Double the Pleasure, Double the Fun

Last night Kara and I went on our first ever double date. Neither of us are really the "double-date type," meaning we don't really go for double dates or things of that nature. However, last night we decided to give it a go with my roommate, Bill, and his girlfriend, Kayla. We went to an awesome little restaurant in downtown Valparaiso called, Paparazzi (no, not the Lady Gaga hit song!).

This place was the bomb. It was obviously Halloween, and the waiting staff made sure we knew it by dressing up in costumes and such. Our waitress dressed up as Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz. Beyond that, they food was excellent and the drinks they offered up were both special and delicious. Bill and I decided to order the Vampire Juice, which consisted of a bunch of different liquors and some OJ, with a cool glowing ice cube inside.

So once we were done eating some delicious pasta, we decided to pick up some beer (and vodka for Kayla) along with some cards and head back to the apartment to play some drinking games. We started off playing landmines but realized that doesn't work that well when someone is drinking John Dalys in a glass. So we quickly moved on to Kings. It wasn't long before we were drunk and singing along to Party in the USA (one of my secret favorite songs!).

After that the night was kind of a haze...haha. But needless to say, I'm pretty sure Kara and I might be opening up to the double date scenario. I think it all just depends upon who you are going on the double date with!

No Swine (or Whine) for Me!

I just got the H1N1 vaccine for myself from my friend's Dad, so I don't have to worry about that bullet anymore. The good news is that Kara is coming in to town tonight for the second weekend in a row, which might be a first. But it also might not be, if you didn't know, I don't have the best memory.

Kara and I will be going on a double date Saturday with my roommate, Bill, and his girlfriend, Kayla, which Bill and I are both really excited about (it's going to be awesome!!). Kara will also get to meet Bill's dog, Deuce, who has become an awesome dog now that his training is finished.

So it's going to be a good weekend and I'm excited to see how it turns out...as well as to see Kara!

Long Time No Talk

Wow, I have not blogged for a month! I cannot believe it.

It seems like just yesterday the summer was starting and all the sudden I look up and the leaves are falling! That may be because we went straight from summer to winter in Indy, but I'm going to put most of the blame on my monotonous life!

I feel like the seasons have flown by without my noticing because nothing has really changed. I'm weirdly fine with it because I know that lots of things will change in the next six months or so.

I miss Jeff, but I am excited to see where the new seasons will take us - maybe a new job in Indy (for both of us? haha), a new place for me with roommates (something I've always looked forward to), and really becoming grown ups.

Until then, everything is good as far as the long-distance relationship thing goes. We're maintaing and trying to make the most of our time together (about 4 days a month). It's not much, but it's better than nothing and will only make us appreciate the time we do have together!

Euchre, It's on Tap

I just finished spending a solid Saturday in Indy with Kara and her family. We started the day by sleeping in haha. We made breakfast, went to see "The Invention of Lying" (which wasn't bad by the way), and then got some sushi and visited her cousins.

Then we headed back to Kara's house where her Mom had some good chili and grilled cheese waiting for us! Side note: chili is great anytime, but it's even better during the fall when the leaves start changing colors and the weather starts getting a bit colder! Anyway, after dinner, Mr. and Mrs. Murphy taught Kara and I how to play Euchre. It was a good time, despite the fact that Kara and her Dad beat Mrs. Murphy and myself (thanks to quite a few mistakes by me!).

I know that seems like an old persons Saturday night, staying in and playing cards, but I enjoy stuff like that. It's fun, but also relaxing and a nice way to wind down after a busy week.

Reality Sets In...

I just got back from spending a nice, relaxing weekend with Kara down in Indy at her house. That all sounds fine and dandy; however, now I have to get back to work at school, with my entrepreneurial business, with VUTV, and getting my résumé and demo reel put together within the next month so I can start sending them out to potential employers.

Why am I complaining so much right now? It's simple, really. I'm trying to express the biggest difficulty with a long-distance relationship for me. Leaving Kara (or having her leave me) is never easy, but it is all the more difficult when I have to finish multiple graphic design projects, edit 4-5 different video projects and TV shows, take tests and quizzes, and get worry about trying to find a job come May. It would be a lot easier to say goodbye to Kara if I could just go play video games, watch movies, or go golfing all day. But that just isn't reality.

