I Heart Desmond....
I'm taking a page from the Boo Mama play book and decided to do a recap of tonight's episode of Lost. Boo Mama has yet to recap Lost, but if you love The Office, The Bachelor or American Idol she is your girl.

Oh, Lost. I adore you. And to be honest, I'm not into the theories. The Big Guy? Oh. My. Word. He's TOTALLY into the theories. I am going to have him meet my co-worker who is a big Lost fan. They'll have enough information to talk for days!

My love for Desmond? Well....I'm a sucker for the accent.

Let's begin shall we?

"Will you promise me you'll never go back to that island, Des?"
Ummm...yeah. Brother is headed back to that island faster than a jet from LA to Australia.

What's up with Richard--the man who never ages?
I know in last weeks episode he told Locke to give him the compass when he sees him again because of this whole time travel thing. But what is his purpose on this island?

Let's define irony, shall we?
Isn't it interesting that Daniel Fairday is talking about military squads when he played in the movie Saving Private Ryan? Just sayin...

Daniel is in love?
Like we didn't see that coming....

"You're Charles Whidmoore?"
Well....I didn't see THAT one coming! Certainly clears up how he's tied to the island!

They named their son Charlie!
Oh...now that brought a tear to my eye. How can you not miss Charlie on this show? Three words: Not Penny's Boat.

I'm telling ya....Daniel's mother is that white haired lady on the old computer last week.
I know it. I can feel it.

Did you watch it?
What did you think?

Jesus, Mary and Joseph... (part 2)

So....remember this post (click here to read it)?

This morning I was driving through town to get to the major highway. I stopped at the stop sign when I happened to look up at their residence.

Their holiday decorations are still up.

Everything is still up.

• The extra large manger scene complete with 4 foot tall Mary, Joesph, Wise men, sheep and a baby Jesus and the manger shelter
• The candy cane lights
• The lighted wreath
• The large, illuminated Seasons Greetings sign on their front porch

Now, while I feel that some decor that people can put up in early December is OK to remain out through January, I personally feel it is important to clarify what is acceptable.

• Snowmen
• Snowflakes
• Anything "winter"

Let's make sure that the winter decor is specific.

• Nothing with Santa hats
• Nothing with presents
• Nothing with Christmas trees (which is different from a plain pine tree)
• Nothing with candy canes

All I can think of when I drive by is "...the holiday is over. Time to pack it up, people!"

Am I alone in this thinking?

You Know You Live in a Small Town if....
It is perfectly acceptable to run into Target, Wal-Mart, the bank or the grocery store and leave your car running.

Each business I visited yesterday, when it was -11 degrees, had at least 4 or 5 cars parked out front with the engine running. They were still there when I came back.

Welcome to small town, Minnesota!

Random Photo Friday...

I have been going through photos lately and thought it would be fun to post some photos of friends, family and other random things each Friday.

Granted, I may only do this for 2 Friday's and then forget. So I make no guarantees how long this "feature" may last.

However, it does make me wish that I had a photo of the sharp dressed man at the bus stop with the ski goggles because I don't think anyone believes me that he exists.

Gopher Cabin Staff, 2004 (maybe?)

So, here is a photo from camp during Co-ed. Co-ed camp always fell the last 2 weeks of the camp season. Traditionally, the camps are single gender--and across the lake from one another. Very Parent Trap meets Poison Ivy don't you think?

And yes, there is the occasional attempt for a camper or two to sneak out. But they always get caught and they usually get sent home.

During co-ed, some of the girls staff move to boys camp and they have to do the usual cabin prep: bed assignments, name tags, job charts, etc. It is a well proven fact that boys do not care about crafty stuff. They could care less about how their chart looks.

So....we make a contest out of it. Best job chart wins some sort of homemade treat.

The staff of the Gopher cabin were up for the challenge.

Notice the space theme? Very much a job chart a little boy could take interest in. Every little boy has an inner Neil Armstrong!

But...it you look closely...you'll see Christmas lights in the shape of the Big Dipper.

