Monday, Monday: Can't Trust That Day

It has been a rough week. Monday started me off wrong. Monday, if you had told me what the day was to bring, I would have stayed oh so far away from you.

Monday is my late day at work. I do not have to be in until 10:30 so it is the one day during the week I get to stay in bed longer than Nick. When I do finally climb out of bed I take my time and play with the puppies, have a nice breakfast sitting on the counter looking out the window, and gradually make my way into work.


Ferocious Toby

 This Monday was different. I was upstairs picking out clothes when Toby started barking like a madman. I yelled for him to stop but he was at that point in which he can only be stopped by your presence. I ran down stairs and found him not at the back door as I would have thought but standing instead in front of our basement door.

The basement door was closed but does not have a lock. Behind the basement door are steps to the basement and a side door that leads outside. "Toby, WHAT are you barking at??" I implored. As soon as the words left my mouth, Toby growled and a knock came from the basement door. Three knock to be exact. Knock, knock, knock. And yes I mean these knocks were coming from inside the house!

I ran upstairs. Nick was in the shower and I was pounding on the door. I told him what happened having to clarify more than once that yes I meant the INSIDE basement door. When what I was saying finally registered, Nick turned off the water and jumped out of the shower. He instructed me to call 911 as he wrapped a towel around his waist and started heading downstairs. I did as I was told and followed him downstairs. Nick grabbed a knife and the two of us stood in the front hallway as I gave the 911 dispatcher our address and explained the situation.

The cops arrived rather quickly and although they initially started walking to the wrong house, I was able to wave them over to me. I showed them the side door and they attempted entering from outside before coming in and searching the basement.

They came back up to the living room where I sat on the ottoman and Nick stood behind me (now dressed as I made him put on pants before the cops came). I was visibly shaken but the cops told me that they did not see any footprints and the  house was clear. They suggested that what I heard was melting snow. It was not. They suggested that it was a strong breeze. It was not.

We thanked the policemen for their time and they left. Nick stayed with me until I had to leave for work.



Playing hostess in our duplex a few years ago. Years before the mysterious knocking.


The story should be over but it's not.

I was driving to work on the main road that runs through Minneapolis. I was driving in the far right lane when the truck in front of me stopped and put on his flashers. I stopped behind him and flipped on my left blinker. I looked to my left and was about to pull out when the back of my car was slammed into. Luckily the traffic was heavy and the car behind me could not have been going more than 25, luckily I was stopped and did not then hit the truck in front of me. But still, my body jerked forward as I heard the awful clunkity crunch noise of an accident. I hate that noise. It is still in my head and it puts me on edge.

I opened my door and stared blankly at the girl climbing out of her car. Are you kidding me?? Is what I wanted to scream. Instead we exchanged concern and information.

She was apologetic and rightfully accepted all blame. "I was not paying attention. I saw the green light and just went." She admitted. I appreciated her honesty. "I'm having a really bad day." She added.

"I am too." I shared. "It's okay. It could have been worse. We are okay." I said as she embraced me. I got back into my car and drove to work. I'm still surprised that I did not turn around and go home and skip work but at the same time, home wasn't sounding too inviting either.

My neck, back, and shoulders still hurt a lot. I am sitting at work with heat packs and ibuprofen and later today I am going to buy locks for our basement door. Now is a good time to announce that we are moving July 1st and with the old apartment might also go the old Corolla.

Nick, The Corolla, and a cow's butt somewhere is Wisconsin.

*Blog title care of the Mamas and the Papas

Simple Inspiration: Photos

I have so much to say but I'm saving up my creative words for another outlet. Today, I need only to share photos, images that are cheering me during this stressful time.

Image courtesy of Engaged and Inspired. So lovely. This picture makes me want to have a photo session with NV when we are all dolled up.  

 

Reese Witherspoon at the Oscars this year was flawless. Classy and beautiful and makes it look easy. And I LOVE that hair. It's actually a half up half down, not a pony as it appears.



I may have just bought these for our July 22nd party! Badgley Mischka is my new favorite shoe designer. I dare you to go to amazon and look for a pair of shoes by Badgley Mischka that you don't want!

I've always liked James Franco but my like has turned into a serious celebrity crush upon finding out that he is currently pursuing his PhD at Yale and then stumbling upon this photo care of cute boys with cats.

I promise to be back soon with more than photos. Until then please pray to whomever your god may be that it warms up in Minnesota. This has been the l-o-n-g-e-s-t winter e-v-e-r!!

Scattered: So Let's Go!

My head is scattered today. There are so many things I want to do but most of them require either lots or money or at least a plane ticket. It is like when you are in your kitchen and you keep opening your refrigerator even though you know what is in there and you are not even hungry, you just keep looking anyway. I keep pulling up the same web pages over and over as if I might find something new, something that will calm my unsettled nerves.

So far today I have occupied myself with this, this, and this. They are not new articles to me. I saved them in my favorites months ago and go back and read them to revive myself.

The tricky thing with the decorating tips is that as much as I agree with his words, I want a new home so bad that I do not want to spend my days updating the crumbling duplex that we now inhabit.

