Author: Emily

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Show and Tell: That "Just Married" Look

showandtellWow. I seriously can’t believe I’ve made it through half the month for NaBloPoMo. It seems like a week in, I was already struggling to find stuff interesting stuff to post about. And now … I’ve reached the halfway point.

So today, I decided to share a picture of Hubby and I on our honeymoon. And based on the picture, where do you think we went?

Hmmm …. jackets and sweatshirts, cuddling close to each other. Probably some place pretty cool in climate, eh? Maybe hiking in one of the state parks in Washington … or perhaps Alaska even?

Honeymoon

Nope. Hubby and I went to Hawaii. Yep, if you could only pan out a little further in this picture, you’d see that we’re both wearing our Doc Marten sandals with no socks … and completely freezing our tushies off.

That’s because we made the trek up Mt. Haleakala on the island of Maui, just to watch the sun rise over the summit of this dormant volcano. To put it in words would be near impossible. Just know that it was simply gorgeous.

But back to the picture. Can’t you tell how incredibly happy we are? By then we would have been married 9 days (even though the date displayed one day ahead …. what can I say? This was pre-digital!) and this would have been the second to the last day of our honeymoon.

To say that we enjoyed our trip would be an understatement. We started out in the island of Kauai, which was absolutely perfect for us to unwind from all of the wedding events. You see, Kauai is more of a quiet island (as compared to Oahu or Maui). Not too much going on throughout the island, but lots of beautiful scenery. We stayed at the Hyatt in Poipu, which is the southernmost city of the island. And we were absolutely spoiled rotten there. The oceanfront view, the beautiful gardens on the property, the multiple swimming pools and lagoons, and the incredible daily brunch spread that, to this day … cannot compare to any other brunch we’ve had. We took a raft up the Na Pali Coast and snorkeled at one of the isolated beaches. We drove up to Waimea Canyon and met a orange tabby cat named Simba, who was adopted by the vendors in the area. Oh, and we went on a helicopter ride, where … because of the extreme motion sickness I experienced … I realized it was not my life’s ambition to be a pilot. Although, what I do remember was beautiful. In all, we spent about 6 days on this island, relaxing and basking in our newlywed state.

Then it was off to Maui, which after spending almost a week in “seclusion,” seemed like a major metropolis as compared to Kauai. It was definitely an island with many more sites and activities. Oh, and lots of shopping too! We stayed at the Embassy Suites in Ka’anapali, which is on the northwesternmost part of the island. In order to get there, we drove through Lahaina, which was, at one time, the center of the world’s whaling industry with ships from around the globe docking at this port. This has certainly made Lahaina the “seaport” village that it has become; lots of storefronts and boutique shops line its streets.

Along with the aforementioned 2:00 am drive up to the “House of the Sun” to watch the sun rise, we also made another beautiful day trip to the east side of the island. Which, if you’ve ever been to Maui … it’s almost like being on a completely different island. Where the west side is more arid and dry, the east side is more lush and green. The highway to the east is widely known as the “Road to Hana” and it’s a wondrously windy road with more than 50 bridges, many of which are only one lane. Along the way, we passed by numerous waterfalls; some of which we were actually able to swim under. And at the end of our journey, we reached the “Seven Sacred Pools,” which are actually a series (of more than seven, may I add) of pools formed by cascading waterfalls that literally tumble into the ocean. It was stunningly beautiful.

By the end of the 11 days we spent in Hawaii, we were well rested and ready to start our lives as newlyweds. What we absolutely loved best about our honeymoon was that we were there together, exploring a place where neither of us had ever been before. On our very own. With no timetable or schedule to go by. And to this day, this was one of our most favorite (if not the favorite) vacations of all time.

Unfortunately, all my honeymoon photos have not caught up with the digital age at this time. Perhaps one day, I’ll be able to scan them in. Until then, I’ll just have to enjoy the beautiful picture of us up in the “House of Sun.”

Now; make sure you go and check out everyone else’s Show and Tell posts!

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Double … Oh My!

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My heart’s a-thumpin’

I have a thing for actors. That and rock stars, but that’s another story. I’m definitely more of a tall, dark and handsome type of gal, and the more interesting (and diverse) roles they play, the sexier I think they are. Which is why I have this (almost unhealthy) obsession with Joh.nny De.pp. I’ve always had a thing for him, even back in his “Elm Street” and “Jump Street” days.

Which is why it makes almost no sense that I found myself having a “crush” on Da.niel Cr.aig. Before his take as James B.ond, I have never really taken notice of him. And truth be told, I had my reservations of have a blond hair / blue-eyed man playing 007. Because to me, Pie.rce Bro.snan (even back in his “Remin.gton Ste.ele” days) was always who I visualized as the penultimate Bond. (Ask my parents though, and they’d probably say Sean Conn.ery.) But then I saw “Casino R.oyal.e” and some of it’s steamy scenes. And yeah, I blushed.

