Not to exceed 400 days

Are you there, God? It's me, Anne.

noreply@blogger.com (Anne) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 02:32:00 +0000

Whew. This deployment is almost done. As I write this with phlegm clogging my esophagus, I can't help but wonder: How the crap did I get through that? Looking back at everything that has happened over the past year, it's kinda nuts. But it's over. Little over 60 days until Max leaves Iraq, and probably less than 80 until he is home. :) We both are so excited!!! He is only going to work for a month at the TACC (armory), and then live at home for good. YEAH!

Not much to report. Just fighting the flu, subbing, and working at the SLAC. Hope I don't have to miss subbing on Thursday.

I really suck at updating this.

noreply@blogger.com (Anne) — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 03:29:00 +0000

I can't believe I haven't posted since March. Dang, I suck.

The first few months haven't been without stress. I could go into so much detail here, but it's just too long of a list to put on here; it'd turn into a grump fest. Believe me, if anything crappy could happen, it happened. It seemed that no matter where I turned, God was taking another giant dump on me. They weren't little things, like fixing light bulbs or needing to do yard work and needing help with it. That stuff I can do. These were huge issues that I had to deal with that waited for me around every corner. Thankfully, I have amazing friends and family that help me with everything I need. Without them, I would seriously probably be on depression meds right now.

It's been going ok lately. I'm starting to be used to Max being gone (which sucks to say, but it's sadly true). It's not like I don't recognize his absence, and it doesn't mean that I'm not sad and have bad days. I just have accepted it. I had major issues sleeping in the first few months, and those are starting to come back again, but it's not nearly as bad as it was. My work was affected by my tiredness, as I could hardly stay awake during the day because of lack of sleep. Fortunately, I have an amazing boss (who also happens to be family) who is very understanding and empathetic to my situation, and has never hesitated to listen and help in any way that she can.

Max is coming home in three weeks for R and R! I'm SO EXCITED to see him. The more I think about it, the more weepy I get because I'm so ecstatic about it. It seems like forever since I saw him last. I keep thinking about meeting him at the gate, seeing him come out of that terminal and just hardly believing that it's really him. He'll come out of the gate in his ACUs, wearing his combat boots and holding a bag. The first we're going to do is hug, a huge hug that we've been waiting for since forever. Just hug and hug and hug. I don't care how long we stand there, just so long as we get to have a moment where we're the only ones who exist. I. Can't. Wait. It's the most amazing thing ever to be able to just KNOW that he's coming home, let alone the fact that I'll actually be seeing him in a few short weeks. I'm already stocking the freezer with things I can cook while he's here, and am putting the final touches on our master bathroom, which I have spent a couple of months re-doing (floor, paint, hardware, curtains, you name it!) It looks SO GOOD. The walls are a tan color, and the accent colors are deep red and chocolate brown. It looks FABULOUS! I can't wait for him to see it.

Max's cat is going to crap his pants when he sees Max for the first time. He (cat) is obsessed with being by the computer whenever I am on it (he was able to see Max on webcam, and always comes over to check if he's online), and more recently with running to me when my phone rings, since he heard Max's voice while we were talking a couple of mornings ago. I can't wait to see the reaction!

God, I love that guy. Max and I are a perfect match. I've heard it so many times from so many different people, but the more I think about it and the more we talk, the more I know how true that statement is. I can't wait until we can finally, FINALLY have the life we've been dreaming of since day one. When he comes home next year for good, we'll finally be able to live together consistently, not only a couple of weekends a month. It'll be an absolute dream, and I can hardly wait.

noreply@blogger.com (Anne) — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 03:04:00 +0000

Today was pretty fun; I had dinner with Max's entire extended family on his Mom's side, which was awesome. It's interesting to see the dynamics that exist within the family; everyone has their own quirks, favorite people, etc. I really loved that I got to see my sisters-in-law Melanie and Jenna, mother-in-law Kimm, and Kimm's friend Carmon, who is really cool. They hung out for a little bit before and after the dinner, which was at Bona Casa. It was SO NICE to just chillax with them, I love them so much and wish they were around here more. They offered to come and visit, and also for me to come visit them, whenever I need, if I am ever lonely or sad or just want to hang out. They also brought Kimm's dog Zippy with them, who is sooo cute. :) He is a funny little terrier of some kind, and my cats were kind of weirded out by him. Sam finally sniffed his butt and accepted him a little bit, but Mike bailed the minute he saw Zippy come in.

Kind of tired this evening, watching movies on a channel I didn't know I had. Enchanted was on a little bit ago, and now Spiderman 3 is on. I guess the STARZ network was a free trial for however long, and the trial is still going on, so that was a happy discovery.

I am starting to feel the stress of deployment a little more now; doing ok, but it's becoming a lot more real as the weeks are going by. It was icky before, but I was used to him being gone. Now it's more of a "whoa... ok, he really isn't coming home this weekend, or any weekend." I can't imagine being used to him being gone. I know it'll probably happen eventually but holy cannoli. I would love for him to walk in the door right now, give me a huge hug, and tell me that it's all cancelled. I definitely should have gotten more hugs in before he left. Maybe bottled them or something for later use. That'd be nice.