That, my friends, was my idea.

I have a soft spot for the boys staff during this time because it is usually a girls cabin who wins the job chart contest. But not this time. I wanted a boys cabin to win.

So I pulled aside Kevin (the dude in the glasses) and said, "You should see if there are any lights in the warehouse. Obviously there were!

The guys of Gopher Cabin cleaned up--and won homemade cheesecake.

And I take full credit for the lights.

Why Minnesotans Like Winter....

Today is the first day of the St Paul Winter Carnival.

Yes. In Minnesota, we have a winter carnival.

With ice carvings, ice skating, winter carnival torchlight parade, and all kinds of other stuff. There is even a search for the Winter Carnival Medallion. Winner wins $10,000 (I think...I never search for it).
Here are some photos from the 2004 Winter Carnival when my friend Jake and I volunteered for the carnival as "Ice Palace Ambassadors."

Oh yes. There was an ice palace. The ice is harvested from Lake Phalin and then brought back again. I think. I don't quite remember my Ice Palace Ambassador script.

Then again, Jake and I picked that job because we got to ride around on a warm shuttle bus, not so much about the duties.



Here's the ice palace.

Here is Jake and I, freezing our stuff off, outside the palace on one of our last days as ambassadors. I was also a lot heavier then so you would think all that "extra" would have kept me warm. Nope. Not one bit.

After the winter carnival was over, the had a volunteer appreciation concert inside the ice palace! It was a lot of fun. Cold, but a lot of fun.

Oh. Look. Here's a photo of the concert. Who's the band you ask? That would be the Barenaked Ladies. And yes...we would be right up front.

Standing outside for 4 hours was SO worth it!

For President Obama...
I'd like to say that I'm tight with our new president, but because I know that millions of people are descending upon Washington DC today...I don't think so.

Regardless, let's just say this.....I am lucky.

Today, I get to witness history. The kind of history that is written about in moldy old history books. The kind that you read about as an 8th grader and thought, I wonder what it was like?"

Today, I get to be a part of that.

I know a lot of people don't like the idea of Obama as president. They're scared. They're worried. They think x, y and z. Regardless of how you feel about Obama--he is our president. Just as those history books have shown, our president will change from time to time. People get "fed up" with what they see. So they give another person a chance. That's what America did. They said, "OK, Obama. You said you could fix it. We'll give you 4 years. GO!"

Thinking of what he has to deal with....nothing is more fitting than my favorite poem by Dr. Seuss. If you read through it, it's funny how it clearly matches what Obama has and will face on his journey.





Oh, the Places You’ll Go!--by Dr. Seuss
Congratulations! Today is your day. You’re off to Great Places! You’re off and away! You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the guy who’ll decide where to go. You’ll look up and down streets. Look ‘em over with care. About some you will say, “I don’t choose to go there.” With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet, you’re too smart to go down any not-so-good street. And you may not find any you’ll want to go down. In that case, of course, you’ll head straight out of town. It’s opener therein the wide open air. Out there things can happen and frequently do to people as brainy and footsy as you. And when things start to happen,don’t worry. Don’t stew. Just go right along. You’ll start happening too.

OH!THE PLACES YOU’LL GO!

