Once Upon A Time...

... many, many years ago (2005) I joined The Social Network also known as Facebook at the request of my then boyfriend. I slowly began adding friends from my college, as back then Facebook was only for college students, some of whom I only knew by name and face but not much more than that. One such person was this guy I'd seen around campus who knew my then boyfriend due to their mutual addiction to the Pittsburgh Steelers. This boy's name was Johnny.

I didn't know Johnny very well, but I had seen him around campus and at many of the events I attended. Sometime around my sophomore or junior year I realized I hadn't seen him around in awhile.

But suddenly, one day, as I was crossing the field that separated my house from campus, I spotted him coming down the self same sidewalk I was heading for.

"Hi Emily!"
"Hey Johnny!"

And that was our relationship up until spring of my junior year.

My by-then-ex-boyfriend was turning 22 and a group of our friends was throwing him a palindrome birthday party at one of the houses on campus and both Johnny and I were invited. Some wonderful person who purchased the appetizers for this party had gotten both mild and hot salsa. No one, and I mean NO ONE, was touching the hot salsa unless it was to move it out of the way of the mild salsa. Now personally, I love spicy stuff, so every now and again I would stop at the food table and snag some. One of those pit stops found me shoulder to shoulder with Johnny, who to my surprise was also dipping into the hot salsa! We had a conversation as we stood there stuffing our faces about how much we both like spicy stuff and that we should go to Buffalo Wild Wings together sometime (with a group, of course, as I had a boyfriend at the time) and right then and there a friendship was born.

The years went by and Johnny and I remained BDubs buddies, even after graduation had passed, and I moved to Connecticut, and then moved back, and we never saw each other but we kept in touch.

Then one day Johnny updated his status on that social network we all call Facebook, which by this time had undergone many changes since the day I joined all those many moons ago. It said "Who wants to go see Iron Man 2 with me?" (or something like that...). Some other girl said she'd go, but my comment read "Pick Me! Pick Me!"

Later that day I got a phone call from Johnny asking me if I wanted to meet up with him at a mall roughly halfway between our two towns to see Iron Man. Seeing as how he and I had been saying for years that we needed to get together soon of course I said yes.

Fast forward a year and a half.

Johnny and I had a marvelous time at that movie. A month later we got together again a couple of times and decided to take the plunge and try dating. Four months later we were engaged. And eleven months after that we were married.

And now, after one entire month of marriage, even if we drive each other crazy sometimes and are still getting to understand each other's quirks, we're still madly in love and in it for the long haul. And compared to some people, one month is a long time! ;-)

And they lived happily ever after.

The Beginning.

Why Are There So Many Songs About Rainbows?

I thought a lot about my Mom today.

While I was working today I put in Steel Magnolias on dvd to listen to so I wouldn't get bored. My college put on that play a few years back and Mom and I went to see it together. We had a marvelous time, laughing and comparing/contrasting the movie against the play while watching my sister's mother in-law, my academic adviser, and a few of my peers as they did a wonderful job. As I listened to the film today I thought back to that day and the fun Mom and I had and I admit I teared up a little. There were so few things that mom and I did where it was just the two of us, the most recent being when I drove her to radiation and chemo a few times before moving to Cincinnati. It saddens me when I realize all the chances I had to learn more about her and get to know her that I willingly turned down to do other things that, looking back now, weren't nearly as important as I felt they were at the time. Had I known she wouldn't be around forever...

On the night before my wedding, sometime around 1:25am, I was on Facebook because I couldn't sleep so I hopped on over to the page I created back in January for my mom's friends and family. As I thought about how my wedding was in X number of hours and how my mom wasn't there to coach me and my bridesmaids on how to walk and the groomsmen on how to stand correctly and when to turn and basically be awesome, I wrote this post:
Dear Mommy;
My wedding is TODAY.
True Story.
Can't wait to see you there. :)
Love,
Emily
I knew she would be there with all of us in spirit. Nothing, not even death, would keep her from her daughter's wedding. And after the ceremony was over and the food at the reception had been eaten and Johnny and I had changed clothes and got into our very creatively decorated car (thanks guys!) and drove away, suddenly the evening sky turned into this:

For those of you who follow me who are also my friends on Facebook, maybe you'll remember the incredible, never seen in February before, so amazing that it made the front page above the fold in the Daily Jeffersonian rainbow that happened the day of Mom's memorial just before her graveside service:

What made this rainbow so incredible is the fact that, according to a good friend who loves meteorology, rainbows usually appear in the east because they're created by the light of afternoon sun after the rain has passed. But in this case, it was created by the dawning sun's rays shooting into oncoming rain and therefore appeared in the west. And also because it appeared only an hour before Mom's memorial. 

Rainbows have so much more meaning for me now.

Until today I had forgotten all about that post I wrote so late at night before my wedding. But now, now it all makes sense. My mom was there, she was THERE, with us just as I had said she would be. And here I am, just a little piece of immortality, keeping my mother alive. :) How wonderful life is.

