30 Day Blog Challenge: Wrapping it Up

 
As Casey said, we are wrapping up this blog challenge, because we’re excited to move on to some more topics like “Marriage Monday” and “(We Used to Be) Fat Friday” and the apparently very popular (in blog world) “Wordless Wednesday”…. so here’s the last six days for me!
 
 
DAY TWENTY-FOUR:
Something You’ve Learned
 
Recently, I’ve learned a very important lesson. I need to make decisions in my life to benefit me and my family. I have spent 11 years working multiple jobs, going to school (twice), having crazy schedules that frequently have me working and out of my house for 13-14 hours at a time. I need to put an end to this for my mental health, and the health of my family, marriage, and heart. There is no real need for me to be working like this anymore – there was once, getting my degrees, getting my LCSW, etc… but now? Now, is a time that I need to learn to take life a moment at a time instead of attacking life full force in every direction. And that’s okay. So, come the end of the summer I will be going part time in my full-time job, and that will mean that I can space out my jobs, and end up working both of them only one day a week – as opposed to 4 days a week. And you know what? My supervisors are FINE with it. I was so scared to talk about the need for me to work less, step back… but they GET IT! They are both willing to work with me however I need. It pays to ask for what you need. That is a lesson I’m learning (plus, I’m delegating work!)
 
DAY TWENTY-FIVE:
First Five Songs That Come Up When You Shuffle Your iPod
 
I couldn’t go a day without music. In my house. In my car. In my head at all times. I often fantasize about having the persons job that gets to pick out music for movie scenes. I would ROCK that job.
 
1.  “Lose Your Way” -Sophie B. Hawkins
2. “I’m Gonna Make You Love Me” -The Jayhawks
3.  “When I See You Smile” – Bad English
4.  “I Think God Can Explain” -Splender
5.  “Angel Eyes” -Jeff Healey Band
 
 
DAY TWENTY-SIX:
Your Dream Wedding
 

I got it. September 19, 2009. I still get teary when I remember it, and the complete and utter joy. Like Casey said, I have some regrets. One being that I forgot to have Justin get a picture of all of us in our aprons. And that we got hurried through our reception because people kept bolting. And that we cut our cake to “Like a Virgin” (. . .) But, all in all, I was there with Casey and we were husband and wife. And we got a beautiful day to pledge our vows. It was our dream, and it was amazing to see it come true.

 
 
DAY TWENTY-SEVEN:
Original Photo Of The City You Live In
 
Eh. Really? I could go down and take a picture of the “shopping center” (Hannaford, Radio Shack, the Post Office, and Chinese Food Place). . . but I’m thinking that’s not too exciting. The sign when you enter Standish? Well, it’s a sign. On a road. There’s nothing around it, because it’s Standish! So, I’m sorry. Maybe sometime on our walk I will remember to bring my camera and we’ll give you a tour of good ol’ Standish. Maybe.
 
DAY TWENTY-EIGHT:
Something That Stresses You Out
 
What people think about me. It’s silly. I shouldn’t care. But I do. 
 
DAY TWENTY-NINE:
3 Wishes
 
1.  Not to sound totally whiny or ungrateful here… but I really super duper wish for (at least) ONE ENTIRE YEAR in which no close family member/spouse/friend has a huge life threatening illness. I get it Universe. Really I do. And I get how lucky I am that I have survived, and my Mom, Stacey, Dad, Casey have all survived. But I am so tired of hospital beds, waiting rooms, doctors, specialists, worrying, frantic phone calls, crying, googling. . .
 
2. I would wish for our plan to move to NC to be successful. Which, mostly means selling our house because that’s the only thing “tying” us down, if you will. So SELL, you stupid vinyl anchor (our affectionate nickname for this house)
 
3. I would like to have ESP (but be able to control it).
 
DAY THIRTY:
A Picture Of Yourself This Day And 5 Good Things That Happened
 
1. I got up and exercised
2. I don’t have to work until noon
3. My husband made me breakfast in bed (he does this every day ((yes, really)) but I appreciate it every day)
4. My ipod is playing throughout the house on our wireless speakers. Nothing better than music everywhere!
5. I am about to order some new books for my Nook, because my Mom sent me a gift card. It made me cry, because it was so unexpected and thoughtful. Thanks Mom!
 
 
Ok…so here’s the end!!!!!! Thanks for reading (all six of you)!!!!
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Here’s Casey today!

