Married

Today is our third wedding anniversary. Although, sometimes it seems alot longer since we met over 15 years ago. This weekend we went to Lake George right on the edge of the Adirondacks. The leaves are at peak there and I absolutely love looking at leaves. The last two years we were able to get away during Columbus Day weekend and head north to Vermont, Connecticut, Canada- but this year I am working. So this was our Annual Fall trip.

Here are the top experiences from the weekend:

1. While venturing out on Saturday we ran into some really heavy traffic on the scenic route. On the two-lane, no shoulder, 50 mph road there were lots of folks. When we got to the center of town, low and behold, we found ourselves at The World's Larges Garage Sale. You can't make this stuff up. It was like First Monday Weekend to the "N"th degree. (Sorry if you don't know what that is.) It was so weird. We just drove through the rummage which went on for miles. Oddly enough, Chris and I found it very entertaining. Yeah, there are people like that everywhere I guess.

2. Our hotel room at the Comfort Suites with a KING SIZE BED! The room was about the size of our apartment. So, so nice.

3. Eating at a random cozy restaurant named Tip-a-canoe. Our waitress was in her early 40's had long dark hair past her waist, wore no make-up but lots of patchouli and Birkenstocks. Chris's fish & chips consisted of a generous piece of halibut and lots of freshly cut fries. I got the veggie burger- which was made in-house with lentils and portobello mushrooms- and a side salad that was delish. We love going to the local, random restaurants. The ones where they actually prepare (and sometimes even grow) their own food. Joni Mitchell and Jack Johnson pumped through the speakers. While Chris drank his local ale, I told him it was probably her iPod hooked up to the sound system.

4. Leaves, leaves and lots of leaves. Rivers, rolling hills, farms, farmers, old tractors, chipmunks, apples & pumpkins and coffee shops and wooden bridges and hay silos and Green Mountain coffee. I love everything quaint and perfectly autumn about New England.

5. I peed in the woods. (If you want to know details surrounding why I did this I'll share, just not in this public forum.) This is only the second time in my entire life (that I can recall) that this has happened. (Yes, this is a highlight of the trip... I'm proud of me!)

6. Outlet Mall shopping at Van Heusen (for Chris) and Kenneth Cole (for me). Van Heusen carries men's fitted shirts that fit Chris wonderfully. We usually go "back to school" shopping there for him: sleeves long enough, collar big enough, but not too long and not too wide- which seems to usually be the problem. I got a new black peacoat. The one I currently own is a size 14 which makes me look like I am wearing my dad's jacket.

7. Listening to the new David Crowder Band CD,Church Music. I think it's been a year since Chris and I listened to a CD in the car while driving around. It's the little things, right? This is something I miss sometimes. When I had a car, it was where I listened to music and sang. So now, I have to make sure I get my music time in. And my singing time, too.

Pictures WILL come, I promise. I may post them on our old website. Blogger is not photo friendly. But I do want to share our weekend pictures with you all. Hopefully, they will get loaded this evening.

Between now and when I leave Laguardia for Texas Saturday morning at 8:00am I have to: deal with a broken dryer (I know, I know, at least I have a dryer in my apartment, right?), unpack, pack, take lots of straight pins and lots of cardboard pieces out of about 15 new men's shirts, go to a choir rehearsal, decide which group of girlfriends I'll be meeting for beverages after that choir rehearsal at 9:00pm- which is LATE for me, meet other friends Thursday night for pumpkin desserts-- and I think a birthday event?, and Friday a meeting to discuss our church Christmas event in New Jersey-- you know that OTHER state so, so far away! Hopefully, in all of this I can get my pictures uploaded and find the time to buy a couple special NY treats for my friends and family in Texas. Oh, yeah and tonight-- I'm pretty sure Chris will not be letting me do chores or errands- dinner and time together are on the agenda. I will not get the Swiffer out as badly as I want to.

How do working people get anything done? And I just have to take care of Chris and myself. We are down to the last roll of toilet paper & Chris still expects to eat everyday. Somehow oatmeal, Balance bars and yogurt aren't satisfying enough.