In a way, I guess you could say that I have come to associate Kara with weekends, because that is usually when I get to see her. That is to say, when I see Kara, I feel like it is a mini-vacation, regardless of what homework or video projects I have to finish. It is like there is a weight lifted from my shoulders when I see Kara, which is why I am so excited (yet dreading the long wait!) to see her in a couple of weeks.

Until then, I will just have to be productive and work hard on my video projects, VUTV, my résumé and demo reel, as well as my homework.

Time Flies Even When You're Not Having Fun

Somehow it has been eight days since either of us has blogged! Which makes me feel better in a way because that means it's only been 10 days since Jeff and I have seen each other, and I'm leaving in just two (long) hours to go see him!

I cannot tell you all enough how much easier life would be for me if Jeff and I were in the same city. I don't want to complain about my life too much (it's not bad at all), but every little thing wouldn't seem so bad if I had him to come home to. Obviously, we try to talk as much as possible, but the phone just isn't the same, and our schedules simply do not coincide! It's so frustrating for me that I start to fall asleep around 10pm and Jeff is just starting on his homework or is still at one of the many meetings he has to go to every night.

I have been emotional the last week. Last weekend, I went back to Bloomington for a night to see Ashton, my roommate from last year. It was very sad. Driving into campus was difficult because I felt like I had never left. I had to force myself to avoid North Jordan Avenue and Kappa Delta because I knew it would be impossible to not go inside and stay forever! I had an awesome time with Ashton and her boyfriend Michael talking and drinking and going to Nick's and Kilroys (not Sporttttsssss-haha, inside joke, I guess). It was just hard because I had no where to go. I hung out with my brother at his dorm and at Ashton's apartment, but I didn't have a home there. It was very weird.

I also realized that I take all of these things and internalize them and then it just shoots out of me at random times. For example, on Sunday morning after I slept from 10pm-11:30am (clearly enough sleep - clue #1 I am sad/lonely), I woke up to find that my mom had made french toast for everyone and didn't wake me up. I freaked out. I mean, I threw a bonafide tantrum. My mom said if I were three years old and acting like that, I'd be sent to time out. I replied that if I were three years old, she would have made me breakfast. Haha. Really, though, I was mad/sad because I was lonely and they had gone out all night Saturday leaving me alone and left out.

Then, things that don't even happen to me make me sad. On the Biggest Loser premiere, there was a woman whose husband, 5-year-old daughter and 2.5-week-old-son were all killed in a car accident. I sobbed! And, as I'm sitting here anxiously awaiting my day to end thinking about it, I am tearing up a little! As if that weren't enough, I finished reading My Sister's Keeper last night...saddest book ever, and I won't spoil it for you because it was also a wonderful, thought-provoking book. Anyway, I had sad dreams all night because of it. I don't remember them, but I remember the feelings I got from them.

I'm pretty much going no where fast with this post, so I'll try to get on track. Jeff is so busy that I think he forgets what a sensitive person I am and has teased me a lot for being sad for no reason. That added to the fact that I feel like we haven't talked very much in the last 10 days just really adds to my sadness, so it's a very good thing that I'm traveling up there this weekend. We won't have as much time to spend together as we did over Labor Day, but I'm sure it will be wonderful anyway.

This Week In Review

As you guys have already read from Kara's post, we had an awesome weekend together over Labor Day. She came up Friday before I had to go to my class, which was awesome because she was able to sign the package when my new computer and her iPod Touch arrived!

Kara already gave you the recap of the weekend, so I will just tell you that all-in-all, it may be one of the best weekends we have spent with each other. However, with any great weekend comes the brutal aftermath.

What aftermath you may be asking? Well first off, I had a blast with Kara this weekend. But now that she is gone, I miss her that much more. If that wasn't enough, I also have had to play catch up on homework, work for VUTV, and work on my résumé and job search as I prepare to graduate. That is part of the reason I have been so slow to write a new post for the blog (which I am very sorry about!).

I am just now catching up on everything, while also getting really excited about VUTV (the student run television station at Valpo that I am a co-founder of). I already have one show in production, and have been asked to be the host for two other shows that may happen in the near future.

