If A Man Does Something But Doesn't Blog About It, Does It Really Happen?

Since I'm going to Texas (HOORAY!) on Thursday, I thought I'd make a bit of an entry to catch up on my life before then. As you know, my thoughts can be somewhat scattered (Raspberries!!!) and random (zephyr) I think, for your benefit and for simplicity, I'll categorize my blog entry, so there will be less of a chance for me to be misunderstood. The name is MISTER Understood! Get it right!!!

Ok. I want to talk about school, my car, and our early Valentine's Day. For those of you who are curious, I posted that print of van Gogh's Irises because it reminds me of Texas. I did a copy of it several years ago, and gave it to my parents. As a van Gogh copy, I think of it as one of my most beautiful (though of course not original) paintings. (Another interesting fact, I've seen his version in person, and mine is bigger.) Plus, I'll be writing a bit bout art history. Here it goes...

School Days School Days, I don't remember any more of that song-Days!

I'm nearing the middle of the semester, where I congratulate myself for keeping my head afloat, as well as fear the midterms. Art History is going well, I got my first test back. I got a 95. And yes, I felt a bit like Hermione, as I was somewhat crestfallen to discover I did not get 100. But, when I learned what some of the other students got on their test, I felt a little happier. And relieved. We finished the Renaissance and Baroque, and are moving on to Neo-Classicism (bo-ring!) Fortunately for me, I'll be in Texas, so I won't have to learn more about the most useless art movement in history. (Unfortunately, the review for the midterm is that day as well, so when I come back, I'll have to take another test. But, since I think I know more about Art History than the rest of the class combined (even the teacher, on one or two subjects) I predict I'll do alright.)

As you may recall, for English I had to stretch out one of the papers that I was told at first to shorten. After much hair-pulling, kicking, screaming, whining, and even a little bit of writing, I finally got it done. I'd also like to take this time to thank my tireless editor who never gives up on me even when I do. Thank you, Tracie. I love you. I'd also like to take this time to tell my paper I hate you and I'm sick of you. Glad I don't have to waste any more time on you, and I'm sorry for abusing you so much you don't look like my paper anymore.
We've moved on to grammar, which the teacher seems excited about, I'd rather get my teeth pulled. But, if anyone can excite me about grammar, I'm guessing he can. (And when I said I'd rather get my teeth pulled, I meant with anesthesia, of course.)

Chapter 2: My Car. Also Known as "Ella, Why Did you do this to me?"

Well, after riding the bus, waiting for the bus, making Tracie take me to work and bumming rides, I finally broke down and had my car towed to get it fixed. After paying out lots of money to get a rod fixed on it, and lots and lots of money to get Tracie's heater fixed, I thought I would have to pay lots and lots and lots of money to get my car started again. Turns out all it needed was a new battery! A ray of sunshine blazes through the freezing, cloudy and snowy winter. We are again a 2 car family. And I learned a valuable lesson. A fool and his money don't hang out that often. But thank you to All Tec for letting this fool and his money chill awhile longer.

Valentine's Day 2008: Or, Celebrating Valentine's on February 14 is for suckers, or people who won't be flying to Texas that day!

This Valentines' (Valentine's? Valantine's? Valleghntynez?) we dressed up like a bride and groom and took pictures of our rings. No, that's a picture from our wedding day, silly!
As Tracie already said in her blog, we went to our ward activity on Friday night, and went to Chef's Table and Anthology of Love on Saturday night. So, why am I posting about it? Because I can! And she left some details for me to fill, and, even though I'm no editor (as my terrible grammar and speling and punctkchuwayshun testifies) I do love my details.