You’ll be on your way up! You’ll be seeing great sights! You’ll join the high fliers who soar to high heights. You won’t lag behind, because you’ll have the speed. You’ll pass the whole gang and you’ll soon take the lead. Wherever you fly, you’ll be the best of the best. Wherever you go, you will top all the rest. Except when you don’t. Because, sometimes, you won’t. I’m sorry to say so but, sadly, it’s true and hang-ups can happen to you. You can get all hung up in a prickle-ly perch. And your gang will fly on. You’ll be left in a Lurch. You’ll come down from the Lurchwith an unpleasant bump. And the chances are, then, that you’ll be in a slump. And when you’re in a slump, you’re not in for much fun. Un-slumping yourself is not easily done. You will come to a place where the streets are not marked. Some windows are lighted. But mostly they’re darked. A place you could sprain both you elbow and chin! Do you dare to stay out? Do you dare to go in? How much can you lose? How much can you win?And IF you go in, should you turn left or right…or right-and-three-quarters? Or, maybe, not quite? Or go around back and sneak in from behind? Simple it’s not, I’m afraid you will find, for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind. You can get so confused that you’ll start in to race down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace and grind on for miles across weirdish wild space, headed, I fear, toward a most useless place. The Waiting Place……for people just waiting. Waiting for a train to go or a bus to come, or a plane to go or the mail to come, or the rain to go or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow or waiting around for a Yes or a No or waiting for their hair to grow. Everyone is just waiting. Waiting for the fish to bite or waiting for wind to fly a kite or waiting around for Friday night or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake or a pot to boil, or a Better Break or a sting of pearls, or a pair of pants or a wig with curls, or Another Chance. Everyone is just waiting. NO! That’s not for you! Somehow you’ll escape all that waiting and staying. You’ll find the bright places where Boom Bands are playing. With banner flip-flapping, once more you’ll ride high! Ready for anything under the sky. Ready because you’re that kind of a guy!

Oh, the places you’ll go!

There is fun to be done! There are points to be scored. There are games to be won. And the magical things you can do with that ball will make you the winning-est winner of all. Fame! You’ll be famous as famous can be, with the whole wide world watching you win on TV. Except when they don’t. Because, sometimes, they won’t. I’m afraid that some times you’ll play lonely games too. Games you can’t win’cause you’ll play against you. All Alone! Whether you like it or not, Alone will be something you’ll be quite a lot. And when you’re alone, there’s a very good chance you’ll meet things that scare you right out of your pants. There are some, down the road between hither and yon, that can scare you so much you won’t want to go on. But on you will go though the weather be foul. On you will go though your enemies prowl. On you will go though the Hakken-Kraks howl. Onward up manya frightening creek, though your arms may get sore and your sneakers may leak. On and on you will hike and I know you’ll hike far and face up to your problems whatever they are. You’ll get mixed up, of course, as you already know. You’ll get mixed up with many strange birds as you go. So be sure when you step. Step with care and great tact and remember that Life’s a Great Balancing Act. Just never forget to be dexterous and deft. And never mix up your right foot with your left.

And will you succeed? Yes! You will, indeed!(98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed.)

KID, YOU’LL MOVE MOUNTAINS! So…be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Brayor Mordecai Ali Van Allen O’Shea, you’re off to Great Places! Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting. So…get on your way!

Calling Out to Anyone With Connections....
So, it's that time of year again.

Time to start fundraising for the Breast Cancer 3-Day Walk.

While I am not walking this year, our team is starting to grow and we have a combination of walkers and crew. Here's a break down on the 3-Day lingo...

Walker: Someone who walks 60 miles over 3 days. They are responsible for raising a minimum of $2300 before they can participate.

Crew: They are the "help" of the weekend. They pick people up on the route who can't go on. They hand out water, gatoraide and snacks. They help you pitch a tent. They serve the meals. They even pick up trash and stock toilet paper in the porta potties.

While crew members don't have to fund raise, it is helpful to those on the team. If you are part of a team, any fundraising you do as a group (like garage sales, silent auctions, raffles) can be split between the group. Last year, when the economy started to take a nose dive, this was really helpful for those who were struggling to raise the money.

Last year we did an awesome online silent auction. I wrote about it here. You can also check out the auction site here.

Cool thing--we did it via a BLOG. We didn't pay set up fees. We didn't pay commissions. We kept every dime for ourselves.

While I have yet to talk about this with the group, I think we should do the auction again. It didn't require much set up. But what it did require was a lot of "who do you know and what can they do for me."

So....bloggy people. That's the question.

Who do you know and what can that person do for me?

I think we'll be able to get products again from Caribou Coffee, philosophy as well as the golf course. But anything else? Craft items? Jewelery? Services?

