Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Giants fans UNITE!

As we sit 2 hours from the first pitch of the World Series I can't help but chuckle at the SF Giants FEVER that has hit this city. HECK, this half of our STATE. Northern California is starving for a champion, for a Cinderella story. It has been a few years since any of our major sports franchises have reached the big one. Both the Oakland Raiders and the Giants made it to their respective "big ones" in 2002, before that we had the glory years of the Sacramento Kings. I was just a kid when the 49ers were in their hayday. I hear rumors of the Oakland A's being good once, at least every time you get in an argument with an A's fan they say "championship" because that is all they have to say....maybe this year we'll have a little something to throw back at 'em!

Anyway, my point WAS, even those who wouldn't have considered themselves Giants fans, or even really baseball fans have jumped on the Giants winning the World Series bandwagon. Typically, I am not cool with fare whether fans partaking in the glory of a winning team that they have not lived and died with all season. HOWEVER, in this case, I am going to say "GIANTS FANS: UNITE!"

The Gigantes need all the juju they can get and you know what? It is freakin fun to see post after post on facebook on a game day. It is fun to see people with their colors on, people wearing hats and eye black and girls with cute little girl Giants shirts on. I know that I can barely concentrate at work today, hence this blog post...I can't wait to get home tonight and hopefully watch them take Game 1. If they don't, well...tomorrow will be even MORE important. This is our year, I can feel it. Can't you feel it?

I have a fever and the only cure is A WORLD SERIES RING!!

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Reflections: Looking back at 6 months of marital bliss

Not to get mushy on you but today marks 6 months of marriage for the Haynes'. I have never been a "monthly anniversary" celebrator....I just don't see the point, but today I have some thoughts I want to pen down, or I suppose, in this case type down.

For anyone who has known Derek and I any length of time, you know that not only did we date for YEARS ( I mean, like a lot of years) before we got married, but we also did not live together before we got married. I think that in this day and especially for our age, that is pretty rare. However, I think that has made these last six months that much sweeter for us.

There is something to be said for the discovery of your partner in day to day life. I didn't know exactly what Derek's habits were early in the morning when getting ready for work. I didn't know how he slept every night, how he snoozes his alarm 2-3 times each morning and how he turns on the shower before he shaves his face at the sink.

Derek didn't know that I never snooze my alarm (or maybe he did because I make disparaging comments about snoozing all the time) that I apparently talk nonsense in my sleep (I didn't know that either) or that I throw elbows when I sleep (I guess we need a bigger bed).

These are all non-starter parts of our lives (except the elbow throwing, that is serious) but I am just making a point; there are so many things that even 8 years of dating didn't teach us about one another.

Something I didn't expect about living together? How sweet our evenings together would be. How fun it is to be home making dinner for Derek when he gets home from a long day. How appreciative he is when he comes home to a clean house and clean laundry. How even though I am not the greatest cook in the world, he loves it when I try and make something new.

Things that are special to me after 6 months of marriage:
When he brings me a cup of coffee in the bathroom each morning while I get ready before he leaves in the morning.
When I wake up with an Afro of a hair-do he makes a silly comment like, "Stay back boys, she's all mine"
When I cook dinner, he races to the kitchen to clean up the dishes after we eat.
On the rare nights that I get home later than he does, there are always comfy clothes laid out on the bed for me and a glass of wine poured.
That most weekends we do the grocery shopping and the laundry together.
That he sends me random "I love you darlin" texts during the day
That whenever I am gone from the house, he sends me "What are you doing? What is your status?" texts...
That he always calls when he is on his way home
That whenever I walk in the door he says, "There's my wife"
That we still can laugh together about the dumbest things...like me falling, hitting my knee on the coffee table, or him making a "law situation" out of everything
Our dinner date nights together
Our yogurt runs
The fact that we can still do things with our friends, separately
When we do things with our friends together
That we make time to get together with our parents and my brothers family
That he is my greatest supporter and he encourages me to step out in faith into uncharted territories and follow my dreams
That he make me a better person, every day
That together we try and be a blessing to those around us

There is no one I would rather face trials with, no one who makes me happier, no one that I feel safer with, no one who can make me laugh more and no one who I would rather spend the rest of my life with than Derek. I love you Derek.

