waiting....
Current mood: amused

Song that always makes you sad?
Peter Gabriel music in general gives me an instant suffocating depression/ mild panic attack. Bad childhood memories attached to songs like Red Rain, Don't Give Up, and In Your Eyes…puke

Last thing you bought?
body wash…Ooo! Exciting!

Last person you argued with?
Craig? I honestly haven't argued with anyone in a long time.

Do you put Butter before putting the jelly on?
I haven't done that in YEARS! Wow…totally forgot about that. I used to love it.

One of your stuffed animals?
I don't have any anymore…that's kind of sad...

Did you ever own at one time a Nysnc Cd?
ha! yes…and I probably still do…somewhere. I've come a LONG way in my music tastes since then.

Favorite day of the week?
Saturday

Favorite Sundae topping?
chocolate syrup

Did you take Piano lessons?
I did, for a VERY short period of time, maybe a month? Hated it…parents gave up on making us go.


Most frequent song played?
probably something like Sigillum Diaboli by HIM or Blue or The Package by A Perfect Circle…something like that.

show you secretly enjoy?
John and Kate plus Eight…haha…I don't want kids AT ALL but for some reason I find their drama highly entertaining.

Would you rather play basketball or hockey?
I've never once been in ice skates on ice so probably basketball…but if it were field hockey then I'd probably pick that.

Date someone older or younger?
older, by far.

One place you could travel right now?
wait…one place I COULD travel to right now?, or one place I'd travel to IF I could???? Cause I COULD travel my ass home…OR I would like to travel to Europe IF I COULD.

Do you use umbrellas?
yeah if it's raining…I have one right here that will aid me on my way home. Rain rain go away…or not…(it kinda reminds me of Fall, yum)

Do you know all the words to the Canadian national anthem?
wha? Does anyone that's not Canadian??

Favorite Cheese?
hmmm…is there such thing as a bad cheese?

Disturbed or My Chemical Romance?
MCR

Do you prefer Blondes or Brunettes?
I don't prefer either. Dark is lovely but if you're blonde and it's hot, then I probably prefer it…whatever looks best I guess.

did you go to your high school prom?
yes, for maybe an hour, maybe. It was lame and I wasn't happy.

perfect time to wake up?
when my body wants to which is usually 9 am

perfect time to go to bed?
when I'm tired…which is usually around 11pm

do you use your queen right away in chess?
I've never once played chess, I don't think.

Ever been in a car accident?
yeah a few, never my fault however.

closer to mom or dad...or neither?
hmmm, I'm really close to both in different ways.

what age is this exciting life over for you?
My "exciting life" will last as long as I want it to.

what decade during the 20th century would you have chosen to be a teenager?
Craig and I were just talking about how much easier it all was in the 50's and how being a teenager back that would've been pretty sweet.

Do you have an article of clothing you have had since you were in high school?
sure do, my Senior All Night Party t-shirt and my Scandalous Senior Girls T-Shirt ;)

Were you in track and field?
no, I was not a sports person

Have you ever written in a library book?
probably, I'm a rebel like that.

Allergic to?
codeine, some seasonal allergies, white sage (I had a bad reaction after being smudged by my step mom…I assume it was the white sage smoke)

Favorite fruit?
there isn't a fruit around that I don't enjoy, at least I haven't encountered one yet.

Have you watched sex and the city?
yup, here and there, I wasn't super into it like some ladies ;)

Baseball hat or toque?
excuse me while I google a "toque" cause I'm clueless…ok, this is totally a Canadian born survey (Lyndsay where did you find this one?!): A tuque (Canadian French: tuque, sometimes also spelled toque or touque in English) is a knitted hat, originally of wool though now often of synthetic fibers, that is designed to provide warmth in winter.

So I pick a Toque…definitely…

Do you shampoo first in the shower or soap?
I wash my body first, then my face, then my hair, then I let the conditioner soak in while I shave


Wet the toothbrush or brush dry with the toothpaste?
whoa! Wet!…dry is totally counterproductive.

Pen or pencil?
Pen. Haven't used a pencil in eons.

Have you ever gambled at a casino?
yup, when I was 19 in Windsor, ON

Have you thrown up on a plane?
no, I'm a good traveler.

Have you thrown up in a car?
OUT of a car, but definitely not IN one.

Have you thrown up at work?
never *knock on wood*

Do you scream on roller coasters?
nope, I actually hold my breath and try to hold myself in place while probably whimpering. But I'm enjoying myself, swear!

Had sex in the last week?
I AM a married woman…geez…

What alcoholic beverage did you drink when you got drunk for the first time?
Screwdrivers! *puke*

What was your first job?
besides babysitting it was McDonalds.

What was your first car?
1989 Buick LeSabre…sweeeeeet.

When did you go to your first funeral?
I was REALLY little, I barely remember it. 5? Maybe?


How old were you when you first moved away from your hometown?
first time I moved I was 4

Who was your first grade teacher?
Mrs. Quinn my mom read her the riot act when she punished me unfairly once. My mom was AWESOME. :) Always had my back.

Where did you go on your first airplane ride?
New York City!!!

When you snuck out of your house for the first time, who was it with?
I've never snuck anywhere. Didn't have to, mom worked nights ;)

Who was your first Best Friend and are you still friends with them?
Ally…and we're acquaintances, but no longer bff. She was my first girl kiss…1st grade.

