Don't lights (and cupcakes) make the whole place look better? Know anyone who needs a condo in OP?

I still seem to be suprised at how people are reacting to our engagement. I have felt like we were going this way for a while but not sure when it would be official and other people must not have known that. Everyone is genuinley suprised and a little stunned but also happy. The best reaction yet has been from Steve's friend Mike who replied with "WOW, Ho-ly Shit!!!" Really loudly into the phone. I thought that was pretty genuine.

Tags: reactions
Current Location: home

Hey everyone. I just wanted to post an update that I am 33 now and well things are different.

Steve proposed on Saturday (my birthday) and of course I said yes. It hasn't really quite sunk in yet.

I have only told my parents and brother and my friend Janice since she called right after.

So, I guess things are a changin.

I have to say that we have been very close for a long time and everything seemed logically like being engaged or married in our relationship except that we live in 2 different places. So, I don't really feel any different even though I know it is.

Steve didn't know what kind of ring to get so he borrowed his great grandmother's wedding band from his mom that I can wear until that is figured out. So, I look more married than engaged right now. Which is ok too.

I guess when you feel like something is just right it isn't really very suprising that this is happening although I did think he would wait longer because next month will be 12 months since we started dating. I also thought it might be hard to make a decision like this not having any other long term relationships to compare it with but Steve assures me this isn't a problem.

So, we are off... and have no answers to any of the weding related questions. We don't know when, where or how all this will come together and we probably won't decide for a while yet. There was a joke of getting married by the end of the year for the income tax benefit but alas that is a joke. There is a lot to combining lives and households that will take a long time since we both will have to sell our places and that won't happen quickly in this market.

So, I guess you might wonder if as a girl I am overjoyed and think this is the most important moment in my life. Well yes and no. I am happy and really quite relieved. By 33 you wonder if getting engaged or married is even possible anymore and after all the crazy relationships I have been in I also wondered if Steve would want this or run off like so many others. I am relieved that not only has he been the best in compatibility yet but that he wanted this too.

I am happy in a calm kind of way. Nothing with Steve requires any worry. He is the most dependable, consistent, reliable, trustworthy guy ever. And that isn't even commenting on his attractiveness, smarts or sense of humor. I feel extremley lucky and blessed at this point.

I also think while getting engaged is important, it may not be more important than getting my college degree or buying my condo or working my way up in my job. I am still committed to achieveing things in my life even after marriage and not letting it all go like my mom had to do. I would like to think of my work, family and relationship as equal accomplishments rather than favoring the disney fairy tale "getting married is eveything" view that past generations of women my family had.

That said, I really enjoy Steve's family and look forward to meeting more of them and bringing everyone together for a fun celebration in a year or so.  And I think we really got this right. I love Steve very much and think we will be very happy together, although probably happier after all the wedding planning is out of the way.

Tags: choices, engagement, fiance, fiancee, life, proposal, ring
Current Location: Steve's house
Current Music: the humming of the computers

Zeus with his cat entertainment...birds eating seed we put on the windowsill.

The way the Volt will really look in 2010. Not bad? Not good? Thoughts?

Windmills, they're the new black.

Wellies are available here now too.

It's almost fall.

I have been reading some posts here today and trying to catch up on what is happening with everyone. It seems like everyone is located pretty far away now and it is almost hard to remember when we were all in the same city and (most of my friends here) were dancing swing at various places like rumors, willowbrook ballroom and fizz every week. Although I am not buying any houses, changing jobs, having babies or having any other drama in my life right now I should probably write something to sum up life latley. 

Steve and I are doing well. He is still as awesome as ever. I think he and I are probably as compatible as you can be and I think we both hope we are going down the same direction path type thing. We think we know where it will end up but not to jinx anything we will just wait and see. I think that might be my only small frustration, that I am ready to jump into the lets make it official phase and he is not quite yet. He thinks he will but it's just a bit fast to know forever type things when you haven't had a lot of experiences to compare this to nor maybe enough time to date and be super super sure. (it's been 11 months) I guess people's emotions move at different paces even if they are both very much in love. At least I feel good that we are happy together, we never really fight and we seem to have the same aspirations and goals in life. After all the ups and downs I have had in my dating life I feel lucky to have found him and that our relationship has grown into something serious like this and that it makes us both happy.

Otherwise work is ok allbeit a bit boring at times since things can be repetitive but hopefully the company and product will be stable for a while considering that there are no web marketing jobs out there right now, not even with my varied web marketing background. I am also trying to continue gathering more knowledge and am in a Statistics class on Thursday nights at Triton (community) college. I know it's hard to remember college but back then I studied education and had no purpose for a stats class. So, even though I know a lot of the concepts from every day use, I thought going back and taking the class would be helpful for now and for later if I needed it as a pre-requisite.

I am also happy that ChicagoWeekendFun.com is continuing to grow. Some days it is one step forward and two steps back but month over month I usually see growth. I just have to find time in addition to everything else going on to do research and post. I hope it continues to grow and be an interesting side project for a while, I really enjoy being in charge of my own site after working for a site and it is really exciting to see what happens new every day and figure it all out. These new blog ad networks have also made it worth just about anyone's while to start a site with no minimums as far as impressions or clicks go. This is really revolutionary in the online ad world. Some will drop out though, I have noticed a big drop in inventory latley, I hope a few good ones survive.

In other news Zeus is still here being as cute and lovey dovey as an 18 lb cat can be. He enjoys many belly-rubs and mornings watching the birds outside. It has been a year now since I adopted him and I really think he has taken all that time to adjust to the change in living quarters and having me as an owner. He is much more relaxed and social now than he was a year ago at this time.

Hmm...not much else happening really. I joke that Steve and I are the most consistent people in the world. Nothing super interesting or dramatic ever really happens to us. But then again, we kinda like being boring. We are going to go see "Turn of the Century" at the Goodman on the 24th (with Jeff Daniels in it of all people) and Robin Williams Standup Comedy at the Chicago Theater on the 27th. (my Bday, ack! 33) Of course I will blog about both on CWF. We also will be heading out to his folks lake house in Indiana one last weekend to put the boat away for the winter soon. (did I mention I have 3 gallon ziploc bags of Indiana picked bluberries in my freezer?) Otherwise, his mom continues to try and teach me to cook as we have the opportunity, and my parents continue to let me make a mess of their kitchen cooking on Sundays when Steve, Scott and I come over to visit. Somehow cooking and working can't happen on the same days though...too much stress there. (that is why I avoided it for so long!!)

In other people's news, Lisa D had her second baby Rachel and Janice is pregnant with her second child due in February. I can't wait to see all the holiday cards this year. Steve and I should do one with all 3 cats just so we don't feel left out. I have posted a few pix on here of Amy and DJ's baby Zoe and she is doing well at 6 months also. It's just baby crazy right now... well not with me specifically...

Anyway, I hope that is a telling update and that everyone else is having a fun fall and  that things are going well.

Tags: 2008, life, september, update, work
Current Location: home

Not my photo, but it looked like my weekend in Michigan City. Steve and I go out for some beach time some weekends now. I hide under lots of umbrellas.

If you knew me 20 years ago you wouldn't believe that I would say this now.