Gettin Hitched (Heidi, this is for you)

When last we spoke, I had just moved a few hundred miles away from my then-boyfriend JW for a new job. Fast forward a few months, and he has now moved to Dallas and we are engaged (take that, ex-boss)!

It's hard to believe that things have changed so fast. I met JW ten months ago today. In ten short months, things have changed completely. New job, new city, new relationship, new family. I'm going to have a new NAME soon. Holy cow. Weird.

He proposed on December 29th, and I was TOTALLY surprised. We'd been talking about it, but I just didn't see it coming at all on that particular day. He was very sneaky about it, even involving my family and Mother Nature. A story for another day. Maybe I'll let JW tell it.

So, in the three months we've been engaged, we've managed to plan a lot of small details, but absolutely cannot decide on a date or venue. Or city. At least we've narrowed it down to Texas.

Here are the options:

GALVESTON - JW's parents live there, and are members of a beautiful church. Unfortunately, we can't find a place to have a reception. We're still working on it.

DALLAS - We found a great place to have a reception, but can't find a church. You see my frustration....

MY HOMETOWN - We could have the wedding at my parent's farm, but it would involve a tent outdoors, which depending on the weather would either be (1) gorgeous, or (2) disaster. With my luck, disaster.

More to come later...

Where to begin, where to begin?!?!!?

So when most people decide to get a new job, it goes something like this: interview, get hired, give notice, maybe have a nice little last-day-of-work lunch, leave.

Not so much here. Mine went like this:

1. Interview: So I had the first interview I mentioned earlier. That went well. Then, I was asked back for a second interview. I gave notice of my "doctor's appointment" and prepared to go. After running into attorneys at the airport last time, I was much, much smarter. So, I scheduled to fly at weird hours when absolutely no attorney should be at the airport.

2. Flight: And of course, I ran into FREAKING ANOTHER ATTORNEY at the airport. A jerky one. And he informed me that he fully intended to head straight back to the office and tattle on me. Hell.

3. The Next Day: My boss, in a very snarky meeting, informed me that he knew I had been interviewing, and while I was not officially fired, he would start interviewing for my replacement and I was encouraged to get out quickly. Super. Have I mentioned that my boss and I have been locked in sort of a passive-agressive hatred for the past year?

4. The Offer: So thank GOD I actually got the offer. That was a fun day, getting to tell my boss I was (1) leaving, haha; (2) making tons more dough; and (3) going to a kick-ass law firm. I think he was truly shocked, since he thinks I am something less than worthless.

5. The Notice: I gave a week and a half notice. That was all I could stomach. And I was (somewhat) diligent. I came to work at my regular time, and left around 5:30. Not awful. And I actually was attempting to wrap up my cases. All the while, my boss was secretly planning...

6. The Preemptive Strike: So I was sitting in my office yesterday at 5:00 when BAM!!! In slipped my boss, shut the door, and freaking FIRED me. Seriously. I only have a week left, and the dude FIRED me. My computer was suddenly locked, and I was given three boxes and the HR guy came and supervised me until I left?! What the hell?

7. Parting Shots: While I was packing, he also managed to sneak in his opinions that (1) I had somehow tricked my new firm into hiring me, because they are way out of my league; and (2) my boyfriend and I will not survive the long-distance thing, and will break up in the next couple of months. Mmm, ok. Thanks, man. I'll miss you, too.

So, there you have it. He got his moment of Little Man Power, but I get an extra week off, paid. I think I won. HA! So, here I sit at home on a work day, watching the Today show, with no plans other than to go lay by my pool and read a book. I suddenly feel much happier. And I owe it all to my boss. Mazel tov!!

On Hold

Oh, you guys. The triathlon class. Oh, the triathlon class. So, I was all ready to sign up for the class, and have already registered for two triathlons, when I got a call about a great job in Dallas. So, I flew up last Wednesday to interview, and am basically waiting on pins and needles to see if I get it. If not, I'll start this class late. If yes, I'm hoping to get into a similar class in Dallas.

So, please continue to hold. Hopefully this is all settled soon...

Updates aplenty

Yes, yes. Stop the ranting and raving and semi-mean emails and thinly-veiled threats. I am back!!! Posting!! Updating!! Catching you up on the mundane excitement that is my life. Hoooty Hoo!!!

OK, let's see...

1. Danskin and Robin: The Danskin tri was Sunday. I didn't do it. However, I did get to see one of my best friends, Jenni, for the first time in a YEAR. A whole year!!! And the last time we saw each other, we were all crazy from law school. In fact every other time we've seen each other, we were crazy from law school, since we in fact met in law school. So if you think about it, this weekend was basically the first time we met. When not crazy. Hmm.

2. Danskin and Jenni: My friend Jen flew in from the godforsaken tundra, and DID finish the Danskin in spectacular fashion, enduring multiple flat tires and hellish heat and other dreaded traumas, but still finishing victorious. Hooray, Jen!!

3. My Rib: Is dandy. I'm hardly even aware of it. The weeks off, while incredibly piss-poor timing, were exactly what I needed. All better.

4. My triathlon class: Is OVER!!! Can you believe it's been 18 weeks?!?!? Me, not so much. It has gone shockingly fast. Sunday was the last day, then we had a nice cookout, which was weird cause no one was wearing swimsuits or other Spandex clothing, and we all smelled good and our hair was brushed. We barely recognized each other.

So somewhere out there, I'm sure (because I'm all vain like that) one of you just screamed in your office, "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The class is over?!?!?!?!?! Does this mean the blog is ending? Does this mean Robin will never finish an actual triathlon? What will I read while I'm pretending to work?"

Rest easy, folks. May I present to you....

****************Drumroll*****************

.....TRIATHLON CLASS PART DEUX!!!

That's right, 18 more weeks of triathlon excitement, brought to you courtesy of ye ole blog, which shall forge on.

My motivation for continuing the class is multipart:

1. I like those people. Bunches.
2. I recently purchased an ASSLOAD of athletic equipment, a bike, a huge bag of swim gear, etc, etc, etc, and that little investment is NOT going to waste.
3. I still want to finish a triathlon.

And on that last note, may I bring you the most traumatizing part of this little story. The three tri's I signed up for were all so nice. Classy. Cute names. Cute shirts. All respectable.

But those races, my friends, are gone. The next race coming up soon, my SOLE OPTION, is this little gem:

Jeff and Brede's INTERGALACTIC Triathlon

Not a joke. Set your tasers to stun folks, I'm swimming with the dorks. I have the option of registering with either my age group, or with the Vulcans. THE VULCANS. The Vulcans are women who weigh more than 150 pounds, which is apparently a fatty in triathlete world. I'm going to roll out some shocking news now: I do in fact weigh more than 150 pounds. And the idea of being the top Vulcan is a little too irresistable to pass up, so I think I'm in. (Incidentally, men who weigh more than 200 pounds are, of course, called Klingons.)

I cannot wait to see this t-shirt.