Reminder.

I haven't been annoying enough. And let's be honest, annoying I can do!

But it seems that the monkeys have fixed the GAP site and it is now fully functional for voting and other shenanigans. Let the games begin.

VOTE FOR ALEX!!

Hump Day!

Weeeeeeee! It's the middle of the week!

I don't know that I've fully expressed my excitement on the blog that I get to see my sister this weekend. Insert screams of delight here.

Mom, Alex and I are cartin' it to Connecticut to attend Kelli and David's bridal shower out there. Yes, we are driving. Yes, it makes me want to kill myself. No, I'm not sure I'll survive.

We're actually taking the shortcut through Canada. I know, crazy...who travels somewhere via car when the shortcut is through Canada? It's also a perk because I don't have to drive through Pennsylvania, which I'm quite sure is the worst state in the galaxy. It. Never. Ends.

We're leaving at the ass crack of dawn on Friday so that Alex can be sleeping in the carseat as long as possible. He gets sweaty in that thing, you know.

Should Monday roll around and I'm not back in action, wait until at least Thursday to contact the authorities. Tell them to look for me somewhere north of Narnia.

Eegads!

Confession: I am a TOTAL office supply whore. I heart the back to school season because all of my favorite stores greet me as I enter with lavish displays of pens, notebooks, folders and other paperish items.

Back to School 2009: Enter the Sharpie retractable pen.

I have been searching like a fiend for this hot little item since I first drooled over the swirling coffee cup in the lame introductory commercial campaign. MUST. HAVE. IT. NOW.

Alas, no brick and mortar stores in the Greater Metro Detroit area could keep them in stock long enough for me to get my hands on one. And, quite frankly, I draw the line at $3.99 shipping from Amazon.com.

So imagine my sheer delight when I found them on Sunday at my neighborhood unfriendly Wally World. YIPPIE!

And in case you were wondering, they are awesome.

Weirdness & The Weekend.

There's a lot of weirdness going on in the office right now, and once the dust settles I'll bring y'all up to speed. But to get our minds off it in the meantime, let's review the weekend, shall we?

The Talicska men were up at "God's Country," aka my Uncle's property up north, so Mom and Jill came to spend the weekend with me and Alex. Why was Alex not with the men, you ask? The rules of Talicska Man Weekend are simple and finite: you must be at least 16 years of age, have a penis, and be spawn of or married to a Talicska to gain admittance. Alex received his certificate of entry from my Uncle Dave back in June, and he must present it to the Elders (My Dad, Uncle Perry, Uncle Dave) in September 2025 to be allowed in. Until then, he's stuck shopping with the girls. :)

Jill, Mom, Sarah and I spent most of the weekend preparing top secret things for Kelli and David's shower in addition to spending an inordinate amount of time in various stores around town. Also, copius amounts of wine may or may not have been consumed. Glorious.

When Joey got home on Sunday we did some more work in the basement - hanging pictures, decorating, etc. and prepped the yard for fall. This weekend I will plan mums! I'm quite sure there was once a day that had you told me I would be excited about planting mums I would have punched myself in the ovaries. Who am I?

Ok. Back to work for me...time for a coffee refill.

Cha-Ching!

Click here for a great list of coupons being offered from none other than the queen of EVOO herself, Rachael Ray.

You're welcome.

In return for sharing the wealth, please vote for Alex!

Friday!

First, let it be known that there is not enough Starbuckies in the universe to make it through today. As such, I will once again put into practice what you've all come to know and love as my one of my "lazy list posts." Deal.

- The season premiere of Grey's Anatomy was a little slow and rather predictable, but I sat in awe as we watched it on our brand new BATV! 52" of pure, LCD HD entertainment. That's what she said.

- Yesterday marked the 44th anniversary of the signing of Executive Order 11246 by President Lyndon B. Johnson, which officially prohibits sex discrimination in employment. *Snaps* for LBJ. I can't help but giggle a little bit when I type his initials.