I have also been asked to record a segment from my radio show (GrecANDSchoeck - follow us on Twitter!!) for SourceStock, which is a the biggest concert in Valparaiso every year. SourceStock is put on my WVUR, the student run radio station here at Valpo, and is a really big deal to not only VU students, but also the entire town and community.

So, I guess I got on a rant about all the things going on in my life, but that is why I have been slow to post here at the blog. I should hopefully be able to be more consistent now that I am falling into my school routine. The only problem is that I don't get to see Kara for two another week or so. I feel as though the real emotions of missing Kara will start to come out early next week and continue to grow as it gets closer and closer to seeing her again...but that is the way it always is.

Amazing Weekend!!!!

Oh my gosh, this weekend was so much fun! Even if we hadn't done anything, I still think it would have been great just because we were looking forward to it so much after not seeing each other for 2 weeks!

A recap...

I arrived in Valpo Friday afternoon. Even though I took the day off, I went to the dentist in the morning to get my two of my teeth bonded and one filed down (long story), but it was quick and I was on the road by 11am! So, by gaining an hour by heading to the region, I arrived 12:30pm Valpo time! This gave us a little over an hour of hang-out time before Jeff had to go to his one and only class. We weren't feeling like cooking Friday night, so we went to Don Quijote, as Jeff said we would. I wasn't very hungry, but we got tapas (Jeff ate most of them) and a HUGEEE pitcher of white sangria (soo good, I really want to try to make it myself soon). I was not prepared for it to be so large, but we almost finished it, and according to Jeff, I was fairly tipsy. I beg to differ.

We watched like 10 movies on TBS, HBO, etc. over the weekend, so that's what we did Friday night. I can't remember all the movies - Failure to Launch, I Am Legend, a little Mean Girls, Baby Mama and many more. Saturday morning, we got up and made breakfast and basically just hung out all day. We went to Fridays for lunch, went grocery shopping, made tacos for dinner, and went and saw All About Steve with Sandra Bullock and Bradley Cooper. Bradley Cooper makes this movie a little comical, but I wouldn't recommend it all. While it has a nice message, the plot is totally unrealistic and un-funny. (The funniest part though, was a line by Bradley Cooper's character, Steve. Sandra Bullock - Mary Magdalene Horowitz, a Jewish/Catholic crossword creator, is constantly quoting famous people. She asks Steve if he knows who said something, he doesn't know, but the answer she says is, "Jesus." He asks, "Did Jesus tell you to come here?" because she is a socially awkward girl who he thinks is crazy and is basically stalking him. Pretty funny when said, maybe not when written. Oh well.)

Sunday was relaxing with more eggs for breakfast, more movies on tv, and our leftover tacos for an early lunch. We worked on the websites for my friend Stacy's and my new card business - SK Cards. (See twitter.com/skcards and skcards.blogspot.com to learn more!) Then, we headed over to Crown Point to see my mom's extended family. My mom's cousin lives there and was throwing a birthday party for her dad (my Great Uncle George). My grandma was also attending, and her birthday is also this week, so I wanted to go since I never get to see her, and Valpo is only about 20 minutes from Crown Point. It was a nice time, the Serbians treated us very well, and we really enjoyed the food - especially the delicious steaks!

After the cookout, Jeff and I headed to Four Winds Casino in New Buffalo, MI for an impromptu meeting with his sister Jen and brother-in-law Chris. We had a few drinks, Jeff dabbled in 3-card poker, and we all played our hand at Roulette (my first time ever gambling). Only Jen won at Roulette, but Chris won big right as we arrived at 3-card poker, so he called us his good luck charms! It was a nice evening - we all had dinner together in the casino, and Jeff and I headed back to Valpo. We were evidently exhausted from the day's events, as we layed down at 10pm to take a nap and didn't wake until 8am! At least we got some good sleep in!

Monday was pretty uneventful, as we were bummed our extended weekend was over. Jeff had class at 2pm, so we just hung out in the morning and went to lunch at a pizza place. (Jeff will have to remind me of the name, but it was really good!) After lunch, we had about an hour to kill, so we watched tv and I went through Jeff's iTunes to decide what I wanted to take for my new iPod! Jeff just ordered a new Macbook Pro and got a free iPod touch with it, so I am the lucky one who is taking it on! I'm excited to download all my music on it tonight when I get home - Thanks Jeff!!

