May The Force Be With You

This Saturday we went to a 'Star Wars' themed 30th birthday party. How many of you can say that? It was for John's good friend Bo. We all dressed in some type of 'Star Wars' attire. It was great to see what people came up with. I opted for a Han Solo t-shirt, as he was my favorite character and John wore a Yoda back-pack. He was depicting the scene in 'Empire Strikes Back' where Luke is in the jungle carrying around Yoda while learning the ways of a Jedi. Original? I think so, and almost as cool as his buddy Rocco coming as a light saber! Man I wish I had a pic of that.

Here we are together and John with his friend Jeff (aka Obi-Wan)...

You might note the name tags in these photos. It was one of my favorite parts of the night. Everyone was given their own 'Star Wars' name. Here's how it works: Start with the first three letters of your last name followed by the first two letters of your first name. Then the first two letters of your Mother's maiden name and the first three letters of the city you were born in.

Sounds complicated but it turns out rather funny. Mine is "LanJa DeWes" and John's "LanJo DePhi". We are like the Spanish feminine and masculine versions! What's yours?

Not So Fast

Stimulus check my butt! I got mine in the mail yesterday, minus $500! Yeah, I owed, so what. I was paying it off in my own time, but the government decided it would save me some effort and just give me the leftovers. It was so anti-climactic. Imagine me tearing open the envelope after rubbing it in John's face, only to find $100.80. Not to mention the fact that I got a parking ticket trying to deposit the little thing at the bank. So don't count on me to be stimulating the economy any. Ugh! 

Blog If You Got One

Today is my Blogversary! I can hardly believe I've been at this thing for a year already. It started out as a fun idea but now I look forward to writing something daily if I can. I also enjoy reading what everyone else out there has to say about a post so keep those comments coming! 

A few fun facts about this blog...

1) I mainly like to blog during the work day as when I get home I'm exhausted and tend to forget everything I wanted to say.

2) The post that generated the most comments was 'Practice Run' about my trial wedding hair/make-up appointment (7).

3) While in Hawaii, I was eating at a restaurant and they had license plates up on the wall. I started screaming when I saw one from PA circa lord knows when that had as the state motto "You've Got a Friend in PA". With 100% honesty I can tell you that I never knew that when I named this blog what I did. Just came to me. I think it was meant to be!

You Are My Number One

Last night when Vanessa sent me a text message that she and her husband were at the famous Elliott Bay bookstore in Seattle for a David Sedaris reading/signing I was so jealous. She, like me, is a super fan. Then she told me she chatted with him for awhile before he signed her copy of his latest book "When You Are Engulfed in Flames" and I got jealous and nostalgic, as I recalled the time my brother Matt and I went to hear him read on his last book tour in Phoenix. It was really great and I too got my copy autographed.  He is not only my favorite writer, but a gracious person to meet which makes being a fan all the more worth it, in my opinion. 

While recounting all these emotions and memories to John last night, he must have been really feeling me because he went right online and purchased us two tickets to see Mr. Sedaris when he 'performs' in PA this October. I was over the moon! I partly have Vanessa to thank for that :)

Water, Water Everywhere

I know that drinking water is supposed to be so good for you but I have to tell you that I have a really hard time with it. Water just does nothing for me. I'm not a soda drinker either but more like a non-needer of beverages in general. But, since I got started back with yoga and it's blazing hot outside, I've been making more of a conscious effort to guzzle water throughout the day. This has been working out fine for weeks and when I complain about being tired, John can't say "well you are probably dehydrated" because there is no way I am.

One problem though...I'm going to the bathroom like crazy! There just isn't enough time to keep making stops for this. I am on the road constantly. It's called outside sales for a reason! It goes right through me. Today I was in the middle of nowhere at a customer's house and was in severe pain for the 20 minutes it took me to find a decent place to pee. Now I know that isn't a good thing. Maybe my body will get more used to this new found health regiment but hopefully I won't have to suffer along the way!

How We Roll

This weekend we had a good time down in Virginia visiting John's brother and his family. We are absolutely smitten with 15 mos. old Victoria who lights up any room she is in. She just gets cuter by the day...

It's really great to watch John with his niece and while we aren't gearing up to have our own children any time soon, it's nice to know we can get a little kid time in once and awhile. She does make it so easy, though!

Since we got home pretty early Sunday because we had to pick up the exhausted Duke from the kennel, it gave us time to test out the new Wii system that I got John for his birthday. The idea was for us to have something fun to do more at home when we move into the new house and I'd say John is already hooked. I've caught him laughing and talking to the TV! Here he is playing golf for the fifth time tonight...

