I'm Thinking I Might Need Professional Help...

I've still not made up my mind about the Charleston trip.  I have narrowed my hotel list down to two, but I just can't seem to commit.  Funny, before I got married I was the most decisive person I knew... and now, after going through the hell that is wedding planning, I've totally lost my ability to make decisions.  What's wrong with me?

On the home front, the Hubster and I are trying to move forward with house building.  We met with our contractor and now we are working on loan information.  I have a feeling that it is going to take several months before we can decide, happily, on the bank we want to commit to as well.  Again, I ask, what is wrong with us?  Am I rubbing off on the Hubster or is he rubbing off on me?

Anyway... last week was a pretty crazy couple of days.  I found out that I have peri-oral dermatitis around my mouth/lips and that's why I've been walking around looking like I drank a gallon of red colored Cool-Aid.  Apparently this condition is common in women... and apparently it takes a while to clear up.  I have a topical cream to rub on my mouth twice a day...

My doctor also could not tell me why two of my finger nails were turning orange.  She did a blood panel and it showed nothing.  I started noticing the orange tint when I started taking a super-dose of vitamins.  She told me to lay off them and see what happens.

Weird, huh?

Anyway... its raining--- finally raining and apparently it's going to get pretty bad because they've delayed school in the morning.

So there are my random thoughts and observations for the week.  Have a good one y'all.

Vacation Planning...

The Hubster and I have not been on an honest-to-goodness-just-me-and-him-vacation since we got married.  For the last 3 years we've talked about going somewhere... for our anniversary or just to get away but when the time is good for me, it's plain awful for him and vise versa. 

So after years of talking I finally made up my mind that a vacation was going to happen-- come hell or high water.  We've decided on Charleston, South Carolina-- actually, I made up our minds for us.  And now I'm trying to decide on hotels.  I want to stay downtown.  I don't want to have to find a parking spot each and every day... I just want to wake up and start walking around town. 

This trip is all about architecture.  With the dream house looming... I really should think of a less depressing word than "looming" but at this point I'm all out of bright and happy words... I need to have my ideas in mind and documented in pictures.  I keep hearing that once we get started contractors do not like to wait on the wife to make up her mind.  They like to keep moving.

So why not take the end of October, over my birthday, and take in the sites, eat some great food and relax a bit? 

I've got my mind set on three hotels.  We are staying three nights-- maybe I should book a room at each for each night?  But seriously, I'm freaking out about hidden costs.  The most expensive hotel, that is right downtown seems to be the best bet, because parking seems to be included in the cost.  The other hotel that I like that is just a little bit cheaper charges for parking.  The third hotel is sort of in the same boat with the paying for parking thing...

I just wish someone would make up their mind for me.  It would be so less stressful... I think I know why the Hubster and I haven't been on a "just us" vacation in three years!

Obscure Objects...

I just love it when the Hubster comes home, unresponsive and looking for some obscure object that he may or may not have brought home several days, months and/or years ago and then appears mad with me because he suspects that I may have moved said obscure object-- or worse, thrown it away!

The Hubster brings home lots of objects.  I have a green vase/bowl full of receipts, change, nails, nuts and bolts, match books, lighters, business cards, small wrenches, flashlights, batteries-- you name it, I've got it and I got it because it came home in Hubster's pockets.

Just now the Hubster burst through the door and immediately started tearing through one of the basket that I keep his "junk" in and when I asked him-- "what are you doing home so early?" I get a sarcastic reply and a series of grunts.

I helped him look, of course-- this time for (I think) the attachment to an air hose.  I'm almost positive that I've not ran across anything similar since we blew up the starter pool back in June.  And since that time the air tank is back at his parent's house and/or possibly the farm.  So I decided to let him alone to figure this one out on his own.

I'm not sure if he found it or not.

I wish I lived in a house where everything thing-- including obscure objects-- had a place.  I wish I was one of those wives that could automatically produce whatever it was that her husband or family was looking. Obviously I'm not that sort of person.  As I write I have stacks of mail over-flowing my kitchen table... on this very computer desk are several documents that need to be either A) thrown away or B) filed away, neatly.

Obviously I'm not that sort of person-- I'm the sort of person that let's her husband keep a green vase/bowl full of obscure objects and when that vase/bowl fills up I get him another basket to fill.

Can you say Hoarder?  How 'bout enabler?

I Hate Hog Slat...

Thursday night, maybe it was over supper, the Hubster told me that we'd be, most likely, going to the Reverse Raffle that the local fire department was holding Friday night.  I'll be honest with you, I was less than thrilled at the idea of spending my Friday night in a dark, loud, uncomfortable banquet hall straining to hear over the music, so I could hear what the person standing beside me was saying.  But, as with most things where the Hubster is concerned, I didn't get my way.

We got to the Reverse Raffle late.  Late enough I was positive that our names were already drawn out and that we'd be able to leave and eat real food, instead of the finger foods that the Fire Department was offering, real soon.  We get in the door and my in-laws tell us that we are still in the drawing for the $10,000 bucks.  I can't lie, I was little disappointed because I was hungry and I didn't want to have to stay... after all, the Hubster won one year already so what's the chance of him winning again?

