The Aftermath (From 7/8)

Well, everyone left BBNP today. Thank goodness!! It isn't like we didn't like having them here, but it is just so much more relaxing to have them gone.

Last night really went off perfectly, considering the extreme lack of planning that we were trying to get away with. (Or maybe the lack of planning made everything perfect since there was no plan to contradict.) The only mar on the day was JaMIL, who spent here entire time here just barely avoiding having me lunge at her throat. I'll make a blog entry later recounting her many infractions, but let's just say today that I'm glad her presence here has lifted. Very glad.

Preston and I have been goofy all day calling each other husband and wife and admiring our new rings.

We tooled around the park today with no plan: our favorite sort of day here. I think tomorrow we'll do the Chimneys, because I want to photograph the petroglyphs with the Nikon. I'm trying to convince Preston to make a go of Emory Peak on Tuesday. Neither of us has ever been up there, but with the long days in summer, I don't see a reason why we shouldn't be able to make it. And if we do make it... South Rim??? Heh. That one might have to wait for later due to a lack of water-carrying capability.

Oh, Preston's back. Gotta run.

Preston's Wife (From 7/7)

Something old? Check. The necklace Mom wore when she married Dad. It was Granny's.

Something new? Sure. My dress, my shoes, my extremely constrictive bra, take your pick.

Something borrowed? Forgot to bring earrings, so borrowed Mom's diamond studs.

Something blue? My friend Justina imprompteau crocheted a little blue heart when she realized I didn't have anything. That was the first time I teared up today.

JP? Check.

Beautiful location? Window View Overlook.

Rain is lucky on your wedding day - Rain? Check.

A mild freak-out hoping the rain will stop by 7? Yepper.

Rain stopped by 7pm? Check.

License? Rings? Everything? Check.

Mrs. G?? That's me. Wow.

JaMIL (From 7/6)

I have decided to call my future mother-in-law JaMIL. Ja are the first two letters of her cursed name, and MIL for mother-in-law.

JaMIL's presence descended on Big Bend National Park today. What have Preston and I done, inflicting her on this beautiful oasis?

Her first words to me: "Preston's father and *that other family* are here."

Hmmm... not too shocking since we invited them.

I feel a loooooong few days coming on.

Mystery of the Missing Sugar

Well I'm back. And Sugar is missing.

Why can nothing go without a hitch??

Apparently she disappeared between 9pmish when the cat/house-sitter was over and 11pm when we arrived home on Wednesday. Seriously. Cat is here the whole time I'm gone. Then she disappears just as I'm arriving.

And I couldn't get hold of the house-sitter. So I thought maybe she had died. (I was actually looking for graves in the backyard.) Maybe they had taken her to their house because she got worse. Maybe she was at the vet. (I actually called them.) When I *finally* get hold of the house-sitter on FRIDAY, TWO DAYS after I got home it was just that she was there when they were here Weds. And now she's not. And I lost two days searching because of those fuckheads.

They say they're sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry I left my babies with idiots. They say they feel guilty. I'll literally live with the guilt forever if I never see the old sick cat that I've had since I was nine because I left her with fucking morons.

And it hasn't stopped raining since we got home.

Anyways, I'm married now. The cat-searching expeditions are my extended honeymoon. Not that I'm bitter. Big Bend Blogs to follow.

Off to Marriage

Coming to you from BFE Border Town Texas, aka Del Rio. Who knew that the Ramada here would be fully wirelessly connected? Niiiiice. This is our last bit of civilization for two weeks, because goodness knows that there isn't any where we're going.

Lots of pictures coming to you in two weeks.

Amber out.

Wedding Frantic Exercise Blarg

I feel like I don't have much new to say today.

Still running around like a chicken with my head cut off trying to get ready to get the hell outta Dodge (aka H-town) on Saturday.

Work seems a respite among the hubub at home. But it also seems a waste of time.

Biked 10 miles last night on the stationary in 45 min. Not too pleased with the 13.33 mph, but right now, I'm taking calorie burn where I can get it and running (well, more like limping with my hobbled ass).

Tae Bo this morning. Swim on tap for tonight. Run for tomorrow morning. Bike tomorrow evening. Lather, rinse, repeat as often as humanly possible.

Scale was one pound heavier than yesterday. P.O.S. And no, I didn't eat 3000 extra calories yesterday. Seriously.

Weekend Warrior

Busy weekend.

I crapped out on the strength training on Friday. Just never got around to it. Was looking forward to it. Still looking forward to it, darnit. Did manage to get a marriage license, though. Mr. and Mrs. G. Holy shitballs.

Saturday I went to the beach in Galveston. First time this summer. Yay!! I played a pretty sweet game of frisbee for my daily exercise, then built a wet-sand-castle for strength training. I didn't know, of course, at the time that it was strength training. As I was bending over into our very deep hole for the wet sand, one of the girls said that this was great toning for the butt. But if anywhere, I was feeling it in my hamstrings (as usual). OMG, not Sunday or today. Oh no. That was definitely for the butt. Yesiree, my butt *hurts*. Big. Time. I seriously am making grumpy noises every time I sit down. And then every time I shift positions. Seriously.

Then on Sunday we proceeded to *frantically* start getting our stuff ready for leaving next weekend. Cleaning, buying stuff, collecting stuff, making lists. Joy. Oh, and on the buying stuff. We really need to stop. For sure.

That is all.

Oh, and I did lose some weight last week. Just half-a-pound to go before wedding goal weight. I'd like to do that this week, though, so I can stand on the scale and know I did it before I leave. I can so totally do this. I'll just do two-fers for the rest of the week. Tae bo this morning? Done. Bike for this evening.

Now that is really all.

That's Not Long

"When are you getting married?" July 7. "That's not long!"

