The Amorous Life

A Fashion Compliment From a Male Perspective

2011-06-30T13:03:00.005-04:00

Yesterday as Wendell was heading off to work I emerged from our bedroom fully dressed. He paused and gazed at me. This is what I was wearing:

Please look over the dazed look on my face, I was still half asleep

He says to me, "That's one of my favorite outfits that you wear". His statement of course put a smile on my face. Then he added, "You look like one of Zack Wylde's guitars".

Of course that added some much needed morning laughter to my smile. Men do give the best descriptive compliments, don't they?

Update!

2011-06-28T13:27:00.002-04:00

I'm currently at 34 weeks. It's hard to believe so much time has passed so quickly! In less than 6 weeks, I'll be a Mom. I'm excited and terrified at the same time. Well, it's mostly the thought of the teenage years that really terrify me. That and the fact that this tiny little being will be completely dependent on Wendell and I. I will no longer be #1! Talk about having to put your ego in check, haha.

As each day passes I can feel changes in the baby's movements. I could literally just sit and watch my belly for hours. Watching her move around reminds of those cartoons where a cat is shoved into a bag and he goes nuts trying to get out. That, or something reminiscent of that scene in Alien where the baby alien is about to bust out of that guy's belly. It is just absolutely amazing to me when I can tell which body part is jabbing me. I'm hoping we'll be able to get a picture of a tiny hand or foot pressing up against my belly.

I've been starting to get a little antsy. Wendell has been for quite some time now, it's the sweetest thing really. I feel blessed. So far this pregnancy has been pretty smooth. No major aches or pains, no major mood swings, no crazy cravings, etc. I can no longer reach my toes, so I don't get to change my toe nail polish as often as I usually do, and I don't quite trust Wendell to do a bang up job.

Hopefully delivering this baby will go as smoothly as my pregnancy thus far. I can't wait to meet her AND to have my mother and mother-in-law with me for the first few weeks. It feels like the day can't get here soon enough, but I know it'll be here before I know it.

I'm Going, Going, Back, Back to Cali, Cali!

2011-06-02T09:44:00.003-04:00

In about 48 hours I will be arriving at LAX. It's been almost two years since I've been back home. While my last two trips home were only for extended weekends, this one is for a whole week! Words cannot express the excitement of getting to spend time with my family and friends; seeing how much my nephews have grown over the past couple of years, and getting to meet my grandneice for the first time.

One of the things I'm looking forward to the most is spending time with my Mom. Not to mention getting to eat some authentic mexican home cooking. Oh, how I've missed her cooking!!!

Another thing I can't wait for.....THE BEACH!!! Hot sand and cool water; and possibly getting some color on my pale legs.

Of course some shopping will be squeezed in. Although, most of my shopping will be done here:

L.A. gets a lot of flack for all the smog, snobs, traffic, etc., but I always have and always will LOVE it! The music and art scenes, the food, the endless entertainment possibilities; I take the good with the bad. Besides, it's the non "Hollywood" parts of L.A. that really make the city the gem that it is.

The main reason for my trip home is the baby shower my Mom and sisters are having for me. Of course, I'd take any reason to visit home. I'm just uber excited to share my pregnancy with my family and friends, even if it is only a weeks worth. Tomorrow is going to draaaaaaaaaaaaag!

The only bad part about going home.....Wendell isn't coming with me.

No More Mrs. Lead Foot

2011-05-26T13:30:00.003-04:00

Ever since I was given a set of wheels of my own at the age of 15 I've been somewhat of a speed demon. I was never one for souped up cars or anything like that; I've just always enjoyed a comfortable highway speed of at least 80mph.

Even my awesome 1970VW convertible beetle would be maxed out to 90mph on occassion. Her name was Squirt and she looked a lot like this beauty:

image borrowed from here

Despite my lead foot tendencies, I was always a very cautious; mostly defensive driver. I was never wreckless while driving in bad weather; which wasn't often growing up in sunny Los Angeles. And the one car accident I did have where I was at fault was a minor fender bender pulling out of a parking lot while mildly distracted.

Now that I am expecting my first child I've eased up on the lead and am even more cautious than ever. However, my patience with moronic drivers has decreased.

Yesterday while on my way home I encountered one of these moronic drivers. As I was exiting the freeway, lowering my speed; this jackhole comes flying down the a little street that intersects with my exit. He was coming so fast that he California rolled into the first lane (I was in the second); he paused long enough to look dead at me driving in his general direction. Instead of STOPPING like any sane person would; he slammed on his gas completely cutting me off. I had to slam on my brakes and swerve to avoid colliding with him. I laid on my horn and began to curse at him from behind the wheel.

Despite his Evel Kneivel stunt he puttered along at a relatively slow pace allowing me the chance to pull up beside him where he was greeted with a lively display of my "bird" and plenty of enunciation so that he could make out all of the expletives I was hurdling his way.

The whole incident freaked me out. My heart was racing and I had to remind myself to breathe slowly. It was then that I realized that slamming my brakes caused my seatbelt to tighten around my lower belly. Once I was home I had a hard time getting out of my car due to sore muscles. If any neighbors were watching me they probably had a little giggle watching my walk.

I did my kick count and called the doctor; everything is just fine. The whole ordeal was just a reminder that you simply cannot trust other drivers to use common sense or even basic courtesy.

I'm just going to have to get use to trading in my days of driving down the highway at 85 with the top down for a mere 5 miles over the speed limit with my hands at 10 and 2.

Shopping For Baby

2011-05-20T09:15:00.005-04:00

I spent the last couple of weeks completing my registries for my upcoming Baby Shower. Since I typically know what I want once I take a look at something I figured this would be as easy as 1-2-3.

WRONG!

Wendell and I first headed to Babies "r" Us to sign up for a registry. We had no idea what we were in for. The clerk handed us a scanner and told us to roam around the store scanning anything we may want to add to our registry. The first aisle we stumbled into was the car safety/accessories. We stood there wide eyed, mouths agape and we both uttered "whoa". We did this every time we walked down a new aisle. We were just as excited to be looking at all of this stuff, but we weren't expecting to be so overwhelmed!

I was at a complete loss once we got to the areas with strollers, car seats, and playpen/sleeper combos. There were so many colors, patterns, and safety features. Of course they were all described wonderfully. But which one was actually "better"? I couldn't tell you how many times I reminded myself of the little green alien toys from Toy Story with all the times I said "Ooooooooooooo".

We couldn't decide on a single one of those items, so we decided to move on. After going through several more aisles of things we couldn't decide on and about 3 hours after entering the store we decided to call it a day and go get some much needed food. After all we could finish doing this online in the comfort of our own home in our undies, haha!

The Babies "R" Us site was a little frustrating due to the fact that there were a few in-store items that weren't available online. Thankfully someone suggested amazon.com. Just when I thought I couldn't be overwhelmed any more than I already was; it got worse. Where "Babies" had several products, brands, etc., amazon had thousands.....THOUSANDS!!!

It took us forever to finally finish not one, but two registries.

Now that I'm shopping for mommy items like bras I'm right back to searching through an endless selection with my eyes wide and my mouth agape, but this time I'm not saying "whoa". I'm saying "damn it"; this time I have to go through this process alone. I don't see Wendell trying on any bras anytime soon.

