How My Life Changed 3 Years Ago Today!

Three years ago exactly, I woke up at a friend of a friend's house with a slight hangover. The house I was at was the site of the Halloween party I had attended the night before. Fun night, but nothing super eventful. "You will meet your future husband tonight" was definitely not what I was thinking.

I wasn't really in the mood to attend another party that night, but my parent's neighbors were having a Halloween party and they had asked me to every event they had had for like 3 months running, so I figured it was time to make good on my promise to come one of these days. I roped my friend Sally into going with me. The party was lovely, but we were definitely out of place, and the only ones who didn't own a home in Old Town or at least 3 kids dressed up in Disney costumes. So after an appropriate amount of time, we said our goodbyes and decided to make the most of the rest of the night by grabbing a beer at Murphy's down the street.

We picked a spot in a far corner so we wouldn't have to make small talk with any meat heads and hadn't been there for 5 minutes when two guys make their way over to our table. One of them was James. He had three weeks left to a 3 month job and then he was moving back to Indianapolis. Obviously, my charm and my inability to determine a fifth of bourbon from a handle convinced him otherwise and the rest is history.

Three years later, I wake up with more blessings that I could have ever imagined back on October 29, 2005. Along the way, we have some incredible ups (our first Christmas with Emily, meeting his family for the first time, Nags Head, Italy, candle making and more than I could ever fit into a single blog posting). We've also made it through some pretty intense arguments about money, family, politics, religion, and domestic capabilities. It's been quite a ride. And I'm excited for the next leg of the journey.

When I met him that night at Murphy's, I was wearing a tiara and a boa. (The only "costume" items that my Mom had). He told me he had always wanted to marry a princess. He may think now that I'm more of a Royal Pain than anything, but I think we both did pretty well.

Serenity Now!

Okay, so my last post I listed my blessings to try and get some sort of peace among the chaos that is my life. I've been thinking pretty intensely about this stuff as it seems that the past month has just spiraled out of control. And it's not just that way for me, everyone I know is having a crappy time lately.

Lucky for me, I have two dear, dear, dear friends (see left) who have planned some sort of crazy surprise for me this weekend. I never really LOVED Dallas, the way some people do, when I went there for college. It never seemed to fit quite right. But I did meet the two most incredible friends a person could ever dream up, and whenever one of us has gotten married the other 2 plan a little engagement weekend for them. Mine is this weekend, but there's a catch. I have absolutely no idea what we're doing. This is the email I got from Katy regarding what I needed to bring:

Subject: Niki's Engagement Weekend
From: Katy Bennett
To: Niki Clark, Emily Johnston

Niki -

As we get closer to the big Engagement weekend, we're hoping you STILL have no idea what we have planned for this weekend!!!

We're not telling you anything, but we do know you will want to bring the following:

1.) Camera
2.) Bathing Suit(s)
3.) Allergy meds (my house used to always make you congested… an insult to my housekeeping…)
4.) Comfortable Walking Shoes
5.) Spare Liver
6.) 3-4 nice outfits for going out on the town
7.) One Blue Star Tattoo, preferably on one's ass

Xoxo,

Katy B

Sounds pretty cool to me! I can't wait. So this is obviously a bright spot. Lin and I also shot a really amazing wedding this weekend. It was the first Jewish wedding we've done and it was just a really touching experience. Lin and I were both crying throughout the ceremony. They have such a great sense of heritage and tradition. And I think we both did a really terrific job with the images, so that was highly satisfying.

So although sometimes all seems gloom and doom (including the weather), I've got a fantastic (and hopefully sunny) weekend ahead, somebody paid me good money to be part of one of the most important days of their lives, and THANKS BE TO GOD the election is next Tuesday. I think that alone will be a big source of relief.

In the meantime, I have been saying the following A LOT lately (Thanks Lin, for the advice!)

God, grant me the serenity to accept what I cannot change
The courage to change the things I can
And the wisdom to know the difference.

