Sad panda

Sad news everyone, my tattoos will not be done today. My artist had to reschedule and unfortunately if I don't get them done today the tattoos might not be healed in time to go to Florida, which would make for a very uncomfortable vacation. I am a little sad and frustrated by this but I was having some doubts about these tattoos (not the tattoos themselves but the placement of them) so maybe it's good that I will have a little more time to think about it. I am hoping to get it rescheduled for after vacation so we will have to see. In the meantime I am going to enjoy my day off and take care of my sick husband who has a cold. Have a great weekend everyone!

Exploring our new digs

We have lived in Columbus for a little over two months and we have yet to really explore the area. It seems like every weekend we have a family engagement or something planned but we have made strides to see a few places in the area, let me share.

See the last weekend of July was my birthday weekend and I wanted to do a little exploring and find something fun to do so I suggested the Columbus Zoo. One we got there we noticed that memberships were not all that expensive for two people so we bought a membership that last for a year from the date of purchase.  It was a great choice because we have already been twice and plan on going again when the weather is a bit crisper and then around Christmas when they deck the place out in Christmas lights. Not only does the membership cover our admission but also our parking (score!) so the thing has practically paid for itself. Plus the zoo is seriously award winningly awesome, the exhibits are great, it's huge, it's just a great all around zoo. If you are ever in the area, check it out for sure.

The only other area we have really checked out in Columbus is the outdoor mall, Easton which I happen to love to go to take a stroll through, though that may change when the weather turns cooler. It's just a huge outdoor space to take a nice walk and check out a few shops, though it can get a bit crowded at times.

We did take the pups hiking two weeks ago in Hocking Hills, which is only about a hour from our house. It's like the Smokey Mountains of Ohio. That was an awesome day trip for us, some great trails and beautiful scenery. I imagine that there will be many future trips there as well, maybe even a romantic weekend getaway to one of the many cabins.

I do hope we get out a bit more to check out our new city and that I can share it with you all a little more. Hope you all have a great day and I will post again soon.

My nerdy-ness shines through

I'm not completely sure if I ever really let everyone in on the geekery that takes place in our household. Andy is a certified geek through and through, he had a stack of magic cards, played World of Warcraft for a long time, knows the Lord of the Rings movies by heart, all theses things I find adorable and I love about him. I am semi-geek as well Andy says I am more of a nerd, and there is a difference I promise you. Call a geek a nerd and you'll be sorry, in the sense that you'll be lectured on the subtle complex differences of each label (which is BORING). However, I digress. My biggest geek/nerd weakness? Reading, I could stay at home all day and just read and read and read until my eyesight goes bad. Now I know many of you might think, reading, big deal, that doesn't make you a geek. I agree. It is my favorite books series that places me in the nerd category. The fact that I lined up to buy the last couple of books when they were released, I have and will go to future movie releases at midnight to see it on the big screen, and I can lay down trivia about this series like it's nobody's business. I have read this series multiple times, cried when characters have died and gave myself headaches to finish books in mere hours. It is a book series I love so much I am permanently placing a reminder of it in my skin.

Things my dogs have taught me

Since getting Murphy I have learned quite a few valuable lessons about myself, running our household and life itself. I guess Pepper had taught be a few things previously but she was just...easy...that's the right word, she was an easy dog. There were some rough moments in the beginning but she was almost a year old when I found her most of the puppy behavior was out of her system. Except for chewing, like when she chewed on every dining table leg on my parent's formal dining table. Hey, I said we had a few rough moments. But Murphy is a whole 'nother can of worms. I'll be honest, I have never had a puppy, at least not one since I have been out of my parents house. And let's be honest, when you have a team of 5 people taking shifts taking the pup out and watching him, it's a smidgen easier. So what have I learned exactly, you might ask? Well here's a little list for you.

1. Two dogs are better than one in the sense that they entertain each other...growling and wrestling all over the living room while you try to watch TV.
2. Having animals is like parent boot camp, especially puppies, these little stinkers need to be fed, put down for naps, the house needs to be puppy-proofed (see number 4), they need entertained and generally take up a great deal of your time. I can honestly say, I do not want children for a few years after having Murphy.
3. Medical care is of the highest importance. The dogs have been to the vet more in the last 2 months than I have been to the doctor in the last year.
4. Keeping a clean house is vitally important...because you never know what your puppy might find, like q-tips, your laptop charging cord, your shoes (keep in mind most of these things were not in obvious reachable places)
5. My puppy loves me. How do I know? Because he has taken a liking to ALL of my delicates. No matter where they are he somehow finds my bras and underwear. Although I have to admit when he runs into the living room with my bra, Andy's laughing and "That's my boy." statements make me giggle.

