goings-on.

Just another day at the office, having no other choice but to listen to this god-forsaken country "music." at least the radio station has been better about changing it up a bit. i heard a new song today, well it was new to me. It actually made me laugh out loud, prompting my co-worker Jenn to inquire as to what was making me giggle..."Did he just say, 'she's rockin' the beer gut'?"
She confirmed this to be true.
Wow.
I must admit that this lyric has made all of my insecurities surrounding my drinking paunch fade, as it sounds as though maybe it's not such a bad thing, and perhaps it is viewed as a highest form of honor or a mark of Buddha in some faraway land, like Alcoholpulco or New Drinkingland. I should see the bulge that rests atop my beltloop symbolically, that I have enough to drink.
And I am lucky for that.
Or am I?
But as for new music on the country radio station, there isn't much. In fact, I'd say nearly half of the songs played on there were originally belonging to someone else. Like All4One's "I can love you like that" or Edwin McCain's "I'll Be" or anything by Kelly Clarkson. To my suprise, Darius Rucker, formerly of Hootie & the Blowfish fame, has just released his first country album. Didn't see that coming. Who's next?

On another note, it's a slightly dismal day here and all I want to is to crawl in my bed and be all cozy and sleepy warm, listening to the rain outside my windows. But instead, I sit here, typing away andd wishing the next 3 and half hours away, which is something I greatly dislike to do.

My wedding planning has temporarily halted. We set a date, and it seems still a little
too far to start ordering favors, tables and chairs, and all that jazz. But I have to say, I think our $5000 budget will go a long way. It will hopefully include our honeymoon expenses, plane tickets and resort in Turquoise Bay, Honduras! I've already planned for the flowers...my downstairs neighbor and I will be planting them in the spring, hundreds of zinnias in all colors, fuscia, oranges, yellows, whites...they will be included as bouquets in my centerpieces, in various vases, pots, lemonade pitchers, mason jars, wine bottles...a mishmash that throws uniformity to the wind.
Did I mention the date is September 4, 2009? That will be the day that Travis and I exchange our written vows in front of immediate family and the closest of friends, on the coast of Winter Harbor, ME. We've arrangedthis with the owners of the B&B and they are having a lobster bake for the party in their backyard...it should be wonderfully splendid. Two days later, the sixth, will be our reception hopefully in his mom's backyard, back in NY. That's also the day of my parents 35th wedding anniversary.

I'm also in this hyphenation contemplation. Shall I be Marissa Olivera? Marissa Fiorentino-Olivera? Or just plain old Marissa Fiorentino? I feel attached to my last name. How will people know I am still a Fiorentino? I love it when people ask me if I am related to or know so and so.

Having all this excess time throughout my day, in front of the computer, I began reading some of the old blogs that still remain, that I once loved, and still do. Anyone recall The C-Cup Chronicles? They still make me laugh out loud, cry, and warm my heart...Then there was TwoScoopsofCrazy, always hilarious. And of course, Jennifer from Random Ramblings. I wonder what her and Walter, the wonderpup, have been busying themselves with. I'm sure she also still "idoling along."
We didn't lose everyone to the move, afterall, Mike and Kathleen and myself are still ever-present. I never found my blogspot to be as homey and comfy as it is here.
Whatever happened to those Weekend Assignments from Mr. Scalzi anyway? Did he run out of questions and scenarios to present to the eager bloggers? Or did he just get a new job?

Until next time, keep on rockin' those beer guts!

Dum Dum Da Dum...

Since I suprisingly have alot of extra time when I finish my workload here, I've been the queen of googling wedding ideas, with the occasional game of Freecell or Sudoku to spice things up. How amazing it is to get paid to do these things.

Last night, Travis and I asked his parents if we could have our wedding reception in their backyard. I don't think it would've been as big as a surprise as it was, considering they haven't even asked us if we've set a date yet. Which we haven't. Next August is looking to be it, though, mainly because I want to steer as far as possible from the possibility of being rained out! Not that that's any indication of whatever inclement weather happens to arise in this crazy area...

Take the other night for example. It was one of those warm nights and right before a storm was due to hit...the wind blowing right through our curtains and cooling the stickiness of the day, dually curing our swamp-ass. I reveled in the fact that this was one of my favorite parts of summer...

And then our house got struck by lightning! I was TERRIFIED. The kicker is Travis and I were just talking about how silly we are to have not gotten renters insurance yet, seeing as how it's like $1 (not really, but pretty damn close) and that I work at an insurance agency. Not only was it the loudest, brightest, most horrifying storm I've ever experienced, that shook the ground and house like a bomb had hit, but it ended up striking the siding and taking a large chunk out of the foundation as well. With one fell swoop, our TV was no longer and my car wouldn't start the next morning.

