p90x-iest

My cousin Jenni was gracious enough to lend me her p90x program while she's pregnant and I am super pumped to get started. Today marks DAY 1 of my 90 days, I even took some BEFORE photos. Even more amazing is that I even considered posting those photos. But then my thighs went all Mariah Carey on the idea and well, now you'll have to wait for DAY 30 so I can show some results first. Here's how I see your inner monologues going:

YOU: "oh man, I had no idea she was hiding all that...oh god, good thing this isn't a movie...I'm eating over here...poor thing...how does she have the strength to stand? she has two back muscles! oh wait, no, just one...that's a shadow... are those paint samples behind her? I wonder which one they went with, that one looks really grey... does she want to sleep in a rain cloud or something? Maybe James picked it... I wonder which facial hair configuration he's rocking today...I miss the chin-strap..."

**Scrolling down**scroll**scroll**McScrollington

YOU: "whoa. This is only 30 days later?? My god, she looks like she could bench me! She probably benches James! Is that...baby oil?? I better not make her angry...I probably wouldn't like her when she's angry... looks like they still haven't painted either..."

FIN

you travel like a real Boo, you know that?

My travels, though somewhat limited, have always been quite smooth. Never a major delay, never a missed or cancelled flight, never a lost bag. The occasional shampoo bottle explosion sure, but I mean, come on...that's just physics. Not until I started travelling frequently with James did I discover that a black hole of shitty travel surrounds him, and when you travel with him there is no avoiding it. Not even time escapes.

So there we were, all bright-eyed and bushy tailed, at the Boise airport on our way to Tulsa, Oklahoma for the BSU game that evening. We should have known better really. We didn't even make it past the ticket counter this time before his travel voodoo started in with the pins.
"Ah, yes, looks like your flight out of Denver has been delayed 4 hours..."
"Awesome, so we'll get there around halftime...that's great because I started feeling like maybe the whole game would be too much football"
Cue James dropping the F bomb all the way to the security check point, cue me trying to distract him by making small talk about the Tulsa offense...no dice, he saw right through me. From his trusted utility belt James unleashes his Blackberry, conditioned to search for flights in but the raise of an eyebrow. While we mulled over the option of buying two more seats on another flight at $250 a pop we consulted some bloody marys. Mine didn't say a whole lot, probably because I didn't give her much of a chance but James' seemed to calm him right down. We decided to take our chances with the flight we had and left Boise (home of the $13 "but it's a double, sir" Bloody Mary) anxious and $26 lighter.
Lo and behold, upon arriving in Denver we discovered that our plane was just a smidge behind schedule and that the nice man working the Frontier counter in Boise struggles reading military time. 14:00 is 2 o'clock not 4...
We had a great time in Tulsa and Kansas City, despite the Broncos great attempts to cause otherwise. It was nice to see where James had run off to for half a year after graduating, always keeping in mind, however, how grateful I am that he was so unhappy there and came back to Boise to fall in love with me. I really owe him one. All in all, my whole take on the midwest: his friend Pat was funnier than I had anticipated, a whole lot more trees than I expected, it doesn't RAIN it MISTS on you, the food is fantastic and the portions are out of control.

**This tale is MILD in comparison to our adventure down the PCH and Baja Mexico last Spring...alas, I don't have the energy to get into that one right now. That and the pictures of me are terrible...let's just say I've got the fine wine thing going.

An Ode to the Chin-Strap

Iconic James: big Chevy truck, sleeveless shirts, tribal tattoos, Bud Light and the chin-strap...

James once vowed to me that I would never, EVER see his naked chin and jawline. He had convinced himself that without the definite border the chin-strap beard provided his neck would immediately annex his face. Like all good women I took this as a challenge; I would be the only one to ever see what lieth beneatheth the chin-strap. I think I pleaded with him for over a year to shave it off, the curiousity was consuming me. What's he hiding under there? I think he has a chin, I mean it looks like he has a chin...could he have lost his chin somehow?? How dare he tell me never, EVER...

Then, all of a sudden, last winter James had a fateful conversation with an electrician working at one of his installs and the chin-strap paid the ultimate price. Almost as quickly as it entered my life, it left and now James has vowed to never, EVER grow another. My man is smokin' hot regardless of facial hair configuration, I just wish I had gotten the chance to say goodbye. I fell in the love with that fantastically manicured beard and I just don't deal well with being told never, EVER...

O' chin-strap, O' chin-strap

I always knew where to find you,

the silver lining of my boyfriend's face

a beacon in the night, a comfort in the light

I know you're still there,

somewhere between the cheek and neck hair.

R.I.P. chin-strap

your guess is as good as mine...

So there I was...3 o'clock last Friday

**found this in my "drafts"... have zero recollection of writing it, obviously it was headed somewhere awesome.

MR. A-Z

We hit up the Jason Mraz concert in September (I'm such a responsible blogger). To bring the readers up to speed on my and Jason's relationship, we met in 2004 (?) and I've served as somewhat of a muse for him ever since. This was my fourth Jason show in Boise and although it's always hard to beat the first time, this outdoor show was amazing. I have had many good times here in Boise but I have to say that some of dearest, happiest memories have been in the crowd of a Jason show. The guy and his band put on a hell of show, I love his music, I have memories attached to all his songs...be them love, heartache, laughs at the Cadet House. I will say that Jason has definitely taken a turn for the crunchier side of life and this concert was no exception. On more than one occasion he asked us to send our good vibes out into the universe, to send a message of unity to any life forms that might be listening in. Our little foursome (fivesome actually) couldn't help but send a few eyerolls skyward but all dirty hippiness aside I'll never miss a Boise Mraz show and it was amazing to have the trio (plus two) in full force. Just like 2004...

I don't know how I could ever write down how much I love both these girls. It is no exaggeration when I say that they made college for me. I can't believe that we've all three graduated, two are married and one is preggers (hence the trio plus two). Oh god, here I go: I cherish our yesterdays, our todays kick ass and I look forward to cougaring with you ladies and being the weird aunt to your kids.