my luke skywalker

Meet James new toy. The beloved Luke Skywalker light saber.

This purchase wasn't for the kids. This was for him. I think how impractical and why, why, why but then again a $75 trip to Sephora or a $100 trip to the mall to buy clothes seems justifiable to me even though the man doesn't see the very real difference between quality makeup, shoes and clothes. (Do I hear an Amen?) Anyway, all this to say that I try not to get on his case about his light saber/DVD/Spooky Town purchases.

So, just so you know I am safe here in my apartment. He chopped the head off the vacuum, slit the throat of the couch and when I attacked him with a shoe, he of course needed to defend himself and cut me in half. I dramatically dropped the shoe and thought about dropping to the ground in defeat but chose to dramatically swoon instead.

The light saber is properly stored on top of one of the bookcases (in its special light saber rack) ready to use at a moment's notice. You never know when even the TV or the oranges from the kitchen might attack and my highly skilled ewok might need to use the force and the light saber to defend and save the world...or at least show who's boss to the mean and vile furniture, appliances and produce that inhabit this world...er, I mean this apartment.

The next purchase is the red light saber so "we can battle". Heck, maybe James is onto a new couples conflict resolution intervention.

the little things

James and I walked to the gym the other day inquiring about personal training. I had just got home from my practicum site so I was all business and heels. I didn't have time to change. Anyway, we walk over there and on the way back I decide to ditch the shoes. I kick them off and James grabs them and carries them back to the house.

It was so tender to me. It was one of those things that to me makes James so great. The little thoughtful and tender things that he does that make being in a relationship that much more special. It may seem insignificant to some but it was one of those moments that allows me to reflect on how special he is to me and how great he makes me feel.

progress

Curiosity lead me to count up the total amount of client hours I've done to date.
52.
52 out of the 300 required.
1/6 of my hours complete to graduate.
It's been two months and I have 52.
So, let's say I average 25 per month and I'll be at my site for 12 months.
Do the math. That's 300. That's what I need to graduate.
Oh good that I am right on track. I am getting more referrals too.
Sigh of relief.

Tagged

Thank you Erin for tagging me for this fun post.

The Rules:
1. I have to post these rules before I give you the facts.
2. Each player starts with 8 random facts/habits about themselves.
3. People who are tagged need to write their own blog (about their 8 things) and post these rules.
4. At the end of your blog, you need to choose people to get tagged and list their names.
5. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

Here are the eight interesting facts about me:

1. I've never had the chicken pox. Never.

2. I have a craving for Zankou Chicken often...like I could eat it every day but I limit myself to once per week...maybe once every two weeks...Okay, it's once per week.

3. I get bored easily. I can't sit still for too long. I don't think this lifetime will offer me enough time to do all I want and see all I want.

4. I am super sensitive to smells. Super sensitive. I also like the smell of something familiar. I enjoy breathing in deep the scent of James because it brings familiarity and comfort to me. If he smells, I make him go and take a shower. Oh, and I love when he has just taken a shower. I love the smell of clean anything and especially a clean James. See my obsession.

5. Graduate school has made me want to sleep in for the first time in my life. Oh, I hate mornings and I never hated mornings before I started graduate school.

6. I love turbo kick boxing classes at the gym. I get goosebumps every class that I take.

7. I have an obsession with calendars. I love calendars. I love getting new calendars and probably have more than likely never used a calendar for more than one year at a time without switching.

8. The same is true of pens. I love pens. I own a lot of pens. I throw out pens and I still own a lot of pens.

I tag: Michelle

Therapy technique: reframing

I get my electricity bill every two months and had the nagging feeling that I should have already received it by now and also the need to know the forthcoming large amount that I knew I would have to pay. The hot SoCal weather (remember Labor Day weekend) and the fact that the man in my life is always hot...always... I knew it would be rather large.

$241.55 for two months of electricity

Oh my...

So, after my initial, holy crap! moment. I decided to use a bit of reframing. A spectacular therapeutic technique that leads to "aha" moments and just being able to look at things a bit differently.

So, let's give it a try...

My air conditioning didn't go out. I didn't have to scour all of Southern California for an air conditioning unit or a fan to save my life. My little wall unit in the living room just plugged away and my fan didn't break. My car has fabulous air conditioning. It didn't go out either. That was nice. Many people (like my man and like his mother) sat in houses that didn't have any air, had cars that their AC went kaput and spent $300 for a wall unit while under duress. Heck, there were many people who lost their lives in the weekend of scorching heat. I was comfortable and not inconvenienced. I was lucky. So, I will pay my $241.55 to the City of Pasadena with a great relief that life could be really a lot worse. Then I will adjust my budget accordingly because the man in my life will be moving in three shorts months and his very favorite spot ever in life (okay, one of them at least) is to sit on the couch, turn on the wall unit, point it towards him, watch a little TV and eventually fall asleep.

Oh, I feel much better now... Okay, well I sort of feel much better...

a pre-fall quarter update

Well, to start off, I quit my job at the school. Last Thursday specifically I put in my two weeks notice. This was a very hard and sad decision to make. Not only because the money is great but also because of the relationships I share. It was as a grueling decision to make as the one I had to make to leave the church but I likened it to it sucks that I won't see some of these people on a daily basis anymore. Yet all in all it is a good decision to not live an insanely busy life anymore. I wasn't enjoying any of it although all the individual things I enjoy greatly. James was the biggest supporter of this decision and for that I am grateful. I enjoyed this past weekend much more not having to figure out to cram as much in it because life each week just gets busier and busier. Life will still get busy with school and more practicum hours but I will have some more time and not as many things to put my head around. I'm looking forward to having weekends to have fun as well as get stuff done. I am most looking forward to enjoying the three months I have before my wedding date. I love this season of life in general and feel like I will get an opportunity to be fully present in it. Then if things work out for James in his new job here at school (meaning it goes from temp to permanent) then I might not have to work until I graduate and find my full-time therapist job. That'd be a nice treat in the first six months of marriage and last six months of grad school. So, that is what we are working towards. At the very least, I get to have the rest of the year to enjoy... and for that I am exceedingly happy.

It's for the kids...

James called me at work today to tell me, with his sheepish and timid voice, that he had spent some money that could have probably been spent at a later time in our financial lives.

"Disney DVD's. Limited time only DVD's. Only one Dumbo left. It's for the kids..." Please note that it wasn't just one limited time only DVD. I'm really not the much of a penny pincher.

Then I thought to myself, "Ah, marriage..."

And so, it begins...

This Saturday marks the 3 month countdown to our wedding. How timely.

I told him to remember when he was supporting me through the rest of my schooling and helping pay off my student loans...oh, and the part of the wedding we'll be paying for after the wedding...to remember how nice I was at this moment.