That's about all I've got for now. I'll post again after I get a new laptop cord and can post on my own computer again. In the meantime maybe Andy will grace us with his presence with some profound post.

Life is busy...

scratch that...life is crazy. This weekend right now, is literally our only free weekend between now and our vacation at the end of the month, hell,  it's basically been the only weekend we've had free since we moved here. It's crazy, I just don't get it. It's like we got married and suddenly we have no free time. What is this nonsense??? Then, there are the week days, obviously we both have jobs during the week which means my free time is scant. When I do get some free time, I really don't want to get on the computer. It's what I do all day at work. I admit I miss blogging, it's cathardic, it's fun, I like writing, but when it comes down to facing another computer screen after a 12 hour day (yes, seriously, that's been the kinds of days I have had) I just don't want to do it. I think you all can understand. Hopefully, this job is only temporary and I will have one that doesn't place me in a dark nook in front of a computer for hours on end. Ugh. Okay, enough about work. Happy thoughts.

We got on our trip to Florida in just a few short weeks, 25 days to be exact. I'm stoked. We're going to Harry Potter land and Disney World. It will be great to spend five days with my husband and some time with my parents, who will be there at the same time as us. This trip is what gets me through my days at work, I don't know what will happen after the trip is over. I guess we will have to plan something else to look forward to!

Anywho, I wanted you all to know I'm not dead, just crazy busy. I think of you all often, I promise to try to write again soon!

Some updates and jibberish

Update number One: I have learned that puppies are like babies, little furry babies, with sharp little teeth. Having Murphy the past week and a half has really been an adventure. He wakes us up at night, we have to clean up after him, we have to deal with sibling rivalry as Murphy tends to draw our attention, we need to feed him several times a day and put him down for naps. If I was being honest with myself I would admit that we probably should have waited another couple weeks to bring him home, so we could get more settled into our house but c'est la vie!

Update Number Two: My job which I guess I never really did say what it is. I'm working for American Electric Power in one of their customer solutions centers. Doing exactly what it sounds like, providing solutions for customers when they call. I'm going to level with everyone and admit it isn't the job I ever thought I would have after college, but it got us down here to Columbus and it provides a pay check. I want to be upfront and say that I am grateful to have a job at all. I really am, especially one that I find it interesting. But honestly, I know that it isn't something I want to do forever. The people that call in are, well, not all pleasant. When you think about it, it makes sense because generally you never really call your electric company when something is going well. I know some people would really enjoy that kind of environment for work but it really isn't my cup of tea. I'll stay as long as I don't have an offer else where but I'm going to level with all you some more and admit I've already been looking elsewhere. However, the really nice thing is that now I can be a bit more selective, the presure is off, and I don't have to worry if I get called for an interview or not.

As for Andy's job, I'll let him fill you in on that.

Update number three: We still aren't settled in our house. Yes, really. It's actually driving me a bit crazy. We have boxes and stuff everywhere, but Andy and I are so tired at the end of the work day that we just kind of make dinner and chill. Then on the weekends we want to explore our new surroundings so nothing gets done. Well I had a fantastic idea, I decided that we should have a housewarming party on the 21st, so basically we have two weeks to get this house in order enough to have a bunch of people over, meaning basically the lower level of the house needs to be pretty, along with the yard and deck.

One of the biggest problems I think we have is that our living room is kind of in limbo. We have DVD racks to hang on the wall but we also have an entertainment center that would fit everything in it. However, this entertainment center won't fit a larger size TV which we plan to get in a few months. So we are kind of at a loss, should we put up the entertainment center for a few months and have everything in that? Should we hang the DVD racks and leave the TV on a coffee table like it is? I'm not sure.

Like I said, the house is driving me crazy.

I don't have much more for now, I do have some funny Murphy stories to share but I kind of want to compile them into one post.

Tune in soon, I'm going to put pictures of the house up soon.

Adventures in Babysitting

Does anyone remember that movie? Anywho...

Andy and I recently had the opportunity to babysit our little nephew this past Friday night and I have to say it was awesome. Yes, it was hard and it was exhausting but it was really great to see Andy in action with a baby and get an idea of what he will be like with our kids. I have to say as well that we may have not had a realistic idea of handing a baby because our nephew is such a good baby. Really, I mean he hardly cried at all the entire night.

Look at that little guy, how adorable is he?

The problems arose were more because of the puppy than because of the nephew. It was really difficult to manage the baby and the puppy at the same time, between diapers and bottles and taking the puppy out and accidents, we had our hands full. It was a learning experience for sure, we both know that we are not ready for kids any time soon. Being newlyweds with a puppy is enough for now, but we will definitely be willing and ready to babysit the little guy whenever bro and sis-in-law need someone.

Has anyone else had a chance to babysitas a newlywed? Did it make you want kids more or want to wait?