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30 Day Blog Challenge: The Grand Finale

…For me, at least.  Since I’ve gotten behind in my blogging for the challenge and I’m itching to blog about something else at this point, I’m going to wrap up the last eight days here all at once in one entry!
DAY TWENTY-THREE:
Favorite Movie
 
“Ghostbusters”, if you haven’t been paying attention!  As we said, this is some sort of error made by whoever created this challenge, whose name has been lost to the ages, just like the creator of the Classic-Era Mayan calendar (I picked up a book on 2012 in Boston).  We’ve already covered this day in our replacement North Carolina topic, which we are very excited about, but I just wanted to find an excuse to mention the Classic- Era Mayans or something.
 
DAY TWENTY-FOUR:
Something You’ve Learned
 
I’ve learned many things over my life, but I have to say the life lessons Jenn has taught me over the past three years have been the most important.  She has taught me to be more independant, more relaxed, and less stressed!  She’s also taught me a lot about fashion and some things about health and nutrition that I didn’t know before.  I couldn’t have picked a better partner in life!
 
DAY TWENTY-FIVE:
First Five Songs That Come Up When You Shuffle Your iPod
 
I believe I’ve talked before about how essential my iPod is to my life; so essential that I had it on me when we were evacuated from our hotel in Boston!  Jenn mocked me a little for that.  Ok, let’s see what the first five out of 688 songs are:
 
1.  “Sister Christian” from the “Rock of Ages” soundtrack.  As I’ve mentioned before, try to see this show, because it’s awesome!
2.  “Starfish” by Sister Hazel, one of my top 5 or 6 favorite bands
3.  “Got A Feeling” by Flickerstick, another of my top bands.  We actually used one of their songs (“Lift”) in our wedding ceremony, when Jenn walked down the aisle (well, pre-determined path in front of Pemaquid Point Lighthouse)
4.  “Walk Away” by Athenaeum, another great band that Jenn has introduced me to.  Unfortunately, they, as well as Flickerstick, have broken up.
5.  “Mr. Bluesman” by Richie Sambora, Almighty God Of Guitars.  He’s the lead guitarist for Bon Jovi, and had a couple of solo albums in the 90’s, as well as at least one tour, I think.  His first album “Stranger In This Town” was praised by me in a previous post, and if you haven’t taken the time to listen to it since then, you should do it now.  Seriously, you’re only hurting yourself.  I believe this song is a tribute to his inspiration, Eric Clapton.
 
I’m quite surprised that nothing by Bon Jovi (all the members) came up, since I have 129 of their songs on here.  I also have multiple Daughtry and Lifehouse albums, so I thought we might hear from them, but I guess I thought wrong!
 
DAY TWENTY-SIX:
Your Dream Wedding
 
My dream wedding would be to Jenn, at Pemaquid Point Lighthouse, with a reception at Pemaquid Beach, in which Jenn would walk out during “Lift”.  We would cater our own reception with a homemade pancake breakfast, cooked by the wedding party in aprons personalized with their relation to us and/or function in the wedding party.  We’d do some Karaoke, and Jenn and I would sing a duet of “Two Less Lonely People” by Air Supply.  We’d have a specially choreographed first dance (“So This Is Love”) and last dance (“Save The Last Dance For Me”) which we would practice our butts off and excel at on the dance floor.  And of course, the day would be a gorgious and the sky a perfect September Blue (a color Jenn taught me).
 
Luckily for me, I got this dream wedding one year, 7 months, and 1 week, and three days ago.  If we were to do it again, I would also add a few things to the dream that unfortunately didn’t happen…
 
1. I would want my family to be as helpful and supportive of our ideas and wedding plans in the months leading up to our wedding as my future in-laws were.
 
2. I would want the reception to be longer and to not be rushed through the reception by my family members and others from my side leaving early.  I would also want certain family members to pay attention to our dances.
 
3. I would want Stacey to be my Best Man.  I guess I actually did get this part of the dream, if not in name.  Stacey was, of course, the Maid Of Honor, but still threw my bachelor party, was very helpful in preparing (she even made some bitchin’ comics for our wedding programs), and gave me a place to stay the night before the wedding, when my Best Man (in name only) wouldn’t stay with me unless it was on his terms, which meant adding his own special brand of drama to the night.
 
