My mom is in Burkina Faso for the next two weeks on a mission trip to an orphanage.  She went last year and really loved it.  Pray for her please.

Our wedding pictures are up on pictage.com; you'll probably have to register and then search for me or Ruser to look at them.  I enjoy looking at them because everyone looks so happy.

Ruser and I got Wii Fit, and we love it.  It's so much fun!  I like it more than this blogger, but I think she gives a pretty good overview.  My Wii Fit age was 25, and Ruser's was 24, so we're both better at it than she is, which probably has something to do with our first impressions.

I enjoy watching C-SPAN.  This surprises me probably more than you.  Also, it seems that mustard colored ties are a trend in Washington, D.C.  Weird.

I have never seen a president wear a yellow tie.  I guess he won't be there much longer, anyway.  He wore this yesterday during a press conference, and today several senators on C-SPAN are wearing yellow ties. 

I may have given the impression that I'm cool as a cucumber in these last days before the wedding.  I am not.  There is a lot to do in the coming days, and not a lot of time to do it.  Not that all of it is extremely important, but it does make Ruser and I pretty busy bees. 

First off, we have an apartment.  Very, very exciting.  We like it a lot.  The apartment is on the third floor, so it makes for a lot of climbing up stairs that I'm not used to yet, let alone with multiple trips of carrying dishes and chairs and a mattress up. three. flights. of. stairs.... hehhhhhhhhh (that was me trying to breathe...)

I get my hair cut tomorrow evening by Ruser's sister-in-law, who is also doing my hair for the wedding. 

Shortly after that, we have our last dance lesson.  We haven't practiced this week.

Thursday, the ladies I work with are taking me out to fondue (veerrry generous, and it will be fun, but it's still on my calendar!).  This means I can't leave early that day as I usually am able to, and that it is another evening I can't do wedding stuff I need to do.

Friday evening after work I have my dress fitting.  I'm not sure how I'm getting there yet (my car is gone forever).  Ruser's sister probably is working, and Ruser will be going to a rehearsal dinner for a wedding that he's in. 

Saturday is the wedding he's in (which I'm sooo excited about!! Chris and Marah are so fun and so great together! aaaand, it's a chance to chill and eat yummy food! maybe steal Ruser for a dance?). 

Sunday: sleep.  I hope.  Though that seems unlikely.  Have I mentioned that I am exhausted?  Wiped out?  Sooo tired!  I am. 

I take the next week off, so hopefully we can get things done, then, too. 

We also have to clean the upstairs bedroom up for company.  I don't quite understand this for a couple reasons.  First, it's like a sauna in there in the summertime and AC is out of the question because it'll blow a fuse.  Secondly, the bedroom in the basement is really nice and it's clean, and it stays cool.  The basement bedroom is where all the stuff in the upstairs bedroom is supposed to go.  I brought this up, and apparently they still want it this way.  Ooooh well.

I'm also reading this book (The Fourth Bear: A Nursery Crime).  I looove Jasper Fforde's books.   I like the Thursday Next series better, but this is fun, too.  Especially when I don't want to do wedding or apartment related things. 

You may be wondering what I am doing writing such a lengthy and though-out xanga post with all the little details that need figuring out.  I call it venting.  You should try it from time to time.  All twelve of you that still write on their xanga.

 and that's just what they'll do... 

Alrighty, it's time for another car update!  Try to contain your excitement. 

It died while I was driving it.  My dad wants to take a look at it, I think, if they come up here this month.  So, uhm, I guess then maybe I can drive it to a junkyard?  Unless someone wants to buy it for parts...  Fortunately, it's legally parked unless it becomes a tow zone due to construction or the like.  Those of you in Chicago know that this was pretty miraculous.  Anyway, I've been walking to work, which I do enjoy, but it kind of cuts my home time short. 

Once the snow melts, I will be more than happy to get around like this. 

Wanna see what else I've been up to?  Good, 'cause here goes...

Wedding Stuff (I am SO proud of this project, and I'm itching to do more!):

Knitting (I have yarn everywhere):

This is a shop in Galena where I bought a needle felting kit!  I need roving to really use it, though...  I also bought sock yarn, and the lady inside was really helpful and sweet.  I wish it weren't so far away!

Playing Dress-Up:

Attacking Ruser with cuddliness:

Playing my favorite games in the world (Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney):

Oh!  And watching the last season of Gilmore Girls on DVD, because Ruser and I somehow missed all but the first and last episodes.

That's life in a nutshell.  A small nutshell.

After a lot of drama, I have keys again.  Not the keys, I lost, mind you, but I have car keys. 

It was decided that the keys mailed to me were not stolen, but came out in the machines they put the envelopes through to mark the postage.  I called AAA to get a locksmith to make me new keys since I'm covered up to $100 (great, right?).  Turns out, I still would have had to pay $125 (not so great).  I called my nearest honda dealer, and they said it wouldn't be a problem at all.  I just had to get there, provide proof of ownership (my insurance card), my car's VIN number and my driver's license.  Best of all, it would cost me all of $8.00 per key.  Awe.some.  I arrived there, told them I what I needed, and to my shock, the man at the counter hesitated and took a deep breath and explained that honda (in all their wisdom) purged a lot of the key records for cars made between 1988 and 1992 (mine's an '88).  While I stood there, inwardly dying (slight exaggeration), he looked up my VIN number anyway, and thankfully, it was still on the record, and I have TWO copies of my key.  One is with Ruser, who very rarely really loses things. 

I should add that Ruser really is my hero.  He also went outside in the cold after we discovered that my car's battery was dead and unwired the hood (since it doesn't latch reliably anymore), helped me jump it, then rewired it shut again, only better.  He also followed me around the block to make sure it would be okay. 

There you have it.  My car key saga. 

Now I have to go eat lunch.  Happy advent everyone.

I love Thursdays.  I only work a few hours in the afternoon and I have the whole morning to waste in whatever leisurely activity I choose.  This morning, as every morning, I made myself oatmeal for breakfast.  I never have to think about how to make oatmeal anymore, so my mind is free to wander.   As I stirred in the plain yogurt and brown sugar and dried cranberries, I smiled to myself and realized how meditative this ritual is for me.  I feel nothing but joy every time I do it.  It is absolutely peaceful, and healthy emotionally, spiritually, and physically.  It leaves me satisfied. 

I've recently taken up knitting again.  The last project I remember distinctly was a scarf I made for my youngest brother.  He was a toddler at the time and kept ripping out the stitches whenever I left the project within reach.  The result was a mess, though it would have been a mess whether or not he'd found it lying around so often.  I've moved on, though.  I bought Knitting for Dummies, and my first project in over ten years is turning out quite well.

I need to get better at making time to make things, because I have the time, I just use it for other things.  Blogging is not one of those things, anymore, it seems.  I'm okay with that, though.  I have enough on my plate as it is.

Also, I've joined a Rock Band.  ;)

To those who have been asking, a gocco is essentially a small screenprinter about the size of a shoebox.  I intend to use it to make various cards, thank you notes, and wedding invitiations. 

Here's an example of one of my favorite gocco prints.  This was made by flickr user Things are better with a parrot.  She's also a seller on etsy.  Isn't it stunning?

and this super adorable one by kathryn rotondo:

I didn't copy the size quite right, but you get the idea.  Isn't it amazing?!!  To see more I recommend either going to flickr or etsy and searching 'gocco'.  Google isn't a lot of help.

And who else is excited about Christmas?!  I am!  I'm actually really excited for Advent. 

I should take more walks.

I feel happy and sane, and want to have coffee with all my friends.