- Tragic: we lost our Baby Bjorn. We'd only used it a handful of times, and I was really looking forward to using it on the Apple Orchard trip...but it's gone! Last time we used it was at Arts, Beats & Eats in Pontiac and we're pretty sure it fell out of the bottom of the stroller when we were loading the car back up in the dark. Boo.

- To my above point, I was bidding on a NEW Jeep baby carrier thingy on ebay yesterday. I was the only bidder with 30 seconds left ($2.00, thankyouverymuch) and some douchebag outbid me by $0.50. It honestly took me until last night at about 9 p.m. to officially get over it. Actually, I'm still pissed about it. Stupid whoeveryouare.

- Thanks to those who have voted for Alex in the GAP contest. Apparently the voting system and web structure for the site was designed by dyslexic monkeys because it only works for like every third person. Que sera, sera. Please keep trying....daily.

- And finally, for your reading enjoyment, you KNOW it's newsworthy when the WSJ covers it.

Happy almost weekend!

Winner, Winner. Chicken Dinner.

I got an interesting 'lil email in my inbox yesterday. Behold:



Umm...the interpretation of it basically reads, "Hey, Kristi...you need to urgently enter Alex because he's the freaking cutest kid on earth." And so, I did.

Please click here to cast a vote for my little man. Just search for his contestant number, 809679244. You have to create a membership and login to vote, but it's free!

The People's Choice winner (a.k.a. highest vote getter) wins a family vacation. The babies chosen for the photo shoot and gift card are chosen directly by GAP and not influenced by voting. So technically, he could win BOTH!

You can vote once a day now through Nov. 17, so rest assured that every.single.post between now and then will contain some sort of reminder to vote. And I'll probably add a reminder button somewhere along the right column. It will get annoying. Consider yourself warned.

And let me know if you enter your kid(s)...I'll vote for them, too!

Unfair.

Why is it that the fabulous Heidi Klum aka Mrs. Seal can look like this?



And at the same point in my pregnancy, I looked like this?



FAIL.

ETA: For readers just tuning in, yes, those really are my feet/cankles at about 34 weeks pregnant.

T-I-Double-G-Rrrrrrrrrrrr.

I love Tigger. Always have, always will. Pooh, on the other hand, is retarded. My opinion. Whatevs.

Anywho, lookee what I just found for the munchkin:

$6.00 + $0.97 Shipping

And, because I'm pretty sure that the only thing cuter than a baby in denim is a baby in a hooded sweatsuit, I also got this:

$5.00 + $0.97 Shipping

So cheap...and cute! Perhaps he can wear the sweatsuit to the Apple Orchard...

Happy Fall, Y'all!

Today marks the first day of the beginning of my favorite part of year. I am a sick, twisted individual and absolutely adore fall and winter. It's standard that I cry on the day of the first snowfall. Same goes for all things Christmas.

But until the snow falls, these are the three things I heart the most:


Watching the leaves change color and fall to the ground in giant piles. Something Michigan does right.



Apple cider and donuts. And caramel apples, too...



Hoodie weather! Go Broncos!

I'm beside myself with glee to take Alex to an apple orchard. We will be the picture of family perfection: riding on a hayride, picking our pumpkins ourselves, going thru the corn maze and ending the day with a large purchase of cider, donuts and apples. I will be wearing a hoodie, natch.

Giveaway!

Again, not mine. Though I do plan on having one for my first blog-i-versary on Oct. 16, so stay tuned!

Visit Misadventures of a Newlywed for your chance to win a Pacifica Tuscan Blood Orange Travel Set!


This gift set includes travel size:
- 3.0 oz Tuscan Blood Orange Soy Candle
- 2.0 oz Tuscan Blood Orange Body Butter
- 0.33 oz Tuscan Blood Orange Solid Perfume
- Matches

Much deliciousness.

The Issue.

As mentioned on Thursday, I’ve been considering this post for a long time. If you so choose, read on with an open mind and please remember these are my opinions, only. I don’t expect you to agree with me or even like what I have to say. All that’s important here is that you respect my opinion and I will respect yours, whatever it may be. Feel free to comment…just don’t be bitchy, mmmkay?

Buckle in and grab some corn. It’s gonna be a long one.

