Happy Birthday, Mr. Hogan (and other things)

Great Scott! I haven't blogged in over a month! Completely skipped February. OOPS, blame it on life. BUT FIRST, that very cute husband of mine just had a birthday, so let me love-vomit onto the internet for a bit.

And oh, do I LOVE that man. I am so so thankful that he was born 26 years ago. We've been together since he was 17, so I've been lucky enough to watch him grow into the wonderful and weird human he is today. He's such a good guy, y'all. I mean, the sweetest. And the most patient. And so smart and funny and weird. And he works his butt off everyday and I love to see it pay off for him. Brendon is one of those people that says, okay, I'm going to do that. And even if that is something insanely difficult and seems impossible, he does it. He makes me want to work harder and be better, because that's he does everyday. And he loves me. No matter what. No matter how grumpy or feisty or lazy or sleepy I am, he loves me all the same and makes me feel like a princess. He's my safe place, warm and fuzzy. Not literally. I mean, I guess literally too? Anyway, February 28th is definitely a day to celebrate. Glad you were born Mr. Hogan, you are my favorite.

This little month between our birthdays is the "I'm dating an older man" month. He's 26 now and I'm still a young 25. What an old fart! We celebrated his birthday with donuts, gardening, and veggie burgers. Oh and a movie on the couch. He had recently passed the cold he just got over to me, so I spent his birthday sick. Whomp whomp. We're always sick. Perks of going and going nonstop. But regardless of me feeling funky, it was a good day! For me anyway!

So what went down between my last post and now? Well, February happened. And February was a busy hectic INSANE month for me. LOTS of working. Like, A LOT. But, I got a promotion, woo! And we ran! A LOT. We've been stepping up our running game, which is I think the only new years resolution I've kept. I've got my eye on a half marathon and although we're SO far away from that business, we're running more often and I'm slowly but surely getting stronger. I don't know about faster though. Working on the faster. Distance and speed? Sheesh! One at a time please.

Oh my gosh and the Winter Olympics happened. I was ADDICTED. I watched it almost every night. Like, really, I think I missed two evenings. I LOVE that nonsense. I love how talented all those folks are and the insane things they can accomplish with their bodies. Also, how EXCITED they are! The skiers and snowboarders were my favorite, they were all just so happy! Even if they didn't win! Just thrilled to be there, happy to be doing what they love. The skaters, figure and speed, on the other hand were SO intense. And there was figure skating dramaaaaa of course. Ashley Wagner was robbed I tell you, robbed. But seriously, the Olympics consumed my life for a good two weeks+. I can't wait for them to be back. Four years!!!

The weather has been ridiculous, as Texas winters always are. 80 degrees one day, 30 the next. I guess it's always like this in the winter, but this year just seems abnormally bipolar. And we've had a lot of cold days. A lot of freezing. Which sounds whiny, but this is Texas! We can't handle too much of that!

And as I've resorted to talking about the weather, I think I'll end this post before I ramble off into oblivion. Sorry there aren't more exciting things to report about my month off of blogging. I'll try to do and document more things. Meanwhile, you stay classy, internet.

(And because I find it enjoyable, other birthday crown appearances. I'm hoping that giant thing lasts forever.)

Two Years

Not in the mood for smooshy gooshy love? Don't read this.

Our second year of married life has been... good. So good. This past year of marriage has been all about learning and growing with Brendon and appreciating and loving him more than ever. Even though I swear I know him backwards and forwards, he never ceases to surprise me. I learn new things about and from him everyday. Going through life with him is the greatest and most fun thing in the world.

And goodness, the things this man makes me feel. So many butterflies, after seven plus years of messy life together and two years of being his wife. I fall for him more and more everyday. I am crazy about him like a school girl. It's wonderful and scary, in a good way. How can anyone love this much? My heart hurts when we're apart and when I'm with him I cannot get enough. I'm addicted, big time. I crave his touch and his glances and his words. I want everything about him. I want his thoughts, his dreams, his future. I want to make him smile, to make him laugh, to make him happier than he's ever been. There is never enough. I miss him. Life gets in the way. It sucks and it hurts being away from him, but it is that much better when we're finally together again. And being apart gives us good things to talk about and share, although even if we spent every waking second together I don't think we'd ever run out of things to say.

