Monday, June 30, 2008

Trouble in paradise

Well, it looks like my life is going to change from now on.

Stu and I broke up on Saturday after dating for six months. There was no fight, no cataclysmic event that ended everything. It just simply didn't work out. In the end, I have nothing bad to say about him. He is a decent and honorable man, which in a way makes it so much harder to move forward. Is there really someone out there who can treat me as well as he did? We never fought, he never raised his voice at me, and he brought peace to my life. But at the same time he was passionate when the occasion called for it and had an adventurous spirit.

I was blessed to have the time I did with him and I will always remember our time together as some of the best moments in my life. I learned how to be pursued by a good Christian man and he has forever raised the bar for future relationships.

Stu is the best man I have ever dated, so I have to believe that the person the Lord has intended for me is that much better. If you are a praying person, please send up prayers on my behalf.

My heart is shattered.

Monday, June 23, 2008

The new addition


For a few months now Stu has been talking about getting a dog. After several attempts to adopt a pet and countless hours online, he found the right one this past weekend. The story is quite remarkable ...
Stu went to Petsmart last weekend to take a look at some puppies they had up for adoption. He noticed this one female lab/German shepherd mix right away and spent some time playing with her. He liked her a lot but decided to give it a week to make sure she was the right one.
While he was walking around the store, he saw the dog again walking with her foster dad, so he stopped and played with her. He walked around a bit more then walked out to his car and the dog was sitting right next to his car. It turns out that the foster dad had parked right next to Stu! So Stu played with the dog again and then went home.
When he got back to his house, he was opening a package when he accidentally sliced his finger open. While he was waiting for his friend to come pick him up and take him to the hospital to get a few stitches, he saw the dog again ... In another amazing coincidence, Stu found out that the foster dad lives two doors down from him! Needless to say, he decided that this was the dog for him.
She is about 10 weeks old and a black lab/German shepherd mix (we think). She is very sweet and should get to be about 65 lbs. Stu has been great with her and is deciding on a name any day now. My vote is for Sam (short for Samantha). What do you think?

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Crabbed Out

For those of you who are not from the Atlantic coast, crabs are a very big deal here - specifically in Maryland. Since it started to get warm here again, Stu has been talking about getting a bushel of crabs and picking them (where you literally sit in front of a big pile of crabs and "pick" the meat out).

Last week we got crabs here in VA with Stu's buddies to celebrate his 34th birthday. It was a lot of fun! It's kind of like a crawfish boil back home but with less vegetables and more meat. Everyone had a great time and I definitely ate my fill.


My gift to Stu was taking him to Annapolis for the weekend to take it easy and see the sites. And while we were there, we got crabs again! I ate a ton and I have to say that I'm crabbed out for a while.


We also got icecream (twice) and tried to eat it before it melted all over our hands in the 98-degree heat. Here is a picture of us on main street.



What I didn't get on camera was the icecream that was all over Stu's face while he's was chowing down. It's so nice to know that no matter how old you get, you are never too old for a good icecream cone on a hot day. Happy Birthday, babe!

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Baseball and summer - they just go together

I am a fan of baseball. Well, that's overstating. I'm a fan of baseball games. I enjoy the beer, hot dogs and other food you would never admit to eating. And you would never admit to paying as much as you did for it. (A 12oz Miller Light cost $7.50?!) But there is something romantic about being at the game that I just can't resist. So when that first pitch is thrown out on opening day - you can be sure I'll be in the stands for the rest of the summer, soaking up the sun and watching the Washington Nationals suck it (like they did last Friday: 10-1 against SF Giants).

Thankfully, Stu is a fan as well ... here's one from Friday.

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

The 1st Wedding of the Summer!

Last Saturday my coworker, Don, and his fiance, Sherri, tied the knot in Tyson's Corner. It was a beautiful wedding at the top of the Tower Club. The view was awesome - looking out over Tyson's and northern VA. The wedding was small (about 40 people), which is great because small weddings are more intimate and you get to know people better.


One thing I learned from this occasion was that Stu and I share the same affliction - chronic lateness. It seems that we are always about 15 minutes behind the rest of the world. It's part of growing up in the South and in Texas (when did anything start on time in Houston?!). But we both agree that it's a good idea to be on time when the ceremony for the 40-guest wedding you're attending is only 25 minutes long and your presence (or absence) is noticed. Thanks to Stu's driving, we were at the wedding right before it began. Hopefully that will be the case for the rest of the weddings this summer...


Here is a picture on the balcony at sunset. I have to say, we make a cute couple! ;-)