I <3 Chicago.

I already knew that because I've been there before, however this past weekend reaffirmed it once again.

I had the most amazing weekend with my mom and sister, and it's something I'll treasure for a long time to come. Especially since I have no idea when all three of us will be together again all as once.

I flew to Chicago Thursday night and was greeted by my parents and sister. We had a late dinner at Gino's Pizza- which was amazing. Nothing welcomes you to Chicago quite like a deep dish pizza blanketed in layers of cheese at 9:00 at night.

Friday morning my dad took off for a short trip with his brother for a guys weekend in Indianapolis, so it was just us girls left on our own to shop and have a wonderful time.

Saturday morning we started off at Panera Bread followed by shopping, shopping, and more shopping. I haven't been shopping in AGES. Will and I are on the Dave Ramsey plan and we've got that "gazelle intensity" to get out of debt and make sacrifices other places. Anyway, it was so.much.fun. to buy new clothes. My mom is the best. So we did that all day Saturday- followed by The Cheesecake Factory for dinner. It was a great day- and I was actually a tiny bit sore from all that walking. I don't think that's good! What does that say about my gym workout?! Perhaps I need to change up my routine?

Sunday was a lot of fun. My sister stayed the night in her apartment the night before so my mom and I got an early start on all the Labor Day sales followed by a trip to the Shed's Aquarium.

Along with the entire state of Illinois.

It was insane.

A zoo.

An insane zoo aquarium.

It was still fun. This was my second time to go. I went with my dad the first time so it's cool that I got to go with my mom this time. After Shed's my sister met up with us and we had some coffee and had a relaxing afternoon followed by-

The Blue Man Group that night!

It was such a fun show and I'm so glad we went. Guys, my mom was freaking cracking us up so much. I don't think I've heard her cackle or laugh so hard she cried as much as I did that night. It was classic and I simply can't do it justice in this blog post. The funniest part was at the end. There's this whole "thing" with strobe lights and loud music and toilet paper being pulled from holders all over the auditorium. My mom kept yelling at me and P to "Pull! Pull! Pull!" while she was laughing so hard tears were streaming down her face and while the strobes were going and the music was pumping. P just looked at me and yelled, "I feel like we're at a rave with our mom!" Too funny.

Anyway, that was lots of fun.

After the show we went for a late steak- which is where I caught the end of the OU game.

And saw all I really needed to see.

I called Will immediately after (who was down in Dallas to watch the loss) and told him that perhaps this was good. Perhaps it's good that we are disappointed at the start of the season instead of the end like always.

He didn't agree.

Yesterday was spent doing more shopping. This time for P's room. Groceries, stuff for school, etc. It was fun. I love her place and I can't seem to wrap my head around the fact that she's all grown up and in this giant city living this adult life. It makes me look at myself and realize how old I've gotten as well and how surreal it seems. I still remember being in 5th grade and having her barf on my hair while we were visiting my grandparents in Iowa. Good times.

She's come a long way from those days. She's a woman in the city. Remember this post? Its sort of the same, only with her now. She’s back in America, all grown up, and experiencing this whole new life for the first time and I’m glad I get to be a small part of it.

So that was Sunday. Oh- and we also had a ridiculous amount of food. We at at the Five Guys burger joint, followed by dessert at the Ghiradelli place (um or however you spell it) and, well, I think the list goes on from there.

It was around the time I finished my dessert that afternoon that I started to feel a little bummed.

Which is what I promised Will I wouldn’t do. He knows me so well. He made me promise not to get bummed out early and to enjoy every minute of my time with my mom and sister until the end. So- I tried to do that.

P and I walked around and she took me to “The Bean” (not the official name, but the one I’m pretty sure most people know it by). It was a nice walk, perfect weather, and really nice. Definitely a walk I appreciated and will tuck away in my little pocket of memories I want to keep forever (whatever that means...).

We had a quiet night in and watched TV and just hung out, which was nice. It’s those little things of doing “nothing” that you can sometimes miss the most when you’re away from your family.

Today came early and it was sad to say goodbye. I hope we’re all able to see each other soon, and I hate that we’re all so far away now. I guess that’s normal though, but it doesn’t mean I have to like it, right?

So here I am, back in Oklahoma (um, which is a far cry from Chicago, right?). It’s been a typical evening, followed by a typical (thankfully short) week, followed by a typical weekend.