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Double Oh Sexy

So it’s no surprise that Hubby & I ran out to see the latest Bond flick. And I certainly was not disappointed. Even moreso, Hubby wasn’t disappointed either.

Okay, so that last statement sounded weird, but seriously … it was more because of the latest Bond girl, Ol.ga Kur.yle.nko. Who, I even admit, is pretty d*mn sexy. Of course, I’m sure it’s more because of the character she plays in this film. A beautiful girl with matching smart and wit about her; a girl with a mission in mind. Basically, she’s a female version of 007 but with a more shapely body.

I knew when Olga first came on the screen that Hubby thought she was attractive. Because just as I know him very well, I also know his “type.” Just like I know Jes.sica Al.ba is also his type. And just like he knows that Joh.nny De.pp is mine. Yeah … we’re that comfortable with each other. And that secure in our relationship.

And amongst everything else that seems to be in such a state of flux, it’s wonderful knowing that my relationship with Hubby is the one constant (yet ever-evolving) thing in my life.

Okay, so with that said … remember that one “Frie.nds” episode? The one with the “list” of five celebrity people that a person could sleep with without it considered cheating? If given the opportunity?

Obviously Joh.nny De.pp and Da.niel Cr.aig are on mine. Along with Dwa.yne “The R.ock” Joh.nson. And Micha.el Hu.tchence (if he were still alive, sigh …). Oh, and probably Gra.nt Hill (ex-Pist.ons, now Phx Suns basketball player). Hey … what can I say? My tastes are diverse!

And Jes.sica Al.ba and now Ol.ga Kur.yle.nko are on my Hubby’s list. Probably alongside Ang.elina J.olie and Gw.yneth Pa.ltrow. Probably Gw.en Stef.ani, too. Although really … his tastes don’t usually fall towards blonds. He’s really more about smart and sexy women than he is all about the looks.

So … now I pose the question to you … who’s on your celebrity list?

And better yet … who do you think is on your Hubby’s / S.O.’s list?

Most importantly … which one do you think is the sexier B.ond?

Seriously?!

Okay … seriously must counteract that awful picture above …. how about this one?

And since this is my blog ... I can post THIS sexy picture!

Mmmm …. Oh yes. Definitely better …

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"Fortune"-ate

 (Update 03.19.2009: Now that the cat’s out of the bag, I can finally un-PWP this post!)

~~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~

Focus on your long-term term goal.
Good things will soon happen.

– Fortune Cookie from Chinese Take-out
(Last night’s dinner, by the way … )

Wow. I mean seriously. Wow. I’m still in a bit of shock over the news I received yesterday, and I’m still completely giddy with excitement.

Wednesday afternoon I received a call. From the HR person I’ve been dealing with. Unfortunately, I missed the call and by the time I realized it, it was way past the time for me to call back. So I had to wait until the morning to call.

In the mean time, I was trying to send out my follow-up letters to both the HR person I finally met face to face this past Monday and the manager of the department I was interviewing in. So Wednesday night, I finished writing the letters and thought briefly about snail-mailing them out. But seeing as if I already received one call, I figured that I could send the letter by email instead … at least for the time being.

So about 11:30 pm that night, I shipped out both emails and thought nothing about it; hoping that the HR person would read it in the morning before I called him back.

Five minutes later … I receive a reply. From the manager that I interviewed with. At 11:30 pm EST. Which means it was still late evening where she was. Yikes … I was totally not expecting that! But basically she said that it was nice meeting me too, and that I should contact the HR rep for “the next steps.”

So I’m thinking that perhaps the call is to set up an interview with the Director of the department for the supervisor position I also interviewed for. Or maybe I was going to be offered the Case Manager position instead; which would have been fine, but then I’d have been concerned about the salary and still having to make the move out of our state. Either way, I was prepared for the call.

So yesterday morning, I call shortly after what I assume is the HR person’s starting time and leave a message. And wait for about an hour. When HR guy finally calls, I’m taken completely by surprise. Because rather than calling to set up another interview, he’s calling to offer me a position. The supervisor position.

That’s right … the supervisor position!

HOLY CRAP!! I GOT OFFERED THE JOB!!!

Okay, so before I get too excited … I still have to officially accept the position and the salary that’s currently being negotiated (which are going good, by the way …). And well, I still have to take the requisite drug screen (no poppy seeds for me). But …

HOLY CRAP!! I GOT OFFERED THE JOB!!!

Okay, so now that I got that out of the way … I can’t believe how, thus far, things have been falling neatly into place. How finding out about my (now ex-) Director’s move to a new company out of state coincided with a very emotionally difficult time in my life (read: niece’s birth). How the opportunity to review my resume and forward it on spurred me to even contemplating such a move. How we got such an awesome deal on lodging that I didn’t realize was right next to the building I’d be interviewing in. How, even though Hubby was sick over the weekend, that gave me the chance to rest up and relax before the big interview. How the manager I interviewed with happened to be Filipino. How her supervisor happened to be someone that shared my views about teamwork and leadership. And how my ex-Director picked the most opportune moment to peak in the meeting room just to say hi to me.

