Auld Lang Syne

During my adolescence I thought it quite profound to discuss the question, "If you found out that you were going to die, who would you call? What would you say? And why are you waiting?" At the time, my answers (not surprisingly) always involved confronting the object of my latest heartbreak and/or secret crush. He would, of course, be moved to tears by my eminent demise and tragic love scenes would ensue.

Then I moved out on my own, and I was a bit too busy paying for electricity to worry myself with such matters. But now I have a husband, a house, and (gasp) steady access to health care. This is all wonderful. But I've discovered that with great security comes great complacency.

Don't get me wrong. I love my life. I love my husband. And I'm no longer gaining perverse satisfaction from imagining dire deathbed scenes. But it recently occurred to me that we've put off having kids specifically so that we can experience certain things and accomplish certain goals before we put our energy into parenthood. Sounds smart, right? And maybe it would be, if we didn't spend so much of our time (a) engrossed in the banality of everyday tasks or (b) whining about our lack of energy and lazing about the house.

So this year, I'm not making a virtuous new year's resolution. I'm not going to try to exercise more, or lose weight, or (heaven forfend) quit whining about things that annoy me. Instead, my resolution is to quit waiting. Quit waiting for the perfect circumstances. Quit plodding away at the daily to-do list and instead start crossing off things on a list I actually care about. Here are the top five things I'll quit waiting to do:

(1) Travel more. Mike and I want to take interesting vacations, but he keeps saying that we don't have the time or the money. To break us out of that mindset, I'm determined to orchestrate four mini-breaks to local destinations (one mini-break per season). In winter 2009, we will take the train to Portland, OR for two nights at the Benson Hotel. I've already made reservations!

(2) Spend more time with family. My grandmothers are getting older and my nephews and nieces are growing fast! Why guilt-trip over our lack of contact when I could reinvest that time in actual visits?

(3) Take classes. As a Christmas gift, Mike signed me up for an online writing class with Patricia Kay. I'm so excited! I'd also love to study some non-writing things. At some point (I don't know if it will be 2009), I would like to take Latin again.

(4) Finish Revising Mr. Right and submit it to at least four agents. This one's self-explanatory!

(5) Read five non-romance novels. (Aside from Water for Elephants, which many people have recommended to me, these are all books that I've started before and long to finish.)

• Dracula (Bram Stoker)
• Crime and Punishment (Fyodor Dostoyevsky)
• Water for Elephants (Sara Gruen)
  
• Freedom from Fear: The American People in Depression and War, 1929-1945 (David Kennedy)
  
• King Leopold's Ghost: A Story of Greed, Terror, and Heroism in Colonial Africa (Adam Hochschild)
  

Whew! This turned out to be quite a long post (to say nothing for a long list). I'll wrap up with that most interesting of questions: what is your new year's resolution? Best wishes to you in 2009!

O, Tannenbaum

Not to steal a line from Mariah Carey or anything, but I look at Mike and I think, "All I want for Christmas is you!" Just look at how adorable he is, sawing down our Christmas tree! Who wouldn't feel lucky to cozy up to such a husband all through the Christmas season?

This past weekend we went to a tree farm out on Yelm Highway to find ourselves a tree. It's the same one I used to go to growing up, and I couldn't help but feel a little nostalgic for the days when Dan and I used to run through the rows of Douglas Fir together, pointing out the ugliest possible trees to our parents and/or holding back wet tree branches to slingshot rain at each other.

Of course, now Mike and I have started our own traditions. Thus far, these involve (1) matching Christmas stockings (Mike's made by yours truly in a VERY rare bit of sewing and (2) bickering as we try to get the Christmas tree level and secure in its rickety stand.

On a totally different note: thanks, Tara, for the recommendation about Picasa! As you can see from the photo collage, I'm enjoying it very much.

Veni, Vidi, Vici

I'm done with the 50,000 words.

I'm not done shaping my final draft manuscript.

I'm not even done shaping the part I'll send to agents.

But I won NaNoWriMo.

Let me repeat: I won NaNoWriMo.

You all know me, so you'll understand that this is a big deal. I managed to set myself a deadline and a goal. I managed to meet it, despite the delights of procrastination promised by my day job, my social life, and my utterly delectable husband (not necessarily in that order). I managed to write 50,000 words despite the fact that I had (a) 1 out-of-town visitor (b) 10 teaching coaches camped out in my classroom (c) over 200 papers to grade and (d) an overwhelming desire to watch 3 seasons' worth of Bones in the span of two weeks.

Throw in a partridge and a pear tree, and you have it just about right!