Another one that works pretty well:
TOWANDA!!

my blessings

okay so it seems the world is going to hell in a handbasket. james woke me up this AM with the glorious news that the stock market was closed today because the global stock markets all crashed last night. YAH. In light of the fact that my other option is take up some serious vice-ridden habits to deal with this ever increasing mountain of stresses, i've decided instead to focus on the ways in which i'm blessed. Somebody told me once that if you keep smiling when you want to frown, then eventually you become happier. It was probably someone on Xanax, but I'm going to give it a try.

1. I have a roof over my head. It is a nice roof and has hot water. There is nothing in our refridgerator but I do have 30 boxes of nutri-system meals Mom gave me because they were too nasty for her to eat. I will not starve.

2. I have family and friends who love me very dearly. And do wonderful things for me. If i am not somewhere where others are, they always tell me they missed me. They may be lying, but it's a nice lie.

3. Somebody who is fully aware of the fact that I press snooze 23 times before getting up every morning, cannot load a dishwasher correctly and listens only once every 15 times he speaks wants to marry me and put up with my crap for a long, long time.

4. I live 8 miles from my mother, father and favorite cousin, 10 miles from my sister and less than a mile to the closest Trader Joes. Lovely and convenient.

5. I get a daily dose of delightful doggie kisses.

6. I have a job, for the time being. I get paid pretty well for having enough time to blog mid-day.

7. I have a car, and live in a city with excellent public transportation. The reason I am cold in October is because I am too lazy to change out my wardrobe, not because I don't have a coat to keep me warm.

8. I believe in a God that says even if I am a major turd and don't go to Church nearly enough he'll still give me a chance for eternal bliss. Phish wrote the song Bliss, which makes me happy and I'm blessed to have heard it live before.

9. People, more often than not, give me the benefit of the doubt and I am blessed to work in an place where I have been called an "expert." They have no idea what they are talking about, but that's okay.

I was going to go to ten but I just called my grandma as my mom is down there visiting. She informed me they were going to go today and pay for her funeral because she wants to take care of business before she dies. And then follow it up with a trip to Walmart. This obviously upset me and now I'm just boo hooing so I can't think of anything else. I am blessed to stil have a living--albeit crazy--grandmother. That's number 10. But my god, these Sablich woman are going to be the death of me!

When it rains, it pours, Momma just told me. Yah. Pours pee and crazy grandmas.

Here we are, once again

So again, I am not sleeping. I am writing a blog entry at 6 am. I've been up since four. Lindsey, my dear sole reader, is probably asking, "Why?" Because Hurley peed on my head. Yes, my dog woke me up at 4 am by pissing on my head. Lots. So I got up immediately, after being convinced he hadn't just heavily spit on me, and got in the tub. Then I bathed Hurley since he also covered himself in pee. At least he didn't leave me dripping by myself, I guess. Since I can't go back to sleep in my bed, as I had to pull up half the sheets (James is still passed out, only waking to proclaim, "I guess I'm not going to get any sleep," UM HELLO I WAS THE ONE THAT WAS PEED ON!! and then promptly going back to sleep) I had to sleep on the couch. As soon as I turned off the lights, Ick decided it was a better time as any to throw up on me and all over my blanket. Get up, add to the laundry that was already being washed from pee, lay back on the couch. Lights out. Ick repeat. Try not to get ill yourself. Do this like 4 times. In between, have Ick jump off the couch to puke behind Hurley's cage, meaning I had to pull out half the things in the closet to clean THAT up. So long story short, I am facing another long day with little sleep. Yah! And yet as I type this, both my dogs are laying next to me with their big doggie eyes saying "What? You still adore us more than anything. Get over it." So I guess I will.

happy birthday yellow belt!

i'm at an all-day economic conference (i'm almost in tears, it's so depressing!) but wanted to send a shout out to my dear, crazy, breadmaking cousin. (i ate like half that pumpkin loaf last night, by the way J--it was phenomenous!). Here's some of my favorite photos of the birthday boy:

One more before sleepy sleepy hopefully

I just saw that my last post in layout and it was AWFULLY long. No photos to break it up. No one will read all that. I think I'd be pushing my luck for even Lin to make it through. But I've decided, it's better to think of my blog as an online diary that one day I can look back on. Because I suck at actual writing in diaries. So anyway, point is, while I was updating the web site, I found some pictures of Lin and I when we went to the ISA show in Orlando and celebrated her bday in Disney World. Here you go.


