All roads lead to Rome

Steve and I arrived in Rome last night and are wandering around today. I am trying to figure out why our capital one card is not working... ugh. the joys of traveling, eh?

Tomorrow, we are going to Pompeii and then, on Tuesday, will go to the Vatican and then we will be off to Nice, France.

Last night, we ate in a great little restaurant. Steve had pizza with sausage and spinach, and I had a calzone with several kinds of cheese and salami. it was all very good. I cannot write much, as I only paid for 30 min of computer time, so I need to email my parents and then be off...

Hope all is well state-side.

Coming Together to Depart

This weekend was a host of things. Friday, Steve and I made our way down to Eugene, via Monmouth, where we picked up my sister and nephew. She's staying at her in-laws' home there for the time being, because her father in law is very ill and not expected to live much longer. I didn't see him while we were there because he was sleeping but Kim says it's interesting to be around him because he's not afraid to die, at least not on a conscientious level. I admit that despite my faith in God, and the promise of glory in the hereafter, my mortality scares me.

Dinner was scheduled for 7. My grandpa didn't show up for my birthday dinner that night, and it had us all worried. Almost 6 hours later, and with the involvement of police, he finally arrived back home. He was confused and got lost and then couldn't find his way home. Although it's been something we've noticed for awhile (his mind slipping), this was the first real sign that things are changing. I guess I had fooled myself into believing that although he was slipping, that it was never going to get "bad." I guess I need to be prepared that it might get bad. And once again, my own mortality is thrown in my face.

The weekend got lighter at that point, though - Saturday, Brielle and I had facials (a long overdue birthday present from last year) and we had "Christmas dinner" since the family members are going in many directions this year. And this morning, Christmas stockings and church.

Steve and I are getting ready to depart - for Europe. We leave on Thursday morning. I am very excited - and I hope to have opportunity to make some postings while we're gone. I'm bummed that we're going to miss Jessica's reclamation of "craftiness" - as I am learning a new crafty skill at the moment, but I'm sure it will be fun for those who are going.

Parker is telling me that it's time for bed; he's giving me the stinkeye right now - so I'm off.

Crabby-pants

So, for the last couple of weeks, I have been crabby. I try to push through, but I'm just a crabby crab monster, and I can't, for the life of me, figure out why. I do have moments of joy and I'm sure that I'm a pleasure to be around during those times, but my overall mood is tired, sad, and crabby.

I don't really have much to be crabby about, really. Life is going pretty well - I still like my job, I like the church we're going to, Steve is doing well (albeit, he is about to be unemployed, which I'm sure doesn't help my mood much), Parker is as happy as ever... I really don't want to ruin our upcoming vacation, so if you're the praying type, please add my attitude to your prayer list. I need a jolt to my system, I think - or a 40 hour nap. Maybe that's it. Maybe I just need a self-imposed time out!

Oh yeah - and a moment of bragging

I'm No. 1 in my fantasy football league going into week 11... and I'm number one both in record and total points for the season. Hooray for the Fighting Badgers. Rah Rah.

Change in Mentality

It's all relative, right? Well, living in the great Pacific NW, that's what we learn from the time we're old enough to sneeze (I'm not sure if a fetus sneezes, but if it does, this time frame still applies). During various stages in my life, I have learned to love and hate relativism, but this month, I'm loving it. Not about things such as ultimate Truth (you know, the capital T- Truth), but I'm learning that when it comes to every day life, the ups, the downs, it really is all relative.

Up until this month, I thought that billing 6 hours at work constituted a "good day," and then I went to Dave Ramsey and remembered that the more I bill, the sooner I get to kick Sallie Mae out of my guest room. So now, billing 8 hours constitutes a "good day." And, going in with that mindframe helps me stay more productive at work, and makes me not loathe or feel anxious to get out of the 8+ hour (boring as you can imagine) depositions that I'm sitting through this week and deal with nothing but whether certain types of flashing and waterproofing materials were properly installed on some buildings here in town. Although excitement does not abound, the hours do, and that makes me happy. It's strange how changing my outlook on what constitutes a "good day" has really changed a lot in my life - 6 hours seems so easy now, and even 8 isn't bad.

Steve did something bold today and he will be separating from his current employer in two weeks. A year ago, even a few months ago, I think I would have really freaked out - and while I admit I feel anxious about this, I am not stressing out. Is that what it means to have maturity in faith? I don't know, but I guess I feel like there's no sense in worrying since who by worrying has added even an hour to his life? Another change in mentality - I sure hope this change is permanent. Of course, it could just be that he did the laundry and dishes today so I can't be too upset with him :)

I am now going on a ramble, so I will stop. Good night.

We're not dead

... just really busy. That's why we've not been posting. There's so much to say about what we've been up to but I"m too tired to talk about it much. So, imagine I'm speaking in the really fast voice like the guy in the old micro-machines commercials - the past two weeks in our lives:

* BB's bday party
* Dinner at Emily & Charlie's
* Dracula, the ballet
* Mark & Shelley came to visit
* Dave Ramsey Live
* Bought Eurail tickets for Italy, France & Spain
* Met a new young couple at church who is coming to dinner tomorrow
* Worked a lot. A LOT.

That about sums it up.