Hubs is Gone...Again.

I can't believe it's March already! You know what that means? It's my birthday month. I do accept gifts in all forms. Goods, services, praise. March 22....one year away from 30. The sheer horror of it makes me want to vomit. I'm getting so old.

In other news, hubs is gone again. Blah. You all know how much I hate it when he leaves. It's been almost a year since he's had to travel for work. So I kind of got used to having him around. It's nice. I like having a present husband.

He left yesterday morning. He's only traveling domestic this time, so that's definitely a positive. A little bit less to worry about. But he's working 7 days a week, and nightshift on top of that. Our conversations are sure to be few and far between. He'll be gone for anywhere from 45-90 days. I told him if he's not home to mow the lawn, I'm calling breach of contract on this marriage. I've said it before and I'll say it again. I don't do outside work. It hates me. I hate it. When hubs signed on for this marriage, he signed up for ALL outside work, short of planting pretty posies and weeding flower beds. I don't mow lawns. I don't prune trees. I certainly don't mulch. And I absolutely don't use the weed whacker.

Call me stuck up. Call me a priss. Whatever, go ahead and hate. My allergies hate weeds, grass and pollen.

Last night was rough. You know what I'm talking about. The first night in your house alone. Every sound is suspicious. Is it an intruder? A ghost from the Great Beyond? A mouse? My imagination? That's probably more like it.

My attack dogs are less than vicious. But Peanut does alert me of any obscure noise. That's a blessing and a curse for sure.

On the positive side? Hubs has a job. A good one. It affords me the house that makes all the crazy noises at night (that certainly aren't there when he is.) And I'm truly thankful for that. And at this juncture, I'm way better off than him. Living in a tiny hotel room for that period of time? No thanks.

That's my life right now. Take it or leave it.

A True Valentine's Day Story of Role Reversal

The following is a true Valentine's Day story.


One year, approximately 4 years into hubs' and my relationship, he made an observation about Valentine's Day.


"Why don't girls ever get their guys flowers? Why do we have to be the ones to do it?"


Great question. Apparently, the answer was not obvious. So, from there, I immediately hatched a brilliant plan. That Valentine's Day, hubs would be receiving no less than a dozen red tulips, right to his office cubicle. 


But I couldn't stop there. You see, that just wasn't enough. I called up the florist and asked that, accompanying the flowers, there be a very large, heart-shaped balloon with the words "I LOVE YOU!" for all to see. 


After some sleuthing with his office-mates, I found a way to get them delivered to the right place. 


So around noon, I get a call from hubs. Thanking me for the flowers. And the giant balloon that hovered over all the cubicles in Cubicle Land. Causing quite a stir, and a lot of unwanted attention.


And although hubs appreciated the effort, he learned that day why guys don't get the flowers. Girls are way better equipped to deal with public love and affection. 


Heather - 1
Hubs - 0


The End. 

Our Love Story

It's February. The month of love. I'm not sure I've ever really divulged the deets on Hubs' and my relationship. So, today? That's what I'm doing. I'm linking up with Becky at From Mrs. to Mama to bring you...Our Love Story.

1. How long have you and your significant other been together?

We're coming up on 9 years in May! 

Hubs and I circa 2005 (Hubs is on the left) His college roommate, Rich , is on the right.  Hi, Rich!

2. How did you meet? {What's your "love" story?}

Ah, yes. Our love story. Well, it was my junior year of college (2004) and I was coming off a bad break-up with my highschoolturnedcollege boyfriend of 4 years. I came back from that summer single and ready to have some fun for a change. 

My best friend and roommate, Pam, introduced me to Nile and his crazy pack of friends (who, now, happen to be some of our best friends.) And from the night I met him, I knew he was something special. Perhaps it was his beer-drinking, visor-wearing, crazy-laughing personality? From that night on, we started hanging out all.the.time. But? He had a on again, off again girlfriend that was going to study abroad. What turned into a crush and flirty relationship with us, quickly faded when he realized that he might still have feelings for her. Fair enough. So we cooled it off. 