My wrist was getting a little tired after awhile but I did hang in there through a tennis match and baseball game. We even made matching Avatar people to really take our competitive nature into the virtual world...

Right now I'm feeling ready to pass out from the living room sports but he's ready for a re-match! This will either turn out to be one of the most fun additions to the household in awhile or the most exhausting. I'll be keeping you all posted!

Birthday Wrap-Up

John ended up having a great birthday last night, but of course I totally forgot to take pictures to prove it! We got to Tamarindo's in Ambler for a Mexican meal (and free margaritas!) and all his friends were there with their significant others to help us celebrate. He was truly surprised and while I don't like to embarrass him normally, he was truly happy. His pals are such great guys that they even paid for the entire meal. I protested but they insisted. I'm still feeling bad about it but it's just how they do things. Happy to help a good friend celebrate his birthday. They are the kind of people you know will always be there for you and we both appreciate that.

Because my husband shares the same birthday with his brother Andrew (2 years younger) we will be heading down to Fredricksburg, VA later tonight to do more celebrating. Should be lots of fun. The only part I dread about leaving for the weekend is having to put Duke in the kennel. I know they treat him wonderfully there but I feel so many guilty pains when driving away. I wonder if he gets sad or even knows I'm not there. People say different things about dogs and how they think, but if you spend five minutes with Duke, you know he isn't your average dog. I'll be sure to promise extra treats upon our arrival Sunday. That should bribe him!
Have a good weekend everyone :)

Birthday Boy

My adorable husband turns 31 today :) We'll be heading out later to celebrate, but I wanted to take a moment to touch on just some of the things that make him so special to me...

• John is the most considerate person you'll ever meet. He is the first to be there if you need help and never expects anything in return.
• He has cared for my friends and family from the start as if they were his own.
• He is handy and cooks!
• He hasn't smoked in 2 years after giving up one of the hardest habits to break when I told him I just want him to be around forever.
• He supports me in every endeavor even if it's just an obsessive hunt for the perfect dining room table.
• He has taught me that the best things in life are worth waiting for.
• He believes that marriage is a true partnership.

Happy Birthday John! I love ya!

The New Digs

OK. We completed the home inspection earlier today and thankfully there was nothing glaringly wrong with the new house (unless you count the current owners choice in flesh toned wall paint), so I believe it's now safe to share some of the photos of the inside that I've been promising.

Without further ado, here is our new home!


It's a center hall colonial so when you walk in the front door, to the left is the dining room,


and to the right is the living room (family room behind the french doors)

One of the things that made me fall in love with the place is the original wood floors, built-ins and fireplace. I would always tell John I wanted a house with character and he'd look at me like I was nuts, but this was what I was talking about!
The stairs to the second floor face you as you walk in,

and that red door you see there leads you out into the big back yard, another huge selling point for us (and Duke of course).


There is a great second and third floor with ample bedroom space and even a master bedroom walk-in closet! The kitchen needs a major overhaul so I won't be showing that but hopefully this gives you a glimpse into the new place. We are so excited for moving day!

Hold Your Horses

Would it be jumping the gun to order moving announcements with our new address? Look at how cute these samples are! It's hard to resist.

Dear Dad

I am my Father's daughter...

and proud of it!

Happy Father's Day Dad :)

I Dress Myself

All my friends dress super cute to work. I don't even know how to attempt to do this as a window sales person. I try to look professional but I crave comfort as a way of staying less stressed driving around in this heat and lugging samples to and from my car. Did I mention I use a tape measure regularly? Not exactly a fashion forward accessory. I need sensibility and lets face it, at a LOW cost. If I spend $40 on shoes I feel guilty. Yes, I know how depressing this sounds.

I have found that Old Navy has been a godsend based on my above points. Last night I rolled in there on a whim and swiped up 4 of these adorable polos in different colors (not this yellow, though, my Italian skin is basically that color). With dark jeans and flats, I should be able to pull of some resemblance of a semi-stylish worker. Any more cost saving clothing ideas would be greatly appreciated, though!

Can I Breathe Yet?

After coming so close to walking away from the home we put an offer in on last week, the seller's realtor emailed ours to say our price has been accepted along with our closing date and there were 8 minor points they want us to agree to, many of which are non issues. When John read all this to me I had to sit down. Last week was just a roller coaster of emotions and confusion and we were all set to look at new homes, just convinced we had to walk away.

Our realtor, Dave, being the seasoned professional that he is, took us out last night but we just didn't see anything we liked as much as the original. He explained that while we were getting the run around, it mainly had to do with the trustee (idiot lawyer) trying to earn his keep. 