Suddenly, anything seems possible. Maybe I can actually make a go of this writing thing, even with my hectic day job. I'll be back in a week or so to offer you up my musings on life, and where I go next. In the mean time, I am going to put up Christmas decorations and put my efforts towards pampering Mike. (Hopefully, a week of cooking dinner will make up for all the nights he stayed clear of my writing space and subsisted on Honey Smacks...)

Thank you all for your encouragement as I tackled NaNoWriMo 2008!

The Writing Life

I've yet to post on this blog about my other life as a would-be writer. Well, the time has come. It's November, and in certain circles November means National Novel-Writing Month. I'm deep in the heart of writing. What does that mean? I spend at least an hour every day obsessing about my novel, writing hideously purple prose, and then obsessing that I'll never be able to edit said purple prose into something I can live with.

But you know what? Despite all the angst, I think I'm actually getting better at this whole writing thing. If nothing else, I've finally acquired the ability to mock up interesting covers. (It helps to have a photogenic husband and a brilliant wedding photographer who's willing to hand over some lovely engagement proofs!)

But I won't lie. I still suck at book blurbs. You don't even want to know about the tragically awful blurb I had up on my NaNo profile for the better part of this month. Luckily, inspiration came in the form of my Writing Buddies (primarily Ciaralira and Flamez). Based on their brilliant blurbs, I managed to jazz mine up a little!

Revising Mr. Right: Book Blurb

Hard-working Jessica Jo Carter has fought tenaciously for her reputation as a brilliant, ambitious professor. She’s desperate to forget her past and find a place to belong, but one final hurdle may destroy everything she’s worked to achieve.

Laidback handyman Jude St. John has learned the hard way to play it safe. He likes to keep things simple, but that’s impossible when Jessi Carter returns to town. The last thing he needs is this dangerously sexy woman questioning the boundaries he’s set for himself. But the last thing he wants is the pain of watching her walk out of his life… again.

When circumstances throw Jessi back into Jude’s arms, she is faced with an impossible choice: to finally snag the security she craves, or risk her heart on the one man capable of breaking it.

Will this gamble cost Jessi her place in the world, or will Jude's love give her the home she craves?

Let me know what you think: of the blurb, of the cover, of my handsome husband!

Wedding Photos, The Sequel

Wow! If the time it took to post this is any indication, I should have the rest of the wedding videos done by our first anniversary! My goal is to create two more videos (family and friends, happy couple). In the mean time, enjoy the rest of the reception pictures!

At long last...

... Here, at least, is a partial look at the wedding! I will upload reception and bridal photos later. For now, I'm just happy to get anything up! (Please note: any awkwardness is entirely my own fault, as I attempt to use Windows Movie Maker for the first time. If you want to see my photographer's true brilliance, head to her website.)

High School Sweethearts?

As some of you may or may not know, Mike actually went to RRHS! That's right: we could have been high school sweethearts.

Actually, that's not true. He was Mr. Shy Guy in the Hooded Sweatshirt, desperately trying not to be involved in high school. And I was Ms. "Ooh! Goodie! Sign Me Up For That!" Still, it begs the question... what would we have looked like, as high school sweethearts?

Courtesy of yearbookyourself.com, you can see what we would have looked like as high school sweethearts in 1992. How does our "look" change depending on the decade? Check the slide show here to see Mike and Katie, from the 1950s through the 1990s!

Enjoy, and let me know which one is your favorite!

Before the Big Day

As promised, here are more details about the wedding!

The wedding and reception were both at my parents’ house, so that’s where we had the rehearsal dinner, too. All of this took place the day before the wedding. I really enjoyed:

• The relaxed atmosphere
• My father (who wanted to practice walking with me several times)
• The fact that our different groups of friends got along so well
• Mike’s brothers making a special effort to be there, despite the fact that I forgot to tell them they were in the ceremony!
• Laughing so hard that my stomach hurt
• Teasing my friend Eleise about her love life (poor girl! It was romance by public committee all weekend!)
• Watching my brother play in the sand-pile with Mike’s nephew

The minute I woke up on August 2^nd, I just felt so happy. Everything was a joy, even before the festivities began! Some of my favorite “getting ready” moments included:

• Mike calling me while I was at the hair salon, to see if I needed the earrings I’d left at home
• The fact that Mike was at the house, dressed and ready, at 11:00am (ceremony started at 4:00pm)
• Our fabulous photographer chatting with all of our loved ones
• My aunts fixing a minor wedding gown issue (none of us really sew, so it was sheer slapstick)
• Aunt Bunny loaning me the back of her earring
• My friend Shannon doing my makeup
• Bru, Shannon’s delightful husband, fixing the cake topper groom so that he had Mike’s facial hair.
• Watching our different groups of friends sit out in lawn chairs, laughing and talking (and theoretically directing parking).
• Taking family pictures—especially when the triplets got loose, and everyone took a turn at baby-wrangling the boys!
• Maren, Eleise, and Theresa keeping me company before the ceremony.
• Mike sneaking the GISP back to where I was hiding in my childhood bedroom.
• Getting to see Russ before the ceremony, too!

