Lovely randoms of this week

Monday:  J accepted a job that could offer international relocation in the future.  We spent the evening figuring out how far away Rotterdam is from our favorite cities in Germany, ya know, just in case.  (Answer: NOT FAR AT ALL).

Tuesday:  Worked a 14.5 hour day.  But I didn't mind so much because I had my own office for the day...and access to an all-you-can-drink gourmet coffee bar.

Wednesday:  Joined my newly-engaged pals for a night of toasting with champagne (and then toasting again with wine).  Another friend got laid off.  Another announced that she's 8 weeks pregnant.  What a day!

Thursday:  I got reacquainted with a banana-eating Polo-clad super smiley Lallie Beth of Team Weymouth.  Adorable, that one.  While awaiting her grandmother's chauffeur service to arrive, I got to provide a safe haven from the coastal storm for little Natalie and her mama Alexe' in my car.  Lallie Beth found my steering wheel to be the most enticing teething ring she's ever seen.  I think Alexe' should throw away her teething rings and just buy her infant daughter a Jetta to teethe on.

Friday:  I slept through my alarm, but somehow managed to get to work only 10 minutes late.  I need to reassess my routine.  Like Kramer on that episode of Seinfeld, where he ponders how to cut the amount of time he spends in the shower.  

Breadwinner

Congrats to my incredibly handsome, smart, hilarious, sensitive, witty, two-job-offers-in-one-day gettin' boyfriend.  Bring home that bacon, J!

I'll never be Michael Phelps

J broke the news to me that he was "joining the gym" on Saturday.  Unsuccessfully trying to conceal my excitement, I suggested let's go nownownownow.  We went and signed up under the family plan (yes, I realize this is a lie...for now.  But we share all the household finances and chores, and I call our gang a family, so I just ask the YMCA to respect that title) and decided today would be our first trip.

The first thing out of his mouth this morning was, "You ready to go workout?" which both excited me to have a partner in this task of getting fit, but it also scared me.  This is why: he wants me to start swimming with him.  I should back up here and explain that my boyfriend used to swim in college.  And before that, in high school.  Before that, elementary school, and before that...in his mama's tummy.  But I agreed, since he told me he'd try a spinning class with me after I swam with him.  I mean, I can swim.  But I've never tried to lap swim.  

We get into the pool, me in my sleek one-piece I'd managed to find on sale.  I looked the part.  I looked like a swimmer...broad shoulders, black swimsuit, shiny new black goggles.  I looked fierce.  And after just a few 50s, the reality set in.  Whoa, it's hard to breathe.  I'm not very good.  We spent an hour in the pool and by the time we got out, I was so tired.  Trying to figure out how to position my head to breathe while swimming freestyle will be my newest task, since after an hour I was still having trouble.  But can I just say that my whole body feels...tingly?  And my arms are sore.  But I am going to try to keep up with it, not with him, that's not possible.  J's extremely fast.  But I am going to try to stick with it, working out with him on the weekends, and stick to my weekday gym activities.  I hate finding out that I'm not good at something, so I want to keep going.

Ok, I need to go lay down now.  My rubber arms hurt just typing.

Betta in a Jetta

My weekend happenings included dumping my Jeep for a used Jetta that looks very much like this one above.  Graphite blue.  5-speed.  I'm relearning how to drive stick.  My drive home from the gym tonight involved a condition I haven't experienced in a long time, and I can only refer to it as "clutch leg."

Welcome, Ludwig Von Volkswagen.  Hallo.

How I'll be spending my weekend

Double ear infections + antibiotics + VICODIN = sleeeeep glorious sleep.

The not-so-silent-treatment

This past Sunday was our one year anniversary.  Unbelievable.  But I'm not going to gush about love and puppies and hearts.  Not just yet.

Now that J and I live together, we see more of each other than ever before, obviously.  And possibly more important than that, we see so much less of just ourselves.  Every minute not spent at work or the gym is spent together at home crammed into 700 square feet.  Perhaps due to these facts,  we had a stupid little argument last night (the best kinds of arguments).  About our dogs, nonetheless.  And as there's barely an empty cranny to squeeze yourself into when you're trying to give your partner the silent treatment, we have to coexist.  Silently.

Amidst all the avoiding of eye contact, busying ourselves in opposite rooms, I decided to go to bed.  Since J quit smoking he's been using several teeth whitening methods, and the ones he's got now make him look like he's wearing two football mouth guards.  He can't talk when he's wearing them and they make his lips pooch out like a monkey.  He was ready to make up, and I was ready to hold on to my point for just a little while longer.  Since he couldn't speak to me without dribbling whitening liquids all over his chest he decided to use my computer as a messenger, typing his message into a Stickies note and then making the Mac read it aloud to me.  Since this has become one of our favorite new ways to torture the dogs, it only took about two seconds for me to burst out laughing.  I dare you to stay straight-faced when your computer says to you, "I need to get a new suit because my current one gives me muffin top.  And all my ties are worn out and wrinkly like an old man's nether regions."  After several minutes of computerized conversation, we were laughing hysterically and unable to remember why it took a stupid robotic voice to make us forget that we were even arguing in the first place. 

Tonight after the gym I met J at the mall and he picked out the most amazing suit.  In my dad's words, he looked sharp.  If the invterviewer were a woman (it's not) he'd be hired just walking in the door.  As we were leaving the parking garage tonight in our separate cars, J went through the cashier's lane first.  I pulled up to the window still digging through my wallet searching for cash.  The cashier said, "Oh, don't worry, miss, the gentleman in front of you paid for your ticket."  And that's something I don't need any robot to remind me anytime soon. 

Why one should always wear SPF 50+

Overheard in my apartment today:

"Sure, let me just run to the restroom to shake all the dead skin out of my shirt and then I'm ready to go!"

What's worse?  It was me who said it.

Hanna Banana

Dear Hanna-

Look, I'd really appreciate if you'd decide whether or not you're going to make landfall as a tropical storm or as a hurricane, ok?  I've already canceled all my weekend plans in your honor, and don't get me wrong, I'm not upset about that part.  I'd simply like to know if I need to go out and buy a generator...or just some more wine.

Thank you,

Stacy

Medium Rare

Ahh Labor Day.  A day to be outside with friends.  A day to be burnt to a crisp.

After a wonderful day of fun aboard our friends' boat, J and I are certainly paying the price.  We set sail around 10AM, armed with chips and beer and SPF.  We hit some great fishing spots and I caught more fish than I've ever caught before.  I also caught a clam shell...J was proud.

Around 2PM we decided, wow, we should really re-apply, it's really hot out, we're starting to get red, wow, we're really red.  We dove into the water for a quick dip, and then docked the boat at a restaurant on the water and had a beer and the best hush puppies of our lives.  At one point I redid my ratty hair into a ponytail and realized how tight my arms were, and how badly I'd screwed myself.  And then had to get back on the boat for another 2 hours to get home.  The burning continued.

Last night was spent taking cold showers and applying aloe to the parts of each others' backs that we can't reach ourselves.  Why won't I ever learn that my pale self and my equally pale boyfriend can't hang with our tan friends? After a day of "SOMEone got some SUN this weekend -- hardy har harrr!" comments, I've definitely learned my lesson.