For what it’s worth, my mom was a Stay-At-Home-Mom (SAHM). Both my Mom and Dad worked insanely hard to provide the life that my siblings and I had. And make no bones about it – we were a normal, middle class family. No silver spoons here. But, we traveled all over the world. We took dance lessons. All three of us went to college. We had a beautiful home. My parents were at every honors assembly, every soccer game, every concert. Somehow, they made it work while making the best possible decisions, always choosing what was right for our family.

Now that I’m living it, I can honestly tell you that I have no idea how they did it. Not a freaking clue. And I don’t know that I can ever truly express my gratitude for the life I lived and the things I enjoyed. They gave up so much for us. I suppose the only way I can actually repay them is to pay it forward and pray that Joe and I can raise our family with that same mindset.

I’m trying. Really hard.

That said, I’ve lived the life of both a working Mom and a SAHM. It’s no secret that I was blessed to be able to stay home for the first 4 ½ months of Alex’s little life. But I was thrown back into the swirling, whirling world of corporate America on Sept. 1. By choice, mind you.

Let’s just first get it right out in the open that I would LOVE to stay home with Alex. And, to be honest, we could totally swing it. Sure, we’d have to be a little savvier with our spending, but we could do it. Some might argue that a few less vacations or fancy dinners are worth sacrificing to be a SAHM, and someday I might agree. For now, I don’t. Life is too uncertain.

When I look at Alex’s little face, I see the person I want him to become. I see the places I want to take him. I see the things I want him to experience. And I know that the life I envision for him is (more) possible as a 2 income family. I want to take him to Disney. I want him to experience different cultures. I want him to take soccerfootballhockeypianodance lessons. I want him to get a car for his 16th birthday. I want him to attend the college of his choice without the stress of also working a full time job.

So to do all of that, I choose to work. I choose to be a working Mom. I choose to do what I can to ensure that our life as a family is as bright and fulfilled as it possibly can be.

Some Moms (or Dads) choose not to work. I applaud them and their decision and with a little bit of envy still absolutely believe that their children will get to experience everything Alex will. Maybe more, who knows? And to them I *clink* a glass of champagne and say, “Congrats and good for you!”

However…

What absolutely infuriates me to the point of ripping out my hair strand by strand are the moms that actually complain about staying home with their kids. “I never get to talk to adults.” “All I do is play peek-a-boo all day.” “There’s crusty spit-up on my sweatpants every day.” Blah blah blah. Are these women serious? Do they understand that they made that choice? Or that they should count their blessings that they can spend every waking moment with their children? Or that there are moms everywhere (single Moms, preach!) that would give anything to trade in their business suits for stained sweatpants? And, let’s face it, the pressure of your psychotic, power-tripping boss breathing fire down your neck re: the 2 p.m. deadline for the approved global content for the press release launch on Market Wire is just a leeeeeeetle more stressful than your 2-year old asking you repeatedly why the sky is blue all day long. And no matter how shitty the economy is, you don’t have to constantly live in fear of being fired from your Mommyhood. It’s called perspective. And IMO, those Moms need to get some. ASAP.

And while I do complain about my situation from time to time, I assure you it’s mostly just for dramatic effect. As already mentioned, I’ve made what I believe to be the best choice for my family at this moment in time. Don’t get me wrong, there are days that I want to throw my computer out the window and never, ever enter this office again. And to be honest, it’s nice to know that I have that option.

And look at it this way, should that little dream of mine ever come true, it will make for great blog material.

Friends, Crafts And Tats.

Last night we had a BBQ and bonfire with our friends Sarah and Jason. They were married in May and not that I'm rushing them into anything based on the love that filled our household they are going to be GREAT parents. J was playing with Alex in his Baby Einstein Gym and I basically melted all over the floor. Precious.

