Waxing Artistic

My creative side got the better of me yesterday and after a few hours with paintbrush in hand, our bedroom is now photo worthy. At least one wall of it, anyway. Turns out that a little background in scenic art never hurts. Thanks TMA 368!

One day and $500 later...

My job last week was to get the truck registered. It was important not only because you have only 60 days after moving to Maryland to do so without a fine, but also because the old Texas registration expired in June, and we were driving illegally on the sly. It was a fairly complicated endeavor, which we had not postponed out of sheer procrastination, but out of necessity while with cut, bit by bit, though all the red tape that was required before they would even give you a number at the MVA. So after legally changing my name, having Jon's parents send us a notarized bill of sale, notarizing our signatures on the bill of sale, and waiting for my new social security card to come in the mail, on Thursday, I was ready.

The day before, I had made an appointment for a safety inspection. They usually run about $30 in Utah, so when the first place I called told me $85, I laughed to myself and said I would "call back", fully intending to find the $30 place and never call that place again! My subsequent calling yielded me answers of "$89.95", "$90", and so on...so I went back on my internal vow and did call the first place back. Yikes! $85 for a safety inspection?! But what else can you do? Luckily, we have kept the truck in pretty good shape, so I didn't anticipate any repairs. And I was right...the truck is in great shape. Except, apparently, tint (even a very light one that comes standard on the truck) is illegal without a certification sticker, which we didn't have, so we could not pass the inspection! Oh, and the wiper blades needed replacing. We could either make an appointment with with police to contest the policy in our specific case, scrape all the tint off the windows with a razor blade, or pay $70 to have the shop remove it. After a phone call to Jon at work, we decided on the latter. We were headed on an out of state road trip the next day, and really needed the registration asap...no time for police or razor blades. And, might as well have them replace the wiper blades while they're at it...add $30. ($30 for wiper blades?!) Add $100 to the initial $85, and the truck passes!

Now, on to the MVA (like the DMV...in Maryland it's called the Motor Vehicle Association). I managed to find the place (I swear they hide them) without too much trouble, but of course the first time I went, I didn't have all the papers I needed...("Oh, you need to see my new social security card and my marriage license?...Oh, no problem...I'll just run home...Oh, my husband and I both have to sign this form...no biggie, I'll just stop by his work on the way home..."). And thus, I found myself making my second trip to the MVA for the day.
I, a new resident to the state of Maryland, was bringing a lot of business to the MVA that afternoon (yes afternoon. Did I mention I started the ordeal at 8am?) So you would think I would be treated very kindly. I had to transfer the title of the truck, register the truck, and change my drivers license over to a Maryland one. Could they help me with all of those things? Nope! Two lines...one for drivers licenses, another for vehicle title and registration. Better do the license first. (How could I forget? No competition, no customer service.) So I take my first number, and I wait, and wait, and wait. And since they have like, four types of numbers (each beginning with a different letter) I have no idea if my turn is getting closer or not. I think they are trying to drive us all crazy. Luckily, I have brought pretzels and a book. They serve me well. Except that, I have just taken a bit of a pretzel when they finally call my number. And I'm so flustered that I forget to put a marker in my book. And then I'm worried that I have pretzel in my teeth when they take my picture. Oh well.

Not sure what takes so long, but the lady just sits there typing and clicking away, and finally looks up and says, "$48." I still don't have my own check card, (you don't even want to know what we have been through with banks) but I have Jon's debit, and since you can enter the pin, and I know the pin, I've never had a problem. Only, they only run cards as credit. I swipe it, and she looks at me like I'm some sort of criminal and says, "Is he here? He has to sign." (No, he is not here. If he had been here, I wouldn't have had to drive to his work to have him sign that silly form, now would I have?) I sigh, scrounge up $48 cash from my wallet, and hand it over. That was toll road cash for our road trip. Oh well. After a couple minutes she hands me my new Maryland drivers license (she kept my Utah one...I'll bet she's gonna sell it on the street to some kid who doesn't even look like me...for how cranky she was they couldn't be paying her that well).