Depending on what the team would like to do--I'm thinking a late spring auction (end of May, early June) will be on deck.

Not only are you helping me, you're helping raise money for breast cancer research!

**Edited to add: I realize it is pretty bold of me to post on my blog a call for goods. However, I've learned that if you don't ask, you won't get anywhere. If you're wondering, "Is this girl legit?" The answer is yes! We are! Click here for our 3-Day Team Page. If you have a friend of a friend of a friend who owns a super cool business and can donate something awesome but they need a tax ID number, please let me know. I can get them that information once we have a donation in hand (gotta be fair, right?).

It is so Cold, That....

**I had to let my car warm up for over 20 minutes this morning--and it still sounded like my engine was grinding.

**When I went to get my oil changed at my favorite garage this morning, they asked, "Are you waiting or did you want to come back?" My reply: "I'm not going anywhere. It's too cold."

**When I was about to leave the garage after the oil change, the service guy rubbed my front passenger tire up against the curb. It was so cold that this slight rub caused my tire to puncture!! I had to get a new tire (no cost to me, mind you).

**The windchill was a direct inversion of numbers from the temperature. It is -24 outside, and with the windchill, it's -42.

**Our heat is constantly cycling. We keep the house pretty cool (we have electric heat and electricity in our part of the woods is spendy!), but in weather like this, the heat is always kicking on.

**I may actually try to cuddle up to the Big Guy in bed. I'm not a cuddler, but in this instance, I just might.

**School was cancelled in many towns. Amy & her sister Katie got the day off. Lucky girls.

**You can make snow with boiling water. Don't believe me? Check this out:

Observations at the Bus Stop, Part 3....
I feel like a bloggy slacker lately. Works been a little busy, I've been researching places to get married in Las Vegas (seriously!) and I've also been trying to stay warm in this unbelievable cold snap.

Wanna know how cold it is? This morning, it was -6 with a windchill of around -30. And it's supposed to be worse tomorrow.

Let's just say starting your car in the morning--when you don't get the garage spot--is a crap shoot. Will it start? Won't it? Why didn't I get that heater put in? Why do remote starters cost so much? blah, blah, blah.

Anyway, I still take the bus into downtown and doing so requires smart layering. You can't layer so much that you look like the kid off of the movie, A Christmas Story. You know, the one where he gets all bundled up and says, "I can't put my arms down!"

You also can't risk not layering enough because depending on how many blocks you have to walk (me? I walk 4), you could end up freezing toes, legs and noses.

This morning I get to the bus stop right as the bus pulled in and I walked up to get in line. As we file onto the bus I can't help but notice a young lady a few people ahead of me wearing leopard print shoes with a modest heel. Very cute shoes--though not for me. I then happened to catch a glimpse of pink.

Sister was wearing peep toe pumps.

Either she's suffered frost bite and has no feeling in her toes--or she's forgot it's winter! There is snow on the ground and the sidewalks! Seriously?

She was also the same person who was new to the bus and had to ask our bus driver "How much is it?" to be answered with "...you need to pay with exact change because we can't make change." She stood there for quite some time digging to the depths of her Coach purse looking for any sort of change she could to pay the $3 fare.

Note to those who are new to the bus: do your homework. Find out how much it costs before you get on the bus. Thanks.

As we get downtown, I get off at my stop and I noticed that she was sitting in her seat with a blanket over her lap.

So, it's warm enough to wear peep toe shoes, but cold enough on the bus that you need a blanket?

Hummm.....

This is for the 3-Day Team....
I have a few people from the 3-day team who read the bloggy and keep up with my life in general. I mean, why not...my blog is good stuff.

insert cheesy grin here.

If you aren't aware, to walk during the 3-day, you need to raise a minimum amount of money to be able to walk. The guidelines state that if you don't raise the money, you need to kick in the rest. With a tight economy, the money you might have to kick in can be equal to a tank of gas or a house payment.