My little goddaughter Lily has learned how to hug; I laughed so hard in church yesterday when I suddenly felt my shoulder being slammed into by a tiny head. What she does is ram her head into you, hold it there, and if she wants to hug you again, slam her head into you multiple more times. I laughed SO HARD. She is absolutely adorable, and makes my whole day. I can't wait to see her again. I almost got to babysit her today, but I had the dinner with Max's family. Soon, I hope, it will happen! That or just having schedules line up to go over there and visit. I love that whole family. Don and Carrie are so perfect together, and they are such wonderful parents as well as just all around great people. I am so fortunate to have them as family!

Family seems to be the theme this evening; I love nothing more than being with family. Sometimes families get on each other's nerves, but when it is all said and done, a family is a truly remarkable thing. I love mine.

Well, time to find something else to do.

noreply@blogger.com (Anne) — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 04:16:00 +0000

Since the last time I posted, I've officially graduated, become licensed as a professional music educator, and said goodbye to my husband for a year or so of deployment. My, how life changes!

Sounds like the barracks in Fort Lewis are not too lovely-- they're the originals from WWII, so you can only imagine the shape they're in. Anything is better than Iraq, I guess, but yuck! I'm sure I'm not the only spouse who wishes they could fly out there and make everything better. The facilities are nice though, Max tells me, as far as workout and recreation and stuff, so that is awesome. I'm just glad that the ball is finally rolling on this whole thing, and we are done waiting. Now it's just counting down the days until he gets his booty home and we can finally start our lives together. Only 390-some days left until Max will be home, LIVING AT HOME, and we will finally, finally finally be able to be a married couple. Not a phone marriage anymore, but a real married couple. It's so nice when he's home! Seems, though, like just when we get comfy, he has to leave again, so it'll be really nice when he is back for good.

I am impressed with myself as far as my positive attitude, I am trying really hard to be upbeat and happy in public. People who know me best seem to be able to tell when something is wrong, but to others, I guess I'm doing pretty well. So that's good. I really feel like a positive attitude is the remedy to any craptastic situation, and will likely help the time go by faster, so I'm trying my best. Sure, some nights are really bad, but you just have to push through to the next day. One week down, many to go!

I would just like to throw in here that my goddaughter, Lily, is ADORABLE. We were playing with her in church a couple of weeks ago and she was so cute. She seemed to be fascinated by Max because she kept staring at him and reaching up to touch his face. Max thought it might be because he is bald much like she is, but I personally felt that it was because he is so good with kids. :) Lily is a little sweetheart and I just love holding her and playing with her!

My sisters are both in Europe right now, which is cool for them. They are having a great time, especially since Kate gets to visit our friend Stephanie, too, and our cousin Moosh. I wish I could be there with them! Someday... I can't wait until they are all home. I miss having people around.

Bah, I can't sleep. I need to get to bed.

I'M IN LOVE!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Anne) — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 23:34:00 +0000

Holy crap. I just used this: http://www.paulmitchell.com/Products/TeaTree/LavenderMint/Pages/LavenderMintMoisturizingBodyWash.aspx

and it is amazing. It's Paul Mitchell's TeaTree lavender mint product... I used the conditioner, but I will be going back asap to get the body wash, too. OH MY GOD!!! SO AMAZING!!! It smells so good. I never realized the huge difference that good product makes, and I splurged on the conditioner and also a CostCutters bottle of clarifying shampoo, and I have never felt so clean on my head in my life. Wow. I fully intend on making this my scent. Not even kidding. If I can't get a hold of Kate, I'll be back in Rice Lake tomorrow to make a very important purchase of that body wash and perhaps the shampoo. I'll give the Suave I am suffering with to Mom. Seriously. Omg. AMAZING AMAZING AMAZING. I might pee my pants. I love that scent. It almost smells like Aveda. Only better. Omg. omgomgomgomgomgomgomg.

noreply@blogger.com (Anne) — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 03:10:00 +0000

Jeepers, I only have two weeks left of student teaching!! I graduated on December 20th from college with my degree in music education, and am starting to wind down as far as classes and stuff go. My cooperating teacher and I are trading off in 7th grade band, so that we can prepare them for their upcoming contest, but it is also serving as a great way to kind of phase me out of there and give Kim her band back. I told the 7th graders on Friday that myself and the other student teacher are done on January 23rd... the reaction was not too happy. They were so confused as to why we had to go; couldn't we just stay? "Mrs. Bryan, you already have an office! Just stay here and be our teacher!" It was adorable, and also very sad. I'm going to miss those kids. One of the bass clarinets had tears in her eyes when I looked over there, and it made me feel loved, but very sorry that I'm going to have to leave those kids to start my own life.

Just finished watching the Golden Globes, and was very happy to see that Heath Ledger received the Posthumous award for his role as the Joker. Seriously, that role made the whole movie. It was AWESOME!! I couldn't believe that he was the same guy from Ten Things I Hate About You.

I've started collected books on military separation, as Max is leaving 2 months from today. I have already read one really great one, and have ordered four more from MilitaryOneSource.com, in addition to the one that Mom ordered from Amazon tonight. I didn't realize how much better I would feel reading about other women's experiences going through deployment, and it just made me want to find more books so that I am that much more prepared. We had kind of a "coming out" discussion last weekend, and talked about how we're feeling and what we need and what we hope for the future, etc. We're buying out his sister's half of the house, which is AWESOME, because I am so sick of being financially connected to her. We'll buy her out this one time, and when she blows all of that cash on video games, it won't be our problem. Sweet.