Saturday, October 16, 2010

Being a better friend

I was inspired this week by a blog post I read that challenged women, in particular, to do a better job of understanding each other in each other's different walks of life. It struck a chord with me because I have friends in various stages of life; single, dating, married, married with kids, single with kids, divorced, divorced with kids....

Every person has their own unique situation and their own life circumstances. No one has a full understanding of another person's life circumstances and frankly, it seems sometimes that no one cares to try and figure it out. After reading that blog post I had to stop and ask myself, "Do I do a good job of being understanding of other people's challenges? Do I reach out to my friends even when they don't reach out to me?"

I was ashamed to answer NO to both questions...at least most of the time. It is so easy sometimes to just hang with the friends who are like me; in a relationship or married and kid free. How can I possibly understand what it is like to have children? How can I possibly understand what it is like to be a SINGLE parent? Well, I could certainly do a better job of offering friendship to my friends who are in that place in their life.

So what if they are busy? So what if I am busy? Does that exempt me from picking up the phone and giving them a call? Does that mean I cannot go to their house when they cannot go out for the evening?

Today I made the first step in a new resolution to be a better friend and to make an effort to understand what life is like outside of the bubble I live in. One of my friends who has children invited me to come watch her daughter's soccer game. In the past I would have likely declined because my Saturdays are precious time to me. I either need that time to run errands, house clean or simply spend time to Derek if neither one of us is working.

However, I realized that the time requirement would only be about an hour, I loved playing soccer as a kid and I love my friends. I would have time to see Derek when I got home. She was making an effort to reach out to me, which she did not have to do. Was it so hard for me to meet her half way and come to the place she was already going to be? I could see how SHE spent HER Saturdays.

So I went. I am glad I did. It was nice to watch the kids run around, it was nice to see a friend I don't see often and it was nice to take part in the lives of her children. We may not be as close as we once were, but I will always be there for her and I want her to know that. It isn't likely that we will ever be walking step by step in life again. However, I don't think that means that we can't take a walk in this life together every once in a while.

There aren't many friends that you can hang onto for a lifetime so when you find one, do everything in your power to understand them, to love them and to reach out to them. Time is precious, but friendship supersedes all time.

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

I could use a little humor

Seems like work goes through the same 'ol phases week after week...I'll have a good week at work followed up by a frustrating, stressful week. One week I am loving my job, the next week I am searching Craig's list for a new opportunity...

Needless to say, I could use a good laugh...unfortunately it comes at the expense of myself...of course.

So the last several weeks I have acquired 5 or 6 bites on my body. They are either spider bites or some sort of bug (dare I say "bed bug"). Now, because of these bites, I get into bed and lie awake feeling like I have spiders of bugs crawling in my sheets. I DO have restless leg syndrome, which cause me to feel like I have ants constantly crawling up and down my legs, but this is different, TRUST ME.

I realize this is irrational and unlikely....however, where did the bites come from?! My husband is so ashamed of me...and I think that he thinks I am going insane...I check my sheets before I get in them and they appear harmless, but now I am not sleeping at night....what am I going to do?

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Welcome Fall, I've been waiting for you

I absolutely LOVE this time of year. I love the chill in the air, I love scarves, gloves, hats, boots, jeans and blankets. I love hot tea, fires, warm beds and hot showers.

I am ready to travel to Apple Hill and buy pie, cider and apples (maybe even wine taste??) I can't wait to drive up to Tahoe and see the snow, maybe even ski a little.

Falling leaves, overcast skies and a drizzle in the air...these are a few of my favorite things. How can anyone not love Fall in Northern California?

My favorite fall activities:
  • Apple Hill
  • Wine Tasting
  • Walking (don't judge me)
  • Motorcycle riding
  • Watching Football
  • This year: Watching the SF Giants in the post-season ;)
  • Trying new baking recipes
  • Also this year: Moving into my first house