The Last Day

Good morning, Company Girls and all other blog friends!

Sometimes I wish I wasn't such a girl about things.

Tomorrow is the big move.  The great big move.

No more apartment.

So here I am, feeling all nostalgic.  That apartment means a lot to me.

I'll never forget the first time I walked through the door.  It was a Saturday afternoon.  I was so nervous.  He was cooking dinner that night and I had brought my signature chocolate cake for dessert, only it was in cupcake form since I was taking the train and didn't know how well an entire cake would survive the journey.  He picked me up at the station and drove us to his place.  Did I mention how nervous I was? - I can only imagine how nervous HE was!

When we got out of the car he left me at the door and asked me to wait a minute.  I heard bustling inside - turns out he was lighting candles.  Then he let me in.  There was a huge vase of red roses on the coffee table.  The guy was smooth (and still is!).

More than that, the place was...homey.  Clean.  Comfortable.  With a warm, inviting color scheme and everything.  Who would expect that from a guy? It was very lovely and I immediately felt welcome and at home.

(By the way, dinner was outrageously good, too...he definitely scored points that day!)

I remember when I moved in.  I was afraid that I wouldn't feel like it was my home.  Granted, I had spent a ton of time there, but I still always had my place to go back to.  And he had lived there for so long, I didn't want to change everything on him and cause a huge upheaval.  I felt like it was a losing battle.  But over time we achieved a balance and now it IS my home.  Just not for much longer.

I'm fighting Last Time-itis, too.  You know, the urge to take everything I've done so far today and put it in the context of "last time".  The last workday morning there.  The last trek to the station.  The last time everyone walking by has to watch us kissing before I get out of the car (I'm sure they don't watch but I always feel like they are).  The last time I'm greeted by the lovely man who runs the sandwich shop inside, who I felt compelled to buy a muffin from since it was, after all, the Last Time I Could.

Of course it's the last time for a lot of not-so-great things, too.  The last day I'll have to leave the house by 6:45 just to get to work by 9.  The last day I'll have that hour and a half train ride (although that is some prime napping...I mean, being productive...time).  The last time I'll have to see the very unpleasant woman who sells tickets (she is the slowest person alive, and I'm convinced that she wants me to miss my train when I stand in line for my pass once a month).

This is just a new phase in our life together.  And like I said to him a couple of nights back as we were both trying to stay awake long enough to talk for a minute, it doesn't matter where we are.  As long as we have what we have together at the end of the day when we're all snuggled up and saying goodnight.

So tonight we'll have our last dinner at a place which has been very special to us in the past, then we'll go home and finish the last-minute packing.  First thing tomorrow morning the movers come and hopefully all goes smoothly and QUICKLY.

I just can't wait til this move is OVER! I can't wait for Sunday morning at this time when we will hopefully just be waking up and the hardest part will be behind us.

I hope everyone has a great weekend!

E is for Elegance

I took a personal day from work yesterday in order to get a lot of move-related stuff taken care of (Saturday being the Big Day). And as I bustled around, I kept movies playing in the living room just for the noise.

The last movie I put on was "It Happened One Night", which has been in my instant queue on Netflix for a long time. I love being able to just pick a movie and stream it to my computer (which is hooked up to the TV so it basically serves as a huge monitor). But that's not the point. The point is that I sat down to watch the end since I was wrapping up my work at that time. And as always, I nearly fainted over the beautiful wedding gown worn by Claudette Colbert. I can't find a picture that does it justice, but here's one:

The cut of this gown kills me.  And the train...oh, the train...which is obscured by the lovely veil. I shiver when I see it. And it flows like water. But I digress.

Maybe it's the former theatre major in me, the one who sewed costumes night and day, but everything about it screams "Elegance". 

And that got me thinking.


What ever happened to elegance?

I guess that's why I'm drawn to old movies.  There's just no elegance anymore.  Glamour, maybe.  But no elegance.

Rarely anymore is anyone referred to in terms of their refinement, a quality in which they carry themselves.  It's all about money or looks or who can be more outrageous.

I guess that's why I'm drawn to old movies.  There just isn't anything, anymore that makes me sit up and go "woooooow" in an hushed tone.  Unless it's CGI or something.

I'm hard-pressed to think of anyone in the spotlight today who holds that quality.  You know, a real class act.  Someone who wows without being too flashy.  Who still knows what it means to be a star.  And forget films.  Back in the day it was all about escapism.  Escapist films today are mostly effects-driven, and that's okay, it has its place. 

But still, just give me one modern-day Cary Grant or Grace Kelly or Fred Astaire.

What do you think? Can you think of anyone who has elegance today?

Linking up to

Utter Disillusionment

Are you serious?

How did I not know?

Why did no one tell me?

Where I have been for the past 30 years?

This is devastating.

An entire day which I could reasonably and rationally devote to eating donuts and/or pancakes...

And I had no idea.  Honestly.  I had no idea today was referred to as Donut Day...Pancake Day...Paczki Day.  No.  Idea.

Talk about disillusionment.  I feel like I've been lied to.  Nothing makes sense anymore.  Up is down, left is right.

And now I'm wondering what else I don't know about. 

Are there other things I don't know about? Please, tell me, blog friends! Don't leave me here in the dark! No matter how much you think it may hurt me - if there's something I don't know, something which could potentially change my life for the better, especially if it has to do with delicious food, FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT'S HOLY, TELL ME!!!

Please.  Don't make me find out on the street.  I'd rather hear it from someone who cares.

Thank you in advance for your consideration.

And now you'll have to excuse me. 

I have 30 years worth of donuts to catch up on.

Happy Valentine's Day!

I have so many loves in my life.  When I visit with my family, I usually spend the entire ride home smiling and talking and sharing stories and memories with Rob.  I'm incredibly lucky to have them.

 

Stephanie and Jason

  

Stephen - he's not much for smiling.  He's too cool for that.

 

Jason and Mom on Christmas.  She has a lot of patience, that woman.

 

My Dad is a smiley guy.  Especially on this day, when he was getting rid of me forever ;-)

Also, notice the cop car in the background.  A cop actually came to block traffic in order for my wedding party to cross the street from my parents' house to the church.  Because my Dad knows people.  Pretty cool!!

And then there's my Rob.

In Disney World, where he is the happiest.

 

 

 

 

  Could we look more unnatural here?

And not to brag or anything, but I got not one, not two, but THREE cards this year - one every night for the past three nights, accompanied by candy every time, left on my pillow. 

I'm blessed.

Happy Valentine's Day!