Where did you live the first time you moved out of your parents?
in an Apartment in Walker with my sister. I was 18.

Who is the first person you call when you have a bad day?
Craig

What is the first thing you do in the morning?
hit snooze for 8 minutes


What was the first concert you attended?
Melissa Ethridge with my parents ;)

First tattoo or piercing?
First piercings was at 6? My ears. First tat was the one on my low back at 19.

First celebrity crush?
David Bowie in the Labyrinth. He always made me think naughty thoughts as a child. Haha…

8:59 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

is it 5 pm yet?
Current mood: creative

Name the last five people you've talked to today…
Craig, Dani, Lyndsay, Brandy, and my boss

Is anything wrong with your eyes?
I'm pretty blind ;) and I have astigmatism in my right eye. But contacts and my sweet Dolce and Gabbana frames make it all ok.

Have you ever made someone so mad that they broke something?
um, quite possibly, and it would've been my sister. We used to have wicked fights.

Who did u last receive a text message from?
my husband letting me know he was home (lucky!)

Do you throw your candy wrappers away?
no, I collect them, and wallpaper my apartment with them…..yes, of course I throw them away.

How do you feel when someone kisses you on the forehead?
if it's someone I care about then I'd feel loved…if it were a stranger I'd be totally creeped out

What's on your mind right now?
some rather indie music is playing on my iPod and for some reason music like that makes me think of St. Louis (NO idea why…) so I'm thinking of St. Louis and looking forward to our inevitable Fall visit :).

Last time you cried? Why?
I was already emotional and Craig said something he had no intention of hurting me with, but it struck me just right (or wrong) and I started bawling….lovely hormones ;)

Do you cry when you get an injury?
I've been pretty lucky in the injury department so usually I just yell or swear. ;)

Are you ticklish?
REALLY horribly ticklish.

Do you know anyone with the same middle name as you?
my mama and whole bunch of others…it's quite common.


Last movie you watched?
Spiderwick Chronicles, it was fun, but short.

Have you ever been on anyone's myspace account besides your own?
sure have, but the other person is always right there.


Have you ever fallen backwards on a chair?
Not exactly, I've been standing on a chair when it's fallen backwards. Knocked the wind right out of me. Scared the crap out of my mom.


Are you happy right now?
yeah!! it's payday, and the Friday before a long weekend.

Do you miss anyone?
many someones

What do you feel like watching?
nada, I have better things to do at the moment. Obviously this survey is NOT one of them ;)

Who makes you laugh the most?
that's a tough one, I'm surrounded by hilarious people.

Who starred in your last dream?
a vampire…I chalk it up to all the Buffy I've been watching on DVD ;)

If you could only see in shades of only one color, what color would you?
red, everything looks better under a red light ;)

What makes you happy?
sunshine, especially on a crisp Fall day, Fall in general, my birthday, Craig, finding new recipes to try, eating healthy and taking care of my body, my friends, new clothes, Halloween, bonfires, road trips to St. Louis, awesome music…

Do you have a best friend?
definitely

Have you ever gone Christmas caroling?
no, and I doubt I ever would

What's an obsession you have?
books!!!!! I love them, and crave them, I read every single day. I love bookstores, and libraries, they give me a warm comforting feeling. There is nothing better then getting lost in a great book.

Has anyone ever sang to you?
yeah it comes with the territory of dating only band guys since I turned 18.

Do you feel comfortable getting up and giving speeches?
not really, I'm not usually comfortable being the center of attention. I'll leave the spot light to the likes of Craig and Laine ;)

Pick a word that begins with the first letter of your first name?
juxtapose

Do you still talk to the last person you kissed?
every day, he's my babe.

Your ex shows up randomly at your house, what do you say?
"Whoa…wait a minute, how do you know where I live?"

Was your last kiss a mistake?
not at all :) it was yummy and comforting and full of love

Is there anyone that you care more about than yourself?
my husband, close family

Marriage in your future?
yeah, a continuation of my existing marriage.

Is McDonalds disgusting?
yup, pretty much. It's total crap! But it doesn't mean I don't enjoy it post bar at 3am…;)

Do you like your life?
yeah, almost all of it ;) you can't expect EVERYTHING to be perfect. Some things could always improve. But for the most part I love love love my life.

Do you have trust issues?
not trust issues, it just takes me a while to actually trust someone. I'm just careful.

In the past 72 hours have you been under the influence?
Nope, the only thing I've had was a couple advil last night.  

Do you believe that everything happens for a reason?
yeah, definitely. You may not ever know what it is, and it may have been for someone else's benefit, but there's always a reason.

Have you ever broken someone's heart?
I don't know, I may have crushed someone's hopes but I doubt their heart was seriously broken, maybe bruised.

Do tattoos and piercings excite you?
I love them both. Love love love.

Do you do your own laundry?
of course.

Do you believe that all girls are the same?
Not at all, though if you haven't encountered the rare gems then you might think we're all the same. Craig had pretty much given up on ever finding one right before he met me, he was convinced they were all nuts, but he found one, and is thankful every day ;) So no, we're not all the same. I happen to know quite a few all around amazing women myself. We're a rare breed.