I don't know how this man does to me what he does, but I love it. And I love him more now than I did yesterday and less today than I will tomorrow. Forever and always. I am the luckiest girl in the world, because he picked me. He wants me and he loves me. He loves the bad and good things about me, and is patient and kind with me when I am rotten tomato of grumpiness. Being married to him is the easiest and best thing in the world. I know marriage is not supposed to be easy, but it is. Life is not easy, life is hard and tiring and mean sometimes, but being married to him is like breathing deep gulps of air after life holds you under the water. Having each other is our protection against the dark and crummy things that so often threaten to appear in our simple little lives. Even after or during the most terrible day, knowing that we still have each other makes everything okay. He is my safe place, he is my home. He is everything and he is mine. And I am his. Two years down, forever to go.

And so you don't think we're all serious business:

Holy pit stains batman!

Photos curtesy of Powerhouse Studios. More wedding goodies here .

The video you've all been waiting for

Here it is. Mr. Hogan, busting a move on stage at the Mr. PharmD pageant. Also featuring, my annoying laugh! My husband has some sweet moves and is excellent at being super awkward. Hip thrusts all day.

You're welcome.

Mr. PharmD

Saturday night Brendon was a contestant in a beauty pageant. Kinda.

Every year the University of Texas College of Pharmacy holds a Mr. PharmD contest for the future men in pharmacy to strut their stuff on stage and battle it out for a crown. Of course, Brendon wanted in on that action. So boom, we had us a pageant to prepare for. There were four parts to the thing, an introduction with an escort (yours truly, I walked on a stage and didn't fall), "cultural wear", talent, and a health platform speech. It was actually a lot of fun and really entertaining. There were only four contestants so it wasn't super long, and they were all great!

Ahem, look familiar? He definitely was grooving to the chicken dance.

The talent portion. OH IT WAS THE BEST. Everyone's was so good. Brendon did the Napoleon Dynamite dance, and he did it perfectly. I was so proud. We practiced a bunch and he knocked it out of the park. I was laughing so hard I cried. There is video and as soon as I figure out how to put it on youtube, I will share. It was brilliant and hilarious.

Brendon's health platform was obesity. Did you know that hunk up there has lost 60 pounds since high school? And still counting! He has worked so hard and it has seriously paid off. He's the healthiest dude I know!

Although Brendon was a rockstar, he didn't get that crown. The guy who did was awesome, so it's okay. Brendon will always be my Mr. PharmD. 

And here I am! Proof that I was there! Too bad we don't have documentation of my brief stint on stage, showing Brendon off. That will  probably never happen again! As much as I envy and aspire to be one of those Glee kids, stages aren't in my future. Brendon on the other hand, apparently that's another story.

Weekend update

PHEW, this past week was a long one. February decided that it was going to go out with style and keep us busy busy busy! Hello March, please be a little calmer! Brendon had a wicked test plus a gazillion other things to do with school this week and I worked waaaay too much. I didn't see Brendon for two days straight aside from a smooch goodbye in the mornings. It was the week that wouldn't end, and unfortunately, it was also Brendon's birthday week. Sorry your birthday week was a hot mess Mr. H, but we made it!

Even though it was a crazy week, we did get to celebrate my favorite husband's day of birth. And the birthday crown made an appearance again! With slightly more character from being stuck in the closet all year. Woo! That night we went out with a bunch of his friends to Trudy's for a few drinks and good Mexican food. It was fun! Pharmacy school kids are alright in my book even if they're too smart for their own good.

I'm a terrible wife/baker and didn't make a cake so he had to make do with blowing his birthday candle out on a strawberry. Lame, but then again, last year I blew my candle out on a slice of bread. But I'm the baker! I had grand plans of making something awesome, but I literally did not have time. Shoot, I barely had time to sleep. But I'll make it up to him soon! Promise!

