Grateful

I read a sad story recently and have been so touched by it. (Here's the website if you care to get weepy like I did - Kim, it made me cry a lot.) But the wife's strength just amazes me. I can only hope that I'd handle things so gracefully with such strength if I were handling what she is.

Anyways, it really made me take a step back. So today, I am remembering everything, rather everyone, I am grateful for. Today, I called the hubby just to say I love you. I am so lucky to go to bed and wake up next to this amazing many. I'm grateful for my family - they may be crazy but they're there for me through the good and bad. I'm grateful for my friends - their patience amazes me sometimes. I'm grateful for the pup, who greets me every single time I walk through the door with an enormous amount of excitement.

Today, I'm grateful. Through the work and headaches and bad hair days and all the other petty things I complain about. Sometimes I just get so caught up in my little world that I forget to see all the amazing things surrounding me. Through it all, I am grateful.

Never Again

Never again will I eat at a cheeseburger place that rhymes with Dive Dyes. I either managed to get some type of food poisoning, or have some stomach bug - my guess is on the former considering I started getting sick about 30 minutes after eating there. It was not a fun night and I missed class today.

Anyways - I promise I will update soon with photos and stories from our weekend in NYC for my brother's wedding! Until then, here's a recap from dinner the night before my brother's wedding. We got there and had time to just hang out at his place in Hoboken, play with his adorable kitten, and just relax. It was so nice to have that time with him before the craziness began.

My brother decided to do dinner with just our family so my mom, dad, my mom's cousin and Ian and I joined him for dinner. We had dinner in Hoboken at Madisons Bar & Grill. It was absolutely delicious! Then, Ian and I said our good-byes and wished him luck and headed into the city to check into our hotel. Driving on valentine's day night in the city at around 10pm - not a good idea. We finally made it there and checked in, but I'll save that recap for next post! Here are some pictures!

Recovering

I am still recovering from our fantastic wedding weekend - but will just say that we had a wonderful time at my brother's wedding. Here's one quick pic of the happy couple:

Longer update with stories coming soon...

My Big Brother

Growing up, there was one person that could make me laugh like no other person. He took care of me, made fun of me, and was the best older brother imaginable. Because of the 5.5 year age gap, I think it added to his protective nature. During my early dating years in high school, he was the one to tell me how things really were with a certain guy. He was my biggest supporter, the person to bring me back down to earth, and the person I so admired.

He was there as Ian and I said our vows to eachother in June. And as he has never been able to refer to me as anything but his "little" sister, I'm sure it was bittersweet to see me getting married, as I am so "little".

Tomorrow, Ian and I are heading to NYC to spend time with my brother on the day before he gets married. Sunday, immediate family will be there as he says his vows to my STB sister-in-law, and I can't help to feel that same bittersweet feeling. I am so thrilled he has found someone he wants to spend the rest of his life with. I am so proud of him. But, somehow, I think the emotional part of me may get the best of me. Afterall, he is my "big" brother.

I will take lots of pictures and cherish this weekend for all that it is - an amazing celebration. Have a great weekend!

Here we are, and I know for a fact he was saying something to make me start laughing hysterically. This was right before I got in the Rolls to head to the Chapel.

And here is with his fiance - so excited for this weekend!

Misc.

I have lots of misc. things to mention.

1. Last Friday, I went to my first Zumba class. My gym offers lots of free classes and I had heard that this one is not only a good workout, but a lot of energetic dancing fun. Well, I had a freak asthma attack 20 minutes into it, but I have to say I LOVED the 20 minutes I was there. I grew up dancing all the way through college, so anything that combines a dance aspect makes me happy. This was a combination of latin dance with aerobics. It was fantastic and fast paced and everything. It feels a little goofy the first 5 minutes, but luckily I was in the back of the class so I could see there were most certainly lots of people who weren't very rhythym talented. They also make sure to put the lights low so you feel comfortable to move around. There was only one man in the class, and I'm most certain he was gay. I don't think this is a class I can get Ian to go to - it's a class to take a girlfriend with! I most certainly will be heading back there.
2. I pulled my first all-nighter 2 nights ago in order to finish a project (a motion for summary judgment for any other legal people out there, and for the non-legal people, it was a huge 12 page paper without about 100 pages worth of research). At about 3:30am I hit a wall and felt like I wanted to die - I was nauseous, had the chills and felt like collapsing. So I proceeded to do a few sets of jumping jacks to wake up a bit. I finally managed to crawl into bed at 4:45am and woke up at 6:15am for Ian to proof my paper. I guess I can't technically call it an all-nighter because I did get 1.5 hours of sleep.
3. Because of #2, I was one cranky biatch yesterday. I used my horn much more frequently than I normally do (and I have to admit, I use the horn like it's my job). I was snappy and sleepy and mean. I made it through class and an oral argument in front of the class, then came home and crawled into bed. Just as I crawled into bed, I was all cranky and whiny and when someone banged on the door and started down the steps to answer the door, I was preparing in my head something mean to say. I swung open the door to find flowers in the doorway from my darling hubby. He's the best. It's funny how in a matter of seconds suddenly your day doesn't seem quite as bad.
4. If you're looking for a website to cheer you up, check this one out: F*** My Life.