I babysat my aunt Jane's dog last weekend, Shawna, and she is SO CUTE. 8 week old mini dachsund, and I was in love. Of course, she screamed all the time and pooped 4 or 5 times, but it was so great to have a dog in the house. Sounds like we might get one when Max returns, but that is still under discussion.

We got a week and a half together over Christmas, and let me tell you, it was amazing. Finally, we were living together and being a real married couple! It was the best week and a half I think I have ever had. We had so much fun, and I can't wait until 2010 when he is back and here 24/7. That must be so fun, to have a husband that comes home every night and is there with you. I know sometimes people complain about stupid things that men do, but really, they are so lucky to be able to complain. I would much rather be irritated that there are dirty dishes in the living room than sit around wondering what to do with my spare time. Family helps a lot, though; my family Christmas was the happiest I have been in a very long time. Max was there, which was great, and I was surrounded by the people in this world that mean the most to me. It was most excellent. Very busy, but I LOVE IT. I have loved it since the first time I can remember, and can't imagine having any other family. (Max has 15-18 in his family. Including extended. That's it, 15 people. How weird is that??? That's like... my immediate family and my aunt Jackie's family. Not including the other 5 brothers and sisters and all of their families.)

I start working with my cousin Tara at the Shell Lake Arts Center this spring, as soon as my student teaching finishes. I'm basically going to be a mini-Tara, helping her with everything that she needs me to do. I have worked there every summer (but one) during college, so I know the place inside and out. It's a part time gig, so I'm going to work three days a week and substitute on Mondays and Fridays for 4 or 5 districts in the area. If I don't get a gig... oooooh, so sad, a four day weekend!! I'm going to hold off on most of the subbing until after March, so that I can spend those long weekends with Max in MN, but if I can't make it there, or if we decide on every other weekend, then I'll teach.

Well, I better go. Laundry calls.

Buahahahaha

noreply@blogger.com (Anne) — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 00:49:00 +0000

2 things:

1, I made pizza tonight, from scratch. Invented everything like the Bitney that I am. And what happened? IT WAS GOOD!!!!!! YEAH!!!! I might have a different last name, but my bloodlines live on!

2, I was reading my post from August about how I thought I stunk. I now think that I smell pretty good. I think that this may be due to the fact that I have taken over this house with my fabric softeners and smelly soapy things and candles, but yeah. Go me. :) Our sheets always smell like lavender after they've been washed, which I love. I probably still smell weird to my old self, but my new self likes how I smell.

Max is coming home this weekend!!! And he requested leave for not one, but FOUR DAYS!!! If his commander okays everything, he'll be home next Tuesday night until the following Monday! That, my friends, is happy. His commander also had a heart to heart with me at drill last weekend, and said that if there is anything I ever need, if I need more time with Max or whatever, just to let him know and he'll do everything he can to grant Max leave. He said that he knows that we live far apart and really wants to make sure that we get as much time together as possible before the deployment, which was great of him. It felt really good to know that he recognizes our living situation.

My cat knocked over a fifty pound bag of ice melting salt. How, I don't know. But I went downstairs only to discover the bag lying on its side, and kitty prints all over the pile. I just hope they know that it isn't cat litter...

Beware: Rant ahead

noreply@blogger.com (Anne) — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 23:02:00 +0000

Oofda! After 3 months of marriage, I finally post again. Not like anyone reads anyway, buuuuuut whatever.

Despite a couple of butt kickings (which I'll go into detail on in a sec), our marriage is incredibly wonderful. We've never been so in tune with each other, and the time that we are together is just wonderful. Sure, it's more of a phone marriage than anything, since Max lives 2 1/2 hours away, but we're so happy. Mom made the comment that, isn't it incredible being with your best friend for 24/7. He really is my best friend, and understands me better than I understand myself. He's so, so wonderful.

I feel like a jerk because my thank you notes are written for the wedding, and are just sitting there waiting for me to have time to address all of them and send. Sigh.