It was nice to step out of the mundaneness for a while. I’m thankful for my trip.

And I’m also thankful for the Chicago pizza which will be arriving to my door Wednesday afternoon.

I’m off to watch TV with Will.

Happy Labor Day!

An interesting phenomena has occurred at the B-Love house this past week, and every time I think about it I laugh.

I’ve found the perfect babysitter for Will so that I can play on our new iMac.

It’s called fantasy football.

Yes, I realize this is no new babysitter, and something that occupies an exorbitant amount of time of Will’s life during the fall months. However instead of being annoyed with it I’ve come to embrace it.

Well… for the most part anyway.

The funny thing is that Will thinks he’s found the perfect babysitter for me.

The iMac.

He figures he can stick me in the office to play on our new computer and iChat with my sister and I’ll be content for hours- and he’s pretty much right.

Only we all know who’s really getting one over on the other person, right?

(incase you’re wondering- it’s me).

Um and as a side note, do you guys remember The Babysitters Club books? Good times. I was so in love with those girls and used to want to have a club with my friends just like theirs… Do you think it counts if you and I start our own adult version of The Babysitters Club and use things such as NFL Sunday Ticket, Playstation 3, and pizza to occupy our husband’s time while we go shopping? Is that bad?… Don’t answer that.

The madness begins this weekend. If you’ve known me for a while you know that “the madness” refers to football season. Both pro and college. They both consume Will’s life, and for the next few months I become a football widow. Will galavants around with his mistress (football) from September to January, fully consumed with each point scored, each stat, and every matchup.

And I no longer pretend to “get it.” Because although I fully understand his passion for the sport, I’ve given up on trying to understand the obsession behind it.

I have to admit, though, I’m a little jealous of Will this weekend. He and Ross are going to the OU-BYU game at the new Texas stadium- which I think is going to be pretty amazing.

Don’t feel bad for me though, I’ll be having plenty of fun myself. I’m spending the weekend with my mom and sister and get to see my sister’s apartment, school, and everything else. See? More babysitters. I’ve got Will occupied with the game, he has me occupied with my family.

It’s a beautiful thing.

Oh and don’t worry- this doesn’t mean we’re not getting any quality time in together. We still have season tickets, remember? I’ll be alongside him for plenty o’ games this year you can count on that. Plus who could forget OU-Texas

and OU-Nebraska (!!!),

both out of town trips which I’m very excited about.

It all balances out and we’re both (much) happier for it. I’m not a nagging wife, and (in my mind at least) he’s not some crazed football fan. Who am I kidding? We know that’s a lie. Well- at least this way I’m a tiny bit removed from it.

Hey- at least he never paints his chest.

It’s the small things really.

<3

When in the world did I become so boring!?!

...

Okay. When I say it like that it implies that at some point in time I was a wild child.  A barrel of laughs. A party waiting to happen. And, well, you guys know that’s never been true. Lately, though, I feel like I’ve brought my boringness to an epic level.

Is it possible to become even more of something- to include boring?

I guess so.

I mean, I think Carrot Top has become uglier over the years. Jessica Simpson has become more annoying. Orlando Bloom has become more gorgeous. So yes, one can definitely become more boring.

Perhaps this is all part of the natural progression of life- only they just don’t tell you about it because they don’t want to bum you out. I mean, how would you feel if you really knew the truth?

“Well, Suzy, when you get grow up you’ll go to college, and graduate, and get a great job, and get married, and have babies, and have bills, and a yard to maintain, and a house to clean, and fat to fight, and wrinkles to hide, and nothing to do, and then you die!”

Yeah… it’s probably good they skip over the last part.

Okay- so I’m exaggerating. A lot. Adult life definitely has its perks, we all know that. I mean how many seven year olds can have a Miller Light and Lucky Charms for dinner and then watch MTV until 11:00 (and um who am I kidding? I can’t even remember the last time I was up at 11 on a week night. Oh well, you get my point.)?

However, it does seem as thought since we’ve moved back Will and I have become really boring. Perhaps that is what happens when you’re in your mid to late twenties and live in Oklahoma?

Oklahoma.

Quintessentially the most boring of boring places one can live.

Maybe that’s my problem? The good old Sooner State.

I suppose I can’t blame all my infirmities on my state. I suppose there’s also nothing wrong with being “ok” with a night in (all.the.freaking.time :( ). Ha ha. Being “OK.” No pun intended. I’m hilarious.