I'm off to get work done and get the house ready for the weekend - two of my law school friends are staying at our house for the weekend to watch Tessa. Ahhh, it's like we have a child - except ours is extremely hairy.

I'm Drinking

Coffee at the moment - but am planning on drinking lots of wine on Wednesday night after I finish this freakin' paper. Maybe I'll blog for you a little tipsy - what a treat that will be for you lovely folks.

I had my first research project due Friday morning midnight, had a paper due today for my elective, and have a 12 pager due Wednesday at 8:45am for my writing course - shoot me now!

Unfortunately this means that my weekend recap is very quick and very boring: I did lots of work. I got up early both Saturday and Sunday. Yesterday I did work from 7:30am until midnight last night.

I will tell you that I finally found time to get some shopping done last weekend which is a huge accomplishment for me considering my mall phobia. I got 8 pairs of shoes fixed and got them back yesterday and I swear like it feels like I just got all these new pairs of shoes because they've needed fixing for months (even over a year for some of them!). My main reason for the shopping trip was to find a dress to wear to my brother's wedding that fits and makes me feel pretty - two things I'm sad to admit are not happening everyday. I went to my stand-by store for dresses (White House Black Market!) and found this beautiful number that I will be wearing on Sunday for pictures and celebrating in NYC:

How was your weekend?

Congrats!

Our good friend Spacey's World got engaged 2 nights ago and we couldn't be more thrilled. So excited for you guys!!

I finally got my research project turned in and got some sleep last night. I'm positively exhausted - but am pushing through as I have 2 papers to write over the weekend. But today, I think I'm treating myself to a relaxing workout in a Zumba class. Have you tried it before? I haven't, but I'm excited for it!

Delirious

I have had so little sleep the past two nights, I'm now at that point where I'm super giggly, but at any moment, could get to the angry/irritable stage. You know that point? At the moment, I have lots of songs running through my head:



My milkshake brings all the boys to the yard...



Bermuda, bahama, coooome on pretty mama...(ps...I am so out of it that I originally wrote BABY mama - eek!)



Red red wine...



And my current obsession is with this woman:

And she sings a song that goes like this: Red wine, I've had a little bit too much.

That's Lady Gaga. She's totally wierd and out there, but I love her anyways. I love her wierd clothes and makeup and hair and style. She can really sing though (if you listen to the Cherryhill videos - she is awesome). I just love her.

And I think I notice a theme around wine as to the songs in my head...hmmm. Well that's what I'll be rewarding myself with tomorrow night. I have my first research project due at midnight tonight...don't ask why it's due at that time. I have no logical explanation for ANYTHING my research professor does. I do not love her.

It Probably was a Clue

Yesterday's biking fall may have been a clue that this week was going to be a rough one, or that I should stay home and avoid any pavement whatsoever.

On my walk to school today, 1 block from school, I entered the intersection to cross the street, in a crosswalk, while I had the white walk symbol, and a car turning didn't see me. It happened very quickly and my initial thought was that she wasn't going to stop. As I quickly moved to get out of the way, she braked and tires screeched as she came to a stop about 4 inches from my left side. She stayed stopped and rolled down her window and kept apologizing, all the while holding her cell phone up to her ear. After assuring her I was okay, my emotions ran high and I went off on her. In the middle of it, I burst into tears. Happy Tuesday to me.

What else is in store for me this week?

Hopefully the amount of work I have to do will keep me indoors, away from my broken bike and crazy drivers. Either that or I should walk around like the little boy in Little Giants who has his entire body padded to keep from getting hurt.

No Wonder

I mentioned that I had gotten a bike for Christmas. I've been riding it a couple times per week and have managed with bike with Tessa a few times. Mostly, I stick to the park near our house to avoid any crazy drivers. I've been doing well, but, as most my loved ones know, I happen to be a little clutzy. Okay, maybe a lot clutzy.

I had mentioned to Ian that I wanted to start biking to school in the warmer weather since it's only 3.5 miles from our house, it would cut down on gas and parking costs, and also ensure that on days that I can't make it to the gym I can get some type of exercise in. Also, it would save me lots of time since driving takes about 20-25 minutes, and since I spend about 20 minutes walking to and from the parking garage. Ian and my mom (who was there at the time that I mentioned the bright idea) both agreed that maybe I'm not the best person (with my clutziness) to be maneuvering through downtown Baltimore.

Well, last night I suggested that Ian and I get up early and go for a bike ride before work with Tessa. She's generally very good and excited to be running while we bike. About 30 seconds into the park, she sees a dog, a german shepard to be exact, that is on a flexi lead and pulling its owners every direction possible. Note - if you have a small dog, these leashes can be great. But they do not offer very good control over your dog and inevitably your dog ends up walking you -hence why I don't like owners that use them for their big dogs if they can't control the dog! Well Tessa decided it would be fun to yank me and while I desperately tried to break or regain balance, I overcompensated and fell pretty hard. Tessa immediately came to my side, ears pinned back, tail tucked between her legs as I fussed at her.

And sadly as I was falling, I thought of the image Ian was seeing as he was riding behind me. Damnit - he saw all of it. He came running up, genuinely concerned, but as soon as he knew I was A-okay, I knew he'd start imitating or making fun of me. I don't know if I'll live this one down. And I'm now thinking that riding to school may not be such a good idea afterall.