4. Julie and Justin would be our guests.  We unfortunately didn’t know them then (well Jenn and Stacey knew Julie but hadn’t been reunited yet).
 
But in the end I got the most important parts of my dream wedding, the parts that truly matter, and we had an amazing day, an awesome time, and made some great memories!  I am one lucky guy!!!
 
 

We also had our own Bobbleheads made for the cake decorations.  Our wedding pretty much ruled!

 
DAY TWENTY-SEVEN:
Original Photo Of The City You Live In
 
I’m not entirely sure what this means.  I’m guessing it doesn’t mean “original” as in “the first photo ever taken”…I guess I’m supposed to post a photo of the city I live in that is “original” in that we ourselves took it.  I unfortunately, don’t have one, and I get a laugh thinking of Standish as a “city”.
 
DAY TWENTY-EIGHT:
Something That Stresses You Out
 
Many things stress me out, hence the value of Jenn’s life lessons that I mentioned a few paragraphs back.  I would say unrealistic deadlines at my job stress me out, though not as bad as they used to (thanks to Jenn teaching me ton put things in perspective).
 
DAY TWENTY-NINE:
3 Wishes
 
This is hard…I actually think about this often, and always have for as long as I can remember.  What strated with “More Wishes” has evolved into something like this…
 
1.  I would wish to be independantly wealthy.  I have no interest in working, outside of a means to support myself and Jenn and our future family, so I would make that disappear if I could.
 
2. I would wish for a healing touch.  I would be able to heal Jenn of her kidney problems, and any thing else that crept up throughout our lives, as well as be able to help friends and family members, and have fun healing random strangers.  In a way, this one wish gives me many future wishes down the road.
 
3. I would wish to be able to fly without wings (like Superman, not like Angel).  Mainly, because it would be fun!  Probably scary at first, but fun!
 
DAY THIRTY:
A Picture Of Yourself This Day And 5 Good Things That Happened
 
1. I had a wonderful morning watching “Friends” and eating breakfast in bed with Jenn.
2. I got to draft with my headphones on for most of the day.
3. My iPod speaker batteries didn’t die in my car (I hate when that happens) 
4. I just had a wonderful dinner with Jenn, in which we discussed our days.  I love hearing about her kiddos!
5. I just held Jenn, who was holding Skeeter in the kitchen, and we had a group hug!
 
I do not have a picture of myself from today, nor do I have the ambition to take one and upload it to the blog and post it tonight!  The photos Jenn put up from our Boston trip are only a little over a week old, so that will have to do!
 
And so ends my part of the 30 Day Blog Challenge!  Hope you enjoyed it!  We’ll be posting some more “Jenn and Caseyesque” stuff pretty soon!
 
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30 Day Blog Challenge: Day 23…

Okay, so day 23 is supposed to apparently go over my favorite movies with you… again.

As exciting as that’d be to REHASH, we’ve decided to talk about an exciting new journey that we are embarking on!

Our goal, is by August of 2012 to be moving to……………………………………….(drum roll)

NORTH CAROLINA!!!!
For no reason. For many reasons. For a change. For excitement. For cheaper living. For adventure. For warmer weather. For a change of scenery. And for the simple reason that… we can!!!!!!!!!!
Things we need to do before we move:
1) Repairs to the house in order to sell it.
2) Brush up (aka learn) how to sell your house yourself. Thanks to Google, looks like there are a lot of resources out there.
3) Visit NC and make sure we’re dedicated.
4) PURGE our crap, sell what we can, and pay off the hospital debts that Casey and I have managed to accrue.
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Boston 2011

Here are a few pictures from our adventure to Boston this past weekend!

Here’s when we were happy and idealistic about our room. What this picture doesn’t show is the no heat, no hot water, remote that doesn’t work, phone that doesn’t work… etc. Good thing we can have fun anywhere under any situation (well, you know what I mean) 🙂

Love him so much!!!

Breakfast in bed!!!! YUUMMMM… and because our stay was so craptastic – this meal was paid for by the hotel! Sweet!

yeah… we had cheesecake for dinner!

Casey was beat by his cheesecake! He couldn’t finish it (first time EVER!)

Casey’s sad that he was beaten by cheesecake. Maybe it’s because his was an estimated 1,200 calories and mine was only 700? lol

To add to the joy of our hotel stay…we were woken the second morning by the fire alarm and were evacuated at 6:30. It was a false alarm. This did not set well with me after being worken up the previous morning at 4:00am because they felt the need to do plumbing work on the (empty) room above us.

