Sweet Lexxi

Dear Lexxi,

I remember when my mother and I drove 3 hours to the pet store in hopes of adopting you. I told the adoption lady that I wanted you, and when you arrived, she handed me your leash. You were so skinny and bedraggled. Your hind end had been shaved off and you were in dire need of bath. But I fell in love with you anyway. You slept on my lap all the way back home. You didn't even flinch when I put you in the tub and shampooed you all over. That night, and many that followed, you slept in my bed snuggled next to me. I learned that you had quite the affinity for tennis balls. I also learned to keep food off the coffee table after you devoured a candy dish full of Hershey Kisses (foil and all), and I thought you might die from a chocolate overdose. My mom was so in love with you, too. She even got a puppy of your breed much to my dad's dismay. When I moved back to my parent's house, you and Lilly became sisters. Years later, when I moved back out, my mom wouldn't let me take you. I agreed since you and Lilly were so close. Still, I saw you often and you enjoyed your visits to see Rhett, my boyfriend's dog. I never knew your exact age since the vet estimated when I adopted you, but over the last few years, I knew you were entering your senior years. You kept injuring your leg chasing after the tennis ball, and you hated it when we made you stop to let it heal. You were also getting chubby, but I figured the medication for your skin allergies was the cause. Then just last year, you got really sick and my mom took you to the vet. They said you had pancreatitis. That meant we couldn't feed you treats anymore, and you were put on a special diet. You had a few reoccurences, but you always snapped out of it, getting back to your tennis ball obsession. Last week, my mom called. She said you were really sick this time. You couldn't keep anything down, and all you wanted to do was lay outside. She took you to the vet, and this time they said you had developed diabetes. You would require insulin shots twice a day for the remainder of your life. They also said you might have pancreatic cancer because of your big belly, but they couldn't be sure without a $400 x-ray in addition to the $400 in bloodwork and x-rays you already had. My mother and I, together, decided that the best thing would be to end your suffering. That was the hardest decision I have ever made. I hope you went peacefully. I never got to say goodbye, and I hope you understand. I prefer to remember you as I last saw you, pushing the tennis ball around the house, bugging everyone to play with you. I just want you to know that we all miss you terribly and Lilly has been moping around the house. I couldn't have asked for a better, sweeter dog.

The Knot is my new best friend

It's official. Next year, I will be a September bride back home in the beautiful state of Maine...my favorite time of year! Boo picked our wedding date because of the consecutive numbers. I'm sure you can guess what the date is. Now he has no excuse for forgetting our anniversary.

We're slightly ahead of schedule in planning. I wanted to get a head start because the date will be so popular. We've chosen and reserved the venue in Bar Harbor, Maine. It's right on the water with a spectacular view. We've also reserved the photographer and videographer. We're in the process of trying to find a DJ which is no small feat considering our small-ish budget and the ridiculous rates these people are charging.

I've convinced Boo that we should write our own vows. I don't want a cookie cutter ceremony, and we're not religious, so I think saying it in our words would mean a lot more. Plus, I can guarantee both of us will inject a little humor into "for better or for worse."

Well, It's About Time!

I am happy to report that Boo and I are finally engaged! He proposed randomly last week while we were on a sunset cruise on the boat. He asked me to get into his toolbox for some pliers and inside was a small box with a note taped to it that read "open me." Once I opened it, Boo was on one knee asking me to marry him. Once I said yes, he brought out a cooler he had been hiding. It was full of champagne, strawberries and a dozen roses. He really outdid himself and I had no idea it was coming.

We have already tentatively set a wedding date for 9/10/11. Yay!!

Things My Boyfriend Does: Part 4

Normally, my boyfriend acts like any other man...burping, farting, and using sexual innuendos at any given chance. However, give him a lot of booze, and he turns into "Boo-dini," the disappearing homeless man.

First, there was the time we came home from the bar and he passed out under the car. And then there was the time I picked him up from the bar, and after leaving him in the car because he wouldn't get out, I found him lying in the empty lot next door. He has also passed out in the boat, behind the bedroom door, and in the closet. But the reason I'm convinced his alter-ego is a homeless man, is what happened last weekend.

Boo and I attended a late afternoon pool party on Saturday. After a few hours of beer and maragaritas, the crowd thinned out and we decided to leave. Having fell asleep in a hammock, I was exhausted, but Boo and his buddy Pat wanted to soldier on. I dropped them off at a nearby bar and instructed them to call me or get a cab home. After texting Boo to remind him not to stay out all night, I fell asleep.

