I jump the gun on everything.

If something big is a couple months away, I like to try and have things squared away well before they come. I was near spastic stage when Will told me in August we needed to wait to book a hotel for our Packers game (I do have to say I was right in this case- everything was booked!).

I was the kid that came home from school and went straight to homework so I could get it out of the way.

I feel like a child that lost their mom in the grocery store without my planner (AKA the second Bible).

I am a planner, so don’t let this post throw you off.

Here we go again. Yet another holiday season to tackle. Yes, most of you are like, “Holiday season? Halloween isn’t even here!” Yeah I know, I love the holidays though, so from Halloween on that begins my holiday planning cheer and everything in between.

Last year was our holiday trial run. Will and I were just married and had the experience of our first married Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Sharing time,

making food to bring to the entire family for the next day only to mess it up terribly and then having to go to Walmart the night before to buy something pretty and plate it like, “Yes, MIL, I really DID make this. Are you accusing me of buying these HOMEMADE treats!?”,

getting up before God to drive to Will’s grandparents,

blending traditions,

killing traditions,

and starting traditions.

By most people’s second year they are beginning to get a system down.

“We went to your parent’s last year, so that means we’re at mine this year.”

“No, Sweetie, We can’t afford to give your second cousin’s girlfriend a gift.”

“Does your family really like playing Dirty Santa or is it a way to avoid a yearly garage sale and cycle their crap to other family members?”

Whatever the system may be, the kinks are usually beginning to work out. Last Christmas I was thinking how nice it would be to have a calm 2005 season, with things figured out and a little more stable. Ha. Little did I know that our world would totally change and we would be oceans away from the previous year’s plan.

This year will be like a trial run again, but a little more unique. (and I thought I was done with all that stuff!)Christmas… ......well, as “pee in my pants, If I were a dog my tail would wag all day long” excited I am about going home and being able to really celebrate Christmas (as Muslims, Kuwaitis don’t celebrate the holiday), things just won’t be “normal” because our time is so limited and will be spent going back and forth visiting family.

It will be fun, but at the thought I feel exhausted. So, I don’t even know WHAT that will be considered. How about, “MTV Boiling Points Christmas Addition: How Many 5th Cousins Will Brittny and Will Have to Meet and How Many Potlucks Will They Have to Attend Before Going Insanely Crazy? If they are able to last 2 weeks, they will be handsomely rewarded with a crisp $100 bill.”

Okay, I’m kidding. I have been looking forward to this trip forever, but I don’t know how relaxing it will be. What I do know is that that I’m sure there will be many “parts” to this post as the holiday season approaches.

Thanksgiving will be yet another trial run because we will be spending it in Kuwait. Girls, I’m freaking out about this holiday. I know there are lots of families here that cook huge meals and invite families over. In fact, I think my parents might be hooking on with another family. That’s fine and all, but that’s not really how we want to spend Thanksgiving.

I thought it would be really special to do something totally different than what we normally would have. So, I decided to tackle my biggest project yet.

I thought planning a wedding was stressful? Ha. Welcome to my thanksgiving freakshow.

This will be so humerous you may want to pull up a chair, get some snacks and watch. Think Martha Stewart meets Amityville Horror.  This is the most accurate picture I can come up with. Look! Even Michelle freaking thinks I’m in over my head.

I told Will I would cook us a “lovely thanksgiving dinner(<- my exact words)”, and I know that made him happy. As the words so genuinely full of excitement and cooking goddess ideas left my mouth I began to think, “Oh brittny. What in the crap have you gotten yourself into!?”

The concept itself thrills me. I feel like such a grown up- cooking a huge holiday meal for just the two of us in a foreign country, but then reality sets in and I think, “I don’t even know how to use my gas stove, and I’m really going to plan an elaborate meal that is cenered around it.... Huh.... That makes perfect sense.

I’m not a terrible cook, I just don’t cook “real food (ie: things that don’t come from a box, freezer, or can)” much. I can read and follow easy/medium recipes, but theres this unspoken added pressure of a major holiday being on the day you are cooking this meal. Then, there’s that added pressure I put on myself as I think, “ Will’s grandma did it this way, or I don’t think this is going to taste as good as my mom’s.”

I really don’t want to let all that stuff get in the way (ha- with my worried mind, that will be more of a challenge than figuring out what leaves the bird’s butt cavity and what stays). I get so giddy when I think about making a major holiday meal for the two of us. I don’t know why it excites me so much, but it does. I think the Brittny’s Thanksgiving Cooking Extravaganza excitement is the emotional side of me. Ther terrifed, “How in the world and I going to pull it off” side is the realistic side. So torn!

I know I have a while to figure everything out and maybe even practice a thing or two, but I still think I will be a little bit of a mess as the days to Thanksgiving near. Will and I have talked in passing about most of the details, but if I am really going to give this a go, I’m going to have to sit him down and come up with a plan!

Do you ever wonder when you stop being an official newlywed?

Like, is there some Book of Marriage with a whole chapter devoted to when you are no longer considered a freshly married couple?

Okay, so I’m probably the only person that has time to contemplate the “deep” meanings of life, but I thought I’d post about it anyway.

I’ve heard people say, “You can be newly weds forever!” and totally believe that excitement and giddy feeling can be a lifelong thing, but I do wonder when I “have” to stop saying, “Yeah, it’s because we’re still newlyweds.” I mean, c’mon even if you are an advocate of the newlyweds forever thing, you can’t use the “we’re newlyweds” phrase after 5 years of marriage.