Gonna take a second to whine, so if you don't like whining, skip to next paragraph. :P It pretty much sucks coming home to an empty house every day, and not seeing my husband for weeks at a time. We love each other more than anything, and it's almost tangible it's so obvious. I just really wish that I could see him more than a couple of days a month. Several of my friends got married, and they're all living together and having a high-ho time. We're having no picnic. It's so hard to take that we have to live apart at least until I'm done student teaching, but then to know that in just a few shorts weeks after I finish, he'll deploy to Iraq for a year. As in, return in late spring 2010. If THAT'S not sucky enough, I just found out that he might have to leave earlier than his unit to help get things packed and ready to go in Washington, D.C. He'll leave for 3 weeks in January (right when I finish student teaching and could go visit him for an extended period of time), and another 2 in February, then he leaves in March for real. Let me point out that there are 4-ish weeks in a month. This sucks. I don't understand what the heck I did wrong, or why the stupid government thinks that they should be able to take away my husband, or what the big plan is that God has in store for us. But right now, I am quite frankly at the breaking point. I have been having a difficult time sitting in church because of how upset I am at not only this whole situation but the one with my uncle who is very sick. My aunt, his wife, reads in church, and it breaks my heart to see her read something about not fearing death. It's not fair. None of it is. I know that there's a plan for everyone but seriously? What's up with this? At home, my faith keeps me going. But for some reason, once I get into church, I have a really hard time not crying. I went last weekend, but started crying in the middle of church and had to leave early before Mass started. I feel like a big turd, just because I have rarely been in since the wedding. I know it's not how often you go to church, it's your faith, but I still feel bad. This same kind of thing happened when Max's dad died, and I just couldn't get a hold of the fact that God must be ok with him dying. I really, really don't understand some things, and lately, I feel like I'm getting things shot at me left and right. I also feel like I'm getting more crap put on my plate than the average newlywed, which probably isn't fair to say, because I'm sure others have gone through this too. It's just a lot to handle at one time. Why can't we have the perfect little life that we've dreamed about. I hate that we always have to say "Someday, when we're together. Someday, when we can live in the same house in the same town and go to work and come back each day and have each other. Going to sleep and not waking up alone." It's always someday. Holy crap, I love him so much. And he loves me too. It's just hard right now. So freaking hard. Max asked me one time (during a rant I had over being separated) if I regretted getting married so soon, and seriously, I don't. I wouldn't give it up for anything. I have never been happier in my whole life. For the last five years I have wanted nothing more than just to be with him. And now I am. :) There are just bumps in the road, I guess. But someday.

On the flip side, student teaching is going amazingly well. I love my students, my cooperating teacher(s), the school... it's fabulous. I am really going to miss being there once I'm done. I am learning so much every single day just by watching my co-op, or doing my own teaching. My co-op is just incredible. She knows and understands kids better than anyone I have ever seen, and I feel so fortunate to be able to have her as a mentor. I cannot wait to have my own classroom!

Well, I guess that's enough for now. Probably should try to keep this update more often to document my student teaching, but we'll see.

Dear Ann Landers...

noreply@blogger.com (Anne) — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 01:08:00 +0000

Please bring my husband home. It hurts to much to be limited to two days a week with him.

24 hours later....

noreply@blogger.com (Anne) — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 21:13:00 +0000

I have still not done laundry. Instead, I stayed in Rice Lake until 10:30 doing stuff for work and getting staple items for our home. "Why are you getting flour?" wondered Max. "Because someday, I might want to... cook something." Hehehe. I think I am going to make my own bread, so that'll be sweet. I've made it before and it is so easy, especially with my brand new Professional Series Kitchenaid Mixer. :D It's the latest model of mixer from Kitchenaid and is HOT. HOT HOT HOT. So gorgeous... the color of it is a dark gray, but isn't shiny-- it is made with a material that looks and feels like stone. AWESOME. Even if my aunt Judy is the only one who could possibly understand my excitement, I am so thrilled about this mixer.

Had a really good time in Rice Lake; I got to catch up with my friend Trisha, who I've been friends with since basically the dawn of time. She is one of my oldest and dearest friends, been with me through everything. We munched on peach frozen yogurt, watched a little bit of the Olympics, talked about the wedding (which was AMAZING), and talked about the Rivertown Inn in Stillwater, MN, where Max and I stayed on Sunday night. It was so amazing. So, so, so amazing. My cousins Dewey and Therese, Dad, sisters, and Aunt Nancy/Uncle Mike went in on the Grand Carriage House Suite at the Inn, called the Agatha Christie suite. It was GORGEOUS!!! It is based on a train robbery, so the whole room design has antique furniture, Tiffany lamps, a waiting room to go into the suite that looks like the outside of a train car, two bathrooms (one is a steam room and the other a hot tub room), its own private garden terrace, and a MASSIVE king size bed that is built into the wall. To view this freaking amazing place... go to www.rivertowninn.com and click on the Rooms link. Incredible. And yes, it really does look like that, only better.

Today I purchased brand new kitty litter. While to some people this is not the most exciting thing, if you were attempting to scoop cat pee with nonscoopable litter, you would understand. It's basically like the box is taunting you. "Here, smell my nastiness and ammonia! Behold my stink as I don't clump and your efforts are wasted!" You just sit there inhaling the stuff and only scooping out poop. I am VERY excited about this new litter. It's also for multiple cats, which is nice because then the odor control lasts longer. I think I might just pitch the old stuff, for real. I got them a new cat box to replace their smelly ones, so I'm at least throwing out the litter, if not the boxes themselves. They just stink. Blegh.

Found out today that my job is pretty much secure for next summer, which will be nice. Tara asked if I would be willing to come back next year, and I told her if she'll have me, absolutely. As long as I am in this area, it'll work out really well. It'll also be a nice distraction during the summer, especially since I won't be in the schools.

Ooooooh I better move my fish over to our house... whoops.

I smell funny

noreply@blogger.com (Anne) — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 15:09:00 +0000

Well, here I am at work, and I feel like I am really smelly. First I thought it was like, ok, so maybe that thing of Tide is really old. Then I wondered, am I wearing all clean clothes? Could I have missed a spot showering?

