Kristen’s Blog

It’s been four years and three months since Robin and I were married.  It sure doesn’t feel like it.  We’ve been together almost six years.  Sometimes it’s hard to believe its been that long; other times it’s hard to believe it’s only been six years.

Tonight we went out with friends to the movies.  Afterwards, while we were standing around talking, Robin and I stood real close together and held hands.  It was an overwhelming feeling of love, protection, and togetherness.  It’s amazing how easy and comfortable you can be around someone.  There’s no barriers between us and we truly enjoy being with each other.  We know that sometimes we make people sick - we are pretty affectionate towards each other in public.  It’s unintentional.  We’re just so happy together. 

(I’m not trying to be sappy or in-your-face about my relationship.  Everynight I blog about what’s on my mind.  Being a wife is probably the most personal aspect of my life listed at the top of the screen.) 

Mama once told me that everyone strives for contentment - anything else is just gravy.  Being a teenager, I argued.  I thought everyone should try to be happy.  Now I know that she was right.  Sitting on the couch blogging while Robin sits at the table alphabetizing Magic cards is contentment.  And for us, that kind of contentment leads to bliss.

Right now, I feel like I’m in law school again.  I’m sitting on the love seat, surrounded by case law that I have to read and brief before tomorrow, and Robin is sitting beside me watching Comedy Central.  I spent three years sitting here just like this.  Oh, those were the days.

I talked to a friend recently that hates her job.  Actually, I know a lot of people that hate their jobs.  I didn’t think I’d ever want to leave school and get a real job.  But after three years of law school, I was more than ready to get out.  And I hit a home run on my first try.  I got a great job.  I have amazing mentors.  I’m surrounded by case law because I’m trying to get caught up on one of the more complex areas of law - special education.  It’s kind of like being back in law school, studying so you don’t make a fool of yourself in front of the professor - but it’s more important, more real.  That’s the main reason I study more now than I did back then. 

I always expected to get my doctorate.  I don’t know if I’ll ever go back to school.  Being an attorney forces me to learn so many new things all the time, I feel like I’m still at school.  And Sheila, Rhonda, Jennifer, Courtney, and Jim are the best teachers I have ever had.  I’m very grateful to them.

Once, every six months or so, I get the urge.  And I have to do it.  It’s been almost a year since I’ve gotten the urge, but I got it yesterday.  I was really tired, so I ignored it.  I thought about paying someone today to help me out, but I ended up working late.  Robin will do it every once in a blue moon, but he doesn’t like to.  He’s always afraid he’ll screw it up.  So I did it myself.  And I must say, it’s the best I’ve ever done. 

Shame on you!  Dirty minded freak!  I cut my own hair.  What did you think I was talking about!?!

Last November, I cut my bangs.  Today I just cut two inches off the length.  Saturday I will go and get a couple more inches cut off and get my bangs trimmed back some.  They have gotten way too long.

In other news, I talked to Melissa Gail tonight.  Hopefully she’ll be coming to stay with us during the first of December.  It would be soo great.  She could help me decorate the house.  It’s not Robin’s most favorite activity, and I’m too short for some of the decorating I want to do.  Plus Melissa has wonderful decorating sense.  Her place always looks great during the holidays.  I was really excited to hear her voice.  Come visit us Dr. Melissa!!

Tomorrow, I go to a doctor that I’ve never been before.  Nothing’s wrong with me, just a check-up.  I had to fill out a family medical history form.  Boy, are those things scary!  If you aren’t already nervous about seeing a doctor (or whether the gown will close in the back), you will be once you fill that puppy out.  Colon cancer, check.  Hepatitis, check.  Diabetes, check.  Heart attack, check.  Mental illness, not diagnosed.  Oh well.  Something’s gonna get ya someday.

Yeah, sorry about the depressive blog. 