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(source)

Remember this book?

Something about today reminded me of it for some reason.

Blogger Epic Fail

I definitely wrote a post earlier this week (it might have been over the weekend... I forget) and it refused to post for some unknown reason and then deleted itself. Jerkface. So here I am catching all of you up on stuff that you could really care less about! Go me!

Married life, for some reason, really doesn't feel terribly different than pre-married life except now I live with Johnny and I didn't before. All of the house craziness has been slightly stressful but otherwise we're getting into a good rhythm and really starting to understand each other. At least, we are in my opinion.

Being home alone this late in this big house kind of creeps me out a little, even though we have neighbors that would definitely hear me if I screamed and might even come to help me out. I'm a little unsure of that last bit.

In other news, when I failed at posting a blog the other day I began to reread some of the old ones I wrote about my mom and, as usual, the waterworks began ever so slightly. Sometimes I'm still struck by the thought that I'll never see Mom again in this life and suddenly I can't breathe and the tears begin... but it's so much more rare than it used to be. Really I just think it's because right now is the beginning of the season of change. Fall is here, the temperatures are perfection in my humble opinion and I'm getting accustomed to the fact that I will never, ever be alone again (barring a horrible accident, which I prefer to not think about) and therefore nothing will ever be the same. Obviously there's nothing wrong with this, it's just a lot to adjust to while also being the most amazing adventure I have ever been or will ever be on.

So there's my current ramblings. When I have the good pictures I promise to post about the wedding and to introduce my husband (I REFUSE to call him 'hubby'. I personally feel that it's slightly demeaning and puts me in mind of an ice cream flavor, or some kind of marshmallow treat like Peeps, or the name of an oversized dog) and talk about the honeymoon!

Ciao friends!

Welcome to...

My Wedding Day!!!!

Today is the big day, folks! This is it! And I'm a mixture of excited, nervous, exhausted, elated, and a little disconnected, as I tend to not really believe something is happening until I'm immersed in it. Just like I don't believe that by this time tomorrow I'll be somewhere in West Virginia on our way to the cabin in Tennessee. Same thing happened when I took my 8th grade trip to D.C., the trip to NYC in high school, and just about any other major trip I've ever gone on for whatever reason.

It's so hard to believe that this is actually that big day. You know, the day that every little girl dreams of for just about her entire life. And now that this day is about to occur (and everything that I imagined in my head actually looks good when put together, which I was terrified it wouldn't) I have to wonder what I'll dream about next. Kids? Will that by my next big event? Or perhaps a move to a new place (again)? I guess time will tell.

All through this process I wished over and over in my head that my Mom was here. I had plenty of help from all kinds of wonderful people (one woman came over and washed, waxed by hand, vacuumed out and wiped down the inside of my car! It is now all ready for the 7 hour drive south) but it would be a perfectly great day if my Mom was there. She only made it to one of her daughter's weddings in person, but we believe she was and is there in spirit.

As it is, we'll see if I can actually sleep! Eeeeepp....

The End Result

It turns out that the fuel pump in my car failed, along with the filter I guess. So who has two thumbs and got to go pay over $750 she didn't have after the dealership fixed her poor car? That's right. This girl.

I might have cried a little when I heard how much it would cost.

However, I now have a car and I had a lovely weekend once I finally made it to Canton. My sister came and picked me up from Dave's house after that whole fiasco and we made our way north to Columbus. This was a very productive drive, as she is my wedding coordinator and is WAY more organized than yours truly, and I now have a long list on the notepad in my phone that is quickly getting smaller as I knock stuff off.

Tangent: peanut butter and apples = AWESOME.

So that bit of stress went down marginally. I then got into Johnny's car when we arrived in Columbus and Johnny drove us to Canton. I fell asleep for most of the drive. Totally pooped. Went to bed the moment we got to his house.

The next day was my shower! It began at noon so I was ready quickly and looked up directions and then my future mother in-law and I got into her car and I drove us on over to Wooster to hang with my crazy fam for the afternoon.

Another fun shower! I got all kinds of exciting stuff and we also got to attend a wedding we weren't invited to. It took place at the gazebo directly next to the pavilion we were in, and it was beautiful and very small. Maybe 50 chairs had been set up and the guests just kind of trickled over from the parking lot while the bride rode up in a van. She looked absolutely stunning in her dress, it suited her perfectly and the skirt just flowed... it's too bad Erin wasn't at the shower or she could have told us what it was made of! As it was, we all applauded when the recessional sounded but I don't think they noticed.

The shower lasted for a good four hours! We just really enjoy chatting with each other and I got to spend a full fifteen minutes with a one year old on my hip for the first time in awhile, which just makes a good day.

On Sunday at church we attended this small Methodist church that we visit every now and again and, as I have a somewhat powerful singing voice, the entire congregation can hear me when we sing. This is embarrassing in itself because, well, it just is! But there is a woman at this church who is absolutely determined to get me on their stage (because, you know, they can't hear me well enough as it is...) to sing special music and proceeded to announce to everyone in earshot that I would be singing and made me give the pastor my phone number and, since we're moving a mere twenty minutes away, I really have no way out of this.