It turns out that, no, none of these things were the case. With every house comes a certain smell. Our house, since it is old and... well, not in the best of shape, smells WEIRD. I never noticed it before, because Max always smelled great. However, now that I am wearing this smell, I am not so sure I appreciate it. I LIKED the way I smelled. Tonight in Rice Lake, I think I am going to get some new soap at least. Fabric softener. Try to elleviate the smell.

I think tonight when I get back from Rice Lake, I will do a full fledged sweep of laundry, taking out any old crap that is in the washer (there was some stuff sitting in it, ew) and wash it again, maybe put some Oxy Clean in there...

Only YOU can prevent stinky clothes! Or forest fires, whatever.

And here I sit

noreply@blogger.com (Anne) — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 13:17:00 +0000

Well, here i am, chilling in my house. As in, MY house. The one my husband and I have. :)

The wedding went off without a hitch; it was without a doubt the most perfect day in either of our lives. The weather was great, the people, the service... awesome. I will type more when I am not on Max's crappy keyboard that has an illfunctioning spacebar.

Oh, and the Rivertown Inn? AMAZING!

Ok, I am a slacker.

noreply@blogger.com (Anne) — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 19:43:00 +0000

Due to recent pointing outing that I have not updated for a while, esPECIALLY with my wedding being in T-minus 2 days, I figured I owe one. Jill Fox, this one's for you!

Well, since I last posted, I have paid most of my wedding bills (still waiting on the food bill and beer bill), taken my dress, rings, and bridesmaid gifts home, tied all of the bouquets, ordered boutennieres, corsages, and roses, ordered more beer than I've ever seen, helped a very excited flower girl pick her dress, gotten gifts for ring bearers and said flower girl, cried over baby pictures of Max (his dad can't be with us physically and it hurts a LOT), and a whole host of other stuff.

Looking back, it feels like I haven't done a lot, especially considering how calm I am this week. No bridezilla moments yet... that's the big joke in the office this week, whether or not I will morph into "BRIDEZIWWA!!!!!" But I'm feeling really good, and at this point, I'm just thrilled that Max and I are getting married. Max and I had an argument earlier this week over which place to be at a certain time, and I got pretty upset, but in the end, Max said "Anne, we're getting married. That's all that matters." I promptly turned into a puddle, and gave him a big hug.

All that I have left to do is pay for stuff that I need bills for, print the pictures for centerpieces, and copy the program. Then.. tada! I am excited for our centerpieces, because they are baby pictures of Max and I. :)

I better call Mom but I'll probably write more later.

noreply@blogger.com (Anne) — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 00:09:00 +0000

Wow, time is going semi-quickly. Concert band camp is upon us, and you know what that means... time to tolerate the one and only Fraggle (code name for one of the faculty). Oy vey!

Things have been going pretty well with family stuff, for the most part. I guess they have started cleaning out Grandpa's house, which is sad. But the entire family is really coming together. We've had some kind of get together every night. Thursday, people met for dinner on the way home, Friday was Jane's, yesterday was Judy's, and tonight is uncle Mike's. Tomorrow is the wake, and Tuesday is the funeral and graveside service. It'll suck major balls, but you know. I think that this is a time for us all to really lean on each other and grow closer as a unit.

On a happier note, my bridal shower is coming up this next Sunday! I am so excited! It's kitchen themed, which is AWESOME because that's seriously what we need the most. I'm a little bummed that no one has gotten the utensil crock from Brickyard Pottery yet... I've been checking the registry religiously to see. But I am so thrilled with everything else that is being purchased. I feel so weird, because I've never really been one to be like, "Oh good, get me that! Yes, I am getting presents!" I always hate getting gifts, but for some reason, my wedding has completely changed that. I am beside myself with glee at the idea of getting a bunch of new kitchen things. I think most of my registry is kitchen stuff, actually. It's tough to decide what to register for when you're moving into a fully furnished house. We did not pick any flatware yet, which we really probably should, but there's already stuff at the house that is just fine. Why fix what isn't broken? The pots, pans, and dishes need some serious updating, which everything that we registered for will fix. My college pots and pans that Mom got me are actually in pristine condition, since I rarely used them because I didn't want to wreck them. They are an amazingly nice Kitchenaid set. Navy blue, which will match our dishes, believe it or not. Who knew I would end up with blue-ish dishes? I used to really not like blue on stuff that I use all the time, but I like this pattern. http://www.brickyardpottery.com/giftregistry/bitneybryan.htm

Ah, wedding. This is going to be a blast. Max and I did SO WELL on our FOCCUS test! Father was very impressed, I guess. Pretty much totally sweet. I'm excited. Look out world, here we come!

With every death, a new life begins.

noreply@blogger.com (Anne) — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 16:05:00 +0000

Yesterday kind of sucked. But in a way, I feel like we all feel that much more relieved. Grandpa passed away yesterday around 6:00pm, while we were all holding his hands and being there for him.