Sarah is quite possibly without a shadow of a doubt my most creative friend, and she shared with me some of the pieces she's working on for her upcoming line, So Sarah. I basically am wetting myself in anticipation to share it with all of you, but she's making me wait until it's totally done. Hurry up, girl! :)

Tonight I'm headed back in space and time to the land of Michigan State University, where my bff since foreverandever and soon-to-be-lawyer resides. I'm going to pass out watch her get her most recent tattoo colored in. It's a ginormous peacock that covers pretty much her entire midsection. I offered to bring her my leftover pain meds from childbirth, but she is certain ice and booze will be enough to get through it. Yeah...we'll see how that goes.

In other news, I've always, always wanted a tat. Pretty sure that I'm not badass enough to get one, though. Like, I haven't earned the right to be "cool enough." Whatever. This weekend is also Blues Fest in EL...so if I have one too many blues beers I might just wind up in the chair as a paying customer. We shall see!

To top off my weekend, my baby brudder and his new bride are coming down on Saturday to hang out with us. There is a church near our house that is having a festival this weekend. I kid you not when I tell you it's called "Sausage Fest." Yes. A church. Sausage. Fest. I simply can't wait.

Enjoy your weekend, childrens!

For Your Consideration.

I've been waffling back and forth for awhile now on authoring a post stating my opinions on Stay At Home Moms vs. The Working Mom. I'm intensely opinionated on the subject and am fearful that my rants and raves might cause some of you to click the 'unfollow' button faster than Kanye screaming to be the center of attention at public events.

But after talking with Joe about it last night I think I can write it from a perspective of a woman that's lived both and weigh the pros and cons of each situation. I think that might be more unifying across the board. I'm in the business of making friends, not enemies, here in the land of '...and baby makes three!' Plus, I loathe confrontation. Even when it's via the internets.

I'll work on drafting it over the weekend. I know, you won't even be able to sleep anticipating what will be here Monday. Try Tylenol PM.

Hypothetically Speaking...

If you were in a high-level meeting with your new boss in the middle of a very in-depth conversation and she whipped out her lotion bottle and started to lube up her legs without so much as skipping a beat what would you do?

Would you just look at her, blankly, as if to say, "Really? You're doing that now? Here?" And would you feel sort of like you were on the set of some sick office porno?

Cause that's what I did would do in this situation.

Am I The Only One?

It's no secret that JVW is a big sports fan. And it should be shouted from the rooftops that I am (usually) a very good wife and will watch said sporting events with him.

However, my eyes tend to see things a little differently. I don't catch all the big key plays; I can NEVER see the puck no matter how slow it's going; I don't know why some players get to shoot 2 free throws and some get 3; I rarely care if/why the yellow flag was thrown; I can never tell if the ump calls a ball or a strike. Instead, I notice people and details - i.e. crazy fans in the crowd, players with exceptional rear ends, etc.

But when watching the Detroit Tigers, I can't help but notice that the "D" on the jersey is totally different from the "D" on the hats. Does anyone else see this? Am I crazy? It drives me absolutely bonkers!

Exhibit A:

Exhibit B:

And for a side-by-side comparison (jersey on L, hat on R):

I have to believe the MLB authorities have a very good, sane reason for this. Anyone know what that reason might be?

Alex And The WIPpo.

Happy 5 month birthday to the best little guy, ever. Surprisingly, he was very awake (and happy!) at 6 a.m. for his big debut:

"Mr. WIPpo is my pal."

"Hey, Mom. He has feet just like me!"

How can you not love this face?!

To see how much he's grown and changed, here's the first WIPpo shot @ 1 month old:

It's so cliche, but my how time flies...

Hacked.

Dearest Kristi,

Thanks so much for the direct deposit today. It's been quite awhile (3 months!) since I've experienced a "deposit" instead of "withdrawal," and I assure you it was a nice change of pace.

I'm assuming since you're officially back in action I can begin to see some of my old friends tromping through my ledger lines. You know - Target, Marshalls, MAC, The Limited, Old Navy, Ebay, Amazon...just to name a few.

Anyway, I just wanted to drop you a note and let you know it's good to have you back.

Cheers,
Your Bank Account

Turner & Co.

Since invitations have been mailed (and received), I can finally reveal some of the exciting details for Kelli and David's shower. For those not in the know, Kelli's trading in 'Talicska' for 'Turner' on November 22. Which is rather exciting because her monogram won't change!