Who was your last text message from?
repeat question

What are you listening to?
the iPod as always. It's entertaining my ears with a little Frou Frou at the moment.

How good is Coca-Cola?
very good. It's my preferred cola, but I try to steer clear of soda in general. I only have it on weekends, if at all.

Does it bother you when your friends bring up your past mistakes to make fun of?
my friends don't do that. If anything I'LL bring them up so we can all have a laugh. ;) Some of my past mistakes are pretty frickin hilarious.

Are you good at giving directions?
FANTASTIC, as long as I know the area, obviously :)

What is your favorite thing to eat with peanut butter?
anything. I love peanut butter. I'll usually eat it with apple slices, bananas, toast and jam, crackers, a spoon ;)…

Currently listening : Details By Frou Frou Release date: 2002-08-13

1:08 PM - 1 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Fun!! :) a survey about my Craig
Current mood: cheerful

~Where did you meet him/her?
The story everyone has heard a million times over. At the Doghouse in Kalamazoo, where his band was playing, January 13^th 2006.

~What was the first thought that went through your head when you met?
probably something along the lines of "he's hot…this should be fun". I remember talking to Chad (Craig's lead singer) about how he was trying/ wanted to break up with his current girlfriend so I was giving him advice and Craig pops over and said something like "Yeah me too…" like he was trying to get rid of his current girlfriend which A) tipped me off he actually HAD a girlfriend and B) made me happy he wasn't that into her…At that point Laine stopped and turned toward him and was like "Really?!" and he laughed and said "No…" I was a bit bummed…but what I wasn't aware of, at the time, was that he actually had been planning on ending it but wasn't sure how to go about it since he knew things would inevitably get sticky and mainly he didn't want to hurt anyone. Typical boy, dragging things out in hopes to make it easier on everyone…geez ;). Learn from this mistake boys, the longer you wait the worse everything will be

~Do you remember what he/she was wearing?~
yes, jeans, a black button up shirt, and these black shoes he never wears anymore.

~Where was the first time you kissed this person?~
The following March (23rd..right?) when he was FINALLY officially single, after his show at Czars in St. Joe.

~Where did you go for your first date?~
That was our "first date" living 500 or so miles away from each other limited our options severely. So our first date was the next show he had in Michigan.

~How long did you know this person before you became a couple?~
3-4 months of long distance friendship (and flirting) over the phone.

~How did he/she ask you out?
he called me up and asked if I would be his date to the show at Czars, it was very sweet. :) he knew I was already going, but rather then ASSUME I was going there to see him he officially asked me to come "with" him. He was SUCH a gentlemen, constantly blowing me away in those early days (he's STILL that super gentlemanly guy but now I know that's just who he is so it doesn't come as such a shock anymore…but I do highly appreciate it)

~Has this person ever proposed to you?
Awe, yeah February 07' ;) teehee

~Do you and this person have kids together?~
NOOOOOOOOOO…even though we'd probably make the cutest babies EVER! We don't want kids.

~Have you ever broken the law with this person?~
probably something minor.

~When was the first time you realized that you liked this person?~
Right away! He was a hot guy in a really great band. That's my weakness. ;) So yeah, I liked him superficially the very first night we met, and I thought about him on and off the whole next day, just couldn't get him out of my head. And then magically I got to see him AGAIN that second night because a flat tire prevented them from heading back to St. Louis. It was fated. ;) We talked for hours after their show that night. When I left he made me promise I'd still be single the next time they came to Michigan. ;) And I was, lucky boy.

~Do you get along with his/her family?~
Of course, they're great people and I'm not exactly hard to get along with :).


~Do you trust this person?~
With my whole heart.


~Do you see his/her as your partner in your future?~
duh! ;) I wouldn't have married him if I couldn't see him as my partner for the rest of my life.

~What is the most expensive thing he/she gave you?~
my wedding/engagement rings.



~What is one thing he/she does that gets on your nerves?~

He has this tendency to sound slightly condescending when explaining something especially if he's already worked up about it ;). He'll say something and then say, "Okay?..." and then continue explaining followed by another "Okay?..." and coupled with this expression on his face it comes across like, "Do you understand what I'm saying to you, you fing idiot?!" he has no idea the way it comes across and I've tried to explain it to him, but it's such a habit for him, he can't break it. But it drives me up the wall! Cause I have a huge sense of pride when it comes to my intelligence so even though he's not insinuating I'm dumb AT ALL, it seriously irks me. I love him to death, and he always apologizes, but it still happens ;)

~Where do you see each other 15 years from now?
married, happy as hell, madly in love, in our dream home, enjoying life.

~What causes the most arguments?
we don't really have one thing that causes repeated arguments. If something comes up and we disagree we'll try to resolve it, that way it doesn't cause more problems.  And when we do "fight" we try to maintain respect for each other, no lashing out, crazy shouting, or name calling. We stay on topic, none of that pulling out something that pissed us off months back that we just never dealt with and bring it into light only cause we're angry. We're fairly healthy in the disagreement department.

~How long have you been together?~
it'll be three years of togetherness this Spring.

~Married?~

Happily!!!