Overall, it was a wonderful weekend. There were no stresses, no arguments, and we were just very happy together. It makes me miss him even more now that we have another 2 weeks apart, but we are definitely falling into a routine of Jeff being at school and me working at home, which is good. I always look forward to seeing Jeff and wish I could see him more, but I think it's good that we have lives separate from each other - it gives us more to talk about and a different perspective to see the world from.

Weekend Preview

So, Kara is coming up to Valpo to visit me this weekend and I am super excited! What's even better is that it is pretty much a four day weekend because of Labor Day. So Kara will get up here around 12 or 1 p.m. tomorrow and be able to stay until around that same time on Monday!

I have high hopes for this weekend seeing as it has been two weeks since I have seen Kara. I just want to be able to spend as much time together as possible, no matter what we are doing. But...I do have a general idea for the weekend's activities.

Tomorrow night will start with a nice home cooked meal that Kara and I will conjure up as soon as I get back from class. After that there are two options we could go with. We can either go to a movie (or two, seeing as Kara wants to see two different movies), or have a nice night in and maybe rent some movies or go through my personal movie collection.

Then Saturday will probably be a team effort of Kara and I setting up a Twitter account and Facebook Fan Page for her new card company that she is starting up with her friend, Stacy. We will also look into starting a blog and a website for the card company (hopefully making it an e-commerce site, but I will have to do some research before getting too in-depth). Saturday night I plan on taking Kara to Don Quixote, which is a wonderful Spanish restaurant in downtown Valparaiso that reminds Kara of her semester spent abroad in Spain during her junior year at IU.

As for Sunday and Monday, I plan on just getting as much QT (quality time) in as possible. That is always my general plan when Kara and I get to see each other because we continually have to make up for lost time. I'll do my best to write a review of how the weekend went come Monday night or Tuesday.

I hope you all have a great Labor Day Weekend!

Time Management

I like Kara's previous post and I thought I would give it a shot to explain how I handle seeing my Kara, my friends, and my family. A little preface to start though, this post may sound a little cold as if I view spending time with my friends, family, and Kara as a matter of time management, and to a certain extent that is the case; however, I do not put restrictions on the time spent with them.

Anyway, I try to maximize my time with Kara in any way possible. She usually makes this easy for me by sending me emails with her schedule for the month, that way we can plan the weekends we will be able to see each other as well as the ones we won't. Once I know which weekends I will be seeing Kara, I can talk with my friends and family and see which weekends I can spend time with them. And then I try to optimize my time during the week so that I can spend time with my college friends.

It's really an in-depth procedure I go through to accommodate everyone in my life... including myself. Haha ok so maybe it's an in-depth procedure that Kara does for me to accommodate everyone in my life. Either way, I am always trying to maximize my time spent with Kara, my friends, and my family!

Friends

I have no clue what to blog about, but my vice president is out of town and my president is on a conference call, so I thought I should take the opportunity.

Jeff and I haven't seen each other for a while, so there's really nothing to report on our relationship. In fact, he has started school and is busy with all his editing and tv station stuff, and I go to bed at 10:30pm (only 9:30 Jeff's time), so we've only been talking a couple minutes here and there every day. We have also both been spending a lot of time with our friends, which is a very good thing.

While I always look forward to the times that I get to go visit Jeff (especially this weekend, as I have a four-day weekend!), I sometimes feel like I'm missing out on things at home. I know I could be sleeping in, helping my parents around the house, seeing my brother at school, and going out with my friends. I was able to go out with friends both Friday and Saturday night last weekend, and it was so nice just to hang out with the girls, go to the bars, and talk all night, just like old times.

I think when you're in a relationship, especially a long-distance one, balance is the key, as we've both said on many occasions in this blog. Moreso, though, I think you have to be willing to give some things up. Obviously it would be nearly impossible for me to keep up with all my friends from Indy, all my friends from out of town, and Jeff, so some people/activities become more important than others (not that my feelings for any of these people have changed, but there's just not enough time in the day). I'm getting much better at keeping up with people as I get more acclimated to my work schedule, and I definitely want to spend at least one day every weekend I'm in Indy with my friends.