Husband and Wife!

This past Saturday (August 2nd), Mike and I enjoyed our beautiful wedding in my parents' backyard. The ceremony--lasting a mere 11 minutes--was great. I walked down the aisle to the theme music of The Princess Bride, only to be greeted by tulle-wrapped garden gnomes at the end of my stroll (long story, but suffice to say it was hilarious). Everyone was laughing or crying. Mike and I whispered private jokes to each other during the ceremony and afterwards, my grandmother came up to me and quipped, "It's a pity you didn't look very happy."

Yeah, I think my face muscles are still twitching from all the smiling!

Of course, I could agonize about a million tiny details or questions. What about the typo on one of the chocolate wrappers? Did I say "um" too many times during our thank-you toast? Were people offended that we didn't spend enough time with them? (What they say is true... it really did go by in a blur...)

But I guess the only valid worry is about whether or not our guests had as much fun as we did. I truly hope that everyone who came (especially everyone who helped out beforehand!) knows how much we love and appreciate them! We are so fortunate to have had so many wonderful people sharing such an important moment of our lives.

In the days before the wedding, my (adorable) father agonized over every detail, because he wanted me to have "my perfect fairytale wedding." And I told him not to sweat the details: I was going to have a perfect day because I was marrying the right guy. I was going to have a perfect day because I'd be surrounded by the family and friends who've supported us all our lives, who've taught us how to love with respect, compassion, and patience.

Well, I was right about the wedding. It was an absolute fairytale--one of the best days of my life. But you know what? The next day was even better, because I got to wake up in bed next to my favorite person in the world. I got to hear him say, "Good morning, wife!" and I got to say "Good morning, husband!" right back to him. Somehow, I don't think that will ever get old. Even when we're wrinkled and toothless, I'll still be tickled that I had the good sense to marry this wonderful man!

More details--and pictures--soon. In the mean time, I'm off to pack for the honeymoon!

Take That, To-Do List!

On Monday, my mother hosted the last of our bridal work parties. We finished all of the crafty stuff for the wedding (including the wedding programs... aren't those cute? Well, trust me. They're very cute without all the sensitive information blocked out).

Now, I need to head to the mall for some last minute honeymoon items. I need to finish cleaning the house, whip up some thank-you notes, catch up my laundry, clean my car, take some stuff over to the wedding site, decide whether or not I'm going to iron, and tidy up the backyard. Ooh! Don't forget the grocery store and a quick trip to Kinko's. Did I mention that I have to write curriculum for an F. Scott Fitzgerald novel today?

Yeah, and instead of doing any of it I am obsessively watching the weather forecast and wondering how Saturday will turn out...

But lest this blog entry sound too narcissistic, let me assure you that I'm not the only one from the old high school crowd currently enjoying an eventful summer. Tara had a beautiful baby girl on July 20th, and tonight Dawhud (yes, you know him by a different name) is celebrating the release of his first album: Basement Sessions. Congratulations to everyone!

Just Say No To Stress

There's a tiny, terrifying countdown in my planner. Today, it proudly proclaims, "12 days until Kate gets hitched!" As the pressure mounts and the to-do list grows, I find myself less the Blushing Bride and more a crazy stress case.

I'd feel better, I suppose, if the alterations on my wedding dress were done. No such luck--last Friday, when I was supposed to take it home, the lumpy bodice issue had yet to be fixed. I regret to say that there were tears. My mom did her tight-lipped, efficient anger thing. Hey, presto! They're going to do their best... I don't hold out much hope, given their track record. But you know what? I have a fabulous photographer who's a whiz with Photoshop. So, if nothing else, I'll look good in the pictures!

Luckily, my soon-to-be-husband is adept at dealing with what we like to call the "Katie Kaboom" phenomenon. When I shared fears that I thought my dress might be ugly, he said, "Honey, you could show up to the wedding in a bath towel and you'd still be gorgeous."