2:52 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

My Tree
Current mood: morose

A very long time ago I planted a tree. I was in fifth grade at the time and they were giving out maple trees to the students. I can't remember why, maybe it was Arbor Day? Regardless I was VERY excited about my tree which probably wasn't even as tall as I was at the time, which says a lot seeing as I've forever been the shortest. I remember it was in a big clear plastic bag with a little moisture sealed inside, it had a few sparse branches and roots, and when I took it home to show my parents they had a hard time discerning the top from the bottom, that's how scrawny and pathetic this tree was. Just a wisp of a tree, weak and willowy, but I loved it and was hell bent on getting it planted in our yard. So as soon as they could my parents grabbed a spade and took me by the hand and helped me place my beautiful little tree into the ground in front of our side yard. They even dug a planting bed around it and lined it with brick, all for my little maple.

I remember being afraid the neighborhood boys would come along and cruelly yank it out of the soil and throw it into the street. They'd always given my Halloween pumpkins the same sort of curtsey. But it survived, against all odds, surprising everyone, including myself. It lived and flourished and grew over the years, turning brilliant shades of red and orange in the fall, providing shade to the multicolored impatients we planted beneath it every spring. I loved that tree. Even after I moved out of that house (multiple times) I was always happy to come back to it and admire it's growth spurts. It was gorgeous and by the time my dad lost the house about 4 years ago it was taller then the power lines with a thick and sturdy trunk. And even though I was sad to know I'd never come back to that house to visit my dad and see my tree grow I knew it was anchored in place and had made a home for itself. It had succeeded. I carried away a simple sense of pride for my once meager little tree.

Yesterday while Craig and I were out running errands we decided to make an ice cream run and the closest place I could think of that would have the soft serve twist I'd been craving was in my old neighborhood so we took a detour and headed into Wyoming. While standing in the sun and waiting patiently for our order Craig asked where my old house was, I pointed northwest and said "around that corner". He smiled and asked if I wanted to drive by it, only to immediately correct himself saying we didn't HAVE to. He knows it's hard for me to see the house of my childhood used as some paltry rental, trashed by its tenants who have no love for it, no memories of when the neighborhood was safe and beautiful. And doubly as hard knowing my loving Nicky, the kittie I grew up with who saw me into adulthood and the last pet I could truly call my own, is buried in the back of the now abused yard. I shrugged my shoulders. I didn't need to see it and feel that pang of loss. But as we drove near the street I noticed the telltale signs of construction and curiosity got the better of me and I made a last minute right. To my amazement the entire street from front yard to front yard was a mess of dirt and construction barrels. They had dismantled the street of my memories. There was so much unusual sunlight that I realized in ripping up the sidewalks and the front sections of grass they had demolished a huge ancient Oak and at least three other smaller trees in their destruction. Trees I and all the other neighborhood kids had played with and around all those years ago. I was so sad and slightly sick at the sight of all that arboreal carnage that I didn't even notice my tree was gone too. It was only yesterday morning as I sat at my desk warming up my brain to begin working that I realized my deciduous friend had been annihilated along with the others and was now probably a heap of dead mulch somewhere. It broke my heart. All those years of watching it grow and flourish only for it to be cut down, severed of its simple life, all in the name of improvement.  It was my own Giving Tree, and they killed it.

10:02 AM - 2 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

So yeah...i have this scanner...and i was bored...
Current mood: giggly

Craig is off having boy time fixing his truck with our friend/mechanic, James, so i'm all alone and bored out of my mind so i decided to try to figure out how to operate the photo scanning option on our fax/copier/printer/scanner machine and voila! About an hour later i've scanned a bunch of misc. pictures of my history that my mom gave me...they make me laugh and remember fun things. Peek at them if you want. :)

Currently listening : Narrow Stairs By Death Cab for Cutie Release date: 2008-05-13

6:11 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

bitch and moan
Current mood: envious

Ugh…I'm jealous…Craig got a HUGE chunk of the rest of his sleeve done yesterday (it's practically almost finished ) and it just made me realize how much I CAN'T do to myself because of my job…meh! I want a sleeve. But I know even if my work would be ok with it, Craig would TOTALLY NOT BE. A bit of a double standard, sure ;), but I know if I had a huge problem with him getting a sleeve he wouldn't have gotten one. He's just lucky that I happen to think they're the hottest thing ever. ;) I think he has a problem with it being a little less then feminine. But not only can I not get a sleeve, but I can't get my nose pierced. All I want is a tiny little diamond stud in my nose, but no, my employer is FAR too conservative. Women are only allowed ONE piercing in each ear lobe, and guys aren't allowed ANY piercings anywhere. It seems a bit of an antiquated rule to me, but LOADS of our clients are very old and very rich so they call the shots. *sigh* So no facial piercings and no visible tats to scare the customers away. Makes me regret (just a teeny tiny bit) not pursing massage therapy after I graduated. If I had my own practice I could do whatever the hell I wanted to with my body and I wouldn't be limited to just piercings and tattoos you can hide with clothing. But it's not even just that, it's my hair too. I have to super careful what I do with it, how I color it, how I cut it, nothing to extreme! I have to always be careful, cautious, and conservative. Oh well, I like my job, I really do, it's just an unfortunate inconvenience that most of corporate America is so strict about appearance. I mean I can understand the visible tat rule but come on! I can look just as put together and professional WITH a tiny diamond in my nose! I mean I'm not talking about getting my bridge or septum pierced. It would be feminine and delicate. Grrr…I should've done it years ago before my 20's so that now I could just put a little piercing retainer in it while I worked and plead ignorance if anyone ever noticed it. Psh! Whatever.

