Raging, Ranting, Raving, and Rhapsodizing

Hey ya'll! I'm scattered today. I have been very busy. Truthfully, I've been feeling completely overwhelmed. I'm the kind of person that really needs downtime, and I had things scheduled nearly every evening last week, and through to this weekend, and a lot of errands to run still. My writing reflects my state of mind. Unconnected, unpolished thoughts just sort of tumbling on the screen. Whatever. If you have the patience, read on!

My man's birthday is this week, so we're doing all sorts of fun stuff. Last night we went to Stephen's favorite steak restaurant and had a great dinner, and then we went to the Nuggets game (I got great seats). For anyone who keeps up with basketball, this was Carmelo's first game back from suspension and his first game playing with Alan Iverson. It was a lot of fun, and we won. I laughed at the skimpily clad cheerleaders (they call them the nuggets dancers) with their little pom poms and shiny white teeth and go go boots. During half time they did a promotion for a local sandwich shop. It was a relay game like the ones you played at summer camp. The girls wore big foam costumes (they were supposed to be slices of bread) and then girls from both teams ran from one end of the court to the other piling big foam pickles and tomatoes and cheese, etc. on the "bread". Then they topped it off with two more girls dressed like giant bread slices. Wierdest thing I have ever seen. This is why I like hockey- no chearleaders. I'll never be able to eat at Heidi's again without imagining my sandwich running around the table on a pair of sexy little gams.

I've organized a big dinner with a bunch of Stephen's friends, and we're going out (15 of us) on Saturday to get sushi. I put together the whole deal, called a few of his friends wives that I don't know well, and even did a little awkwardish chatting. If you know much about me, you'll congratulate me on this feat- I'm not really a big party person, nor am I a talk-on-the-phone person, nor have I ever been "one of the girls". So that was a stretch for me. Stephen's usually my buffer.

The other day I was talking with my mom about going to the Nuggets game and she said, "Does Stephen know yet?" "Aw, yeah," I replied. "I cracked 3 weeks ago". I'm a terrible secret keeper. Stephen knew about the game, and about me planning dinner. I'm managing to keep a small secret from him about something nice I'm planning for his ACTUAL birthday, Wednesday, and I'm just dying because it's such a good idea, and I have to tell someone, but ALAS! I can't even share it with you, for Stephen reads my blog. (babe, you can definitely count on me being consistently honest - dare I say tactless? - I can't help it.)

We went snowboarding on Saturday, and Amy and I stuck together while Stephen and friend rode the back bowl. Amy did great. We're really starting to look good... not cool, but good. I had so much fun that I decided to go alone on Sunday, so I loaded up my mom's subaru (my pathfinder's tires are in a shameful state and are not safe to drive in the snowy mountains) and headed west. I got there for first run of the day and it was an absolute blast. There was 3 inches of fresh powder and it continued to snow all day. I think I was really comfortable on my board for the first time. Driving home was a nightmare- but I've decided not to dwell on it.

Quick note: My grandmother (the woman can do anything with a sewing machine) put together the lining of my wedding dress and we did my first fitting. We're spending less on my dress than on my bouquet, and I get to wear a unique gown custom designed and custom fitted to my exact specifications. It's definitely unfinished, but I could picture it. I put my veil on and stood in front of the mirror while my grandma messed with the seams (trying not to poke me with pins and apologizing for "cold grandma fingers") and I got that butterflies-in-my-stomach excitement for the first time.