28 Weeks Later

2011-05-16T13:44:00.002-04:00

Haha

The day I found out I was pregnant I thought to myself, "Oh, I'll have so much to blog about, it's going to be easy keeping up regularly with my blog".

Yeah, right.

My first trimester kicked in and all I did was sleep. I'd come home from work and tell Wendell I was just going to lay on the couch for 20 minutes and then I'd get dinner started. About two hours later he would wake me up and hand me a plate full of food. On weekends I napped often; sometimes just a couple of hours after waking up.

Once my second trimester gave me most of my energy back I read, and I read a lot. About what to expect, what was healthy and unhealthy and how to be as organic as possible. I daydreamed and I window shopped, A LOT.

Blog? What blog?

Now that I'm a mere three months away from motherhood I've been thinking constantly about the kind of example I'm going to set for my child and future children. After all, parents must be what they want their children to be. If only it could be as simple as "Do as I say, not as I do". While I still haven't figured out what I want to do when I "grow up" I realized I have to stay true to commitments I make to myself; keeping up with this blog being one of those commitments. If I can't follow through on something I enjoy what kind of message will I be sending to my child? So, here I am, making a promise to myself for all the world to see. It's the first step towards changing the things I don't like about myself; for a better me so I can be a better role model to my kids.

This should be quite a journey.

Our Wedding - Part 2: The Ceremony

2010-10-14T14:14:00.016-04:00

Just in case you missed Part 1, you can read all about it here.

I wanted to start this post with a picture of what the arbor we got married under looked like BEFORE the rain:

My mother and I spent the last week before the wedding making all of the paper flowers, so I was a bit bummed out when they didn't look this good for our wedding pictures. The best part about these though was the time my mother and I spent at my kitchen table talking, laughing and enjoying each other's company. It's a memory I will cherish and hold dear to my heart for the rest of my days.

Wendell and I are blessed to have a group of incredibly talented friends; from musicians to bartenders, their talents added plenty of spice to our special day. We were fortunate enough to have our ceremony graced by the musical talents of Eddy & Heather Green. I walked down the "aisle" to their rendition of Billie Holiday's 'There is no greater Love'. I wish I had an audio sample for everyone to hear (and for my ipod).

My sisters have always been my best friends and completely spoiled me growing up. My little brother was my partner in crime and we were the best of friends, practically attached at the hip until my early 20's. Kristen is one of the very few friends I've ever had that I can actually say is a BEST friend. I loved having them with me for the few days they were here. The only thing missing was my other sister Maribel who unfortunately wasn't able to make the trip. I would've loved for Wendell's family and the rest of our friends to have met her as she is such an essential part of my family and who I am (as is the rest of my family).

Despite my father's horrendous allergies I must say that I could see how happy and excited he was on this day. While we waited for the heavy rain to pass he kept everyone warm and entertained with shots of tequila and his comedic prowess.

I love the fact that my Dad used the umbrella to keep himself dry, haha. I'll never forget the look on Wendell's face when he first saw me. At that moment nothing else existed. I couldn't feel the rain; all sound was muffled nor did I see anyone else. For that moment it was just me and Wendell and the sound of my pounding heart in my ears.

A few final words from my Dad before "giving me away".

Carl was the most perfect officiant. There was a window of time where we weren't sure if he was going to be able to make the trip to marry us. This was one of the things that I was really stressing over. I just kept thinking that there wouldn't be anyone else that could fill his shoes. Luckily, he was able to make it. Wendell may have written the ceremony, but no one else but Carl could have delivered those words with such eloquence and sentiment behind them.

My Dad hugging Wendell, this was HUGE for me. My Dad didn't like any of the guys I dated, ever. Then he met Wendell, and hugged him on the very first day that they met. I should've known then that he was "The One".

It rained through the entire ceremony. It was a warm, light rain with dime sized raindrops. The air smelled of dewey grass which was only intensified by the humidity.

Before exchanging our rings I had my Mom and my "maids" bless Wendell's ring. A few extra good vibes are always a good thing. The best part about that was when my sister handed my Mom the ring. A HUGE clap of thunder rang out, almost as if the gods were stamping the blessing with their seal of approval.

Wendell wrote our vows and ceremony. It was something we had planned on writing together, but he called me back into our computer room one day and had written everything out. It was perfect, I didn't want to change a thing. My favorite part was a line from a song he had written for me that he included in our vows....le swoon!

We handed out maracas for everyone to shake in celebration during our first kiss as Mr. & Mrs. Wendell Hess. It was a perfect touch for our Mexi-themed day.

Oh, the aftermath of bright red lipstick!

I've heard so many horror stories on in-laws, but I couldn't have gotten a better deal. It's like having two sets of parents!!! I absolutely adore this woman!

I loved that we kept our ceremony short and sweet. It allowed us more time to enjoy moments like the one captured in this photo, as well as time celebrating our union with our loved ones. Which of course is never enough time.

Finally, we have (most of) the extended family in one shot. I absolutely LOVE this photo!

Part 3: The Reception coming up!!!

Our Wedding - Part 1: Getting Ready

2010-10-13T09:59:00.008-04:00

The wait is over! After two months of anticipation I've decided to end my procrastination streak and you're finally getting the rundown on our special day.

We had some stressful moments during the planning process, but I was nicely surprised on the day of our wedding at how relaxed I was. I know having my Mom with me was a huge influence. Since we had an evening wedding I didn't have to get up too early; something I'm NOT a fan of doing. Wendell on the other hand was already gone when I awoke.

My Mom and I had the morning to ourselves. We talked and laughed as we began our preparations for the day. I was even able to have a relaxed breakfast with both of my parents. I had missed breakfast with them. It wasn't something we did together often since my Dad works early in the morning and I couldn't remember the last time the three of us had sat down and not only enjoyed breakfast, but each other's company as well.

After breakfast and running a few last minute errands I picked up Kristen; one of my bridesmaids (and best friends) for some pampering time. We headed out to a local salon to have our nails done; something else I hadn't done in quite some time. The lady that tended to us was really sweet. Unfortunately she worked rather slowly and I wasn't able to make it to the MAC counter and have my makeup done as I had planned.

We had a rather small budget for this wedding and I didn't really see the need to spend hundreds of dollars on makeup for one day. Granted it was one of THE most important days of my life, but I still couldn't bring myself to spend that kind of money, especially because I'd only be getting charged that much because it was my wedding day and not because some magical technique was going to be used on my face. And besides, I've always liked how my makeup turned out when I would visit the MAC counter (well, with maybe one exception). And the bonus, I'd end up with some new makeup. Alas, I didn't make it. So, I just opted to paint my own face.

This was also the point I think I started to stress out a bit. I had left Kristen at the salon because I had to get home, do my makeup, gather my belongings and get to the cottage to have my hair done. I foolishly told Kristen I'd be back to pick her up and take her back to her hotel so she could get ready. I hadn't realized exactly how late it was. It took me a long time to accept the fact that I wasn't going to be able to do what I had promised and I felt bad leaving her to taxi it up to get around. Turns out I stressed out for nothing as she made it to the wedding.