BUT, I do have to say Craig's sleeve looks ridiculously awesome! He got the outline and shading done for most of the whole top half of his arm completed yesterday. It's a dragon and it's SWEET. He'll have to go back for color obviously, and then some more filling in will have to be done, but it's going to be phenomenal when it's complete. It's already crazy sexy!

6:19 AM - 1 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Jimmy Eat World and Paramore
Current mood: impressed

So I had a FANTASTIC time last night! It was one of the better shows that I've seen in a while and obviously it was great seeing everyone there, all my friends and good music to go along with it. :) So, ok, take it from me, if you get a chance to see a Paramore/Jimmy Eat World co-headlining show you MUST do it! Paramore really impressed me. I have both of their cds and I really enjoy them but I just didn't have a whole lot of faith they'd be as good as they were! Maybe it was just my pessimistic attitude bred from a multitude of bands that have seriously disappointed me live. Studio magic has ruined music. But, if you're a fan of Paramore then you have to know they're so worth seeing live, it's just like the cd. Hayley's voice was phenomenal, absolutely. And she's just so cute too ;). And the musicianship was really tight. Very good all around.

Now, Jimmy Eat World was also awesome! but I expected them to be good just because they're who they are. I LOVE their music, it's just straight forward amazing song writing, they cannot go wrong so obviously I was SUPER excited and really happy I finally got to catch them live. Great show, great lights, and when they played A Praise Chorus I felt like I was at a Gunderson show and it gave both Craig and I warm fuzzies ;) And then of course Laine and I both pouted about how much we miss Gunderson. Oh, and i loved when Hayley came and sang backup vocals on Always Be, a very nice little addition.

But anyway, great night, great concert, great time. There was such a good vibe floating around last night that I was REALLY bummed it was a Monday night and I had to go home and right to bed after the show, meh! Good shows like that need to come thru Grand Rapids more often cause that was sweet.

7:37 AM - 4 Comments - 4 Kudos - Add Comment

I’m a lucky girl!
Current mood: loved

Once again Craig has publicly lavished his affections on me in the form of a beautiful bouquet of flowers sent to my work. He's such a doll. All the ladies Ooooed and Ahhhed and asked what the occasion was, and of course I said "No occasion." The card said it was because it had been a while since he last sent me flowers and he wanted to show me how incredible he thinks I am. :) He's so awesome.

P.S. the whole department now smells of lilies :)

11:12 AM - 2 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment

My Insane Saturday Night...
Current mood: exhausted

My Saturday evening was nuts, a roller coaster of emotion. I’m not even sure where to begin. The night started out great. I had been looking forward to The Orphan’s reunion show at the Orbit Room for a while and I was really looking forward to spending an evening with a fantastic group of people (Craig, Dani, Laine, Austin, Ren, and Dan). Not to mention it was sort of a mini celebration of Dani and Craig’s birthdays, and birthday’s are always fun! So we left the apartment around 5pm the sun was out, it was warm, I felt fantastic, I looked good, Craig looked good, we were ready to start predrinking at Ren’s! First we hit up the liquor store, and then picked up Dani, and headed over to Ren’s to get our evening kicked off right. We were all having a fabulous time, Dani and I were down with Laine helping her get ready and chatting. I downed a Sparks and was giggly as usual. It was a perfect start; the way evenings used to start back when the whole huge group of us would always get together to predrink and head off to some broken Sunday show. Everyone was in a fantastic mood.

The girls were all still downstairs, Ren came to join the giggly girl party, and as Laine was putting the final touches on herself she asked me if she should use a little hairspray. A seemingly trivial point to bring up in this story but it was where the whole evening unknowingly took a turn. So I say to her, "Yes" and grab the hairspray, remove my wedding ring, and help her finish off her hair. That being done we all head upstairs for more chatting, picture taking, and all around good times.

Maybe twenty minutes later we all head out to our cars, an extremely attractive group I might add, and drive off to The Orbit Room. We arrive, head inside and I grab the girls and run off to the bathroom because I had screwed myself early on back in the house by breaking the seal early. So after the bathroom we head BACK out to the bar, ready for drinks! I bring up the fact that I wanted the ladies to do a shot to start the night off and Craig proceeds to order, and that’s when I notice it…My wedding ring is gone…I felt it first, that absence, that missing piece on my finger, and then I look down, at the same time Dani (who was standing right in front of me) looks down at my empty ring finger. I gasp! And she grabs my hand with hers and we share an all too knowing wide-eyed look that you could only ever share with another married or engaged woman. Holy Shit! Where is it?!. Immediately I think back to the last time I had it and I vaguely remember taking it off to spray Laine’s hair. I’m REALLY careful about getting it dirty I always remove it before using hair products or lotion and I never even wear it in the shower so I know that must be where it is, in Laine’s bathroom. I grab Craig’s arm and he turns around and I show him my empty finger and pout. He likes to give me crap if I’m going out, and looking hot, that I BETTER have my wedding ring on! So I feel super guilty that I’m not wearing it, but I figure, "*sigh* I’ll just have to get it later tonight", and I resign myself to a night without it. But another minute passes and I can’t shake that nagging feeling that I NEED IT. I grab Ren and Laine and tell them, "DO NOT let me go home without first stopping by your house. I can’t forget to get my ring." They assure me they won’t let me forget.

