The Honeymoon is Over

Well, we did finally get home last night. As we were pulling up to the house at midnight, I was quite happy that I decided to take today off work. There is nothing quite like coming home to a house exactly the way you left it - that is totally disorganized and chaotic. Somehow I thought Prada would have cleaned the place up while we were gone. Instead she set to some serious grooming and has managed to give herself a large bald spot on her back above the tail. The feline acne is only marginally better and her collagen lip is back as well. I'm still hoping all these symptoms are stress related, but she has a date with the vet on Saturday just in case.


It's taking some getting used to to not be on the island. The resort we stayed at, was very nice and each hour the beach attendants would walk around with cooling devices. First would be the sprayer. This was eucalyptus scented water in what looked like a power washer. On a low setting he would spray you with the delicious water. Next, would come the platter of wash clothes. Each would be stacked on a tray. These were cooled to 36 degrees and again scented with a nice blend of eucalyptus. After the wash clothes, came platters of frozen squares of fruit. Clearly with the wintery weather we have here now, cooling devices are not needed, but it was still nice.

Chris and I learned an important marriage lesson (one of many, I'm sure) - we don't really have the same beach vacation personalities. If we were to take a Cosmo quiz on the subject, I would be something like the Literary Lizard as I find there is little better in this world than to be reading in the sun. Chris would be the Party Pirate as he needs a little more action. Luckily for us, our resort also offered a wide variety of complimentary water sports - wind surfs, kayaks and catamarans. I was able to read, while he would drift so far on the wind surfer that the rescue boat has to drag him back to shore. A great time was had by all!

Delayed

This morning we got a couple's massage to cap off a great honeymoon. We figured the massage in the beautiful and peaceful spa setting would seal in that relaxed vacation feeling. It lasted until the screaming babies on the plane from Providencialias to Atlanta really let loose. It is now completely gone as our flight is delayed for two hours and I have the sneaking suspicion the captain who is supposedly on his way from New York is not going to make it. At this point in the trip, I just want to be home. So to cheer myself up, I'll share some honeymoon pics with you all.

Turks and Caicos - we were on Providencialas - was simply stunning. The setting was very beautiful, relaxing and romantic. I would highly recommend it to anyone just looking for relaxation and good quality time together. If you are looking for a crazy nightlife, or really any nightlife, you might want to skip this island, but we loved it. It was a perfect honeymoon destination. However, the photos aren't so much wanting to upload right now. This Boingo connection sucks. I'll update when I finally get home.

Thankful

When I think give thanks, I can't help but to run the prayer we sometimes say before dinner through my head..."Blessed O Lord and these thy gifts which we are about to receive through your bounty and Christ the Lord. Amen." Or something like that, the words always get garbled for me in the middle. I like this prayer because it's short and to the point, but sincere.

Since we are getting married just two short days after Thanksgiving, thanks has been on my mind a lot lately. This year for me it's not about the turkey and the pumpkin pie (although yum). I'm so thankful for Chris and for my family. I'm thankful for the wedding we are about to have. One of my brothers called it the family event of a lifetime. And it is - I'm the only girl and we've all been looking forward to this day for a long time.

Gifts come in all shapes and sizes. I'm thankful for each Crate & Barrel box which finds it way to our house, but I'm even more thankful for the good wishes that come in the shape of that piece of stemware or each flatware place setting. The smiles on the faces of everyone who have wished us well have each meant so much to us. I was unprepared for how nice everyone has been to me just for getting married. Co-workers and friends of the family have gone out of their way to go above and beyond and I'm thankful to each one of them.

I love that each year we'll be celebrating our anniversary right around Thanksgiving. It will serve as a simple reminder of the core things we have to be thankful for: each other and our families.

Not Reading

I think I may be making up for a good portion of the American population who, according to a new study out today, aren't reading for pleasure. Evidently, reading for pleasure peaks at the age of 10 or otherwise known as the 4th grade (not coincidentally the age where I remember reading wasn't an everyday part of school and parents stop reading to / with kids). That's sad. I was always encouraged to read and I can't imagine not having it as a weekly (we aim for daily around here, but being honest) part of my life. Learning new things, hearing differing opinions and simply being entertained are all part of why I am drawn to reading. These reasons are important eye-openers and are also why I am so concerned about this study's findings. If people don't read, how are they are learning about people who are different than them? And why should they care?

Giving Stress Away

My mom has said I sometimes give my stress away. This means I act like such a brat that any person I interact with then feels my stress. At least, I think this is what it means. I have reached a whole new level of this giving stress away. It is now being spread across species. Prada has broken out in what I have determined (through Web searches) is feline acne. Yep, even my cat is breaking out for the wedding. Seems stress can be a major cause of feline acne, that and plastic food bowls. Prada eats out of a ceramic bowl, but just in case Chris is out getting her a new stainless steel one which is lower to the ground. It is more likely stress. Chris said Prada threw up two times while I was in DC and she's rather bothered that she (nor us) can walk in our living room due to the wedding presents. She knows something is up and evidently it has caused her to breakout.

I, on the other hand, will have radiant skin due to the facial I'm getting tomorrow. I'm actually holding up pretty well, trying to get lots of sleep and drink plenty of water. We're now less than a week out, so that is very exciting!

A Ray of Light

Yoga class was really fun tonight. I left work not wanting to go teach, I'm busy, I'm stressed and it is cold and rainy out. A recipe for staying on the couch if I have ever heard one (which I did later with a big plate of pasta and a glass of wine). However, my class - all five of them - were depending on me to show up and teach them yoga. My own practice has been rather non-existent lately. I'm not proud of it, but it is true. So today faced with a yoga class to teach and a stiff body in which to do it, I was little worried.

I only had my iPod with me, rather than my usual meditative yoga music. Choosing to just go with it, I played Madonna's Ray of Light album and just cut loose. I love practicing to this collection of music at home, but I hadn't yet taught to it. I found it made my class way more playful and upbeat. It also made the class a little more challenging for the students. I had them going a tad faster through sun salutations and I encouraged them to just move with the music. We held poses longer and twisted a little deeper. I felt so uplifted after the class. And they did, too. I don't think this style of class would fit our group every week, but I love showing them yoga can fit your mood, or can take you to another place, and doesn't need to always be the same each week.

I'll be missing the next two weeks and I promised them a gentler class upon my return, but I hope they enjoyed today's journey. I did.

Home Sweet Home

One (more) good thing about traveling, if even for only a few days, is returning home. Chris and I grabbed Vaquero's for margaritas and Mexican before settling in with the cat to watch last night's episode of the Biggest Loser (always fun to do when you're totally stuffed).

I did end up warming to DC. I met a good friend from high school for a drink and it was so nice to catch up. She and her husband have had some interesting adventures in the past couple of years. I also spent a little time exploring the DuPont Circle area. It was interesting to see how many people were so physically active in the city. Everywhere I looked there was a jogger or cyclist...even in the middle of the day. Columbus has a long way to go in that department. Then after listening to a long speech from the Secretary of the air force, I flew home.

And like, I said, I like to explore through travel, but I always love coming home even more.