And then we went to our house just to see if anything has changed and nope, it's still not done. However, on our way over we got a call from the house owner who then met us at the house and he was about to blow a gasket. Johnny and I were seriously terrified he was going to have a heart attack he was so upset. So here's hoping our house is actually done by the time we get married so we can set up the bed we're picking up this weekend and actually have running water.

And then Johnny drove me back to Cincinnati. That drive is significantly more pleasant when you have someone making it with you.

And now it is only twelve days until I am married. I can't BELIEVE it's so soon! It'll all be over before we know it and suddenly all my stress will disappear. I've forgotten what it's like to NOT be stressed.

Now I am going to dye my hair. :) Photos to come!

I Dub Thee the Longest Day Ever.

Today started just fine.

Got up, got ready, packed my suitcase, ate some food, sent a text to my fiance... all pretty much the same old.

Got to work, keyed claims for two hours and then everyone from the 4th floor made their way to the Manor House in Mason, OH. Today was "EyeMed's Got Talent!", also known as the mandatory off-site event. My friend Sara and I squished ourselves into my jam-packed-full car and headed over together, and then sat through two hours of some of the most hilarious skits I think I've ever seen, ate some wondrous food, and then listened to Dessie Williams, a famous motivational speaker, for two straight hours.

Get.
Excited.

Just kidding, he was actually really fun to listen to. Oh, and the room we were in was frigidly cold and Sara and I shivered through everything and were super excited to get outside in the warm.

Anyway, so, I drop Sara off at her car after this shindig ends and head off to my apartment, where I was going to check the mail for RSVPs. (We have finally hit the 100 mark out of ALL the people we have invited). I waited for, like, half an hour because I saw the mail truck at the other end of the lot and I figured he just hadn't made his way down to my end yet.

Waited.
And Waited.
Still didn't move.

So I got fed up and checked and guess what? He had already been to my end, probably before I even got there. Epic fail on my part. Speed off from my apt because I needed to get out of Cinci before rush hour.

Driving up the interstate and I'm nearly to an exit for Mason where I was going to get gas when suddenly my car won't accelerate. I stomped down on the pedal and nothing happened, so I slowly pulled over to the side of the road and stopped. Turned off my car. Tried, and it wouldn't turn on. Tried again. Nothing. I called Johnny, called my Dad, tried to turn the car on again, it turned on. So I, in my infinite car wisdom, immediately turned it off again, not feeling safe driving it anywhere, even if was just to head down the ramp to the Speedway. Dad thought it could be the oil so he had me check and it was low. So I start my trek down the ramp, heading for Speedway. Dangerous place to be on foot, let me tell you, but I made it. Found oil but realized I couldn't remember what kind I needed. So I guessed and decided I'd ask when I go to the counter.

I also bought Twizzlers.

Just go with me here.

Get up to the counter and I ask the guy if he knows anything at all about cars and told him I just wanted to know if I got the right thing. The guy in line behind me knew, so he helped out, and I tell them that I'm that car up there that's broken down and suddenly everyone has advice, none of them think that it's the oil, etc, etc.

The guy behind me, however, was very helpful and said that it sounded to him like the alternator and then was going to offer me a ride in his big moving truck but there wasn't room (I wouldn't have accepted anyway, I've seen too much SVU and NCIS for that...) so he starts talking about figuring out where the police station is when the Sheriff pulls in. This man has no fear and just really wanted to help a damsel in distress so he approaches the Sheriff to ask him if he'd give me a ride.

Next thing I know I'm sitting in the back of the cop car (the passenger seat had a box of stuff in it) and he's making his roundabout way back to I-71 North to my car. I told him he didn't need to stick around so he dropped me off and I put the oil in and try the ignition and wonder of wonder it starts! However, the battery light stayed on, so I once again turned the car off and called my dad and he wanted me to look up AutoZone so I could have them check my battery. Well then I try the ignition again and... no dice. So AutoZone is no go.

All this time I'm calling Johnny and my Dad alternately to update them on the situation and I'm on the verge of tears but hold it back. Call my friend Dave, who knows cars and lives nearby. He makes his way to me through rush hour traffic. Checks my car, decides it's not the battery, the oil, the alternator, but that it could be the fuel system or the electrical. But he wasn't sure, and we couldn't get the car on, so Allstate Roadside Assistance was called and I called Johnny and my sister to arrange my rides north considering the whole reason I'm going is because my third bridal shower is tomorrow and I kind of need to be there...

Forty-five minutes later the tow truck appears and tows my poor Penny over to a dealership that Dave recommended. Left my spare key in the night drop with the necessary information and now I'm sitting at Dave's house writing this while waiting for my sister to come get me. She should be here at any time.

This whole ordeal began around 4pm. I got to Dave's at 7:30pm.

*sigh*

SO the last thing I need right now...

and still trying to figure how I'll get back...