Then? She came back from overseas and he realized that they didn't have the relationship they once did. So, it was back on for us. We started dating casually. Until he decided that it wasn't time for him to be in a relationship. Gah. Boys, right? Fine. We went our separate ways. He dated some other people, I dated some other people.  Most girls would have thrown in the towel. The beginning of our relationship was tumultuous at best. 


Then, one Saturday night, it finally began. When he called me to his room, took a deep breath and told me that he loved me and couldn't live without me. Yep. He said it. 21-year-old hubs exclaimed his love for me. And that, my friends, was all she wrote. Senior year we were always together. Then when he got a job in Jersey right after graduation I followed right behind him. Moving into our first apartment (which eventually burned down a mere 4 weeks later, but that's a story for another day.) Six months later? We were engaged with a Pug baby named Wiggles.

3. If married, how long have you been married? 

Married for 5 years in May, engaged for 1.5 years, together for 2.5 before that.

At our wedding in May 2007.

4. If you are married, where did you get married at? Big or small wedding?  

We had a modest-sized wedding of 100 people in my very small hometown in Central PA. It was the perfect size. The perfect friends, family, music, food. Overall, the perfect day.

5. Do you have any nick-names that you call one another? Do share!

We've never really been big on nicknames. It's just not our bag, (baby!) Ha!

6. Name 3 things you love most about your honey.

His sense of humor. The man can make me laugh like no one else can.
His ability to push me to be a better person.
His butt. True.

7. Tell us how he proposed? Or your ideal proposal?

He proposed on Christmas Day 2005. I'd been asking for an iPod for Christmas, so he was a sneaky little bastard. He got an iPod box and put the ring inside. Wrapped it up and put it under the tree. We were opening gifts on Christmas morning at my parent's house when I unwrapped the iPod. Secretly, I really wanted a ring, but an iPod was perfectly fine. Apparently, however, I showed disappointment all over my face. He told me to open it up and show my parents how it worked. I wanted nothing to do with that. But, finally, he convinced me. Well, when I opened the box, there was no iPod inside. Instead, it was a ring box. He got down on one knee and proposed in front of my family. It was so special. And I reacted like a crazed monkey. See?

Crazy crocodile tears. 

8. Is he a flowers and teddy bear kind of guy for v-day, or strawberries, champagne, and rose petals?

Usually, he's a flowers and teddy bear kind of guy. He's typically sent me flowers to work (you know, to make everyone jealous.) 

9. Are you a sunset dinner on the beach kind of girl, or pop a movie in and relax on the couch?

Both? I'm very much a putonamovieandputonmysweatpants type girl. But at the same time? I'm also a sucker for all things romantic.

Riviera Maya, Mexico - Our honeymoon

10. Tell us one thing you'd like to do with your significant other one day. If you could do anything? Go anywhere?

We'd really, really like to go to Europe. And travel hop. Italy, England, Ireland, France. We were thinking about doing it this year, but then realized that it's expensive and stressful. So instead? We went to Costa Rica and played with the monkeys.

Costa Rican sunset 2011.

11. Tell us what you plan on doing on this Valentine's Day.

We actually have a Valentine's Day tradition dating back to 2008. We were living in Jersey and there was a huge ice storm. We'd been stuck in the house all day and really wanted to go out and get dinner for Valentine's Day. Once we dug ourselves out and got on the main roads, we realized that nothing was open. Nothing except this one tiny Indian restaurant. Which was amazing. Every year since, we've gone out for Indian food. It's a tradition we look forward to every year!

12. Are you asking for anything this Valentine's day?

Nah. We save gift giving for Christmas and Birthdays. Just some Chicken Tikka Masala for me.

13. Give us one piece of advice of keeping a relationship strong and full of love.

Laugh. If you can't laugh together, then what's the point? We like to have fun and we don't take life too seriously.

Also, date night. At least once a week. It's important to make time for just the two of you.

Us not taking life seriously on Halloween 2008.

14.  Show us a picture of what love means to you.

You may think this is strange, but I think it's perfect. This picture (from college toga party, clearly) illustrates our relationship. Always laughing. <3 

I'm Not Bad Driver, I Just Hit Stuff

Monday morning started out like any other. I was thrown into the chaos of the Beltway at 7AM that was a mess of stop and go traffic. I was cruising along just fine when the lady in front of me slammed on her brakes, causing me to slam on mine. But guess what? I didn't get stopped quite in time causing me to catch her right in the bumper. 


