For The Journey Not just the destination…

Finally, he asked. We were in the bus, ready to go to UUMAN. I bent down to get something from my purse and he said, “I’ve got something to ask you.” I looked up, he was holding some kind of handmade ring.

I laughed and looked him in the face. I said: Stop, you’re just being silly…right? Are you serious?

We had talked alot about marriage – even earlier that morning he had asked me about my 2-year plan (very weird question coming from Thomas). I knew he wanted to get married someday, but I was getting tired of being emotionally built up with false suspicion. I knew it would happen – I was just exhausted of guessing when, how, and where.

He said: Will you marry me?

He explained how he’s been trying to ask for a while but the elaborate plans he comes up with don’t work out – trips, guests, weather… And he wanted to ask in my bus – just like our first kiss. And yesterday was our 3 year anniversary. And he made me a token ring – saudered LED and resistors off of a token ring switch – while he was in California.

I said yes. I was in shock for a while. It still doesn’t seem completely real. He asked me in the parking lot if he needed to do the whole down on one knee thing, but when he started, I got embarrassed.

We called our families this afternoon. He asked my dad for his blessing and he gave it. It’s all so exciting, but it’s still a little scary. But we’re happy.

I guess the next step is to pick out a real ring.

He wrote his version of the event in his blog.

Thomas sent me a link to a life expectancy calculator. He said he’s going to live to be 79, according to this site.

• Life Expectancy Calculator
  

Supposedly, I will live 15 years longer than him, until I’m 96 years old. I’m not sure why we have such a difference in our scores. If anything, I would guess that my answers would report that I’m the unhealthier of us – I eat worse food and I get less exercise. On the otherhand, I have had two grandparents that have lived past 80, so maybe that helps my score.

So will you be around in 2074 to come to my 96th birthday party?

Auryn asked a really interesting question in his blog the other day – if you were able to send a message back in time to your 12-year-old self, what would you say. I’ve been thinking about this a lot and here’s what I came up with.

First, a quick overview of who I was at 12 years old… I was in 6th grade – had braces, glasses, and was definately in a pre-pubescent ugly phase (see entry photo). I hadn’t discovered boys yet. My hobbies were arts and crafts, reading, and baby-sitting. I was a dweeb.  Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m completely happy with how I’ve turned out. Besides, I doubt I would listen to myself back then anyway.  :)
Anyway, here are my messages:

• Don’t lose contact with Kate, even if you go to different schools and have different interests. She’s a special friend with some really unique and cool qualities.
• Don’t quit Girl Scouts. It’s a great organization that will really help your confidence, leadership, and outdoorsy skills – but do find a troop that isn’t afraid to go outdoors.
• Don’t worry so much about what adults think of you. Be happy with yourself, not just out to please them. Make your own choices, not just what you think they want you to be.
• You’re smart and creative, be confident in your decisions. Don’t have your homework double checked by your parents. Be independant and work hard – you don’t have to be perfect.

So what would you tell your 12-year old self?

If Clover disappears from the back yard, the first thing I do, now, is check the creek…seems like we have a clam-digger in the family. She probably learned it from Thomas. :) Clover has been getting so dirty outside recently – muddy feet, sticks and sweet gum balls in her tail – that I finally trimmed her hair before she starts picking up grass burrs and bugs. I even trimmed her tail a little so that it doesn’t drag on the ground.

Since Thomas has been gone, Clover has started going to the bathroom in the house, even though I’ve been taking her out plenty of times. Oddly though, she only goes in Thomas’ bathroom (we don’t share a bathroom). I bought some puppy potty-training pads which she’ll use, but I don’t like to keep them out. I think it’s worse than cat-litter. However, if she’s going to go in the house, atleast now it’s quick and easy to clean up.

I took some photos of the yard and neighborhood this weekend while walking her.

• Spring around the Neighborhood and Yard

I went home sick today from work. I was just feeling really crappy – achey, hot, coughing, sneezing – and I figured that I wasn’t being much use there anyway. I came home, took some cold medicine, and took a nap on the couch. Now I’m up eating some lunch, though it’s 4PM.

I feel really bad taking a sick day. Part of me feels guilty for not being at work, and part of me is disappointed that I had to use a vacation day for being couped up in the house, especially when it’s so gorgeous outside. My job combines sick days and vacation days into Paid Time Off days. I guess it’s for the best though – I’ve been battleing this cough all week, and I really shouldn’t pass it on to my coworkers. And Clover has enjoyed having me home. She has sunbathed on the back porch all afternoon.

I’m supposed to go tree-climbing with the AOC on Sunday. I’m debating cancelling my spot on account that I’m home from work today, but then again, it may cancel itself due to bad weather. It’s supposed to rain all Sunday.  Well, back to the couch…