Me sad that I’m awake so early. On a Sunday. On “vacation”

But, it was all made better because we hit the Boston Museum of Science! YES! And here is my favorite place on Earth…

I LOVE THE BUTTERFLY GARDEN. If you haven’t been – go go go!!!

Here we are in the Planterium getting ready to see “Undiscovered Worlds”… pretty awesome!!!!!

Don’t mess with this dude.

Casey doing logic things… ehh.. yeah, I don’t understand it, but he does (and I’m sure my Dad does too!)

I looked hard for this in the Computer Science wing. The giant Esc key!!!!

Geeking it out…

Casey and a Model of Mt Everest. He could totally climb it, look he’s even taller than it!

Want to wake up to this every morning? Yeah, me either.

This dude is from my home state of Vermont!

Casey in front of the river. He’s handsome, no?

Goodbye Boston, thanks for an exciting weekend!!!

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30 Day Blog Challenge: Day 22

DAY 22
What’s in Your Purse?
My purse isn’t NEARLY as full as Casey’s!  🙂 I actually don’t carry a purse. I do have a wallet, which has my debit cards and what not in it, but inevitably when I carry a purse- I lose it. Or it becomes overrun. So in an attempt to keep it simple (stupid) I just minimize to whatever I need that day. My car is a travelling office, so I pretty much have anything I could need in my car (tylenol, pepto bismol, scissors, tweezers, pens, etc and so forth).
In much more exciting news… we’re headed to Boston tomorrow and I’m SO looking forward to it. Even if it did mean that I had to spend a night at the ER with a client in crisis (because it *always* happens before I take a long weekend or vacation). Such is life. The good news is, I’m gonna get some uninterrupted time with the love of my life! Woo! 
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30 Day Blog Challenge: Day 21 & 22

Now, I’m behind!  Here’s my two-for-one special!
 
DAY TWENTY-ONE:
Favorite Picture Of Me
 
 

I really don’t have one…there are quite a few to choose from, especially over the last three-and-a-half years.  But I will say that the photos of me improve dramatically when Jenn is in the photo with me!  ;-D

DAY TWENTY-TWO:
What’s In Your Purse?
 
Typically, chapstick, lipstick, tic-tacs, my compact, and some extra spending money in case I decide to splurge and buy myself a new dress!
 
Ok…so this one doesn’t really apply to me.  I will say that I keep a ton of crap in my wallet.  Besides money, credit cards, driver license, insurance cards, and such, I also have a $5 off coupon for Ricetta’s (R.I.P.) which I won by answering a Star Wars trivia question back in 2005, a Blockbuster Video membership card with my Mom’s name on it that I’ve had since I was 17 (and used on my second date with Jenn and got mocked for it), a picture of Jesus that turns into a starving Ethiopian child when you turn it (came in some junk mail my Grandmother got back in 2005…long story), as well as a note Jenn wrote to me on our train ride back from Boston in November of 2008.  We’re heading back there this weekend! Yay!
 
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30 Day Blog Challenge: Catching up!

Pardon my disappearance. I came down with some sort of weird flu-ish thing that left me EXHAUSTED and nauseous on and off. I seem to be feeling better yesterday night and today so you get to be entertained by my ramblings once again (lucky you!) I’m going to catch up on the days I’ve missed all at once….

Day 18: Favorite Place to Eat

I am not really a huge OHMYGODIMUSTEATHEREORIWILLDIE type of person. I enjoy going out to eat primarily because I don’t have to cook or clean up afterward. This past month, we’ve reduced our going out to eat to maybe once a week (down from 5 times a week at Subway- so this was a big deal). I most often eat out at Subway (for some, it is not classy enough for them to consider eating out – but I do, because again I don’t have to make it and I can throw away a wrapper for clean up). The only real sentimental place to eat out is Applebees, only because Casey and I went there on our first date! For ones I love? Olive Garden, Thatchers, IHOP…they all make the list, but generally I can find something to eat anywhere.

