governmental institutions can eat a lemon!

I just went to the social security office for the SECOND TIME in about 2 weeks and waited for THREE HOURS on top of the one and a half hours I spent the first time in order to go through the exhilarating process of getting my name changed. It should be known that I, "unlike" most people, loathe going to government offices of any kind, for several reasons, two of which I will list here:

Reason 1: Government offices are only open at times which mandate missing work in order to get whatever form of identification you need.

Reason 2: Most government offices have an average wait time of 2 hours. Average. Which means that you have to miss work for an average of 2 hours in order to get whatever form of identification you need.

Reason 3: Instead of working together, all the government offices have their own independently complex way of doing things with seemingly no regard for how it works (or more accurately doesn't work) with other offices. i.e. the reason I had to go to the SSA a second time was because when I got up to the lady at window #17 with my marriage license, drivers license and birth certificate.....she said that because my marriage license didn't have my birth date on it, I needed to get my drivers license changed first. Let it be known that there was NO PLACE on the marriage license for a birth date, and it didn't matter that I had my driver's license and BIRTH certificate with me, both bearing my name AND birthday on them, the very same name listed on the marriage license. You'd think that if the SSA wanted the marriage license to have your birthday on it, then the county clerks office would make a space for it! RED TAPE RULES!!

On a positive note, I enjoy people watching while I'm at places like this. It's fun because there is absolutely no specific demographic for these institutions, especially the social security office. Everyone needs one, so everyone, or at least a random sampling of everyone is there. It's fun. I like listening to what people talk about while they're there, what form of entertainment they've brought with them. iPods, magazines, newspapers, gameboiiiis, and of course books. I always forget to bring stuff with me, and people watching is only really fun for about an hour and a half at most. I think my entertainment of choice would be my NY Times crossword puzzle. WORDS 'R FUN!!

Something I found particularly interesting today was that I saw two people reading the same book. And it wasn't a new bestseller book or anything. I know because I've read it. It's Ken Follett's 1996 drama The Pillars of the Earth. This is not the type of book I usually read at all, but it is the type of book my dad reads, so he lent it to me to read on a plane trip once. I found this synopsis on the interweb: "The epic story of the building of a cathedral in 12th century England and the lives of the people entwined with it and each other is a sensuous, enduring narrative, and a gripping tale of faith, ambition, bloodshed and betrayal." Scandalous! It was actually pretty interesting, but I just thought it was hilarious to see two people reading the same book, and even more hilarious that I'd actually read it before.

Anyway, once I'd waited my THREE HOURS, it took a total of 2 minutes at window #6 to get what I needed and hit the road back to work. Man. Now that's THREE HOURS well spent.

b-day hoopla!

Well, the 18th was officially my first birthday as a married gal, and it was the best one ever!! I woke up in the morning, got in the shower, and when I got out, what to my wondering eyes did appear? Kevin standing in the bedroom NAKED! Ha ha! Just kidding. Actually he was holding a tray with waffles and juice! (3 cute points) On top of the waffles he had placed a candle bearing the number 26! (2 cute points!) Then as my ravenous hunger took over and I dove for the waffles, he said, "Wait! First come with me into the hall of mystery!"** as he extended his arm towards the doorway. (6 cute points for the arm extension and clever hallway moniker) He's hilarious by the way. We walk out into the hall and what do I find?! The hallway is decorated to the nines with streamers and balloons and happy birthday banners, and at the end of the hallway were my cute presents!! (15 cute points!)

I love Kevin!! It was a GREAT birthday and he got me goodies from Anthropologie, my favorite store EVA! as well as one of his brilliant mix cds. It was perfect! I have a LOT to live up to for his fast approaching birthday. I've got some ideas, but I'll wait until after his birthday and update you with what I do. In the meantime, here's a picture of the hallway:



I have the best husband ever! And he's quite handsome, too!


**oh and it should be known that halfway through the day, Kevin decided to rename the hall of mystery the "hall of wonderment," and he asked that I update anyone I may have told about said hall of mystery. (cute points TBD)

grapes of financial wrath.

(blog title courtesy of one Kevin Howard)

The other night, I was really craving grapes hardcore! I don't usually crave things so much, but this time, grapes I was a'cravin! So Kevin's at the super Target near our place and he's telling me that there are no grapes. Now, initially I was skeptical, but Kevin's a pretty bright guy, and I'm pretty sure he knows what grapes look like, so we decide that they must be out of season so I figure I'll just put off my grape needs for another day.

Last night, Kevin and I are driving home and suddenly I'm reminded of my desire for grapes. Green, seedless grapes. I also remember that Tom Thumb (though I don't usually shop there due to their price gouging) has THE BEST grapes in all the land. So I ask Kevin if we can stop by before we get home.