Finally at the cottage I was able to relax again. Having my hair played with has always been soothing for me. Getting my hair done was a definite highlight! Our friend Eddie did an amazing job. I couldn't have asked for a better stylist.

Apparently Wendell was stressed out more than I was. He kept having people check up on me, pacing and most likely biting his nails. Luckily he had Carl, one of his best friends and our officiant there to calm him down and get him to laugh.

I enjoyed a couple of margaritas while hanging out with the most important women in my life: My mom, my sisters and my friend Kristen. I was also taking care of a few last minute details; like putting together our playlists. And of course I was indulging my ego and enjoying having my picture taken, especially with my mom.

After the beautification process was complete, it was time to put on the dress. The dress that my mom had made from scratch by a seamstress friend of her. Aside from having my family with me, it was THE best gift I could've gotten that day. I had found the dress of my dreams online only to find it had sold two months prior to finding it. I simply sent my mom the pictures and VOILA! I had my dress!

My parents brought a gift for Wendell too. A guayabera. It was perfect for our mexican themed wedding. He looked so handsome in it and it complemented my dress so well.

The ceremony was set to start at 6pm but it started to rain. And not just a simple rain, it POURED! There was plenty of thunder and lighting that came along with it. It was decided to have the ceremony moved indoors but I really had my heart set on an outdoor ceremony. So, with the help of the magnificent Danielle, wife of our friend and officiant Carl, we had everyone move back outside once the rain lightened up enough. At this point the awesome mexican paper flowers my mother and I spent the previous week working on had withered during the downpour.

The sun had started to peek out. After eight months of planning and a couple of freak out moments I was ready to walk the walk. I, along with my Maids of Honor and Bridesmaid were ready to go.

To be continued..........................Part 2 coming up tomorrow!

Procrastination Is The Name Of The Game

2010-09-16T09:34:00.002-04:00

So, it's been a month since I promised wedding details and pictures "soon". Um, yeah. I could give you a humongoid list of things I was doing that prevented me from delivering said post, but most of it was simply procrastination. However, I didn't have all of my pictures yet either, so THAT is the real source of my procrastination (but not really). That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

Seriously though, it's coming soon. I promise, scouts honor and all that jazz.

We Did It!!!

2010-08-16T16:10:00.003-04:00

Many more details and pictures to follow, soon!

YIPEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!

2010-08-06T16:03:00.003-04:00

My Mom arrives today! I get to have her for a whole week before our wedding. I haven't seen her in a year. We speak regularly on the phone, but it doesn't compare to having her full time. It's been one of the hardest things to go without living so far from home. The woman spoiled me (in more ways than one), and it's just going to be absolutely stupendous to have her around.

I love you Mom!!!!

TWO WEEKS!!!

2010-07-30T08:36:00.003-04:00

We picked up our marriage license yesterday. Two weeks from today I'll be Mrs. Wendell Hess. The anticipation of becoming an "honest woman" and seeing my family is driving me bonkers! The excitement of it all keeps me up late at night and helps me move along despite the lack of rest and constant fatigue. The butterflies in my belly are flapping their wings at an increasingly fervent rate. I know the day will be here in a heartbeat and will be over much too quickly. I can't wait to soak it all in.

And, I'm so glad my mom will be here in one week. It's going to be such a comfort to have her here with me for a week.

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!

The Last 30 Days

2010-07-13T15:18:00.005-04:00

It's here. The home stretch. We are exactly 30 days away from our wedding date.

After these next 30 days I will no longer check the "single" or "living with partner" box on any paperwork I fill out. I'll have to get use to being called "Mrs." instead of "Miss". I'll have to learn to sign a new last name. And, I'll actually have a piece of jewelry that I'll never take off.

There won't be much in day to day living that will change. I'll still give him grief about cleaning up. He'll still give me grief about my shopping habits. Dog hair will still be everywhere. I'll spend too much time online. He'll spend too much time playing xbox. Our love will continue to grow. We've already fused our lives together as a pair. We do just about everything together. And when we're not together, we miss one another. We've already made the mental, emotional and spiritual commitment to one another. The only thing that will be different after these 30 days is that it will be legal.

It almost makes me feel grown up.......ALMOST!

I know postings have been scarce, but in all honesty we've been busy.....and tired! All that should change after these next 30 days. Stay tuned for upcoming details on our continuing journey.......

100

2010-05-04T11:13:00.013-04:00

In 100 days I'll be Mrs. Wendell Hess. 100 days!!! To celebrate this day I'm going to share 100 reasons why I love my future husband. They are; in no particular order:

1. He'll hold my purse when I go to the bathroom in public places.

2. He constantly tells me that he loves me.

3. His answer to my many suggestions for our home is "Whatever makes you happy".

4. He's a dork just like me.

5. He loves me even when I'm grumpy, PMSing, and generally unpleasant.

6. He likes to surprise me with breakfast in bed.

7. I can use him like a jungle gym.

8. He writes me random love notes.

9. He'll watch chick flicks with me (he's even liked a few).

10. He likes it when I curse him out in Spanish.

11. He buys me chocolate.

12. When "Aunt Flo" comes to town he'll pick me up tampons, midol and more chocolate.

13. He writes me love songs.

14. He doesn't just tell me I'm beautiful, he makes me feel it.

15. We can take a 3 hour car drive in complete silence.

16. He's incredibly smart.

17. He smells good without cologne.

18. He defends my honor.

19. Despite his tough exterior, he's a big teddy bear.

20. He doesn't care if I post pictures like this online:

21. He won't complain when I listen to techno even though he hates it.

22. He'll do yoga with me.

23. On more than one occassion he's made a 2+ hour drive home in the wee hours of the morning so I wouldn't spend all night alone.

24. Everyone who meets him instantly loves him.

25. His kisses.

26. He's seen my fugly side and didn't run away screaming.

27. He likes to watch me go about my business when I have no idea he's looking.

28. He'll fix my computer every time I "break" it.

29. He's the first person to really see me for who I am (other than family).

30. He can always make me laugh. Even when I'm mad and don't want to.

31. He can admit when he's wrong, and even say he's sorry.

32. He can put me in my place when I'm out of line and still be respectful.

33. He finds my OCDness endearing. He's even taken to calling me his "little aviator".

34. He'd rather learn to do something than to pay someone to do it.

35. He enjoys a hot bubble bath for two.

36. Loving him has taught me how to really love myself.

37. He loves my feet.

38. He'll take me out so I can dance even though he doesn't care for the environment.

39. He's old fashioned and chivalrous.

40. He's a rockstar. See:

41. He always compliments my cooking even when I know it's not that great.

42. He checks with me before he makes plans with friends (not because he needs permission, he's just courteous like that).

