There is something you should know about me. Come to think of it, you probably already know…

I am a VERY open person.

I say too much.

I over share.

And I bleed my narcissism all over this blog.

I’ve always been this way.  If someone is willing to listen, I open up. At a birthday party just the other week, I got into a conversation with an incredibly sweet not-so-sober gal I just met and ended up telling her my life story.  I was like, Ha ha! High five! Way to play flip cup! We totally dominated the guys! By the way, did I tell you I may never be able to have children?

Seriously? Who does that? Maybe it’s part of my middle child syndrome. I’m not really sure. Doctors are looking into it.

However, there are some topics I do not broach; like my personal relationship with my boyfriend ED. It’s not for lack of wont on my part, but more out of respect for him. You see, ED is my polar opposite. He is a private person. He doesn’t share his life story, fears and victories, with strangers. I think know a part of him thinks I am crazy for sharing as much as I do. So I write very little about our relationship–outside of sharing a funny story here and there–and try to keep my posts about the one thing no one can object to: ME!

Today I reached an interesting crossroad… a dilemma if you will. Because the TMI topic on my mind has to do with my relationship with ED. It’s my feelings, and therefore about ME so I could easily justify saying whatever I want.

But at what cost?

I tried to do the mature adult thing and talk to ED about it.

“Babe, I’m having trouble knowing what to do. How do you feel about me writing about us on my TMI post?”

“That sounds a lot like it will involve… feelings… and emotions… that strangers from all of the world will read about.”  *insert disgusted sound*

“Yes sweetie, it’s called blogging. I know you are a super private person but that is the topic that is on my mind so I thought I better talk to you about it before you read it online. It’s just that I made the decision to go back to what I originally started the blog out to be: a place for me to talk about my feelings in a very public way.”

“Well… I guess you can write about your… feelings about us. It’s more the personal stories about us that I don’t think you should share.”

“Don’t worry darling. I won’t let the Internet know about all of your sappy ways. Your secret is safe with me.”

Oops!

Only now this post has become incredibly long and I have lost the emotional capacity to explore my excitement and fears of the phase of our relationship we are entering. I mean, we are approaching a YEAR of being together (year and a four months if you include the first time we dated) and ED and I have both accepted the fact that neither of us are going anywhere!

DO YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS?

Me neither. Except that it feels good… and scary… but mostly good.

***

What about you? I’m curious. Do you “over share”? Are there topics you won’t write about, or if you are not a blogger, that you feel people should not write about?

Blogfully yours,

Summer

ED is not Emotionally Disturbed, TMI Friday

I must say I had a truly a-freaking-mazing Thanksgiving holiday. I have great pictures and stories to share but unfortunately you will need to wait a day or two for them because I spent the last five days pretending like I don’t have a care in the world and I am now up to my eyeballs in homework. Bloody homework.

My first day back in the real world started out with an unexpected run in with an ex-boyfriend. Don’t you just hate those? Fortunately, for the first time since we broke up about 2 years ago, he was very non-asshole-ish. I’d like to say it was because he has grown up or moved on… but it was more than likely because we saw each other in a work setting and I was with a client who spends money with his company. Still, being treated like a human being rather than the bitch who broke his heart was greatly appreciated.

I’d like to start a petition that states whenever a relationship ends, the person who has lived in that state for the shorter amount of time has to move at least two states away. Seriously this idea is genius! Think about all of the problems this would solve! For example, last Valentines Day ED and I ran into his ex-girlfriend at our romantic dinner out (she was there with her mother). If my breakup law was put into play, that never would have happened because she would be living in Arkansas!

But I digress…

Later on, in my first day back in the real world, I got an e-mail from Heidi saying she had the two tickets to see 30 Seconds to Mars I had asked her about months ago. Only they weren’t just regular tickets, they were VIP tickets. I was distraught because I knew the responsible thing to do would be to stay home and get caught up on homework. But I am not responsible, or logical… at least when it comes to seeing sexy men with guitars on stage. So I made an appearance in class, ran home and practiced my speech for 30 minutes, threw on black clothes and an extra layer of makeup and left to see Jared. Beautiful, sexy, black eyeliner wearing Jared Leto.

Picture courtesy of Karina the Russians Criket phone

So the picture is not great, but even blurry you gotta admit he looks hot. I told ED that Jared Leto almost looks as hot on stage with a guitar as he did swinging an ax on the farm. He told me to shut it. I told him to watch it buster because I’ve lived in Salt Lake a lot longer than he has and I don’t want to have to ship him off to South Dakota. He didn’t get it. But he will once my breakup law passes.

Threats! Yet another benefit to my brilliant idea.

Blogfully yours,

Summer

Concert whore, ED is not Emotionally Disturbed

Did you know Kevlar comes in pink?

I’m off to the country to spend Thanksgiving with ED’s family this year. This will be my first Thanksgiving away from my family. Ever. It will also be the first time in 10 plus years I have missed the crazy 5am madness that is “Black Friday” shopping.