I got a phone call in the morning from my dad telling me that Grandpa wasn't doing well, and that I should probably go see him soon. I wanted to cancel my bachelorette party right away so that I could go on Saturday, but he told me to wait until he knew more from the nurses and doctors. A little while later, I got another call from dad, tellng me that Tara and I should probably leave work immediately and come to the Cities, as the hospital staff didn't think Grandpa had more than 24 hours to live. Of course, I bailed right away, catching a ride with my uncle Mike and aunt Nancy. We got to the hospital by 5:20, and hauled our butts up to the room where Grandpa was staying. As soon as we got there, and uncle Mike went up to Grandpa to hold his hand, all of Grandpa's vital signs shot up; he knew that Mike was there. Jackie had been telling Grandpa to hold on, that Mike was on his way (the last sibling to be able to make it to the hospital).

As we sat there holding his hands, Kate told us that Grandpa had been telling her that Grandma Irene visited him every night at 6:00. He understood that should wasn't alive, but somehow, still she came to see him and talk to him. As the clock drew nearer to the 6:00 hour, we all found ourselves looking up to watch the hands slowly close in on the time that Grandma would come to visit. As soon as 6:00 hit, we looked at Grandpa, looked at the clock, and the room got very quiet. The minutes and seconds went by SO slowly! But after a little bit, the nurse came in, and told us that it was basically his pacemaker that was keeping his heart beating; he had stopped breathing and hadn't been for quite a few minutes. After a while, she came back in and told us that there was no heartbeat. Just like that, he was gone.

Even though we were all devastated, it was like we knew he was with Grandma. She'd come to talk to him, and together, they decided it was time. I can't imagine how happy they must be to finally be together. It's been so long. Jackie made the comment that she wondered how Grandma and Gladyce were getting along; I don't know! That'd be interesting to see. But now he's up there with both of them, checking on my sister Nicki, and baking kickass apple pies, cookies, and baked beans for anyone who wants them. Halibut, too, I'm sure. I'm guessing that in Heaven, there's an unending supply. Who knows?

The way you look tonight-- Andy Williams version

noreply@blogger.com (Anne) — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 19:38:00 +0000

Well, we picked our song to have our first dance to. :) We'll be dancing to "The Way You Look Tonight," as performed by Andy Williams in 1966. The neat thing about it is that my little sister Kelsey will be singing it for us!

On an even more personal note, I felt like it was really appropriate, particularly because of the situation we're facing with Max being deployed to Iraq. The song talks about how, no matter how bad it ever gets, whenever the guy is sad or lonely, he'll look back with a smile and feel better just thinking about the way she looked tonight. We both can kind of relate to the song, because we'll always have this dance and this day to remember forever, no matter how far apart we may be. I feel so blessed to be able to spend the rest of my life with Max. I love him so much.

I'm Feeling Lucky button

noreply@blogger.com (Anne) — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 18:56:00 +0000

Here's what I think. Every once in a while, I'm going to type in a word or two of what's on my mind, hit the "I'm Feeling Lucky" button in Google, and blog about whatever pops up for the result.

In this particular episode, I have punched in "marriage." What came up? Wikipedia, of course! Now, I could comment on marriage itself, but how about Wikipedia?

I used to wonder why Wikipedia was such a crappy source to use in a professional research paper. Little did I know that, if I so desired, I could EDIT THE PAGE and make myself a subject in Wikipedia. Look up Shell Lake, WI, and it could say "home of the big two tailed fish and the ever so lovely Anne Bitney." As a result, I could have people writing in depth research about me and I wouldn't even know it! My friend Andrew did that (not write a paper on me but put his name on Wikipedia), and it was up for about a week or two before the creators took it down. Awesome.

Ok, this is what Wikipedia has to say about marriage: "People marry for many reasons, but usually one or more of the following: legal, social, and economic stability; the formation of a family unit; procreation and the education and nurturing of children; legitimizing sexual relations; public declaration of love; or to obtain citizenship."

So what we're looking at here is that A, people marry for stability, so that they have some kind of solid surface to be on. This stability issue isn't one that I would necessarily deem as a good reason for getting married. Just because you're unstable means you should get married? What?

B, people marry to form a family. That's not a bad reason. However, if that's the only reason you're getting married, I'm not so sure. You can have a family without being married, can't you? Overall though, I don't think this is a terrible reason.

C, people marry to procreate. Not even gonna go there.

D, people marry to legitimize sexual relations. We can learn from the actions of one Brittany Spears. She married some guy for 24 hours to legitimize their sexual relations and then went on to divorce right away. If people did this every time they wanted to legitimize their sexual relations... wow. That'd be a mess.

E, people marry to have a public declaration of love. I'm not so sure I've got an explanation for this one. But, if this means that it's a civil union between two people to show their love for each other and have a public unity, then that's really a pretty good reason.

F, people marry to gain legal citizenship. My mom had a guy in her office who was going to marry this woman from Peru or wherever, but she got into the country, married him, and divorced. Good reason for marriage? I think not. But it did work on Will & Grace when Karen's maid Rosie needed legal citizenship. So, 1 out of 2 times, it worked. And if it's on Will & Grace, then it must be so.

the video for Then They Do

noreply@blogger.com (Anne) — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 21:39:00 +0000

Then they do..

noreply@blogger.com (Anne) — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 21:25:00 +0000

I was reading my cousin Jill (ok, well, my cousin Tim's wife, but same difference!)'s blog, and how Gage is growing up so fast, and it made me think of this Trace Adkins song that we played at my senior slide show:

----------------------------------------
In the early rush of morning,
Trying to get the kids to school:
One's hanging on my shirt-tail,
Another's locked up in her room.
And I'm yelling up the stairs:
"Stop worrying 'bout your hair, you look fine."

