At the UPS store

Man: So, did you watch a little bit of news today?
Boy: Eeerrrr. No. Why? Was I on it?
Man: No! John McCain picked a WOMAN to be his vice-president.
Boy: Oh... (no enthusiasm nor surprise in his voice whatsoever)... I don't really follow the news. I work. I don't have the time.
Man: She is VERY conservative.
Boy: Aaah...
Man: Which is GOOD!!!

Anniversary

This time two years ago Prof. Grady learned to order мекици for himself. Три мекици и една кола was one of the first things he learned to say in Bulgarian.

This time last year, we were not really eating. We had no time. It was our wedding and all we did was drink champagne and dance.

In a couple of hours, we are going out to dinner to celebrate our first WEDDING WEDDING anniversary. I will be pracitising the five German sentences I learned earlier today in my first German class EVER.

See, we've come a full circle.

American, again

The other day prof. Grady and I went to a place called Irving's. As we were adding half $ half to our coffee, we started talking about the new cups they were using. MUCH better insulated... just SO MUCH BETTER, really. We leave and start walking down the street and keep talking about the cups and how wonderful they are and how great it is to be able to just HOLD your coffee and not feel like your hand is about to turn into charcoal and fall off.

That's when we realize we have already slipped back into being American. We expect fast, reliable, high-quality service + convenience, convenience, convenience everywhere we go.

I've got mixed feelings about this. On the one hand, I feel like I'm turning into a more uptight version of myself. I want things and I want them NOW. On the other hand, however, this uptight version of me is significantly more... relaxed. So I'll think twice before I complain about this.

Married in State College

Last time Kyle and I lived in State College was two years ago and we both HATED it. The crowds of disorderdly undergraduates late into the wee hours of the night, the football craze, the permanent smell of cafeteria food everywhere you go, the UGGs...Ugh!

We are back now and, strangely enough, it feels nothing like we remember it. On the surface, it looks just the same (although they have closed our favorite coffee place and we are still a little bit bitter about it). But we have been through so much since we left that we seem to be experiencing this same old place in a completely different way. We are finding ourselves *gasp* LIKING the damn place!!!!!

***

I never really thought I would ever get married. I didn't think it was necessary and I'm still not sure that it is. But being married, TODAY, seems to make all the difference between hating and loving a place. And THAT makes it all worthwhile.