43. He emails me at work with random humor and to tell me he loves me.

44. He's uber sweet with our dogs.

45. He sacrifices things he wants to give me things I want.

46. He likes to smell my hair.

47. He finds humor in inappropriate places.

48. He's probably the hardest worker I know.

49. He inspires me to be a better person.

50. With him, I've found true happiness.

51. His infectious laugh.

52. The way he speaks to me is different from how he speaks to anyone else.

53. He'll tell me if my outfit doesn't look good.

54. Despite the fact that he may be roasting, he won't fuss much over the thermostat in the winter.

55. With him I'm learning to ask myself "do I need it? or do I just want it?" when I'm shopping.

56. He's teaching me to be better at not taking anyones crap.

57. He'll listen to my stories. Even if I've told him the same story 3 times before.

58. He'll send me flowers at work, just because.

59. He lets me sleep in on the weekends despite the fact that if I was up first I'd probably wake him up.

60. He loves Scooby-Doo as much as I do:

61. He's just as excited about planning our wedding as I am.

62. He does what he can to help people.

63. He brags about me.

64. When my car gets real dirty, he'll wash it for me.

65. He encourages me to pursue my interests.

66. He trusts me to buy his clothes.

67. I feel safe with him, even when he's ridiculously drunk.

68. He sautees mushrooms for me.

69. Like me, he's just a kid trapped in a grown-ups body.

70. He's quite the smart-ass.

71. His nickname of choice: Cap'n Fishnets

72. An incredible piece of music can move him to tears.

73. He doesn't complain when I turn into the Recycling Police.

74. He calls me Bean.

75. He is slowly but surely teaching me patience.

76. He'll take silly photobooth pictures with me (blogger couldn't handle the odd size) =0/

77. His big ass hands make my big hands look small.

78. He lets me use him as my "man purse" when we go out.

79. He leaves the seat down, and I never even had to ask.

80. His "game face" when he plays video games:

81. He really doesn't care what other people think.

82. The man can cook.

83. With him, I look forward to growing old.

84. He understands that as much as I love the country, I'm a city girl.

85. He'll play in the rain with me.

86. He lets me touch him with my cold hands and feet so I can get warm.

87. The way he teases me.

88. We live a drama free life.

89. Despite that he likes the house to be cave like, he won't complain when I open up all the curtains and blinds to let the light in.

90. He gets me the most awesome-est gifts.

91. He loves to say "I'm huge in Japan".

92. He's all tatted up.

93. He's a peanut butter junkie like I'm a chocoholic (yin & yang, baby).

94. We can be at a party where we hardly see each other and then we'll have a blast swapping stories.

95. He's great with kids.

96. He understands that mornings suck and silence is best.

97. We never part without a kiss (or kisses) and an I love you.

98. He talks in his sleep.

99. He can put up with me in a way very few people have, and that was mostly family.

100. The way he looks at me:

We're SO Excited.....

2010-04-29T12:45:00.002-04:00

About our new vacuum!

We both highly anticipated getting the package containing our new vaccum. We have two four legged babies, and the amount of dog hair and dirt was driving us crazy (mostly me). After a couple of uses, we're totally in love with this thing!

Yeah I know, we're dorks. Domesticated dorks.

Four Months!

2010-04-13T09:33:00.003-04:00

We are exactly four months away from our wedding! FOUR MONTHS!!! While I am incredibly anxious to become "Mrs. Wendell Hess", I'm freaking out over how much still needs to be done in such a short amount of time. I swear it was only yesterday that we had eight months to go, and now we're at four.....FOUR!

Time is our biggest obstacle. With the many DIY projects for our wedding time is of the essence. We've been doing so much running around that most spare moments we have we are simply trying to catch our breath. We are currently a pair of freak outs. Wendell is freaking out over money and school while I freak out over decor, our ceremony/vows and our house never being as clean as I'd like it to be.

The main thing that keeps us going is the fact that no matter what happens, doesn't happen, or simply goes horribly wrong, at the end of our wedding day we will still be husband and wife. Well, as long as neither one of us has a heart attack from now until then!

I'm A Gourmet Micowave Chef!

2010-03-31T09:22:00.004-04:00

Well, maybe not "gourmet", but practice is definitely improving my skill. A couple of weeks ago we had tile put in our kitchen and adjacent room. Of course we had to move our stove. Upon returning our stove to it's proper place, we plugged it in, turned the knobs and watched the lights come on. The burners and oven however, did not.

We pulled it back out, wiggled some wires and even pondered kicking it. Wendell then removed the back panel in search of loose wires or a reset button, he even tinkered with the fuses, but nothing! Defeated, we scooted our oven back into it's corner in it's current non-working status. And then we pouted.

A new stove isn't exactly in our budget at the moment with a wedding coming up and all so, it was tuna for dinner! And peanut butter sandwiches the next night. We had very few items we could prepare in the microwave, but we had lots of veggies. The last couple of weeks had run us ragged and by the time we got home neither one of us wanted to head to the store. So, with some inspiration from a friend I turned to our friend Google to find some recipes.

It's been hit or miss. I was very excited about the first recipe I found. Until I took a bite. Adding loads of salt helped, but I really wanted to find the person who posted the recipe and smack them. I followed every detail of the recipe and it just seemed like someone had played a cruel joke! It was bad enough that I couldn't cook properly, but I pictured this person sitting at their desk in a dark room laughing it up a la Vincent Price at the assault some poor unsuspecting person's taste buds were going to endure.

A few recipes later, and it's really not that bad. One thing I do love about being a micro-chef (and I'm not referring to my height) is the amount of time it takes. Most of these meals are ready in 30 minutes or less. And with the weather warming up, it'll be nice not to have to stand in front of a hot stove while it's 80 degrees out.

I'll post some pictures of the awesome tile we now have in our Mexi-Tica kitchen once the place is clean enough to have pictures taken. Yes, we've been THAT lazy folks. Well, I should say busy and therefore too tired to give the kitchen the proper cleaning it deserves. I have started to develop a twitch, so it shouldn't be much longer before my kitchen is back to it's normal sparkling state.

Stay tuned!

Handy Man!

2010-02-22T15:14:00.005-05:00

10 years ago, I never thought that getting a NEW dishwasher would be so exciting (domestication at it's best, eh?)! And with this recent purchase the process of making our first home "ours" continues.

Our upcoming wedding has re-lit a little fire under our butts to get back to working on the house. Our original "fire" burned hot and fast, but as most fires that burn hot and fast, it burned out fast too.

After some initial frustration and having my fingers smashed Wendell installed our brand new dishwasher. We finally got rid of the old crusty white one which had yellowed and was a complete eyesore. And now we have THIS:

*Insert singing angel voices here*

One appliance down, three to go! Stay tuned for more stainless steel beauty.

XOXO

A Review of Our First Year In Our 'hood

2010-02-04T09:20:00.003-05:00

It has been a little over year since Wendell and I bought our first home. We've had quite a bit of fun making it "ours" and like most new homeowners we started out with a BANG! Planning, buying materials, choosing colors and painting. It only took us a couple of months to burn out, we slowed our roll resting on idle many times.

Seeing the fruits of our labor blossom hasn't been the only excitement we've had over the last year. We've met some colorful neighbors and have had a rather active block. You may remember the fire last year that ruined our car. There was also a couple of older ladies busted for providing some twenty somethings with their prescription drugs; a neighbor who was shot in the rear as he was being "robbed"; and most recently ANOTHER fire! There's even a police car parked in front of our house to deter criminal activity. Although I'm not sure if it has anything to do with the recent fire or not. All I know is that it's taking up my parking spot!

Apparently we had a crazy mofo living in our midst. He BURNED DOWN HIS OWN HOUSE!!! When he was questioned by police his response was "It was time it happened". You can read more about his statements here. Apparently he has also confessed to starting that fire last year which cost us a car, so you can imagine my disdain towards this guy. I don't think anything has been proven to that affect, but a confession is good enough for me.

