Friends

Z and I have very hermit-like tendencies. When we actually venture out and socialize, we're all, "This is fun! No wonder people leave their houses! To hang out with other people!" Then we forget and retreat into our hermit-world.

This weekend we spent a lot of time with friends, which was so nice.

My boos for life!

On Friday night I had dinner with some friends from grad school. Going through a counselor education program is funny because you get to know your classmates really well. Uncomfortably well sometimes, because we practiced therapy on each other! We try to get together regularly; usually our group is bigger but several were working late. I love my classmates and miss seeing them every week.

On Saturday, some friends threw us a wedding shower. Our host and hostess really outdid themselves. The food was wonderful and so were the decorations. I took some of them to re-use for the reception; they were too adorable to throw away!

These will definitely make a reappearance at the wedding.

We are so blessed to have such awesome and generous people in our lives.

These ladies and I go way back! Can't imagine my life without them, period.

Me and the hostess, Meagan. She is a Pinterest-machine!

It was just a nice, laid-back afternoon.

Discussing Taylor Swift. I forgot she dated Taylor Lautner. I need a life.

Removing themselves from the Taylor Swift conversation

The most delicious, melt-in-your mouth petit fours! We took several of them home and stuck them in the freezer. They are really yummy frozen too. (I couldn't help it.)

After the shower, we went to mass then Z's mom came over for a bit.

We were talking about earrings. Why must I be so intense all the time?

We were really tired at the end of the day, but also felt very overwhelmed by how lucky we are to have awesome friends who don't forget about us. Even when we are hermits.

Sisters, Texas

How much further west?

Last weekend, Zach and I took a much needed getaway to his homeland of Texas to visit our siblings. We drove to Dallas together, where he stayed with his brother for a few days. I took a short (cheap!) flight to Austin to see Christina and Ronni. The original plan was for me to take a direct flight to Austin or San Antonio, but the airfares were astronomical; at least this way we both got to see our families. Win-win!

Strange-angled picture

I was really happy to see my sisters. It's strange not to be around them all the time. In my head, we are still little kids square dancing in the living room and knocking over vases. (Hi, Mom!)

Our "Thug Life" pose

C&C Food Factory

Breakfast at 24 Diner

The other reason for a random trip in February was to run the Austin half-marathon. When I registered for the race, it seemed like a good idea! But my job has been so draining lately (soul-crushing would be a more accurate description), running has felt less like an escape and just something else to cross off a to-do list.

We are really smiley for people getting ready for some pain early in the morning.

I wanted to have fun and just do my best--not fixate on reaching a time goal.

The race was crowded and hilly. But it went by quickly and I ran really well--actually, better than I thought I would or even could. And I am so proud of my sisters for running this race! "High-five! Mile 9! Livestrong!" Next year, sisters? (Maybe.)

From my vantage point outside a coffee shop by the post-race activities. It was the best coffee ever too!

Marathoners running towards the finish. Longhorns' stadium in the backgound.

Throughout the trip, I indulged in my most favorite pastime: FOOD!

Top L-R: Thai fried rice, 24 coffee(coffee and I are BFFs),  24 French toast with strawberries
Middle L-R: Christina's 24 hash, Central Market mushroom ravioli, homemade mac and cheese with thyme (yea carbs!)
Bottom L-R:Stiles' bbq, Torchy's breakfast tacos, Momoko bubble tea

On Monday night we went to Uchiko, where my brother-in-law is sous chef.. The food is really amazing and fancy. He ordered for all of us, which meant tons of deliciousness. Dinner started off light, with sashimi and fresh dishes, then became progressively richer.

I don't remember the names of the dishes at Uchiko because Clint ordered everything; also the dishes are in Japanese.  And this isn't even a third of what we ate on Monday. My favorite was the grilled eggplant sashimi, middle on the top row. The best dessert (IMO) was the peanut butter and coriander sorbet, the middle picture on the bottom row. Crinton-san, that one needs to be on the permanente! Now!

By the time dessert(s) came, I was in a food coma. They brought out 4 desserts, omg. It felt more like a burden than something to be enjoyed. I know I've reached my ceiling when the prospect of dessert isn't exciting.

Christina and Clint, if you are reading this, the food at Uchi/ko is always spectacular! It was just A LOT.

America! TEXAS!