So I grab my drink and take a few sips but now my mind isn’t on having a good time anymore, it’s on my ring. Then Laine turns to me and says "Even if Finn knocks it into the sink, it’ll get caught in the U-bend." And immediately I panic. Oh my god, Laine’s cat Finn loves to play with things, and knock things off counters, etc. He’s going to swipe my ring right into that drain in the basement floor!!! So now there’s no way I’ll be able to have any fun unless I have my ring safely on my finger and EVERYONE around me can plainly see that. So Laine say’s, "Do you want to go back and get it?" and she gives me her keys to get back into the house. So now I’m somewhat relieved I’m going back to get it, but still pretty nervous that Finn’s already found it. I approach the bouncers at the door and proceed to tell them that I left my wedding ring at home and I NEED IT. I beg and plead for them to allow me to leave and come back in without having to pay. They both look really sympathetic and finally agree. I run out into the parking lot, stilettos and all and FLY back to Ren’s as fast as my little Alero can take me.

After what seems like an eternity I pull into their drive way and run into the house and down into the basement praying the whole way. I step into the bathroom and flick on the light….the counters are empty….I look on the floor….the floor is bare. My heart starts to beat a little faster and I run into her bedroom thinking "Maybe I took it off and put it on her desk??!?" Nothing. I run back into the bathroom and then it dawns on me. I put it in my pocket just before I sprayed Laine’s hair. I distinctly remember slipping it off and thinking "it’ll be safest in my pocket, far away from the sticky spray". Relief floods my entire being. I feel like a fool for driving the WHOLE way back to Ren’s when it was in my pocket the whole time, and I almost start to laugh at myself. I set my keys down, and reach into my pocket and feel around for the ring…and feel…and feel…and feel…my pocket is empty! Immediately the realization of what is happening hits me full force, it could be anywhere from this basement to the street, to the car, to the parking lot, to the Orbit Room and back again. At any point at all it could’ve fallen out. Oh my sweet god! Quickly I shove my hands into my other pocket just to be sure even though I KNOW I put it in my right pocket. I drop to my knees and look under the washer and dryer as best as I can. I stand up and back out of the bathroom scanning the floor all the way back upstairs. I crawl around in the kitchen looking under the tables, the cupboards the stove. I’m panicking now and I text Craig. "I put it in my fucking pocket before I sprayed her hair and it’s NOT IN THERE!!! Have the girls check the bathroom!!!!!". Frantic I run outside and start scouring the car for a hidden glitter of diamonds as Craig text’s me back, "The Orphan is setting up". Angry and frustrated at the whole situation I text back, "I DON’T CARE!!" I run into the street where my car was parked and I madly scan the pavement. I keep uttering "Shit! Shit! Shit!..." under my breath. I run back to my car to look again, scanning the driveway as I go, and I call Craig. He never got my initial text message, I’m in full fledge panic mode now and I can feel my heart pounding in my chest and the tears start rolling down my cheeks. I tell him I had put it in my pocket, that it’s not there. I tell him to tell the girls to search the bathroom. I hear him shout at them that it was in my pocket, that it fell out somewhere along the way and I can hear the anxiety of the whole situation creep into his voice. He’s trying to keep me calm but I’m a mess at this point, I’m hyperventilating and I keep telling him thru my tears "I fucked up hun, I’m so sorry".

At this point I felt like the worst wife in the history of the world. I lost my wedding ring! Sure this piece of diamonds and precious metal has SIGNIFICANT material value but it also has UNPARALLELED sentimental value for BOTH Craig and I. For him this is the ring that signifies a brand new beautiful start of his life in so many ways. And for me this is the ring the man of my dreams got down on one knee and proposed to me with. This is the also the ring that he placed on my finger after we pledged our lives to each other in front of some of the most important people we know and love. This ring has been a constant daily reminder of my commitment to my husband, of the love we share, and our lives together. It’s more then just a ring, its THE RING, a symbol of my life as a wife. There’s is NO WAY to replace that. No recreation of the original will ever compare!

Dani, Laine, and Ren are all texting me at this point, assuring me that we’ll find it, asking me what they can do to help, anything, everything. But at this point I’m hopeless. I’ve searched inside and outside of the house, my car, the street. I’ve resigned myself to loosing one of the most precious gifts I’ve ever been given. I wipe my tears and call Craig to let him know I’m coming back. At this point he’s outside in the Orbit Room parking lot searching the ground. He tried to bargain with the doormen to get back in without paying but they weren’t as kind to him. But at that point what did $13 dollars matter?

The whole drive back to the venue I’m clutching the steering wheel and blinking back tears. I kept thinking, "This is all a bad dream…this can’t be happening to me. I’m such a fool." The weight of my mistake is pressing hard on my heart. I finally pull back into the parking lot and I see Craig. He’s standing in my initial parking space and still searching. I get out and we hug and I start crying again and apologizing. He says it’ll be ok, but I know he’s just trying to help and say the right thing but that he doesn’t really believe it. We both know the significance and the value that ring had. We both feel terribly for the loss and he’s doing everything in his power to let me know he’s not blaming me.