Friday night we went to our ward's Valentine Dinner Party. At the door, we filled out our names for a "Raffle" with a "Grand Prize" promised. Although no "Grand Prize" was in sight, Tracie "filled one out" anyway, even though I felt some "trepidation" filling one "out." We got in line and covered our plates with tasty looking tidbits guaranteed to give us cavities and diabetes (cheesecake, brownies, a chocolate fountain, (sooooo 2 years ago. but still sooooo good) homemade ice cream, cookies, etc. (and those never go out of style!) We sat down with people we didn't know (not hard. As Tracie said, we don't know too many people in our ward. One of the curses of Ward Librarians. (Lycanthropy being the lesser known curse.) As I stuffed my face with sugar products I didn't need, the couple in charge of the event announced that the "raffle" was not, in fact, a "raffle." It was to force couples to play the "Newly-wed Game." We chuckled, and the pit of my stomach, the part that had a voice and wasn't as occupied with the sweets I forced down my throat groaned "Of course we'll be called! You never win anything, but a chance to be humiliated and make Tracie angry if you get questions wrong?! You're a shoe in. By the way, stop it with the cheesecake! We're drowning in here! ... I'm just kidding, we love it!" He stopped talking long enough for us to hear "Couple #3: the Families!"
Tracie and I looked at each other, she beamed, I bade goodbye to the cheesecake. It seems the ward knew us as well as we did, for, even though we were walking towards the front, people were looking around like "Family? Who are they?" But, it turned out to be a lot of fun. Let me see if I can remember the questions we were asked: No. I remember 5 out of 6. Shall I tell you? I can't hear you! Ok, ok. Fine.

So first all the men went to the Relief Society room while they presumably asked our significant others questions that we'd have to duplicate the answers to. While we waited, we tried cheating, as we were in the Relief Society room there was a volume control, but, the activity was in the gym, not the chapel. We all visited, and realized we all were married around the same time. Between 1 year and 4 months to 1 year and 10 months. (FYI Tracie and I at the time are 1 year and 7 months.) We were called back in, facing our lovely wives and ward members. The first question was: Of my clothes, what would she throw out? Since she had already made me say goodbye to many of my mission ties, I guessed my "The Party Has Arrived" t-shirt, which I wore when we first started dating. I mean, the day we decided to "give it a try." I was right! Ding ding ding! Next question, what story do I tell that annoys her? Just one? Unfortunately, I hadn't been doing my modus operandi of telling the same stories over and over, so I guessed one thing, Tracie said another. (I said when I proposed, I don't remember what she said) So, we were 1 for 2. Final question: What personality would she say I'm most like: Brad Pitt, Will Ferrell, or Napoleon? I think we should have been given an extra point since we both asked: Napoleon Bonaparte or Dynamite? But, the answer was of course Will Ferrell, as he's funny, and a little creepy. Like me. So, then Tracie and the wives left, and I was asked these questions 3:

(*By the way. I realize now that I remember all 6, but I'm not going to go back and change it. Sorry for the confusion. Raspberries.)

Question 1: What one word describes your first kiss. I wanted to say so many things, but all I could say was the truth: Seduced. (I'm pretty sure my face was bright pink when I said it)
Question 2: Who hogs the covers: Of course I again responded truthfully: Tracie.
Question 3: What is my most annoying habit? Again, I couldn't narrow it down to just one, so I said "I'm too affectionate." As I deemed "handsy", "gropy," and "touchy" church-inappropriate.
Tracie, true to form admitted that yes, I said "Seduced" because that's what I did. (In her mind anyway. That part of the Tracie and Austin Story: The way it REALLY Happened has yet to be written...) She also confessed that she does hog the covers. But, sadly, she chose an annoying habit of mine that was less embarrassing, and guessed snoring.
On the plus side, they rewarded us 2 points for "seduced," since we were the only couple to get the same exact word for that question.
We were then tied with 5 out of 6 points for first place.
So, we sat down, waiting for the tie-breaker round. Then, another group of 5 couples came up and played again. Some other couple (we'll call them "cheaters") won 6 points, and won a basket with candles and Martinelli's and bubble bath. Darn. We did a tie breaker round where they asked us a question and we had to answer at the same time. By the way, the prize for second was a fondue pot. Ooh la la. Well, they asked us what color Tracie's toothbrush was, and, so, since it was more than 50% white, I said white. Tracie said blue. No fondue pot. Shucks.

Like I said, it was a lot of fun, we got to be in the center of attention, and make people laugh, which Tracie and I love to do.

I'll write about our Valentine's Day in my next post, but work is over and this one is long enough!