Since all things wedding must have themes, the theme for the Michigan shower Mom and I are hosting will be "Turner & Co." <--I know, right?!?

Here's how the fab invitations turned out (designed, of course, by Jackie of bleu soleil design):

(click image to enlarge)

They were tied with a white satin ribbon and adorned with a sparkly "gift tag" that read: You're Invited. Basically the single greatest invitation to ever be mailed.

I can't reveal much more right now since most of the details must remain a surprise for Kelli and David until that day, but I promise you it will be fab. And I will provide and in-depth review on Oct. 12.

Mondays Blow.

There's really no nice way to say it. They blow. Totally.

BUT, the good news is that tomorrow is both pay day AND 'Alex & the WIPpo Day.' I'm a little unsure as to when you'll actually get the picture, but I can at least promise that it will be before the sun goes down.

Basement Update: Carpet is in. Furniture was delivered Saturday. TV stand, end tables and decor were purchased at IKEA yesterday. All that's left is for Daddy to get his BATV (big ass TV). I believe that's currently being researched, so we should be complete within the week. Word.



Best shopping partner, ever.

McFunny.

This summer I became a VIP customer of the Mickey D's down the street. Their supa-sweet $1 any size diet delicousness combined with the convenience of a sleeping baby-friendly drive-thru was an offer I could not refuse. I'm not joking when I tell you they knew me by name.

So imagine my surprise when I drove thru last night to get my fix on and the 17-year old acne machine on the headset tells me my order of a large diet Coke will be $1.69.

*cough* "Say what? Shouldn't it be $1.06?"

"Sorry, m'am. That promotion ended Monday."

Two things wrong with the above: 1) He called me "m'am." B) I'm being forced to part with $0.63 thatI know that a mere 3 days ago I could have kept in my l'il pocket. So uncool. Alex needs to go to college, people!

In addition to the above insanity, I find the current pre-recorded welcome greeting on the drive-thru to be absolutely heeeelarious. They're promoting the new Angus Burger, but the recording sounds like, "Welcome to McDonald's. Would you like to try our new Anus Burger Extra Value Meal today?"

And all I can do is giggle.

Randomness.

Please forgive the pong-like nature of this post, but there seems to be so much going on in the world and this is the only way I can control my little corner of it. I give you...The Bulleted List.

• Ellen. First, her season premiere was amazing. Are you kidding me with that dance? The woman is in the 50+ club. Go, girl! Secondly, as the new judge on AI...unsure. I love me some Ellen as much as the next straight girl with a crush on Portia, but will wait to pass judgment until I see it for myself.
• Kenny Chesney. New song "I'm Alive" feat. Dave Matthews? Fabulousness. Download it now. Very chill. And I don't even like DMB...as a general rule.
• On that note (pun intended), when did Phil Stacey get a gig? I'm jamming to XM32 @ my desk and his song "You're Not Shaken" just came on. Rather Clay Aiken-esque, but overall somewhat catchy.
• Baja Fresh. What's with the brown color medium salsa? I mean, it's delicious and all...but brown? Really? That said, my lunch was muy fantastico.
• Stamps. Way too effing expensive. It will soon be cheaper to drive a 1984 Chevy El Camino across the continental United States to say "hello" in person than to send a card.
• Glee. I practially peed myself during the season premiere. Best new show of the season, hands down. I heart it.
• Mr. President. Apparently I tuned in waaaaaaay too late to proclaim an opinion on his "Back To School" message to le children. Truth be told, I rather agree with what she had to say on the topic. Preach, sista.
• Sharpie. Why can I not find the new retractable pens in any store in Metro Detroit? Rar. If you find one, buy it for me please. I will drive my El Camino to come pick it up.

International Coffee.

I just went into the breakroom for a coffee refill. It's one of those days.

We have little stations throughout the campus where employees can get their caffeine fix. Some people do a $0.30 pay-as-you-go type of thing, others throw in $5 for the week and call it good.