You see, the whole point with a Reverse Raffle is to not have your name called out.  If you're the last name called, you win... and you could win a lot of cash.  It is a pretty fun fundraiser, in my opinion, except for this night, I just wanted to go back home and veg out on the couch while watching TLC's "Say Yes to the Dress: Atlanta."

So the band stopped playing and the firemen started calling out names.  Amy Richards... Greg Holland... Tom's Tire and Auto... etc., etc., etc.  I was surprised that our name hadn't been called.  The announcer stopped at the last 10 names and said the band would play one more set and then the winner would be announced. 

At that moment I realized we were still in it and we possibly could win!  I got nervous and I started to regret that I had ate so many cucumber sandwiches earlier in the night.  I was pretty muched sucked in at this point.

The Hubster and I quick conferenced... if we get in the top five we'd split with the remaining names and go home with $2,000 bucks.  $2,000 bucks sure would replace all that money we spent on a second set of house plans this past summer and there probably would be enough money left over that the Hubster could finally buy (guilt-free) the pair of boots he's been lusting after for as long as I've known him.

After what seemed like an eternity, the band stopped playing and the firemen came back to call out the rest of the names.  Richard & Carmen Jones... Paula Vann... Erin Winbourne... Brinkley & Bob Zornes... Josh Peters.  We were in the top five.  They called the Hubster up along with the other four ticket holders.  You could see them talking and I could see the Hubster saying "split."  I just knew that we'd be coming home with $2,000 dollars and suddenly I didn't really care that all I had had to eat all day was a bad sandwich at work and 3 cucumber sandwichs and cheese cubes at the drawing.  Suddenly I started thinking about how wonderful it would be to put back the money we spent this summer into our savings account.  Suddenly I was just in the very best of moods... and then suddenly the annoucers said, "Well, the rules say, ladies and gentlemen, that if one ticket holder refuses to split then we've got to keep going on with the drawing, and Hog Slat's representative says she won't split, so we've got to keep drawing out names.  Sorry folks." 

Hog Slat is a local company that has millions upon millions of dollars and they now are my least favorite company in the world. 

We were all standing back, praying that the next name out would be Hog Slat and then they could split.  But it wasn't.  We were now in the top four.  If the next name out was Hog Slat, then we'd be going home with a little more than $2,000 dollars.

It all happened really fast.  The announcer spoke clearly and fast.  Rest assured, it was our name and we were out.  The Hubster took the walk of shame back to where I was standing, disappointed and mad.  Hog Slat made it to the top two and luckily lost out to a much more deserving couple. 

I stayed mad well into the next day.  I was pretty much on my 3rd cup of coffee at my Daughters of the American Revolution meeting at the country club Saturday moring before I was even fit to be around.  Y'all I really hate being right all the time, but I'd been so much better off on my couch Friday night completely clueless as to what was going on at the drawing.  No more Reverse Raffles for me... I can tell you that Hubster.  And Hog Slat, you'd better just figure that y'all won't be getting no business from any of mine for a good long while.

If You're Marring My Sister: Please Don't Read Any Further...

So I promised I'd finish writing about our Marathon Beach Vacation... but I think that ship has sailed.  Since coming home from the beach, work has started back, my brother-in-law is home from Basic Training, and my cousin's boyfriend who was diagnosed with cancer two years ago (a month before their wedding) is dying...so I don't feel like telling you about how my cousin drank a FourLoco while on vacation and thought that Aquafina bottled water was from the devil.

Seriously, though... it's been a very hectic couple of weeks.  And to make matters a little more hectic, my sister has been shopping for a wedding dress.  For the last few weeks, our weekends have been spent shopping for the elusive "perfect" dress.

People that have never been wedding dress shopping think it is going to be just fun piled up on top of fun.  In my experience it's really more stressful than fun.  First of all, the dresses are designed to be beautiful... so they all pretty much look nice on you.  Second of all, people make you think that you are to have some sort of emotional reaction when you like a dress, which only puts pressure on the bride-to-be because what if you're the one bride in the United States of America that never gets that teary-eyed feeling?  What does that say about you?

So wedding dress shopping, for my sister, turned out to be pretty much one headache after the other, until today.

Today we found the perfect dress...

It's a Spanish designer that I can't remember the name of.  The sash was my idea.  Once the dress comes in, we are going to have a slight sweetheart neckline added and make the back V.  We are thinking of having the sash remade with parts of our mom's wedding dress which I think, if it can be done, is an awesome idea.

We brought along my sister's best friend and college room-mate.  She was our emotional thermometer and cried anytime she liked a dress.  It was good to have her along because we are all dead inside and don't cry about wedding dresses.

For those of you in the Raleigh area-- the place we shopped at was Victorian Rose Bridal on Glenwood Avenue, downtown.  I got my dress their three years ago and anytime I know someone getting married I always refer them there.  The ladies their are great... the dresses are great... and you get top-notch assistance.

Hopefully, now that we have the perfect dress things will start falling into place!