Now, y’all know my stance with my Catholicism. I’m spiritual to a point, but then my scientific and logical reasoning takes over. But let me tell you … right now, I believe that The Big Man Upstairs has been seriously watching over me. That He’s felt my pain and frustration with everything I’ve been dealing with, that He’s noticed all the anxiety and tears I’ve let loose. And that at this moment, when I just needed something to go my way for once, He’s opened a few doors. And I am so grateful for this.

By no means am I completely clear of any obstacles, though. There’s still all the other logistics that need to be addressed. Selling our house in a depressed economy (this is metro-Detroit, after all … the Motor City ain’t doing so good right now). Finding a place to live in the mean time. Paying for both places until our house sells. All those logistics.

Yes, I know I’m putting the cart in front of the horse right now. But haven’t you noticed? It’s in my nature to worry about these things. But I pray that these things go as smoothly as (knock on wood) things have been going thus far.

So again, if anybody has The Big Man Upstairs on their speed dial, would you mind continuing to put a good word in for me?

And now, if you’ll excuse me … I’m going to do the “Dance of Joy.”

_

(Update 03.19.2009: Now that the cat’s out of the bag, I can finally un-PWP this post!)

~~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~

 
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Must See TV

Yes, this is one of those really quick posts. So I’m probably cheating on this whole “Post-A-Day” thingy. But I don’t care.

(Because … shh … I’ll probably put up tomorrow’s post much earlier than the usual!)

I’m excited for “Must See TV” tonite. Because tonite … Dr. Greene comes back to ER. Woo-hoo!

Yeah, I know I’m cheesy like that. Truth be told, I haven’t watched ER consistently in years. I personally think that once Anthony Edwards left the show, it just wasn’t as good as in the beginning.

I have fond memories of the first few years of ER. First of all, it’s inaugural season started the same year that I graduated from nursing school. So watching a show that was seriously all that “and a bag of chips” as a medical drama was seriously cool. And second … well, I’ve always had a crush on Ge.orge Cloo.ney since he was on “Facts of Life.” And third, it was written and produced by author Michael Crich.ton (RIP 🙁 ).

The show was SO good, that it was always THE topic at work the next day. And it was none of those silly sensationalized storylines that we see now on other medical shows (ahem … Grey’s). They were actually pretty accurate and the dialog was spot on.

Original Cast

Not that it’s no longer like that now … because it still is … but there’s just something about the original characters that made the show. And once they were all gone, the magic kinda left as well.

So that’s why I’m excited to see the “return” of one of the older characters tonite. And because this is the last season of ER, I hear there are supposed to be more “guest stars” throughout the season; culminating in a BIG (as in HUGE) series finale … with all the originals, including George and Julianne Marguiles. At least that’s what I’m hoping (and praying) for.

Okay, that’s it. 40 minutes to go. So I’m outta here!

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Highlighting IF

Anybody else watch “Without A Trace” last night? It was interesting episode about a missing wife. Of course the first person they suspected was the husband. Apparently neighbors had mentioned to the investigators that the husband and wife were fighting often.

So when they went to question the husband, he tells them the reason they’ve been arguing lately. When they first got married, they immediately started trying to start their family. In his words, he said he wasn’t so worried at first; that things would happen in time. But after a year of trying, they still weren’t pregnant.

In the next scene, they show the husband coming into their bedroom all geared up and “ready to go” (if you catch my drift). Except the wife is getting ready for work instead. “Did I get my signals mixed?,” he asks and then rattles off that he thought her temp had spiked, the LH was up and the fertility monitor said that all systems were go. When the wife turns to him, she has this incredibly sad look on her face and basically tells him that she has too much to do and so many deadlines to meet at work … except that doesn’t look like the reason she appears despondent. And of course the husband sits down next to her and hugs her; tells her that one of the things that they talked about was controlling and reducing their stress.

And before I had the chance to get all pissed off about the whole “Just Relax” bit, the husband redeemed himself by saying to the investigators, “No one ever tells you how hard it is when you have problems making a baby.” (Or something like that, anyway.)

Well, the rest of the story was irrelevant (to me, anyway). We later find out that the wife was pregnant and had a baby in her teenage years. And that apparently she developed an infection in her ovaries that have now made her incapable of getting pregnant. Really, I was just incredibly surprised of the less than 2 minute period spotlighting infertility. And how “real” a condition this show made this couple’s infertility.

While I think they could have focused on the infertility aspect a little more … I’m just happy that they did. Because I think it’s important that there be more media attention on infertility and how it affects every aspect of a couple’s life.

What about you? Have you encountered any other shows or newspaper/magazine articles or movies that have approached the subject of infertility? And did you think they portrayed it in an appropriate way?