The station closest to my new desk has something I've never seen: a sign on the money box that says, "U.S. funds, ONLY."

What? Are there people trying to pay for their java with Pesos? Baht? Yuan?

Perhaps I shall try my luck with Monopoly money.

Yum-O!

As you can see, lunch went very well today. WAY better than yesterday.

And So It Begins.

The season of laziness has begun. From now until the Christmas break, I will be glued to the telly for all my favorite shows...in addition to some new and fabulous ones.

In case you were wondering which I'm sure you weren't, I'm superdeeduper pumped for the oldies but goodies: Desperate Housewives, Ugly Betty, How I Met Your Mother, Grey's Anatomy, Scrubs, House, The Office, CSI: Miami & Private Practice. Have I forgotten some? I feel like it's be eons since they've been on!

And I am BEYOND pumped for the new kid on the block: Glee. Honestly how awesome is that show going to be? If my lame ass High School would have had a show choir (or even a decent regular choir, lets be honest here) I probably could have realized all of my adolescent dreams. Le sigh. I shall just succumb to living vicariously through the adult actors playing singing and dancing high school sensations on the tube.

Seriously. What did we do before DVR?

P.S. - Working from home r-u-l-e-s.

Sometimes I Just Wanna Eat My Sammitch In Peace.

Let me set the stage: Joey, 2 coworkers and I sit down in the campus cafeteria for lunch. (For those viewers just tuning in, yes, JVW and I work together. And yes, it works. Very well.)

Enter CEO, who awkwardly sits at our table and attempts to join in on casual lunch conversation. Lame.

And so it goes for 45 minutes of painful, regrettable conversation.

I totally get it. The big wigs want to seem like they are at our level. You know, chill with the working folk and give the appearance of being a "normal" guy. But sometimes, I just want to comfortably sit with my peeps and talk about how much corporate America sucks; or about Alex's latest diaper explosion; or about how nearly everyone I used to work with has recently quit (more on that later...). And I cannot do any of those things while Mr. CEO is staring at me blankly, trying to remember my name and wondering why he continues to sign my paychecks. Oh, not to mention the fact that meanwhile, I'm trying to maintain somewhat intelligent conversation while simultaneously attempting to gracefully keep my turkey sammitch between my lips.

As you can tell, it was not the relaxing lunch hour I needed. Ugh.

Note to self: when I take over as CEO of the universe, do not attempt to have casual, spur-of-the-moment lunches with the "little guys." They do not appreciate it. Instead, hide in my office with Subway. Much more effective use of time and energy.

Monday...But Not!

Today feels like Monday. The fabulous news for me: it's not. Long weekends are just the best, aren't they?

In related news, I officially became a Fantasy Football Widow (FFW) last week. Joe had count 'em two drafts last week. It's only a matter of time before I lose Alex to the world of the NFL. In the meantime, I bought him the cutest outfit yesterday that says "Daddy's #1 Draft Pick." At least he'll look cute sitting on the couch with his dad, ignoring my very presence.

ROAR!

(as in, 'I am woman, hear me...')

Guess what I did yesterday, peeps? TILED THE BASEMENT. Boo-yeah.

As mentioned previously, Joe and I are transforming the basement into a livable space - somewhere we can keep all of Alex's toys and just hang out and be comfy as a family. Since the laundry is in the basement, we decided to tile that corner...ourselves. And, after a long, hard day it looks awesome. Special thanks to Mom and Dad who came to hang out with little man while we put in our sweat equity. We were a little intimidated at the thought of DIY-ing it at first, but I assure you the peel-n-stick 18" tile is the way to go. A little washing of the floor, a little priming of the floor, a little peeling and a little sticking and you've got yourself a fabulous space. It's that easy!

The carpet for the steps and rest of the floor is being installed (by professionals...not willing to tackle that one solo) on Wednesday. Bonus: I get to work from home that day and hang with Alex.

Then, I get the sectional sofa sleeper I've been wanting forever and Joey gets the flat screen TV he's been "needing" forever.

...and despite my underwhelming excitement about going back to work, it's nice to be a 2 income family again.

Today's Tidbits.