I’m not sure which makes me more sad.

The other night, while planning the details of our little holiday trip, ED asked me if I would like to shoot guns while we are there. I told him hell yeah I want to shoot guns while we are there! but secretly, between you and me, I’m kinda scared shitless of guns. I’m not really sure why either. My dad took me shooting a few times when I was like 12, but I haven’t so much as seen, yet alone shot one, since then. But, I’m a bad ass and a great big liar and it’s kind of a big deal to him so I stuck with bring on the guns!

The next morning I woke from a dream where I had shot myself in the stomach and was bleeding to death on my family room floor. Awesome, right? I’m not feeling so much like a bad ass now. I’m feeling like my little secret of being irrationally scared shitless of guns should probably be shared with ED before I end up inadvertently shooting myself in the foot and, since the closest hospital is like a bazillion hours away, really do bleed to death!

I am probably the sissy-est country boy’s girlfriend in the history of country boy girlfriends. But it is not for lack of trying! I can’t help my dreams!

Luckily, “clairvoyant” is not on my list of talents/skills, so I am pretty sure I’ll be safe. But just in case, I want you all to know I love you and to have a very happy (and safe!) Thanksgiving!

Gobble gobble.

Blogfully yours,

Summer

ED is not Emotionally Disturbed, Holidays

Have I mentioned yet that in my new place I have a shoe closet? Well, technically it’s a storage area with shelves that I transformed into every girls wet dream.

The girl living here before me used it for food storage, an extra pantry of sorts, which totally makes no sense to me. I mean, isn’t that what a fridge and and cupboards are for? Who has more food in their house than that?

Obviously not me.

The shoe closet was actually Karina the Russian’s idea. I tell you, that woman is brilliant! However, I discovered a serious problem with my shoe closet right after I got it all set up. It was missing something and I simply couldn’t rest until I fixed it.

Blurry camera phone picture

Of course I am referring to the perfect pair of sexy black ankle boots which you can wear with slacks or a skirt.

Not to worry, I have fixed the problem. In fact, I double fixed the problem!

Soft suede and shiny leather of course.

The picture totally doesn’t do them justice, but trust me they are hot!

After buying them I called ED all excited. I am not sure why I thought he’d care, but I tried anyway.

Me: “Babe! I just bought the cutest black ankle boots! I bought two pairs though because I couldn’t decide on which ones to get and they were on sale.”

ED: “Like you don’t have enough shoes.”

Me: “I don’t have any black ankle boots.”

ED: “And I’m sure you don’t have any shoes that could work in their place.”

Me: “These shoes are very versatile honey. I don’t think you understand. I can wear these with both pants AND a skirt!”

ED: “But you never wear skirts.”

Me: “Well… should I decide to start wearing skirts I have the perfect boots. I’m prepared.”

At which point he changed the subject.

Men… I don’t think they will ever understand the importance of shoes. They just don’t get it.

Blogfully yours,

Summer

ED is not Emotionally Disturbed, Finding Home

Ed and I have been dating since January. So we have been together, what? NINE MONTHS! Whew! That is the longest I have been in a relationship outside of my ex-husband! But I digress. In those nine months together I have not cooked for him once, unless you count heating up a Totinos pizza, which I totally do but he claims it doesn’t count.

Whatever.

None of that matters now because I “officially” cooked for him AND I had him take pictures to document it.

Look! An apron and everything. Total domestic goddess!

OK so domestic goddess may be a bit of an overstatement for cooking breakfast. However, I did purchase all of the food, mix a pre-made waffle mix, crack eggs and touch raw meat. All to create a lovely meal for my babe.

I cooked eggs too but they didn't make it into the picture.

There should be some type of award for best girlfriend EVER, because I would totally win! I even did the dishes after cooking while ED looked up sports scores online. Yet for some odd reason ED is not nearly as impressed with me as I am.

Again, whatever.

At least I’ve got that out of the way and he can no longer say I A) don’t know how to cook or B) that I never have for him. Which is awesome because now I can go back to my philosophy that kitchens are simply where you store the wine and house the wine glasses.

Blogfully yours,

Summer

ED is not Emotionally Disturbed, Finding Home

ED was offered FREE tickets to the first University of Utah home game and we had to pass them up. “WHY?” you might scream ask. The answer was, sadly, that I had an online assignment due and ED had massive amounts of anatomy studying to do too. And no it wasn’t MY anatomy he was studying either.

So what does the nerd couple do instead?

FOOTYING!

In case you can’t tell, I have my laptop on my lap and ED has his. The TV is showing the U of U (on low volume) kicking Utah State’s butt. The TV is, of course, directly in front of ED.

Football + Studying = FOOTYING

A way to watch the game and still pass Mass Comm 1500.

Blogfully yours,

Summer

PS – in case you are wondering, U of U won 35 to 17! GO UTES!