Now I head back to the line, which is much longer by now, and wait. Eventually, the attendant reviews my documents, verifies that I have everything (she seems surprised...the attendant has switched by now...little does she know that I have already had to make a trip home), and gives me a number. "Wait!" I say, "Do you know how much this will all cost?" (Now that I know they won't accept our debit card I need to sneak out and get some more cash...unless it costs less than $3.76...I still have $3.76 in my wallet). "Let's see" she says, cheerfully. "It'll be $36.75 for sales tax," (the car "cost" $0 in the "sale" from Jon's parents. Apparently 6% of $0 is $36.75), "$50 for the title, a $25 registration fee, and..." (she glances down at my paperwork) "is this a pickup truck?" I nod. "$150 for the tags" she finishes, and smiles up at me. I smile back, feeling faint. And I take my number, and run to the bank next door, where I hit up the ATM for $300, and sneak back into the MVA to repeat the waiting game. Only this time, in the title and registration section, there is a super annoying bugle sound every time a new number flashes up on the screen. Maybe the title and registration workers are all mutes, and can't actually call out the number. I go back to my pretzels and book (I haven't had lunch yet, and it is well after lunch time...) trying to ignore the bugle sound.

Finally the bugle alerts me to my number, and once again, I have just taken a bit of a pretzel, so I chew quickly and approach the desk. At least there are no pictures this time. This lady is actually pretty nice. She turns out not to be a mute, and, noticing my book, asks what I am reading. "It's called 'An Assembly Such as This'...it's a take on Pride and Prejudice from Mr. Darcy's point of view." We chit chat for a bit about literature. She has seen the movie, 'Pride and Prejudice'. Cool. She doesn't seem to be in a hurry, and while I appreciate her interest, I can't help but think of the long line of numbers behind me. But who expects efficiency from a government agency? She processes my paperwork, hands me the new plates and stickers, and says "$261.75". Good thing I'm prepared...no light-headedness this time. I whip out a stack of 20's and hand them over. She tests them all to make sure they're legit, hands me my change, and I'm done. I can't believe it. Am I really done? Yep. One day, and $500 later, I have a Maryland drivers license, and a legal car. And I'm making Jon put on the plates.

Sweet Sista's!

I am a very happy wife, and I am enjoying our new home, but I must let it be known that I miss my sisters! There is something so comfortable about being around family. And now, it's worse than ever. Before I went to visit family in Utah, I could pick up the phone and call my mom or Maria any time I wanted, but now that they are in Japan, it takes very careful planning to call without waking them up in the middle of the night. Thanks to skype, calling is possible at all, and for that I am grateful, but it's still a little sad to lose contact to an extent. Anyone familiar with my family knows that I have a lot of sisters. And now with two sisters in law, the total is up to seven. So instead of moping about being far away, I want to write a little bit about why my sisters are worth missing like crazy.
And now, in order of newness in the sister category...

Lauren Leininger (gained sisterhood May 23, 2008)
Lauren is Jon's sister, and I couldn't be happier to have inherited her as my own. She has a great sense of humor, and is so much fun. She is a talented artist, and really seems to find joy in the little things in life, which I really admire. One of my favorite moments was when I "officially" asked her to be one of my bridesmaids, and she squealed a delighted yes. She is uninhibited (she was willing to post video of herself and her brothers disco dancing to Stayin' Alive on Facebook) and determined (she plays a mean game of Settlers of Catan). Lauren recently graduated from high school in Texas and is getting ready to attend Southern Virginia University in the fall. We are excited to have her a little bit closer!

Megan Bunker Haynie (gained sisterhood November 16, 2007)
Megan is creative, talented, and has the amazing ability to practice self-denial (she once went without sugar for two years...yikes!). Before she was ever dating Joseph, I remember her smiling big (like she is so good at) and inviting me to come to ward choir practice. Had I been a better person, I would have gone. My failure to join the choir, however, did not scare her away from the whole family. She somehow managed to catch my brother's attention (and considering how much Joseph has his head in the clouds, catching his attention can be a little bit tricky) and we are lucky to have her. Anyone that my wonderful brother would marry has to be pretty amazing, and Megan is definitely that!