We did a great job of raising money last year (well over $30,000, by the way). One of those ways was through a silent auction that we did on a blog. You can see the blog here.

We were the first 3-day team to do an online silent auction using a blog. It was a huge success.

One of our featured items was a 1-week stay in a timeshare in Honduras. This item was purchased by one of my co-workers.

Well, that co-worker just got back from his 1-week stay and said it was the best time he had ever had. It wasn't crowded. It was warm. He even read an entire book during his visit--something he said he hadn't done in a long, long time.

So, Angels, my co-worker wants you all to know that he had no buyers remorse for spending $1000 on the trip to Honduras.

Are you interested in being a part of the Breast Cancer 3-day? If you sign up on or before January 16th and use the promo code NEWYEAR, you can save $25 on the sign up fee! Check out the 3-day site by clicking here.

Jeg vil være på Norsk Fjernsyn...
(I want to be on Norwegian TV)

Oh. My. Word.

Can it be? A way to get to Norway by being on Norwegian Reality TV?

Check this out....

So, I'm thinking of ways to promote the Amy's Angels card blog (we haven't had requests for cards in about 2 weeks) and I clicked on a local TV website. Under their community links I see this. Seems as though the Norwegians are looking for Norwegian Americans to be in a sort of Amazing Race type show in Norway.

DO NOT TEASE ME, NORWAY!!

People who read my blog.....I WANT THIS!

1. I heart Norway.
2. I'm Norwegian (did you see my blog address...OSMUNDSON...)
3. I took Norwegian as a language in college for my language requirement for 2 years (unlike my friend Amy who got out of 1 year of her language credits. Ahem.)
4. We eat lefsa. I even have a lefsa rolling pin!
5. At every holiday get together there is pickled haring on the table.
6. I KNOW the Norwegian National Anthem (OH YES I DO!).

Granted, my Norwegian teacher at UND would raise her eyebrows and say, "Kelley? The girl who wrote on a Norwegian exam that she drove through the mountains on an open faced sandwich while drinking a goat?" (true story)

YES! Me! I want this.

But I need help. I need to make a video. One that stands out. One that says to the directors, "Oh my good Lord. We need that girl on the show!"

Ideas? Anyone? Anyone?

I have until the 25th to submit it--so give me some feedback!

MANGE TAKK!!

Someone Thinks I'm Pretty Cool....
Imagine my surprise when I got a little comment the other day from a bloggy reader. She said, "I gave you an award!"

All I could say was SHUT. YOUR. MOUTH.

We interrupt this blog post for details on an inside joke.

So, I work for an online school. No, it's not a scam, or a diploma mill, or a school that only cares about getting students' money. It's a real, honest to goodness, academic school, accredited & all. It's just online. Thankfully, its not one of those schools that you get 10 e-mails a week telling you to "earn your degree". Our school doesn't do that. Thank God.

Anyway, when I first started, I was talking to a student who wanted to know if she had to take accounting and statistics. I told her she didn't as she was grandfathered in under an old catalog, blah, blah, blah.

Her reaction to me was, "SHUT. YOUR. MOUTH."

It has been a running joke between us for the last 2 years.
I'll admit it, she's my favorite student.
I know....I shouldn't have favorites. But I do.
And she's it.

BLESS. HER. HEART.

We now bring you back to our regularly scheduled blog post.

So, imagine! Someone thinks my blog is something special!

Guess what. I think her blog is pretty neat too. You need to check out Mommy of M's and see what she's all about. I know you'll love her too.

Oh! I almost forgot to show off the bling. Here it is....

(Insert Ohhh's and Ahhh's here....)

Now, I’m supposed to tag 7 other blogs. Like Mommy of M’s, I’m new to the blogging block. So, I’m going to do my best to tag some folks who I think will enjoy getting a little blog love. Because, oh, how I love their blogs!

Hula at Growing Older But Not Up
Angie at Nana’s Boxes
Rachel at Rachel Ann’s Place
Tracy the Art Barista (who needs to update her blog, ahem.)
Lizzy at Hot Tub Lizzy
Sticky at Not Too Sticky
Dorkys at Dry as Toast

Check these ladies out! Now, if my girls are coming by here to claim the award, here are the details....