It’s hard to believe, but before I know it our 2 year anniversary will be here! Okay, so it’s still like 5 months away or something, but 2 years of marriage doesn’t really seem to fit in the technical newlywed phase. Am I making any sense at all!?

For example, I no longer obsess over how sad I am that the wedding is over.

It’s been months since I’ve flipped through our wedding album twice a day (probably because I didn’t bring it over here).

And even though I DID bring our wedding video over I have yet to google and fixate over it.

In fact (and you are all going to think I’m a terrible ex-knot addict for writing this), the other night when I was waiting for Will to get home I thought to myself, “I ought to watch our wedding! That would be so nice.” I thought about it for a split second and thought, “Nah… it’s too long. Did I REALLY need 2 songs AND a slide show? Maybe I can just fast forward through some of it… or I could just watch Curb Your Enthusiasm…” and THAT is what I ended up doing!

How horrible is that!? I opted for annoying Larry David over sweet Will, all tuxed up (and I haven’t seen him in once since our wedding). I actually considered fast forwarding parts of the most important moment of my earthly life. Is that illegal or something? Are the Married Police going to take me in for questioning?

You can’t freaking fast forward through your own wedding! Maybe someone else’s but definitely not your own! How horrible is that!?

Okay, it is totally permissible for men (and sorry to stereotype here). Will has the attention span of a 2 year old when it comes to that sort of stuff. For him, the wedding itself meant nothing, it was the MARRIAGE that he cared about (I hope that makes sense- what I mean is that he didn’t care what the flowers looked like or what kind of food we had at the reception, all he cared about was at the end of March 13,2004 we were married.) So, I said all that to say I don’t care to much when he would groan when I’d ask if we could watch our video for the second time in a weekwhen we first got married. But, what a shock out of left field for ME, wedding-lover-Brittny, to actually not want to watch my wedding video and act like a guy. Okay, I’m making a bigger deal out of this, but it goes back to the thing, “Are we still technically newlyweds?”

Last weekend, as we opted to get Fuddruckers and watch movies at home for the second night in a row and I told Will, “I feel like a homebody old married couple… I LOVEit.” Obviously we are no where near the “old couple” stage… but then what ARE we!?

What are all of us couples that are totally used to the fact that our husbands sometimes pee on the seat when they fail to lift the lid, and aren’t shocked to find out he eats our food because he loves us and not because it’s as good as his moms? I love that. I love the fact that I know Will so much more than I did the day we married. I love how comfortable I am with him. He’s like my favorite pair of cozy pants that I will never get rid of and they fit me just right, after all these years. Of course, I still do get that giddiness. I still get butterflies in my stomach when I hear the key enter at the door each night and I get to greet Will. I guess we are like “tweeners” we are past that initial lusty everything is so new and I’m seeing you through rose colored you can do no wrong glasses stage, but we are no where near the experiences the beautiful 70 year old couple that has spent the last 50 years loving and knowing eachother.

I guess it doesn’t matter what stage of “marriedness” we are in, when it comes down to it we love where we are and that is all that counts. I guess I just sort of ponder from time to time the silly technicality of when I can’t claim “newlywedhood“ any longer.

So now that I’ve got your brain flowing for Monday morning- get to work!!

Have a good day back.

Does the saying go: starve a fever feed a cold?

I really thought that was what I had heard all my life… until today.

“No, it’s feed a fever starve a cold.”

“What?”

“No, Brittny, don’t listen to her…I thought that saying was for hangovers… yeah… feed a hangover, starve a cold.”

“Guys, I really think it’s starve a fever, feed a cold.”

“Why would you starve a fever? It would provide more energy to burn off.”

This was my conversation on the way to work this morning. I still think I’m right with the original, but I do wonder if that is just a mom’s saying, or if it’s true. I hope it is!

So, I’m debating taking a sick day. I really don’t want to unless it’s Wednesday (Will’s first day off), but I figure you can’t really pick and choose when you will be at your worst. Okay, so you can and no one would have to know… but I think you know what I’m trying to say.

My boss seems to be really sensitive about the whole calling in sick thing too, like if you don’t have the Mongolian flu or bone exposed you need to be filling that uncomfortable chair next door. So, the debate continues.

A 3 day weekend sure would be nice- even if I am sick.  Besides, what fun is being a helpless, sick, miserable baby unless you have someone to annoy with, “Sweetie, can you bring me some tea…” or “ I’m burry (my strange saying for being cold… I know,it’s weird) will you bring me a blanket?” Yes, I am certain that is how Will wants to spend his first day off.

Ha.

Actually, it’s not that bad. It’s more of a neck up problem. I feel all glassy and dazed (more so than usual) and really “sniffely”, but other than that I feel okay.

“Oh it’s the Kuwaiti Crud, you just need to take a day or two and rest.”

I’ve heard this annoying statement more times than I can count. I know they’re right, it has to do with the AC constantly running and the weather changing and the dust and every other freaking detail, but thank you doctors… I don’t need the annoying made up name diagnosis.

It’s like they say it over and over and over a million and fifty times because they think it’s catchy and they want me to think they coined the term even though I heard it 5 minutes before from the lady in finance.

Sorry, I guess I’m a little irritable. Between this yuck and PMS I feel like a big cramping ball of snot. Such a nice picture.

This illness has also affected my judgement. If you only knew how many dozens of times I’ve contemplated going next door for a donut or Baskin Robbins… feed a cold, right? I’m afraid that’s not the cold talking.

I’m just tempted to take advantage of the adage.

So I miss a couple of days and everyone has this awesome fancy stuff adorning their blogs!