Now, we don't live in some run down 'hood where crime and thugs run amok. Wendell and I are lucky enough to live in between to extremely quiet homes. One is owned by a little old lady who is now living in a Senior center, so the house is empty. The other house is occupied by 4 college students who are on the tennis team and are rarely ever home. We don't have to put up with any noise and we get to make all the noise we want!

We have several friendly neighbors who we make idle chit chat with from time to time. There's a couple across the street who we talk to on a fairly regular basis, Gary & Eddie. They're awesome! And they keep a close eye on the neighborhood, which I like. Wendell and I have spent several weekends away from home, so it's nice to know someone is keeping an eye out.

This year is going to continue to be exciting for us. There are still several changes we want to make around the house before we have guests come in for our wedding. And of course there's all that comes with planning a wedding. We're just hoping it's the good kind of excitement and not the kind that wakes you up at 2:30am during the work week and that's accompanied by sirens and red and blue lights.

The Diamond Engagement Ring "Tradition"

2010-01-21T09:18:00.010-05:00

Getting engaged has been one of THE most exciting moments of my life (duh, right?). We received many congratulations the night of, and many more came in as our friends and family heard the news.

When Wendell proposed he mentioned that we have always been an unconventional couple. Firstly, we met online. That was something even I use to tease people about, until it happened to me. I was the one who flew out to meet him. We bought a house together before we were even engaged. And most recently we got engaged sans the "traditional" diamond engagement ring (insert gasps, wide eyed looks and sympathy head tilts here, pffffffft!).

We had been talking about marriage for some time before our actual engagement. There is no doubt in either one of our hearts or minds that we are meant to be together. There aren't sufficient words to explain what this love has done for me, for us and our lives in general. When we realized that money was the ONLY thing keeping us from getting married we decided we were not going to let THAT keep us from tying the knot.

Since our engagement I have taken advantage of sharing the news with just about anyone who cares to hear it (and sometimes those who don't). Co-workers, the bank tellers, the mail lady, neighbors, the cashier at the Mexican restaurant I frequent, you get the idea. There is one thing that bothers me when I do share this news with others and it's not the automatic glance towards my ring finger. I understand how accustomed our society is to the idea of a diamond engagement ring. That doesn't get to me, I even expected the glances and questions in regards to my naked ring finger. What really gets to me are certain reactions I get when I say "there is no engagement ring". I get everything from "awww" accompanied by a head tilt, surprised oh's, to raised eyebrows that come with a matter-of-fact "huh" (insert eye roll here).

The diamond engagement ring isn't even a tradition rooted in romance, it stems from a clever marketing ploy by De Beers that began in the 1930's after the Great Depression. The history and traditions of engagement vary by location, culture, religion, etc. Some are as simple as a man giving a woman a pair of gloves or even a twig! There are many beautiful, rarely practiced traditions (in the true sense of the word) when it comes to engagement that I can't help but wonder how so many were conned into believing that nothing short of a diamond ring would do.

Now, don't get me wrong. I am not anti lavish gifts and diamond rings are lovely items, I just disagree with the concept that they are a necessity. Wendell has demonstrated his love for me in countless ways on a daily basis. I don't need him to dish out two months salary just to reiterate what he's already more than proven to me. Hell, Paris Hilton recieved a 24 carat diamond engagement ring and we (sadly) all know that relationship lasted about as long as a tic tac.

Despite telling him that "the ring" doesn't matter to me he insists on getting me one as soon as possible. I won't deny him that privilege. I'm not one to turn down a gift. I like telling people that he has given me more than I had ever hoped for and has made me insanely happy. There isn't a single gem of any size in the entire world that could hold the value of what that means to me. So, materialistic women can scoff all they want, they'll probably never know a love like ours.

In Progress.......

2010-01-19T11:03:00.003-05:00

It's been almost 20 days since Wendell and I got engaged. How quickly time flies! I've had a lot of fun planning our wedding so far, and we've had a couple of stressful moments, nothing major, but I'm sure it's a taste of what may come. Or maybe not, maybe that will be as bad as it gets.

Now that our mindsets are begining to sync up, the stress has dwindled. Our different ideas are starting to come together nicely and Wendell has been enjoying the free reign I've given him over the STD cards (no, not that kind of STD sickos, Save The Date). I won't give away any details, I'll just say that it'll be the first clue letting everyone know we're not having a typical, foo-foo princess type wedding. That's not us, so we're not going to have one of the most important days of our lives together be about that. There will be some tradition weaved in as we both have love and respect for it, but the day will be very much "us".

We still have a gazillion and a half ideas to sort through. We both like so many different things and like to be creative so that's out biggest challenge at the moment. I've got butterflies like crazy. I don't think I've ever been this excited about something in my entire life! And I love that Wendell is enthusiastic about planning our day. I've never been thrilled about the whole "it's the bride's day" mentality. There are two people involved in a wedding, not just one. But at the same time, he's letting me go a little nuts with my ideas and I'm not complaining.

I was never one of those girls who fantasized about her dream wedding. Not as a little girl, not as a teen, marriage hadn't entered my mind until my mid-late 20's. I must say I'm a little surprised at how excited I am, I knew I would be, but planning this day with Wendell just makes it that much more special.

Stay tuned for some updates. I've got so much reeling through my head you'll probably hear from me more often.

XOXOXO

NEW!

2010-01-05T10:46:00.011-05:00

Ahh, the begining of a new year. For most of the world it's a cause for celebration, and for many it brings about a fresh start, new goals, a weight loss plan, new found inspiration, etc. This New Year brought me a new relationship status.....ENGAGED! EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!

We rang in the New Year with a group of Wendell's friends. Well, I should just say "OUR" friends as I have grown to love each and every one of them over the last 2+ years we've lived out here.
Wendell's band, Dharma if you don't already know, had a NYE gig. I know I'm a bit biased, but it was a GREAT show. Wendell was such a showman, I was SO proud. And, it was rather sexy! SEE:

If you haven't had a chance to witness their awesomeness, you can check them out here!

While the next band was playing Wendell interrupted them between songs, apologized for the interrupting and called me up on stage. He professed his love and explained to everyone that we've always been an unconventional couple. Then he proceeded to get down on one knee, took my hand in his and asked me to marry him. Before I had a chance to blink the mic was in my face and the yeses were tumbling from my lips and the tears of joy welled up in my eyes. Here's how it went in pictures: The Proposal.....YES!.....The Celebratory Kiss.....

The band then went into Bryan Adam's Heaven (not the crappy DJ Sammy version). It was a nice touch to a perfect moment. We stood on the dancefloor arms wrapped around each other swaying while the band played. We received congratulations throughout the night and had an amazing night surrounded by friends and well wishers. I couldn't have asked for a more perfect start to the New Year.

Louisville Transplants and A Very Dharma Thanksgiving

2009-11-30T10:47:00.024-05:00

Thanksgiving has come and gone yet again. And now that Christmas has passed, I thought I'd share our holiday with you all. Despite being away from family we had an awesome Holiday. We had the opportunity to celebrate Thanksgiving not once, but twice this year.