Family history has come up in another meaningful way recently.  Robin’s mom wants us all to write our biographies for Thanksgiving - birth until now.  Then every year, we will update what happened in the previous year.  I think it’s a great idea.  Mama, Daddy, and Brandy figure very prominently in mine.  They are the ones the shaped who I am today.  There are a lot of great memories in my biography.  I think that doctors need to know the bad stuff, but what we all remember and write about is the good stuff.  And that stuff is really good.

Tonight is our regular night to go to Stephen’s house to play games.  I don’t know about the rest of the country, but it has been raining pretty much non-stop since 9am here.  Stephen’s driveway turned into a small pond.  His daughters were playing in it before we got there.  I really wish we had all decided to play in the driveway-pond in the rain instead of playing the game we did - Age of Steam.  It’s a big yawner.  Maybe it’s not as bad as I think because we were all pretty tired - rainy days make me want to sleep.  But for six players, the game only has six turns.  Even with just six turns, the game drug on and on.  It took three hours to play.  After the game was over, I really wanted to play Ticket to Ride - and I haven’t wanted to play it since we got Railroad Tycoon.  Both of these are much better games than Age of Steam.  It was worth the play just to say, “I played it,” but I still wish we splashed in the driveway-pond instead.

Every once in a while, I get a bug in my ear to create something.  Currently, my obsession is creating the world.  I’ve already drawn the map of my new world, colored in the different terrain, and named the four countries.  Now I need to name the cities, determine the government types, and figure out the relationships between the different countries.  I know God created our world in seven days, but I think it’s going to take me a bit longer.  God didn’t have a job or a house to keep Him occupied.  Plus, He’s cooler than me.  Oh well, I guess that’s why I’m playing God and He actually gets to be God.

Maybe next time.

Hello.  Just wanted to tell you about my day.  It was a good day, a “Kristen day.”  I’m a pretty introverted, solitary person, but I’m married to an extroverted people person.  Where I sometimes get drained by people, he always gets energized.  So once a month, he goes up to our friendly local game store for a full day of gaming while I get a “Kristen day”: 8-12 hours of solitude and a chance to recharge my batteries.  Yippee!

What do I do during “Kristen days”?  Well, today I watched two chick flicks (Friends with Money and The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.)  Both were nice, but Robin wouldn’t have appreciated them.  I also read Nights of Rain and Stars by Maeve Binchy.  I hardly ever get to sit down and read a book cover to cover anymore, so that was fabulous.  And I went shopping.  After our uber-fun party Friday, I realized we needed more wall art in our front living room.  I bought a beautiful painting and a iron candle holder.  Plus a new purse and two pairs of shoes.  To sum it up, I guess “Kristen days” are all about being a girl: chick flicks, chick lit, shopping for shoes and purses.  Maybe it’s cliched, but I am a girl after all.

The other thing I did today was decide to paint the steamer trunk my Granny left to me.  It’s never really fit in with the house until, of course, the party.  We organized/cleaned the house for the very first time this week and have everything where it goes.  And the trunk is in the front living room with cranberry-colored pillows on top.  Mama and Daddy painted it white years ago, but I picked two new colors - cake batter with roasted coffee accents.  Doesn’t that sound gorgeous?  (And delicious?)  It will be my project for next weekend.  I’ll let you know how it turns out.

Good days should be shared.  I’m glad I could share mine with you (well, through the computer at least.  Afterall, it can’t be a “Kristen day” if I’m with someone!)

See ya next time!

As you probably know, I’m a contradiction in terms.  I drive a Toyota Prius.  I recycle.  I check all of our sprays for CFCs.  I advocated for alternative energy sources before it became popular. In other words, I’m an environmentalist.  Always have been, always will be.  But I’m also a big city girl at heart.  And that heart sings at the sight of two things: tall pretty, pretty buildings and towering bridges and overpasses.  I know, I know.  I can’t figure it out either.

I picked the photo at top for two reasons: 1) it’s beautiful: the concrete, the car, the freedom of the city, and 2) this blog is about the happenings in the journey called my life.  I hope you enjoy.