Dragons and Skating

So yesterday, after all of my cultural events, B-man and I went out for a few social activities. First we went to the movies.

B-man had never seen old city Knoxville, so it was a nice little walk. We met up with a friend of mine from UT, and a bunch of his friends to see the movie "How to Train Your Dragon." It was so cute and funny, I would highly recommend it.

Then it was time to drive to north Knoxville, where my friend Jamie was having a birthday party! To celebrate, Jamie invited people out to "Skatetown" so do a bit of roller skating, or roller blading. We went with the first choice.

I've done plenty of activities where you strip things to your feet and go. Roller skating, roller blading, ice skating, skiing, and snowboarding. So, I tied on the skates and got to orienting myself (it had been a while since I'd used roller skates, but the idea's pretty much the same as skiing.).

B-man on the other hand, tied on his skates, then hugged the wall. I was torn between roller skating, and walking on wheels with my darling husband. I alternated.

Then, all of a sudden, these kids came out of nowhere!

There was one... then two...

Then he amassed this group of kids. His personal tutor being the girl right behind him. She said cute things like:

"You'll never learn to skate if you're hanging onto that wall!"

and

"Take the training wheels off, and get out here!"

Too cute.

Then this group really had big plans for him. Especially the girl on the right. After getting him off the wall she says "now let's pick up the speed!"

Ha!

The evening was fun, and entertaining... until I fell while waiting on B-man, and I felt the pain shoot from my buttocks, all the way up to my neck. Then I decided it was time to stop. Funny enough, as we're sitting taking our skates off, B-man says:

"I think I want to learn how to skate..."

Hmm... we'll see how that works out.

Birthday Bash, and philosophical thinking on poop.

Some times, when I lose things, I think "If I were Jessica on a good day, where would I logically keep things so that I will remember..." this is how I found my camera, and the batteries today. It only took me 30 minutes. Lies... I've been looking for the batteries for 3 days now. They were in my desk drawers. Duh.

This is going to be a compilation of things. Since I refrained from a real post yesterday, I have plenty to post! Like... Birthday presents! Before I could blog I had to finish writing my 10 page paper about women's equality in Ancient Athens.

What doesn't belong in this picture? In my opinion, I think it's the books! Regardless, on Monday I received a present from my family back in F'burg!!! Yippee! Much happier than paper writing!

What was in the box? Well, I'll tell you!

A cute card that sings "Chocolate, Chocolate, Chocolate!" Insisting that I don't have to share my chocolate on my birthday. But... I do love my Bran-man, so I shared with him... but not the dogs.

I also received this beautiful blue Vera Bradley Purse! I love it. It is the perfect size to carry... everything! lol. It has a magnetic closure, which is SO nice, and it's reversible!

Inside the bag was this matching wallet, with instructions to take the contents and "pamper myself." I'm not sure what that will be, but I am definitely going to do it!

There was also this set of slippers! No more cold toes! They came in a little bag, which I am now using to store my flat iron and curling iron. :)

I was a pretty happy camper, and I've been carrying the bag ever since! So sitting down to write that paper on Monday was kind of a depressing time. I finished class at 7:45 and was home a little after 8:00pm. I had a long night in front of me. We decided to order pizza.

Best pizza ever... BBQ sauce, chicken, and pineapple. Yumm...

I finished the paper at 5:00 am and went to bed. I woke up around 8:00 am so submit my paper, and go to class. My brain was feeling kind of mushy... so I laid down for a few minutes before dashing to my bowling final!

Then, after a SUPER long day of classes on Tuesday, I arrived home a little bit after 8:00pm again, and there was my sweet husband. He had cleaned up the house, and was making dinner.

Scalloped potatoes and ham. One of my favorite foods. We watched food network, which may seem weird, but it's one of my favorite things to do while eating. Plus, I had not watched TV in over a week. Just been too busy! Brandan also made cake... but he cut it up and served it before I had a chance to take a picture. He forgot to put the candles on it, which... is a tiny bit sad, since I love blowing out candles, but probably for the better because we didn't burn the house down! What came next? Presents!!!

