can we just talk about this weather?

It.  Is.  AMAZING.

I'm choosing to not believe that in two days it will be rainy and 40 again.  It's not going to happen.  I'm wearing neon to prove it.  

the adventures of Jason and Molly Grass

Every time we go to our church, it's like the movie Groundhog's Day.  It's not as dank and dreary as that movie.  And the sermon isn't always the same, but it's the after church part that's stuck on repeat.  Somehow we always end up sitting by the same couple and always at the end of the service they stand up and say:

Have we met you before? 

Uhhhh heh heh I don't know, we've been here a couple times on and off.  

I'm Steve, this is my wife, Dee. 

Justin and Megan

Are you new to Dubuque?

We've been here about a year and a half.

Where are you from?  What brought you to Dubuque?

The usual I'm from this place, he's from that, jobs brought us here, etc. etc.

Justin never remembers meeting them.  They never remember meeting us.  I just squirm next to him, uncomfortably, willing the conversation to end.  This week Steve asked us to write down our names on his bulletin.  He's a visual learner he tells us.  What?  Do you keep a scrapbook of all your Sunday morning bulletins, Steve?  Justin complied and wrote our names down.  On our way to Ace Hardware where I informed him -again- that we'd most certainly met Steve and Dee he decided that since they'll  never remember who we are next time he should have written down "Jason and Molly Grass."

I'm still laughing about it.  

Molly Grass.  Out.

long Saturday drive

Today we set out to see The House on the Rock.  I know nothing about this place except that it's in Wisconsin and it costs $28 per person to get in?!?!  That seems outrageous to me.  Notice I said I know nothing instead of I knew nothing.  That's because I still don't know anything about it.

We didn't make it.

We took a very unfortunate detour that took us about 80 miles out of our way.  Right when we thought we would arrive, we took the detour back.  But it was a different detour.  And only about 10 miles long.  What?  Who set up that detour anyways.  By the time we figured out where we were, we were tired of the car and hungry and couldn't care less about a measly old house on a rock.

After spending about two hours of being uproariously carsick [blerg] and one very confusing conversation about turning left at the stop light [still confused about that one] Justin was so fed up he said "Just take a nap."  I don't think he finds roadtripping with me very enjoyable.  He also made me promise to figure out what medication I can take for future carsickness.  Done and done.  We finally got back in town and none of the restaurants at which we wanted to eat lunch were open so we dragged our bums home and dug through the fridge for the most unsatisfying lunch ever.

Then I made strawberry rhubarb slab pie.  I'll get to that some other day.  The whole day was not ruined, let's just hope we don't get that dangerously hungry again soon.

thursday

Today I have nothing to say, but lots I'd like to share.

For example, this morning my dog vomited on me in my bed.  At 4:30.  Which was stupid, and disgusting.  And if anyone knows anything about me, it's that I don't function like a normal rational human being around vomit.  I get squealy and grumpy and gaggy all at once.  Of course Justin was already at work so he didn't have to deal with it.  Just me.  Dog vomit on my leg.  In my sheets.  Soaking into my mattress.  INTO MY MATTRESS!  Laundry was done.  Baking soda sprinkled.  Dog was taken care of [She shouldn't eat a whole stick of butter, but I shouldn't leave a whole stick of butter available to her.]  So that's how my day started.  Early and stinky.

Later at work I got a phone call that a kid was unresponsive.  Shoot.  I know that this happens now and again in my job, but it still scares the crap out of me.  And I chose this particular job to distance myself from scary medical situations [I much prefer psychotic breaks myself].  EMS was called, the girl is okay.  And my co-worker, Brittni, and myself were exhausted the rest of the day.  An adrenaline rush at the start of a work day is too much.  Save it for before I go home, please?

Tonight I made pizza.  It was exceptional.

It's sunny, but not warm.

The NFL draft is on, which means I'll probably have to work on my grad school application tonight because there's nothing worth watching about this draft.  I feel like it's about 4-8 days long?  I will repeat my statement for cyberspace, it isn't usually the first round draft picks that stay famous.  Just saying.

And now since it's been almost a year, if that's even possible...  Here are some wedding rehearsal pictures that I love.  Weddings are such good fun.  I'd do one every year like a birthday party if I could.

Not mad.  Just showing of my guns.

At the church waiting for my side of the participants to arrive.  No surprise, Justin's side had it all together.  Here are cousins Asiah, Aliyah, Payton, Reece and Hunter.  JB is in the blue and his girlfriend at the time is the one avoiding eye contact.

Here I nervously twiddle my ring around my finger and think "ohmygosh ohmygosh everyone is looking at me.  They're here because of me.  Ohmygosh."

Practicing our vows.  Sadly, I don't really remember this.  Too much excitement.  Let it be known that no matter how many hamburgers I ate preparation for our wedding, I could not keep weight on me and that's why I look so ridiculously waif like.  Never fear, I no longer have this problem...

The after party to the rehearsal.  Bowling and an arcade.  That was genius.  PS socks and a cute dress? I'm a knock out. Big brother Brandon is in the foreground.  Dear friend from junior high, Alivia, is the one with the cute haircut in conversation with me while I kicked bum at skee-ball.

Soods take arcades seriously.  Little brother, Erick, outshooting his girlfriend, Jess.  My cousin, Carlin,  is the one with the hand-on-his-hip attitude in the back.

the summer without leaves

and other short stories.

Tonight J-dawg informed me that this will be the summer without leaves.  I kind of believe him.  I'm feeling hopeless about the tree's nudity.  The trees above dwell in our backyard and wave their cold, naked branches in the wind.  I've seen leaves in pictures, but I haven't seen a real, green leaf in person since last summer.  

I would also like to include my decision that sweet potato fries cool down quicker than regular potato fries.  This is real people.  They get clammy.  Ew, what a horrible description.

Tonight I cut a big piece of Easter candy in half for J and I to share and placed each half on a saucer.  When Justin picked up his plate, he also picked up the spoon sitting on the counter next to his dessert then asked, "Wait, what do I need a spoon for?"  I laughed for five minutes.  And then decided that I'm not the best at putting my breakfast dishes away.  [I could have said that I decided to be better about putting my dirty dishes in the dishwasher, but let's be honest...]

There are 70 and 80 degree days in the ten day forecast.  I want to dance and sing and befriend woodland creatures.

Thank goodness that this winter is coming to an end.  But please, can we have leaves?