All I could think of was the antiquated electricity that runs through our outlets...and boy, OUTlets they are---the thick plastic-coated wires that come out of the floor to attach it to the silver metal box in which we plug things. My hair crimps at the thought.

But back to wedding stuffs. I have to say, of all things in my life, this is the only thing that I am totally sure of. Nothing I've experienced in my 23 years compares to the companionship and intimacy that I have shared with my love. I feel lucky, and surprised that I've found it at all. Like any other two, we have those inevitable moments where we grind each others' gears or cannot accept the fact that the other never makes the bed/buys too much furniture...I bet you can't guess who the latter is.

Loosely, our plan for the marital union is as follows. Intimate ceremony in Winter Harbor, Maine in the backyard of a beautiful B&B we stayed in last summer, right on the coast. Reception back here at home a few days later, in his mom's expansive backyard under a tent, with Brooks BBQ (DELICIOUS!) cooking chicken and ribs at a pit within safe distance...

We also have been researching how to register for your honeymoon, which I think is a splendid notion. Instead of registering for china and crystal stemware that we'll NEVER use, we'll opt for a bottle of champagne for the happy couple as we toast our love in some tropical location. Or chocolate covered strawberries. Or a couple's massage.

This is fun. Such a challenge to create our idea of a perfect union on a budget... it forces me to get creative. I'm sure this will undoubtedly bring his mother and I closer, unless of course she turns into mother-in-law-of-the-brideZILLA.

But until then, I've got colors, flowers, desserts to choose...for me, and my chosen one.

this country is bad for my health

So, I've just been adjusting to being a full-timer here at the insurance company,
waking up at 7:45, hitting snooze til I can hit snooze no more, getting here at 9
and leaving at 5. It leaves me little time for myself, seeing as how I can barely
stay awake after 11 pm these days.

My day at work entails drinking too much caffeine,taking/making payments,
processing homeowner/car insurance applications, renewals, reinstatments,
cancellations, etc...and after all that fun is done, it's just me and Freecell
and this forsaken country music. There's one in particular I feel I can actually
relate to...in the typical southern drawl, and this one is more of a drawl than a
twang

HOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMEEEE I WANNA GO HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMME

Every time that song comes on, roughly twice a day, I just want to tell the man,
I concur.

But not ALL of the country tunage is bad on the ever-popular local country radio
station (ever-popular here in Waterville, that is) there is one, count 'em one,
song that I enjoy. It's called "Johnny and June," referring to the Cash's
of course, and the singer chick says "When you go, I wanna go too."
Brings a twitter to my ticker.

Other than that, I feel on the upswing at the moment, healthwise. I don't believe
I've mentioned at all here what's been going on, but it started about 3 months ago
in Ireland when I had severe pains in my abdomen and lower right side. All signs
pointed to appendicitis, especially when I bent over to tie my shoes and almost
doubled over in pain. Doctors, surgery and a hospital stay confirmed it to be
endometriosis, oh joy.
If being cut open and hospitalized for the first time wasn't enough,on the exact day
I was journeying home to the states, a different kind of pain prevented me from eating celebratory dinner with our parents and friends...yadda yadda yadda, cut to today and here I sit with pernicious anemia, inability to absorb B12 and Iron, main symptom being gastritis--inflammation of the stomach lining.

I haven't felt well enough in the tummy area to be keeping up with all m'beer drinking,
and my pants don't fit. *sigh*
All the medical terminology aside, I hate feeling unwell enough to do things. I'm tired and
alot of days I'm in pain from either gastritis or endometriosis, which has chronic lower back pain and tummy pain. But, I am glad we've figured all this out whileI still have insurance.
This is where I face another one of life's ironies, working in an insurance company that doesn't offer insurance to their employees. At least in Ireland, my surgery was FREE!

SOCIAL HEALTHCARE! SIGN ME UP!

On a much much much lighter note, my beloved Aimee Mann has a new CD called %^*&#Q(* Smilers! Picked it up yesterday, and can't wait to fall in love with it like I have the others. Also, she's doing a FREE (there's the word again!) concert in Albany in July...

Can't wait for the weekend. I have much to tend to. A great book, I am almost done with. My plants. My honey. Rewatching LOST season 3, you know, really important matters. And hopefully, in keeping with the last few days *knocks on wood* feeling well enough to get some much needed exercise.

I can't believe my voice is joining in the millions asking "Is it Friday yet?"

Also, I just noticed all of the different moods and didn't find one that fit my "feels like bugs are crawling all over me" present state of mind. Who should I talk to about that?