He wrapped them so purty! But that did not last for too long!

First I open this bottle of aromatherapy bath salts. He called it "a bottle of sleep"... since I obviously don't get enough! Lol, it made me laugh, but I am looking forward to using it sometime in the near future!

Then I opened this! B-man can be so cute sometimes, and I love listening to him explain why he picks certain things. A few weeks ago we went to a Bath & Body Works to buy hand soap, but I tried on this scent when we were there, and I loved it. It smells... awesome! So he bought me some. He spoils me.

Then I opened these! Yup, I got I got TWO pairs of slippers for my birthday... that's because my feet are extra cold (and I complain a lot)! These are from L.L. Bean, and sadly, they were a little small. We're going to return them. But, B-man told me "You have a ton of shows, so it's okay to have more than one pair of slippers." True-that!

The last thing he got me was something I had mentioned wanting before. It's for our emergency kit!

It got really good reviews, and it extra useful. It is a radio...

A flash light...

Has a USB port to charge a cell phone...

It runs on batteries, crank power, or solar power. I'm really glad we have this, and I have decided to store it in the window seal... so that is can solar-charge while we're not using it, but we know where it is if we need it.

I'll stop the picture spam now.

On Tuesday Brandan and I were having a conversation. It was kind of about poop. He said he loves everything about me, I asked if that included my poop and he said:

"If the only thing left of you were your

poop, I don't think I'd keep it."

Which.... so be honest sums up my feelings about his poop as well. I'm glad we're on the same page with this. I hope you laughed at that. He cracks me up all the time.

To sum everything up, it's been a fantastic birthday, and it's weird being 22... for some reason this birthday really does feel older than any other birthday I have experienced. If I look at the things I've accomplished in the last year (and the things I will accomplish in the near future), I really have grown up a lot. I'm married, dog-mommy, almost graduate college student who can write a ten page paper! Now, if that's not grown up... I don't know what is!

(ummm... I'm just kidding. There is still more growing to do... but I'm getting there!)

I'd much rather be blogging!

And it true, I would prefer to be typing in this window, than in my boring word document about women and whether or not they were equal to men in ancient Athens. Ya know what?! They're all dead. It doesn't matter. Oh... did I say that?

But seriously. I think a lot of people will say they were not equal, so I'm trying to argue that in a sense, no one is ever really "equal" to any one else, even in the relationship the epitomizes "equalness" - marriage. That is, if equal means "same." So, I am saying that people can be equal, with out being the same as every one else. Just like my husband and I do different chores, but we are equal contributers. Ya know. Blah. grrrr.... so I know I am going to go write more. BUT.... come Wednesday I will have picture updates of my fabulous

BIRTHDAY (which is today! Right now!)

presents that I got. I was pretty depressed about this paper... so my hubby gave me my present early, and I got presents from my mom, and some others, so yippeee!!!

Brain Dump

After my rant I'm feeling a bit more calm. Maybe I should do the same thing for my history teacher? Regardless, I would like to think about some of the other things going on in my brain lately.

• I like playing footies with the B-man.
• Today I painted my toenails red.
• I learned a lot about Henry VI and Charles the VII... or is it the other way around?
• I haven't been to the movies in over two months. Ah! Instead we stay home and watch netflix.
• We finally bought ink for the printer... after I turned in 3 papers printer in blue. Tee hee!
• I want to live on a farm. With farm animals. Yeah... one day!
• Anxiety. How do you combat anxiety?
• Can some one also explain to me why I need to take all of these irrelevant classes? I don't see history majors taking Special Education or Deaf Education course! That suggestion sounds ridiculous! Why would they? It would make them well rounded, but no. So, why do I need to take Western Civilization and World Religions? Because it will make me well rounded. Bull. Complete bull.
• Oh... and how do people keep sheets on the bed? It seems like every morning they are coming off. I've never had this problem before... maybe it's the mattress.
  
  
• My birthday is in two days!
  