I got out of my car dreading what I was about to see. Lucky for me, and the lady in front of me, damage was minimal. A tiny scratch on my front bumper, that's really only noticeable to me. And her car? I took some of the paint off around the license plate. No dents. No serious damage. She took my info, but I haven't heard from my insurance company yet. I'm hoping she decided it wasn't worth it to file a claim.


But my biggest fear was telling hubs. Because I've had a track record with hitting things. Mostly inanimate objects.


1. Age 16, the same week I got my license, I backed into a fellow team mate's car leaving field hockey practice. My dad was none too pleased with my performance. 
2. Age 18, I backed into a Lincoln Town Car in the parking lot of the Bon Ton. Luckily not enough to damage either car. 
3. Age 24, I hit a the ticket booth at a parking garage. With the ticket lady still in it. Yep, she was a little shocked. No one was injured. My car had a scratch on the bumper, no dents. The only thing bruised was my ego.
4. Age 25, I pulled out in front of a Jaguar on the way to my sister's college graduation. To my defense, he was booking it down the road and I didn't realize how fast he was coming. That was my biggest accident. My front bumper came right off in the middle of the road. Again, no one was hurt, thank goodness. 
5. Age 27, I took a turn too wide in the Giant parking lot and sideswiped a huge truck. Injuring the bumper on my 2 month old car, but again, no damage to the other car.


Now this one. You can imagine why I'd be a little reluctant to tell hubs. I've got a bit of a track record. 


I crafted an email to him describing the incident, confirming the fact that it was no big deal. One of those things you can't prevent. I sent it and hoped for the best. He emailed me back:


Hubs: Nice work, Ricky Bobby.
Me: That implies that I was speeding, which I was not.
Hubs: Heather Accidents: 3 (<---Clearly he wasn't counting correctly)
          Me Accidents: 0
Me: This was not an accident, it was an "incident."
Hubs: Semantics.
Me: The Beltway is a dangerous place.
Hubs: With drivers like you, it sure is.


Touche. 

Thanksgiving - The Good, The Bad

Let's talk Turkey Day. Thanksgiving is one of those holidays that's really changed for me over the years since I've been married. 


When I was single, it was a day when my grandmother, Nana, sister, mom, dad, 2 aunts, 2 uncles and 4 kids would gather around the table and dive into my mother's turkey with the trimmings. It was loud. It was crowded. But it was what I knew and loved. 


Enter marriage. Becoming a couple means that holidays now have to be split. So, Thanksgiving is now dedicated to hubs' fam. Christmas is my fam. 


Thanksgiving to me now means:


1. Traveling over 3 hours in one day to see hubs' family. It's exhausting.


2. Gorging myself on hubs' sister's pumpkin roll. 


3. Pouring over all the Black Friday sale papers directly after turkey consumption.


4. Coming home after a long drive and trying to pass out on the couch, while two crazy, cooped up dogs want to play.


5. Fighting with hubs on who gets the leftovers.


6. Debating on whether or not I should muster up the energy to get up at the ass crack of dawn and head to snag some Black Friday deals. Sleep usually wins.


7. Getting out all the Christmas decorations and going to town. By the time I'm done, it looks like Santa threw up all over the house. 


8. Dragging hubs to get a Christmas tree. Making him hold about 10183 of them and "shake them out" so I can get a good feel for what they'll look like in my living room.


9. Starting my yearly tradition of slowly converting hubs from his scrooge-like state to enjoying every minute of the holiday season. This is complete with all holiday activities like cookie-baking, music-listening, gift wrapping, light putting-up.


This year? We're chopping down our own tree. As in, heading to a tree farm, picking the prime pine, hacking it down and dragging it to the car. I can only imagine this trip will end up like a scene right out of Christmas Vacation. 


You know what though? I'm very, very thankful that hubs is back in the country. Because this time last year? He was overseas for work. And I was missing our Thanksgiving and holiday traditions. Now that I'm married, the holidays will always be where he is. <3 

Gamer Husband?

