Obstacles in the Road

This will begin a series that I've been wanting to do for a while now. Occasionally, on the traffic report, there is the most interesting object obstructing traffic flow. Once it was a family of ducks. Another time was a kitchen sink. We can imagine how these items wound up on the road, but it's another trick to surmise their overall contribution to the flow of life. I've decided to report on these items as I hear about them and relate them to my new favorite subject--Marriage. Perhaps the topic I relate it to will change over time, but I don't see the well running dry on this one.

So, last night, around 11 pm I was listening to Coast to Coast AM. The traffic report came on. A washing machine was blocking traffic on the Bay Bridge.

Clearly, the washing machine relates to domestic duties. And why should I see it as an obstacle? Not only because I have quite a large pile of laundry that I ignored over the weekend, but because there will always be a pile of laundry. And if I am to follow my dream of avoiding the cubicle life-style, I must come to terms with the washing machine. If you are the one at home, you have to do the laundry. It's part of the territory, right? And since this blog comes on the heels of my "treat women equally" blog, I think I should mention that just because we want to be equal doesn't mean we can stop doing the laundry. Then we'd stink like the menfolk.

Actually, what I'm thinking when I envision a washing machine on the road is: Is it still there? I wonder if I could go pick it up. Washing machines are expensive.

Thoughts on the Awards

I've always wondered why the best actress award is given a few awards before the best actor award. What is the hierarchy here? Is it necessarily possible for a male actor to be better than a female actor. Maybe. I can't comment on the performances this year because I didn't see them all. What I'm driving at is: why don't they switch the order up? One year the men go first, and another year the women go first. That sounds fair. However, I don't know if this is an issue to anyone. So maybe we'll keep it the same. Except that the end of the Oscar's always seem so male dominant. The male best actors, the male directors, and the male producers. Too macho for me. I actually sat this year watching the entourage of The Departed settle into their seats, like the real part of the awards ceremony had begun. And where were the women? Clapping.

Also this past week, the people with the $$ at Wimbledon decided that women will be awarded the same prize money as men from here until forever. I think that's great. The men players? Mixed reaction, mostly thinking it's not fair. It's true that the men play up to five sets, while the women are only stretched to three. But the women are not given the option of playing five sets, and I bet that if they were, we would wonder what the fuss was all about. Remember when women weren't allowed to run marathons? Because they were told they didn't have the stamina, that they might not survive. Hogwash.

And now I might add that my opinions are highly effected by my attendance at a predominantly women's college. But it has been freeing. I highly recommend it to everyone, because women aren't so bad after all.

I Said "Husband," He He

It's been like a dirty word, whenever I go to say it, so instead I gesture and over-emphasize. "You know, my husband." The word is still foreign to me. And it's like people are waiting for me to say it, and point out that it's one of my first times saying it. "Ooooh! Your husband! You said it! Oh, look at you blush, you blushing bride, you!"

Then again, being married for only a week and a half, I haven't had many opportunities to use the word with strangers. Until this morning. I explained that my husband had been into the store the other day. The woman on the other side of the counter wasn't phased. Who knows if it even registered. They have married people come in all the time. But for me, it was a huge hurdle. I'm always being told that I look sixteen, or twenty-two. One of these times I'm going to say something about my husband, and someone is going to stop me and ask "You're married? Are you old enough?"

Yeah, people. I'm old enough. I'm married. Get used to it. I know I have to.

Alien Skin (or, the honeymoon episode)

First, consider the following circumstances:

• Lounging in the sun for at least two hours a day. The Aruban sun, near the equator, which, without the cooling trade winds of the Carribbean, would scorch any skin type to perfect medium-well-steak standards.
• Slathering on a palmful of sunscreen every morning. 45, which should protect even the fairest skin from the Aruban sun oven. And it's waterproof, so that not only will the wearer be able to enjoy the beach and the pool, but the water will bead up and glide off the skin oh-so pleasingly.
• After a few days of this routine, have a full body massage. It begins with a skin brush, which only feels good because the skin has been so carefully protected from sunburn. Then heated oil is gently rubbed all over, releasing any tension which may have resulted from the constant cooling trade winds + sticky sunscreen + long hair issue.

They all sound nice, right? Except that just hours after the massage, some tiny itchy bumps appeared on my feet. I couldn't sleep because I hadn't experienced such itching since I had the chicken pox in second grade. I thought I was either allergic to the oil, or that we had bedbugs in the bottom corner of my side of the bed. No bedbugs, I checked.

I took several showers, thinking if it was the oil, I could wash it away and I'd be fine. The bumps spread. I had them on the backs of my knees, the backs of my hands, on my forearms, my neck, and my thighs. They weren't red, just itchy. So damn itchy.

Well, I'm back from Aruba now. I still have the bumps. Was it the sun, or the sunscreen? If it was, shouldn't they have gone away by now?

And the thing is, I'm so far behind at work and in school that I don't have time to go see the dermatologist. And I can't take Sudafed because I can't risk losing even more time for homework to the ensuing sleep. What to do?

At least I don't look like a lizard. But if I end up looking like this guy here, I think I will find the time for a remedy.

The Blaura Wedding


Weddings go by too fast. Already I'm only recalling pieces in my mind. But to summarize, I think we threw a pretty good party.

I wish I had more pictures, but seeing as I just got back last night (at 1:30 am, and headed off to work this morning), I'll have to post more later on. Thanks to those who have already forwarded their pictures, Snapfish is going to be getting some money from me this month.


Since it's so hard to recap your own wedding (I'm sure the first words out of every bride's mouth are "It was so beautiful" -- well, it was). The setting was amazing, the food was delicious, the ambiance was special. So vague, but it you had been there, I think you would agree.


With the Oscar's coming up, and the Grammy's finished last night, I'm inspired and think the following is the right thing to do. Imagine me on a big stage in full gown glamor, holding an obnoxiously large statuette of linked wedding rings that has been inscribed with "Best Wedding of the Year."

I would like to thank David's family for being so supportive of our dream wedding, and for making the long trip out from New York, Long Island, and Boston. I'm glad we finally got our two families together.

I would like to thank my family for coming together for me. Having both of my parents near me once again meant so much. And my sister and brothers made for the best looking bridal party on record! Not to mention their willingness to put up with my frantic demands for last minute help, they helped iron out (literally and figuratively) some little kinks. Thanks Myra and Paul for making the trek to Colorado and representing the Minnesota crew. Thanks to Carolyn with the final touches.

To the decorating crew--Ilze and Mike, thanks for devoting your Saturday to my demands (the place would not have been transformed without you!), and Lance and Lance Jr. (even though there were some funny mistakes with the place cards, you helped me out tremendously!).

To the demolition crew--Gavin and Lauren for spearheading the chucking of the decor. I know there were others who helped with tear down, and thank you for making it so effecient. I especially liked the part where I got to leave and didn't have to help!

And to some VIPs--Robert, for a beautiful job of handling the ceremony; Candace, for your gorgeous handwriting and for creating the impetus to try Argentinian steak (yeah Beef Club); Yuan for photographing the wedding free of charge (can't wait to see how they turned out!); the readers, Erin, Chris, Stu, and Kiki; Mom, Debby, Jannean, and Ilze for working on decorations weeks in advance, and seeing through a crazy lady's vision; Sun, for handing out programs; Justin, for overcoming shyness to take everyone's picture for the guestbook...

[the background music is starting up, meaning, the speech has gone too long]

And finally, to my new husband David, without whose love none of this night would have been possible. I love you and can't wait for the next adventure!