We're Back!!!

Casey and I just arrived back from our honeymoon in Cancun and the wedding in Chicago. Both were amazing, but Casey and I need to grab some beauty sleep. Stories and photos to come later.

How Criss B. Pulled Off the Surprise.

Now for my two cents on the surprise party.

Criss is HORRIBLE with surprises. He has too many "tells," you know, like in poker. He was able to surprise me one other time but it was a very short time span and over the phone. That time he was in Florida on a golf trip but wasn't having the greatest time. I told him, "Come back early and see me!" but he said no, he was going to go to an amusement park and would keep his original flight. Little did I know he had already arranged an earlier flight and was waiting for me in the parking lot when I got off work. So cute!

This time, looking back, there were signs but I mostly chalked them up to Criss being his weird self. First, when a coworker asked me to work for her on Saturday his first reaction was an immediate "No!" I thought he just wanted to spend time with me but now I realize he was worried the timing would be off if I worked. Second, when we discussed what we were going to do on Saturday afternoon he said that he thought we would shop until about 6:30. At the time I thought, why does it matter how long we shop? Next, when we were getting ready to go out he wouldn't let me change from my work clothes. He said he liked what I was wearing and wouldn't even let me put on jeans. Turns out our friend Becky told him to make sure I looked nice so I wouldn't be embarrassed when a whole bunch of people were at my house. It was a really weird exchange between Criss and I though because usually he doesn't have much (or at least doesn't express much) of an opinion regarding what I wear (unless he's seen me in my sweatshirt one too many times). Finally, he wouldn't stop for food on the drive home and he drove the speed limit or under the whole way. If I hadn't been so sleepy and pretty much just napping during the drive, I would have said something. I wonder what his response would have been?

When we got home, my first clue that something was up was the fact that the cats weren't crying. It was well past their dinner time and usually they would be screaming through the window, but no cats. Then when I came in the door their was food on my table. I hesitated before going in but I still thought it was just going to be his parents. I was wrong! My whole kitchen was filled with friends.

This is probably one of the best things Criss has ever done for me and reminds me why I married him. I know how hard it was for him to get everything organized and keep it a secret and it means even more to me because of that. Thank you to everyone who made it. I had a great time!

SURPRISE!!!!!

Casey graduated from Graduate School this past Saturday. Since she wasn't doing any of the formal ceremonies down at UK, I thought I'd surprise her with a surprise graduation party. Those that know me know I'm horrible at keeping surprise stuff like that a secret. And it's not that I don't keep other peoples' secrets; I just can't keep my own.

I first made sure that my parents and Casey's parents could attend. I wanted Casey's brother, Matthew, to join us if he could; but since he's still in undergrad and had exams the week after, he wasn't able to join us. I invited a few of our other friends and they were able to keep the secret.

Keeping the details a secret proved to be easier than I thought. I finally got around to buying a grill that my father and grandmother contributed funds to. I certainly procrastinated long enough in buying it (bought it Thursday), but all worked out. I was able to deliver copious amounts of alcohol to my parent's house under the ruse of "picking up Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra tickets". And finally, on the day of the party, I was able to get Casey out of the house under the ruse of "shopping".

While Casey and I shopped around town, the parents helped set everything up and our guests arrived. As Casey was getting hungry and cranky, I did my best to stall our arrival. I tried everything from putting gas in my car at a slow rate, driving at speed limit, etc. When we finally arrived home, I made sure that Casey opened the door while I got our shopping items.

As Casey opened the door to our house, she could tell something was up. In the now immortal words, she said, "Criss B. Did you do something?" Then came the surprise :)

We had a great time with those that were able to attend. We christened the new grill with many hamburgers and enjoyed a rousing game of Apples to Apples. George, Casey's father, got to witness the "I'm the Juggernaut8...!" YouTube video. Never got his opinion on that one...

New Homeowner Lesson # 8: Septic alarms should not be ignored

About a month ago our septic alarm went off. We silenced it but could not get the stupid red light to stop flashing. I went through all the phases of house worry. First I was calm and figured it was probably nothing. Then I started freaking out that we were going to have sewage backed up into the house. Then I used my own minuscule amount of knowledge regarding septic tanks and decided that since it sounded like the motor was still running there was probably nothing to worry about. This thought was backed by a superior reference source, my coworkers :). Anyway, a month goes by and I'm too busy to really think about the septic tank and everything is still draining properly and there's no funny smell so I figure all is probably well. We also had our Hamilton County inspection and certification during this time in which our system passed as operational. This made me feel a ton better though it shouldn't have. This weekend, just days after our passing inspection, the septic alarm starts spazzing out. It turns itself on and then in a minute or less turns itself off. I think it was the alarm's way of getting our attention. I finally broke down and called someone to come look at it. Sure enough, some essential carbon pieces have worn out (which they are supposed to do every three to four years, something I did not know) and we need a GAST rebuild kit put in. Apparently, the motor has been running but not actually pulling in any air or doing anything its supposed to. When he took the lid off the tank he said, "You hear how the motor is running quieter than usual" and I was like "Um, no" and thought to myself "or I would have done something sooner." When I told Criss about the motor being quieter he said, "Yeah, I noticed that" and I said "Well why didn't you say anything?" This is just like how he would have double bagged the litter, but that is a story for another time. Luckily the guy was able to fix it for us right then and it only cost $139, which is a blessing considering how much our basement is going to cost to fix (yikes!). When the guy was leaving he asked how long we'd been in the house and when he found out it was only a year he said, "Getting hit with stuff already, huh?" and I said, "This is nothing compared to the basement." I wish all we had to deal with was a GAST rebuild kit. Oh, well, that's homeownership for you. The septic guy also taught me that there is an air filter I need to replace every 6 months (who knew?) and told me to call if I had any questions, which was very nice but emphasized how clueless I am about maintaining my own home sometimes. Live and learn. So the moral of the story is, call the septic people right away if the alarm goes off and won't stop flashing.