Copy, save and add the blog photo to your blog, share the love with 7 of your favorite blogs and be sure to mention who gave it to you (ahem...that would be me...)

Happy Friday, everyone!

I Heart Big Bang Theory....
I have to credit two people for helping me tune into this show. The first is my friend Amy who said in casual passing last year, "Oh, I love that show". But it wasn't until I was on the bus one afternoon when I noticed a man across the aisle with a PS2 watching an episode.

And laughing out loud.
On the bus.
A very crowded bus.

Perhaps I was more intregiged with the fact that he was watching it on a PS2. Specifically, how in the world do you get the show on there? Through iTunes? The CBS website? Regardless, I thought to myself that if 2 people say that this show is something to watch, I'm on it.

Here's the set up if you're not familiar:

4 Men and a pretty girl.
The 4 men are all scientists in Physics. Three hold PhD's, one holds a Masters. All 4 men are geeks to the core. They love gaming, Star Trek, and eating Chinese Food.

And the girl? She's the girl next door who the geeks love and she slaps them into reality now and again. One of the men loves her and one can't even talk to her unless he's drinking.

I have to say, that this show provides me with 30 minutes of non-stop giggles. Even the Big Guy enjoys it! He's now thankful that we have a DVR because he can record his favorite show that plays at the same time (he loves Top Gear on BBC).

I've included a clip below for you to watch and enjoy. Considering it's cold and flu season, it's fitting, don't you think?

Happy Thursday, everyone!

With All That Hair I Could Knit a Sweater....
I would like to introduce my cat, Stella.

Oh. She looks innocent. But she is quite sassy. She thinks she owns the place, actually. 5:30 a.m. my alarm goes off and she up in the bed, walking all over me. You would think she's telling me, "I just adore you. Thank you for adopting me 3 years ago."

But we all know, she's really saying, "Hey. You. Yeah, the lady who would feeds me. Can you please get out of bed and do just that? Oh, and while you're at it scoop the litter box? Thanks."

Miss Stella also feels that she can sleep any place her little heart desires. She not only likes the bed (especially after we get out of it and it's warm...), but the computer chair and the back of our couch.

And being a long haired cat, that equals a lot of hair on the couch. Hair that the vacuum seems to miss.

Don't believe me? Take a look at what I found when I rearranged the living room before Christmas. A nice pile of hair from the cat. Thank God no one came by to visit because that was just sad (this was up against a wall that I couldn't see. I swear.).



Now, let's say that you did have company coming over. Instead of them seeing the pet hair that you thought that the vacuum picked up, you can use an old sock!

Say what? An old sock?

Yep. And if your sock drawer is like mine you have that pair of socks that suddenly got a large hole in the heel or a blow out in the toe. Don't toss them! Use them to get the hair off the couch & chairs.

Here's what you do.

1. Put the sock on your hand
2. Wet the sock with tap water. Don't soak the sock. Just get it slightly damp. If you have a spray bottle, that works the best.




3. With the slightly damp sock on your hand, work in circles over the cushions and areas of the couch/chairs that have the pet hair.

The hair will start to wad up on the sock and look something like this.....yes, that is hair. I realized that it looks like something else. I promise, it isn't. Though if you've read this post, you may begin to wonder.


I promise you that you'll be surprised at how much hair your couch and chairs actually have on them by doing this. Forget using those expensive pet products. Old worn out socks (or socks without a mate) + water = easy clean up!

Now, get over to Rocks in my Dryer for more Works for me Wednesday tips and tricks.

Stupid Argument #52,874...

Every week I plan out a menu based on the Big Guy's work schedule (he's a swing-shift person). I then look at the two grocery stores we frequent to see who has the better deal for the week and then we go to that store. The cost difference is pennies.

This morning, I sent the Big Guy to pick up groceries. Before he left, the conversation went like this....