This conversation has happened hundreds of times over the last week or two at work.

"Are you planning on changing your name? Then you'll be Mrs. G, huh?"

Insert mild freak-out here.

"Is Preston nervous?"

He seems to be ok. I on the other hand?

It isn't the committment aspect of marriage that scares me. We were pretty formally committed when we bought our house together (almost exactly one year ago - wow), at least in my mind. I think it just must be the change represented by "legitimacy". By that I mean that I think I am bothered by this appearance of moving into "adulthood". I feel like a total fraud. I am a kid playing house. A kid playing librarian. A kid playing dress-up. A teenager just trying to have a good time. An adult who traded her Mustang for an SUV with a job and a house and a *gulp* husband? That can't possibly be me!!

That's me. The very-soon-to-be Mrs. G.

Holy shitballs.

Red Hair Long, Red Hair Short

I have red hair. It has always *always* been long. Sometimes really long.

So long that to this day I have a habit of pulling my hair over my shoulder before I sit down to go to the bathroom.

When I turned 20 my college suitemates and I had this big party. My hair hadn't been cut in something like 2 years. Afterwards I saw the pictures. My hair was down to my hips. It looked positively ratty. I immediately walked into my most adventurous suitemate's room and asked her to cut it off up to my bra line.


Now, having her cut it instead of a professional may not have been the smartest move, but it sure did look better!

Finally, when I was 23 years old, I got my first professional haircut. And I will never go back to the way it was before. *Never* I'm still guilty of not getting it cut often enough. I hate paying $30 for a haircut. But I love how I feel afterwards. Love it. My still long hair feels light and airy and bouncy.

And my headaches usually go away, at least for a while.

And the length of my hair has slowly been creeping up ever since. It is still long, don't get me wrong. But below the shoulders above the bra line long. Not below the waist long.

Now I haven't cut my hair since October. I meant to go in March, but got sidetracked. Then in April I thought I'd just put it off til the wedding in July. I want to do my own up-do for the wedding, and having the layers more grown out will make it much easier. The problem? My head has been killing me lately! I can't guarantee that it is the hair. It could be the hormone change. It could be some sort of whack sinus infection. But I really think it is the hair.

I think I'm going to try to put up with it until after the wedding. I have been thinking about donating a bil ol' chunk to Locks of Love. The thing is that every time someone comments on how long my hair is getting, I've been mentioning that after the wedding I'm thinking about doing this. I'm guessing that to cut off 10-12 inches would put the hair just around the base of my neck. Then of course I'd get it styled. I dream about the freedom of shorter hair simultanously with fearing the loss of something I consider an identifying factor of me. It doesn't help that every person I've mentioned this kooky plan to has been like, "Noooo!! Don't cut your hair!! It is so beautiful long!"

It may be beautiful, but I'm getting sick of it. Isn't 25 years enough?

First Wedding Gift

The other day I got this cryptic e-mail from this man at work. "Come see me, I have something to show you." So today I go by his office and he got me this giant map of BBNP, where I'm getting married. And he suggested I bring Sharpies for everyone who is coming to sign it.

How cool is that??

Two Runs in Two Days

Mi madre just left. We've been doing wedding stuff since Thursday noon. The good thing is that now I feel like I've got a much better handle on things.

She's also pretty good for exercise motivation. On Friday morning I said I was going to run 3 miles, and she asked if there was somewhere she could walk. So she walked to the park with me as my warmup and then met me back there when I was done. It was kind of nice. Then this morning she asked me if I wanted to go again. I've never run two days in a row before, so I told her yes, but for a shorter time. I was hoping for a two mile run, but that right front hip stiffness/pain (IT band???) thingy was really acting up, so I settled at one and went to intersect her route for the walk home.

Still, two runs in two days!!

Recovery Week Gone Sick

Skipped Saturday workout as "Rest Day". Usually like to do Yoga on Saturday, but don't stress if I miss it. But then Sunday I woke up with a head-splitting headache that just wouldn't quit. Didn't go to work today, nor have I exercised. Starting to get jumpy about losing fitness. Weight is dropping. Paranoia makes me think I am losing my muscles.

Got my wedding dress fitted on Sunday. Sweat streaming down the backs of my legs. Sweating like exercising. Crazy. Is this how it will be wedding day??

Cat Hurl and Nightmares

Funny Cat Story:
This morning I hear Sugar jump down from the bed and begin hauking (surely not hawking? - anyways, see Shrek 2 for an example of this cat sound) something up. On Preston's pile of clothes. At least someone else in the house is trying to teach him to use a laundry basket. But I digress. On Preston's shorts, to be precise. Callimachus immediately goes over to investigate. He has been known to "clean" up other cats' transgressions by eating them, and who am I to stop him? So I was happy to see him wander over. But then he uses his paw and rearranges the shorts to COVER the hurl. You know, like it was cat poop instead of yummy warm edible cat hurl. I think maybe he's made a mistake, so I go over and uncover the hurl and point it out to him so he can eat it (I am seriously a HORRIBLE PERSON). And he covers it *again*. Even Cal has standards, who knew? Apparently Sugar's hurl is poop while Grimmy's hurl is the nectar of the gods.

Oh yes, and just for more giggles I had my first wedding nightmare last night (we're just about 2 months out now). I dreamt that we were there at BBNP but for some reason we got married 2 days early. It was totally the ceremony I dreamed of. Just the two of us. But then our families started showing up for the wedding and I was running around trying to figure out if I could get married again so they could see it. And I kept pulling the petals off roses and putting them in a bowl. Weird.

Anyways, ran this morning, my last 28 minute run. Friday starts the 30 minuters. I'll hold at 30 minutes for 4 weeks, ending C25K and beginning One Hour Runner. Thinking about adding some speedwork once a week as part of that. Very tired today.