  
• Bran-man let me open one of my presents early, since it arrived while I was home. He got me the expansion pack to Sims 3. I know it seems silly, and he said he let me open it early since it was kind of cheating (he wanted it too.). Fine with me! I don't have much time to just chill and play video games lately, but one day I will... hopefully!
• I also got a gift from my grandparents, one from my mom is on the way, and one from my mom-in-law!
• I have class until 8 on my birthday, but Bran-man is planning on making dinner and a cake on Tuesday, regardless of how late we will be eating. So sweet!
• Spring Break is less than a week away. I can TASTE it!

Ok, complete brain dump. I think it's over. What's been on your mind lately?

Food, glorious food!

So Brandan and I went to Texas Roadhouse this evening. I had a coupon. Then we went to Petsmart, since it was right next door. And we bought dog food. Lots of it.

And no, it's not all for Zuko, there is one bag for each dog. And we bought the big bags because in the long run it's cheaper. But seriously! Almost $100 in dog food. I do love my puppies though. Gretel is doing so well. For an 11 year old dog you would never guess! She jumps around and plays and gets super excited. I am so happy that she came to live with us. Even though we don't have the yard for her, she is so happy and healthy and doing much better than I expected. Brandan just brought the dogs in...

"They both peed and pooped.

It was wonderful."

And as Zuko rings the bell to go out again (it's a lie... he just like being outside), I think Brandan is ready for the next step. We have had the dogs a year, and none have died, or even had anything bad happen... it's baby time... right? lol. Just kidding!

My birthday is next Tuesday. I don't think it will feel much like a birthday, what with all of the homework and tests scheduled for that day. But Brandan is going to make me dinner and a cake and we're going to just spend the evening (after 8:15 when I get home) together.

Roll with the punches...

A few days ago some of my family told me that they would not be attending my wedding, for various reason. That really hurt my feelings. I've gone to their things, even though it was different from my own faith - but apparently tolerence only applies to certain people. It's disappointing, but I know that my family loves me, and it's going to be ok.

In other news! When that small internal crisis had passed, something else blows up. That something else being Becca's spleen. So... it hasn't exploded yet - but it sucks. A week ago she was diagnosed with mono, and they told her that he spleen was very swollen. So, they put her on some pain killers and told her to wait it out. Well... now she has a kidney infection, so she can't take the pain meds, OR her asthma medicines. It sucks to be Becca right now. I feel so bad and helpless. Not that I would be any more help if I were in the same state, but all I can do is spam her with messages of encouragment. 

Sometimes I just want a little sympathy. I want some one to say "yeah, that does suck - I'm sorry!" and then let me move on. When people tell me that my worries are not warrented, or that my feelings are invalid - it just makes me more upset. The last week has had plenty of emotional events, throw that on top of it being the week before the curse, and all I want to do is sleep. As I so ellogquently informed B-man this morning "the oxygen supply to my uteral lining has currently been cut off, and I don't know if that's ever happened to you - but it's rather painful right now... so give me a break. I'll be nicer tomorrow."

On a happier note! My bff Chrissy is coming down to visit me for her (super early) spring break. It is Wednesday, and she will be here on FRIDAY! Like... when I wake up tomorrow, I will be seeing Chrissy that next day. It is beautiful. We have Friday - Tuesday. My birthday is on Monday, and then she is going down south a little bit to visit some other friends, and then coming back up, stopping at my apartment for the night, and then Saturday she is driving home to NoVa and I am driving to VA Tech to pick up b-man, since he doesn't have a car. Then we get to spend a whole week together!

It really sucks being so far away.  For a while Brandan and I were reading scriptures together every night, but with the different homework loads (neither of us has as much as the other at the same time!) so we don't do it together very often. We have read books together, but we finished that one. I guess we're kind of taking a break from the reading together for a while. That's ok. I hate reading. We also send each other pictures so that there is always something new. I write him letters, and usually I scan and e-mail it to him, but once a week I actually write him a card or letter and mail it off.

I'm sure every one has spent some time away from their S.O., so how have you dealt with it? Did you have any "traditions" to help you guys stay on the same page?

Mitchel the Second is born.

So I got my birthday present from Nanny and I am loving this woman more and more every day. lol. She got me an iPod...and it's beautiful!