This afternoon I was gracefully perusing the internets for the telephone number to a local QDoba for the purpose of ordering lunch, and came across this: http://www.qdoba.com/locations.aspx.

Um. Hello?!? WTF is up with Michigan? Did the creator of this graphic ever even LOOK at a map? It's a shameful disgrace to our pleasant peninsula...not to MENTION the fact that the entire UP is MISSING. MISS. ING. As in, it's not there!

I write for a living. I'm good with words. You better believe QDoba will be getting a strongly worded letter re: this shittastic map from yours truly.

Some people's kids.

Anniversary Trip: Day Three.

Day 3 was very special and laid back. We started the morning with mass at the church we were married in. It was so fun to just sit there, listening to my most favorite piano player on the earth jam out some serious Jesus tunes and show off my 'lil man to the church family. Alex especially loved the green "robe" that Fr. Bert had on. :)

Then we went back to my parents' house, where we relaxed and enjoyed our favorite meal Mom makes - stuffed peppers! Mom and Dad are nearly done with the big home renovation (finally in the decorating stage) so I helped mom arrange some pictures and knick-knacky things. They gave us a fun and thoughful gift of all cotton things (2nd anniverary traditional gift) and Grandpa N. even joined us for dessert. Perfect.

Then we drove home, snuggled in for the evening and watched our latest Netflix. All in all, a fantabulous weekend. I can't wait for anniversary #50 when I'm still blogging (probably with arthritis) about our ridiculous adventures of life and in love.

Don't Forget!

The sweet giveaway at bleu soleil design ends tomorrow...get your entries in!!!

Anniversary Trip: Day Two.

Day two began with a delish breakfast at Ca.Fe.Zn. (Cafe Zinc) at the H. May I just get it out in the open right here and now that I am basically obsessed with fancy things...especially dining? I was truly spoiled on this trip and it's hard to go back to my old pals Jimmy and Papa (as in Johns). Le sigh.

Continuing on...we ate our breakfasts and ordered lunch to be picked up later. Lunch was consumed at the gardens at The Grand in Essexville, because my husband is that awesome. I wish they had a website so I could show you how absolutely amazing it is, but the few pictures from my wedding will have to do it justice for now.

After lunch we popped into Target for a few odds and ends. As Joe would say, "It's not a VW vacation if momma can't get her Target time in." True story.

Then we went back to the hotel for our 3 p.m. massages. Glorious. But much to our dismay, only 1 therapist showed up. So, Joey was an ever-gracious hubby and let me take the appointment. The flip side of this coin is that they didn't charge us for my massage AND gave us $50 off the hotel bill. Score!

After a brief stint in the hot tub, we got ready for the big night out at Table restaurant. Oh. Mah. Gawd. We were definitely fish out of water for the entire experience, but it was awesome. Everyone should do something like this in their lifetime. We were waited on hand and foot by the most attentive, knowledgeable staff - my favorite was Rudi, the flamboyantly gay maitre'D who treated Joe and I as if we were royalty...amazingness.

A lowdown of the meal:

1. Amuse bouche, courtesy of the chef: a smoked salmon patty, of sorts, topped with perfectly julienned granny smith apples and a sprout salad lightly tossed in EVOO. I don't even like salmon and ate every single bite.

*enter waiter* --> total change of placesetting, fresh bread and water

2. Appetizer: an heirloom tomato salad with some type of cheese I can't pronounce and a little salad on top. It was so pretty I didn't want to eat it. This was paired with a delicious white wine. I could have stopped here and died a happy woman. But wait...there's more!

*enter waiter* --> total change of placesetting, fresh bread and water. This time, he placed a silly looking spoon next to the plate that looked like the state of Michigan, only with the thumb chopped off a little bit. Feeling retarded, we asked one of the waitresses what it was...apparently, it was a sauce spoon. Yeah. IDK either.

3. Main course: Australian Kobe beef (like a giant steak of it) atop a cheesy potato cake with shortribs. Like Joe said, I've never had meat on top of meat before, but it was uh-may-zhing. The sauce...oh, the sauce. I still have dreams about it. This was paired with a red wine that we actually wrote down to buy again because we liked it so much.