Then they're fightin' in the backseat,
And I'm playing referee.
Now someone's gotta go,
The moment that we leave.
And everybody's late,
I swear that I can't wait till they grow up.

Then they do, and that's how it is.
It's just quiet in the mornin',
Can't believe how much you miss,
All they do and all they did.
You want all the dreams they dreamed of to come true:
Then they do.

Now the youngest is starting college,
She'll be leavin' in the Fall.
And Brianna's latest boyfriend,
Called to ask if we could talk.
And I got the impression,
That he's about to pop the question any day.

I look over at their pictures,
Sittin' in their frames.
I see them as babies:
I guess that'll never change.
You pray all their lives,
That someday they will find happiness.

Then they do, and that's how it is.
It's just quiet in the mornin',
Can't believe how much you miss,
All they do and all they did.
You want all the dreams they dreamed of to come true:
Then they do.

No more Monday PTA's,
No carpools, or soccer games.
Your work is done.
Now you've got time that's all your own.
You've been waitin' for so long,
For those days to come.

Then they do, and that's how it is.
It's just quiet in the mornin',
Can't believe how much you miss,
All they do and all they did.
You want all the dreams they dreamed of to come true:
Then they do.

Ah, then they do.
-----------------------------------------------

Whenever I read those lyrics I get pretty nostalgic. My parents must be feeling that right now, with me getting married. I always kind of wonder how they feel about it, not like if they're ok with it or not, but like... how it is. 22 years ago, they weren't sure that I'd live this long. But now I almost have a 4 year degree and I'm getting married. They spend all of those years raising all of us and making sure we're ok and giving us their whole world, and then just like that, it's over. Not like I won't always be their little girl, but it's still kind of a strange feeling.

noreply@blogger.com (Anne) — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 21:48:00 +0000

Wedding stuff is coming along nicely. It's about a month and 8 days away, which is pretty much awesome. We're kind of starting to morph into married couple-ness. I'm not really sure how to explain it. It's like... well, the first thing that hit me was when Max came up to me and said "Want to do Sam's meds?" And it wasn't that he was asking ME to do it. He was saying that, hey, let's both go take care of this together. I don't know why it hit me so hard, maybe I'm weird, but it made me smile. :) We also worked together to clean out the entire freakin basement, which took a little bit of doing but we got it done. He claims that I helped a lot, but it was really mostly Max. The house looks so good! I feel so much better about moving into it on August 9. I also feel a little better about bringing my own things over, although I will tell you right now that my set of KitchenAid pots and pans are NOT going over until I can ensure that they are going to be well maintained. That set was too dang expensive to not be guarded.

I think I am going to paint the bathroom this week. Preferably tonight or tomorrow. That'd be nice. The color is a really nice green, not like bright or super dark, but a sage-ish color. I really like it a lot. We picked out a really nice looking shower curtain that is kind of a square pattern. The background is a tannish-cream, and then it has squares outlined with shades of green and blue, the green which will match the color on the walls. For the floor, I think I'm going to get a light/medium blue bathmat, which'll match the blue in the curtain as well. :D It's going to be a very nice looking bathroom! Very light and relaxing... can a bathroom be that? I think it'll be awesome.

My little kitty Sam is doing well. He was neutered a week ago, and it turns out that he has the beginning of an ear infection, so he's on meds for that. I thought that giving him the medicine would be crappy, but Sam is taking it like a champ. He obviously doesn't like it, but he is a very good sport. I have also restarted the vitamin regimen that Max had the kitties on, and they seem to be healthier because of that. I'm sure it's all in my head, but hey. They look good.

I better go. Dinner calls.

:)

noreply@blogger.com (Anne) — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 18:02:00 +0000

Welcome to the world, Kalili! :D:D:D My little goddaughter was born this past evening. 4 lbs, 9 oz, 17 inches long. Tiny little bopper, but I bet she's perfect. I hope that Carrie's doing better... I read Jill's blog, and I guess that Carrie's blood pressure wasn't doing so well after Lilly was taken out. Hopefully I'll get an update from Don or Judy soon!!

Ha!

noreply@blogger.com (Anne) — Wed, 28 May 2008 00:56:00 +0000

O-ho! It appears that there are some new jobs potentially coming on the market. Spooner is possibly open, which would be a 5-12 position-- GAH!! That's what I want!! Cumberland is also possibly opening, and another one which I forget. How sweet would that be to end up living here? I know, I know... settling in the same town where you grew up.. lame... but I love it here, I really do. Sure, the nearest Target is an hour and a half away, and no one knows what Jimmy Johns is, but I LOVE it. I love the fact that I can walk down the street and everyone knows not only my name, but my parents, my extended family, who I'm dating, where I've been, and what I've been up to. I love it. It's that feeling that you can't get in a bigger city. Sure, it's nice to just casually talk to people and not worry about ever having to see them again. Being able to go to the store in your pjs and know that no one knows you. But I really value the feeling that a small town community brings. The school district here is great, too; our kids would be in a great place, and I wouldn't worry about the quality of their education, because I know that it is good. It was really nice to leave Shell Lake and live in a different place for a while, particularly Eau Claire. I love it there. But there's nothing like coming home. I get this warm feeling whenever I make that turn off of Lake Spur onto North Lake Drive, heading down the road toward Donovan Cove. Part of me really hopes that we end up here, or somewhere near here. Sigh. Yay.