It’s amazing what happens here during my weekend! Blasted time difference…

So, yes, I had to jump on the décor bandwagon as well. Everyone’s stuff looked so happy I thought I’d do the same.

My bathroom, however, looked like a scene from Dark Water yesterday. there’s NOTHING happy about that.

Really, it did.

If you saw the movie in theatres I’m sure you thought, “Man, we should have just rented that or bought it for a buck from a street vendor(just joking- I’m not advocating piracy).” Yesterday was theatre material, not black market crap. You wouldn’t have felt cheated leaving this horror show.

At around 2:30 we begin to hear water running from upstairs. I comment that the sound is strange because it is running full blast, and we’ve never been able to hear our neighbors water run. Will just says we’ve probably never noticed because, afterall, the only reason we have an apartment is to sleep.

The water continues to run for 30 minutes. There is no way a person can take a shower for 30 minutes here unless they are one of those world polar bear champions (you know, the ones that swim in below 30 temps because it’s “thrilling“)- there will be no hot water. Not even remotely close.

I begin walking around our apartment to see just where the sound is coming from and then I walk into our guest bathroom and I hear that scary screeching violin music in the background of horror movies being played. There is this flowing of water all down our walls! Water is covering our floor and the sound is as loud as ever.

I start freaking out.

“I just know something is going on up there and the floor is going to collapse and that strange guy 3 floors above us that wears his underwear and hangs out on the balcony is going to come crashing down onto our couch and is going to ask if we have a diet coke!”

For some reason, Will tells me not to panic (I have no idea why...).

So, the fun of chasing help on a Kuwaiti holy day begins. The first stop: our haris. This person is like a maintenance guy with a fancy Arabic name. He comes up and says he has already received calls from floors below us regarding the same psychotic thing. The problem is, I THINK he said something like, “We’ve already received calls regarding this same psychotic thing,” but I can’t be sure. He is Indian and doesn’t really speak Enligh.

So the fun continues… he comes to the apartment and Will shows him the waterfall flowing from our walls. He asks, “Can you shut the water off?” and the guy is like, “oh yes, yes.” An hour passes and the water isn’t shut off. The guy comes again and Will physically turns our facet on and then shuts it off in hopes of explaining what could help our situation.

The guy literally looked at Will like he was the stupidest American he had ever seen. 

So much for that attempt!

By this time I’m about to die. If you’ve read very long you know I have the bladder the size of a rasin and you can just imagine how many times I had to use the bathroom with the roaring rapids coasting above my apartment! So we go to plan 2- call housing.

We call housing and get ahold of the guy in charge of our apartment. He comes up and sees the horror and is like:

“Yeah… you sure do have a problem…”

as if the whole reason he came was to confirm we had smelly Kuwaiti water splurting from our walls and weren’t really lying. “Thanks Detective Holmes, glad the case is solved!“

So, he talked to the haris and 3 MORE hours later, our little tiled rainforest ceased to exist.

Apparently one of the floors above us had a water heater bust and the guy that lives there is out of the country.

Lovely.

Hours… hours of water to be cleaned up. So fun. That is exactly what I wanted to do tonight after work- clean up the muggy-mildew smelling crap from upstairs.

Now I’m freaking out about how safe our apartment is built. I could devote a very lenghtly post to the building practices here, because OCEA would have a freaking hey day here (I really ought to post pictures of the wooden 2x4s of scaffolding workers walk on 15 stories high- it is dangerously unfathommable). I’m sure I’ll annoy Will to death with these worries for the next week until I move onto something else. J

As I went in to inspect the final damage I realized a semi-embarrassing thing. Earlier that day, I washed a load of delicates and hung them in the guest bathroom’s shower to air dry. I also placed a couple of bras and panties right on the sink counter to dry too- for everyone and their near blind grandmother to see! It wouldn’t embarrass me so much except I know I probably offended our Haris. Exposing stuff like that is so taboo here, I’m sure I was the topic of discussion downstairs last night! If only I was a mega bust gal… I would’ve worn my embarrassment proudly.

So after that excitement I figured everything would be smooth sailing, however, things are never that way with me. I was getting ready to order dinne and to snuggle with Will when the doorbell rings. It’s Will’s boss, telling him he needed to come to his apartment in 5 minutes because they were going to have a meeting!

I was so angry! Talk about taking advantage of living near your employees! Not only was it our weekend, but it wasn’t even a planned meeting! It’s one thing to schedule something and know a little ahead of time, but to come to your door and tell you to drop everything that second and come to his apartment for a meeting that should take place during work? I was peeved. I feel bad because I snapped at Will about it. I then had to apologize and explain, “I’m not mad at you, I’m mad at the stiatuion.”

So by that time- between the bathroom that got it’s own shower ,and “ I know it’s your weekend but I’m personally going to come to your door to drag you away” meeting guy, the evening was gone. Such a disappointment. I had to concentrate on our good part if the weekend before I let the last 6 hours ruin my thoughts on the whole thing.

Yesterday was loads of excitement, but not really the good kind.

So as I sit here, eating a goetze’s carmel, I am also battleing what is called by westerners “The Kuwaiti Crud.”

Whatever the crap it is.. it sucks, and I’m only 2 days into it.

I think it has to get worse before it gets better.  Your respitory system takes a beating here between the dust and pollution. With the weather slowly beginning to change, my (as well as dozens others) body has freaked out. Now, it’s still hot here- but not miserably hot. I think we’ve “only” been reaching about 100 or so as highs (in fact, I don’t even think we reached 100 today). I’m coming down with some sort of cold.