Rachel Marie Haynie (gained sisterhood April 24, 1996)
Rachel is a light in my life, my shoe shopping partner in crime, and one of the coolest twelve-year-olds out there. She has great fashion sense, which I think has increased our bond as the book-ends of the family. (Her fashion sense, however, seems to have developed a lot faster than mine did. I don't even want to think about what I wore when I was twelve!) She is kind to those around her, and is already an incredibly strong person. It has been astonishing to watch my baby sister become a young woman. I love her so much, and no matter how old she gets, she will always be my bunny-monkey.

Christine (Christy) Elizabeth Haynie (gained sisterhood July 14, 1994)

Christy is probably one of the smartest people I know. And none of the other "smartest" people I know are fourteen. She is not only brilliant, but she is beautiful and loving. She is talented in so many areas, but the thing that sticks out the most to me is her desire to show love to her family. With such a sweet personality, she probably gets taken advantage of more than her fair share, but she endures it with loving patience. We could probably all do well to be a little bit more like Christy. (Plus a little birthday shout out tomorrow!)

Joy Elise Haynie (gained sisterhood November 13, 1990)
I don't know if her name was prophetic of her personality or if her disposition has been formed around her name, but Joy is one of the happiest, kindest, most cheerful people I know. It is not too often that you get the chance to be really close to a sibling nine years younger than you, but I was fortunate enough to have Joy as my roommate, and I was blessed daily for it. She is smart, talented, and extremely selfless. And at seventeen, she has her priorities much straighter than I ever did at that age. Maybe even straighter than I do now! She is blessed with a wisdom beyond her years but there is nothing solemn or somber about her...she knows how to have a great time! Joy is a joy in my life and I miss her everyday.

Diana Lee Haynie (gained sisterhood November 24, 1988)
I know you are thinking that it is not possible to have so many amazing sisters, but I'm telling you...I do! I don't know how I was so blessed, but Diana is absolutely incredible. She has a maturity about her that makes it easy to call her a friend, despite any age gap. She seems to relate to all people, and is not afraid to do things that are extremely difficult...things that I still shy away from. She always has so much on her plate, and I am touched by the way she makes time for family even when that means staying up until three in the morning (or waking up at three in the morning) to finish an assignment. At nineteen, she was recently called as relief society president in a very mature singles ward, and I have no doubt that she is serving in precisely the way she needs to at this time. She has one of the most beautiful voices I have ever heard, and if she wanted, could make it on Broadway, but instead, is pursuing a career and life of service. I love my Diana!

Maria Ann Oka (gained sisterhood October 17, 1984)

Maria was my first sister, and that alone is enough to make her special. She is three years younger than me, but people have always thought she was older, and I have always looked up to her (except maybe for that buttering the table incident...) She is fun-loving and responsible all at the same time. She is a best friend to me, and I am so grateful for her kindness, advice, empathy and thoughtfulness. She is an incredible wife and now, an amazing mother. She has made me an aunt, for the first time, and her sweet little Brooklyn has stolen my heart! I don't know what I would do without Maria. Having her far away in Japan, I am trying to learn, but the truth is, no matter how far she or I go, we will always be sisters and always be connected.

I LOVE my sisters!! I hope that they have at least an inkling of how truly incredible they are. Thanks for being mine!

Job Shopping

I left a to do list on the fridge for Jon before I left on my trip to Utah. Knowing that he is a dutiful perfectionist, I was reasonably sure that he would complete it before I came back, so I sneakily hid "BLOG" among the more practical items on the list. Sure enough, it worked. :)

The visit to Provo was great. I now feel like a bona fide aunt, having held, changed and even burped baby (aka Brooklyn). She is the most precious thing I have ever seen! When baby left for Japan, though, I booked it back to Baltimore to see my to-do-list-completing husband.

We had a great Fourth of July weekend, including watching fireworks shoot off over the Washington Monument and listening to the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra perform to more fireworks on the 5th. It's been great to be home.

