Girls' Lunch and a KBDubs Brunch

Rosie does not approve of packing.

This week is FLYING by. It's insane-- just 2 weeks until we head down to Charleston for the first time ever! We got the truck reserved, and we're getting more boxes so we can pack even more. I have determined that Drunky and I own a seriously inordinate amount of books. We've filled more boxes that I want to count, and even though several of them are smaller (so I can carry them, too), it's still just kind of depressing. We're actually almost done with the books, but still. Rosie is NOT amused with my packing-- she is of the belief that packing tape, and the corresponding scissors, are there for her amusement. Not a good thing!


This weekend promises to be really, really good though. After making probably my best pizza ever, with the perfect balance of crust, sauce, and cheese-free toppings, I finished my homework last night, and this morning, Rosie and I had a nice-enough walk (despite her deciding that the best way to wake me up is to step on me), and today is a girl's lunch with my cousin, aunt, and former neighbors, including my flower girl! I am so excited-- I adore them all, and haven't had time for a proper visit in far too long.


Even better, tomorrow we're going up to Baltimore with KBDubs to get an amazing sounding brunch, including beer mussels. I am all about seafood. And since God's apparently decided it's not on the ever-growing list of food that must make fat (or really, sick), it's definitely a lovelovelove kind of thing. Good friends + amazing food = fabulous times.


Next week is going to be super fast, too. I have lots to do for work, plus studying for my three finals and one last homework assignment for undergrad! It's crazy to think about. Next weekend is going to be a horribly confoozled combination of packing, studying, and a happy note of dinner with Clark Kent and her fiancé. We're excited to finally see Clark Kent, and I'm excited to talk about Ireland and weddings, and share what I think is seriously the best book ever to read when you're getting married (or even thinking about getting married in the far off future).


Drunky's been doing the application thing pretty much non-stop. He also just got a raise (finally!) so that'll be nice for negotiating for a new position down South. We're just praying and hoping and doing our best to prepare ourselves for phase II of TeamDrunkWoozel's life. Rosie is totally not going to be okay with having her "parents" separated, but Drunky and I will survive it and be stronger in the end. Thank God for phones and the internet. We'll have to get Skype finally, and possibly follow California's example of splitting up Board games so we can keep in touch and play games together while apart. Or find a Scrabble game online we both like so we can play together. :-)


On a happier note, today's also the day I get a haircut after nearly 5 months-- the last 3 of which I've been trying to convince myself to make the time to get said haircut. My replacement at work got a pixie cut, and I totally envy it, except that I definitely want to keep it longer so I can tame it and not have to grow it out in all the humidity down south! I've done the pixie cut thing, and I love it, but longer hair is definitely my goal right now.

As a random aside, I'm totally obsessed with Karmin right now. Their cover of Look At Me Now (by Chris Brown, who I have issues liking because of his personal life) is amazing; I'd heard of them before, but the song I'd heard wasn't nearly as fun.


Cheers,
Woozel

A New Family-Member-To-Be

It really is a year for weddings and engagements! Handsome's "little" brother finally proposed to Clark Kent and to everyone's pleasure she accepted, so Handsome and I have a new sister-in-law coming into the fold. So, congrats to the two of them! Good luck with the wedding planning, and remember-- it's just one day, when it comes down to it.

In addition to the other S&C's engagement, it's just over a month until M&K have wedding part II on the way. We actually sent out our acceptance on time, as opposed to thinking we sent it out and discovering it tucked away in an obscure place like the past few weddings we've attended!

On the moving front, more applications are out for Handsome, and we can actually walk all the way into our closet for the first time in several months, thanks to the miracle of putting boxes in storage. Since next week is my one between-exams week, we're probably going to be doing a LOT more packing. Poor Rosie is not okay with all these changes and the packing we keep insisting on doing. While loading the car yesterday, we could hear her barking/whining from 4 stories below... Not a happy RooRoo by any stretch of the imagination. On the plus side, though, we're getting closer to moving, and still praying about Handsome's job hunt and hoping for the best.

Cheers,
Woozel

House!

We just got the house we wanted to rent on James Island, and we're set with our move in date! Only 22 days, 4 exams away!

Update 5/15/11: This apartment looks NOTHING like the picture. There's dog poop all over the yard, seriously. And the landlord's a jerk. But more later.

Photos from the craigslist posting:

The front view-- we have an end unit.

The kitchen! There's space for both Handsome and I, as well as room for us to get a rolling island for things like baking.

We have hardwood floors downstairs... I can't even express my excitement between hating stains and the help that'll be for allergies.

The Joys of Moving: Finding year old Thank you letters

If you didn't get a Thank You letter from Handsome and me from our wedding, please, please, PLEASE let me know so we can send you one. I just found a half dozen and change that I would have sworn yesterday were sent out and safely delivered in the hands of the gift givers packed away in a strange place. I'll be sending those out tomorrow, apparently. I'm sure it seemed logical when I put them there for safekeeping, but seeing as I wrote them in 2009, apparently I did a little TOO good of a job.

My sincere apologies to anyone we haven't thanked-- I'm sure we're going to be finding yet more TY letters (and other odds and ends we thought we lost forever) stashed throughout the house as we clean and prepare to move.

Cheers,
A totally and completely embarrassed Woozel

Almost Second Thoughts... But Not Quite

I swear, Handsome will write an entry someday. But apparently not tonight. :-) He's busy job hunting, and I'm putting off the digestive system, so I'll write a quick entry.

