should dresses, curtains, and bedspreads match?

only when the dress is from him :) I just want to put on the record that I would not wear this in July anywhere unless my love bear bought it for me.

the plates were clanging

and i thought she was packing. pipe dreams. it's the little things.

had a WRETCHED conversation at happy hour tonight about parents and elderly-ness and nursing care, and other terrible topics that you never think of before 21. well maybe some people do, but thank the good Lord I did not. I am just so thankful over and over again that my parents are so healthy and strong and capable and there for me. and that they have each other. how important. wow what a terrible route to go down...and in so many ways happy that i do'nt have siblings to fight about stupid shit, i.e. money. i don't really care for a dime, i would rather have my parents for the next 40 years. I can't believe people fight about familial money. i just don't get it. maybe becuase my family doesn't have money, ha.

not to toot my own horn but...

i just made the most delicious from-scratch pizza -- sauce and crust homemade and delicious mozzarrella. I'm starting to get really wierd and picky about eating anything processed or store/restaurant made without knowing precisely what is in it.

watched Spain beat the Netherlands today in World Cup -- downtown is craaazzzzyyyyy -- the honking horns have not stopped for hours. Spent yesterday at the Mango festival and today at the pool with girl friends drinking Margaritas -- something I never do as I usually opt to spend my weekends with my honey. but it was nice to have a "girly" weekend, eat what I want, do what I want, etc., but I miss my love!

we are planning a vacation to the Turks & Caicos -- I am apprehensive about asking for the time off work, whether I have to ask, and who to ask...but I guess at some point I get a vacation.

i LOVE Florida rain. it comes for a few minutes in the afternoon and cools things off, and then it clears out and creates amazing sunsets.

my hammock

thank you daddy :) there is nothing like watching the sun go down, or seeing the water stretch out to the south from my beautiful purple plumb hammock that I got in Cozumel. My dad installed it at Christmastime after much griping.

So after my debbie nasty complainer face post of yesterday I figure I owe my future family and their city some credit. When we arrived on Friday morning we went to THE BEST coffee in the world...Vivianno. Then we got home -- ate this amazing bread and cheeses and sausages that they get at their incredible grocery store. Think whole foods meets trader joes and 6 tanks of live crabs and lobsters. hung out with the fam, made some sweet love and got ready for our big night at our now traditional 9 course restaurant downtown. There was leek (?) soup, beets with hummus, filet tacos, fried bread with truffles, some kind of poultry that i forget now, an amazing cheese plate, dessert of rice pudding with blueberries, strawberry shortcake, and some kind of baked fruit. I'm surprised I can remember that because you get a new wine or cocktail with each course. It is truly an incredible experience.

Then off to meet the buddies for more drinks, the west coasts' finest, and irish jig dancing. Deep talks with his friends about girls that none of us remember. Then we decided to call it a night ...except i couldn't and my man couldn't drive. I insisted that we go catch a ride to a friend's house and then go in a cab from there. Well, turns out that is not the easiest thing to do at 4 am in the suburbs. we walked. and walked. and walked. for about 3 miles. in the rain. in my gorgeous blue strappy suede sandles that looked soooo cute with my blue and white polka dot dress :( we fell. we laughed. we talked. we probably fought. but we saw the sun (almost) come up which was something i had not experienced with him in a really long time, if ever. A good, wild night.

The next day ensued with a wretched hangover, so much that my favorite mother in law said we both smelled like booze. we lazed around watching the world cup and eating more fabulousness. finally managed to walk down to the shore of the lake near their house, and took the granddaughter to collect shells. i am very strange with children. They're cool, but i feel awkward with them never having really been around any. At first I was kind of jealous (i know, wtf???) and I wanted him all to myself for this sunny warm day on the beach. but it was cool to see him interact with her and just get to chill out and watch. she was better than me at climbing the trail, that is for sure. honestly i have some issues if i am jealous of a five year old child.

that night we fell asleep super early, probably jet leg. the next day was fourth of july so we went to his friends' boat house on the lake -- it was sunny when we got there, within 20 minutes it was foggy, rainy and cold. and it stayed that way for the next 30 hours. i spent fourth of july huddled in blankets and cashmere, still a tad hungover from the night two nights before. we played kings cup (hello college!!!) but so much fun and I ate more chips than any human should. we grilled sausages and watched amazing, 20 mminute long fireworks at which I jumped every time they ignited. my lover bear wanted to stay in after instead of going to the bar which suprised me somewhat but i was totally fine with passing out in this gorgeous sunroom on the lake and waiting for daylight.