I say all this because the other night Will and I were talking about what we wanted to do this weekend. Usually we go to church on Saturday and then go out to eat. I thought it would be fun to go to Bricktown and walk around and have dinner and see where the night took us. I even hinted that maybe he could take me dancing. Will, however, thought it would be more “fun” to go to a Chinese buffet.

Again.

(we did this exact same thing two Saturdays ago. I swear my anthem lately has been NIN’s, “Everyday is Exactly the Same” only I’m wearing different clothes.)

A Chinese freaking buffet.

There’s nothing wrong with that I suppose, but I mean… it’s Saturday night and we’re young and “fun” and carefree and childless. We should save the buffet days for, well, not Saturday nights. Something about a buffet on a Saturday night just screams awful and old and sad. And fat. 

I know- you guys think I’m utterly ridiculous. I probably sound silly. I’m not saying I want night after night of late nights and toilet hugging- I’m not saying that at all- I guess I’ve just got this urge to go have a fun night out.

What do you girls think? Are you in?

Now we just have to find a way to pry our husbands off of the Cashew Chicken and get them on board.

Here’s to a bunch of regular, boring, old married couples having a wild and crazy night on the town!

Don’t worry- I’ll make sure our fun ends at 9:00 on the dot. I know how you like to be in bed early.

Ha.

I was going to do a print screen so I could paste it in here and you could see what my desktop looked like but I just realized I have no idea where the print screen button is on my new keyboard.

Or the “end” key or the “home” key and it’s driving me a little crazy! Let’s not talk about the no right click thing either.

I am the proud owner of a brand new totally awesome iMac! IT IS AMAZING.

Okay- amazing for the whole 30 minutes I’ve been on it- but hey- that’s a fair amount of time to make such a strong assertion, right?

Oh and why do I feel this intense urge to beg those of you that have a Mac to iChat with me? I don’t know why- but it’s uncontrollable.

I’m sort of getting off track (and looking like a big tech nerd- which we all know I’m most definitely not), but I’m so darn excited about this freaking gigantic 24 inch sleek and sexy screen that I can’t help but want to brag on my new computer.

I’m like the annoyingly proud parent that no one wants to sit by at soccer games because you can never get a word in edgewise. You’re constantly hearing how great Hunter is and how he’s so smart and athletic and talented and so much better than your kid.

Cringe. When I put it like that I realize how ridiculous I’m being. I loathe Mac Snobs.

No more Mac talk.

Actually, I have lots of “real” stuff to talk about! Probably boring for most, nonetheless something I feel l ought to “document” so one day when I’m 30 and old and feeble (ha ha) I have something to look back on to remember how wonderful my 20s were.

You know, because life ends after 29.

You guys know I’m kidding right?

Well, sort of kidding.

Anyway, let’s move on.

My family visited this past weekend! It was so wonderful. I hadn’t seen them since last September so we were long overdue for a visit. It was so nice to get to spend time with them. We didn’t do anything overly exciting, but it didn’t really matter at all because I just wanted to make sure I took advantage of spending time with them while they were here. We ordered Teds to go on Friday and just hung out around the house catching up and relaxing. Saturday was spent at the mall followed by the Cheesecake Factory and house hunting.

I think my sister moving back to the states has hit my parents hard, especially my mom which makes me sad. I think she’s beginning to miss life back in America, so we spent a large portion of the weekend looking at houses and meeting with a realtor- which was so fun for me. I love house hunting and seeing new places and getting ideas for my “forever house.” That’s what I call the house Will and I will build exactly how we want and live in forever one day.  It was fun looking at houses and it seems that perhaps my parents return to the states may be sooner than I had initially thought. I figured they’d be over there several more years, but maybe now it will be less. I guess we shall see.

Sunday was spent eating and house hunting and eating some more. To say it was a weekend of gluttony wouldn’t be an exaggeration. Yesterday my parents told me and Will they wanted to buy us our Christmas present early. They wanted to buy us an iMac! They thought we could use a new computer and not only that, but with a Mac we’d all be able to iChat as a family so that’s fun too. It will be so nice having my sister in the same time zone. I’ll be able to verify that my outfit looks cute via iChat before walking out the door each day.

I took yesterday off and we did more of what we did the rest of the weekend (read: eat and look at houses). It was nice to be off. I made the mistake of checking my work email yesterday afternoon so I then spent too much time worrying about work stuff. Note to self- if you have a day off don’t check your work email!

