Time Flies


I hadn't realized just how long it's been since I last blogged until the Firemarshall called me on my cell and asked what I've been up to. Ahh...one of the faithful few who do their duty of checking up on me to see if I'm still alive. Thanks homie!


Since my arrival back to Minnesota, this bum leg of mine had put a major damper in our moving plans. It was a pain, literally, to hobble here and there and pack up our apartment. Moving just downright sucks. We actually had our big move this past Saturday and thank God for some church folks who, out of the goodness of their heart, chose to come out in the below zero degree weather and help out. (Maraming salamat!) From our kalat apartment, we are now in our kalat townhome. All of the boxes and bins lying around are getting on my nerves, but they're not a priority at the moment. We still have hella junk left at the apartment sans the heavy furniture. Plus, we still have to get that place all cleaned up, too. On top of the moving, there is still Christmas to think about! I have to say, I've always been really good about getting my shopping done ahead of time, but this year has got me out of whack. Seeing that this is the first Christmas that I'll be spending away from my family (BOO!), I have to worry about getting their gifts shipped out on time. But wait, I have to have bought the presents first in order to ship them out, right? With everything going down at one time, the past weeks have been nothing short of overwhelming. Because of all the stress and whatnot, it hasn't felt like Christmas at all. I can't believe that it's already three days away.


And So It Begins...


Winter has officially come. In fact, it made its presence known with all the zero degree wind chill factor, but in my eyes, the snow made it official. Snow = winter, right? Um...yah. Sure. Anyways, let me just share a quick MnM moment. On Monday, we had the first snow. Coincidentally, it's also garbage day. As we were getting ready to do some shopping, I saw that our garbage had made its way to our next door neighbor's place. Yes, it made its way there on its own. I take the task upon myself of retrieving it, y'know, just like anyone else would do. Before I do, I make sure that I'm all bundled up. Jacket? Check. Hat? Check. Gloves? Check. Scarf? Check. Imagine getting ready...it's a huge undertaking to put all this crap on! ANYWAYS...I'm standing in our garage, looking at the white ground thinking how pretty it's all going to look and telling myself that hey, we just might get a white Christmas after all. I brace myself for the cold, take two steps out to my driveway, and before you know it, I'm flat on my ass! I swear, I saw it happen in slow motion. It was exactly how you see it in the movies. You're walking when suddenly your feet start to slip from under you. Your arms start to flail, your feet do a funky and desperate dance, and by the time the yell emerges from your throat, your ass has made contact with the concrete. Of course, I did what anyone else would do when they scrub...I looked around to see if anyone witnessed it! LOL! Luckily, as far as I know, no one saw me bust my ass in the driveway. Unfortunately, I seemed to have tweaked my already bad knee during the fall, but honestly, I think I hurt my pride moreso. I suppose I'm lucky that I didn't split my head open or that I didn't break anything. Yes, I can laugh it off now, but y'know what? With my luck, this will be one of many incidents for MnM. Great. Just freakin' great.


Weddings Galore


I feel like that I've just attended a wedding marathon. First there was Ms. Penny's the Saturday after Thanksgiving; the following week was Voodoo's; then the Saturday I returned from the Bay, we attended hubby's co-worker's nuptials. Though each was different and beautiful in their own way, I began to reflect on the institution of marriage as a whole.


It's funny that when people reach "of age," they are constantly bombarded with the "when are you getting married?" question. People are so quick to assume that because a couple has been together for a while that marriage is the next step. But marriage isn't just a thing to do. It's a lifechanging experience that involves not only two people in love, but two lives becoming one. In a nutshell, it's some serious sh*t. And one thing that people often forget about marriage is that it's NOT an easy thing. Marriage is something that must be continually worked on "for better or for worse." Sure there will be lots of wonderful and happy times, but because all things need a balance, there will be many bad times and downright crappy times. I remember learning in one of my psychology classes that conflict in a relationship is healthy. Conflict leads to growth and understanding, whereas if a relationship was perfect all the time, where is the challenge so to speak? On the other hand, if there is too much conflict, well, that ain't cool. There needs to be a light at the end of the tunnel, the understanding that there is a solution to the problem, and that the problem can be tackled by both parties in the relationship. There has to be a give and take, a compromise, that each must make. I think because I am married, I see things in a different light now. I may be one of those people who joke around with non-married friends teasing them that "it's time to tie the knot," but on the real, what's the big rush? Marriage is a HUGE step and a HUGE life decision. Again, it's not just something to do because it's expected.


It's funny how one event can stir up so many emotions. Life is funny that way, isn't it? Kinda reminds me of the movie Forrest Gump and the famous quote: "Life is like a box of chocolates...you never know what you're going to get." It can't get any truer than that.