Round One:

One of Wendell's dear friends, Kristin, had moved away earlier this year (or maybe it was last year, time flies) and came home for a visit. She and a few of her friends have an annual tradition of gathering at someone's house for a fabulous feast, games, and of course alcohol. All of them are "Louisville Transplants" and have no family nearby, so they have created a little family of their own. It was an honor to be invited to join this group of warm and wonderfully unique characters.

It wouldn't be an adventure if we didn't take the wrong freeway, and miss a turn on our way there. That's just how we roll.

Once we found our way, the evening started out with cocktails and football. It was nice to be around another Cowboys fan for the game. I'll always cheer on my team, it's just always more fun when you can share that enthusiasm. More cocktails were consumed amongst plenty of lovely conversation, jokes, and shared tales.

Then the feast. And OH, what a feast it was! Of course there was turkey, mashed taters with a scrumptious homemade gravy, green beans with bacon, stuffing, broccoli casserole, and sinful sweet potatos made with rum and a yummy brown sugar topping *drools*. It was the kind of meal that had you unbuttoning your pants to make room for your newly expanded belly.

Despite being stuffed, the cocktails continued being consumed. There's always more room for liquids!

Now were all ready for games! Or, a game that is. Cranium. Wendell and I had never played before so we didn't know what exactly to expect. Although, with the amount of alcohol that had been consumed, we were sure we were in for a good time. And boy, did we have a grand ol' time! The game was full of hum-dingers, acting out words like 'cocktail dress' (use your imagination) and plenty-o-laughs. We added a little twist to the game. There were about 120 jello shots that hadn't been touched, so every time a team missed their question, the whole team took a shot. We even did the whole 'Battle of the Sexes' thing and of course the ladies killed, and I mean KILLED the guys! Slaughtered even!

I couldn't have asked for a better evening, especially on a day when it's hard for me to be away from family. I ate too much, drank more than I should have, we stayed later than planned and we were thankful to have been invited to join such a group of wonderful people who made us feel like we were always a part of the group.

ROUND TWO:

We had a second, delayed celebration the following Saturday with Wendell's friends (our friends I should say)/band mates. We were treated to another delicious meal. I have to say, corn pudding is one of the best things ever and I'll never understand why I hadn't discovered this super yummy dish before the age of 30! The night was full of silly antics, a few sweet moments, plenty of sarcasm and smack talk, and an improvised acoustic jam session. To keep this post from becoming a novel, I'll let the pictures tell the story:

Back From My 'Pity Pot' Hiatus

2009-10-12T07:50:00.004-04:00

I hadn't realized how long it'd had been since I posted anything. I didn't mean to stay away so long. I just kind of fell into a 'funk' and not the good kind. Work has been a little less than satisfying, I have yet to find a buddy that I can go and get into trouble with (miss you Kristen!), and I've been extremely homesick! My trip home last August only made the homesickness worse, WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! So, I ended up on an Eeyore like "woe is me" bender and almost drove Wendell nuts in the process.

Then, one day Wendell sat me down for a talk. In the sweetest, calmest and most respectable way he basically told me to pull my head out of my ass and to get off the pity pot.

Once I got that little piece of perspective I really started to think about all that I do have and I realized that in the grand scheme of it all, I'm pretty damn blessed.

I have been fortunate enough to be blessed with a large, loving, dysfunctional family that has accepted me and my crazy antics, ideas, wild streaks, and numerous phases. I've never needed a large group of friends because I always had them. I don't think they quite realize just how much of a hand they had in molding the person I am and will grow to become. Despite the great distance between us, that won't ever change. They are a part of my daily life, thru thoughts and memories, emails, phone calls and facebook. And I know this distance isn't permanent. It is where I need to be right now and regardless of where I am, I know they'll always be there.

Most of all, I was also lucky enough to find a partner in crime who really gets me. I've always been an open book, but he has looked to the core of who I am. He has been witness to my beauty and has even stared down my ugly side and into the faces of the monsters that live there and he hasn't faltered once (not even when I was kicking at his knees) and he manages to make sense of it all. He compliments me in every way possible. We truly are the yin to the each other's yang. Even as I sit here trying to come up with the right combination of words to get anyone who may be reading this to understand the awesomeness that is Wendell, I can't seem to find any that do him justice. I'd proclaim that he in fact actually pisses excellence, but even that can't compliment him well enough.

So, my lovely readers (even the ones who don't comment but rather send me emails =0P) you have Wendell to thank for inspring me yet again to bless you with these glimpses into our world. Especially the ones that will send you running to your porcelain god with cheesy fairy tale romance induced nausea.

Be sure and stay tuned!

Bragging Rights

2009-05-16T18:17:00.004-04:00

Every woman thinks their significant other is talented in some aspect or another. When you love someone you see them through your love lenses and they're just awesome, even if their talent isn't a great talent. I don't mean to sound like a bragging, know-it-all bitch, but my Gordo really IS talented (I swear to Buddha).

He has many talents, but I won't rub them all in your faces in this post. If you don't believe me just go here:

www.myspace.com/musicofdharma

Take a listen, if you disagree with me, please feel free to come back here and let me know.

By the way......he's the vocalist.

Stimulating the Economy

2009-04-25T20:53:00.005-04:00

Wendell and I had a busy, busy day today. We had all kinds of plans to work on our house, clean up, organize, paint, rearrange, make it more "us". That was the plan anyway...

It started with a quick trip to the bank since I needed to send some cash via snail mail, I need my CA driving record in order to get my DL here, AND, I'll have to take the written test....DUN...DUN...DUUUUUUUUUUN!!! I am oh so excited about that, NOT!

At the drive-thru window Wendell asks me if I want to go shopping. As if he ever reeeaaalllly needs to ask me THAT question. We were in dire need of a new comforter since our old one was left in the dryer too long and the corners shriveled up and the rest of it ended up with patches of discolorment (is that even a word?). I've been wanting a new one since I pulled it out of the dryer in its horrid state last October. But, pretty things aren't necessarily at the top of Wendell's priority list, so after asking him 3 times that day if we could buy a new one, I hadn't asked again. So, you can imagine my joy when he asked if I wanted to go shopping for a new one!

My first thought was "Pottery Barn" as my heart pitter pattered at the idea of their lovely colors and patterns, but I knew Wendell wasn't looking to spend big bucks on "just a blanket". So Target it was. As usual, we couldn't agree on color nor pattern, so we headed for Wal-mart *sigh* I wasn't too upset that we left there also unable to agree on a color or pattern. So I suggested Bed Bath & Beyond. Wendell was all for it, and it didn't dawn on me that he had probably never walked into a BB&B to realize that the price tag was bigger than those at Target or Wal-Mart. We found several we liked and actually agreed on, however, we didn't agree on the dollar amount. Again, after store #3 we left empty handed.

Today was especially warm (which I just loved) so by this point with only a minimal breakfast in our bellies, we were famished. Choosing a place to eat can prove to be just as much of a task as agreeing on a comforter, if not moreso. Luckily for us we found a nice looking Mexican restaurant tucked away behind some other food places. It was a well needed meal (and a beer for Wendell and a Margarita for me). And now that we were refueled, onward we marched....back to Target.

