NINA FARINA

Beautiful

So we flew out to the Bay Area friday night. Saturday was spent tromping around San Fran, had lunch with some people who I truly adore and it was more than lovely. Saturday night was chill, having pizza and wine with old friends.

Sunday we caught X-Men 3 gotta say I loved it, cause I did.

Spencer and Stephanie's wedding Sunday afternoon was gorgeous. I was so happy I cried. And I get to see them again in August--woohoo!

Monday John and I went to Sonoma Valley and it was wonderful. The recommendation from the trip Chateau St. John Gewurtziminer (Delicious!). You don't need all the details but I couldn't have had a better weekend.

Registry

So apparently I hate shopping so much and am so frugal that I am having trouble registering.
Fine china or not $130 for a five piece place setting?!
and I may want the 300 thread count sheets but $80 for a set.
Maybe if folks could just give me the money I could get twice the stuff and have four times the fun.

Maybe my standards are low but

My definition of a good day is two loving functional conversations with my parents.

I'm smiling

Artist Beware?

So John points out on the 23rd that they are not letting MIA into the country.

I am more scared of the fact that they are not letting Richard Kelly (director of Donnie Darko) out of the country.

And on an inspirational note I've been a fan of the Dixie Chicks since I heard the song Goodbye Earl, but the new song...love it so much. They're trying to be viewed as adult contemporary since their country fans can't handle their politics. I guess I am a contemporary adult then.

Challenges

Maybe I am too goal oriented but I have been doing some personal reflection and I am okay with that. I have realized that my life goals have typically been intellectual. I think the Wellesley/Columbia combo has satisfied my urge for intellectual hurdles. It's not as if I have turned my brain off, but the things I am doing don't feel as challenging.

Creatively I had goals but I've decided to be forgiving to myself because of recent events. Sometimes you have to deal with things before you write about them...or maybe the don't need writing...either way I am taking a break.

So what's left, yes Mark I'll take the physical challenge. I'm finally running and I am training for a triathlon. My goal is next summer. I could probably do it by the end of this summer but my wedding takes priority. Any tips?

Growth

So I just got off the phone with my dad. It is interesting how our relationship has developed. We spent two years not talking because of "an incident". Before that our relationship was ______, let's just say my dad has/had issues.

Since he has admitted that he has had issues we have started to develop a new relationship. It has its bumps (see two posts prior). There are times were old wounds on my end are too hard to ignore and there are times when his temper comes back and frightens me even when he doesn't mean it to. I've gotten more good advice from my dad in the last couple of years then ever in my life. But growing a new relationship after 24 years of a bad one is very hard.

It's a blessing that I have this blog to vent to, most of the time my friends actually give me advise that calms me down or helps me out. My father doesn't read it, in spite of all his issues he has this big thing about respecting privacy (I used to leave my journal out and he wouldn't read it). I also think my blog would bore him to death. All in all just thinking about things has made me realize how blessed I am. He may have his slip ups but at least he is trying. He may say stupid things occasionally but then, later he checks himself. I was tempted to delete my prior post but I want to leave it there just cause the comments are interesting (and it is nice to know that everyone has wedding planning issues).

As to the wedding--at the end of the day I get to spend my life with someone I am truly in love with and who is truly in love with me. Whether we are legally united or not I am one of the luckiest girls in the world and will always feel that way.

Every once and a while

I get reminded how talented my friends are (not that I needed reminding). Watch these. First watch the one on the bottom then watch the one on top.

If you have more time on your hands watch this too.

The second link is way longer and the page has links to other short films.

I also got an email from a friend who has just published a children's book and is sending me a copy. The email came with the added bonus of sound advice on how to make sure "our wedding stays our wedding". Not that T is much older than I am, but I am very glad that I have never been one of those people who limits my friends to people in my life stage or age range.

Summer has lent me lots of time to create and I have been taking advantage of it but not in the way that I thought. Class has been out for a few weeks and I am already thinking about how I have to finish my genocide related article. Mostly, however, I am thinking about better ways to teach my class.

I do have a book I want to get to, but ideas need more ripening. I am sure it will get underway with all this creativity floating around.

It's a rough day

When you realize that if you ate the way you used to do when you were in college you will get sick (AND gain weight) .... :-(

getting older stinks

so i'm not a mom

and happy mother's day to all of you who are....but apparently I am a good Professor. I got an email congratulating me on my student evaluations. Per the department chair, they are really good, particularly since I have never taught at a college before. He wants me to teach my Genocide class in both the fall and the spring with the possibility of a second class in the spring.

I don't know if I will be teaching next year but this makes me happy.

woohoo

So the invites are ordered. Hopefully they come back all right. Now I have to get the addresses I don't have but need. Sigh

Opinions Please

I am self-employed and I have been looking into getting my own health insurance--here is what I have been finding. Maternity coverage is optional, which means I would have to pay about 50-70 extra per month if I wanted maternity coverage.

Figure this.

1. Having a baby cost about 10,000
2. The insurance coverage will only give me between 1,500-2,500 in maternity coverage.
3. John and I don't plan on having kids for a couple of years
4. I am on the pill, I am the type that takes it every day around the same time.

Side note, none of the insurance companies cover oral contraceptives or devices. I thought a bill was passed that made this mandatory. Was I wrong?

SO on the off chance that I become pregnant do I pay for the optional insurance coverage? I am thinking it is almost not worth it because of how much I would pay per month versus what they would cover. What do you think?

I tried to be a poet this evening

I was alone and thought I could turn 14 months worth of grief into art
it is not art
it is big tears
and lots of snot
and some words on a page that come out just as shitty as a I feel when I think about how much I miss them all