Beep

All things have come to a screeching halt over here at Little Bits, because our car broke down. You just don't realize how much you need a car and how important it is until you don't have one. Keep in mind that I live in the Northeast, where public transportation is only something that you can rely on if you carry a firearm in your purse. Most people around here don't use it, and even if I wanted to there is no bus line that comes to my city anyway, and the next city over where I could conceivably catch a bus is too far to walk. So... I have had to rely on the kindness of friends and family this past week as A* and I continue the Great Car Search of 2006.

A* and I share a car, and most of the time this is no problem. He doesn't have a (legal) driver's license, so most of the time I'm driving anyway. But when you only have one car, and one breaks, then you are up the creek. So we have been frantically trying to find a car that both fits into our almost nonexistent budget and that someone will let me have, because my credit is very, very bad. We went to a couple of dealerships over the weekend, and with the amount of money that I would have to put down just to begin making payments... well, I could just buy myself a new car with that downpayment. We also didn't want to have to involve a co-signer, because of the whole Responsible Adults thing and the fact that we are getting married so would just like to do things on our own. After a lot of discussion, some tears, and one email where I said to "just forget it", my dad agreed to co-sign for us, but like I said, this was not without some serious lecturing and promise making, and truthfully I would just rather not involve him, especially since he made such a big deal. Not that I'm really blaming him... after all, I don't have the greatest track record, but for God's sake you make a mistake when you're 18 and screw up your credit, then conveniently forget all about it until you are 25 and want to buy a car... anyway, I'm not 18 anymore and I do pay my bills.

But we finally stumbled onto an independent car lot and the man there said he would be willing to work with us. Tonight we are going back up there to test drive the two cars that we could possibly have. The payments are a lot higher than I wanted them to be, but seeing as no one else will even take us to look at the lot, I'm guessing this is one of the only choices.

So keep your fingers crossed that things work out, and that I don't have to ride to work anymore with my Stalker. She's loving it, but I am not. In fact, I may have to poke someone's eyes out if I have to ride one more week and listen to her complain about everything under the sun. Just keep your fingers crossed, for the good of my sanity, please?

Happy happy Blog-iversary

So I just realized that this month is the year anniversary of my blog! And to celebrate, I would like to share with you my very first mean spirited comment...

God You are anonying. How can he stand you? You act like a spolied brat. Grrr, i can't even stand people like you and reading this make me puke. People like you that ruin surprises and wants to be the 'man' in the house SUCKS.

That was in reference to my "Bad Habit" entry a couple days ago. Now, let's think... first of all, it was posted by "anonymous" which I think is just the lowest. If you are going to take the time to come to my blog and then insult me, at least have the balls to say who you are. I have seen this on other blogs, and I find that the dumbest comments are the ones from so-called "anonymous". Interesting. Second, let's count the mistakes, shall we? "Anonying" (1) "spolied" (2) No comma after God , you are annoying. (3) "people like you that ruin surprises and wants to be the 'man' in the house sucks"(4) How about "people like you that ruin surprises and WANT to be the 'man' in the house SUCK"

But hey, I really feel a part of this blogging atmosphere now, truly. I mean, you haven't really made it until someone tells you you are anonying. Ha! So thanks, anonymous, for helping me celebrate my anniversary. You've made me proud.

Be prepared... you may need a barf bag for this one

Yaaaaaaayyyyyyy!!!! Guess what, guess what... I am officially engaged!! Can you believe it, because I can't. This may be a long post, and like I said, it is very very sweet, so don't say I didn't warn you. Here goes...

I went to my parent's house on Saturday afternoon, because they were on their way to vacation and I wanted to say good-bye. I also wanted to put on my pitiful face for them so that perhaps they may buy me a present there, because I really really wanted to go but A* decided we couldn't afford it. So I came home afterwards, and there were suitcases strewn about our apartment. "Am I moving out?" I asked A*, thinking he was kicking me out or something. "No," he said, "we're going somewhere. Get in the car." I protested... I couldn't go anywhere, I didn't have any time off at work, I hadn't packed anything, what about the cats, etc. etc. A* assured me that everything was taken care of. Against my will, I got into the car. Since I was driving, A* had to tell me where we were going... and we were going to the beach! With my family! To the place that I love more than anywhere! And it was a surprise! Turns out that A* had already called my boss and arranged for me to have a whole week off. He had called my friend and asked her to come and look in at the cats. He had packed every single thing that I owned, so that I couldn't yell at him when we got there. ("What do you mean you didn't bring my yellow shirt that I haven't worn in six years... I need that!") He had even printed out directions to the beach. It was great.