Me and Mickey


Me and the boys


Me with blond eyebrows (not a good look!) and lin on her birthday

Ponderings at 4 am

So it's nearly 4:30 am and I can't sleep. I went to bed around 10: 30 but woke up from one of the dogs jumping on my bladder around 3 am. Been on the couch web surfing ever since. I've sent emails to see2photography clients, letting them know about our holiday specials, updated the web site, checked work email, yada yada. I'm not quite sure what's wrong but it does indeed suck as I found out last night that my absentee ballot had been rejected for some form error, and I must go to Fairfax Voter registration at 8 am in the morning---3.5 hours from now---to vote. I'll be in San Diego with my two best friends for the actual election, so that's a bright spot. But in the meantime, I am finding myself stressed with one of those "I'm anxious about everything but nothing in particular" feelings.

I'm worried about the economy and how much worse it's going to get. I'm worried about being EXHAUSTED tomorrow all day. I signed up for a Strategic Planning and PR course at the UVA extension campus and it runs 7 to 930. My first class is tomorrow night. I hope I don't fall asleep! I'm worried the holidays are just around the corner and I'm not the least bit ready. I'm worried that my exercise plan is never actually going to get off the ground and my running days are a thing of the past. Anyway, enough with my worrying. I was on myspace as part of my insomnia and came across a blog I wrote a while ago. As i'm now a facebook girl, and my body still ain't letting me rest, I thought i'd excerpt it here (with a few revisions):

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My life goals. Simple really.
Originally Dated January 15, 2008
A 6 Month Review

I just emailed my sister a list of my life goals, and thought i would share them with all of you as well. Plus I am waiting for a teleconference and lord knows I have nothing better to do. Actually I have a lot of things to do, but better things? This is arguable. Here goes:

* Pay off all my debts by the time I turn 32. This is possible. I've still got a year and half, anyway.

* Have four little girls named annie, mollie, yvie, kate. Alternates: sophie, autumn, Rachael, anya, this list goes on and myspace does not allow for the length it would take to name them all. i do know that one will indeed by a profesional acrobatist and one will be backup singer for Steve Winwood, although he may be in a wheelchair by the time she's of age. Oh, this is definitely happening. Although I've added some names. I really like Garrett for a girl. And Spencer for a girl too. Then again, i DESPISE Spencer Pratt, so maybe not.

*Quit job and become a famous industrial collage photographer who wears funky eyeglasses and a size 2. okay reality, size 8, but It'll look smaller because I'm taller. Oh who am I kidding? It'll look smaller because it's like 10 sizes smaller than I am now! At the moment, I am feeling like I'll be this size forever. And I'm wearing contacts these days. But it's still a goal. I was going to exercise in the AM but as that's now, I don't see that happening.

*Run marathons every few years pushing a baby carriage and running with my husky Vladimir (ick will ride in the carriage). Well I do have a place in the NYC Marathon. In 2009. Motivating myself to do something so that when another year passes, I still want to, umm. We'll see. And it's hurley now. No huskies because James has banned any further dog additions.

*Go on vacation twice a year, one time to someplace tropic, the other someplace exotic like India. Call it "going on holiday" to sound cooler. I'll start this goal in 2015, when I finish paying off the last trip.

*Have a beach house, a mountain house and rent a tiny 2 bedroom in dc somewhere to afford other places. This is a 2020 goal. Although the way the economy is going, it may be more like 2040.

*Own a scooter (and not leave it at the West Falls Church metro which is a rampant area of crime) Possible 31st bday to self?