The truth is that my family, Jeff, and I come first - and I need to find a place for everything and everyone else. (And work, which I'd love to not have room for!) On the other hand, I don't want to be in a relationship that causes me to lose my friends because that would be an unfulfilling life. I am glad that for right now, Jeff and I really do have our own time and are apart from each other so we can make sure that we always have our friendships, but at the end of the day, he is the only one I want to talk to.

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On a totally unrelated note, last night my friend Stacy and I made baby shower invitations for one of her friends, which is now the beginning of our card business! This is more of a hobby turned into something we thought we could actually do, so stay tuned for information about our upcoming website, twitter page, and facebook page and what you can order from us!

Fun-Filled Family Weekend

Oh man, I really wish I had a better video of Jeff throwing that pitch. When they called his name, he did a cute little wave to the crowd like he was some celebrity. His wind up was good (or so I'm told - my athletic abilities are nill), but as he said, the ball hit the dirt to the catcher's right, and he didn't even go for it. You can't hear it in the video (due to my laughter), but the entire crowd went, "Awwwwww ohhhh" in unison.

The real festivities were before the game, though. We had a great dinner at Bellavita on Geist on Friday night with everyone (minus my brothers and my dad who was working late) and hung out a little after at the Murphy house, where my brother Kyle told jokes out of a joke book, we talked politics, and diets.

Saturday was pleasant. The Greco parents arrived late morning, and we hung out and did nothing all day. Mrs. Greco and Mrs. Murphy went and did a little light shopping at Half-Price Books and some golf and tennis store. We all ate at different times and Mr. Greco watched a tennis match while I popped some Tylenol and put a heating pad on my sore back (from sitting in my crappy desk chair all day). It was a pretty uneventful day.

Not for long... Jeff's mom insisted on riding in the trunk of our minivan (as we were traveling with 9 people total for the game: five Murphys, three Grecos, and Jake, the bat boy). So, she and Kyle were sitting in the back having a grand old time when my dad (a fan of wide and fast right turns) took us on an educational visit to the old Victory Field. From the back I hear, "Can we stop?!" Unfortunately, Mama Grecs was a little carsick, but battled through and had a great time at the game.

Sunday was nice, as we had breakfast together at our favorite place, Le Peep, after which Mr. and Mrs. Greco and Jackie headed on their way home. I was excited that Jeff was able to stay for the day. We saw Inglorious Basterds, which was awesomely gory and funny - I loved it and would like to see it again (a rare occurrence). We had dinner at Naked Tchopstix, which was really good, but we decided that we always order too many sushi rolls, so from now on, we're cutting it down to three rolls between us. Naturally, I was bummed when Jeff had to leave (not until 8pm though!) and was actually looking forward to getting back into a work routine so I wouldn't be so mopey.

This week has been good, as far as our weeks go. Neither of us has been emotional (excluding me Sunday night), which is probably due to my busy and good week at work (my boss isn't here) and Jeff's starting classes again at Valpo. We won't see each other this weekend, but Diedrich is visiting Jeff for the first time ever at Valpo and I'm visiting my friend Kate downtown for dinner at her new apartment and going out after. I'm looking forward to it, but I'm especially excited to spend an extra long Labor Day Weekend soon with Jeff at Valpo!

A Ceremonial Weekend

So, I spent last weekend in Indy with Kara and her family. Nothing out of the usual... right? Wrong. My parents were also down in Indy...to spend time with myself and with Kara's family. Why?

Well, Mr. Murphy got a package for an Indianapolis Indians (AAA affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates) game. The package included 8 tickets to the game, and the opportunity for someone to throw out the ceremonial first pitch. Knowing that I played baseball in college and was a big fan of the sport, Mr. Murphy asked me if I would like to do the honors. Of course I excitedly accepted his offer. And below you can see the video Kara took on her digital camera of me throwing out the first pitch, which didn't go quite as planned. Let's put it this way, the ball may or may not have made it to the backstop...and by that I mean, it definitely made it to the backstop because of my terrible throw. You can tell by Kara's laugh during the video. She's laughing at my failure... haha.