Me: Be sure to check the dates on things. I'm noticing lately that some of their dairy products only give you about a week before the date kicks in.
BG: You know that is the sell by date, not the expiration date.
Me: I know. But you knew going into our relationship that when the date on the package hits--I toss it out.
BG: Yes, but it doesn't magically go bad on that date.
Me: I know. But this will never change for me. So, please. Humor me. Check the dates.
BG: Did you want me to take these coupons that you cut out this morning (pointing to a pile of coupons on the coffee table).
Me: No, there is only one in that pile that can work for this week's list
BG: (confused look) OK
Me: What?
BG: Nothing in that pile is on our list?
Me: (raised eyebrows and annoyed tone can be inserted here) Nope
BG: Just checking...
Me: None of those coupons work with what is on sale or what we need this week
BG: I'm just trying to wrap my head around this process....

So, it's clear that the following lessons have been learned:

1. It is obvious that the Big Guy has no idea how I menu plan, list plan or clip coupons.
2. He hates the fact that I clean out the fridge and toss out past date items
3. Overall, the Big Guy thinks I'm a total freak.

Boy...isn't he lucky that he gets to spend the rest of his life with me!

Secret Single Behavior....

Do you remember that Sex and the City episode where Carrie and Aidan move in together and have issues with space--specifically, getting use to sharing space?

No? Well...let me refresh your memory! Here's a clip.

Danger! Danger Will Robinson! If you have kids present or cover your ears every time someone says a bad word--you might want to skip watching this clip. The F-bomb is used as well as the S-word (a lot).

But it is funny. Really funny.








For the record, my favorite part is when Carrie says, "...and putting on Rogaine and the speed stick!" while making roll-on gestures.

Anyway, today on the talk radio station I heard it being discussed that a man reconnected with a high school buddy on facebook. He said that he and his friend did the after-high-school-catch-up and found that his friend was married, but he and his wife live in separate houses.

Married and living apart.

Part of me thought, "OH! I would SOOOOOO be into that."

I mean, I love the Big Guy very much. But I am also an only child who until college never shared space with anyone. After college and in graduate school--I had my own place. I'm still very used to my own space. I'm still also very used to that Secret Single Behavior. If I want to eat peanut butter and cool-whip for dinner, I should be able too.

I will also let it be known that when the Big Guy works his night shift (8 days a month), I LOVE IT. I get the house to myself. I get the bed to myself. I get the remote to myself and can watch 8 episodes of M*A*S*H back to back if I want and not feel bad.

But then I thought about it and being married is being part of a team. How can you be a team if you live in different houses?

While I like time to myself--and I always will--I know that what I am feeling is normal. All of my girlfriends who are in relationships (married, dating, etc) love to have time to themselves. One of my friends told me recently that she realized that since being married, she really hasn't had a decent nights sleep. She sleeps better when her husband is not there. I was so happy to hear that because I'm the same way.

So, while initially I thought that two homes would be so ideal, the reality is--it isn't. I think I felt this way because our current place is small (2 bed, 1 bath). We rent and while we can't wait to own a home, we want to make sure that we buy in the right place. We love our small town. But...what if he gets a new job? What if I get a new job? While we aren't looking (we both like what we do), the economy is crap and you never know what is coming down the pike! I don't want to buy a house here and then find out in a year that we need to move because of new opportunities and then I'm stuck with a house that won't sell. There are SO MANY houses for sale in our town.

Therefore, my initial reaction is based on the fact that I'm tired of tripping over shoes by the back door and having to clean up the cat business.

Marriage is not something to enter into lightly. And while the Big Guy and I have known for some time that we would be doing this, I know that I want to live at the same address. The Big Guy is the first person I think of when I want to share news. He's also the person I curse at when I find only a small sliver of cheese left in the drawer in the fridge.

When it doesn't come time to buy a home, we will just need to make sure that our house has a basement for a man cave and a huge office/crafting space for me.

Both wired with cable.
And internet.