* Own a respectable collection of cowl necks sweaters. This is the best goal I have on here. And most likely to be reached.

* Kiss on my sis sis at least once a week. Let her cook for me at least twice a week. The kisses are happening, the cooking is not. But she does cook for me like once a month. That's decent progress, I would say.

* Always have a full container of hummus in my refridgerator. I had one last night, before I ate it all...does that count? Damn hummus. You are so tasty!!

*Subscribe to Life & Style magazine so as to obtain issues before available on newsstands. Yah for Mom's bday present! Check!

* And most importantly, have acrylic nails. When I can afford regular manicures, I'll consider this. Maybe. I go back and forth between beautiful and tacky. Mostly because I have oompa loompa hands and fake nails look HUGE on my fingers.

I'm a simple girl, with simple dreams, don't you think?

(as I thought about this more , more goals came to mind, so here is an addendum, if you will):

* I would like to weigh what my driver's license says I weigh at least before it expires. See above comments on weight.

* I want to be known as a great listener, not as "what up interrupt." I'm trying!

* After studying spanish for like a gazillion years and still not getting it, I have lowered my expectations on foreign languages. I would like to have a friend who is fluent in spanish. I've gotten to aquaintance, but not yet to friend. Work in progress

* I would like to find the exercise video that Molly and I did for PE class one year and laugh at what dorks we were. Techi's drug store too. And Pelo Facil. Buy a videocamera and remind myself I have not become all that less dorkier than I was then. I do own a video camera! Check 2! I do not know where the hey hey those videos are.

* I will live all by myself for 6 months before ever getting married. At age 29, i have never lived on my own and I think it's about time. Not with the rent in this state!

* I want to embrace 30 (YIKES 4 months from today!!) with grace and style and not cry to much over the sun damage i'm spotting near my eyes. Came and went. I don't know if the style and grace portion did, but I'm 30 and proud. And wearing more sun screen.

* I will live in the present at least once a week. Ummmm, maybe?

* Say more prayers. Not just before dinner when I'm over at the fams and Dad expects me to or when I'm taking off in a plane and get all nervous about dying, but at random times. for the random blessings i have. I'm working on this one.

* Take Katy Bennett on an all expenses paid trip and not have her pay for anything. Katy Bennett keeps upping the ante by flying out to visit me for wedding dress shopping, surprising me with Emily on engagement weekends. GIVE ME A CHANCE FOR CRYING OUT LOUD. This will probably also be a 2040 endeavor.

More to come with future teleconferences....
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Off to bed, I hope!

i wish i was doing this instead

Drinking and harrassing the dog on the couch. Well maybe I could hold off on the drinking till at least noon. One of my dad's cappucinos would do. Sighness. We were both up so late watching the debates, and then the commentators analyzing the debates, that I didn't get my needed 12 hours of beauty sleep. I never do, which is why I am usually a walking zombie. But on a day like today, where I have SO much to do, it makes it particularly difficult. Which is why I'd rather be on the couch.

Reminiscing...

So I brought my ipod to work today. I haven't listened to it in forever, preferring lately to read on the metro than listen to music. I forgot how much I loved it! I love how songs bring back such specific memories. Then on top of my reminscining, I see a high school friend has posted pics from high school. How the hey hey was that like 12 years ago? So i've posted a few pics, many which include friends I still keep in touch with via facebook, and listed a few of my favorite songs I forgot about. For being one of like 3 people working on a federal holiday, it's not a bad day...

Favorite Songs I Forgot I Had:
Brian Wilson, Barenaked Ladies
Against all Odds, Phil Collins
Cast No Shadow, Oasis
Caught a Lite Sneeze, Tori Amos
Desperately Wanting, Better than Ezra
Easier, Glen Phillips

it goes on and on and on. I miss Sally Sinor. She's such a great compiler of mix tapes.

And here's some photos I forgot I was ever in:

She's got my vote!

Courtesy of Photographer Extraordinaire, Emily Johnston!

My sister the Domestic Diva & My Fantastic Father!

