Tuesday, April 27, 2010

School is winding down

Just an FYI for everyone out there in the interwebs, but our semester is winding down.
This week is dead week, as everyone is either dead tired, wishes they were dead, or realize their parents are going to kill them when they learn their grades.
Next week is FINALS (F*** I never actually learned s***). Both Jennifer and I have only one final fortunately, but have some papers and such due as well.

In the mean time I need to find a storage pod/facility/thingymajig to keep my stuff in for the summer. I have a week and a half to do that. Last minute I know. Going online today to handle that.

But at the end of next week is SUMMER!!! (Not Glau)

So yeah, my summer plans are as follows
Bro's Graduation
Cruise whenever
Minnesota sometime
Painting models
Running
Reading (Romance of the Three Kingdoms, you are finally going down)
Videogames (With Romance comes Dynasty Warriors, naturally)
*Wow, just spent like 10 minutes reading those wikipedia articles. Cool stuff. Cao Cao is the man. Watch Red Cliff. You'll know.

And Jennifer has OCS. Good Luck Babe!

Oh, and Minnesota is actually more like this:
I won $150 with that picture...

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Clear your calendars

Unless you have something particularly amazing happening Dec. 4th, like front row tickets to see Ted Nugent in his one night only Vegas Extravaganza (if so please hook me up), then clear your calendars.

It is official: December 4th is ours.

Finally a date is set. According to Jennifer, she jumped around her apartment in excitement for about a half an hour when she found out.

Since that means the wedding is in the winter I imagine the church will look something like this:
Otherwise I will be somewhat disappointed.

So mark it down on you calendar, write it in your day planner, store in your black berry, get it tattooed in blood upon your forehead so you see it in the mirror everyday when you brush your teeth. Branding is also a viable option. I know a guy if you are interested. I am sure I can get you a discounted rate.

In summary you need only remember 2 things
1- December 4th
2- Get me one of those Nuge tickets.

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Update

Okay, so I know that the last post said something along the lines of we would have a date by now and would have met with Fr. Dan this morning, but I got a phone call yesterday. Now don't jump to conclusions, they didn't cancel on us. Well, actually, they did. BUT that's because he has too many weddings to do this year and will not be able to do ours. Luckily, they have more than one priest (I guess because it's Atlanta and they can afford to do that sort of thing).

Instead of working with Dan, we will be working with Rev. Pat Grace. I talked to her yesterday and she seems stoked that she gets to work with us! That made me happy. The hard part is that her schedule doesn't match up well with mine and Evan's. So we are trying to work that part out with just getting to meet her. (and storming the church like last time won't work because she wont be there). She did ask what date we wanted and I told her. She had to check the calendar and get back to me on that one. She did claim that they don't get many weddings in December so the 4th should be open. Another aspect that made me happy.

So, within a few hours, Fr. Dan had to cancel on us, the secretary sent me an email, then before I had a chance to read it called me, and then I was point on the line with Pat (had to leave a message), she called me back, and we set a tentative appointment for this Thursday at 3:30 pm. But then Evan has class, so we now have to reschedule, hopefully for later in that day.

Prayers and luck wishes are appreciated.

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

The good, the bad, and the ugly

So, I'll dish out the good news first.

The good news is that Evan and I have been able to finally set up a meeting with the priest of St. Luke's. The meeting is set for the 21st of April (almost 5 whole months after the first time I tried to set up a meeting). This meeting will be our first marriage counseling session where we will be able to SET THE DATE!!! There have been some church policies that Fr. Dan has been strong about staying true to. One of the policies is that in order to be married at St. Luke's one of us must be a member of St. Luke's Episcopal. In addition to being an official member, we have to be an active member for a year before the wedding. In our defense, we have been going to church services at St. Luke's for one and two years AND it has taken them almost a half of a year to make us members.

