Personality

We recently won a photo shoot and 5x7" portrait after I answered a survey while out shopping in Bury.  I was super-excited about the chance to have a great picture of our little family.  We've got some that we took when Linus was one month old, but it'll be nice to have some that don't involve a box as a tripod and the self-timer.

Well, tonight I spoke to the girl from the photography studio to schedule our session and was left scratching my head.  She explained that they really like to capture the family in their element and put lots of personality into the pictures.  Sounds great!  I don't want cheese pictures of fixed smiles.  In photos like that I always end up looking crazy or you can read the thought "just take the darn picture already" in my eyes.  The best pictures ever taken of me are from our engagement pictures and our wedding pictures.  Granted the professional hair and make up at the wedding helped, but the most important part was that it was a relaxed shooting style that captured us as we really are. 

The scheduler asked me questions about what we are "in to".  I struggled to answer this.... "Um.... our family?  Laughing?... We're kind of boring, I guess..."  She finally managed to get me to say that Ross likes old movies- like Laurel and Hardy and that I like to cook.  I also mentioned that Ross really likes socks.  She said that was weird.*  She then suggested that, in order to make our photos more personal, we should bring some of movies and some pots and pans.  Right. Sure.  Nothing says priceless family photos like props of DVDs and cookware.

Tell me I'm not the only one that thinks that sounds like the worst idea ever?  I'd much rather have pictures of my family laughing and smiling and being goofy.  I'd like us to be the focus, rather than some stuff that we like.  I can't speak for Ross and his DVDs, but I like my husband and my son and heck of a lot more than I like pots and pans!  I do appreciate what they're trying to do: put people at ease and make the photos more individual, but come on... If our family doesn't have enough personality and facial expressions to make a fun photo shoot, then I'll eat my hat.  Or maybe Linus' hat.  

It's cuter.

Anyway, I'll keep you posted on our experience (spoiler: we won't be bringing any props).

Have you ever used props in a photo shoot?
Would you have family pictures taken with a stack of DVD's and pots and pans?

*Ross disputes and takes great offence to the idea that his love of socks is weird.  I explained that, while I don't mind, it is (in fact) abnormal to have an entire dresser full of socks.  He wasn't convinced.

My New Toy

Y'all!
I totally won a Kindle!
Remember this post? Well, the kind people at Thomas Cook decided that my post was a winner.

Just a few days ago, I got my new toy in the mail and I'm already putting it to use.  Ross has declared that it looks more magical than an iPad, because of the E Ink.  I turned on my shiny Kindle and was faced with a dilemma.  (A minor one, sure... but a dilemma nonetheless)  It asked me to select what language I'd like my Kindle to be in.  The automatically highlighted choice was "English (US)".  Just below, was the option "English (UK)".  I wavered for a moment... unsure which to select.  After just a brief hesitation I moved the cursor down (ok, I actually jabbed at the screen with my finger until I realised it wasn't a touch screen and THEN used the arrow button to scroll down) and selected "English (UK)".  I figured I live here, so my Kindle should be in the language of my adopted country.  Also... Ross pointed out that I might have trouble with the system if I didn't say UK, since I'd be using Amazon.co.uk and not .com.   But, really, I'd already decided before he told me that.  I wondered if this decision was a true sign of me fully adopting my new country.  (I don't think it was anything that profound.  I really like living here and feel quite at home and have for some time!)  But the thought was still there.

I've already downloaded several free books (and even finished reading one) and am really enjoying the Kindle.  I think the one-handed reading will come in handy during feedings and comforting sessions!

Have you had any small decisions that indicated that you'd fully adopted your new home country?
Have you hesitated and put way more thought than necessary into options to pick for something relatively insignificant?
Does anyone know why some Kindle books are SOOO expensive?  (Seriously... It's only a download!)

An inconvenient trip

Back in July of 2008, I was stressed.  I'd made plans to attend an improv comedy conference in Portland, Oregon earlier in the year.  I also found myself moving into a new apartment.  The move was scheduled for the day after I returned home from the conference.  I was still sort of looking forward to the trip, but the move was taking the majority of my attention.  I'd packed all my things prior to leaving, and headed to Portland without any expectations of what would happen there.  I told myself that the trip was going to be an inconvenience and that if I'd known I would be moving, I wouldn't have gone.  Little did I know, it was the most important trip I'd ever take.