It is no fun. I am a terrible nose blower too, so it makes matters worse. Its one of those things I never really “learned” how to do the right way, so it takes me about 3 minutes to blow my nose.

I’ll blow… inhale… blow really long…inhale…

It’s an annoying process and I know Will was cringing all day yesterday.  I’ve been sniffing all day, trying to delay the inevitable, but it hasn’t worked. I’ve had to go to the bathroom a million times to blow my nose- because I’m not talented enough to do it right at my desk (yes, I’m weird).

So I guess that is about it for now! I am currently on a rampage-like search for fleece pants to wear to the game (not the pajama type ones, one’s that you wouldn’t feel goofy wearing to a miserably cold game). I surprisingly have had NO stinkin’ luck! I’ve found a couple that I like, but I’m at my wits end! I find dozens of tops, but no pants… OKAY FLEECE MANUFACTURERS… IF SOMEONE WANTS A FLEECE TOP (and I know this is a CRAZY thought, but work withme), MAYBE, JUST MAYBE THEY WANT A MATCHING BOTTOM!!!

Okay… enough with my annoying ramble. I guess I will go back to doing that my last couple minutes at work.

Have a great weekend, and stay dry, you never know where freaking water may pour!

i wish you knew how badly I wanted to talk about work right now.

It’s taking every muscle in my fingers to hold me back from posting about where I work, but I must refrain.

Sigh.

It would make for an interesting post.

Everyday here would make for an interesting post.

It mostly goes back to the riding to work issues I mentioned the other day. I’ll stop there because if I don’t I will go on a dangerous ramble.

Please save me now. I feel like I’m being viewed as satan’s helper for needing a ride to work (EVERYONE needs a ride to work, we all share cars here, but my ride situatuion is about to change… okay enough with confusing you)

So, what can I post about to take my mind off my worries? I’m terrible at just not thinking about something. I don’t let go of stress and worries well. I cling to them. Right now I’m worrying away.

Okay, I’ll stop. No more.

Hump Day. I don’t so much feel like I’m over the hump though. I feel like I’m trying to make it up the hill, but my wheels keep sliding back to the bottom again. I wish I could call you and have a major nestie phone conference or something. It’s not like my day was horrible or anything, I just sort of feel beat down and after working here almost 2 months still haven’t really found my place. I don’t really fit in (okay, I sound like a teenage girl in junior high or something) It’s not like, “ oh poor Brittny, she doesn’t have any friends“ or anything, but I just don’t have a place really. I don’t mean that in a bad way. I’ve met nice people, but I haven’t really found someone I can relate to or that is close to my age.

I also wonder how those around me view me because I rarely have work to do (which is another story I can’t really talk about). I’m constantly asking my boss if he needs me to do anything, but I rarely get something, or I get told there is something for me to do, but he’ll get it to me later (never). I worry that people think I’m lazy here, which is so not true. I WANT to work, but I have little to do. When I walk into this particular office I feel all this bad tension like for some reason I’m viewed as this ditz that doesn’t do her job or something. I don’t know. I worry about a lot of things, so maybe I’m blowing things out of proportion. I hope so. I just don’t know If I’m liked here, which really bothers me because I think I’m a likable person.

AGH!

Hmmm- did I say I wasn’t going to talk about work? So much for that.

Sorry guys- work posts are sort of “blah.” After all- we’re all already at work ourselves and then we are going to READ about work? Yeah, sign me up for that one.

Okay, so as much as I would love to vent and share my heart about this stuff with you, I’ll shut up.

Now that I’m shutting up about all that, I don’t have much else to say.

I started a new boxset that I watch while I wait for Will to come home. Curb Your Enthusiasm Season One. My boss let me borrow them because he says I remind him of the wife on the show. I watched the first couple and thought they were sort of dumb, but now I have one episode in the set left and I really like it a lot. I am actually considering getting the 2nd season. Tonight I’m watching the final show, and then I’ll be back to boredom on the weeknights. I’m going to have to start a new series- or we just need to finally get cable. That is what we need.

Okay, so that is my overly exciting post for today.I feel like a dork for being like, “Oh Wah. Brittny has no ‘place’ poor her.” Sorry if it sounded that way!

I am so ready to go home. Home to my apartment and “real home” back in Oklahoma. These two months have left me feeling lousy and crappy when it comes to work, which totally sucks.

YOU SURVIVED!

Pity Party Officially Over

Have a good day.

Happy Sweetest Day Ladies!

I know the authenticity of this holiday is debateable, but I thought I would say it anyway.

I freaked Will out this morning (at 3:45) with, “Good Morning Sweetie! It’s Sweetest Day!”

He just looked at me and let out a tired, “What?”

“It’s Sweetest Day!”

So then he asked what it was and if it was real. I honestly had no idea either, so we decided it was a made up holiday to make money.

“So this is a real holiday Britt?”

“Yeah! It’s Sweetest Day!” I say in an enthusiastic voice that is almost scary at 3:45 in the morning.

He still has no idea what today is.

Oh well, I try.

I got Will a few goodies to open tonight: Fever pitch, the new Sawyer Brown cd, mini Reece’s cups, a coupon I made for new shoes this pay day, and a coupon for dinner and a movie on me, plus my goofy card. How fun.

He called me this afternoon and told me he was getting off “early” tonight (which means he’ll be home at 8 instead of 9) and that we would grab a really late dinner. I thought that was sweet. I don’t know if he did that because he remembered or if he was craving a burger. I’ll take the first and hope I’m right.

