Updates, and pictures, and winter… oh my!

I have a tendency to bitch and whine when one of my favorite bloggers/people doesn’t update. Thankfully she returned the favor recently by nudging me. I couldn’t believe when I looked at my blog yesterday, only to realize it had been over a month since I had written here.

I’m not sure why I’ve been so quiet here. There definitely has been a lot going on, but I’ve been feeling more ‘mum’s the word’ as of late. It’s weird to be at this moment in my life. You know how when you stand outside, you can’t feel the Earth moving and changing? Right now I feel like if I went into the ‘outside’ of my life and I stood still, I would be able to feel everything moving. It’s like someone finally pushed the start button on my life; it’s an interesting feeling.

I feel more like myself. I feel like I’m getting to know myself. I feel more grounded. I have direction. It feels good.

Here are a couple of highlights, in pictures:

A few weeks back, Steve, Lexi, Patrick, and myself took part in the ‘Great Guinness Toast‘ at Murphy’s Irish Pub in Old Town. A crowning achievement from that evening? Having to drink an entire pint of Guinness, while standing, and having the whole bar cheer me on. I didn’t volunteer, I had screwed up in a bar-wide drinking song/game — that was my punishment/reward, heh.

Lexi, Heidi, and I also went to Bluemont Vineyard for a nice, long gal’s day a couple of weekends ago. It was just what the doctor ordered. If you live in the area and have never been, I HIGHLY recommend it. I just hate that I can only get their wine by directly visiting the winery. OH WELL. ANOTHER ROAD TRIP IS NEEDED. DARN.

After YEARS of acting holier than thou, I caved and got an iPhone. (Cue Derek giving me endless amounts of grief.) I know, I know. I’m a hypocrite. I acted like I was too good for it. Now I have an iPhone. And it’s amazing. If it were a person, it would be little spoon to my big spoon.

Shortly after our wedding, tragedy struck in the form of my beautiful sapphire wedding ring breaking. It was awful and a bit heartbreaking. But a ring is just a ring, so it went on the backburner. Until last week when the 1-carat beauty above arrived at Patrick’s office, and he presented it to me. No more high, prong-settings for this gal.

Patrick and I are closing in on our one year anniversary, and it’s been an amazing and interesting year. (I’m also looking forward to our second honeymoon. 5 days and 4 nights in Colonial Williamsburg, where we celebrated our first honeymoon.)

Patrick and I had been through a lot together, prior to getting married — (f)unemployment, relocating (twice!), bad jobs, having no money, debt, house floods… we knew we could handle being in it for the long haul.

The biggest challenge I’ve noticed in being married is making time for each other. This is mostly a recent development, as I’m now in a job that is now just as demanding as his. Last year, prior to taking my position at LivingSocial, my schedule was extremely flexible and relaxed — I could essentially work everything around Patrick’s schedule.

Now? I work almost as much as he does, and my social life has gotten a bit busier. We went on a date to Hank’s Oyster Bar in Old Town last week, and I think it was a bit of a shock to admit that we needed to just make more time to be together and spend time together. It’s not that we don’t want to spend time together — we absolutely do! I don’t think we realized how easily time can slip away with work and other obligations.

Loving each other is always easy. Maintaining a marriage and each other is work. Thankfully we recognized it and have been having an absolute blast making time for each other.

ANYWAY.

The new health kick has been going well. I can feel that I have legitimately made a permanent life change in how I treat myself. The only thing is keeping up with exercise. For the most part, I get in about two good workouts a week. I had to sit out three weeks of yoga unfortunately, due to a knee/shin injury. I’ll admit it sidelined me, and not just physically. My biggest problem is that once I break the routine (in this case, being active with running and going to yoga class), it’s hard to get back into it. It’s easier to stay on the couch. It’s easier to stay in bed. It’s easier to stay out ridiculously late and not get up the next morning.

I know I’m only letting myself down, in the end. I’m just glad that I recognize what’s going on. This weekend I’ll be back on the bandwagon with a my usual yoga class on Saturday morning, and then yoga on Sunday with Heidi.

Overall, life is going really well. I feel a lot more grounded than I have in a long time. While I still love a good night at a dive bar (and a good beer or three), I’m not the crazed party girl I once was. I feel focused and happy with my circle of friends. I feel as if I have a better sense of self (and style!).

Our kitchen, however, is still a disaster.

So that’s what’s up in my neck of the woods. How are you fools doing?

Tagged as: Bluemont Vineyard, fitness, friends, health, life, marriage, photography, Wine, yoga