We decided we needed to pick up some additional items, and well, we just love Target. So back to trying to find a comforter set we could agree on. Forest Gump's momma was right, miracles do happen every day. We found a comforter we had looked over on our first trip that we both liked...SCORE! I don't know about you, but I can never go into Target for a single solitary item without making a round of at least half of the store, just in case there's something else I don't really need that I absolutely must have. So, we picked up some TV trays and a movie.

So, after a long day spent running around town, Casita Hess is still a disaster area, no painting got done, and we can look forward to another busy day tomorrow instead of being a couple of amoebas and doing nothing (well, maybe).

Oh yeah, did I mention we bought another car? Another Kia. Nothing fancy, so I haven't taken any pics. It was really just a replacement for our other car that perished in the fire and which 0 of 2 insurance companies will cover. We were just going to pick up our plates for the Soul and our car salesman worked his magic and got us an incredible deal we couldn't refuse. And we've decided that the Soul is mine and Wendell gets the Spectra.

And that my friends is how Wendell and I did our part to stimulate the economy today....Tadaaa!

Three.....O!

2009-04-17T08:25:00.009-04:00

Friday, April 10th it happened.......I turned 30. 30? I've really been here THAT long?

Of course I got the old lady jokes all day. Wendell kept mentioning that 40 is just around the corner and 50 will be here before I know it. And one of my sisters and brother-in-laws called to sing me their rendition of "Happy Over The Hill Birthday", all while cracking themselves up.

Originally I was to spend my 30th in L.A., but for some unfortunate circumstances we weren't able to make the trip. We are however, planning a trip for the summer! (sunny beaches here I come!) Instead we opted for a night on the town as dancing is one of my many passions, though it is near the top of the list. And it had been a while since my feet graced a dancefloor.

Despite being stood up by a couple of friends (I won't name names, *cough...Chris & Chey...cough*) we had a grand ol' time. We bellied up to a bar and had several drinks, some even on the house since it was moi's birfday. It was a very, very rainy and stormy night so I basically had a dancefloor to myself....SCORE! We were entertained by a group of characters at the bar and we even made a couple of new friends, which still being farily new in town, we could use.

I missed being around familiar faces for my birthday as birthdays are always a big deal back home, but Wendell made my day (and night) grand. As did those I celebrated with. I had a damn good time.

I got to go shopping for a new outfit and stuff and I got my hair done too! It wasn't cheap....and to top that off Wendell got me a new iPod and hard drive since my last one crapped out on me, and then to top even that he also got me a whole 10" Godiva Chocolate Cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory. If you're a chocoholic and you haven't had a slice of one of those......you are missing out! Your eyes will literally roll into the back of your head, it is not for the faint of heart (or diabetics).

Here's a looksie at moi all gussied up for a night on the town:

Sadly this is the only picture we got of the WHOLE night. But drinking more than your usual will do that to you.

We ended the night with a cab ride home with a driver who was nice enough to pull over (maybe more than once) so that I could exorcise some of the fun I had through the course of the night (sexy, innit?) I woke the next morning with tangled hair, almost fully dressed....with a desert in my mouth and a head that weighed about 10 tons. And it only took me 2 days to recover.

My hair didn't take to what was done to it, so I had to have it redone. Because when you pay as much as i did for hair, you can bet your ass that it's what I'm going to get no matter what! The salon was awesome though and gave me no fuss.....and here's the finished product:

And on a final note.....I so don't feel 30! I swear at times I still feel 16 (minus the insecurities and uncertianties). I think I'll always be one of those people who hangs on to youthful qualities, whether or not I'll keep looking youthful is another story.

"Growing old is a requirement, growing up is a choice" - I don't know who said it, but I like it!

FIYAH!

2009-04-03T09:34:00.021-04:00

We had some excitement on our block at 3:30am last Wednesday morning. It all started with a BANG, literally. The bang startled me. Growing up in the 'hood, my first thought was "gunshots"....until I smelled smoke (it was a couple of transformers that blew). We got out of bed and looked out the window and our eyeballs were greeted with bright oranges and yellows. Then we noticed the bright colors raining down on our car. And all we could do was watch. (it was too smokey and fiery to get pictures of that).

It didn't take long for the Fire Department to show up and begin battling the blaze. We continued watching the fire rain down on our car, hoping and praying the damage wouldn't be too terrible.

Look at the house across the street, the vinyl siding is melted. This was one HOT fire.

And that's our (old) car under the water hose.

Here we have the bulk of the damage to our car: scratches, gunk melted on, and stuff just melted.

A close up of the headlight...crazy!

This was at about 10-11am (approx. 7 hours after the fire started!) We still couldn't move our car, it was apart of a crime scene.

Here's what's left of the building. I couldn't get a shot before the boards went up. They had even replaced the pole by the time I got this shot, it was charred badly.

The fire was deliberately set and according to an eye witness the molotov cocktail went through the front door.

And this is the debris we must deal with as it has not been cleaned up. Since we've had two windy storms blow through our neighborhood, a lot of this stuff has ended up in our front and back yard.

The house was being used as an office building, so thankfully no one was inside. We really feel for the guy, he's a Pastor at a church across the street who works with troubles youths. However, this is the 3rd or 4th building he owns that has been set on fire, including the Church itself (maybe he tries to help pryomaniacs?). And that was only about a year ago. He has most recently purchased the house right next door to ours (the house between us and this building) and that makes me a little nervous.

Our house was filled with smoke for a good few hours, and filled with the smell of it for the next couple of days. Although we were approached by a sales guy advertising his company's services of carpet and uphosltery cleaning, all ambulance chaser like. I guess in this case you would call him a fire truck chaser.

Our new car no longer has that new car smell. We had it for a whole 2-1/2 weeks! We aired it out and bought an air freshener and now it smells like "beach scents". But, it being our first brand new car, I was hoping to have that smell for as long as possible (self absorbed much?)

On the "brighter side" we either get a car that'll look almost new, or get enough cash to buy a newer used car. And we got to meet a few more of the neighbors we hadn't met. Nothing like a raging neighborhood fire to bring the neighbors together eh?

Nyuck...nyuck...nyuck

2009-03-29T18:44:00.009-04:00

Last Friday Wendell and I played out our own scene of The Three Stooges. We play fight...a lot. I like to say Molly is the 3rd stooge as she always barks, jumps and paws at us when we do. Our last play fight was no exception.

Wendell took his stance, took a few swings....but I was already floating like a butterfly, so he missed. I'm floatin.....and floatin'....and I saw my opportunity.....STING....just like a bee! Molly instantly joined in the fight jumping and barking. She proved to be a slight distraction which allowed Wendell a few jabs.

But now that I was alert:

He was taking it like a man. Then he restorted to kicking....a disadvantage to me. My 5'3 stature next to his 6'4 didn't stand much of a chance.....but I wasn't going to let that keep me down.....no sir!

So I kicked back.....but he was too quick for me.....he grabbed my foot. I tried to stable myself to no avail. I hopped and hopped my way right smack into a shelving unit of DVD's

I was waiting for the rainfall of DVD's to pelt my head, but miraculously not a single one left its shelf. Instead, the large vase full of wilting flowers sitting atop the shelving unit toppled over showering me with murky water and flower petals in an array of sizes, shapes and colors, and it would not have been complete without the smelly, sticky stems sticking to my hair. Who could resist bursting into laughter after a scene like that?