Friday we had another evening of celebration, because this crazy guy retired!

Cute pic, huh? I especially love his fish belt. After working his butt off for a gazillion years, my daddio has retired! We celebrated with him and some folks from his company at the Vineyards, which happens to be the restaurant/vineyard where we were married! My dad didn't know my siblings, Brendon, and I were coming, so it was fun to surprise him!

It was a fun night full of funny stories (and one very hilarious video) about my dad. Plus we got to hang out with a whole bunch of people a few decades older than us which is always amusing, especially when alcohol is involved. My dad has worked for the same company since I can remember (basically, my whole life), it's so surreal that he wont be any more! But now he'll have lots of time for his projects! He's already started building a barn. Like father like daughter. Except my projects are slightly smaller.

I'm glad we had a couple of fun nights this week, but man I am exhausted. We have been going nonstop! Embarrassing evidence:

This is what your sink looks like when you're ghosts in your own house, eating leftovers, packets of tuna, and sandwiches whenever you happen to have time. Like a couple college kids, no real food for days. I'm ready for us to be back in our usual routine. Whatever that is.

Mr. Hogan is twenty-five!

DANG, guess who's a quarter of a century old??? My main squeeze is an old man! HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRENDON! I am so glad you were born. Today truly is a day to celebrate! The world would be so lame without you.

I love you to the moon and back and you blow me away with your general awesomeness everyday. I can't believe you're 25. Sometimes you seem so much younger (fart jokes?) and sometimes you are wise beyond your years. This is the eighth birthday of yours to celebrate together. Can you believe it? How you've changed since your wee teen years. Every year you grow and evolve and even though I think I could never love you more, I do. I've fallen harder for you every year. So bring it on. 25 year old Brendon sounds sexy.

You're the best, and you deserve a crown (bitch). Happy birthday Mr. Hogan.

52 weeks of baking: 7 - oatmeal cream pies

This weeks baked treat was picked by Mr. Hogan. I let him decide the treat of the week and he picked oatmeal cream pies! He LOVES those Little Debbie snack things. I can't say I remember what they taste like, but I'm not huge on packed super processed food. That nonsense really isn't allowed in my house. So of course, challenge accepted, lets make some from scratch that blow the fake stuff out of the water.

I used this recipe from Sally's Baking Addiction, which was the first thing that popped up when I googled "oatmeal cream pies". The recipe was simple, had good ingredients, so I went for it. And it was pretty perfect. Way to go Sally.

Channeling my inner Twilight cover what?

This week I had a baking assistant!

John Cena! But really, it was this kid:

These are probably some of the best cookies I've ever made. The cookie part is way good enough to stand on its own. It's a pretty perfect oatmeal cookie, so soft and thick and awesome. The icing is really just... icing on the cookie? Ha! The icing is actually great, creamy and fluffy, and delicious between two cookies. The sandwiches are monstrous and rich and I had one for breakfast this morning.

Brendon and I made these on Valentine's Day after our little feast at home. What did you do for V-day? Anything exciting? I worked for almost 12 hours and Brendon had school all day so we decided to spend a low-key evening at home. We stopped by Central Market and got some ridiculously yummy tuna steaks, portobello mushrooms, and our new favorite German beer (can we just go to Bavaria already?) and cooked us a fancy feast at home. And then made these cookies! Pretty good Valentine's Day if you ask me.

Last night we got fancy and went to Ballet Austin to see the Rite of Spring. It was great! Except that it started at 8 and that's when I'm usually getting in to bed. I was so tired! Matinee performances are probably a better bet for this girl. But regardless we had a blast and I was transported back to my wee stint as a ballerina.

It's been a long long long week that I am ready to see the end of. Coming back to reality after a vacation is always rough, but I came back a little sick (it always works like that doesn't it?) and the antibiotics I'm taking made me feel horrendous for the first few days. You win some you lose some I guess.