When I got back to Dallas, Zach regaled me with tales of learning how to disassemble a gun, going to the rock-climbing gym, and watching action films. Basically, we both had a great time!* Now we are home and everything is back to normal and I'm kind of sad. But happy too! I'm not crying because it's over, I'm smiling because it happened.


*Except for the hotels.com incident, which I have re-lived in excruciating detail to warn all the good people of Earth. I got so tense typing it up that I stress-ate a piece of cake. Such a healthy coping behavior.

hotels.com

The following is a public service announcement:

If you are going on a trip and need to book a hotel, do yourself a favor and don't go through hotels.com.

For our Texas trip, I booked a hotel room in Dallas a few days before our trip through the website. It was really easy and I got a confirmation email not long after stating my room was paid in full. For the next few days I continued to get emails from the website, all with my correct information and the same itinerary number.

On Friday, we roll up to the hotel after a pleasant drive to Dallas (well, as pleasant as a 7 hour drive can be). I attempt to check in at the front desk, only to be told there wasn't a reservation under my name, or Z's. I handed the clerk printouts of the emails with the itinerary number. Still. No. Reservation. Apparently, my itinerary number and reservation were non-existent.

When I spoke to a hotels.com customer service rep, she asked for my name, email, itinerary number. Nothing! It's like I didn't even book a room. Except for the $87.02 taken from my checking account, courtesy of hotels.com.

To get a refund, I was shuffled to a call center in the Philippines. (I'm about 95% sure of the accent; I've been listening to it my whole life.) I tried--really, truly--to stay calm and rational. The rep asks all the same questions as the previous lady, then for the phone number under which my room was booked. After a few clicks, he proceeded to inform me they found my hotel reservation. It was booked under my phone number and the name "Leonard Heumiller." This was the biggest WTF moment of my life. Why on earth would I book a hotel in a name other than my own? And that name? WTF?!

{Even if I wasn't paying attention when I typed my name (which has happened), the combination of letters isn't even close on the keyboard! I would have to try extremely hard, or be in a chemically altered state, to book a hotel under some random name. Did I mention I got 4 emails with my correct name, email and mailing addresses, and itinerary number on them? I was completely lucid when I made the reservation; I am completely lucid all the time. I am too lucid for my own good.}

While I was coming to terms with supposedly booking a room under the name "Leonard Heumiller," the rep asks if it's ok to honor the reservation since they straightened out the confusion. At this point, I go ballistic and  yelled, "No! I just want my money back! I just want my money back!" to the Filpino at the call center.*

After securing a refund (with a transaction number), I called my bank and cancel the card used to book a hotel, asked about the process for disputing a charge, and activated an emergency credit card. Ridiculous! Zach took care of the hotel room situation, as did the lovely people at the Wingate by Wyndham hotel off N. Stemmons Fwy and I-35E N in Dallas. After arriving at the hotel around 2 pm, we finally got situated in our room around 430. The whole ordeal made me feel like this:

Never again, hotels.com. Never again.

*I do honestly feel bad about yelling at the customer service people, since it's most likely not their fault, and also because I have convinced myself they are Filipino. I try to be nice to everyone, especially if they are from my mother country! It makes me uncomfortable when people complain about the accents and lack of general understanding when calling customer support. It's not these individuals' faults they have accents! They need money. Working for a Western corporation trying to save some dollars by rerouting their customer service to Asia seems like a good idea, until someone in another hemisphere starts yelling histrionically and demanding their money back/answers/to talk to someone who speaks English. Anyway, I hope they get out of the call-center service industry. This whole thing makes me sad.

Dreams

I've always been fascinated with dreams. Not the picket-fence/happy family/traveling-to-exotic-places-kind (although I want those too). I'm talking about the nocturnal weirdness which happens in my brain. Lately most of my dreams have been wedding-related, except for one exception. Highlights:

• Wedding day, and I am sitting in the pews along the side of the church watching the guests arrive. There are tons of them. The priest walks me down the aisle. As I'm walking, I stop and ask random people, "Who are you? How did you get an invitation?" By the way, my groom is not in this dream.
• Wedding day, and getting married in Florida (or at least some place really sunny). While getting my hair done, I am texting people the time and location of the ceremony. No groom.
• Wedding day, this time it's happening in a 1970s-looking doctor's office lobby. Some of my students are there. It's 11:30 am, and one of them is upset and crying because the ceremony starts at the same time they usually eat their lunch. We move the wedding back 30 minutes so she can eat. No groom.
• I'm at JC Penney, looking at an intricate beaded necklace shaped like a peacock. I hold it up to the mirror and think, "Is this going to look good with a t-shirt?" Suddenly I notice a pile of Frye boots on clearance underneath a clothing rack. It's the exact style I've been lusting over for years.  I ransack the pile looking for my size, while telling myself I will never find a better deal than paying $166 for boots which are normally $300. I wake up before finding my size.