Anyhow, that was Saturday night. On Friday night, Kara's mom, Kara, my parents, my sister, my sister's mother-in-law, and I went out to a nice dinner on the lake front. Saturday during the day, my parents came over to Kara's house and we had a nice relaxing Saturday afternoon until it was time to leave for the game. And Sunday we all at breakfast together at Le Peep before my parents and sister set off to go back home.

All-in-all it was a great weekend with good fun, good people, and good food. It would be nice to do something like this again in the future, whether at my home or Kara's.

A Lot of Action

I wasn't sure how to write this post, but I guess I figured it out. Basically, I see both sides of Kara's last post. I agree with her that people should wait until they have a solid job with a steady flow of income and they have the fortitude to handle all the responsibilities of an engagement or marriage before they decide to get married; however, I also understand the people who want to get married early.

I prefer to wait until I am established and completely ready to get married. There's no reason to rush it, I do have the rest of my life to be married. Yet, I know from friends and family that some people disagree and get married right when they know they have found that special person. Some people get married because they don't see the point in waiting. If they love each other, they will make it work, no matter what difficulties a young married couple can come across.

So I guess what I am saying is that it really doesn't matter. It is up to each and every couple to decide if they want to get married young, or wait a little longer. I just prefer to wait a little longer because I feel as though there would be more strain and problems to solve. No matter when you decide to get married, marriage is a long and difficult journey with plenty of ups and downs along the way.

Rules of Engagement

Oh my gosh, it seems like everyone I know is either engaged, married, or already has multiple children! Okay, maybe not everyone I know and not even my close friends, but every time I turn around (on facebook), one of my "acquaintences" is engaged!

Now, you may think that I'm jealous and also want to be engaged, but this is not the case! First of all, Jeff and I have only been together for just over a year, and I'm only 22. Jeff is only 21 - huge problem! We are way too young, which is what I think about the multitudes of people getting engaged right now. I think there is a HUGE difference between ages 22 and 24. You start your career, live totally on your own for the first time (since if you're like me, you live with your parents until you're 23, haha), and a plethora of other events that help define you as a person. How can you be sure that the decisions you make when you're 21-22 will be the same when you're 24-25??? It's scary to think about. (For the record, I don't think my attitude about Jeff would change, but we are not ready for that kind of committment. Especially since I periodically have dreams about getting married that always turn out to be a disaster. But that is another story).

A girl I went to high school with (and I haven't talk to since then, so this is all via fbook) was dating her manager at O'Charley's (weird) while she was 17 and he was like 30 (creepy). She's now my age, married, without a degree, and with two kids under three! I'm sorry, it just seems irresponsible to me. It was hard enough trying to have a life and go to school without hardly any responsiblities. How can people handle that? Maybe they are better people than I, and she seems to be happy and thankful, but I think I would also be a tad bit resentful.

I think I am also rattled because a boy I used to like (since about age 7) and quasi-dated my sophomore year of college got engaged a couple weeks ago to a girl I graduated with. While they are a great couple, and I've remained cordial with both of them and am happy for them, I am worried. Both will graduate in December and the job market for both their majors is still and will continue to be lacking! I feel that most people get caught up in the excitement and don't think about bills and house hunting and mortgages and jobs and everything else that puts stresses on a married relationship. My roommate Ashton (who, by the way, should definitely marry her boyfriend, and I can't wait until that happens!) was maid-of-honor for one of her friends in May, and even she was stressed out about it. So much goes into planning a wedding, let alone your life!!

Every person, every couple is different, and I need to remember that I am not in charge of the world (although I'd really enjoy that job) - everyone can make their own decisions. I just want everyone to make good decisions, but that is not the world we live in. I also care way too much about what everyone thinks, and if I told my parents I was getting married, they'd probably laugh in my face. Plus, Jeff's and my situation is unique because we've never spent more than like 10 days straight together, so that will probably need to happen before we make any kind of life-altering decisions. I'll let you know when that happens. Until then, we love each other and we're very happy the way things are. (We'd be ecstatic if we lived in the same city, though!)

