Honeymoon = Booked!
Forget this wedding planning stuff. Scott and I are going to Thailand!
Though technically we are getting married first.
We had hemmed and hawed over booking a honeymoon since we’re not going right after our wedding anyway. The wedding is at the beginning of November but since Scott will still be in school, we decided to wait until January to get the heck outta dodge. This way he’ll be on winter break and I’ll have new vacation time, plus we’ll have something to look forward to through the holidays. Also – leaving Chicago in January to go someplace warm just sounds like a really good idea.
Krabi, take me away!
We had originally wanted to go to Australia because I’m crazy and think money grows on trees. Once reality set it, we started looking a little closer to home. We actually even decided to wait until after the wedding was over to book so we could be responsible and know what our finances looked like but then we decided that irresponsibility was the way to go. Well, sort of. Anyplace we go (that’s warm) in January is going to be popular and the longer we wait the more expensive things will likely be, so when I found a good deal on a trip to Thailand, we decided to jump on it. And I’m so glad we did!
We’ll be spending 3 nights in Bangkok before flying to the small southern coastal town of Krabi for 3 more nights. Then we’ll have one more evening in Bangkok before heading home. We’ll be touring the city and also doing an island hopping excursion while in Krabi, so we’ve got a good mix of adventure and relaxation which is what we both were hoping for. Now we just have to get through the wedding and we’ll be all set!
RIP Gene
Cinema has lost another great. Gene Wilder has gone to that giant candy store in the sky and he will absolutely be missed. Many people know him from his iconic role as Willy Wonka in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory but I remember him from Blazing Saddles as that’s my dad’s favorite movie and was my first introduction to Wilder. His antics and comedy have been with me ever since and movies like Silver Streak, Stir Crazy and Young Frankenstein only solidified my love of the man.
See you on the other side.
He’s now reunited with Gilda Radner and I’d like to think that they’re together somewhere, making each other laugh until they cry.
Phoning it In
I forgot my phone at my apartment yesterday and didn’t have it for roughly 12 hours. I’m ashamed at how naked this made me feel. When did this happen? I remember not even having a cell phone so clearly I’m capable of living without one. But it’s so bad that the first thing I wanted to do when I realized I didn’t have it was to text Scott to tell him that I didn’t have my phone. You can guess how well that worked out for me. I also keep my monthly train pass in a pocket on the back of my phone so I was missing that, too. Having to pay out-of-pocket for something I’ve technically already paid for sure felt like being kicked while I was down.
Basically
I can’t check my gmail at my office and so I was without most forms of communication with my friends and family for the entire day. I emailed Scott a bit and he confirmed that my phone was, in fact, still in the bedroom, so that was something. He was kind enough to offer to take the el downtown and bring it to me but then when he got to the train station, he realized he forgot the damn phone at home too. Clearly, having my cell in my possession yesterday was just not meant to be. Which was made more frustrating by the fact that I attended a Volunteer Appreciation BBQ for the food pantry I work with and some of my friends had been messaging me about how they had to cancel at the last minute – which I realized when I was there and they weren’t, so I guess cell phones aren’t super necessary after all. But it’s just amazing how much we’ve come to rely on them! They are capable of just about anything short of making my coffee and wiping my ass (though technically I guess I could use my phone for the latter but I’m sure I’d regret it) and we’re so dependant on them. It’s insane and also a little shocking.
But while the first few hours of my day yesterday were kind of rough, by the time I got home I was close to enjoying my newfound phoneless freedom. I took the nearly 2 mile walk home from the BBQ and instead of talking to my mom or a friend on the phone or listening to a podcast, I listened to the sounds of the city. Cicadas, street traffic and the occasional crazy person made for a nice melody and I was proud of myself for not immediately rushing to my phone the minute I walked in the door. It was something like ten minutes instead.
If you’d like to know more, you can call me and I’ll tell you all about it.
Stranger Things
Scott and I just binged this show and it’s definitely something I must recommend. That is, if you’re a fan of creepy television, mysteries, intrigue and cheesy 80’s flicks. And who isn’t?!
Leggo my eggo
Stranger Things is a Netflix original starring Winona Ryder and a bunch of kids you’ve probably never heard of. It’s reminiscent of Stephen King books and movies and there’s a whole coming-of-age motif that was fairly common in a lot of King’s works. In fact, it’s sort of like E.T. meets Stand By Me meets The Goonies…and if you’ve never seen any of those, don’t worry. Chances are you’ll still get some enjoyment out of this new show because Stranger Things is all new and quite captivating. The characters are well-developed, the writing is both funny and heart-breaking and the cliff-hangers are made for binge watching. There are only eight one-hour episodes in the series so it’s easy to fly through and then immediately regret that decision. Luckily, a second season has been announced but who knows how long that’ll take to produce! Until then, I guess I’ll rewatch it a bit and just try to stay on the other side of the upside-down.
Happy Hump Day
I read this story this morning and it certainly brightened my day. It’s about a couple who have been together for more than 70 years and are as still as sappily in love with one another as they were on the day they met. And they met in a concentration camp during the Holocaust, so that’s saying something!
I know that I felt butterflies the first time that I laid my eyes on Scott but I can’t even pretend that our introduction was anywhere near as meaningful as it was for the couple in this story. It also gave me a little bit of hope because I feel like the news is constantly bombarding us with negativity and stories like this go to show that there is still good out there, if you know where to look.
I can only hope that Scott and I have as many happy years as this couple – and here’s also hoping that the last years they share are some of their very best yet!
As Seen This Morning
Double the adorable!
I typically take the same walk to the train each morning and this morning I was out and about a little earlier than usual. As I was making my way down the street, I noticed two women walking their nearly identical dogs and as they passed their dogs appeared to freak right out over each other. One owner was a girl about my age while the other woman was slightly older. I could see them laughing with each other as their dogs jumped and licked all over the place. As I got closer I heard the younger woman remark that this was the first time her pooch had ever seen another Jack Russell/Terrier mix before. Ah, so that’s what they were! They were super adorable and as I passed I couldn’t help but comment on how they each had seemed to find a brand new best friend in the other. That’s when they told me the names of their dogs.
One was Frank and the other was Beans. It was truly a match made in doggy heaven! I can only hope they’ve scheduled playdates from now until eternity.
Checked Out
I start vacation tomorrow!
And I’m jazzed!
Scott and I are flying to Louisiana to see my southern fried family and we couldn’t be more ready. He’s been busting his butt in summer classes for the last eight weeks and I’ve been busting my own butt at work and wedding planning and in life in general so we could use a bit of a break. We’re going to spend some quality time with my grandparents, dad and some cousins and help to celebrate my dad’s birthday later this week. Then we’re going to New Orleans ourselves for a couple of nights because we haven’t had a trip just the two of us in forever and damnit, we deserve it! We’re going to take trolleys, visit museums, eat beignets and let the good times roll!
Even if it is 117 degrees.
Webpaige's Blog 