*enter waiter* --> total change of placesetting, fresh bread and water. No foreign objects this time. Dodged that bullet.

4. Dessert: I got the chocolate lava cake and Joey got the.most.amazing strawberry creme brulee I have ever had. Honestly, I ate most of his dessert...and mine, too. :) It was a "deconstructed" creme brulee, with the creamy, strawberry goodness on the bottom, then a sweet, flat filo-like cookie topped with more creamy goodness, another cookie and fresh whipped cream on top...all drizzled with dark chocolate sauce. I wish I could eat it every minute of every day. This course was paired with a dessert port wine, which I have always likened to sweetened poison. Ugh. So, the waiter brought us some "iced" wine...which is essentially a really sweet ice cold white wine. It was awesome. Way better than the port. Yuck!

After that fabulous meal, we went to the adjacent bar, Oxygen (are you beginning to notice a periodic table of elements trend at this place?) for an after dinner drink. The bartender had the personality of a mossy rock, but boy did he know his booze! We were entertained by some fascinating couples at the bar (one glued to their iPhones, the others drinking until they liked each other) and a 40th birthday party of drunken, hilarious women...they even gave Joe one of their gift bags! What can I say, he's a hit with all the ladies!

I had far too much to drink (cilantro lime margarita...my new bff) so we stumbled our sinfully stuffed selves up to the hotel room and let Jimmy Kimmel put us to sleep. Ahhh, sleep...

Anniversary Trip: Day One.

So you already know where we went, but here's a rundown of Day 1.

The Flytrap: Super fun to go to...but a tiny little restaurant. Seriously room for like 38 people, I counted. We waited for about 25 minutes for a table but it was worth it. Joe ordered what Guy ordered when he was there, I got a grilled veggie sammitch of sorts. Scale of 1-10 it was a 7, but glad we went.

Before officially heading to Midland, we walked around Royal Oak and picked up some treats...specifically from Dale and Thomas Popcorn. Lifechanging corn. Truly.

H Hotel: Um...beyond amazing. The place is super modern with fun little accents all over the place. I felt so posh.

Loons Game: We won! This is seriously the best entertainment for under $10 anywhere. I implore you to find the nearest minor league team in your area and get your friends and family together for a game. White there, I gorged on a footlong dog, a brew and some ice cream and it was muy delicioso. Oh, and it was free hat night AND Mom and Dad arranged for a "Happy 2nd Anniversary Kristi and Joe Van Wormer" message to be on the big screen. Yeah, they're that cool. They brought Alex, too, and even bought him his first Loons souvenir - a stuffed Lou E. Loon!

After the game we popped into Oscars for a drink. Yes, with Alex. "You have a baby! ...in a bar!" <--name that movie. Super fun. Super relaxing. Super long islands.

Then it was "bye bye" to Mom, Dad and Alex and "hello" good night's sleep! My super romantic husband had even arranged to have champagne and chocolate covered strawberries in the hotel upon our return.

I know. You're jealous. :)

Back To Work.

Today, I survived. That was about all I could do.

Dropping him off was not hard...he's in wonderful, loving hands. And quite honestly, he didn't know the difference. I, however, cried a few tears and then (as my Dad would say) "put on my big girl panties and dealt with it." A latte at Starbucks eased the pain and the next stop was corporate America.

Lord save me.

It wouldn't have been as sucky if I had been going back to my old job. Oh, did I not tell you this? During my SECOND week of maternity leave, my boss called to tell me about an "opportunity" for when I returned. (Aka..."you (and the other pregnant girl in our group) are getting fired... but we found a place for both of you in other divisions.") Yep. You read that right.

So, not only did I have to leave my precious child at day care today, I had to essentially start a new job. With a new boss. And no friends.

Today, in a word, sucked. It sucked major ass.

And now I shall go drown my sorrows in a vat of wine.

Yummy!

Alex tried rice cereal for the first time yesterday. Here's how it went:

Not as delicious as ice cream, but it will do. :)