Sweet, no? I'm so glad I'm marrying him! I'm trying to remind myself that that's the important thing. I want to take a day to just go lounge at the Naked Spa and ponder the deep meaning of marriage... but I'm not sure I'll be able to. After all, I have luminaries to make...

Any advice on how I can calm down (without torturing Mike, that is)? Is there any way I can stubble the stress and enjoy my last few days as an unmarried lass? I want to be a gracious bride, not Bridezilla!

My Bridal Shower

This Saturday, my aunties (and Grandma G!) threw me a bridal shower. It was so fun, and I felt so well-loved! Now my kitchen feels well-loved, too--it's jam-packed with goodies! And I must tell you, it's lovely being related to so many crafty women... though occasionally I feel guilty that I can't (a) crochet afghans (b) make adorable centerpieces or (c) wrap gifts attractively.

Highlights of a grand shindig:

• Just getting to see everyone! Don't you hate it that, as we all get older, we have less time to relax with our family and friends? Needless to say, hanging out at the shower was a treat!
  
• Aunt Elaine organized a game where we all had to feel kitchen utensils wrapped in paper bags. I regret to say there was rampant cheating on one side of the circle... and rampant tattling on the other side. :)
  
• Annalisa dressed up the cover for "Lover's Touch" with hilarious speech bubbles ("Oh, Katie! The game has just begun!")
• Aunt Marla and Melissa put together the cutest themed centerpieces for each little table. My favorite? They were all super cute, but I loved the breakfast centerpiece (which included several mixes, honey, jams, and a scone pan, all wrapped up in a cute arrangement!)
  
• Cheryl introduced herself to everyone as "the ex-boyfriend's mother," which definitely got some laughs. (Fun... my future mother-in-law really has a blast with her.)
  

Thank you to the party planners and everyone who came! I know this is a busy summer, and I appreciate the time and effort you took to make it a special event.

Tammy's Wedding

This holiday weekend, I was at my friend Tammy's wedding in South Carolina. I just got back from the longest airplane adventure of my life, and I'm exhausted. But I couldn't resist putting up a few photos. Aren't these great?

Tammy and Ahmad were married in an intimate ceremony on Kiawah Island, their favorite vacation spot. Tammy, as you can see, was quite gorgeous--and terrifyingly organized! There's no way I'm going to pull off this kind of elegant, seamless affair.

The flip-flops in our welcome bags came in handy as we explored the island. In addition to the wedding, we all went to the resort's Fourth of July buffet and saw some truly spectacular fireworks. Other fun memories from the trip:

• Ahmad and Tammy took us to one of their favorite restaurants, where we had buckets of shrimp and oysters. Yum!
• Maren and I indulged in an ocean dip, despite the fact that we'd forgotten our bathing suits. I love swimming in the Atlantic--it's so warm!
  
• Tammy wanted a traditional girl-gathering before she got married at 6:30pm. So we met for an early lunch consisting of kimche, Ramen, and gossip!
  

The best, by far, was watching Tammy and Ahmad staring at each other in that gooey newlywed fashion. Their ceremony was truly moving, and they have my congratulations and best wishes!

Deep Thoughts at 3AM

For your Transcendentalist pondering tonight, a quote from Henry David Thoreau's Walden: "Our life is frittered away by detail. An honest man has hardly need to count more than his ten fingers, or in extreme cases he may add his ten toes, and lump the rest. Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity! I say, let your affairs be as two or three, and not a hundred or a thousand; instead of a million count half a dozen, and keep your accounts on your thumb nail."

I ran across this quote in my mad scramble to amass curriculum for 2008-2009. (I know, I know--it's only June. But these things have a way of sneaking up on me, so I'm trying to be proactive.) The quote struck me as particularly fitting for this point in my life. It's a very special summer: I'm getting married to an absolutely wonderful man. I can't wait to get started on this next phase of my life; sharing the daily joys and sorrows with my best friend... who, after four years of dating, can still make me tingle whenever he smiles at me. How lucky am I? (Very lucky--yes, I know!)

And yet, sometimes I forget to prioritize my relationship. Sometimes, the wonder and frustration of love gets pushed aside by laundry and grocery shopping. I can't focus on the important things, because I'm too busy defrosting dinner and obsessing about work drama.

So how do I change? I want to enjoy my life. I don't want to "fritter away" this amazing summer worrying about things I can't control... or working on things I don't really care about. So, how does a high-strung perfectionist with a long to-do list learn to take a breath and enjoy the little things? How does she learn to let go of all the needless minutiae?

I have no idea, but it's my goal to find out.