When I met hubs about 8 years ago, I knew he was a video game addict. From the minute I walked into his dorm room and saw his Xbox and strewn about games like NBA Jam, I figured if I liked him it was something I'd have to get used to.


Now? We're the proud owners of almost every video game console out there. Because, hey, the man does now discriminate when it comes to gaming.


Many women ask me "How do you deal with a husband that plays video games all the time?" Well, ladies, it's really not that bad. And honestly, over the past few years, he doesn't play nearly as much as he used to. He usually keeps it in moderation (except for this Fall, when apparently, all the most awesome games of all time were released.)


Here are the negatives:


1. Nodding and pretending to hear every word you say while he's playing a game. I've learned to try and not tell him anything of importance while he's playing, or else it gets lost in his brain. My messages typically get boxed out by Gears of War. If I really MUST communicate with him during game time, it's wise to make him pause. Which brings me to my next point.


2. Online gaming can be stopped for no one. If dinner gets done in the middle of him playing Madden online, then dinner waits until his game is done. Because he can't simply just stop, right? That screws up all his points (and stuff.) Good thing we have a microwave to nuke his cold food.


3. Noise. Now that we have the surround sound back, I can hear gun shots echo throughout the house. And when he's playing online with other people? The yelling and screaming can be downright irritating. 


4. Ignoring you for games. That doesn't happen too often, but with the influx of new games that were just released? I'm being ignored pretty regularly. And, yes, I've tried the "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em" routine. Not my cup of tea.


The positives:


1. He's made some amazing friends through video gaming online, which in turn means I've made some pretty amazing friends myself. You can laugh and judge and call us super nerdy and weird, but these are some of the most fun, hilarious, genuine people I've ever met.


2. His time playing games equals time for me to spend doing stuff I want. Like watching reality TV...or making crafts. Sometimes it's nice to go to our separate corners of the house for a while. 


3. I can nap on the weekends and he doesn't bitch about it. Also a plus. 


4. I can go to bed at 10PM on a Friday night, and he has something to keep him occupied. Yes, I go to bed at 10PM on Friday. It's usually been a long week. Give me a break.


5. There's always something to get him for Christmas/Birthdays. 


In reality, it's a rare occasion that I bitch about him playing games. It's his hobby. Something that he loves and relaxes him. And who am I to take that away, right?


Well, ladies, do you all have gaming husbands? How do you deal?

Basement Renovation: Complete!

It's been a long time coming. Months in the works. But, the basement is finally done! What does that mean for me?


1. No more Gears of War blasting in my living room.
2. No more living room clutter of 1028374 remote controls.
3. No more cursing at the Chiefs on Sundays within my earshot. 
4. 2/3 of the house free to decorate and arrange in whatever way I desire.
5. 2 floors between my bed and the surround sound. 


Yes, the basement was mostly for hubs, but we all benefit here. Plenty of space for entertaining. A bar. Space for working out. Watching movies. Spending quality time. And a lock at the top of the door in case he pisses me off. Ha! I kid. Kind of. 


Let's look at the before photos:

 After wall demolition.

Who doesn't like "salmon" carpet? Oh, right. Everyone.

 Progress= 5 quarts of "Silky Bamboo" from Behr, 7 paint brushes, 6 rollers, several bottles of wine, several 6-packs of beer.

 Free Home Depot hat. Why? Because we're loyal customers. And because hubs had issues getting paint in his eyes.

Now, the BIG REVEAL!

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 Don't mind Peanut. She's hazing a nap.

 Big screen and the World Series. 

Happy hubs at his computer nook. See above his head? Surround sound. The first movie he tested it with? The Matrix. 

Lazy Boy with heat AND massage, cup holder and built-in booklight. Someone went all out for comfort. And bonus Wiggles in the background.

And the bar. Ah, yes. Complete with mini-fridge. Classy.

There it is! On it's way to being complete. We have some more furniture and WAY more organizing to do, but it's coming along. Next? I'll post pics of the rest of the house. Now that we can actually move around in it. Happy day!

A Cooking Husband, You Say?