I said goodbye to my family early this morning. It was sad, but the good thing is that I’m actually going to see them again next weekend! Knowing that made everything much easier.

It was a really great weekend and next weekend is shaping up to be just as good and maybe better.

So that’s what’s been going on in my life lately. I hope all is well with you and you had a great weekend too.

More posting to come (from the iMac!)…

It never ceases to amaze me how often I watch Will and I following the patterns and behaviorism of our parents.

For instance, the other day we were talking about how it was taking someone freaking for.ev.er to order at the Taco Bueno drive-thru. I’m making all of these jokes and being goofy and then Will randomly spouts out, “Maybe she hasn’t had much experience with drive-thrus,” all serious and with great thought as if he was concerned about her social well-being.

...

I was more just complaining- but okay, if you want to get all serious on me.

“That sounds exactly like your dad!” I said, all creeped out.

Weird.

Or me.

If you irritate or annoy me you better be darn sure I’m going to let you know about it!-

under my breath and while I’m walking away of course.

Ugh! I hate passive aggressive people.

Ding Ding Ding- hello Brittny, welcome to your. life!

Sigh.

Anyway- it’s just funny to me how much we tend to resemble our parents from time to time, and I’m sure it becomes even more surreal after having kids

(Although, after today’s episode of MTV True Life: I’m Pregnant I’m pretty sure Will and I are pretty much on the same page of not having kids for a very long time.).

So I tell you all this because Will and I finally purchased a coffee table last weekend! We had to order it so it wasn’t ready until this weekend. We brought it home last night and decided around 10:30 to begin assembling it.

Oh- and I should probably mention that 10:30 is about our bedtime, so anything after that time can be equated to a drunk person trying to operate heavy machinery or a blind person giving you a perm. We’re simply not at our best after 10:30.

So we Will began working on the coffee table while I stood around offering moral support. The bottom of the table is a rich, dark, bronze-y metal so getting the screws to line up just right and fit the screws was sort of a challenge.

Oh- I guess I should probably show you the table so you know what I’m talking about. How rude of me!

Here’s our new table. Chateau Rustique. I really like it. This picture doesn’t really do it justice. I’ll have to take a picture of the living room for you guys at some point.

Anyway- it’s just so funny to me how long it took Will to put the table together. He is such a perfectionist. One of the screws… nuts?… I have no idea. Screws! Yes- screws.  Anyway, one of those were stripped so Will had a hard time getting it to fit properly into the table. It took for.ev.er. I thought it was fine and perfect but Will, the “handyman” just like his dad, thought it could be better. I thought I was going to go crazy.

So- an hour and a half later my perfect coffee table was finally assembled.

I’m very pleased with our table. I am sort of afraid that it’s too big, but it might just be the fact that we spent a year without a coffee table and now I just need to get used to having one around.

I’ve already started to notice one thing about having this coffee table.

It’s another surface.

Another surface for Will to spread all of his junk atop.

That means more room for stupid crap mail and football magazines and newspapers.

Cringe.

His dad is a big time stacker of crap on surfaces.

Will is the same.

We have this gorgeous desk we bought last year which should really be displayed, only it’s hiding behind piles of Lord knows what.

I blame Will’s dad for this, you know.

My saving grace is that my parents are visiting next week and it will give us a good opportunity to overhaul his piles and organize everything the way it should be.

Let’s just hope it remains that way. Like father, like son I suppose.

Here’s to hoping.

Okay- so how many you of you guys noticed I totally spelled sandwich wrong in my last post?

What a moron.

I fixed it- so I just told on myself for those of you who thought I was a smart-y and would never spell something so elementary as sandwich with an “h” after the “w!”

Thanks for the credit, guys- you shouldn’t have. No really- you shouldn’t have.

Anyway, I felt like I owed you guys an update about what’s been going on my life. I know how much people love reading about the mundane and boring tasks of others, so I figured I owed it to the crowd three of you to let you know what I’ve been up to.

I used to be really good with updates, didn’t I? In fact- I have a whole category devoted to “annoying weekly updates!” I guess I should get better about my updating. Perhaps we should change it to “Annoying Bi-Monthly Updates” or “Annoying When I Get Around to it Updates?”

Anyhow, I always tell people that there just isn’t much going on in my life- which is probably true- but when I sit down to write this post I seem to be flooded with things to share. All trivial and not that exciting, but nonetheless something I feel like rambling about.