So Lin had us all over for dinner in celebration of Dad's birthday last night. I am SO proud, and slightly jealous, of how fabulous she is in the kitchen. Where as I learned how to make fajitas when the kids were in town, she's whipping up things like stuffed mediterranean chicken. It was SOOOOO good. And her house of course was all beautiful with candles and crate & barrel plates. HOW DID I MISS THIS GENE? I really have got to commit to taking a class or something! I don't necessarily believe the woman's role is in the kitchen--actually i don't believe that at all--but I do think there is something to be said about being an excellent host. So my new goal for the remainder of 2008 is to either take some sort of cooking class, or convince my sister to teach me herself. I don't need to make my own ice cream. (hello Emily Johnston, the world's most talented and crafty best friend in the whole world. Talk about feeling incompetent next to this woman, she has herbs in her house that I have never even heard of. Even her dog eats gourmet raw pet speciality food.) But I would like to make something that didn't come in a box with microwave instructions.

And if that wasn't great enough, the meal that is, she went and made the coolest book for Dad of our trip. Where does your talent end?

I'm surrounded by geniuses!!

Finally, I end this post with a toast: TO THE MOST WONDERFUL FATHER ON THE ENTIRE PLANET! HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!!

Bum, Bum, BUM

after a week straight of being glued to the television watching presidential and VP debates, talking heads fighting it out about exactly HOW BAD it all is, and reading articles about how it's only going to get much, much worse, it's no wonder i'm feeling a little depressed. i know there's not much positive going on, but does everything have to be SUCH a downer according to the media? I mean there's gotta be SOMETHING good going on.


But then I discovered this awesome site, GoodNews Network. All they print is good news! Headlines include things like "Man Returns Stolen Plaque after 50 Years" and "Hundreds of New Marine Species discovered by Australian Scientists." I'm thrilled, how great a concept is this? So I scroll down to read more and am directed to an area to enter my credit card. Good News ain't free.

Bum, Bum, BUM!

photo of the day/lucky dog

so i can't take in hurley this weekend to the doctor after all. little boogar gets another week of respite. he has no idea how happy he should be about this change in plans.

Katy Bennett Bennett

What a fun weekend! The bestest came to DC to help me find a wedding dress. And we did! I love it, it is soooooo beautiful and if I say so myself, I look like a damn hottie. So it was a good time. And I'm so lucky to have such great friends and a great sister who (not so much, thanks to Tommy!) surprised me with champagne once we found "THE ONE," and a great mother who just is an all around good sport and superstar. And of course, I'm lucky to have such a wonderful future hubbie who graciously sleeps on the couch for 2 nights whenever I ask. :) It's so wonderful to have such good friends. Katy and I have known each for going on 12 years now. Hard to believe. Here's a pic of us back from 2004 at a friend's wedding. I look SO young!


Then on Sunday we got to visit Summer with her two beautiful children. Makes me want to swim in the Australian waters a la Nicole Kidman. I guess Ick and Hurley will do for now. Speaking of, I am slightly depressed as I have to take my angel to the snip-snip (as opposed to the scoot down) doctor this weekend. I have this vision of Ick's face when I picked him up from his turn burned in my memory. He was like, what did i ever do to deserve THAT? I am not looking forward to it.

seven months!

In exactly 7 months from today, i will be MRS. Niki Clark Durrett. And probably a little emotional. Hopefully I will not be feeling like Ms. Party-TOO-Hard-At-Her-Rehearsal-Dinner Lindsey C. Hansen. But in any case, it's exciting and becoming more real every day. Today I received quite a treat: the besties designed my wedding invitation. (Click the pictures below to see a larger view.) I'm sure James would approve. :)

The New Countdown

So there are now TWO very important things that are happening in spring 2009. I'm getting married. Yes. But as I found out today, in March, one of my all-time favorite bands is coming back from the dead for one weekend. IN A LOCATION TWO HOURS FROM MY HOUSE! YAH YAH YAH YAH. Life is good. Except for that whole economy thing.