The conference turned out to be really fun.  It was a great stress reliever and I had a good time.  I mean, what else can you expect from a conference full of improvisational comedians?!  As the week went on, I met lots of people.  I met people who were outrageously funny, completely irritating, totally fascinating, and then some that didn't catch my attention at all.

The last night of the conference, whilst standing in an alley, one of those people that hadn't caught my attention leaned in for a quick kiss.  I pulled back, embarrassed to be caught unaware.  Smooched by a stranger in public!  This stranger and I went for a walk around downtown Portland.  We awkwardly made our way in loops and circles in a town unfamiliar to us both.  I'm not sure if we held hands.  I know we talked.  And talked.  And talked.  We talked about his life back in England.   The big things: that his sister and parents were dead.  The little things:  he spoke French and a bit of Italian.  I told him about my life in Dallas, my family and job and other stuff I don't really remember that was just chatter to fill the air.  We walked and talked for what seemed like hours.  I knew when we stopped we'd kiss again and I was so nervous that I both couldn't wait and was trying to prolong it as much as possible.

Eventually we did kiss.  And, oh those kisses!  Those kisses were filled with magic.

The next morning, this British stranger came back to my hotel room and took me for coffee at Starbucks.  I had a Chai Tea Latte.  He had a black coffee.  We talked some more.  I told him that I made a really killer Chicken Pot Pie, not knowing he was a vegetarian.  He asked me to go back to Manchester with him that very day.  I laughed and declined, thinking I'd never see him again.  He gave me his card and kissed me goodbye when my ride to the airport showed up.

As I buckled my seat belt to fly back to Dallas and move to a new apartment, a text message came through on my phone.  This stranger had been very sneaky!  The message said how much he'd enjoyed meeting me.  I smiled a big, cheesy grin.  I thought how much fun my little romance had been.  I still thought I'd never see him again.

Today, that stranger is sitting at our dining table doing some work.  I'm sitting on our couch with pictures from our wedding on the wall behind me.  I'm supposed to be resting because I'm about 6 weeks away from bringing our first child into the world.  This man is not a stranger any more.  And he's certainly caught my attention now.

And all because I took a trip that was highly inconvenient.


This post is an entry into Thomas Cook's "Write and Win a Kindle" Contest.  If you'd like to enter, you can too!
(But do it quick because the contest ends today...)

I love my husband.

So I was entering a give away at texpatsabroad and asked for Ross' help.
The prize is a pretty groovy sounding book:  The Hip Girl's Guide to Homemaking which was written by a friend of hers.

Entering the prize required me to say what my "most brilliant domestic accomplishment" has been...
I had no idea what to say.  I do lots of domestic things.  Some of them you've read about here.  But brilliant- that's a tall order.  I needed something special.  I turned to my husband who was sitting in his usual spot, working away on the computer even though it was nearly midnight

 and asked him what he considers my most brilliant domestic accomplishment.

I should know better.   I really should.

He paused and got that mischievous look that I know and love so well.
"Well you don't really do that much..."  he says, ever so nonchalantly.

This was my face.

We are not amused.

We are also not looking so hot- yikes!

He's so proud of himself when he says things like that.  It makes him terribly adorable.  Not so much the fact that he says these things, but the fact that he's so amused by the fact that he's said something so untrue/mean.  He's like a little boy who's enjoying being naughty.  

Normally when he says something with the intention of getting my goat, he follows it immediately with "Give me a kiss" and a sheepish/mischievous smile.  Tonight after I gave him the above look, he said "What do you expect me to say when you ask things like that*... (continued look from me)...you redid the bathroom, you rearranged the lounge... etc."

I ended  up listing my accomplishment as the fact that I wrangled Ross' sock collection into one chest of drawers.  He's got a LOT of socks and it took some effort to corral them all... silly, cute, wonderful man.

UPDATE:  I won the drawing!  Huzzah!  I'm very excited to get the cookbook and try out some of the womanly arts it contains :)  Thanks, Texpats and HipGirl!

*When Ross and I first started dating, he displayed an astonishing talent for giving compliments that sounded like insults.  He'd say something that was meant to be sweet and complimentary, but to the uninitiated it might sound horrible and insulting.  Often times, he'd realize how it was sounding as he talked and would try to find a way to bring it around and "save it".  When he does salvage the compliment, he always congratulates himself.  When he doesn't... well that, ladies and gentlemen, is known as a "Ross Special".