And to wrap up the week and this loooong post, because I'm rambling at this point, here is an unflattering picture of me, doing what I do best:

That is why I bake; snacking on cookie dough, cake batter, and icing off of spoons, bowls, and beaters. Also, hello ugly Walmart sweatshirt, I never should have bought you.

A cup of tea and the motorcycle diaries

Here's a cup of tea. Because I feel like a post without a picture is sad and univiting.

I apologize for the quietness here on the blog. Not only am I still without my life documenter (I will one day acquire a battery charger!), but my life has been relatively uneventful lately.

Brendon started school again this week, which means that our sweet month without pharmacy school has ended. I have been working like a dog as usual, but I am by no means complaining. I've been working like crazy (a 40 hour work week, whats that?), and down time hasn't been suiting me lately. I should be exhausted but I never can seem to relax, I am always wanting to go go go. It will catch up with me eventually I'm sure, no one can run on 5 hours of sleep a night forever (or can they??), but at the moment I'm loving the hustle and bustle of my little life. The fuller the better.

Other things going on, Brendon has started riding Darth Vader, aka our little motorcycle. Shall we delve into why I am not riding it? Why not! I had all the intentions in the world of being an accomplished motorcycle babe... until I laid that puppy down. On top of me. Oh you didn't know that happened? LETS TALK ABOUT IT. Because for a while I didn't want to. Because it sucked. But I'm okay with it now.

So I embarked on my first commute on the bike. I was heading to work at like... 6am? All started out well. I was coming up to a light that was green and rushed so I would make the left turn. Rushing = bad. Rushing + turning = REAL bad. I went into the turn going way too fast, and did exactly what you shouldn't do, I braked. I turned to wide and hit the gravel in the shoulder and WHOOSH, the bike slid out from under me, fell over, and we slid together for a few feet. As it was all happening I was like DAMNIT DAMNIT DAMNIT I KNOW BETTER WHY AM I A FOOL? I ended up in the shoulder, chillin' with the bike on top of my left leg. But I was okay. I planned on picking the bike up and continuing on. Until I couldn't pick the bike up. That bike weighs 350lbs and I weigh a buck and some change. It weighs over three times as much as I do. I found out the hard way that I cannot lift 350lbs.

So there I was, laying in the shoulder, on an overpass, in the dark, with a bike stuck on me. Luckily someone stopped and helped me lift it up. I got back on it and drove it home. While sliding I had bent the shifter so it was stuck in 3rd. I have no idea how I drove it all the way home in third, but I did. So I get home, wake up Brendon, and then notice that, oh hey, my left boot is ripped up. Oh hey, my pants are ripped. Oh hey, ROAD RASH. I tore my leg up. It was gross. I cleaned it and covered it with band aids and went to work. Brendon fixed the shifter (because he's amazing? he also installed new blinkers, this guy is too good at life). My leg was jacked for a long while. I limped for weeks. My knee, ankle, and foot swelled up like a mother and the bruising was awesome. This was in September. My knee is still tender and has an excellent scar. DON'T EVER RIDE A MOTOR CYCLE WITHOUT PROPER GEAR. Oh my god I cannot imagine what damage would have been inflicted had I not been wearing gear. My ankle would probably have disintegrated.

I've ridden the bike since, but the fact that it is a few hundred pounds heavier than me scares me. So I've admitted defeat, for now. I liked riding it but I think I am just a little too small. So Brendon got his license over the break and he inherited Darth Vader. And he is a natural of course because he is good at everything. He's been riding it to work and school (primo parking!) and he loves it. At first I was nervous and scared (who am I kidding, I still am) but he's smart and he's strong and he can handle it. But if someone so much as thinks about running into him I will be out for blood. WATCH OUT CARS OF AUSTIN, my husband is on the road on a little black bike and he's important.

Maybe I'll get a vespa. Or I'll settle for a new car with good gas mileage and AC.

2013, give me my husband back!

That picture is from 2012, but whatever. It was taken on one of the hottest days of the year, and this past week I just haven't been able to stay warm.

This is not the first post of 2013 that I wanted to write. I had started a writing discussion of new year resolutions and how I never make any, but it just seemed half-hearted. This is what's on my mind.