I've decided to it's time to amp up my workout routine. I'm not abandoning running, since I'm determined to get better at it, but I'm starting to work out twice a day, a few days a week. 


And let me tell you, when my alarm goes off at 4:45 AM (that's, of course, with a half hour of built-in snooze time), I am NOT ready to get out of bed. BUT, so far, I'm on day 3 of this little routine and it's working out just fine. 


I'm doing an hour long workout in the morning (a video, kind of like Jillian Michaels but more intense) five days a week and running 3 days a week. 


Since this is a lot of work, and I do it in addition to all of my other daily tasks (you know like, working full time, cooking dinner, cleaning, doing laundry), hubs and I came to an agreement. He will be cooking dinner for us twice a week. Which is HUGE. 


He's not really a cook. Not because he can't do it, but because he chooses not to. But now, I'm getting to see the his true blue culinary skills. Last night was his first meal shift for the week. Our dinner? Buffalo Chicken Wraps. They were delish. And were prepared with minimal questions (i.e, where's this, where's that, where's everything.) 


I cannot tell you how blissful it was to sit down and relax (watch DVRed reality TV) while my dinner was being made for me. AND he even cleaned up. I could get used to this. 

Sunday Night Randoms

Why can't the weekend be three days? Two just doesn't seem to cut it. I'm having a serious case of the Sunday night blues. You know what that calls for? A random blog post.

• I just got done treating Peanut for another hot spot. The poor thing can't catch a break. She's always got a ton of skin and allergy issues. As we speak, she's sitting and watching me with a resentful look, as if to say "Why, mommy? Why do you hurt me?" Heart-breaking.
  
  
• Hubs and I had a master plan to stain the deck this weekend. Then it went ahead and rained. Can't stain a wet deck...so I took a nap instead.
  
  
• I busted out my Fall decor, including Halloween. I know it's not October yet, but it's close enough.
  
  
• I baked. Yes, baked. Pumpkin cupcakes with pumpkin cream cheese icing via Skinnytaste. They are ah.may.zing. And guess what? Only 3 Weight Watchers points.
  
  
• Wawa now has pumpkin spice coffee. I drank 24 ounces of it Saturday morning. Tonight, I'll have sweet coffee dreams about it. I can only hope that I wake up early enough to stop by and get a cup in the morning.
  
  
• Hubs has been in a state of depression all day because the Kansas City Chiefs are pretty much the worst football team on the planet. I'm pretty sure my little cousin's Pee Wee team is better. Not only have they been blown out of the water the last two weeks, today their star played collided with the Detroit Lion's mascot and tore his ACL ousting him for the season. Le sigh. Here's the replay...from 4 different angles. The horror.
  
  
  
  Well, I guess it's time for me to suck it up and go to bed. The only thing that will make Monday better is that pumpkin spice coffee, so I must beat my alarm.

And There Were Monkeys!

While in Costa Rica, hubs and I decided to try and be adventurous and partake in one of the famed activities...ziplining. We were excited, nervous, and wetting our pants a little bit when we got up to the first line. But after that first ride, you could definitely understand the thrill of it all. 

Here we are suiting up to get on the lines. 

Yep, that's me zipping headfirst into the jungle. They call this pose the "Superman," and I was one of handful of people that dared to try it. 

Here's hubs zipping his way to the bottom of the jungle.

But, seriously, the best part of ziplining was waiting for us at the end. Because, there were monkeys. Not just any monkeys. Monkeys we could play with! 

Hubs and his baby monkey face, Manolo. Adorable doesn't even begin to describe it. 

These little guys were everywhere. Jumping on our heads. Trying to pick our pockets. Examining our hair to see if we were hiding any bugs. And snuggling, of course. Hubs and I were trying to figure out a way to get one back home with us. But we didn't think Customs would like that. 

Seriously, the best part of our trip, by far. 

Resort People Watching

Hubs started a blog. Yes, I know. He wants to be just like me. Imitation is the most sincere form of flattery. 


Seriously though, he's effing hilarious. Like, make you spit your drink out out of your mouth and piss your pants hilarious. 