At this point we’re grasping at straws. I pour out the contents of my purse onto the ground and search thru them even though I know it’s not in there and never was. Finally Craig pulls me up and hugs me again and we head back inside. We run into the same bouncer again outside the door and he asks with a smile "Found it?" I immediately start crying again which immediately deflates his positivity and he waives us inside, "Oh, just go in." But before we walk in Craig stops him and say’s "Is there anyway we can make an announcement over the speakers, a reward, anything?!" The doorman is unsure but he gets us in touch with his partner and instructs him to take us to their boss. I hear him say "I’m sorry," as we walk away.

Finally we talk to the boss and I describe my ring, exactly what it looks like, and where I had been inside the venue. He seems pretty skeptical that it’ll turn up, but he’s not the only one, my heart and my gut agree with him. I’m never going to see it again, it’s gone forever. Nevertheless he says he’ll put a word out with all the bands and staff and try to get an announcement out. Defeated I walk with Craig back to the bar where the rest of our group is waiting. Dani sees me and I see her say to the other girls, "She’s gonna start crying." And I do, I break down on her shoulder as she squeezes me and tells me she understands and I know she does. You can’t truly sympathize with that kind of loss unless you’re a wife or a fiancé and have had those amazing moments to attach to your ring. It’s absolutely devastating.

While I had been away my amazing friends had put a word out with everyone they came in contact with, they had searched the bathroom and the floors. Dani seemed sure it was in the car somewhere, Laine felt it was at the house, my guts said it was in the street, or the parking lot, or the Orbit Room, that someone had found it and pocketed it. Whatever happened I knew I’d never lay eyes on it again. And even though I had resigned myself to that fact I still had to search the bathroom so I ran off by myself and looked and looked and looked in and out of each stall. I’m sure all the girls in there with me thought I looked nuts, tear stained and disheveled. With no luck I dried my eyes and walked back out, passing security guards with flashlights searching the ground.

Once I was back everyone suggested we head back to Ren’s to look all together but Craig thought someone needed to stay at the venue to see if anything turned up. Nothing was going right and no one was really sure where to go, we were all debating the next step when I hear over all the voices and loud music one of the security guards say another, "Someone says it’s at the front bar." My heart stops and leaps into my throat. I’m confused whether I heard him correctly or if they’re even talking about my ring. My eyes follow the security guard as he walks to the bar and asks the bartender something I can’t hear. The bartender shakes his head and the security guard turns around and sees me staring, hopeful and once again on the brink of loosing it, and he say’s, "Some asshole is saying they found it, hold on, stay here, I’m sorry." With that my small glimmer of hopes crash down. I just want to go home, I want to curl up in my depression. I can’t believe some ass would hear someone was madly hunting for a lost wedding ring and start a rumor it was found. But then I see Dani talking to the bartender again. She screams my name and the bartender shouts "Go to the front bar!" I look at Craig, I start shaking a little, and he says "The security guy said to stay here." He’s trying not to get excited the same way I’m trying not to get excited. I turn around, I feel like I’m spinning in circles and I have no idea what to do. Did someone SERIOUSLY find it?! I look at Ren and she hugs me and says what I’m thinking "Don’t get your hopes up!" But she’s smiling and I can tell we’re both already there, our hopes are already up.

Then I see two guards walk into the room, Craig and I hurry over to them. I must have looked crazy, a total mess, my face lined with tears, worry, and expectation. One of the guards stops and says, "So you lost your ring?" I nod, unable to speak when he pulls out his hand and says "Does it look like this?!" My hand flies up to my mouth, I’m freaking out because sitting on his pinky is my beautiful ring!!!!!! I start jumping up and down, I’m shaking as I put it on and I start bawling and laughing together and I hug him. I squeezed all of my relief and thank-yous into that hug. And at this point everyone is freaking out. We’re ALL relieved and excited and amazed. Ren’s crying, Dani’s crying, and Craig is "Woo-Hooing!!!". ;).

At this point I’m totally flabbergasted and speechless and we all start asking the guard who found it and where? And he says he can get them and runs off and finally comes back with this girl, this petite little thing, my savior! And once again I’m all tears and she’s like "Aw, she’s gonna cry...don’t cry!", I hug her and say "Thank you, thank you, thank you! You have no idea how much this means to me!! Where did you find it?!?!?"  And obviously it was in the bathroom behind the toilet. She picked it up thinking that someone would definitely be missing it (how right she was). She hung onto it for a bit before she heard the announcement over the speakers and brought it to the bar. I’m amazed, everyone is amazed, and immediately Craig and I ask if we can buy her a drink. It’s obviously the LEAST we could do, but since she had one we opted for tequila shots, something I hadn’t done in over two years, but hell it was time to start celebrating!! The whole bar is celebrating with us, the bartenders are congratulating us the security are all smiles, everyone is thankful. Our happiness was contagious.