So today wasn’t anything special. I hadn’t planned on it being. I just thought it was a fun and random way to surprise Will. I think he’s more confused with, “Is this really a day or are you making it up” rather than being surprised, but it was fun anyway.

Wow. I typed a short post!

Time to go home! Yay.

Enjoy your last day off! You are all the sweetest ladies I know!

<3

Will and I got in the dumbest tiff this weekend.

Actually, I’m not even sure it was even that.

I don’t really know what it was.

It was more me getting worked up about an “issue” and Will just getting annoyed. I’m sure after I write everything out you will be thinking I’m off my rocker and totally strange to obsess over something so unimportant, but I’m going to press on and write it anyway.

If I look like a crazy person that can’t do anything on my own, well… as hard as I’m going to try to avoid that image, so be it. I don’t think there’s any way I can write this without looking that way, but please know I am a “big girl” and can do things on my own, even if it doesn’t appear that way in this post(because it is a really stupid thing)… okay, on with the story.

Wednesday night I conked out (as usual) early. I knew I was tired because I fell asleep while we were watching our boxset (as if you even have to wonder what boxset we were watching). After I woke up, Will and I were getting ready for bed and were talking about Thursday’s gameplan. He had to work a little that morning, but was going to bring me along. He wasn’t even officially working, he was taking people to work and picking them up that night.

We were making plans, and he thought it would be fun to go to breakfast on post since we can’t eat anywhere in the city.  There’s nothing more romantic that eating breakfast at the military mess hall with your husband. It brings me back to elementary school cafeteria days. J For some reason I thought that would be so much fun. Oh the little things that thrill me. We would have to get up at 3:45 to get everyone, so I was thinking that we would make the morning a lazy day.

In my women’s mind I was thinking going totally comfy since that was all were doing- dropping people off and eating breakfast at the mess hall- a real “fancy” place(ha). I thought I would wear my cozy pants and a t-shirt and Will would throw on his mesh shorts and a hat- showering being totally optional.

“We’ll be all cozy and basically go in our jammies and eat a yummy breakfast and then come home and be full and snuggly and go back to sleep!”

Of course, that was my woman’s mind thinking.

“No, babe, I was thinking about going ahead and wearing jeans and getting ready.”

Okay- most normal women would have just left it at that, but for some reason, be it the fact that I needed sleep, or I‘m just really strange about things like this (probably a little of both)- I got all worked up.

In an annoying whiney voice, “Noooo, please let’s go comfy. That way we can just jump into bed and go back to sleep!”

“ I’m just going to go ahead and wear jeans. You can go comfy if you want to, I know it will be really early.”

Again, I should have just let it be, but I am so strange about that sort of stuff. I feel like if Will is wearing jeans than I have to get myself ready too.Like it’s some unspoken married fashion commandment or something. I don’t want to be all cozy and bummy and him be all normal. Is that totally weird? Probably, but I guess that is yet another one of the quarks I have.

If you are a psych major you’re probably tying to analyze me, but I think I’m overall a normal person(okay, that may be debatable, but work with me here!). The fact is I just want to “match” Will to a point. If he was going to get al dressed up and wear slacks for dinner or something, I wouldn’t want to show up in my gray sweatpants. I would feel underdressed.  That is how I felt about him getting ready and my not Thursday.

This is going to sound totally dorky- but it wouldn’t seem as fun for me just to bum and eat breakfat at 5:00 in the morning when Will is all shaved and ready to run a million errands. I’m ready to jump back into bed, Will is ready to tackle day.

So, we had a 10 minute discussion on why I had, “to freaking get ready now” just because Will was.  Looking back, now that I’m typing this out, it seems silly and I feel a little embarrassed- I promise the argument sounded better in my mind- but it is something I do a lot. I know Will had to be annoyed at the whole conversation because I complained and grumbled for five minutes AFTER the initial ten minute conversation.

“It’s a scary place in a women’s mind,” Will says.

He’s right.

So, I ended up getting ready at 3:45 on Thursday… and then we didn’t even have breakfast. Grr! I so should have just done what I wanted, but for some reason as I’ve said a million times already I don’t like to bum when we’re out unless I know Will is too.

Okay, I know that’s weird. I may as well come clean with another weird thing I do along those lines while I’m at it. I absolutely HAVE to know what Will is ordering when we go to a restaurant. I don’t know why, but I do. Before I can make my decision, I always let out a ,

“So, what are you getting?”

I don’t know if I do it out of habit, or if I genuinely want to know what he is eating, but I do that each and every time we go out. He could be ordering something I have absolutely no interest in ordering for myself but I still just want to know. Like it is going to give me some ordering power or something. I have no idea why I do that.  Meanwhile, I have a list of eight things I’m considering and trying to make my decision- which I am terrible at. Why would I ask what he is getting when I have 33 things in front of me that I can’t even decide on- isn’t that just adding a 34th? I’m probably making myself sound totally crazy, but I promise I’m not as loopy as you think. 

So now I feel totally goofy that I actually put my thoughts on the internet, but I’m going to go ahead and post it anyway.  I figure since it’s the weekend I’m a little safer from being called a complete weirdo from the weekday crowd. I know you weekend nesties will be nice.

I tried to keep it short, but I don’t think I was successful. Oh well.

Hope you guys are having a GREAT weekend. I’m jealous that you have a day off today as I’m still at work. enjoy it for me.

***

I have to post one last Fred and Ethel update just because it was pretty funny.

Today my friend and I were driving to work and having a good time and then it gets quiet and Ethel asks, “So, does your husband hate us now and are you never going to go out with us?”

I busted up laughing.