Storytime

I have had the time to write today, I just haven't known what to say. My writing instructor hates the idea of having a blog- a platform to write- with no "real" purpose. My purpose is just to say something. Anything, to keep me writing.

Like I could write about the weirdness that is NYC. How on 91st Street today, between First and Second Avenues on my way to the train, I saw a butter-knife (the real silverware kind, not plastic) and a tiny baby doll (the cheap kind you'd find at the dollar store, or on the toy aisle at the grocery store) just laying on the sidewalk. Weird stuff. Or how during her lunch hour, a co-worker saw two otherwise normal looking women- walking topless down 42nd Street. "What was their agenda," I asked. I work in midtown. Less than a block from Grand Central. This isn't the East Village after 7:00pm where things get wild. It's what you'd expect to see there. "Breast Cancer Awareness Month something-or-other," my co-worker explained.

I could tell you about how I'm already sick and tired of bundling up in the mornings, because after all, it is in the 40's. I hate it because I'm sweating by the time I've hiked to the train. It's not that far, really. It's just that beneath synthetic tights and wraps & plastic raincoats, my skin can not breath. Seriously. If I don't wear the layers I'll regret it after sitting at my desk for an hour. I'll definitely be swearing, "I'll dress for this weather tomorrow" as I wait after dark for some crosstown bus. I never sweat in the summer, only in the winter, beneath all these blasted layers. (It's times like this I know why my mom always made us wear cotton underwear. She'd never let us get the pretty lacy/ polyester/ rayon/ silky whatever they are for little girls.)

I could write about how I went and bought a $7.00 salad (field greens, tuna- not tuna salad, just tuna- asparagus, sprouts, peas, roasted red peppers, mushrooms and balsamic vinegar) for lunch even though my office provides free pizza on Fridays. I did grab a Diet Coke before they were gone. And I did clean up the mess the boys left in the "war room" as it is called. Still haven't figured that one out yet. I work reception at a large construction firm. There are five girls on the floor I'm on- and the other receptionist and I are two of them. These boys are messy.

I could write about how my three year wedding anniversary is Monday, October 5th and we're celebrating by getting out of town this weekend. I was just told to pack a bag and meet Chris at Grand Central Station at 6:00. I like the not knowing. And he likes planning and surprising me. I'm spoiled- right? I could write about how spoiled I am. How lucky and blessed and terribly happy I am. But I don't have the right words to say it all. So, I'll just leave it at this.

Prayer

(This photo has nothing to do with anything I just like it. Chris and me walking up Central Park West over a year ago. Reminiscing...)

I am sort of melancholy today-- well, not me really, but I am feeling the emotional suckage from people I know and love who are hurting or ill or just plain old tired right now. My heart hurts because their heart hurts. I know we were called to live in community at times like this. We've all been there. And if not, hang on, cause it's coming. Sooner or later we all want to throw up our hands and walk away. Life's hard.

A friend of mine posted this verse on her blog- and I want to post it too. It's that good, for here and now, for what I needed to hear today. (This is from The Message, which isn't my favorite translation, but I liked the way this was stated.)

Meanwhile, the moment you get tired in the waiting, God's Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don't know what to pray, it doesn't matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God. That's why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good. Romans 8:26-28

At my new job, things are going well. I like change and newness and having a source of consistent income. I just struggle with getting the routine down. Not that I can't learn, I learn quickly; I write everything down my spiral: passwords, account numbers, who's who and what's what. When to order more half and half, who wants their mail as soon as it arrives and who not to chew gum in front of. But, I want to know everyone's name now so I can greet them properly. I want to be able to tell you where everyone sits now. I want to remember that when a caller asks for Don- they are actually asking for Dawn, and that Niki is a male. I want my own building pass. It'll come. In the meantime, they adore my southern accent- which I still don't hear. (Only after a couple glasses of wine...) Oh, well. As my friends have taught me, about this and so many other things, Embrace It. It's who I am.