There are no perfect words to describe the amount of relief Craig and I were experiencing. It was like we died and someone brought us back to life. There was NO REASON I should’ve ever got my ring back. All the odds were against us, yet there it was, my one and only ring, back on my finger. That girl has SO MUCH good karma coming her way. I owe her SO MUCH and yet she was SO HUMBLE about it all. She has no idea what she returned to me. Needless to say after that moment we were on cloud nine. Everything was fantastic. The euphoria was intense! There was nothing after that moment that could’ve ruined my night. Somebody upstairs really loves me! ;) And obviously I owe a big heartfelt THANK YOU to the security staff and the bartenders at the Orbit Room for everything they did. They didn’t have to get involved or even care, but they did, I felt their relief on my behalf when it was found. It meant a lot. And also to my AMAZING friends that searched for me and cried with me. I love you guys SO much! Let’s NEVER do that again! ;)

So needless to say I totally missed The Orphans entire set during our frantic search. One of my favorite local bands and I’ll never be able to hear them live again. This was my one and only shot to see them play and I missed it, but it a VERY VERY VERY small price to pay.

Ever since that night I keep replaying little moments in my head. What if I hadn’t gone back to Ren’s initially to get it? I never would’ve remembered I had put it in my pocket, the night would’ve gone on and when it was over we would’ve headed back to Ren’s and I would’ve realized it all WAY too late. Phew! Craig established a new rule that it’s not to be removed from my finger unless I’m at home. I don’t care if I’m shoveling shit with my bare hands it’s not coming off that finger. You can clean a wedding ring, but you can never replace it.

4:55 AM - 4 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment

Weekend of Exhaustion
Current mood: accomplished

So yesterday was the two year anniversary of my first date with Craig which is also the first kiss anniversary AND the day we use as the start of our relationship. As usual we didn’t do anything in celebration mainly because we generally don’t do much for those little anniversaries, we’re not THAT sappy ;), but also because we never remember them till after they’ve come and gone.

This weekend the date definitely got overshadowed because we were insanely busy. Friday night we (Me, Craig, my sis, and her husband) were all supposed to head up to Sparta to help my dad and step mom move a bunch of things into storage but that random spring snow storm was SO crazy we abandoned our plans and rescheduled for Saturday. Not that we didn’t TRY to make it up to Sparta either, we just couldn’t get anywhere! It took Craig and I and hour just to get from our place to Dani and Jeff’s (a trip that should normally take maybe 15 minutes). And once we all decided we were gonna do this move regardless of the snow we found out Mother Nature had other ideas. First the highway on-ramp was severely backed up and so we scrapped that plan and tried to get onto the Beltline but traffic was backed up about three miles on Cascade so we did a quick U-turn before getting seriously stuck in that bumper to bumper mess and headed back to dani’s house abandoning all hope of getting ANYWHERE. But the night wasn’t totally shot, Craig and Jeff ventured out to get some beverages and we just sat around getting silly and watching the snow bury the world outside.

Then Saturday I got up at about 6:45 am and proceeded to get ready to help Laine paint her new room at Ren’s while Craig got ready to head off to work. I actually had a lot of fun painting. Well, I’m not so sure it was the painting that was the fun part, I’m assuming it had a lot to do with the company. I’ll be very happy to see Laine get settled at Ren’s and I’m assuming I’ll be spending LOADS of time over there with two of my favorite girls, and our boys I’m sure. ;)

After Laine and I finished up and right when I REALLY wanted to shower and lay down to take a long nap I had to meet Craig back over at Dani and Jeff’s so we could all head up to Sparta to actually tackle the job we couldn’t do the night before. Ugh...it was about four hours of insanity moving things from the house to the trucks and into the storage unit, trudging thru mud and melting snow. Not exactly my idea of a good time but I have the ability to use humor and make light of almost any unpleasant situation AND I got to see my step sis Katie and meet her boyfriend Matt, who ALSO happens to be the father of her unborn baby, AHEM. So despite the fact that I’m not all that pleased with the fact that my 20 year old sister is 3 months pregnant (argh) I was happy to see that Matt seems like a really good stand up guy. Not to mention he’s almost my age, and we all know how I approve of the older man ;).

Once that whole fiasco was taken care of Craig, me, Dani, and Jeff said our goodbyes and headed out to grab some dinner on our way back into town despite the fact that we all looked a complete mess. At that point none of us really cared anyway, we just wanted to get some good drinks and a good dinner, mud (and paint) be damned. We always have fun with Dani and Jeff anyway so it was all worth it.

Finally around 10:30 we got home. I crashed for about 11 hours only to wake up to a raging headache and the prospect of having to tackle all our regular weekly errands. No rest for the weary! But at least Craig and I had the evening to cuddle up and relax together. After that insane weekend it’s no wonder we forgot about our 1st date anniversary. It was also the first weekend of my entire lifetime that I didn’t recognize Easter, or do anything in celebration. I find that a little strange, oh well. We did however FINALLY develop our water camera film from Hawaii. That was fun to see a few more pictures of our Honeymoon that we’d forgotten about. Makes me want summer and to be tan EVEN MORE! So despite the fact that this weekend was nuts, I still had a really fun time hanging out with some of my favorite people.

Next weekend we get to help Lainey move into Ren’s :). Really looking forward to her being up here for good and for her to be able to put the finishing touches on her new little Lainey sanctuary. I loved that room when it was mine, I loved living with Ren, so I’m sure she’s going to have a lot of good times ahead.

7:28 AM - 2 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment