2014: Year in Review

My last post was in April of 2013.  That seems both super long ago and at the same time like yesterday.  I remember when I was little, time seemed to move so slowly!  Summer vacation was unimaginably long, and an hour in the car was torture.  But time moves faster and faster the older I get.  Here's my 2014 in review so I don't forget it - it was a crazy year!

1. What did you do in 2014 that you've never done before?

So many things! The biggest?  I had a baby!  Now I really wish I had posted throughout the year so I wouldn't forget what it felt like, but this post will have to do.

2. Did anyone close to you give birth?

This was a year of babies.  I gave birth, two of my cousins did, and one of my college roommates, too.  Another college roommate is now pregnant!

3. Did anyone close to you die?
No.

4. What countries did you visit?
I stayed put in the good ol' US of A.

5. What would you like to have in 2015 that you lacked in 2014?
I would love to travel a little more. I would also like to (finally) complete my second master's (it has now officially taken me longer to complete this M.A. than it did to finish my B.A.).

6. What were the highlights of 2014?
Of course the biggest highlight was giving birth to my daughter, but I did a ton of stuff.  

First off, I started a new job.  This was both stressful and a relief.  I was offered the job at the end of 2013, when I had just confirmed that I was pregnant.  So accepting the new position was dependent on a lot of negotiations.  Luckily for me they wanted to take a chance, and they guaranteed me at least 6 weeks off for maternity leave (it ended up being 8, happily!).  I didn't read Lean In when it came out, but I did read a "highlights" section one day in Cosmopolitan while I was in the library, and they specifically said that women shouldn't be afraid of looking for or accepting a new job just because of the possibility that they might be pregnant or have kids in the near future.  I took it to heart, I guess, and I didn't even feel guilty about my requests.  So, it was super stressful at first when negotiating the new position, but once it was wrapped up it was such a relief!  I liked my old job, but I had a 60-90 minute commute each way, and I don't think I could have continued that after having a child.

So, not long (well, about 7 months) after starting the new job, I gave birth.  I am not going to go into great detail about labor and delivery, but I can say that it was a lot less awful than I imagined it would be :)  Jube and my mom were both there, and it was great for me to be able to share the experience with them.

Although we didn't leave the US this year, we were able to take a couple of long weekends to some different places:

For the MLK holiday weekend, my parents went out of town and we stayed at their house to dogsit.  Normally The Plains, Virginia is not the most happening of places, but we decided to treat our time there like we were on vacation.  We went out to eat, watched cable (lots of the Australian Open on the Tennis Channel), and relaxed.

We had a "baby moon" (ridiculous name, but what else to call it?  The Last Hurrah?) at Cunningham Falls State Park (we stayed in a nearby "luxury cabin" at the Ole Mink Farm and can highly recommend it) - this was in June, when I was 8 months pregnant.  We did some light hiking (to see Cunningham Falls, of course!), visited Antietam National Battlefield, and ate an awesome dinner at Volt in Frederick.  

For our 8th anniversary, we went to Poplar Springs, where we were married.  We ate at their Manor House Restaurant, sat in the hot tub, watched a lot of cable (we don't have it at home) and I got a facial at the spa.  My mother and stepfather watched the baby - it has been our only night separate from her since she was born.  

7. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Starting a new job when I was 14 weeks pregnant.

8. What was your biggest failure?
I still haven't completed my master's degree.  I have hope, but really I should be doing that right now instead of blogging.

9. Did you suffer illness or injury?
No, I didn't even have a cold!

10. What was the best thing you bought?

I bought a MacBook Air.  We have been able to do a lot of FaceTime with Jube's family.

11. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Jube has been a really wonderful father and supportive partner.  It is hard to believe that we met when I was only 18!

12. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
I wasn't appalled or depressed last year.

13. Where did most of your money go?
Childcare has been the biggest financial change for us.

14. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Getting my new job, having a baby (all the same answers, really).

15. What song(s) will always remind you of 2014?
The Carnival of the Animals by Saint-Saens. Actually, this will always remind me of being young and acting out all of the different parts in my father's apartment, but it was also remind me of the last days of 2014 when Jube and I introduced La Petite to this wonderful suite.

16. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder?
No difference. Still basically happy with my life!

ii. thinner or fatter?
A little thinner.  Somehow after having the baby I lost the weight almost immediately and it continued dropping.  I think part of it was that I developed gestational diabetes and had to change my diet.  I haven't adopted the strict dietary restrictions for good, but it has helped me with an idea of what I should be eating.

iii. richer or poorer?
Richer :)

17. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Working on my master's.

18. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Procrastinating.

19. What was the hardest thing you did this year?
Caring for a newborn.

20. What was the best thing you did this year?
Have a baby.

21. Did you fall in love in 2014?
I am still in love with Jube.  It is a cliche, but it was love at first sight when my daughter was born,

22. How many one night stands?
Boring.

23. What was your favorite TV program?
Parks and Rec, Brooklyn 99, and an oldie but a goodie - the Bachelorette.

24. What was the best book you read?
I reread To Say Nothing of the Dog which inspired me to read Dorothy Sayers's novels.  It is not a new book, but I think that the best one I read in 2014 was Gaudy Night.

25. What were your greatest musical discoveries?
My father bought a couple of Putomayo Kids albums for us before La Petite was born, and they are really great - good quality, not awful for adults, great for kids.  I highly recommend them!

26. What did you want and get?
A healthy, beautiful daughter.

27. What was your favorite film of this year?

Belle. I watched it the day I went into labor.

 28. What did you do on your birthday and how old did you turn?

I turned 32.  My pregnant cousin was in town from California.  Jube, my mom, my cousin, my brother, sister-in-law, and I went out to eat Jackie's in Silver Spring.  Great restaurant, great company!

29. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

No gestational diabetes!  While I think it was good for my health (and very good for my daughter's), it made the final three months of pregnancy really difficult.

30. What kept you sane?
Jube. My new, shorter commute. A great new boss.

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept for 2014?

First half of the year: pregnancy chic.  I got some really cute clothes from Target and the thrift store nearby.  

Second half of the year: postpartum fashion.  This has actually been more difficult.  I can fit into all of my old clothes but since I am breastfeeding, I need tops with easy access, and I just didn't have many.  So I have been wearing fewer dresses than I usually do and have had to invest in nursing tanks and button-down or henley tops.  

32. What political issue stirred you the most?
Immigration reform.  I have strong feelings about it, due to my personal experiences and situation as well as my job.  

33. Who did you miss?
I especially missed BB - for the first time in years, he didn't come to visit us and we didn't go to visit him!  But I was able to see my brother living in Puerto Rico (he came to visit around July 4), my California cousin, and even old work friends who came to my baby shower.

34. Who was the best new person you met?
I met a good new-mom friend in my prenatal yoga classes.  Our daughters were due 3 days apart! 

35. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2014.
Don't be scared to do new things!  

Summer 2010

Looking back at my blog, I see it's been severely neglected!  I completely forgot to post about our time in the south of France last June!  Well, we met the newest member of the Belle-famille:

Erine!  Yes, this little bouledogue francais has conquered the hearts and minds of the Belle-famille.  She goes everywhere with them.  Luckily, she really is a sweet little dog.  Even Jube ended up liking her (although he is not quite as obsessed as le Pacha, who really got upset with us when we yelled at her for chewing on our shoes).

Our Condo/Notre Appart

As you may remember, last summer we bought a condo.  We figured that interest rates probably wouldn't drop lower (they haven't dropped by much!) and that home prices would probably go up soon (untrue - but they haven't dropped, so almost as good!).  We decided on a condo because there are only two of us and we don't need too much space.  We also both hate doing yard work, so the condo ended up being an  obvious choice.  Finally, it's located right next to a metro stop.  Although neither of us use the metro to get to work, we both can, and it's great for going into the city for after-work happy hour, etc.

We both really like the location and the layout... but when we visited, we knew we had to do something about the paint.  It looked like this:

Do not adjust your screen - you really do see four colors in that last photo (blue, cream, red, and green).  We repainted nearly all of the walls in the apartment, and although you could say it's less unique, it suits us a bit more.  Here's a photo of the living room:

(Yes, the green was one of the few colors we kept intact.)

Something we didn't have to change much of was the kitchen:

Although when Beau-papa was here this summer, he helped us install a backsplash (well, actually, he pretty much did it on his own).

Guilt

It's been months since I've posted here. I've got all of the same excuses: I've been busy - went to Las Vegas and le parisien's wedding, bought an apartment, started a new master's program... But that won't cut it, and I know it. I mean, I could have been updating about these changes as they happened and I wouldn't write a stupid "catch up" post.

I also feel guilty because of something that happened just a few minutes ago. You see, I have this set of cheese plates that I absolutely love. They came in a box that looks like a huge camembert cheese, and there are vintage cheese labels on each of the plates. (They look kind of like this.) And during the move, Jube broke my favorite plate.

I didn't even get upset - I've broken plenty of things in my time, and one clearance cheese plate isn't worth the trouble. But I did regret it.

Tonight I served myself a brownie on one of the remaining cheese plates, and I thought back nostalgically on my favorite plate. I found myself looking down at the cheese plate I had, thinking, "If only it had been you who had been broken!"

Poor little cheese plate.

It's Just Not Right

Hello again! I feel really bad that I haven't updated this space in a long time. I have no excuse for myself. All I've been doing is working, reading, and watching my digital TV. I suppose that this could seem like life has been boring, but really I've been very contented! Jube has said some really hilarious things, but he has refused to let me publish them here on my blog, so you'll just have to imagine what outrageous comments have come out of his mouth. Or I suppose you could e-mail me and ask - I'd definitely answer. I promise I would!

Now, this is only the second time that I'm posting one, but I've decided to put up a quick meme. If you like it, then copy me! If you think this is totally lame, dude, then you don't have to read it. (It is kind of lame since no one tagged me and it's also been on the internet for like 10 years, but still. Enjoy with me if you can.)

So here's the deal: there are those "25 things" and also the "random 10," and I'm letting my iPod (on shuffle) answer the questions for me. And then I add my little commentary about it. So enjoy - or "surf away" (as Jube says. I think this is kind of funny and cute, except that now I say it when I'm on the internet too. I.e. "I'd better surf away from this porn before my boss comes in the room." Hypothetically.). (Oh, and also? Try not to judge my taste in music. I gave up a long time ago.)

1. What do your friends say about you?
Dancer in a Daydream. This is kind of nice, isn't it? The problem is, I doubt they say that about me. If they do, then I'm really living in some kind of alternate reality...

2. How would your coworkers describe you?
Daffodil Lament. Hmm... I hope this doesn't mean I'll be fired in the spring...

3. How would you describe yourself?
Apocalypticodramatic. Actually this is sort of authentic. I mean, how can you describe the indescribable without making up new words?

4. What do you like in a romantic partner?
If You Want to Sing Out, Sing Out. Yeah, I like it when my romantic partners tell me what they want. I also like that this seems to say, "Sure you can tell me what you want, but you're not going to get it. Go ahead and say it. I don't care." I also love that I associate this song with Harold and Maude, and I hope you do too, because it says so much about any romantic relationship I might have...

5. How do you feel today?
Sin Tu Carino [Without Your Love]. Yes, exactly! That's why I decided to post this meme without being tagged! I need your love, Internet! Love me, please love me!

6. What is your life’s purpose?
Living in Danger. Heh. I was always embarrassed by that Ace of Base album on my iPod, but now I see why I kept it...

7. What is your motto?
Light In Your Eyes. Yeah, it's a great motto - never wear sunglasses! Or actually, maybe it's the technique for someone to torture a motto out of someone else... really bright lights in their eyes...

8. What do you think about the most?
Videotape. But do you know which one?

9. What are you going to do on your next vacation?
Think for Yourself. Yeah, cause I'm not gonna tell you!

10. What do you think of your first love/date?
The National Anthem. But of what country?

11. What is your life story?
Knights of Cydonia. Okay, now this one is really dumb. Why would that be my life's story? Think, Gem, think... lyrics: No one's gonna take me alive... Nah. Still makes no sense.

12. What did you do yesterday?
Que Paso Que Paso [What happened what happened]. Yeah, dude, I can't remember...

13. What do you think of when you see the person you like/love?
The Eternal Vow. You might think that this refers to our marriage vows, but I think it must be the pact we made the night of the new moon on Friday the 13th...

14. What describes your wedding?
Zombie. Eek. I thought it was rather tasteful and chic! Although maybe that's some new kind of fashion - zombie-chic...

15. What will they play at your funeral?
The Last Unicorn, Pt. 2. Actually, I just had a memory of watching The Last Unicorn for the first time with a friend (when I was young... very young...). As you probably recall, the film opens with America's fabled song, "The Last Unicorn," accompanied by what is basically an animated music video illustrating the lyrics. (Oh gosh, do you not remember? You can look here if you really want to see it instead of relying on the inferior vision in your mind.) In the tradition of Hollywood's Golden Age, the credits are also displayed at this time. Since my friend and I were wee tots, we were not familiar with this convention. She turned to me and asked, "Is this the end?" I thought about it for a little while, but I finally figured out an answer: "Maybe it's just the beginning of the end." My father and his friend burst out laughing (we were watching in a rec room/basement - my memories just keep getting more and more detailed!). I think that playing "The Last Unicorn, Pt. 2" at my funeral would simply close the circle: It would be the end of the end. Voila!

16. What is your obsession?
Unintended. Yeah, I just couldn't help myself...

17. What is your biggest fear?
Exit Music (For a Film). After finding out that "The Last Unicorn, Pt. 2" will be played at my funeral, this has definitely become my biggest fear.

18. What is your biggest secret?
Map of the Problematique. It's such a big secret that I can't even figure out what it means!

19. What is your biggest turn-on?
2+2=5 (The Lukewarm). Yeah, I love reading Nineteen Eighty-Four in a tepid bath... mmmmm!

20. How do you describe your friends?
Minha Galera [according to some website, "minha galera" means "my people"]. Yep, it's definitely how I describe my friends. Or at least, that's how I'd describe them if I spoke Portuguese.

21. What would you do with a million dollars?
Dernier Lit [Last Bed]. I guess that this means I'd buy one of those awesome memory foam mattresses and I'd never have to buy another bed again in my whole life! Or else it means I'd spring for a crazy cool coffin!

22. What is your opinion of sex?
Plug In Baby. No comment.

23. What is your biggest regret?
Serre-Moi [Hold Me]. Yes, my biggest regret is that I was never held as a child. Oh please hold me now!

24. What would you rather be doing right now?
Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In). I guess I'd rather be on drugs?

25. What will you post this list as?
Morning Bell. Actually I'm posting it as "It's Just Not Right".

Well, I do hope you enjoyed. And don't forget to e-mail me if you want to hear a funny story about Jube! (Wow, I think that's even lamer than this stupid meme...)

Ketchup and Weekend Hair

Wow, it's been a long time, huh? I'll bet everyone's been depressed because they haven't had one of my posts to read. Well, let me give you the short version of what I've been up to since Montpellier:

I got back to the US on July 2. Between July 9th and August 15, I had 7 job interviews in 3 states (Virginia, Maryland, and California) and the District of Columbia. I was offered one of the jobs, which I accepted. But after a week in, when I e-mailed the last "still under consideration" employer, they told me they really wanted me and managed to convince me to leave my new job. So, on September 22, I will start my latest (and hopefully steadiest!) job! Jube and I will be living in Silver Spring, Maryland, and I'll be taking the Metro to work. I'm very excited about ditching my car, for many reasons: gas prices; "green" concerns; Beltway traffic; and, of course, the opportunity to fall asleep while traveling to work and not dying.

So, with that out of the way, here's a little story about Jube and me:

The vestiges of Hurricane Hanna blew through the DC area last Friday night and Saturday. With all of the humidity, I knew I would have to take good care of my hair to keep it in line... but, it was a weekend! On Saturdays I don't want to waste my time blow-drying my hair when I could be doing other things, like watching "The 15 Greatest Political Sex Scandals" on E! or eating leftover coconut shrimp from Red Lobster. So I finger combed my hair and let it be.

That night, Jube and I went to see a movie (Tropic Thunder. Ask me about it later). We drove to the new Rockville Town Center and walked around for about 20 minutes before the start of the show. We were dressed like "sporty bobos" (ODU cropped sweats and tightish sporty looking top for me; Adidas shorts and Atomic shirt for Jube), which we aren't (sports? Do you really think I have time to exercise when I can't be bothered to blow-dry my hair? Playing sports would require more showers, which would require more blow-drying, which makes me sweat, so it's really all counterproductive in the end, isn't it?). So anyway, we went to some Mexican chain restaurant that isn't Taco Bell, and while we were waiting for our food, Jube smiled at me.

"I see you've got Weekend Hair today."

What?? I was amazed that he noticed... but I guess I shouldn't have been. Jube notices lots of things that men "aren't supposed to notice," like my clothes, my hair, my makeup (if I'm wearing any).

"Yeah, I guess it is my Weekend Hair. Do you like it?"

"It's okay. Your Weekday Hair looks nicer though. But you're still cute."

Unfortunately, I was too tired after our long Sunday at the Renaissance Festival (expect a post soon) to do anything about my Weekend Hair, so today (a WEEKDAY, I might point out), I still have fluffy, sort of curly/wavy hair. I tried to dress it up with a headband, but it's still not Weekday Hair.

Five minutes into my workday, my supervisor asked me if I'd gotten a haircut.

J'ai tout compris!

The other day Jube asked me if my blog was dead. "Of course not!" I said, but then I realized that I really haven't been doing a good job of updating. So here's a try to get back into the swing of things:

I graduated on May 10! Now I just have to find a job.

BB visited, and we had a great time. He now knows that Norfolk, Virginia is really awesome.

Since finishing classes, I've been reading lots of books and updating lots of resumes.

Now, for something completely different (and vastly more amusing):

The other day, Jube, Lorene and I went to the president's house for dinner. Yes, that's right, I'm in tight with President Runte of Old Dominion University! (Actually we went for a different reason, but it sounds good to say that I know her really well, right? Except that now she's going to be president of a Canadian university, so bye bye reference...) Jube's real last name is the same as a relatively famous French author. Let's say his name is Jube Rousseau (as the French say, why not?) President Runte has her PhD in French Literature, and as she gave us our nametags she said, "Did you know that Rousseau was a famous French author?"

"Oh yes," said Jube.

"Ah! Et vous parlez francais?" she asked.

"Oui, oui, bien sur," he answered.

She turned towards the nametags again, and mistakenly addressed me: "Et d'ou est-ce que vous venez, alors?"

I thought about answering, "De l'Ohio," but instead Jube told her he was from Montpellier.

"Wonderful, wonderful," she said, abstractedly. "Well, bon appetit!"

As we were leaving, she again spoke to Jube, asking about his future plans. I jumped in, to prove that I could speak French too, and we chatted a bit about where we would find jobs. She mentioned moving to Canada, as she was doing, and I made a stupid joke about writing down her phone number to call her later. (She didn't laugh very hard.) Poor Lorene, who speaks German very well but not much French, pretended like she was listening to the conversation.

"Bon, bien, au revoir!" she said.

"Au revoir!" Jube and I answered.

"Au revoir!" put in Lorene, as we were leaving. On our way back to the car, we all burst out laughing. "I had no idea what she said, but I think that it looked good to say that, right?"

Happy Birthday to Me!

Comps: Passed.
Graduation: Next week.
Job Search: In full swing.
Jube: Already bought my gift.

Tonight? Happy Hour!

Senioritis

Now that I am almost a graduate degree holder, I'm finding it much more difficult to do the things I have to do. Senior year of high school wasn't this hard! Just getting out of bed to walk five minutes to work can be really difficult. I wake up on time, but then bed just seems so comfortable and warm...

But I have some great news - BB is coming to visit for graduation! Yay! And after visiting Norfolk, he's visiting Wales. He's becoming quite the world traveler!

Besides his visit, I don't have any firm plans for the summer, which is part of the reason le carnet hasn't been updated. I don't like not knowing my future plans. Hopefully soon I'll at least know what city I'll be living in after July 5.

Soupir

You may be wondering where I've been for the past month or so. You may not have been wondering. But if you were, wonder no longer! For I will tell you exactly where I have been and what I've been doing!

First, I had to live through exam week. I had reading, papers, exams, work... But now it's done. I have my final grades and I'm ready for vacation.

My mom came down to Norfolk last Friday to pick me up. I have more vacation than Jube does, so I decided that she could take me to spend this week in Northern Virginia with my family. Jube is still in Norfolk.

On Friday we took Mom to the Pagoda restaurant for dinner. When it came time to pay, she realized she had forgotten her purse. No problem, I can pay, right? Well, since I had recently made a purchase in the UK with my credit card (remember those 12 hours in London? I have to buy things like tube passes), my card company blocked it. I usually only carry around one credit card, in case my wallet is stolen. It didn't work out for me that night!

Jube pulled out his credit card to pay, but unfortunately it is the same account. Which was blocked, remember? So I figured I would walk a couple of blocks to an ATM where I would withdraw the money. However, since I was so frazzled from the credit card fiasco, I couldn't remember the correct PIN for my card! I entered the PIN from the card I used throughout college, Spain, and France. I lost my new ATM card in the machine. So we had no way to pay for dinner!

Let me recommend the Pagoda Teahouse. The ambiance is amazing, the food is inexpensive, and the waiters let you leave without paying if you promise to come back the next day with your *working* credit card.

I was expecting a relaxing week at home, but I caught a cold, so I've been spending my "extra" week of vacation sticking q-tips up my nose (it's supposed to get you over your cold faster... I'm waiting!), popping pills, and reading. I really hope to be over my cold by the time I get on the plane Saturday.

Vacation, I'm still waiting!

Over the river and through the woods...

We're off! It's more like "over the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel and North on 17," but we're going to my parents' house for Thanksgiving. The past few weeks have been pretty intense, so a little holiday will be great.

Have a wonderful week!

Aw Man!

I can't believe it's been more than 2 weeks since I last posted! I am becoming a bad bad blogger! I've got all the same excuses: I've been busy, nothing has been going on, etc etc, but of course I have some stories. Here's tonight's:

Jube has been super nice lately. Today, while I was checking out some stuff on the internet, Jube gave me a nice back massage and gave me a little cuddle. And then he said, "You know I must really love you, right?"

"I guess so," I said, jokingly.

"No really, look! See that?" he said, pointing at my MagLite, Sleek*.


"Yeah," I said.

"Well, I use that in the morning instead of the light so I won't wake you up when it's dark outside!"

"Gosh, that's really nice!"

"Yeah, and yesterday, I went all the way down to the car when I realized that I hadn't reset the alarm for you. And I came all the way back up so you could make it to work."

I really have a nice husband, it's true!

*My brother JW and I used to go camping every summer with my dad. We had bought this humongous MagLite that used about 6 D batteries. It was named Big Ben. Then one year we lost Big Ben, probably at MidOhio. The following summer Dad bought us both our very own normal-sized MagLites that we promptly named. Sadly I forget what JW named his, but mine was named Sleek. And then at my wedding Dad gave it back to me. We also bought an even bigger MagLite that we named (of course) Bigger Ben. Now Jube just thinks it's funny that I have one of those flashlights they use on Cops...

Done anything fun lately?

Well, not really! One of my coworkers is sick right now and so I've taken over all of her duties. Good for my resume, bad for my blog! Besides work, lately I have:

-Gotten a haircut! Yes, my hair is newly styled. I like it a lot. I have to admit that I'm still having the urge to cut it all off to where it was a year ago when Belle-maman cut it for my wedding...
-Eaten sashimi and sake. We tried a new restaurant--Domo in downtown Norfolk. It was really good and we ended up eating tons of food.
-Finally read the last Harry Potter book. Better than I expected.
-Helped Jube pick out some new suits.
-Bought this really neat lamp/aroma-spreading-thingy at Disabled Army Veterans Thrift Store.

What I haven't done... well... let me start at the beginning. I really like Radiohead. I have since high school, but I was too embarrassed to tell my friend Robyn. That's kind of weird, because she's the one who first played me a Radiohead song or showed me one of their albums. But basically I was too embarrassed to tell her that I really liked the same band she did. And I still haven't told her. So, hey Robyn! I like Radiohead! I actually went to see them in London in 2003! And it was awesome!

And I haven't yet bought their new album. My dilemma is this: they have made it available online--a download--but they make you pick the price. That's right, the consumer decides how much to pay. And every time I go to the webpage to buy it (I've been there at least 3 times), I get choked up on how much I should pay. Should I support my favorite band and pay more than I would if I were buying a normal CD at the store? Should I go for the wimpy way out and pay exactly the same as another CD? Or should I go with my base miserly instincts and pay nothing?

Plus I don't have an mp3 player, so it makes for a very tough decision...

Bruises, 1

This week has been full and busy. Some bad things happened and some good things happened. I'm going to split it up into two posts, with mixed good/bad elements. Let's review:

I started working out three weeks ago. I didn't want to talk about it on here too much because, well, I'd just started. I've never worked out before... I used to play racquetball and swim two or three times a week, but ODU is undergoing some really annoying construction which has closed the pool and the racquetball courts. Actually, I don't know if there ever were racquetball courts, but the new Rec Center will have some. It's due to open next spring, about a month before I finish my master's program. Very convenient timing for me, isn't it?

There are two weight rooms open on campus, as well as basketball courts and soccer/field hockey/lacrosse fields, but I don't play any of those sports. My boss encouraged me to sign up for the Monarch Quick Fit Program. It basically gives you a commitment to work out three times a week, half an hour for weight training and half an hour for cardio each of those days. When I went in for the initial explanation, I was shown 8 different weight machines. On the first one, my personal trainer (for 10 minutes!) asked me what weight I normally used. "Uhh, I've never used any of these machines before," I answered. I didn't realize that I looked so muscular and strong! Even a seasoned professional couldn't tell that I don't normally work out! Why did I sign up for the Quick Fit program again?

But it's been good, I've been keeping to the workout schedule and have already lost 3 pounds. It's very exciting! So that's something GOOD that has been happening lately.

What's something BAD? Well, our toilet has been acting up lately. The water just keeps running and running without collecting in the tank or the bowl. I figured out that it has to do with the black rubber stopper that regulates the flow of water in the tank. But, since we live in an apartment building (where they just raised the rent by $30!), I was not about to buy a new rubber stopper and install it myself! I informed the apartment manager on Friday. We lived this weekend by turning the water on and off and manually adjusting the rubber stopper so that we could flush the toilet. It's super annoying, too! I was tempted to follow the "yellow is mellow, brown goes down" rule, but Jube thinks that it's pretty disgusting to do that. I have to admit, though, that at 4:00 in the morning I wasn't about to turn the water on just to flush.

Today, after having complained again to management yesterday, someone came by to fix the toilet. She worked on it for awhile and then told me, "It should be fine." She left, and the water kept running... and running... and running... Obviously she hadn't fixed the toilet at all! So I ran downstairs to the management office (which, by the way, is only open from 10am-1pm, so it's hard to catch them when you work!) to try to get her before she left. The apartment owner was very unhappy that we had had to wait nearly a week to have the toilet fixed and came up to fix my toilet himself. Now it's working again, and I'm very happy to know that I can flush the toilet whenever I want.

Conclusive Evidence

We never ordered you. We went through at least three strongly worded e-mails canceling you. We cashed the check that we received in the mail for finally getting you out of our mailbox. But somehow... you keep coming back!

Definitive proof that Maxim is the Devil's Work arrived in our letter carrier's pouch today...

In other news, le Pacha called us today to tell us he is feeling sick, and even threw up! Because of this, he wasn't able to go to the free concerts on the beach in Palavas les Flots. Belle-maman, who called on his behalf and wanted to tell me that he had a little upset stomach, managed to get past her own squeamishness and tell me le Pacha a gerbe! Then she laughed and laughed, providing definitive proof that she reads my blog.

Finally, as if we needed more proof that Jube has a bad memory, we received a Netflix movie in the mail yesterday that neither of us had heard of. The Host is a Korean horror flick in the tradition of Shaun of the Dead (in that it doesn't seem to take itself too seriously, although it was not meant to be as funny). A nasty mutant monster that looks like a three-way cross between a squid, a newt, and an ugly fish begins terrorizing Seoul and kidnaps a 13-year-old girl. Her messed-up family goes after her, hindered by misinformation spread by the US government (who also, by the way, created the pollution that gave birth to the monster). He denied that he had ever heard of the movie and hadn't put it on our queue--and as proof that I was the one who had chosen it, he said, "You're the one who always wants to watch Japanese movies." But then he recanted when he found out it was Korean.

Next on the list? A Year in the Life of Metallica: Part 1. Seriously.

Pattern?

Have you noticed a pattern? Whenever I start a new job, I stop posting for awhile. I've been super busy at my new boulot, and I've taken it out on my blog, I know, I know! I was planning on having another BB guest post, but he has decided to postpone his trip because of my busy-ness at work. And Jube starts his new job next week, so we're off to a new year!

So what's new besides work? Nothing much. I've been doing a lot of reading... Since Digging to America I've read The Telling, The Road, and Le Petit Prince. Fun.

Oh! And followup to my battles with the magazine company... We finally received a refund for our Maxim mixup! I was very happy to get a check in the mail.

I'm sure interesting things have been happening to me, but I can't think of any at the moment. Umm...

We saw Rush Hour III last weekend. I love Jackie Chan, but Jube was a little bit annoyed at the "anti-French propaganda." It was not the best movie in the world, but I found it entertaining. We went on opening night, to a sold-out theater, and everyone laughed and enjoyed themselves.

Then on Sunday we saw Sicko. Wow, what a movie to make you nostalgic for France! I was just thinking about calling the Student Health Center to renew my prescription, and seeing Sicko made me long for the days when I could go to the pharmacy and get it for free (6 Euro up front which was reimbursed to my account later).

Okay, that is enough for tonight. Hopefully I'll have a real post for you soon.

Work Weak

As you may remember, last week we searched for a cheap wedding ring for Jube's job interview. We finally found one at Wal-Mart, and it must have worked, because he got the job! Yay! He doesn't start until August, but has a lot of things to do before then. He has job training to attend and also lots of guitar riffs and fun stuff to take care of.

This week I am in class. Nothing interesting to report. Two weeks till vacation time!

More Beach

We went to the beach again today--the weather is so hot here, in the 90s! We swam and sunned, and afterwards had a cookout at Lorene's place. The most "typical" American dish were the ears of corn cooked in their husks on the coals. Jube took a few pictures to send to his family.

I am sad because after such a wonderful weekend I'm headed back to work tomorrow. Of course it's not really a big deal, but I realize that the years of summer vacations are over now. It almost makes me want to be a teacher...

Sniffle!

I'm sick! On Monday I woke up with a scratchy throat, which hurt a lot until Tuesday. Then my throat cleared up and my sinuses clogged. Today I've spent most of the day in bed, trying to prepare myself for work tomorrow. Jube is always great when I'm sick, and I feel guilty every time. When he gets sick, I am short-tempered with his moaning and sniffling. He is much more patient than I am, and much more considerate.

Beau-papa and Belle-maman bought a new car last week, a Renault Scenic. Beau-papa called Jube to complain about getting his carte grise (the car title):

"We got a taste of what Gem went through at the prefecture today!"

Jube indignantly denied it: "No, you have no idea what she's had to do to get her residency card."

Then they argued for a little while about which bureaucratic process was worse, and I think Jube won--as well he should have! I doubt that Beau-papa cried when he was finished.

As it happened, Jube and I went to the Norfolk City Hall ourselves yesterday. You see, when we bought our car, I had to work and couldn't sign the paper requesting a title. Jube's name was the only one on there. Since he has a provisional green card (to be replaced in 2 years), we might be interviewed together to prove that we don't have a fake marriage. We already have a joint bank account and a joint lease, but having a joint car title is important too. So we spent the $12 to get a new title and registration.

We were only at City Hall for about 40 minutes, which made us both very happy. It has been nearly the least hassle of any of our bureaucratic dealings so far--the only thing easier was applying for our marriage license. I figure it's because there are a lot fewer people getting married than buying cars, paying taxes, getting driver's licenses or getting new license plates.

Oops! I Did It Again!

I forgot to post the "day of"! But we had an excuse: we left Norfolk yesterday to surprise my mom at her house for Mother's Day. She was pretty surprised, too! She reads my blog so I didn't want to mention our plans.

Now we're in Northern Virginia, and we're going to do some shopping. I'll post more than a mini when I get back (we're all pretending that this was posted on Friday, right? Right).

Oh and yesterday Jube and I took my brother the Rooster to see Hot Fuzz. It was quite enjoyable, but also part of the reason I forgot to post--I haven't been out to a "late" movie in a few years and was really tired when I got home!