Whew!

I have really been slacking in the blog department lately!  It has been almost two weeks since my last post, but I have thought about posting almost every day.  By the time I get home at night I'm just too tired to put together a coherent thought, let alone type it out and proofread it. 


The first weekend of August was our anniversary and we went to the lake all day Saturday, which pretty much took us down on Sunday, we were so tired.  The following weekend was MOPAR Nats in Columbus, and we didn't get started on that trip like we'd hoped, so the whole weekend was a blur and didn't involve much rest.  This past week has been a bunch of catching up at the shop and trying to get ahead, since we'll be gone for ten days, starting tomorrow night.  Even though there's TONS of driving involved, and a car show it is still going to be more relaxed and restful and part vacation.  Once we get back from this trip we'll only have one show a month and they will either be local or very close to home, until SEMA in November.


But here I am, starting the last week of August, wondering where the summer went!  We've done more than in summers past but still didn't get to many of the things we wanted, and the heat is at least partly to blame for that since it was just too damned hot most of the time to do any outdoor activities.  The temps wore me out and made me physically ill a few times, too, so I had to miss a few yoga classes and gave up on other things in favor of air conditioning and sleep. 


Of course we brought Adrian home in July and she's taken up a good portion of my free time, and then some, since we've had her.  It's been about six weeks and her personality is finally starting to really come out and it never fails to amaze me how cool dogs are and can be.  That they all have different personalities that are just as unique to them as with people, and I'm curious to see how it develops as she gets older.  The housebreaking is coming along, and she's learning other commands.  I did succeed in finding another dog with a strong personality (aka a bit stubborn!) and she does a great job of standing up to Rock and not taking any of his shit...I love it!


Even though I missed a ton of classes this month with all the travel going on yoga has also been great.  I just need to get in the habit of doing a little at home to keep up and maintain all the positive results I get from class.  I can tell I have more energy, am generally less sore most of the time and am gaining strength, particularly upper body.  It's been a great experience and I'm glad I started going, and hope that my schedule through the fall allows me to continue, although I have my doubts about that once hockey starts up in a few weeks.  Most of our games are Tuesday/Thursday games and those are the nights I have classes.


One thing I've also started is the family tree.  I haven't had a ton of time to delve into it, but the website ancestry.com really helps find and connect with other people so in the limited time I've had I made good progress.  I plan to work on it while on the road and make good headway.  I've had trouble "jumping the pond" as my Dad calls it, so I need a bit more dedicated time to get those connections going.


I'm going to blog more and get caught up on all that on this trip as well. 

Cotton: The Fabric of Our Lives

I had every intention of having a blog ready to post on Monday, in honor of our 2nd Anniversary, and even started one a few weeks ago.  But I didn't like it so I ditched it and have just been so swamped that I haven't had time to write a new one.  In a way it makes me feel like a bad wife--on the other hand, he doesn't read my blog so he won't know if no one tells him!  Ssssshhhhhhh...

Part of why I've had writers block is that I pretty much said everything I would say here in my previous post about the night we met.  The only thing I might add is that the second year is much more interesting than the first and doesn't seem to go by quite as fast (but still too fast!).  We were told in our pre-marriage counseling that during the first year of marriage the two individuals are still more individuals and are basically feeling things out.  There's alot of give and take and pushing boundaries to figure out where your individual life stops and where your joint life begins.  I can say wholeheartedly that we experienced that in our first year, compounded by the fact that Kirby spent quite a bit longer than average as a bachelor!  Not blaming him for anything in particular, just stating a fact.  The longer you live as only an individual the harder it is to adjust to having a life that is shared with another person.  I know my being an only child didn't help with my adaptation either!

The second year is where you start to feel more subconsciously married because you begin to settle into the patterns, routines and roles that were set out in the first year.  I can also state that this is true.  I don't know exactly when it happened, but sometime over the last year I felt married for the first time--mentally, physically, spiritually.  I realized that I have a life partner, not just a roommate, boyfriend, friend or whatever.  Someone who is there for me and supports me--and bluntly--is there to call me on my shit, too.  When facing "forever" with someone, things you might have let slide (or gotten away with) when you are just dating no longer cut it.  On the other hand, things that might have really set you off before don't seem as big a deal anymore.  I was somewhat disappointed that right after we got married I didn't feel any different.  For the longest time everything felt the same.  Finally, this year things are starting to feel different and I know that will continue to evolve over the years to come.  There is a richness to the dynamic that develops between two people who have sworn before God to live as one.