The Never Ending Saga

noreply@blogger.com (Anne) — Sun, 11 May 2008 21:22:00 +0000

Oh, grass. Why do you have to grow? Because of you, I have to get off my butt only to sit on it once again for 3 hours at a time, only this time on a bumpy vibrating uncomfortable mower. I love you grass, but seriously. Isn't it time to stop?

If I was grass, I would hope that I would have the Peter Pan complex, so that I would stop growing at a certain point. That way, no one would ever have to mow me.

The beginning of the end

noreply@blogger.com (Anne) — Tue, 06 May 2008 01:51:00 +0000

Well, today was interesting. I had my very last flute lesson EVER with Dr. Lane. Needless to say, I was very sad! It was kind of nice because I nailed some really tough passages on the Bricchialdi (Carnival of Venice), and we sightread some fun duets. Got a little tough to play for a little bit because my lip was quivering, but it worked out. It's so weird to me to know that this is it, the end of my college career. I feel so young thinking all of these things, because I know that so many people I know have already gone through it, but it's just WEIRD.

Not long ago, I was finishing up my freshman year, and didn't think this day would ever come, the day that I leave campus forever to join the ranks of those in the "real world." Sure, I still have student teaching left, but I'm isolated up north, the only one in my class to be so far away from everybody. As I sit here now and think about this, it's becoming more and more apparent that college is a time that should not be wasted; it comes and goes so quickly that you suddenly find yourself standing at the bottom of this huge mountain with nowhere to go but up. How do you do it? Of course, there are many ways in which to climb this proverbial mountain, but you must choose your own path; there is no one to guide you this time. You may have written a 15 page paper on the many ways to climb a mountain, but it is now up to you to decide which will be the way you take.

It's weird how even though I am only 22, I feel like I have the entire world staring me in the face saying "Well???". What have I accomplished in the past four years? Who have I become? How did I get here? Should I have done something differently? These are all questions that go through the mind of a has-been. When you're in college, it seems like you can conquer anything. But now, on the exit ramp, I start to wonder.

Regardless of how sad I get about leaving, I'M GONNA BE A TEACHER!!! WOOHOO!!! Take that and smoke it!

noreply@blogger.com (Anne) — Mon, 05 May 2008 05:44:00 +0000

What's your name spelled backwards?

yentib enna

What did you do last night?

Watched Juno with Max, Niki, and Mark

The last thing you downloaded onto your computer?
um... a flash player? no, it would be something for msn so we can have shared files

Have you ever licked a 9 volt battery?
No, should I have?

Last time you swam in a pool?
Oh dear... I don't remember.

What are you wearing?
pjs

How many cars have you owned?
1

Type of music you dislike most?

Not really sure... serialism confuses me, but so does some of the really lengthy violin crap.

Are you registered to vote?
yes

Do you have cable?
no

What kind of computer do you use?

a Dell Latitude D600
Ever made a prank phone call?
I think I tried once when I was little but dismally failed

You like anyone right now?
duh

Would you go bungee jumping or sky diving?
I have to pick? How about neither

Furthest place you ever traveled?
Paris, France

What's your favorite comic strip?
Good question. Probably... Peanuts or For Better or for Worse

Do u know all the words to the national anthem?
yes

Shower, morning or night?
morning

Best movie you've seen in the past month?
probably Juno, but the clips of Jeff Dunham were awesome

Favorite pizza toppings?
sausage, pinapple, onion. I also love bbq chicken

Chips or popcorn?
What kind?

Have you ever smoked peanut shells?
no... you can do that?? sick

Have you ever been in a beauty pageant?
no

Orange Juice or apple?
orange

Who were the last people you sat at lunch with?
Jan, Cory, Max

favorite chocolate bar?
kit kat or 3 musketeer

Who is your longest friend and how long?
my sisters, and also probably trish

Last time you ate a homegrown tomato?
not that long ago

Have you ever won a trophy?

You betcha

Favorite arcade game?
say what?

Ever ordered from an infomercial?
no

Sprite or 7-UP?
7 up

Have you ever had to wear a uniform to school/work?
only on sundays for the Center

Last thing you bought at Walgreens?
i think it was a brace for my tendonitis

Ever thrown up in public?
church basement in front of whole congregation and public

Would you prefer being a millionaire or finding true love?
true love!

Do you believe in love at first sight?

i'd say so

SPONGEBOB OR JIMMY NEUTRON?
no idea, who is jimmy neutron

Did you have long hair as a young kid?
sometimes

What message is on your voicemail machine?
all deleted at the moment, but they were all from mom

Where would you like to go right now?

bed

Whats the name of your pet?
Goldfish: Stanley and Gus

Cats: Sweeite and Punkin, Mike and Sam

What kind of back pack do you have, and what's in it?
my backpack is red black and white, but i use my black messenger bag usually

What do you think about most?

getting married, duh. and graduating