It’s been a bittersweet year in many ways, but I have so much to be thankful for that it’s pretty overwhelming. I wish you all well over the holiday and hope that it’s spent with people that you love doing things that you love to do.

A big thank you to my loving and supportive family, Matt’s loving and supportive family, and you our greatest friends. You have held us up during some of the toughest times in our lives, and we owe you a lot.

And Matt, thank you for being my best friend and my strongest ally.

Now let’s rock dinner like the Pilgrims taught us, yo.

From Daily Daguerreotype

My good friend John was dandy enough to let me borrow this gorgeous photo for use in Daily Daguerreotype. There’s a bit of a story behind it that I will attempt to recount.

When he was on his virgin voyage to Thailand, John was struck down with the notorious dengue fever. Having never fought this illness myself, I can’t quite relate to the misery that he must have endured. Regardless, he’s a bit of a wuss, and stayed indoors for the first few days until he was feeling better.

Finally, John emerged from his bungalow (with a clean pair of shorts) to do the crazy rock climbing above the ocean thing that only morons attempt. But he was so taken aback by the beautiful seashells on the shoreline, that he decided to delay his death defying stunts to take his D80 out for a spin - this photo is the result.

John has beautiful photos of not only his trips to the East, but quite a few award-winning shots of Chicago. He often has them for sale, and if you’re interested in viewing them or purchasing any, drop me an email and I’ll put you in touch with him.

Thanks, John, for the photo and also for suggesting I get a Nikon. And all the other good & bad advice you give… unsolicited.

Editorial note: I was thrilled when I read in my dad’s blog earlier this week the terms “bloodbath” and “vice-like squeeze”  in reference to the market. As a personal writing challenge, I will attempt to use both of those terms in the following post… about being a bridesmaid.

I’m preparing myself to participate in a wedding as a bridesmaid for the third time. My first two attempts found me unmarried and, to be perfectly honest, uninterested in many of the goings-on of wedding etiquette. I’m truly amazed that I made it to the bridal showers with a gift, let alone with the obligatory games I was expected to prepare.

This time however, I’m more excited than ever before to participate in the blessed nuptials of my dear friend. After going through the whole bloodbath myself, I remember with sincere gratefulness the favors that our friends and family bestowed upon us - small details that made the day as memorable as it was. I remember our close friends flying in from all over the country to make it to our wedding despite the fact that they had been married themselves only a few days prior, or were to be married a few days afterward. My sister-in-law slaving away to bake our wedding cake and transport it safely from New Jersey to the reception. Friends and family picking up instruments they hadn’t played in years to practice over and over again for our processional and recessional.

So this time around, I have the opportunity to get all dolled up without fearing I’ll forget to have the officiant sign the marriage license. Instead I’m thinking up clever and creative ways to show my friend how much I love her and make her day a little less stressful. (Any great tips?)

Plus, I owe her a lot cause the bridesmaid dresses she’s looking at are GORGEOUS. Although after all the steak I ate in Argentina, I’m preparing myself for the vice-like squeeze it will take to get me into any of them.

We have been hard at work this week - trashing our bedroom. Because this weekend we’re redoing everything in it and my heart is palpitating wildly just thinking about it. We’re getting rid of our current furniture and bringing home my grandmother’s bedroom set which I’m madly in love with. We’re having to weed out a lot of stuff because we’re losing some drawer space, but Matt and I both love to weed out and simplify so we’re walking around with big toothy grins saying “Let’s git rid o THAT! And let’s git rid o THAT TOO!”

Our bedroom has always been the place where things go to be hidden from visiting guests and/or die. Berlin will only eat in our bedroom, so it constantly smells of dog food. She has also vomited and diarrhea-ed on the rug numerous times, so it’s basically the slough of despond. My best friend, Kiki, and I were having a great conversation the other day that went like this:

Me: Ok, something totally gross. All of our sheets are white. We’ve only had them for four years cause you know, we registered for them. And they’re all yellowing.
Kiki: Did you wash them with something yellow?
Me: No, I mean they’re yellowing from like… nasty body slarve. I’m about as anal as you can get about sheets. I HAVE to change them weekly, and I wash them and bleach them and the whole nine yards.
Kiki: That’s disgusting. It might have something to do with your nasty city water.
Me: OH I BET YOU’RE RIGHT! So can I get new sheets?
Kiki: DEFINITELY.
Me: But aren’t sheets supposed to last longer than four years? I mean my mom has sheets that she’s had for like… twenty years. And they’re in great condition.
Kiki: My grandmother has these green towels still that she had when I was a kid.
Me: So I should hang on to these sheets?
Kiki: NO! Get rid of them.

Don’t you want to sleep in our bed now?

Anyways, we’re changing everything around in the bedroom - finally hanging up curtains and all that nonsense.  And I’ve even commissioned a painting to hang over our bed. Sarah creates beautiful artwork and my sister bought one of her paintings. And because I adore my sister and want to be just like her, I’m doing the same thing. It is my intent that finally we will have a cozy retreat from everything that stresses us out. Primarily dog diarrhea. Will post pictures when the whole shebang is complete.

I go through favorite beer phases, as I’m sure everyone else does. I’m over my Stella kick, and am now too far from Worcester to regularly find Wachusett ale on tap. So my new obsession is Harpoon’s UFO.

Beer, as with music, I connect with great people, places and memories in my life. The first time I had Harpoon’s UFO was the day that we moved in to our current place. It was a frigid day at the end of December about 2 days before Christmas. My unbelievably tolerant family had helped us haul furniture all day, and just as we had finished unloading the U-Haul it became stuck in the snowy driveway. About two hours later, and with the help of many kind neighbors, we got the truck out into the street and headed to the nearest restaurant for a burger and a DRINK.

My brother-in-law ordered a UFO and let me have a sip. I was instantly in love. But it very well was because I was thawing in a warm restaurant, exhausted and sweaty, and surrounded by the greatest people on earth. You truly know the people who love you the most - they are the ones who help you move. And to all of those very very GOOD people on both sides of our family who have helped us move four times in four years, I raise my bottle of UFO to you.

From Daily Daguerreotype

My phone is on the last legs of its battery life. This is to be expected seeing as I’ve gone a number of days without charging it. Wouldn’t normally be a problem, except that last night the dog ate my phone charger.

“Ate” is not entirely accurate, more like “shredded beyond recognition.” This seems to be her new gig. She’s shredding toys left and right, and has recently gone after my slippers as well. She can shred them all to kingdom come for all I care, as long as she steers clear of the leather sofa.

Most dog owners get upset when their dog starts to chew on things. Not me. I’m seeing the many upsides to this. I’m lining up a whole stack of items that I’ll smother in beef jerky and then shove in her direction. Bills, my cleaning supplies, Matt’s registration for class next semester… we could live a sweet life of Thoreau-like solitude while Berlin destroys all connection with the outside world.

Which reminds me of my best friend whom I owe a phone call. She as well, as some other wonderful people, were left without power in Columbus, OH this past week. Aside from the rotting refrigerator food, it kinda sounds like paradise.

Sorry, Kiks. I’ll get around to replacing the ole phone charger in a solid 2 months. Til then, just call Matt if ya need me.