So, instead of writing a post myself about the people watching we did while on vacation, I'd like to defer you to his blog for this. Because it's epic. You'll LOL. That's right. LOL. Maybe pee a little like I did.


However you react, have a read. You won't be sorry. 

Costa Rica - Pura Vida

I'm backkkk! Yes, that's right. Back in the good 'ole U.S. of A. After a week in paradise (minus humidity and some bug bites), hubs and I have arrived safely back in MD. How was Costa Rica? Amazing. Should you go? Yes. I survived the plane ride (which was shorter than I thought.) 1.5 hours to Hotlanta, 3.5 hours to Liberia, Costa Rica. And the Liberia Airport? One gate. No joke. And no AC. Also no joke. 


Some pics, you ask? Why, yes, I took plenty. We had some adventures. Some relaxation. Lots of people watching (including nicknames we had for several groups...more on that later.) There were monkeys, ziplines, sun, sand, water, lots of food (hello, 5 pounds - oof) and frozen cocktails (and unfrozen cocktails.) 


To start, here are some scenes from the resort and beyond. I'll be posting pics over several days (only the best ones) because I have too many for one post! 

The Costa Rican motto: Pura Vida (Pure Life) - So true of this country!

Next post? Costa Rican adventures. Complete with monkeys (!!!) 

Worry is for Weiners...Like Me

Tomorrow, we finally leave for Costa Rica! Am I excited? Yes. Nervous? Yes. Why? Because...


1. I hate to fly. It gives me anxiety for several reasons that you don't even want me to go into. But thank God I'm loaded up with Ativan. 


2. Hubs and I have separate seats on the way back, which makes me sad face. Though I traveled alone a lot for my last job, if hubs is with me, I'd really like to be sitting next to him. 


3. Foreign travel gives me anxiety. I've only ever been to Mexico, which was like an extension of the US. 


4. I'm worried about the weather. It rains every day in Costa Rica between April and November. Some people say it's only for an hour or two. Others say it can be all day. But we really wanted to take vacation now because we never know where hubs' job will take him next and when. 


I sound like an effing crazy person, eh? I'm a worrier. That's just who I am. And I'll worry until we're landed, at the resort, sipping cocktails by the pool. 

Source: pedlars.co.uk via Heather on Pinterest

At any rate, I'll be MIA for the next week. Unless of course, I get the urge to blog while I'm there. But there's only WIFI in the lobby, so that chances of that happening are slim to none. 

Wish me luck and sunshine!

A Refreshing Dip in the Pool

This weekend, the temperature dropped to a brisk 96 degrees here in the great state of Maryland. High humidity and a 100 percent chance of me sitting my rear in the AC. I'm not made for outdoor activities, unless there's something to significantly cool me down. Like, say, a pool.


Hubs and I made the executive decision this weekend that it was high time we got one of our very own. So we did. 

See! Our pool! Do you love the rainbow and ladybug as much as I do? This cost us a whole $10 at our local Walmart. We thought for some reason it was smaller. But turns out, it was big enough to fit the whole family. Hubs, me, Peanut and a reluctant Wiggles. We all hung out on the deck, sitting in our pool. What do you suppose the neighbors thought?

It was just a warm up to the real pools we'll be lounging next to in Costa Rica in t-minus 3 days! 

Why Don't You Make Me Pies?

Yesterday, hubs and I were hanging out in the kitchen, cleaning up from dinner, singing kitchen songs, and all of the sudden he says:


"You've never made me a pie." 


**stunned silence**


Me: "No, but you've never asked me to."
Him: "Well, I just assumed that's something you'd do. Bake pies for your husband."
Me: "HA! I don't just 'bake' pies for no reason. I'm not a baker. I'm not your mother."
Him: "That's a shame. My mother's a great baker."
Me: "Maybe you should have married your mother."
Him: "Maybe I should've."


Silence. 


Me: "Fine, I'll make you a pie. Just to prove to you that I can."
Him: *claps* "Yay! Pie!"


And today, I made a pie. But I cheated. A lot. He doesn't know that though. He thinks I can make a decent pie. From scratch. Who has time for that shit? Not this girl. 