The slackerology post makes me itch for adventure (so does the -22 windchill). It makes me want to travel so bad that I spent yesterday morning searching craigslist for apartments in Sydney. The one I fell in love with is this. It looks simple and sunny and the view! Wow! It is not realistic though because in case you missed it, that $700 is per week.

Something wonderful did happen yesterday! My family friend that I wrote about here sent me an email. He included a draft of his newest book that is going to be published and has not been read by anybody except his publisher and said:  What I’m trying to do here is get you back to writing, so let’s go. Check this out and then send me something fun to read.

I thought it was only a few pages but 30 pages in Nick asked me if I was coming to bed soon. I answered yes, I just want to finish reading first. I then looked and realized it is 243 pages.

So reading and writing is the task before me. Wish me luck. Writing here is different than what I send him. I write here as I used to write in my journal. I write in my voice. I write without worrying too much about language. It is good that I do this. It gets me typing, it gets me thinking about writing outside of professional emails but it is still a long walk back to fiction.

Photo: Jeffrey Westbrook/Studio D

Hunker Down: Plan It Out

2011 is going to be a big year. It is a year that requires a lot of planning with big payoffs at the end. We are getting married. We are moving. We are going back to Australia.

My friend Sam is also planning for a big year so we keep each other in check. We are helping one another remember our goals, the things we want to save for, the big picture. If I pick up a shirt in Target, she says Australia and I walk away. It makes it so much easier when the ones around you are on board with your plans.

Hunker Down January: I did not want to write about this until it was over. It is what Sam and I called this past month. Our goal was to spend less money and work out more.

December always leaves me feeling drained. It gets so expensive between buying gifts and plane rides home and it gets unhealthy with all of the busyness and holiday parties.

We started 2011 with a reset button.

I am pretty happy with how we did. My spending on restaurants, fast food, and shopping went down significantly. We also have been going to the gym regularly and I am starting to see results. I have lost a few pounds but more importantly, I can run longer and stretch further. Getting my feet flat to the ground during downward dog is no longer a challenge. (Did you hear that Erica??) It is the personal victories and an encouraging buddy that keep me going back.

Now that we have balanced ourselves out with a month of cutting back, we are moving into Plan It Out February. We can maintain our controlled spending and regular exercise but with birthday extravaganza approaching, we need to anticipate going out three weeks in a row! Ohh February is going to fly by (I hope)!

It is the time of year that I start itching for warm weather. Oh how I miss flip flops and tank tops.

Here's to Plan It Out February... Wish us luck!

Twenty Seven: Reviewed

Although my birthday is not here yet, it is not far away. I know that because when I walk into Target, Valentine's cards and decorations are capping the aisles and Conversation Hearts are easily found. My birthday is on Valentine's Day so the pink and red of the season feels like a reminder of age more so than love.

The 27th year in trips:

• February:  San Francisco to see Kris. Napa with Kris, the night she told me I was going to Vegas, driving in her suv dancing to the radio.
• April: Vegas for Kris's bachelorette party! VIP in Vegas, TAO, Bellagio brunch, Theresa's magic tricks, winning at blackjack
• May: Caron wedding in Madison. Home to Boston for the Rice wedding (groomswoman) and to Rhode Island for the Caisse wedding (bridesmaid)
• June: Cincinatti for the Zitelli wedding (bridesmaid). I didn't know it then but Nick asked my parents permission. Gong reunion.
• July: Engagement! Rhode trip to Illinois for a new car. Vacations to the cabin.
• August: Home to Boston to find a wedding venue and fall in love with the Omni Parker House.
• October: My parents and Tracy come to visit, Nick and I get engagement photos taken, and I buy my wedding dress. Sam and I roadtrip for the second time to Finley, North Dakota. We drive out to a wind farm (which is way cooler than it sounds)
• December: Christmas in Boston and skiing in New Hampshire.

Plans for 28: Boston. New Hampshire. Missouri. South Dakota. Australia!!!

Simple Words: Still Hold True

I keep seeing these signs around and I love them. I want to get one for myself to hang up at the office and sometimes I wish I could send them to the ones that I am talking to on the phone. Anonymously just mail a little note that says: Read this and breathe deep. You will be okay.

Simple Dream Home: NOT a Design Blog

In contrast to the above picture, it is so cold here today! I stepped out of the house with plans to ride the bus but my leggings argued for the corolla and won.

To distract myself for the -35 that they are projecting for later tonight, I found pictures of homes that are beautiful, that feel warm, that are not in the upper Midwest.

They are the kinds of homes that I would like to find myself living in. Some of the pictures I have viewed on other blogs a long time ago and fell so in love, that I continue to go back and drool over the warm, simple life that I imagine the space would provide.

This kitchen is simple. Classic with a modern twist. Elegant yet comfortable. Love.

So calming. It would be such an escape to collapse into this bed. I want to nap there right now.

I adore this set up and I'm in love with the light fixture. It just looks so cozy.

Love love love this library. Classy and eclectic. Funky with timeless pieces.

Cutest little girl room I have ever seen. I actually saved this picture twice on two different locations from two different places. I am consistent in my taste.

Oprah's library. Enough said.

Oprah's library part II. I want to curl in in that chair and read/nap by the fire OR have a glass of wine with Oprah.

Oprah library part III. Love this room.