I got a call this afternoon from Radford University from the Chair of the Department to offer me acceptance. They were one of only three schools I applied to, in large part because I had heard such good things about one of the professors, a friend of Lormg's and M's OT for a long time Their program definitely spoke to me, which is why they made my (very, very) short list of schools to apply to. I felt bad saying that I had already accepted anotehr school because I had actually seriously considered them, but was told when I inquired if there was any way to find out sooner that I could not find out before the MUSC due date if I was accepted or not.

I definitely think MUSC is where Handsome and I are meant to be, at least for a couple years, although Radford had definite benefits of access to Hokie Football (Go Tech!) and proximity to family and friends. I have to say, I was seriously tempted for a minute when they said they'd offer me a graduate assistant position-- but we've definitely already put everything in motion for Charleston, including deposits, and I'm still super stoked about starting this summer.

So, that's all. It was tempting, and I almost had second thoughts, but I think we're both ready for something new, different, and snow-free for a couple years. Plus, Radford lacks a beach. :-) And we'll catch the games on cable as we root for the Hokies this year. Maybe we'll find some fellow Hokie fans down in Charleston to do game parties with! If not, Rosie and I will make a great cheering section whenever Handsome gets excited.

Cheers,
Woozel

The Hunt for Furniture

It's hard to believe that we're less than a month away from moving! The job hunt for Handsome is still stressful, but we're pushing through and doing a LOT of praying. We've started packing already, as well as clearing out things we really don't want from the house.

While it's hard not to just keep looking forward, we're trying to take advantage of some of the benefits up here while we can. One of the things we're definitely trying to use while in the DC area is all the furniture options. Certain things, for concerns of allergies, hygiene, and a distinct fear of bed bugs, we won't purchase from Craigslist (such as couches or chairs), but since we'd like a pub/counter-height and style table, we're searching the ever-popular craigslist. Desks are easy to come by in Charleston-- the table at the price we want, not so much.

There have been some amazing finds in our hunt though.

The one thing I wish I'd purchased was a secretary desk that had a hand-painted harlequin pattern on it-- it completely suits my Alice in Wonderland obsession. There's actually a set of Alice figures that I would have asked for as a birthday present from Handsome so they could sit on the desk. Unfortunately for me, it was taken down from CL the day I convinced myself to splurge on it.

Other things for sale, however, have convinced me that some people must shop for furniture drunk or be super impulsive purchasers. For instance, someone purchased a table with a marble elephant as the base. Not a cute elephant, or even a realistic looking one, or something that really even looked like an elephant. Just... a monstrosity that they said was an elephant, and you would think was one after being told what you were looking at.

Other tables, desks, and assorted furnishings are so beat up and/or overpriced, I don't see how they'll ever sell. For example, I do not want to pay over $1,200 for your pub table. Sorry, but no. Also, if your couch is an indefinable colour, it's probably not a good idea to charge $500 for it.

It's fun, though, to see everything! Some of it's good, some of it's awful, but it's all getting us one step closer to a year without snow.

Cheers,
Woozel

Last Month in DC

I've decided to start this Blog (and rope Handsome into contributing if I can) as we get ready to move down to Charleston, SC. I'm super excited to move, because it means starting graduate school and beginning what we consider the next phase of our life together. It's easy to look ahead and be super focused on what's coming up next, though, to the point that we miss out on some of the stuff we love and will actually miss here.

Things we'll miss, in order of whatever pops into my head:

• Pho 95: Best freaking noodle-beef soup in this world.
• Dogfish Head Alehouse: Beer, calamari rings, and the memory of awesome pizza.
• Our apartment: We met the KayBeeDubs (who are awesome!) and their adorable Brody, who actually was an impetus for getting our Doodle instead of a normal dog. Our next door neighbor right now is awesome, too.
• Our friends from Grace: We joined a Bible Study group, which let us meet some awesome people who have made life up here so much better. They helped us grow and stay grounded at the same time, just by being who they are.
• Our family: Cousins, aunts, and uncles will be missed, but they also are all invited to come down to Charleston. :-)
• Sightseeing in DC: We don't do it much anymore with the RooRoo, but it was a wonderful experience, getting to see the tree, visit the botanical gardens, and just wander museums and monuments. I have some awesome memories.
• WTOP 103.5: It's probably the only radio station I could miss, ever. Traffic every 10 minutes is a Godsend up here.
• Great Falls: So pretty, good walks, great memories with friends and family alike.
• Metro: Mainly because driving in DC makes me hate life. And everyone and everything in DC. But being able to go to the Brickskellar, drink up, and not have to have a designated driver is kinda awesome.
• Some aspects of our jobs: We learned a lot, met good people, and are at the point now that we're ready to move on.
• The Friends of the Library Bookstore: keeping our house overflowing with books. Losing that store is probably going to spur me into finally getting a Kindle.
• Being so close to Norfolk: Getting to see our family, including Busch Gardens visits, and spending Thanksgiving and Christmas at home pretty easily.
• Having our vet (from VT!) right down the street-- a 5 minute walk away can't be beat.

Things we won't miss, at all, ever:

• The traffic. Seriously.
• The drama. Egos and delusions combine to make some things in life so not worth dealing with. And they're a whole new kind of special in DC.
• Climbing 4 flights of stairs every day. I know it's good exercise, but so is yoga and walking the dog a few miles every day.
• The power grid here. Power outs should happen in hurricanes, not on a whim.
• Cost of living: our new place is (potentially) a townhouse with 2 bedrooms, like 5 minutes from the beach, for just over half of what we pay here for a one bedroom.
• The not-good aspects of our jobs.
• Montgomery County Drivers. They don't even count as the traffic, because they are their own brand of straight up crazy, with a shot of being jerks and just plain mean.

So, that's a quick list as Handsome and I start getting ready for part II of married life!

Cheers,

Woozel