Yesterday, J and I celebrated our first anniversary. It’s still hard to believe that 365 days have gone by since we exchanged our vows; I can remember that day like it was yesterday. It’s even more crazy to think that J has been deployed for nearly half of our first official year together. Needless to say, we’ve had an unconventional year as newlyweds, and it looks like our life will be a bit unpredictable for another three or so years.
Because our anniversary fell on Memorial Day this year, there wasn’t much for us to do in Omaha. Nearly every “fancy” restaurant in the city was closed, either because they typically close on Mondays or because of the holiday, so we had brunch at Wheatfields, dinner at House of Hunan and dessert at Dairy Queen. We walked around Village Pointe, took an afternoon nap and, in the evening, watched Jon & Kate Plus 8.
It didn’t really bother me that yesterday was a low-key day because next week we’re heading to Phoenix for a true vacation in honor of our anniversary. We’re staying at the Biltmore and have nothing on our agenda besides lounging by the pool and eating at the best restaurants in the area. If you have any suggestions of things to do in Phoenix, please leave them in the comments section below. The last time I was in the Phoenix-area was back in 1998, I think!
(photo by Heather Waraksa)
Hi, friends! I’m back from an unexplained hiatus. Did you miss me? I was in New York City to attend the National Stationery Show for work. At the show I had the opportunity to meet the designers behind some of my favorite paper lines and some of my Twitter friends in person, including @perideaudesigns, @amiatEAD, @beautifulpaper, @TrishaHay, @cydconverse and @perfect_bound! While in the city I had dinner with old friends from college and high school and spent time with my younger sister, at whose UWS apartment I stayed. All in all, it was an overwhelmingly exhausting experience that I’m truly glad to have been able to have.
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I know that there are many of you who read my blog and never comment. That’s cool. But I’d love to get to know more of my readers, so I’m inviting you to introduce yourself in the comments section below. Let me know who you are, where you are and what you like to do. Who knows? We could become great friends!
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Yesterday a friend of ours from Cleveland, “F,” was in town for business meetings. J’s mom lives in Cleveland, and we asked her send the friend to Omaha with a stash of pastrami and corned beef, two deli meats you just can’t find out here. Shortly before 2pm I received a call from F letting me know that he was heading to his first meeting and would be about 5 minutes West of where I live. He gave me the make and model of his rental car and told me he would leave the car unlocked so that I could go into the backseat for the goods. My instructions were to lock the doors when I was finished.
Feeling as though I was about to take part in a covert drug sale, I pulled up next to the silver PT Cruiser and climbed into the empty car. I took the brown bag of food, leaving the canvas tote it was in and the ice pack that was keeping it cold. Mission accomplished. I locked the car and made my way back home, only to discover in my kitchen that the brown bag contained bagels and rye bread. Where was the beef? It was then that I realized the ice pack was not actually an ice pack but a hot/cold bag keeping the meat fresh. Dang it! I had already locked the car; there was no going back. F was already in his meeting; there was no way to get in touch with him. What to do, what to do?
J’s mom and I both called F’s cell phone knowing that he wouldn’t answer but hoping that he’d at least see our missed calls. Sure enough, when F was out of his meeting, he called me back to give me the location of his next appointment, this time 5 minutes South East of my house. By now it was thunderstorming in Omaha, but I jumped back into the SUV and drove to pick-up location number 2. At this point I was feeling a bit ridiculous. I was chasing after 2lbs of meat in the pouring rain. But once I had the precious cargo in my hands, I realized it was so worth it. Dinner was delicious. We even had Dr. Brown’s Cream Soda and Black Cherry soda to compliment our traditional Jewish deli sandwiches.
What type of food would you go out of your way to get?
(via flickr)
Sad but true: I have not done any work on my scarf since my last Craft Night in early April. I like to imagine myself as the kind of person who can knit while watching primetime television, but that hasn’t proven to be the case. Mostly I just forget to knit. Other times I’d rather use my two hands for snacking rather than crafting. You know what that’s like.
Perhaps the problem is that when my knitting is out of sight, it’s out of my mind. I stash my scarf and my extra yarn in a big, brown tote bag I once got a book trade show back when I worked in publishing. However, if I had this fabulous bucket by Inklore, I could keep my yarn in the living room without it being an eyesore, allowing easy access to my projects. I really love the block print of the ball of the yarn ball with needles, don’t you?
(via More Ways to Waste Time)
So J flew halfway around the world today, only for his flight from Chicago to Omaha to be cancelled. I can’t believe it! There went my plan to pick him up on my way home from work. Now he’s on a flight to Dallas, and I can only hope that he’ll hop on a plane back to the Big O later tonight. I don’t wanna wait to see him until tomorrow! Waah!
And the waiting game continues…
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J arrives back in Omaha later this evening, shortly after I get off of work. Another deployment completed. This one was the easiest of the three so far. It helped that he was located in a place where he could call me once, sometimes twice, a day. I felt as though he was safer than he’s been, so I didn’t spend my days worrying (about him, at least. I did spend my days worrying about other things!).
We have a lot to do when he gets home, including fencing in our backyard so Briscoe can play in the sunshine and heading back to NJ for my sister’s engagement party. Most exciting, however, will be the celebration of our one year anniversary at the end of the month! What an emotional year it’s been. Together. Apart. Together. Apart. Together. Apart. Together.
We’re thinking of taking a mini-vacation to just relax and enjoy the pleasure of one another’s company. The idea of getting away for a couple of days is bliss. No walking the dog. No cleaning the kitchen. No compulsively checking email/Twitter/Facebook. *Ahh*
(image source)
I adore this painting by Emiliano Ponzi, which I found via treasuring. I wish it were available for purchase. I’d hang it in my living room above my couch to replace my red Keep Calm And Carry On print for a couple of months during the year. For some reason I feel like red is a winter color and that for summer I should hang teal or turquoise art.
Does anybody else change up their home accessories seasonally?
I’ve been searching for a new mantra. Could this be it?
Do you have a special word or phrase to keep you moving forward?
(via sparkle + fade)
I love it when Briscoe rests his little head on makeshift pillows like this fabric-covered ball. He was sleeping on it before I woke him up by taking his photo. When he uses a pillow he just seems so human.