I was covered in the icky remnants of what once were lovely, aromatic flowers. And of course all this happens as we are suppose to be heading out the door for a bite to eat with a friend who just so happened to come to the door right after I stripped off my wet, stinky and dead flower decorated clothes, leaving me to make a mad dash to the bathroom to dry off, deflower and change.

We've got S-O-U-L......

2009-03-17T20:59:00.018-04:00

Wendell and I have had many firsts together......and this past Sunday we added yet another to that list.....a brand spankin' new car! The 2010 Kia Soul....ch...ch....check it out!

Zee front

Zee Driver's Area

This is the section I'll be using the most!

Speakers that light up to the beat of the music!

More of the front area

Check out those seats!

Love that logo

Zee Moon Roof

Zee Passenger Side

Some more of those pimped out seats

A roomy backseat (this angle doesn't do it justice)

Soul Booty

Plenty O' cargo space, plus folding seats

And one final look at our wicked new ride!

It may not be a Mercedes.....but it's funky.......it suits us.......and doesn't hurt our wallet. Oh, and did I mention we are the first people in Louisville to own one? Two firsts for the price of one! The perks:

34 miles to the gallon

10,000mile/7 year bumper to bumper warranty

Roadside assistance that tops what AAA provides

A killer soundsystem, complete with tweeters and a subwoofer! What more could two music junkies ask?

Free Sirius satellite radio for 3 months

Built in blue tooth for handsfree convos

2 front and 2 rear power outlets, usb port, plug in your iPod and/or laptop!

There's more but I don't want to sound too much like a commercial, well moreso than I already do. Come visit....we'll take you for a spin!

Blessed

2009-03-14T21:08:00.003-04:00

I was sitting at the reception desk at work this past Friday, exhausted after a long week. I couldn't focus on much and thankfully my only task was to answer the phones for an hour and forty five minutes.

As I was fighting my heavy eyelids, I mean, keeping busy, I saw a delivery guy walking into our offices carrying flowers. There are only two other women who work in my office so I wondered which of the two they could be for. Then the delivery guy says:

"I'm looking for an Ana (pause)". I have yet to encounter a person out here who has tried to pronounce my last name.

I sat up fully alert and proudly proclaimed I was the one he was looking for. The site of the flowers held my gaze and I wasn't even sure if the guy said anything on his way out. My head swirled with the aroma of fresh flowers. And I smiled. A bright, big, beaming smile. And then I read the attached note:

"Just because I love you"

Talk about making a lady feel special. Some may see it as cheesy, but it really is the small things in life that count. And some of the smallest gestures can go a long way.

I just feel blessed to have someone who takes time out of their own busy day to make me feel special and who lets me know just how much I mean to him. I truly couldn't ask for anyone or anything better.

I hope you have enjoyed your dose of sappy cheese for the day.

Love Hurts

2009-02-19T18:03:00.009-05:00

Meet Molly:

This is our baby, although she was Wendell's baby before she was "ours". Not only was she Wendell's, but Wendell was hers. She repeatedly tried to make this clear to me on numerous occassions. And every now and then she still does. She tries to get in between us on the bed, she barks at me when we play fight (even though I may be the one in defense mode), she jumps and claws at us when we kiss, if we hug she stands between us at our feet. If we pay more attention to each other than we do to her, she'll whine, and if we ignore her long enough she'll bark at us to let us know she's been neglected long enough. This behavior is usually the most prominent when we come home after she's been left alone all day.

Feeling guilty prompted us to get Molly a playmate, especially now that we have our own home. We didn't have to look long before we were given Nancy:

We fell in love instantly, she was such a sweetheart. It took Molly a day or two to take to her, but once she did they played constantly. It was a perfect match all around, or so we thought....

It didn't take long for us to discover Nancy was a chewer. You would think that a dog of her small size wouldn't be able to do much damage. WRONG!

In about a weeks time she has managed to maime or destroy the following:

My Puma overnight (these are not cheap), a backpack, a pack of sharpies, socks, house shoes, surround sound speaker wires, 3 funnels, a vinyl record (a collectors item limited to 300 copies no less), one of Wendell's prized action figures, a blanket, a dog bed, and some miscellaneous plastic items we couldn't identify. She even chewed on the vinyl siding on our garage!

The other day we came home and she had tried pulling our desk chair through the doggy door! Of course she chewed the lower portion of it, as well as the flap on the doggy door.

And on top of all of this, this dog that came from an outdoor environment has taken to using our house as her personal restroom. Of course all of this has been more than frustrating. We have tried all that we could think of with no results. To make matters worse we're gone 10 hours a day and don't have the time to teach her how things work here at 'Casita Hess'.

Sadly, all these means that she has to go. We feel horrible taking away Molly's playmate. And I've grown a little attached to her as it was nice having a dog that I could call mine, she warmed up to me moreso than Wendell.

But she gets to go live on a farm, a place she's use to being. So, at least she'll get her roaming area where she can chew on whatever the outdoors have to offer. We lose a buddy, but get to keep our home.

*sigh*

Happy Valentine's Day

2009-02-14T23:09:00.005-05:00

What better day to begin a blog about Love than on Valentine's Day?

This blog will follow the story of a country boy and a city girl who met online, completely by chance.....or fate.

It all started with a casual conversation about music, then exchanges of funny emails, which eventually led to 5 hour long phone conversations while drinking red wine, and of course sharing music. As they grew to know more about each other, feelings developed and grew. One day, the city girl hopped on plane from L.A. to Albuquerque, NM to meet this country boy face to face. Impulsive? Yes. Exciting? Yes. Crazy? Yes.

While on this plane to NM the city girl came to her senses and realized this was just plain CRAZY. This guy could be nuts! He could be creepy! He could cut out her kidney to sell on the black market and leave her in a bathtub full of ice in a seedy motel room! As she kept herself from hyperventilating she decided that once the plane landed she would change her ticket and fly right back home. Well, the airport in NM isn't open 24hrs like LAX, so she was "stuck". Thankfully.

That weekend was a weekend of bliss for the pair. Both felt things that they had never felt ever before. Butterflies in bellies like never before, they soared higher than cloud 9, it had to be too good to be true.

So, a long distance relationship began. Trips to L.A., and trips to NM followed. As did love letters and phone calls into the wee hours of the night. The only problem was the distance, oh the distance!

The city girl, being the silly city girl that she could be, questioned all that she had, weighed the pros and cons. She told herself she couldn't leave the city, so she told the country boy goodbye. She tried to convince herself she had done the right thing, what was best, and besides, she still had the city.

Sad days ensued, confusion set in, and bad decisions were made. The city girl missed the country boy, and he missed her too. So much time had passed, what were these two broken hearted lovers to do?

One day the city girl snapped out of her funk, grew tired of sadness and bad decisions, she knew she had to take a chance to get back what she had. The worst answer would be no, so she picked up the phone and called the country boy. And with a simple hello, things began to fall into place...

Fast forward a couple of years:

Present day, Louisville, KY.

The city girl and her country boy are madly in love, live in a house they own, with two dogs and big, big plans. And with that, the story continues......