In the am, we had pastries, swiss artisan bread selected by the swiss friend himself, and naaaasty coffee. we made our way back to mom and dad's for showers and headed to the university district and to have lunch with the sister. We went to a great little thai place with these amazing tumeric noodles and soup. we talked about her impedning law school decision and gave her a black's law dictionary. she's going through an almost divorce -- i hope she doesn't do it. its complicated but i really really think they need to work things out. anyway, none of my business.

we went back to the rents for dinner -- we did NOT stop eating...after buying ridiculous amounts of food at the market. so nice and fresh. I took the red eye home compliments of sister's friends' pill prescribed by her doctor in Austria. ok. I slept well enough and was able to bill 6 and change on Tuesday, no small feat.

so that was that.

tonight was t road after work, and I considered the irony of my ex Jeff having taken me on our first date there and i was so wierded out by the place. never thought I would meet my future hubby there some two years later. love it.

le summer

is halfway over :(

my life has become measured by the buildings going up around me, that when i started the lease had unobstructed views of Miami...now I look directly at a new apartment building -- don't even get me started on the color scheme -- a school, and now the first traces of a hotel. yuck. i heart this building, but soooooo over the noise. the smells of morning in the elevator. the lap pool...the insane valet situation...the beautiful, big, sunny windows....my hammock. i've really been spoiled here which makes finding a new place ridiculous.

just got back from inlaws' for the fourth of july-- interesting visit with the in-laws. I feel like mom is a little standoffish, at least at first. so much so that now reflecting, i found myself tied up with the 5 year old granddaughter teaching her about mermaids and dressup....avoidance? i guess i can't blame mom -- but i do get sick of suggestions that we move back to seattle. My strongest argument (that I can say to her face) is that it is too rainy and cold for me. the truth is somewhat further away. i starts something like, I don't want my children learning your language so that everyone around me can converse and I can't like you do too often as it is... i know that is your culture and who you are and you want to hold on to the old ways or whatever. but i'm sorry i don't like when you tell your son in a foreign language that i don't understand, in front of me, that i will be making dessert, and THEN complain that the dessert is not that great. i left out the sugar because you wanted it out. maybe your spoiled ass little grandchildren don't need to eat fish everynight that costs $12 a pound. phew that felt good.

but by the end she's all hugs and tears and friends. inviting my parents up for thanksgiving -- which he said was his parents' idea -- come to find out that it was actually his idea which he pinned on me in front of his mom. wtf??? then there was the comment that she's not sure why he likes me....well maybe he should just go find a good home-bodied (insert nationality here) girl like his sister who has not worked a day in her life but sure can speak the language. on that note, I actually really like the sister, and I feel like she is at least to some degree on my side. not that there are sides or anything. but you know, in-laws. they are always going to take ONE side or the other.

i hate sounding bitter and gripey, i mean they really are a great family but i think we are all still feeling eachother out. i just kept thinking the whole time that i was there,like, this is going to be a lifetime struggle. and it made me question, you know, my dad's relationship with my grandparents and my mom's relationship with my dad's parents...and as far as I know there was not one. however, my dad goes to visit my mom's parents when he is back east so i find that somewhat intersting. of course i was young when my dad's parents were around -- but it has always struck me that we never spent summers with them, i always got sent to PA with my mom's parents. which is AWESOME, but i'm just saying. even as a child i noticed a discrepancy.

in any event, marriage to me is FOREVER -- and i now realize to some degree or am trying to realize, the implications of actually marrying a family. and things chaaaaaange over the years....seeing how my possible in=laws talked about my bf's sister's husband as theya re in the midst of trying to avoid divorce...it was like all his fault. as an outside observer i think he is completely justified in his behavior. i won't even get into how awkward it was having dinner with him there and dying, just dying, to ask him what i was getting myself into. and the awkward silences stemming from me knowing more than i probably should, but at the same time only knowing one side of the story and feeling his pain.

it was strange because i was feeling all tense about it during the weekend, and then by the last day when we were leaving, like, i didn't want to leave. i got teary and sad and felt like i was coming back to be here all alone. often on my thoughts was my bf's statements over and over again that he moved away first to LA then to MIA to avoid his overbearing mother. and HOW does one approach the subject of their significant other's mother with their significant other???? i mean, obviously my mother has had her moments too so i need to keep a very close check on myself getting carried away.

in OOOOOTTTTHER news...i wonder waht is up with my parents' marriage anyway. my mom was gone for 10 days on a trip, got back for a few, my dad left to his hometown for a month. my mom works a lot when she is home, and all she talks to me about it seems like is her work drama with Dr. P and the bevy of women he is involved with following his wife's tragic death. She needs to live in a city. I feel like she is so stifled out there, but my dad just doesn't get it and won't budge. wow marriage looks better and better every day.

i love my bear, i want him home.