So we got to the beach and it was wonderful. We camp there, and set up a tent on my parent's campsite. We spent a joyful couple of days tooling around town and splashing around in the ocean. Then Wednesday night, we decided to go for a walk on the beach at night. We took a blanket and sat down on the cool sand. It was beautiful... the waves were crashing and the moon was reflecting just right on the water. No one else was out, and it seemed like we had the whole world to ourselves. We talked for a minute, and I noticed that A* was a little fidgety, but I just thought he was cold. Then he turned to me and said, "You know, we've been together for three years, two months, and ten days." I thought for a minute, then insisted that this was not right. I started counting months and days, and was going around in a big circle, when A* put out his hand. "Stop," he said, "I KNOW it's right." I quieted. "I would rather be here, with you, than anywhere else in the world. I love you so much. You know, we were like two ships out there on the sea... all alone until we ran into each other, and now we're a team. I have never been happier than I have these past three years, and I can't wait to start the next chapter of our lives together. That's why," he reached into his pocket, " myfullnamehereincludingthemiddleone will you marry me?" He placed a gorgeous ring on my finger. I think I may have yelled out YES before he even got the whole sentence out of my mouth. I hugged and hugged him, all the while holding out my hand over his back so that I could watch the ring sparkle in the moonlight. When we pulled away, A* was wiping under his eyes.
"Are you crying?" I shrieked, in my new, LOUD AND EXCITED engaged voice.
"I didn't know I would be so emotional!" he said with a sheepish grin. It was quite possibly the cutest thing I've ever seen. I, however, did not cry at that time, because I was too busy jumping for joy and examining my finger. A day later, sitting at the beach and thinking, it hit me, and I bawled. "I'm so happy!" I blurted out, and A* smiled at me and put his arm around me.

All in all, I really couldn't have asked for a better, more romantic proposal. I can't believe that he pulled the whole thing off... read my last entry about me being the surprise ruiner, and you'll see what I mean. This is something he's been working on forever. I can't get over the fact that someone would go to all this trouble just for me. I am so glad, and so lucky, that I get to spend the rest of my life with this man.

I love you, A*.

Bad Habit

I have a bad habit. Occasionally I ruin surprises. Occasionally I may make A* want to pull out his hair due to my enthusiastic surprise ruin-ness. I think I did it again.

Okay, back when A* and I first moved in together, I told him that I wanted a cat. I told him over and over again how I needed a cat, had to have a cat. A* doesn't even LIKE cats, but I chose to overlook this. One day at work, a girl told me that she had two kittens at home, and she was only able to keep one. I was over at her house as soon as my shift was over, and as soon as I saw that little bundle of black and white fur I was in love, and took my kitty home that very day. I was upset when A* wasn't overjoyed with excitement at the new member of our family. Finally I got it out of him... it was about a month till Christmas, and A* was planning on buying me a kitten and giving it to me on Christmas morning. He even had a plan to put a red ribbon around its neck and lay it on the pillow beside me, so that was the first thing I saw when I opened my eyes that morning. Oops.

On my birthday, I told A* what I wanted. Except, I also told my mom, dad, grandma, aunts, assorted cousins and friends. Needless to say, I got what I wanted, but not from A*. Again, with the surprise ruining. He had already planned to buy me what I wanted, but since we celebrated with my family first, he got the short end of the stick.

Last week, there was an incident of a check. A* made up a huge long story about how this was a bonus check from his boss, but his boss couldn't put it in his paycheck because no one was supposed to know about the bonus, and he couldn't cash it for some reason, and it said "Loan" on the check but really it was a bonus... I really don't know, at this point I had stopped listening. But then I started thinking (always dangerous) and this story really didn't make sense. There were so many holes in it and I just couldn't get it. I asked him again, and bless his heart he gave me the same 45 minute story. But something still wasn't right. I nagged and nagged him, picking apart the story and examining it from every angle. Finally, A* exploded.

"Okay!" he yelled. "Okay, it wasn't really a bonus. I got that money on a personal check so that you wouldn't know about it. I was using it for a surprise, something to do with my proposal to you, but since you have to KNOW EVERYTHING THAT IS GOING ON you figured it out. There. I lied."

I felt in equal parts elated and depressed. On the one hand, A* is actually thinking and planning a proposal to me... we don't just have the ring for looks!! On the other, I had ruined things again. So I did what any girl would do... I cried.

A* ended up feeling bad for making me cry, and was quick to insist that I didn't "ruin" anything, just made it a little less surprising. I babbled that I was sorry, I never meant to spoil anything... and A* patted my hand and said,
"Just try and let me do things sometimes, okay? Just let me be the guy once in a while."

I think I can handle that.