LONG story short, we are going to sign the papers this afternoon, accepting their points, minus one and then hopefully can move forward to the home inspection phase. As soon as we get there, I'll post a pic of the new place. I'm still too nervous to do so now, not wanting to jinx anything!

Monday Recap

Girl's Day with A. turned out to be super fun. I didn't mind the 2.5 hour drive down to Columbia, MD or the sweltering heat as we had such a great time catching up.

I got down there just in time for the 'Sex and the City' movie showing. We couldn't get over how long the film was and our initial reaction of it being good but not great. I had a long chat with Erin (who saw the movie opening day and has been patiently waiting to discuss) on the drive home about how the film probably wasn't needed in the grand scheme of things since as fans we were so satisfied after the finale. It was nice to see our favorite TV girls back in action, though.

The Merriweather Pavilion concert venue happened to be so close to the Mall in Columbia where we saw the movie and ate dinner that it was perfect. The setting was interesting as A. and I had to trek back via a scenic trail just to get to the grassy lawn. Thankfully, she was smart enough to bring along towels for us to sit on because the heat would have been no match for our bottoms!

Death Cab for Cutie played another amazing show. I have been fortunate enough to see them oodles of times across the country and they never disappoint.

I am so glad A. and I could spend some quality time together. I hope we find the time to do it more often.

Search On

Sunday proved to be a low point for us in the house hunting search. We have decided after much run around and some ridiculous tactics from the parties involved to pull our offer on the house we found last weekend. As much as I loved it and could see John and I there for years to come, we have to focus on what is realistic and makes us comfortable. Right now if I ever saw the seller's realtor on the street, I might chuck my Starbucks at them. Seriously.

So the search continued without much luck today until we stumbled on another entire area that might work. Houses seem more reasonably priced, like we could get more for our money. It will be about the same commute for me now but coming from another direction. I'll keep everybody posted as we roll through 12 more options this week. After that I will officially be getting really, really nervous as we have to be out of our current home by July 31st.

Tomorrow, though, I have a half day at work before meeting A. in Columbia, MD for what we have dubbed "Girl's Day" and I'm really looking forward to it. It will be a much needed break from all this mess!

Birthday Cheer

Today is very special as it's the 75th birthday of my wonderful grandmother Clare. I wish I could be there to celebrate with her today but thought this would be a great way to let her know I was thinking of her since she is a regular reader of this blog :) 

She is one of my most favorite people in the world and I love her very much!

Happy Birthday Nanny!

Work Wishes

I have been working awhile on a monster project at the office. It involves us doing the replacement windows for two huge apartment complexes. I have been salavating over the thought of getting that consistent business for the next couple of years. I quoted it back in March and haven't heard much from the project manager, despite my countless nagging phone calls. However, today he called out of the blue and said he would like us to do a test installation on two large sections in one of the buildings. I am so excited! Could everyone please think good thoughts that we end up getting the whole job in the end? Jackie needs a big sale!

Picture Pages

With all the hustle and bustle of house stuff recently, I was completely overjoyed when our wedding photographer emailed and said our album was finished (I'm telling you the man is fast!). I really love it and it's nice to be brought back to that day.

Thought you might all like to see some shots of it. It's a coffee table book style so the photos are part of the pages...

It comes in it's own hard case,

then you slide it out of the box and this is the front cover...

and back cover...

Some inside pages...

Now if I could just get the videographer to send us our wedding video, I'd be all set :)

House Hunters

We spent the better part of this weekend in search of a new house. After seeing seven Friday I was ready to cry from the sheer crap we were seeing, but by Saturday, we had found two we liked and then today after stopping at just one open house in Fort Washington, we fell in love with one. It's a 70 year old, center hall, brick colonial, with lots of character and a killer backyard. It will also shave 15 min. off my drive each morning! We are going to take one more look Monday or Tuesday and draft an offer soon. I'm really trying not to get my hopes up too much, though. House hunting can be so odd. You have to try to picture yourself living somewhere and liking it enough to want to buy it, but also can't get too crazy in love as you never know if the deal will go through. So right now I'm walking a fine line between being really happy and really worried!

Mrs. Movie

Since most women were seeing the 'Sex and the City' movie, this weekend, I had to cover my ears as I heard many of them leaving the theater with comments, because John and I were there to see 'IronMan' last night. I am VERY patiently waiting until next Monday when A. and I can see it together as friends should. I must say though, I really enjoyed 'IronMan'. Robert Downey, Jr. was great and it wasn't full of non-stop action like most comic book based films. It was really entertaining and character focused. John was disappointed with the limited action but I liked it because of that. Worth the trip ladies!