The bad news:

I was having some symptoms last week where if a person has this it could be potentially bad or very bad. We're talking a stomach ulcer all the way to several cancers. I went to the doctor on Friday where they did a blood test. I had high but within the normal range of white blood cell count. Since I wasn't experiencing any pain or fever, I was to check back on Monday for another blood test and then we would go from there to find out what was wrong with me. Well, on Saturday morning I ran a 5K on Georgia Tech campus where I came in 1st place for females and 9th overall. Although that is very good news, I thought I was going to die. Literally. I ran at about a 7:30 min/mile, so I was dashing about for the whole thing. Fast; the whole time. I was just over half-way done when my stomach started hurting and I had to decide if I wanted to finish the race as the first female and win or if I wanted to live. I was faced with the die-lemma of death or a prize. I rationalized that since I was wining and was over half-way done, then I should continue the race and hope for the best. In case you can't tell, I didn't die and I won the race. So it's a win-win. But later that day and Sunday evening, my stomach started hurting plus I was warm to the touch. So I went to the emergency room. Actually, Evan and my mom were there too. They were so sweet to be there for me. We got to the hospital around 6 pm and didn't leave out of there until around 1 am. After waiting for a room, drinking disgusting dye that quickly reached my colon, waiting to go to radiology for a CT scan, getting scanned, waiting for the results, and then waiting for the doctor to come to my room to tell us what's wrong with me, we finally got a diagnoses. I have diverticulitis and an ovarian cyst.

And now for the ugly:

I GOT CO!! That is Battalion Commanding Officer. "How is that ugly?" Well, I may not have it after all. I may get shafted once again for no reason that seems to make sense. This past year, I was awarded the Battalion Master Chief position which isn't so bad, but I go the position after someone else did. Not just anyone else, this is a guy who has thought he's all that and a bag of potato chips ever since I've known him. He hasn't changed. I had more right to get it when I wanted to get it, but for a reason that seemed to not make sense (because it was based on one person's opinion and not fact) I was awarded the position for Spring semester. So while I should have gotten what I wanted, he did. TWO SEMESTERS IN A ROW! To make matters worse, he may be getting the same deal he did this year. HE may be CO for the Fall and I'm in the Spring. But I will not have that. If the permanent staff decide they want it that way, I'll come up with a plan. But unless their plan works for my benefit, I will not accept what they offer. That's how ugly it is.

[Edit: The "ugly" was based off a rumor which was based on the truth but more dramatic. He was not going to be CO, but XO in the Fall and I'm still CO, but just in the Spring. So, it's less ugly b/c he's not going to be CO and I'm still going to be CO, just in the Fall. I'm glad we're clear on that.]

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Introductions are in order...

Well, first of all let me deliver some good news: I am finally a member at St. Luke's. SWEET TEA! YAY! (inside joke, so read it in an inside voice). I guess Jennifer and I should set an appointment with the priest and get this show on the road.

So I want to introduce 2 members of the Wedding Party many of you may no know: Wesley and Derek. These are 2 of my 4 (possibly 6, but I need to talk to the other 2 guys to see if they are up for it) groomsmen.

Derek Zink. That's with a K not a C. He is not an element.
See. No Resemblance. Okay maybe Derek is a little flaky (just kidding).

ANYWHO, Derek is a Seminole County fire fighter/paramedic (if you couldn't tell from the photo). He enjoys AC/DC, pina coladas, long walks on the beach, and the Tuba. His atomic number is 30.

I have known Derek since freshman year of high school. Met at band camp where he was wearing a shirt that was a size too small, was black (in the FL sun) and said "The Human Resistance" on it (from Terminator). Been friends ever since. If I didn't have Wesley, this guy would be my best man.

He is just an awesome fun guy who I have always gotten along with and will continue to do so for years to come. Peace bro!

Next is this guy: Wesley Valdyke.
Parents, if there are small children in the room you may want to have them avert there eyes because this next photo is surely graphic content.
AAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!

I have known Wesley since August 21st 1991 as far as the United States Government is concerned. I would tell you more about that, but then I'd have to kill you.

