got the thump-thumps from the cars bouncing over the speedbump, the squeal of the tires as people slam their brakes so as not to catapult their car into the air, and the woof-woofs as Chase advises us when there's a loud sound outside our house. Oh my. Guess that's life on Hollingsworth Drive.

Three Years and Counting

Three years ago Wednesday marked a milestone moment for us — the day we pledged "till death do us part." I can't believe it's been three years, yet at the same time it seems so long ago. I wish I could say our third anniversary was magical and spectacular. Unfortunately, we don't live in fantasy land (as much as I'd like to pretend we do). I had to give a presentation in my accounting class that night and wasn't home until 8:45. But I'm a lucky girl. David had a surprise dinner (and a much needed glass of wine) ready and waiting for me when I walked in the door. Say it with me now: "Awwwww." We shared a late candlelit dinner in our pajamas, opened gifts, and crashed with the pup watching a random '80s movie on TV. It wasn't nearly the magical night that it was three years ago, but it was pretty perfect for just an ordinary Wednesday.

Yep. Pretty perfect indeed.

Farewell to Summer

It can't be! It's fall already? Noooooooo! Oh how I will miss those warm sunny days....

and the pretty flowers....

and the late sunsets....

and....

did I mention the warm sun?

Okay, actually, fall is my favorite time of year; it's the winter that immediately follows that I hate. And this crazy Indiana weather doesn't help anything. One day it feels like August, and the next day I'm breaking out my winter clothes. Pick a season, Indiana; you're killing me here. But for the time being I am enjoying the crisp air (Chase, too!) and the beautiful oranges and reds on the trees. And the holidays are right around the corner, which is always the most fun part of the year. So I bid you farewell, summer, farewell.


David and his dad clear out the garden........ while Chase supervises.

Night at the Movies

Last night David and I saw the new movie Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist. We hardly ever see a movie in the theater. Prices ridiculously higher than the $3.50 I remember from my childhood, annoying kids with no manners who should be accompanied by adults but aren't, and the miraculous invention of DVR and Video On Demand have made the movie theater experience, at least in our book, extremely underwhelming. However, in rare instances when we a) see a really great movie previewed that we just HAVE to see on the big screen (a la Dark Knight) or b) really need to get out and do something we don't do very often, it almost always comes down to a night at the movies. I think it's the nostalgia of the movies that I like so much. These days going to the movie theater isn't that spectacular (unless you go to a brand new theater with superb surround sound, the most comfortable stadium seating you've ever sat in, and butter pumps so you can customize your popcorn according to your tastes). And last night was no different; the theater was practically empty, we didn't get popcorn, and the seats were the old kind where you have to strategically place yourself a few rows behind people either to the left or right so as not to have the screen blocked by someone's big head, then slump down in your seat so you can sit still for an hour and a half without getting a cramp in your neck. So no, it wasn't the spectacular movie experience I remembered from the '90s, but I was happy all the same.

There's something about sitting in a dark, quiet theater, sharing an armrest with the boy you like, and laughing out loud when you turn to each other at the same moment because something the characters just did on screen reminds you of a moment way back when, that just feels......good. Maybe it's those millisecond moments when you can relate to the characters in the movie. Last night it was when Nick and Norah (two young singles who share a love for music and a quest to find out where their favorite band is scheduled to play in the city) start making up dances in the middle of a club. To any of the other viewers last night, it was probably just a funny scene in the movie. To me, it was an "awww" moment when David and I glanced at each other and just started laughing because we were both thinking the same thing: "we do that too!"

The movie was just okay in my opinion. Good music and some funny parts here and there. I wouldn't recommend it for anyone over 30; it speaks more to the teenage and college crowd than the twenty-somethings. But what I really enjoyed, despite the lack of popcorn and the uncomfortable seats, was that one-of-a-kind experience that only happens at the movies: when you can sit in a dark public place surrounded by strangers and still feel like you're in your own little world. When it's just you and the person you're with, laughing together in secret at what would appear to be nothing at all.

A Wife's Point of View

My husband is a hostage
of the CFA.
Tortured nearly daily,
cramming knowledge into his brain.

He comes home from work
and goes straight to studying at the table,
while I mope around the house
‘cause I can’t watch cable.

And then it’s off to bed we go,
but wait, he’s still not done.
That big pile of notecards
have to be reviewed until there’s none.

Sometimes I get lonely
because I feel like I never see him.
A dinner here, thirty minutes there,
and if I’m lucky a trip to the gym.

But when I get upset
and wish he’d just be done already,
I step back and remind myself,
he’s doing this for me.

I certainly have no right to complain;
he’s sacrificing more than me
by giving up all his free time
to build a bright future for our family.

I don’t like the long study hours
and I miss the time we had before.
But in the end it will all be worth it,
and that makes me love him even more.