“You know!?”

“Yeah. My husband told me that night.  I wasn’t sure if Will told you so I kept quiet.”

“Yeah, Will told me too. I had a good laugh. I have to be honest, he is sort of sensitive about the whole thing. I wouldn’t count on a double date for a while, but we should have a girl’s day.”

She totally understood. We had a really good conversation about it and had a good, somewhat awkward laugh.

At least its out there now!

That’s all for now. I better go before you commit me for my craziness!

I’m not trying to brag, but I had just typed a freaking beautiful post in congratulations to the awesome news of Christina’s pregnancy, only to have everything erased and that stupid red comment, “your post my have a body.” (okay- saying “freaking beautiful isn’t that poetic, but trust me okay!?) I wanted to launch the stupid laptop across the room!

Okay, so I really want to post about what I had said before, but things are NEVER good the second time- we know this from almost every movie sequel.

Where to start?

I was so shocked when I read Christina’s blog today! It’s so weird, but I got out of control excited! I have to believe I wasn’t the only one that did this. It was just such an amazing feeling. IT’s like I didn’t even know what to think. One of our Nestie Friends is having a baby!!

How great is that!?

Most people, people that don’t do what we do (blog), would think I’m crazy for getting excited about Christina’s pregnancy, but I am thrilled! It’s like she has made us part of the entire process-

Okay, she hasn’t made us a part of the entire process, that was Bruce’s doing. I think you know what I mean though.

I feel like we’ve been there for so much in her life! We’ve been there so much for so many things in ALL of our lives! You girls are amazing. It feels so wonderful to have a group of girls that I consider friends to come and talkto. We are truly a Nest Community.

So maybe you’re not my friend up the street that I phone everyday, but still, I feel like I have a great group of ladies that I “know.” They may live half way around the world and I may not be able to pick them out of a crowd, but yet I know you guys, and I think you could say the same for me.

You ladies have been here for me through so many big things in my life. Moving to Kuwait was the biggest and scariest thing I’ve ever done- and you guys were with me. You were my encouragement when I needed to vent about living with my parents. You were there for me this summer when it looked like I may NEVER get a job, and you were there for me when you when I finally got the job and was able to move out. You were my cheerleaders through it all. It felt so good knowing I had wonderful internet friends from all over the United STates cheering me on in all the many huge steps I’ve faced this past year. I hope you guys have felt the same way- some crazy girl in Kuwait is always there for you guys too! too laugh and get excited on the good days, and to be an encouragement during the times of disappointment. I really have met ladies here I would call a friend.

am I crazy? Maybe, but maybe not. Will thinks it’s sort of weird when I talk about “my friend from....” but I don’t think it’s weird at all. If it wasn’t for the nest I would have never “met” many of you, but because of this site I have met some of the most beautiful women and get to hear about their lives and share mine. How great is that!? To know that we have a support group from all walks of life. That is so amazing.

We need to have a Nest Convention or something!!

So as I read Christina’s blog today I got excited. We get to “be there” every step of the way in one of our friends lives. How wonderful is that!? I only wish we could throw you a shower!

You are the first of the nest friends to get pregnant- so you have an obligation to share all the details- stretch marks, constipation and all! Okay, totally kidding, but I do look forward to hearing about the many changes and miracles you are experiencing as you endure these exciting changes.

I know I’m being a little sappy, but as I said before you guys are the greatest and have gotten me through a major change in my life. I am so glad we have the nest and are able to share our lives here.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend! I am so glad I was able to get on today and didn’t have to wait another day for this big news! I only wish you guys were on tomorrow as I head to work. Oh well, I have a lot of catching up to do! No one else better be pregnant today- and if you are wait to post about it until tomorrow.

ha ha, totally kidding (sort of)!

Well I was just going to get on today to post a, “what I’ve been doing on my weekend“ only to get a major shock! Don’t worry- you didn’t miss much. Our weekend was boring.

Thanks for always being there.

Christina congratulations, I know we are all so thrilled for you and can’t wait to hear all your wonderful moments.

<3

Any friend of the nest is a friend of mine,

Just have time for a quickie today.

From my experience they’re not as great as the real thing, so I’m afraid this post won’t fully satisfy my blogging desires.

Gosh I’m strange.

Anyway…

“My expereince is that everyone that moves to the middle east gains weight.”

This comment was said to me over Baskin Robbins ice cream cake this afternoon.

First, I wanted to take my cake and shove it in her face- but then I realized that would be wasting CAKE, so I came to my senses.

Then, my second thought was, “Why do you wait to say this after I had lunch, 3 cookies and a piece of cake (we had a big surprise lunch for a lady’s birthday, so NO I don’t eat that everyday for lunch if that’s what you’re thinking). I really needed to hear this about 30 minutes ago!!”

Okay, I’m not fat. I feel bad for constantly complaining about it to one of my friends because I know she wants to strangle me. I really need to be content with who God has made me, but I guess I am afraid of GETTING fat. That is where my obsessing comes from.

Anyway, over ice cream cake we discussed why everyone gains weight here: there isn’t a whole lot to do. People eat. That is the focal piece for all socialization. People can’t just get together here, sit on a couch and chat. There must be food in front of them in order to engage in conversation for some reason. I think it’s a whole Kuwaiti Ministry or something: the Branch of Entertaining, Food, and Communication...if it’s not it should be.

She’s right. I have noticed that is what everyone does here. They shop and eat. The middle east isn’t overly thrilling once you’ve seen the all the sites. After that you see movies, shop at the malls and old souks, and eat… I already said that… sorry.