It also feels like we are beginning to be our own "family."  Of course we have no kids, none on the way, and none planned for the near future, and I'm sure that inhibits some of the family feeling a couple might have.  We've started our own traditions, had the in-laws stay at our house when they visited, done things with each other's extended families, etc... that finally make us feel like a separate unit from the larger family groups.  He's also taken an active "parenting" role with Rocky, and now we've adopted Adrian, so even without human kids we've got our own little family of four!

But I named the blog "Cotton" because that is the traditional gift for the 2nd anniversary.  I did not get a cotton gift this year, but I didn't get paper last year unless you count the money it cost to go to Florida!  Ha!  Since we have opposite views of what constitutes a good time we've decided to alternate years picking the anniversary activity.  This year we rented a pontoon boat at Center Hill Lake.  It was a blast for us both!  For the first time in a long time we were both able to let loose, enjoy ourselves and play around like big kids!  We didn't worry about work, chores, the dogs or anything else that clutters our daily lives and it was fantastic!  It didn't cost a ton of money and it didn't require much travel which really cut down on the stress.  The large amount of beer we consumed that day probably helped some, too!

I also had some more "intimate" pin-up pictures taken a few weeks ago, and had some prints made which I put in a book for him.  I had the shoot scheduled last month, but due to some unforeseen circumstances had to cancel and was fortunate enough to get them done just in time!  He had a game on Monday night (the actual date of our anniversary) and when we got home we just hung around for a while and went up to bed.  I turned my light out and he reached across me and said, "Happy Anniversary," as he handed me what I thought was the remote control to the TV.  I was just about to say, "I don't want the remote," when I looked down and noticed it was not the remote but a box.  He had gotten me a necklace I mentioned wanting a few weeks ago made by one of our friends who makes wonderful, beautiful jewelery!  I was beyond excited, and not just because it was jewelery or even something he knew I wanted--although that was nice--but because Kirby is not a "good" gift giver.  He sure tries and always manages to get me something I wanted, but I got one of my Christmas presents in March this year while I was with him to pick it out!  So not only had he remembered something I mentioned in passing, he went to the trouble to get it without my knowing, ON TIME, and surprise me with it!  The effort and sheer departure from the norm for him really meant alot!  In this case his actions spoke louder than his words or the actual item.  Just when I think I have him all figured out he surprises me again!

And that basically sums up the whole of our marriage thus far...surprising each other with what we can and will do for one another, as much as the things we won't.  Marriage isn't always fantastic and romantic but it isn't always terribly drudgery either.  For two hard-headed, stubborn as oxen individuals we have learned the art of compromise and how important the little things can be.  So, now that I'm the one who's late on the anniversary bandwagon here...here's to another great, fun, exciting and educational year!  I'm looking forward to my leather gift next year.     

These Pretzels Are Making Me Thirsty!

I started taking yoga classes about five weeks ago.  I had been planning to for over a year but finally got around to it.  It was imperative that I find some "me time" and this class was near the house, affordable and flexible (no pun intended).  I didn't really know what to expect, but I can say that any expectations I had in my subconscious have been exceeded.

First, I am getting in shape.  I know this because the class runs in month-long cycles starting out easy and getting progressively harder, with modifications for the more experienced.  The first class kicked my ass.  I was so sore the next day I could barely move.  Honestly.  No exaggeration.  Other classes were difficult as well, but I noticed the more routine poses getting easier.  Tuesday was the first class of a new cycle and where the first class I attended was very difficult, Tuesday seemed very easy, even with some of the modifications.  I am getting stronger and more flexible, and it feels good.

Second, I am toning up.  I can tell that parts are less saggy and that I am slimming down just slightly.  Some of that might be due to the excessive heat that we've been experiencing here, but some of it I'm sure is from the yoga, too.  Muscle groups I thought were strong, like my legs, are proving me very wrong.  And I'm building upper body stregnth at an alarming rate.

Third, I'm really enjoying it.  Sure, at the end of a long day--and on Thursdays, the end of a long week--I don't really feel like going, but after each class I'm glad I went.  I'm able to do more once I get home and not feel like crashing right at 9:00.  It is helping me regulate my appetite better and drink more water, which is a bonus.  I wasn't sure about any type of group class at first since I'm not really a group activity type of person, but it really is just about focusing on yourself and doing what you can, pushing yourself a little harder each time.  Just having two nights a week that are all mine, where I can relax and exercise at the same time while also enjoying it have made a world of difference in my mental state and general attitude.  I hope to continue but hockey season is getting ready to start up and the games conflict with the class schedule, but I will attend as many classes as I can.