Demands

Well, I sure am glad that Jeff appreciates my organization because I've been thinking that my requests are slightly manic and demanding, more often than not. I am a planner by nature and Jeff is more of a go-with-the-flow kind of guy. I pretty much go crazy when we have to spend a long time apart (two weeks is longer than you think!), so I try to pass the time by obsessively planning our next adventure together. For example, my September calendar consists of many weekends labeled "Jeff here?" or "Valpo?" because we don't know what may come up to prevent us from visiting.

I sent Jeff an email about our September plans last week, trying to pass the time at work and trying to make myself feel better about never seeing each other. The upside is that with Jeff in Valpo for school, we cut down like two hours of travel. The downside is that I have no idea what either of us will be doing a year from now, so I get stressed out.

The email was something like--

Kara: Hey babe, here is what I want to do in September! (with a list of dates and activities) Hope this works for you! Can't wait to see you next! Love you, kar

Jeff: Ok, sounds good. Talk to you later.

Haha, he doesn't sound too excited, does he? But, fortunately, I know he is and he tells me he is a lot, so he doesn't have to say it in every single email or text or call. Anyway, the point is that I think Jeff depends on me to make the plans, which I am fine with because I love organization and being in control. (haha) Really, though, I think it's beneficial for each member of a couple have their own roles within the relationship. While I keep our lives organized, Jeff is playful and lets me relax. Jeff has weird pet peeves, like not getting water around the sink (Sorry, when I wet my hands to wash them and then get soap, a little water gets on the counter. It's not the end of the world! He also has to have his comforter facing a certain way - I thought I was OCD with my comforter, but he takes the cake.), and I clean and pick up. The list goes on, especially for couples who live together or are married - finances, cooking, cleaning, shopping, etc., etc.

The key is to have balance, patience, and each have responsibility for the relationship. If I weren't responsible for making the plans, a lot of our plans wouldn't be made. In a weird way that I can't fully explain, it gives me more confidence because I know that if I want to see Jeff, I can. All I have to do is plan it. And make him drive down to Indy, which really isn't difficult. :)

Organization is Key

So Kara sent me an email a couple of days ago. Why is this important? Well, she wanted to loosely plan the next month or two of our lives... haha. With Kara's work schedule and my school schedule it can sometimes be difficult to find open weekends where she can come visit me in Valpo, or when I can go visit her in Indy.

Because of this slight problem, Kara puts her superior organizational skills to work. She sent me a very detailed email listing every weekend from now until the end of September along with what she had planned, what she knew of my plans, and possible dates and locations where we could spend some time together. It is small things like this that can help keep a long-distance relationship going strong. It helps me through the long stretches where I don't get to see Kara by looking forward to the next time I will see her.

Many people will say that communication is key for long-distance relationships, but that is only partially true. Organization is just as key as communication. Organize your schedule so that the two of you can maximize your time together. Organize your priorities so that your significant other knows he or she is number one. Hell, you even have to organize your friends so that they know you are spending the weekend with your significant other. No matter how you look at it, organization is key to a successful long-distance relationship. And thanks to Kara, our relationship is doing well!

Where's the Italian? Valpo...

I just spent the entire day moving stuff down to my apartment at school in Valparaiso, Indiana. I'm exhausted right now, but also very pleased with the results. I have a functioning entertainment center (to lull me to sleep for naps and bedtime), a fully stocked fridge (after a visit to both WalMart and Sam's Club), and clean towels, dishes, and bed sheets.

I started off the day packing up my car with the help of PA (my mom). I quickly hopped on the road and made the 2-hour trek to Valpo. Upon arrival, I unloaded the car and began the unpacking process. I set up my water purifier so I can have nice clean and pure water to drink. Then I put the washer and dryer to work cleaning my bed sheets and towels. From there I set up my Joker fat head in the living room (see the pic below). Then came time for the glorious television set up, which was quick and relatively painless!


Then the voyage to Sam's Club and Wal-Mart began. I picked up a bunch of different groceries and goodies for the apartment. I'm excited to saute some chicken breasts tonight and test out my cooking abilities. If I fail miserably though, my backup plan is to douse the chicken breasts in Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce, which can solve any cooking debaccle.