Basically, I am stressed about the wedding and I want to buy shoes I can't afford. Not so different from my waking life. Someday I will look back at the wedding dreams and laugh, probably when I'm pregnant and having insane parental inadequacy nightmares. Maybe I just need a new pair of boots. 

Last summer, in pictures.

I'm not stuck on 2011, I promise. Besides, I tend to view years not by the Julian calendar (is that right?) but from birthday to birthday. I am 30, which is weird because I don't feel like an "adult."

Right now I'm in the process of transferring pictures from my old laptop to the new computer. My preference for cold and the winter isn't a secret. I love everything about winter--the stillness, bundling up, scarves, getting warm. But seeing pictures from the past summer makes me look forward to months of sunshine, long days, and flip-flops. (I'll remember this when I am sweating in July.)

At Z's old apartment. Tornado warning time! 

Summer drink--iced coffee.

French vanilla, strawberry, and orange sorbet at YoLo. My favorite combo is vanilla and orange sorbet; it tastes like a creamsicle. They should offer orange sorbet year-round.

Zach and his sister Molly in Bentonville, posing with the bears.

Flowers at the farmer's market. 

On a boat and clutching onto the life jacket. 

Finally ditched the jacket. And I drove the boat. Never thought I'd be a lake person, but this was a lot of fun.

Playing with the manual focus on my camera and pretending we were at Lake Como in Italy and not a random lake in Arkansas. Not that there was anything wrong with that lake; I'm just saying. It would be nice to be at Lake Como.

 Skyping with the mom and the sisters!

Bellydancers in Court Square. In the summer they have dancers and musicians perform during lunch hour. It was really hot this day.

Colorful cupcakes for a family birthday party.

My first lattice-top pie (and randomly wearing arm-warmers).

This is summer food to me--caprese salad!

I'm still not quite ready to let go of the cold yet. Somewhere out there is the perfect climate for me, where it's not scorchingly, miserably hot in the summer, but the winters are mild enough to enjoy frozen yogurt and iced coffee. Is that too much to ask?! {Let's be honest. Probably.}

Weekend Update

I am one of those people who over-celebrates Fridays. Then when Sunday rolls around, I get really bummed. It's a bad pattern.

My weekend was good, a nice mix of down-time and productivity. On Friday night Z and I went to Fuel. This was our Valentine's dinner because for us, it's a fancy restaurant. And it isn't even that fancy! (We go through spurts when we eat at the same Mexican restaurant for a few weeks, then a Japanese restaurant for a few, etc.)

We split a plate of delicious, perfect French fries. And other food! But the fries were the best. I also broke my "No Coffee After 12 pm" rule. The waitress walked by with the coffee pot and I caved. But it was Friday, and I was determined to live large! Coffee at night is as exciting as it gets for me.

On Saturday morning, we went to my new favorite store, ALDI. 

Blueberries are $1.49 here.

It was nice to buy a bag of almonds and not feel guilty about it. Although ALDI lacks a lot of things, at least it's not Kroger. I'd stop going to Kroger completely except 1) it's the only place which carries my favorite cereal, and 2) they are now virtually everywhere, so it's hard to escape the convenience. I'm attempting to do all my grocery shopping at ALDI, Costco, and Easy Way. We'll see how it goes. 

(I thought about grocery shopping at Target, but it's too dangerous. I went there earlier today for white-out and Draino, got sidetracked by the sale gloves, and forgot why I was there in the first place.)

Other weekend highlights: Chili and chocolate cake with Zach's mom after mass, watching more of The Wire, running into a friend at Starbucks, crossing off some things on my to-do lists, and reading magazines on the couch. Also, it feels like winter outside! All we need is a proper snow day.

Don't underestimate vegan chocolate cake! Especially if it's free!

Seriously, it's still light outside and I'm starting to get that Sunday homework feeling...

Random Things I Like That My Fiance Doesn't Understand

1) Bubble tea. This must be an exclusively Asian thing. Zach doesn't get this at all. But I love bubble tea and am really particular about it. I'm a creature of habit--it's almond milk tea all the way. Iced, liquid (not slush),with  tapioca pearls, a.k.a, boba.

