Friggin' CTA

So Colie and I are thinking about where we want to live. We love our current location, and the apartment’s awesome – leasing company notwithstanding: it’s run by a combination of Satan & the 3 Stooges.

Since Colie takes the Metra and I take the CTA, it works perfect for me and works for Colie. I’m 2 minutes from a Brown Line stop that takes me 4 blocks from my office. Colie can take the Brown Line North a few stops then walk a block to the Metra. Here’s the kicker though, my office is located in the building connected to the Metra station downtown – so it would be quicker for me to actually take the Metra to work than the L with only a small additional cost. So we’ve talked about moving more north to Ravenswood-area eventually because it would really be easier for both of us to commute to our jobs.

One thing that is a definite PLUS for me to actually move is no longer having to deal with people on the L. It’s almost a daily occurrence that someone commits one of the Top 10 things I hate people do on the CTA:

• Entering a car, and then standing against the door – move in
• People w/ giant backpacks – take them off your back before you plow over 3 more little old ladies every time you turn around
  
• Let people exit the train before others board – physics won’t allow you two to pass through one another
• Turn your music down – if you have headphones on, and I can hear the lyrics, it’s too damn loud
• Turn off the phone – a simple “Hey I’m on the L” is fine, hell a 2 minute or less conversation is okay, but I do not need to know your entire line-up for Fantasy Baseball from your keeper league that you and “Big D” are commissioners in
• Please don’t sing – this combines #4 and #5, I heard the majority of Act I of Phantom of the Opera last week, and it wasn’t sung by Kristin Chenoweth
• Eating things on the L that by definition, will create trash – ex: sunflower seeds, pistachios, bananas
• Take your stuff off the seat – I literally saw this take place the other day. Lady asks “man” to move his backpack, man says, “No” and proceeds to look out the window
• People who think personal hygiene’s a passing fad – please brush your teeth in the morning and apply deodorant, that’s it! Nothing revolutionary is needed
• People who want to talk about the book I’m reading – I don’t mind a “How is that?” or “Are you liking that?” I’m talking about the “You’re reading ‘Brave New World? Oh man, that book sucked – why are you reading it? Didn’t you read it in High School?” Yes, this happened.

Cat Scratch Fever

A few months ago, K and I decided that we desperately needed a dog. We went to the puppy store, cuddled with a few, considered curbing back our time away from home to make it a part of our tiny family. Then....we woke up. It was almost winter, and we don't have a yard. We also both work long hours, making a dog tricky. Therefore, the next logical move was to go to the shelter and adopt two tiny, ten week old kittens. I chose an orange and white striped pal, who I named Felix. KG chose a black and white purrer who he dubbed Dante.

Five months later, the cats are a force to be reckoned with. Now in their teenage years, they reflect their owners' personalities to a T. Felix is relentlessly friendly, always causing mischief and messes, and is probably the clumsiest cat I've ever seen. Dante hides when others come over, and hates any change to the usual house routine. He also pouts when things don't go his way. We adore them both, even though K adamantly refuses to admit it.

I mention the other two residents of our apartment for two reasons.
1) K is working from home today and had to put Felix in his crate for a time out because he refused to stop tearing down the framed posters in our front room.
2) Yesterday, while working on the previously mentioned wedding website, I created a badass site that briefly made us sound cool and funny while also giving all 8 billion of our wedding guests the registry and hotel info. It even had pictures....for about 6 seconds until Felix stepped on the control button and deleted the entire thing. I guess we'll just have to actually TALK to all of our loved ones instead. Sigh....

A Wedding Website?

So I get an IM from Colie today, "should we set up a wedding website?" Oh crap.

Have you ever seen a wedding website? Here's the story of our loooovvvveeee. Here's how he proposed, "it was the most romantic thing ever." Blah, blah, blah... Yes, I know - this is our blog about getting ready to get married - shut up. And yes, I was the one that volunteered our story for our high school alumni newsletter - shut up.

I'm fairly certain that Colie's going to set it up whether I want to or not, I'm just hoping that she'll tell me the password, and that she won't mention the fact that the day I was going to propose I came home and fixed the toilet prior to asking for her hand.

Also, I checked the mail the other day and saw that there was an invite for the "Proud to Run" race the day before the Pride Parade. It made me smile, because last year "Proud to Run" was the day that I told Colie's parents that I wanted to marry her.

Such love...

Gastank: When's your Spring Break?
Colie: two weeks from today
Gastank: Want to come meet me for lunch and we can look at wedding bands?
Colie: today?
Gastank: wow
Gastank: no, during your spring break
Colie: that sounds perfect
Colie: I'm going to engrave yours with "you are a big smelly assface"
Colie: but it will be written lovely
Gastank: yeah, italics adds a touch of class

107 Days?!?!?

Holy crap! 107 days until the wedding. I can't believe when I proposed on August 1, 2008 I thought that July 4th was so far off.

I actually think we decided to get married on that day a few weeks after the proposal - although both mine and Colie's family were asking us what day "THE DAY" was on August 2nd. The day after I proposed we stopped by my parents' house, then went to my soon-to-be sister-in-law's High School Graduation party. It was fun to see everyone right away, although I should have just printed up how I did propose and hand it out to everyone. I'll tell the story some day when I have more time.