So I don’t know why I felt the need to post that, but I just thought it was sort of funny that she brings it up to us as I’m freaking out about, “How amazing Basking Robbins is… I mean, it’s ice cream AND a cake.” <--- that is pretty great though, you can’t fault me for that!

So, having said that, our weekend plans are: eating and sitting. The thought alone makes me really sick and makes me want to get on the treadmil as I type. I talked to Will about a gym membership, but I found out most of the Kuwaiti women gyms are like 500 KD a year, paid up front, which is almost US $2000! I figured buying a treadmil would be a good idea since we’re going to be here so long, hopeuflly I can get him on board. Of course, I would like to go to a Kuwaiti gym just one time because tons of the ladies work out in the abbaya- talk about some major weight hanging on you and sweatage. I sweat in shorts and a tee. I can’t even imagine a huge blanket all over me if I had to wear one. They would ask me to leave because I know sweat flingage would be a major issue for me.

What a random thing for me to be talking about. I know you have to be grossed out now. I’ve grossed myself out, so I doubly apologize to you.

Well girls, I’m off to enjoy my weekend. I hope you all have a great rest of the week and I look forward to catching up on Saturday (or Monday for some of you!)

<3

PS- Emilie, your feedback the other day TOTALLY brightened my day. Thanks for putting a smile on my face. :-D

PPS- Guess who I talked to by default today!? FRED! I had called my friend to tell her about the party, but for some reason her husband ansewerd which really freaked me out. I think she had called me from his number one time, so I just dialed the first one on my call list. Anyway, I gave him a HUGE piece of my mind:

“Who do you think you are Mr. ‘I’m so great I have a cop care and my goal in life is to make sure EVERYONE has a ticket here before I leave, even the elderly and unborn babies!!’ Wow. So you have a cop car with lights, congratulations, but look here “Barney” that doesn’t give you the authority to do as you please and treat people terribly! Consider this your warning! You may have gotten away unscathed by my husband, but you’ve never met me… I’m watching you. Be afraid… very afraid.”

And then I hung up.

Okay, total lie. That is the conversation I formulated in my mind about 3 minutes after I talked to Fred. I was super nice and he was okay back. Maybe he has an abrasive personality or something. Don’t know. Just thought that was weird. Wasn’t expecting to talk to him today!

Talk to you guys soon.

Well it’s official.

Will and I have an almost set in stone date with the Potential Fred and Ethel Mertzs’ (though I know for sure they aren’t our Fred and Ethel) tomorrow night.

I caved.

I collapsed.

I folded.

I rolled right over.

No contest… it was bad. We got asked out for like the fourteenth time by this couple, and there seems to come a certain point when I think you just have to get it done. No more hiding or excuses. Count it a loss and do it.

I got the shortness of breath, rapid pulse, intense blood flowing I- think- I- need- to-lay-down-I’m seeing-stars- thing as she asked me over lunch yesterday. I tried to be all immersed my food, constantly avoiding the likelihood of a “take down” yesterday. 

“This salad is amazing!”

I tried to think of every possible adjective to describe my food, my day, last night- anything at all that would buy me an hour… but take-downs can’t be avoided. They will always find a way. A Take-down is when a couple goes for the weaker partner- in this case me. I suck at this, I truly do. I think I wear a sign on my forehead, seen by all potential couple friends that reads, “If you want anything, see this half.”

Well, the take down came, and as expected I froze. I knew it was coming. I could see it. I could SEE it! All the signs were there. We had already been asked a few times before and I somehow managed to handle the situation awkwardly, but successfully. However, today I was off guard for some reason and then it came flying at me.

“So are we ever going to get together!?”

“Did I tell you how great these cookies were? You should get one.”

The cookie comment couldn’t save me. I was going to have to own up to the couple dodging and give an answer.

“When Will stops working more hours than a Super Wal-Mart.”

“When Will and I get tired of sitting around and watching King of Queens (ha.)”

“When we run out of boxsets to watch.”

“When I run out of thank yous to write to my favorite laundry soap, toothpaste, and tampon brands telling them how great they work.”

Somehow these answers would never be able to leave my mouth. In fact, the answer I gave is a blur to me know, but I know it was “affirmative” regarding a double date.

Just save me now.

Earlier this week I casually mentioned the fact to Will that Mrs. Mertz had again asked us out for this weekend, and I told him I said that would probably work, I would just have to talk to Will. He just looked at me with a face that clearly said, “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

Won’t he be excited to know I’ve voluntarily sucked the very life from one of his precious weekend evenings?

So, yes, I admit it. I rolled over and am going to literally take one for the team tomorrow night. See, here’s what happened. I have been having riding to work issues the past 2 weeks. Well, she happens to have a vehicle for this week and offered to give me a ride while she has it. So I’ve been riding to work with her everyday. We’ve had lots of fun and lots of laughs. We’ve been to lunch together a million times and everything is fine and fun, but I have continued to duck from the “we should all go out soon” comments: until now.

We were riding home the day before yesterday and she asked me about it again. Car rides are the worst time to ask this question. You have no out. You are stuck there, alone, having to face the very situation you have been carefully and strategically avoiding for weeks.

Sigh.

So, what was I to do? Do what I REALLY wanted to- the thing I’m terrible at because I have Too Nice Syndrome- and say the easiest word in the English language after I and ma ma ma- the word that even 2 year old children have mastered better than me- NNNNNOOOOOO?

Yes, that is what I should have done.

Or should I have? I don’t know. I’ve been contemplating this ever since I made a beeline out of the car and to my apartment after the conversation.