Back to School, ED is not Emotionally Disturbed, Nerdom

Let me just start by saying I LOVE MEXICO! I had an amazing time soaking up the sun and drinking the culture. We stayed at a beautiful four start all-inclusive resort. All-inclusive meaning, anything you could possibly want to eat or drink was included.

Just looking at this makes me want to go back

Standing by the outside of one of the entrances.

Our resorts stretch of beach. So amazing!

ED and I were some of the few Americans there. Most of the visitors were European or from South America, so I saw enough men in banana hammocks  and tight square cut short shorts to last me a life time!

The resort was actually four resorts combined into one. It is so large they have a train which runs from one end to the other, not that you can’t walk it (and walk it we did!), but tourists are lazy and after a few cocktails the walk can seem impossibly long, plus who doesn’t love a train, right?

Lazy (American) boarding the train.

As I mentioned before I left, ED and I decided that the best approach to this vacation was to have one active sight seeing day followed by a drunken relaxing day of laying out at one of the eight pools or under the umbrellas along the ocean beach.

For our first active day we decided to explore some Mayan ruins. We moseyed over to the tourism booth, you know, just to check prices. The gentleman working the booth took one look at us and knew the perfect hook, line and sinker question to ask: “you like adventure?”

I am proud to say I participated in every event! I hiked, I zip-lined over a pond with a crocodile, I was “blessed” by a Mayan priest right before repelling into their sacred freezing cold cenote water – which I might add is where they used to dump sacrificial bodies and the skulls are STILL AT THE BOTTOM!!!, I was the only girl who climbed the rope ladder out of the cenote instead of being raised out (no small feat I assure you!) and I canoed – well, technically ED canoed and I sunbathed but in my defense I was exhausted and he loves exercise, so really I was doing him a favor.

Even though I did all of these fun activities, I have no pictures to share.

At the start of this portion of the tour they explained we did not need to bring our cameras because the Mayan men following us around were taking pictures which we could purchase at the end.

Sadly, the pictures were so incredibly over priced (I’m talking $50 for only 4 shots!) we decided not to get them.

I do have however have a picture of the lunch prepared for us by the Mayan women from the village.

I kid you not, I am close to 2 feet taller than the Mayan women.

Soup, boiled chicken, spaghetti, and potato empanadas. A match made in Mayan Heaven.

The rest of the adventure tour took place at the Coba ruins. About a 30 minute drive form the village.

Standing in front of a sacrificial pyramid they wouldn't let us climb.

The strongest male to get a ball through the hoop first won the trophy of being sacrificed. Yay!

Riding a rickety bike around the ruins.

Us with our Italian tour mates. Language barrier? What language barrier?

Only the largest pyramid on the Yucatan Peninsula - Nohoch Mul.

At the top of the bazillion step Nohoch Mul pyramid. I was content to sit in the shade, but nooo! Somebody thought I might regret going there and then NOT climbing it.

What else would you expect at the end of a guided Mexican tour - Tequila!

Later that evening, on the long walk back to the room from dinner, I started to feel… not right. Not right AT ALL! I had a restless nights sleep and woke up doubled over in pain from massive stomach cramps. I spent the day alternating between the bathroom, the bed and laying in the warm sun on the beach.

I suppose there are worse places to recover but I assure you this was not how I had envisioned spending my relaxing day.

Now I can’t say for certain – mainly because I don’t speak Mayan – but I think the cause of my ailment was the supposed “blessing” the Mayan priest guy did. Somewhere in between the smoke and chanting and waving of branches, he must have included the phrase “buy our pictures or suffer from the worst food poisoning of your life”!

Makes sense right?

But what about ED? Did he get sick too?

ED grew up eating dirt in the country. His stomach in not quite as sensitive as mine. He felt a little sick but nothing serious. That is, until the Mayan priest sent a message to Jimmy Buffet so that when ED had his ginormous 32 oz margarita and fresh made guacamole in the airport Margaritaville restaurant before our flight home, he ingested the same poisonous revenge sickness.

ED vetoed the picture I wanted to use, but "IT'S 5 O'CLOCK SOMEWERE" is awesome none the less.

Too bad ED only had the comfort of his own bed to recover in. The sound of the ocean is much more medicinal in my opinion!

***

All things considered and despite getting cursed by a Mayan priest sick, I have to say this was one of my favorite vacations ever! I got to do and experience so many things that I could easily make this post three times longer!

I have a lovely sun kissed glow and I checked off almost everything on my “to do” list from Karina the Russian. Best of all, I got to experience it all with the man I am crazy about. After six days together, I still love the guy.

Truthfully I only wanted to murder him once… OK, maybe twice… but trying to trade me for a box of Cuban cigars is just not cool! It made me feel cheap and under valued. Hello! It’s called haggling ED. You should have at least held out for two boxes AND a sombrero, that way we could have checked off all of the items on the list!

Blogfully yours,

Summer

ED is not Emotionally Disturbed, Vacations