True Colors

Quick post while K is in the shower. It's St. Patrick's Day (observed) today, and K comes from a long line of Southside Irish Catholics. He himself is second generation. We have already received multiple Irish themed gifts for our engagement- we even have a bowl shaped like a shamrock with the Irish Blessing in it.

I, on the other hand come from a long line of loud, fun Polaks. We confuse left with right, we sing happy birthday in Polish, and we make foods with long names for every occasion. I always feel a little guilty wearing Irish pride items to go drink on St Paddy's Day, so this year I solved my problem. I have made a bright green t-shirt that says "You bet your DUPA I'm Polish"

I figure this is perfect, because K can't complain since it's green, and I get to show my real pride. So if you'll excuse me, I have to go put this wonderful creation on and start drinking. It's almost 9 am.

Who DOESN'T Watch the Watchmen?

Me.

I tried to read The Watchmen a few times in the past, but always found it to be really difficult to follow. I recently picked it up again because I heard about the movie, and I loved it. I thought it was wonderfully done, and an incredibly griping story. I find it fascinating that people can come up with plots like this: the artwork, the characters, the "Tales of the Black Freighter" novel within a novel.

So now the movie's out, and have I seen it? Nope. I understand that the novel couldn't be contained within 90 minutes, but THREE HOURS?!?! There is no way that I'll be able to convince Colie to see this movie. I love the movie V for Vendetta - Colie hates it. I love Sin City - Colie hates it.

Notice a theme here? There is zero chance that I'm getting her to the theater! I think my only option to get Colie to pick up a graphic novel is to recommend it for our book club.

What I Know Getting Into This

Yes, I figured this out thank you very much. However, before we continue I want to make it known what I already know about my lovely husband-elect going into the home stretch before our marriage. We have been friends for ten years and dated for a smidge under two, so I feel well qualified to present the following 25 facts as the truth.Hopefully, this will give you an idea of what we're in for.

1) My fiancee is the most punctual man alive. He is always at least 15 minutes early for everything. I, however, come from a long line of people who are at least 20 minute late, which continues to drive him crazy.

2) He doesn't eat condiments.

3) He has the best laugh ever- more like a ten year old's giggle, and occasionally if something is really hilarious, he will clutch his chest as though imitating a scandalized grandmother.

4) He also knows more about Excel than any human being really should. Our guest list is color coded, with separate sections for invitations sent, RSVPs and gifts received, courtesy of him.

5) He claims that I talked him into getting our two kittens, but the truth is our neighbor is a vet student, showed him one, and he melted.

6) He is a very methodical, detail oriented person. I'm fairly certain that I arrived in his life like a tornado. I also think he would be really bored without me.

7) He is obsessed with zombies, and has already planned our emergency plan should they invade.

8) He is sneakily athletic at just about anything. I'm always impressed.

9) Going along with this he is extremely competitive. I once achieved pro status at Wii Bowling. He kept playing me one-on-one until he single handedly took it away. If anyone besides him has the high score on one of HIS video games, he will not turn it off until he reclaims the title.

10) He has the distinct achievement of studying in Rome for an entire semester and coming home knowing less than 15 words of Italian. I'm actually being generous when I say 15.

11) He loves stupidly happy pop music, and if you feed him enough beer, will dance and sing along.

12) He likes to test people he has recently met by saying horribly offensive things just to see if they take the bait. Most do.

13) He has a big heart, and is extremely loyal.

14) He has had many of the same friends since kindergarten, and we all went to high school together. Embarassing stories abound.

15) He can spend hours in a book store with me, although he usually manages to find the most boring seeming book in the economics or finance sections and then purchases it. I think I've fallen asleep just looking at a few of them.

16) We talk each other into the most ridiculous pursuits. He has talked me into playing floor hockey, polar plunging twice, and taking shots of Jamison when extremely ill-advised. I have talked him into eating sushi, running 5 mile races, and buying sweaters that have never appeared on the Cosby show.

17) Speaking of apparel, he owns a pair of the whitest shoes I have ever seen. He has worn them into Lake Michigan and they are STILL gleamingly white. Also, they are Rebocks which should say it all.

18) He has amazing taste in television. We watch SVU, Top Chef, and Tool Academy.

19) He had a nervous breakdown while registering because he didn't know so many types of plates existed. He was similarly amazed when he found out exactly how many variations of white there are while picking out his tux.

20) Deep down, he is a very traditional person. He doesn't like things to be unsettled, and tries to keep his world as black-and-white as possible.

21) When he grows up I think he should wear bow ties.

22) He is truly incapable of separating his under shirts from his polos before doing laundry.

23) He loves puns. He ALWAYS follows up the question "Did you get your hair cut?" with "No I got them all cut"

24) I can't stay mad at him, and I'm pretty sure nobody can. I've tried and it doesn't work. Something to do with the giggle I think.

25) I cannot possibly envision my life without him.

What Are We Doing Here?

So I sit here, watching the last episode of Tool Academy, and need to kick this blog off. Colie and I though about doing this because we both thought it would be highly entertaining for us and for our friends/family/kids one day. I actually first thought about this because my future sister-in-law got us these really nice leather-bound journals for Christmas, and told us to use them out first year of marriage. The biggest problem is that Colie and I have terrible, terrible, terrible handwriting!

So we're going to try this out! Which loosely translates to "I'm going to need to teach Colie how this whole things works."