I guess the biggest thing is that my parents are coming to visit me for a few days next weekend. I’m looking forward to their arrival. I haven’t seen any of them since September, so it’s basically a year since we’ve spent time together. It’s been strange not having them around all the time like I did the first 25 years of my life. It will be nice to spend a little time with them next week. I’m looking forward to it. I’m also taking a day off next week which is exciting- followed by another day off the following week! I’m taking days off quite possibly at the worst time ever- but is there ever really a good time to miss work? I don’t think so.

I’m not sure what all we’ll do while my family is here-but I imagine a large portion of our time will consist of “visiting” and eating at places they don’t have in Kuwait.

Visiting.

That word makes me laugh.

Will’s grandma and mom always like to come and “visit” when they’re in town. I don’t know why that word tickles me, but it does. And when you say it you have to put a little drawl into it with special emphasis on the “v” and “i"- VIIIIsit.

Ha.

Sorry- I think I’m the only one amused by this conversation.

Anyway, so my parents are stoping by in route to take my sister to her new University. The exciting thing is that I will be joining my mom and sister there for a girl’s weekend the week after they visit me here in Oklahoma! Very exciting.

In not as fun news it looks like Al Qaeda was planning to attack Camp Arifjan, Kuwait which is pretty scary. That’s where I used to work. I was all totally freaked out and called my parents-

I reached my mom and she had no idea what had happened.

Nice.

I love how I’m an ocean away worrying and she’s having coffee like it’s any other day.

Ha- I guess I can understand Will’s parents angst the whole time we were in Kuwait a little better now. I love how we become all parental with our own parents as we get older. I think I even had the overly serious and concerned “mom tone” in my voice when I talked to my mom today. Scary.

What’s funny is that the last few days I’ve been feeling this intense need to just slip away somewhere- and then I’m slapped back into reality with the news of the Mallorca bombings and Al Qaeda threats in Kuwait.

Perhaps it’s a sign that I need to stay put a while?

We shall see.

So moving on- work has been busy, but that’s to be expected this time of year. I suppose it’s a good thing to be busy given the economy, right? Perhaps that’s another reason I’m feeling the urge to go elsewhere. I’m sounding like a pessimist, aren’t I?

Will and I are gearing up for football season to begin here in a few short weeks.

I take that back.

Will is gearing up for football season. I’m sort of along for the ride. I can’t believe that it’s already here! Will has been devoting hours each week to his fantasy football draft and has been listening to sports radio anywhere we go- convinced all along that “this is our year.” I hope so- but I hope that every year.

Once again- sounding like a pessimist!

It IS going to be our year!

Is that better? Do I sound convincing?

Truth be told I’m looking forward to football season. Despite the fact that I lose virtually every Saturday and Sunday for months at a time (ha) I actually enjoy game day. Will is like a little jolly kid, we always have a great time together, and I rarely have to cook- unless it’s a home game and we have people over. Which I don’t mind. It’s a win-win for everyone. Unless we’re losing. Then it’s just a win-lose. Or is it a lose-lose? I’m confusing myself. Let’s stop talking on these terms.

Will is going to the first game versus BYU. It’s at the new Cowboy’s stadium so I’m a little jealous, but I’ll be having plenty of fun with my mom and sister that same weekend so I have nothing to complain about.

Aside from the fact that my shins are killing me from running (need new shoes, maybe?), having a spoonful of peanut butter and chocolate frosting with my dinner, and buying a new coffee table for our living room there just isn’t that much more to share.

Hopefully your lives are much more eventful than mine. And if not, hopefully you don’t pain your readers by making them read on and on about your parents coming to VIIIsit or how you’re excited about football season.

Hope you’re having a good week!

Quick! What should I do for lunch today?

A. Leftover Lasagna

B. Sandwich and Cheez-Its

C. Cereal (pick C, pick C!)

Pantene is made for hair and not feet.

I’m just saying…

Someone from work got me a subscription to Women’s Health- which I think is very thoughtful.

I guess now that means I have to stop stealing their Men’s Health magazines.

Do you think they were trying to tell me something? 

So I mentioned earlier that I thought today was Friday.

For this reason I believe I’m having an off day.

When I wear flats with no socks I spray my feet with deoderant.

Only today I sprayed them with Pantene Pro-V hairspray.

I think that calls for some dry joke about having feet so healthy they shine.