Anyways, he is my number one man and best friend. If for some reason he couldn't make it to the wedding, I'd postpone it. Wesley is a senior at WSHS (go bears) and plans on attending USF as a physics major, and will be doing NROTC (he wants to fly F-35s). So I guess he turned out alright.

He is an eagle scout like his big bro, dad and Poppy. He too drives a Jeep, plays Warhammer, and likes metal/rock. Basically trying to copy my style ;) Well, I give into two facts: he is a better dresser and more of a ladies man. The latter most likely has something to do with the former.
And his smile


Okay actually the second one is this.

My room mate Joel said he is the coolest little brother he knows and rates around 50 Mega-Fonzies on the coolness scale. I'd have to agree.

So there you go. Those are the 2 guys in the party from my side of things (other than myself). I hope you found this informative and entertaining.

Just FYI I was making allot of jokes, not being cruel.
Except about Wesley's picture. That's serious business. Your charitable donations to the "Buy Grendel A New Face" fund are tax deductible and will go to fixing the elephantitus that surely must be affecting his face.

All in the family

*This has to do with family and not about anything that ever happened between Evan and me. And I say "me" because it is the object of between.*

I don't really know what is "all in the family" because where I come from it doesn't stay in the family at all. It bleeds out into the public. It effects us all, and we interact with others, in turn effect them. Like dominos, the chain continues because we are all in someway connected to each other. In my 21 years of life, I have seen only instances where we have only wanted the best for our family and the ones we love. (However, there were those few times of jealousy where we wanted to sabotage the good luck streak of our younger brother who happened to get all the cool toys).

But when we all grow up and mature (at least somewhat) is it then that we realize that the happier we are for the successes of the ones we love, the happier we are in general about ourselves. When we also reach that point we understand that what harms our loved ones effects us as well. No longer are we the children that want only the best for ourselves; we are the adults that want the best for others. We get an emotional high from the successes of our family. We also feel the emotional low when our families struggle with their own lives. We hurt (maybe not as much as they do, but we hurt) nonetheless.

When families are in conflict is when I feel the most stress is felt in a family. At least when families are on the same side, they are together in their struggle. What is most conflicting is that when a family is in a struggle, the other side is only wanting the best for themselves. Stay with me, I have a theory!

We say that we want the best for them, but really we want the best for ourselves. If someone (A) appears to be supportive of the other side (B) but you still wholeheartedly believe they are wrong, I theorize that A wants B to believe that A has the best interest in B so that relations between A and B are still good. For A, the guilt is no longer on A because B and A have good relations despite their disagreement.

When the disagreement is open and A is adamant (verbally, physically, etc.) about not letting B make the decision that B believes is right but A believes is totally disastrous, it may be harder to discern what A's motives are but A is still doing it for the sake of A. Perhaps A is jealous and returning to childlike behavior. Perhaps A really does want B to be happy and feels that B is making a mistake. So how is the last one for the sake of A? Well, like I said in the beginning, families are emotionally attached. If A sees that B cannot "see the light," it becomes stressful for A to get B to understand A's side. And it is stressful for B because B knows exactly what is right for B. A conflict occurs, usually because of a miscommunication and then no one knows what was truly meant to be said.

Saturday, April 3, 2010

HAPPY EASTER!

Hello all!

I hope everyone has a great Easter Week! I can feel that Evan and I will too. I'm pretty optimistic that this week we will get our wedding date set. I have officially been accepted as a member to St. Luke's as of late last week. And now that that has finally happened, we are waiting to find out what the next step is. Since last week was Holy Week, Fr. Dan was extremely busy and his secretary did not get a chance to ask what that next step would be for us.

I was hoping that this post would have been dedicated to an official date, but sadly it is not. Evan and I and I know all of you will be super stoked to know that we have an official date whenever that happens. So when it does, I will certainly let you be aware of when it will be. Please keep your fingers crossed that we can get a date set soon!

I love you all! And have a happy Easter!