I will go out of my way (like 20 minutes out to the suburbs) for bubble tea, since there is only one proper place in Memphis to get it. Some Vietnamese restaurants have it on the menu, but they 1) don't have the almond milk tea, and 2) serve it in slush form. Unacceptable. I've also tried to make it at home, since you can get the boba at Asian markets--I even have some of those fat straws they use at the boba cafes. But it never tastes quite right. Anyway, Zach is really nice about my bubble tea fascination. He even asks to try it, even though I think he secretly finds it weird.

2) Crab rangoon. Zach is a pretty healthy eater, which is good because it keeps me from going off the deep end...say, right into a plate of crab rangoon. I'm pretty sure this is among the worst things a person can eat, like fried coke or fried butter at state fairs. I've seen baked versions floating around Pinterest--future project!

                                                            From this WW recipe

3) Word games. Specifically Scrabble, although Bananagrams counts. My family gets really into Scrabble; some of my fondest memories are of the epic games during family visits and reunions. We'd play for hours. It was so much fun.

Z, not so much into the word games. Once we played Bananagrams with his sister and he didn't take it seriously at all, using proper nouns and made-up words. It was upsetting. I was all, "Don't you understand how important this is? This is soooo important!"

(Please understand my family gets weirdly competitive/emotional when playing Scrabble.  A few years ago my sisters, brother-in-law, and I were playing when Christina and I started fighting. It probably started over a triple word score and it escalated into name-calling and expletives. We ended by throwing the tiles and stomping out of the room. The picture of maturity. Everyone just sat there and watched.)

Look, two of my favorite things in the same picture. This was taken a few years ago in a bubble tea cafe in Brooklyn. The dessert in the picture is toasted white bread with sweetened condensed milk. When it comes to food, I forget nothing.

Pimp My Wedding, a.k.a., the Sneak Peek

Planning a wedding has been a fun distraction, but it's still a distraction. It's a lot of work. Plus I have this compulsion to look at blogs and Pinterest and photographers' websites, so I am always thinking, "I want my wedding to look like this. Is my wedding gonna look like this? Why did I book a church instead of a pastoral countryside? Should my reception be in a barn? Are those water stains on the ceiling of the reception hall? Will the cake look good if it's on a regular stand instead of a wood stump from my parents' backyard?"

Throughout this process, I have uncovered some control-freak tendencies. Seriously, if it were possible, I would DIY this entire affair; at one point I considered felting flowers for Ronni's and my bouquets AND the reception.

I love to make stuff and craft, so it's really hard for me not to take on every cutesy project I see. Some things I've done so far:

1. Started bunting. I love bunting. Zach has never heard of the word "bunting" until we started planning for the reception.

I cut diamonds out of old books (two really bad thrift store Westerns and a Tom Clancy novel), folded them in half, and glued/double-stick taped them to twine.

2. The Hairpiece. A long veil would look weird with my dress style--Google searches have confirmed this. Over Christmas break I doctored a chiffon flower pin, adding lace, tulle, and hot-gluing feathers on it. I also hot-glued the barrette part, which was a little scary.

I am still working on it; it seems to be missing something. A veil maybe? Haha. I put it on sometimes when I'm just wandering around my house. In fact, I will put it on right now.

3. Vertical bunting.

That's right. I love bunting soooo much, my wedding will have not just one, but TWO types of bunting! (Although mine won't be as complicated as the kind in the picture.) I went to Michael's and got some Martha Stewart scrapbook punches. I love Martha and was psyched to buy some of her crafting supplies.

An aside: Michael's started carrying a line of Martha crafting paint. This makes me happy, even though I am cheap and probably won't buy it unless it's on sale. (On the unlikely chance you are reading this, Martha Stewart, let me reiterate how much I love you.)

I was so excited I took a picture in the store. So many colors!

Anyway, I punched out some shapes and will sew them together with invisible thread. I had no idea there was such a thing until I saw it on Purl Soho's website. I haven't started the sewing part yet, so no visuals. Sorry.

A good friend reminded me I will be just as married at the end of the day whether or not the decorations are perfect. Must repeat this to myself when I feel it's necessary to make papier mache birds or something (but does anyone actually want to do this? I'll totally do it!) The Point of My Wedding Day: To have a fun time with my family and friends, to eat delicious food, be happy, and to get married, of course. I am putting myself on Pinterest sabbatical.