I woke up at 5:30am and the usual snoring lump was not beside me in bed. Immediately, panic set in. I called Boo's phone only to get his voicemail...seven times. Good lord, he could've been arrested, gotten the shit kicked out of him, or hurt himself in a drunken stupor. At 6:30am, I tried his phone again. He finally picked up on the second call. I yelled, and he apologized in a sleepy, demure voice. He explained that he was not exactly sure how, but he woke up in a bush a few yards from the last bar they visited. He was also missing a shoe. You better believe he walked his ass a mile home, without shoes, to face the wrath of a woman whose other half did not return home as promised. He reeked of booze, was covered in bug bites and his shirt was filthy. I was tempted to give him a dollar and a bottle in a paper sack. He's just lucky I didn't feel well enough to berate him to the fullest extent.

I know. He's precious.

She's Back!

So I took a little hiatus, obviously. It was mostly due to the fact that I blogged at work and my job was sucking so much that I couldn't. My boss decided to cut my hours down to practically nothing and then closed the doors completely. Thankfully, I jumped right into the same position at another company and couldn't be happier. I love it when things happen for a reason!

Boo and I are still madly in love (cue eye rolls). We've moved from the passion-filled honeymoon phase into the nesting phase. Now I'm not saying the passion is gone, but I'm no longer worried about the state of our relationship, we argue much less, and have seriously started talking about marriage. I still don't have a ring, but in Boo's defense, he's been trying to get rid of a house in central Florida and it's costing him dearly. Plus, we've been making lots of improvements to the house. But if I know him like I think I know him, he's got a plan in the works.

Stay tuned...

Lovin'*

I love the way my dog's head smells. I love the feeling of lying between the sheets still damp from a hot shower. I love it when I get a scalp massage at the salon. I love the smell of crisp, autumn air. I love the morning commute over the bridge with the sunrise reflecting off the ocean and palms lining the shore. I love a good nap. I love sleeping in even more. I love the way my ass looks in a killer pair of jeans. I love those hard-to-come-by moments when you tear up laughing and you practically pee your pants. I love websites that post cute pictures of animals. I love the smell of gasoline and diesel. I love the scent of cologne lingering in the bathroom. I love cool, crisp nights when I can sleep with the window open. I love days when I can lounge around in pajamas playing video games or watching movies. I love coming home to a clean house. I love the sound of waves crashing against the shore. I love finding random money in my pocket. I love decorating the house for holidays. I love peeling skin and I don't know why. I love cool rain on a warm day. I love getting lost in a good book. I love how this list could go on and on, because there are so many more things I love.


*I challenge you to make your own list or leave a love of yours in the comments. The only catch? You can't include a single person on your list. It'll be tough, I know. But this particular little exercise is about stripping away everyone who defines you and figuring out what YOU love.

As of Late...

Damn, I have been slacking. It's funny how when life is good, my blog suffers. Not that I am wishing for anything to happen just so I can write about it. Anyway, I'll spare the gory details and give you the short update.



My relationship is great. Our parents have started hounding us about getting married and giving them grandbabies. Boo has started joking about getting me a cubic zirconia ring. And in turn, I started joking about how the ring symbolizes how much he really loves me and is willing to spend on me. That, and my uncanny ability to differentiate CZ from a real diamond, even though I'm not sure I could really tell. Have you seen CZ rings these days? Amazing. I better find a good jeweler and/or appraiser.



I started taking a self-defense class with Boo and a couple of our friends. It's basically a solid hour of high-intensity cardio mixed in with some self-defense technique. I thought the 30-Day Shred was hard. This is a total ass kicking. I've been doing it for about three months now and I am still waking up with sore muscles...muscles I didn't know I had. It is loads of fun though and I'm hoping to tone up a little bit, if not just negate all the beer consumed on the weekends.



Speaking of beer, Boo and I threw our 1st Annual Red, White & Booze party on the 4th of July. We're trying to make it a tradition, so I designed and ordered t-shirts for the occasion. We had a great time with all our friends. It only took us seven hours to float two kegs, and then we had to go get more beer at the store. I just don't understand why I can't lose weight.



For my birthday, Boo bought us a trip to Maine at the end of this month. It's my 10-year high school reunion and I want to show Boo my hometown. I haven't been to visit in a few years, so I am looking forward to it. I also can't wait to wreck some fresh lobsters...the one Maine staple I hated growing up, but love now that I've moved away. Hopefully, Mother Nature gets her act together so it will be nice, sunny weather rather than the cold, rainy weather everyone has been bitching about. And maybe on our tour of Bar Harbor, we can seek out some nice wedding venues! Hehe.

We are also planning a cruise at the end of August. Another couple we know invited us to go on a 4-night cruise, and since I've never been on one, I convinced Boo to go. I need to get my passport renewed since we'll be stopping in Cozumel, and that'll set me back about $100. I also will probably need to stop eating crap and drinking beer so I don't look like a beached whale in my bikini. Damn it.

The end!