being lame at the museum

Vacation is over.  We had a last hurrah at the museum today.  Rob is having some bad vibes from work and I got called to come back 2 days early.  I guess it is true that all good things must come to an end.

transatlanticism

This is by far my favorite Death Cab for Cutie album.  Probably my favorite album, ever.  I don't play it too often these days, but with being home alone all day and cleaning the house, I decided to give it a listen.  It is my perfect fall nostalgia album, and it invokes a number of memories in me.

The first time I ever heard anything off of this album was the beginning of my sophomore year of college.  My very first boyfriend had just broken up with me about a month ago at the time, and I was super sad about it, though I made every effort to look like I didn't care.  I even asked if I could ride with him and our friends to cincinnati's labor day fireworks like we had the previous year, and he agreed to pick me up.  So this is putting our date at approximately September 6, 2004.  It is still extremely clear to me.  I was sitting in the back of the car and the nolongerboyfriend and our friend Nate were sitting up front.  Tiny Vessels was playing and they were singing along, talking about how awesome this album was.   I remember listening to the lyrics and feeling like my heart was actively breaking.  Well, it ended up that nolongerboyfriend once again became boyfriend but then we broke up again (multiple times throughout the next three years?).  However, through the chaos I obtained a copy of Transatlanticism  and it is my true fall nostalgia music.

Oh, to be nineteen again.

But for real, if you have never listened to this album you should stop whatever it is you are doing and immediately go do so.

:)

time off

Yesterday was glorious.

I mean, it didn't start out glorious.  It started out that I forgot to set my alarm and the only reason I woke up is that Simon helped himself onto the bed and started sniffing all over my face.  So, minor setback.  Then Simon wouldn't go to the bathroom and that always stresses me out because I don't want him having accidents in the house when I'm gone.  And then I left for work when I should have been getting there and I spilled blazing hot coffee in my lap in the car.  So, rough start.

Then little girl came over to our house for the first time ever because she has been dying to meet Simon.  Well, the sentiment was not reciprocated as punk dog growled at her from a distance the entire time.  And we were there for three hours.  Luckily, she was hardly phased by it, too enthralled to be at her nanny's house and occupied herself cutting up yarn all over the floor of Rob's office (the kid loves her some scissors) and reading the few children's books I have in the house as result from my children's lit class in college and some yard sale purchases I made back in the day when I thought I would one day have for the library in my own classroom (sometimes life doesn't work out).

But, what made yesterday truly glorious was that it was the last day for a week and a half.  Yep, I have the next week and a half off.  AND I GET PAID FOR IT.  Win.

Little girl's parents are heading to Vegas for her momma's work/a getaway and her grandparents are coming into town!  And then they are staying extra long so they can visit with little girl's parents as well on their return.  So....I am thrilled.  I really, really am looking forward to this break.  I woke up this morning and felt very relaxed knowing if I don't get every single thing done that I need to this weekend it's okay, because I have like  nine more days to get it done!  Yessssssss!

Rob and I are going to look up rates and may even go back to St. Joseph, Michigan, where we went for our one year anniversary.   We super loved it there and I feel like it would probably be really pretty this time of year.  Rob has already been granted vacation days for next Friday and Monday so we can have a four-day weekend together.  I'm excited.

Anyway, I'm going to go to laundry.

!!!

just because i find it hilarious...

So, in < three weeks Rob and I are going to be in our very first wedding together, as bridesmaid and groomsman.  You probably remember me talking about Paige and Jarrod?  Anyway, Paige has graciously allowed her bridesmaids to select a shirt and shoes of their choice, but we are all wearing matching skirts.  Well, I picked out a shirt a few months ago and held onto it, feeling good about my choice.  But now that it's getting closer, I am second-guessing myself.  To put myself at ease, I decided to have Rob take some pictures of me in my potential bridesmaid garb to send to Paige for approval.  Aaaand this is what I got:

and I saved the best for last...

If you even have the option, zoom in on my face.  oh. my. gee.  For real, I told Rob it looks like I got high as a kite and then he beat me up, took a picture, and Simon is too ashamed to even watch.  This is quite possibly the most unflattering photograph in the entire world.  I love it.

Rob, my love, you are quite the photographer.  

ALSO: hopefully I'm able to be a bit more photogenic for the wedding photos.  Just saying.

on organization and other weekend randoms

Ugh.  Is it really Sunday night?  Weekends are going by way too quickly as of late.  Mr. Chipman and I had a pretty full weekend (again) and therefore did not get a lot done in the way of home projects and things that at this point I seem to be perpetually putting off.

On Friday we drove Anka and her friend Marie to the airport.   After that we went to Dewey's (always).

Saturday, I did laundry.  So, so much laundry.  For a long while I was super good about keeping up with the laundry.  I would be able to do all the laundry each weekend in 3 loads and I would be completely caught up.  However, in recent weeks I have skipped over that chore and therefore spent hours Saturday morning/afternoon doing load after load of laundry.   And since it's getting so flipping cold here in the great midwest, I can no longer dry clothes outside :(  P.S. I am still not caught up with laundry.    I had to cut it short and start getting ready for that fancy American Classical Music Hall of Fame stuff I went to with Rob and his company.  We attended the symphony afterward and it was pretty good.  I mean, I was tired and the classical music wasn't doing much to keep me awake.  I love Music Hall, though.  Unfortunately, we didn't take any pictures of us looking like total babes in all our formal wear.  Which is a shame, because I ended up dropping a lot of money to obtain some fancy clothes.

And now it's Sunday, and we spent sooooooooooo much time doing church stuff.  And then we got home and I was determined that we'd start organizing the home office.  Well, naturally I started stressing out and gave up, and now we have a desk, a broken chair, a storage bench, and a pile of random knickknacks sitting in the living room because I refuse to put them back in the computer room.  Blah, we really need to get that basement redone so I don't feel so bad about dumping this stuff down there.

Anyway, I know all this stuff is super enlightening but I'm going to spare anymore details of my exhilarating weekend.

i know i said i wouldn't...

...but come on, he's a cutie patootie.  yeah, i said it.

Also, I picked up this rabbit toy for Simon this past weekend and he carries it around like his baby.  

date night, etc.

I think this Saturday counts as a pretty good one.  Even though Simon the Wise has quite turned into Simon the Whiner, mourning his captivity between the hours of 3 and 7 AM, we have still decided to keep him :).  This little guy sure is rearranging our schedules.  Around 11, I met with Rob's coworker/friend, Alyssa, and we went to the mall and got dresses for the Music Hall business next Saturday.  Then Rob and I spent the afternoon hanging out/cleaning/Simon entertaining and then my parents came over for dinner.  I decided to invite them over when I realized we hadn't had them over for anything besides house maintenance since we moved, and I thought that was kind of crappy.  I made chicken parmigiana and it was delish.  We need to have Rob's fam over sometime for the same.

After my family left, we decide to turn the remaining hours of Saturday into a date night, traveling up to West Chester to use our Rave passes and see Moneyball.  It was a pretty good movie and being at Union Centre was like old, pre-married times.

Now we are laying in bed, dreading the fact we have the alarm goes off in less than 4 hours for church business.  We are also experimenting letting Simon sleep in our room tonight.  So far he is staying on his pillow from his crate at the foot of the bed, so that's good.

Aaaand that's all she wrote.

Goodnight, blogpeople.