SIDE BAR: Upon talking to a friend about this, it was suggested that perhaps the absence of grapes is due to the fires and/or floods in California of late, which is excellent thinking.

I'm telling this little juicy tidbit to Kevin and he jokes that we'll find the grapes and they'll be like $6/pound. We laugh, because, come on, that's hilarious!

We go into the Tom Thumb, look hurriedly around the produce section worried that our worst nightmare had come to be - that there would be NO GRAPES!

Finally, Kevin spots them. Green, plump, perfect for soothing your grapeless ails! Then we see it. The price tag. $5.59 A POUND!!!!!!

Don't worry, I still bought them. All 2 pounds of them. I don't plan on making a habit of it, but come on. I'm young! Now is the time to be sowing my wild, frivolous grape buying and eating oats!

wedding invites, expounded upon!!

I've been meaning to write a blog about this, but I never have gotten around to it. First let me say this. They were designed by my friend and art director at my work, and I really wouldn't have had anyone else design them. They were perfect, they had all the colors we wanted, they had the little hoot owls we love and they were totally us, what what! Jeff Barfoot is his name, and drawring is his game! I guess it's actually a little more complicated than "drawring," but the sentence wouldn't have been as concise and catchy if I'd explained all that he does. Who's with me?!

Here are the invitations! (You can click on them to enlarge the image)

save the date front:


save the date back:


invite outside:


invite inside:


rsvp card front:


rsvp card back:


Woooohooooooo! Kevin and I are so grateful to Jeff. He and his wife Shay are designers extraordinaire, and here is her blog which includes designs she likes as well as designs she makes. Go Shay! She also has an etsy site all her own and you can see it here! They also have an etsy account together with treats that you can buy here!

I love Shay and Jeff and they love me! Woop woop!

dream jerks

Okay, so everyone's had the dream where a friend betrays you or flirts with your boyfriend or just totally embarrasses you, right? And then you wake up and are totally and irrationally mad at them, and even though you know that you shouldn't be, you still are.

Well Kevin had this dream the other night, but with a twist. Sounds exciting doesn't it? (I have taken creative license and embellished a few minor details to enhance the readers' experience)

I call this dream, "Jack Nicholson (who will heretofore be referred to using both names) Comes to Town and Isn't As Cool as We'd Hoped!!"

-Apparently, Jack Nicholson was visiting Cleburne (per uszhe) and was apparently doing some sort of charity event at a house that had been made into a church.....or vice versa, I can't really remember. Someone who was at the event was talking to Jack Nicholson and offered to buy him dinner.

Jack Nicholson tilted his head to the side ever so slightly (embellishment), paused and said,

"I don't think so, buddy. You couldn't affoooooord to buy me dinner."-

Kevin woke up feeling that he had no desire whatsoever to go see the Bucket List!*

You're a jerk, dream Jack Nicholson!!




*whether he ever intended to previously or not remains shrouded in mystery.

I have a hugsband!

I haven't posted in a bit and thought I'd try to get back on the weblog wagon for my first post of the new year! Kevin and I celebrated our first holiday season together and it was holiday-tastic! We had several Christmases actually.

NOTE: names of the cities have been changed to protect the innocent. END OF NOTE.

We had two Christmases in Cleebs, TX. One in Arlen, TX, and 1-2 more in Ouichita, KS. Presents were abundant, but the love in our hearts greatly exceeded the presents in our laps. You might say we had a horn o' plenty of love. Or you might not. Who's to say?

Anyway, I wish I had pictures of the gifts Kevin and I got for each other (cause they're awesome!) but I don't. The only one I have is a picture from a website of the new lap top case I got Special K. There was an artist (who goes by the moniker Pars) that was part of an art show we did here at work and after look at his website under the "shop" section, I noticed that he sells a lot of cool items, i.e. hand towels, compact mirrors, drinking glasses and my gift item of choice.....a lap top case for my man, holla!

Here are pictures of the front and back:





One of the coolest gifts I got this year was a Fish Eye2 Camera from Kevin, and while I don't have a picture of the actual camera, I do have a couple pictures of the photos said camera captured. It's fun using real film in a camera. I haven't gotten film developed in ages......ages 21-25 to be exact. Here are a few that exhibit the fish eye 2's greatest attributes:

kevin: trial picture:




candiss & liz, gettin they fish eye on!:


bulbous living room shenanigans:


multiple exposure shot, take 1!:


julie & daniel:


multiple exposure of art in our abode:


new chyears!:


roger rabbit, act i:


roger rabbit, act ii:


inquisitive daniel:


fire and ice (ice = my fair fair icy skin):


uncle jesse wants you......to have mercy and dance:


howards in the howse:


I love these! I'm still working on subduing my desire for instant gratification though. Fish Eye2 Camera, you're here to teach me patience aren't you? AREN'T YOU?!