Now it's time for a quick nap before firing up the stove! I can't wait for Kara to come visit me in Valpo tomorrow!

Loss

Well, I thought today would be pretty busy at work, but it's not! haha... I feel like I haven't blogged forever, but really it's just that this week has absolutely crawled by. And it has been another emotional one for me...

Our beloved dog Annie passed away on Wednesday afternoon. She was an eleven-year-old golden retriever, and we've been expecting this for awhile, as she was diagnosed with recurring tumors two years ago. She has sure been a trooper! Even though her arthritis was bad, she took medicine every day to relieve her pain, and it was easy for us to forget that she was sick. She was very puppy-like up until last week, which makes her death feel very sudden.

Monday through Wednesday last week, she was very lethargic and didn't eat anything Tuesday and Wednesday and barely moved, so we expected the worst. If she continued like this, we had planned to put her down Monday, as I was leaving for the weekend and wanted to be there. Suprisingly, she perked back up Thursday (my mom swears she heard us talking about putting her down), and was back to normal - playing outside, eating full meals and treats, begging to be pet.

I expected her to stay around a few more weeks. The vet always said she would tell us when it was time, but we were hesitant to do anything drastic in case she perked back up like she did last week. This past Monday and Tuesday she was totally fine - maybe a little tired Tuesday night. She came to sleep in my room as usual, but she wasn't there when I woke up. She had gone down to the basement, but I didn't know it and I left Wednesday without seeing her or letting her out (as I did every day). At about 11:30am, I called home from work to ask my mom a question, and my dad told me that Annie was feeling bad, could barely get up the stairs, and had settled in my room. He said we would probably take her this weekend or on Monday if she didn't get better, but I dind't think anything of it.

I went on with my day - Laura (my work partner) and I went to the gym during lunch, and it was a pretty uneventful day. Our bosses were in a meeting and we were just hanging out in the office when my dad called about 2pm to say she had passed. Thankfully, my bosses let me leave for the day, and I headed straight home to see her before we took her to the vet. I will leave out the sad details, but needless to say, it was very difficult to let her go at the vet. We pet her and told her what a great dog she was and that we loved her. It was just really heartbreaking.

I was always the type of person to act callously in reference to a pet dying. They are just animals, after all. But Annie was truly an important member of our family. She grew up with us (we got her when my brothers were eight and I was just shy of eleven), and she had been around for half of my life. I really feel like a person has died, and it's very strange not having her in the house. Yesterday, we cleaned up all of her toys and bowls and are trying to figure out what to do with her bed. (We feel bad just throwing it away, but I don't know if it's donate-able. If anyone has any suggestions, please let me know.) The cleaning lady is coming today, and I am kind of sad that we will no longer find clumps of her hair around the house (after years and years of complaining how hard it was to keep up with the vacuuming!).

I know this is a really long post, but it's helpful to vent. This whole thing has just gotten me thinking how devastating it will be to lose a parent or a sibling, or someone else close to me, in comparison to losing the dog. I really hope to keep this in mind as I continue to cultivate my relationships and to never let a day go by without telling someone how I feel.

I hope this finds everyone well. Thanks for reading!!

Crossroads

I really like Jeff's post, and I think it very accurately describes what is going on with me right now. I didn't realize how much my changes in lifestyle was affecting my relationship with Jeff, and all of my relationships, until recently when our arguments increased from one every few months to one big blow out a week. And it's not fun.

I haven't been very patient with Jeff lately, especially in regards to his friendships, as all of you well know. While Jeff is modest and says he hasn't been patient with me, in retrospect, I really think he has. My behavior as of late has been unacceptable by my standards, and I don't really know how to fix it.

Jeff and I work hard to communicate well, but it is extremely hard to sustain good communication when 85% of it is done over the phone. We miss each other, we misunderstand each other, and we miscommunicate, which leads to annoyance, impatience, and insensitivity on both our parts.

I am in a rut right now, stuck with missing my friends and my boyfriend and feeling really lonely while trying to get accustomed to this job thing. I know I'm not special and everyone has gone through this before, but I still have to learn how to best adjust. I am trying, and I am learning..for my family, for my friends, for me, and especially for Jeff.