OR, do I knock it down, do it and say yes, and then after the date, as everyone is getting up to go and walking to their cars do the casual,

“We’ll have to do this again sometime… every now and then…. Next spring… when our children graduate…(insert whatever phrase seems to fit best at the moment).”

So this is what we have to do, and I am not excited- I’m not giving out vibes that would outwardly show that am I? Okay, maybe I sound mean, and I don’t intend to be. I really truly like this girl. I am feeling a little bad now as I sort through my thoughts because I love being around people and I’ve really surprised myself how I love being around people at work, and then I have this “Mr. Hyde” personality outside of work or something.

You probably think Will and I are antisocial or something, and that’s not the case… okay maybe as of late we have been, but we are both outgoing. I guess I’m feeling bad for being such a stick in the mud about this. I just don’t know. I really like my friend. She’s fun, but (and this sounds so weird and dumb) Will and I aren’t ready for “hang out on the weekend friends” right now. Yes, we are weird.

I know all I do is whine about Will’s hours, and I apologize, but I am just writing about my life, so that has been a main part of it right now. Will left at 3:55 yesterday morning and didn’t get home until almost 9:30 last night and literally went straight to bed. He didn’t even change clothes. I know tons of couples do this, and I don’t mean to be like, “Poor Brittny” at all. I’m just saying this because Will and I need every minute we can get together on the weekends and don’t want to factor other people in right now. As I said the other day, I am a major Time person, so that is so important to me. We are still in our “newlywedness” stage and now that we are apart so much during the week, our need to be alone is magnified on the weekends.

So- don’t think I’m downing this couple, because I’m sure going out wouldn’t kill us- though you’d think it would by the way I’m acting. You could equivocate my excitement with that of a bikini wax or surgical dental work. I am anticipating Will’s response. See, it’s not 100% official just yet. More like 99% with a probable nail down this evening. He had a migraine and was really sick last night so we didn’t talk at all. He was comatose. So this morning was spent catching up on the day before. I figured dropping the dinner card this morning was a lose-lose.

Oh my gosh!!!!

You’ll never in a million years guess what just happened in the middle of typing this post!!!!!

I considered rewriting the entire thing, but I thought what happened was too funny, especially after complaining the whole first 34 paragraphs, so I decided to leave it in.

I just got off the phone with Will.

Today Will got a ticket on post. Here’s a recap of how our conversation went.

“Hey! How’s your day goin?”

“I got a ticket on post today. I was so mad.”

“That’s not good, are you going to lose your driving privileges for a while?”

“Not yet. It was a 4-point ticket. If you get 6 points, you lose your license, so I’m really close.”

“A 4 point ticket!! I can’t believe that.”

“Yeah, I know. The guy was a huge jerk about it too.”

“Ha. You probably got the jerk EVERYONE has been talking about. He seems to be pretty hated. My dad was even talking about him the other day. He told my dad’s friend his goal was to make sure everyone had a ticket from him by the time he left.”

“I did. It was _______! He is on a major power trip and has made a lot of people mad. He thinks he’s super important because he has a army cop car. 4 points for something that didn’t deserve that!”

I stop.

I freeze up in utter shock.

“Did you say _____?”

“Yeah.”

“Are you sure?”

“I won’t forget that name.”

“Oh my gosh. THAT”s the couple that wants to go out with us this weekend!!!!!”

“No. I don’t think so. You tell her no.”

I died laughing.

“HE’S the famous hated cop guy I’ve been hearing about!!? I can’t believe that! What a shock. How funny…. Not the ticket part.”

“We aren’t going out with them this weekend. I have to work Thursday anyway and I’m bringing you with me. I’m not going to want to go out with people this weekend, especially him.”

I couldn’t stop laughing after that.

Go figure that Will gets a ticket from Fred.

What a hoot.

So, I guess we have been spared this weekend, but now comes the hard part because she will ask next weekend, and while there USED to be a chance we would go- now Will WILL NOT go.

Ever. Ever. Ever.

He is so stubborn about stuff like that. He will never budge. He will forever associate work Fred with leisure Fred- hopefully there is a difference. Anyway, the fact that Will is going to be a constnant “no guy” will add immensely to the awkwardness. Plus I’m going to have to ride with her, so I don’t know how that will go. I don’t want her upset with me because I like her and have fun with her, so I don’t know how things will play out. You can only dodge people so long, and I suck at it because eI’m too nice.

So, I had to give her, “the no.” again today at lunch. I hate that. I am so terrible with that. I’m relieved that we have our weekend- even though Will has to work some (at least I get to be his co-pilot).

Do you know what her response was?!

This is never good.

“Oh, I understand. Besides, we already know we’re going to go out sometime and lots of times after that so this weekend is no big deal.”

I got that bad numb feeling. I closed my eyes, my nostrils flared, and I gave a half smile and thought to myself, “You will never be able to get my husband to go out with you guys. He is so stubborn. You will have to take our door off the hinges, pick him up, carry him to the car, and feed him intravenously because his mouth will have to be taped shut, and his feet and hands will have to be strapped to the chair so he doesn’t run away.”

I don’t even remember what my verbal response was to her comment because my mental one was too vivid. So, this looks like a resurfacing problem. Friends can be a headache! Okay, I have never thought that before moving to Kuwait, but life is different here, so don’t think I’m terrible! I love people, really… why don’t you believe me!!?

What an ironic ending to my preparations for the weekend, but then again, with us anything can be expected.

Hope you are having a good day- and don’t speed, you never know who’s going to prepare your stupid ticket.

<3