So far 2013 has been fairly uneventful and not much fun. Lots of working for the husband and I. Well, I always work a lot, but Brendon being at work all the time is an odd thing. Brendon only works weekends (sometimes) during the school year so he is trying to hustle for that cash while he is out of school for the break. It will be nice to have the extra money, but our work schedules do not mesh well. He has a normal job, he gets off in the evenings, around 6 or 7. I on the other hand start my days incredibly early and I am usually home from work before 4. I'm halfway through my work day when Brendon gets to work. And he has been staying late to help out, so by the time he gets home, I'm ready for bed. When you get up for work at 3:30am, 8pm is bedtime. I work hard and once that sun goes down, your girl is tired. I don't mean to be, and it stinks. I haven't been able to stay up to hang out. There has been a lot of falling asleep during movies, a lot of passing out on the couch. A lot of not being with my other half. And as much as I am grateful for the extra income (overtime for Mr. H!), I miss my husband.

I'm finding myself wanting the break to be over and for pharmacy school to start. Something I never thought I'd want. Our schedules just match up better since he's just at school during the week. And often he's at home studying when I get home from work. And I know that's so selfish of me, because Brendon is loving not having to study and the lack of stress, but man I miss him. Being alone waiting for him to get home isn't fun. And then being unable to stay awake once he does get home is worse. And what makes me sad is that I can't imagine his schedule ever matching mine. Coffee shop hours are odd. I like it, but it's not exactly normal.

I'm mostly being a baby. I'm grateful that Brendon doesn't have study everyday and that he is working so hard to help us out. But I am also tired of being alone and waiting around is not something I do well. I'm all about instant gratification, I want my husband and I want him now. But you don't always get what you want, and he is worth the wait. Every time. Somehow somewhere we'll find a happy medium. We'll reach a happy place of normalcy one day where we'll have a decent amount of hours with each other everyday. One day.

2013, I bring need to bring back my sunshine and rainbows. I try to see them in everything, but lately it's been a little tougher than usual. So I guess if I had to have a resolution, it would be to continue seeing, and make more of an effort to see, the silver lining in everything. To always focus of the little good things. To MAKE good things happen. Because it's my year and I'll do what I want with it. Like taking a nap today so when my husband gets home, whenever he gets home, I'll be able to stay up a later with him. I mean look at the progress I've made, it's 8:30pm, y'all!

Alamo Bowlin'

Saturday we went to the Alamo Bowl with my daddio and step-mom to watch the Texas Longhorns play the Oregon State Beavers. Spoiler alert, we left after halftime. Spoiler alert number two, the most exciting quarter was the last one and the Longhorns won.

Brendon and I aren't really into sports. We'll go to some baseball games every now and then but that's really the extent of it. And even though Brendon goes to UT, I wouldn't say we "bleed burnt orange". I mean, I have zero school spirit and I look awful in orange. We tried real hard to get into this game but it didn't happen. We had fun wandering around the tailgates before the game and the marching bands were cool (inner band nerd!), but when my dad asked if we were ready to roll after halftime to get some grub we said, hell yeah. Honestly, we were mostly just tired. I'm usually in bed around 8:30-9, so this was a wild night for me. Seventy year old woman, I know.

But like I said, we had lots of fun pregaming and overall it was a good time. Just couldn't make it through the whole thing.

I look like I'm twelve. And oh yeah, I got new specs! Used my vision benefits right before the year ended, like a boss.

 MY DAD'S FACE.   

Strangers are always offering to take our pictures, and they always turn out terrible. Next time I'm telling them, NOPE.

Balloons that, I'm assuming, fell down after the game was over. I would have liked to see that!

Even though we punked out, we had a lot of fun hanging out with my dad and Lynne. Lots of laughing lots of goodness. And it was cool being back at the Alamodome. I hadn't been there in years! Remember when the Spurs played there?? I think the last time I was there was for the state marching band competition my sophomore(?) year of high school. I told y'all I was a nerd. The glasses are super appropriate now, eh?