I made him this. Still delicious. WAY less work. And it's light, because we're watching our girlish figures around these parts.

Light Banana Cream Pie - A La Heather

1 container, light whipped topping
1 box, instant vanilla pudding mix
1 3/4 milk (I made it with skim, but I think 2% is probably better for setting purposes)
3 bananas, sliced
1 ready-made pie crust


Mix pudding, milk and half of the whipped topping. Put sliced bananas into the pie crust. Cover with pudding mix. Top with the rest of the whipped topping. Garnish with bananas. Chill for 4-6 hours.


*Note: We did not chill for 4-6 hours as directed. So it was soupy. But still delicious. 


PS - There's still time to enter the Bondiband giveaway! Do it! I'm trying to be generous here. 

Guess Who's Going on Vacayyy?

That's right, friends. It's been 4 long years since hubs and I have had a "real" vacation. So we're booking it. One last hurrah before we get down to bidness and make some babies. We've been throwing around destinations. First it was Europe, going to France, Italy and Ireland, but then we figured it would be too stressful to do all that travel. 


Then we were thinking Spain and that was on our list for a while. But now? We've settled on...

Costa Rica!

Source: telegraph.co.uk via Ellen on Pinterest

I'm pumped because I convinced hubs to do an all inclusive again! So much less stress. And the resort looks amazing. We went to one in Mexico for our honeymoon and loved it. We signed up for all of the excursions, but guess how many we made? Nada. They were early. We liked our sleep. Can you blame us? But this time around, we're going to do snorkeling and possibly to the zip line through the rainforest. That is, if I don't crap my pants from fear.

The flight is slightly longer than I thought. About 6 hours. Which reminds me, I need to call the doc for some Xanax, pronto. Hubs is going to have to deal with a drugged wife for the flight there. Which is much better than insanely anxious, panicky wife. Trust me. 

We're hopefully going to book this week for the end of July! Time to start shopping for vacation clothes and counting down the days (and worrying about the flight there...because I need at least 3 good weeks of worry before takeoff.)

Oh, Baltimore, You're So Cute - Says Owl City

Saturday night, hubs and I attended a concert together...which we haven't done in several years. Mostly because he keeps telling me that we'll end up there with a bunch of screaming tweens. However, for some reason, he agreed to go see Owl City and Mat Kearney with me. Hubs loves him some Owl City. 


We arrive a little early and immediately, I knew hubs had predicted the future. The concert venue was filled with tweens, angstful teens and even young children with their parents. Also, many of them were wearing their Owl City tshirts, which enraged hubs. Parenting Lesson #1 for our kids: "Don't wear the band tshirt to the band's concert. Wear a tshirt of another band in the same genre. This says 'I respect your music, but I'm not desperate.'" This will be a life lesson given from their dad.


Most of the first hour, hubs and I spent people watching. Commenting on teen trends that made us feel old and grumpy. Like cotton candy colored hair, short skirts, ripped leggings, piercings. Which led to a parenting discussion. Note: Hubs says he doesn't care if our kid has hot pink hair. Mmmkay. This girl does. But, that's a discussion for the future.

Ready for concert viewing.

Now, we do love Owl City's music. It's pretty much one guy (Adam Young) who plays a crapton of instruments and electronic apparatuses to make sweet music. Although he's added a singer, cello player, violinist, drummer and some guy who does stuff on the computer. But as soon as he came out and starting talking, we knew this guy had some issues. As hubs said, he has Ricky Bobby syndrome. Remember in Talladega Nights when Will Ferrel is doing the interview and he doesn't know what to do with his hands? That's this guy. So he does awkward things like fist pump and spirit fingers. So.not.rock-n-roll.

He also rocks one of my favorite hairstyles. Emo hair.

Then he said things like "Oh Baltimore, you're so cozy." or our personal fave, "Oh Baltimore, you're so cute." WTF? Really? Cute? Come onnnnn. I just took your man card. But I still love your music. 

Anyway, I guess that should be expected from an insomniac who made music from his parent's basement. Sometimes the most talented people are a little off their rocker. 

Also, Mat Kearney is ah.may.zing. Seriously. He's now on repeat on the iPod.