Day 19: Something You Miss

I hate to “copy” Casey, but I would say that my grandparents are people I miss very much. I hate that they weren’t at my high school graduation, didn’t get to see me get married, and will never know that I became a social worker and help kids. I have so many incredible memories that involve them, from going “upta Camp” riding in the back of Gromp’s jeep (sitting on the cooler – trying not to get hit by tree branches going by), or talking to everyone at deer camp on the radio with Grammie, spending weeks in the summer with Grammie reading, gardening, cooking, and soaking up sunshine (and being determined that if watered my rock collection enough they would eventually grow), driving into the “big city” of Newport for grocery shopping and lunch out. I remember them driving down to my house for my birthday parties and giving the best hugs. I remember how Grammie used to put her hair up with combs and I was convinced I needed to put my hair up with them too. I remember Gromp (in his own gruff way) encouraging me to try new things (and by encouraging, I mean, notlettingmegetupfromthetableuntilIhadatleasttriedtheonionsonmypizza). I remember one specific talk I had with them both when they told me how proud of my Mom they were, because she was working hard at her job and advancing. I hate that they both died so young, and that because I was so young during my time with them that my memories have faded. I treasure the pictures I have of them, but I wish I could still hear their voices, visit on weekends, and be a pen pal with my Grammie (who taught me to always give a weather update in any card you send to someone). I am so thankful for the time that I did have with them both, and I hope that wherever we go when we leave this Earth, that they are there, and happy, and proud of who I am because they helped to shape me.

Day 20: Nicknames

This is pretty easy – Jenn. A name that my Dad and Mom still call me – Munchkin, or Munch, or Snugs (that one goes way back). My Mom will call me Jennifurry, and my husband and best friend will through a J-Dauwgh out every so often.

Day 21: Favorite Picture of Me

This is hard because I typially do not like pictures of me… period. So I’ll just choose one and go with it.

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30 Day Blog Challenge: Day 20

DAY TWENTY:
Nicknames
 
Since I’m getting ahead of Jenn, and I don’t have much to say here, I’ll keep it short and sweet.  My longest-lasting nickname over the years is “Boy”, which I believe was started by my sister in our teenage years.  Sometimes people that knew me back then still use it, but it’s not popular in the circles I hang with nowadays.  My current nickname is “C-Money”, which is my Unit nickname.  “The Unit” is what Jenn, Stacey, and I have dubbed ourselves, and we all have “thug” nicknames.  “C-Money” is what I chose for myself, which I think was a rip-off of some kid calling himself “D-Money” who played against Sandy and I on Mario Kart Wii on-line a few years ago.
 
So that’s it!  Have a nice day!
 
–C-Money
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30 Day Blog Challenge: Day 19

DAY NINETEEN:
Something You Miss
 
Christmas Time 2005 (I think)
Left to Right: My Dad, My Grandmother, Uncle Jack, Uncle Donny, & Uncle Billy
(I believe this is the last photo taken of the five of them together)

This one is more of a someone than something, but it is technically a bunch of somethings.  See, there are lots of things that I miss: Pepsi Vanilla, Saturday Morning Cartoon premiere mornings in September (kids today have no idea), Mark Waid writing Fantasic Four….but these items are trivial in the grand scheme of things, and something else that has popped into my head that I miss is days spent with my Grandmother.

When I was young, I spent many Saturdays over to Grammy Gilman’s house.  I can remember going to visit in the morning with my parents and I’d ask them if I could spend the day, and they would tell me not to be rude and invite myself, yet Grammy was always happy to have me.  We used to take walks in the neighborhood, or in the big apple orchard behind her house (now a housing development and something else I miss), or dance around like goof balls to her Jim Reeves records and crash onto her bed and bounce right back up and dance again.

As my sister got older, we started spending the night.  She’d tell us stories, and we’d shine flashlights on the ceiling and “chase” each others’ light beams along the ceiling.

We spent all of our Thanksgivings there, and there was always an annual Christmas party…Gram’s house always seemed to be the gathering place for our family.  Our family doesn’t gather much these days, but it was fun back then.  As an adult, we’d watch old John Wayne and Shirley Temple movies, eat ice cream sundaes, and play rummy.

I wrote an essay about her in college years ago, and I’m starting to feel like I’m just rehashing it, so maybe it’s time to stop and maybe I’ll post the essay sometime.  Something more recent that I will add is that she had two strokes late in her life, and I find myself wondering what it would be like to talk with her about our now-common ailment.  I guess it’s probably best that she wasn’t around when I had the stroke; Grammy was a worrier.

Well, I’ve rambled on enough.  Night!

 
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