And now, on to graver matters. I have continued, and accelerated my job search. I mentioned an upcoming interview in a previous post. It went well, but while there, I learned that the position was not quite what I had expected, so when they offered me the job a few days later, I was more than hesitant. However, the offer made me think more seriously about applying to the public schools. I was a little worried about that, because, this late in the game (school starts next month) I figured all the positions would be filled. Boy was I wrong. I applied to Baltimore County School District, but it feels more like the schools are applying to me. My week was pretty much instantly filled with interviews, and the calls are still coming. The interviews I have been to so far felt like the schools were selling themselves to me (to be fair, they did ask a good number of traditional interview questions first), and have all ended with them asking me to please keep them in mind, and telling me that they don't think I'll find a better school than theirs. So, this has been an interesting week. And it's only Tuesday.

I am excited to learn more about the school district, and I am a little nervous about figuring out which is the best place for me, but I am quite confident that I will end up with a job one way or another.

Jon's Big Debut

So it finally happened. I finally broke down and decided to blog for the first time. It's all downhill from here. I'm sure Sarah will be very pleased to see this. I would have to attribute this posting to the fact Sarah isn't here with me and that I have a lot of free time. For those who don't know, Sarah has left us...and gone to Utah to see her sister's new baby. I wanted to come along, but someone had to hold down the fort. She has been gone for 5 days and I'm very excited for her to come back tomorrow. We have some fun plans for the 4th of July. We will be going down to D.C. to see the fireworks. The next night we will spend outside with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra in a musical fireworks show. Well, that was my first attempt at "blogging" or whatever you kids call it these days. Stay tuned for more from yours truly...

Drowning in Domesticity

As of yesterday, Jon and I have been married a whole month, and now consider ourselves experts on all things marriage related. :) Just kidding. It has been a great month, and we love each other more than ever. Since moving to Baltimore, I have started a new chapter in my life. It's called "Unemployment". It's really not as bad as it sounds. I've been looking around a bit, but I haven't really decided exactly what I want to do, or rather, I haven't really figured out exactly what I should do. So I have had lots of time to pursue other interests...like, cooking! I have found out that I actually like to cook! One of our favorite restaurants in Provo is the Bombay House, so for our one month "anniversary", I decided to try my hand at a curry. I have NEVER cooked a curry dish before. I don't even think I've ever had a homemade curry, but I tried to be brave, and it turned out amazingly well. Not that I just discovered the secret to good curry making...I had some help, in the form of the Better Homes and Gardens red checker cookbook, but I was truly impressed with myself. And with how simple it really turned out to be. I have also been sewing, ironing, cleaning and doing laundry. I am reaching heights of domesticity I never thought possible. Today I'm actually going to attempt to make pizza crust from scratch with real yeast and everything. Lofty goal, I know, but I figure if it bombs, I'll just run to the grocery store, buy a pre-made pizza crust, and Jon will never know the difference!

Speaking of grocery stores, it has been quite the adventure finding a good one. There is a place called "Mars" just up the street making for maximum convenience. However, it seems like the closet place is never that great, and this has proven to be true in our case. I've gone there a couple times, but have come to realize that the prices are high, the selection is poor, and the produce is pitiful. I couldn't even find chili sauce or jalapeno peppers there! So on Saturday night when I realized that I desperately needed the chili sauce for Sunday's "pulled pork in root beer sauce" (Yes, that's right, I just said root beer sauce. I'll have you know it was delicious.), we ventured a few more minutes up the street to the "Super Fresh". I was shocked. The superiority of the Super Fresh to Mars was immediately obvious. The selection was amazing, the floors were shiny, and the produce section was huge. I'm sure I would have had no problem finding jalapenos there, and I swore that from then on out, I would be shopping at Super Fresh. But I totally forgot that I needed the jalapenos, and on Sunday, the bishop's wife was telling me about the area, and said that the "Weis" (they call it the We Is, because apparently it used to be really ghetto, but now it's super nice) that is even a little bit further up the street has the best selection and the best prices. So yesterday when I remembered that I needed jalapenos, I decided to check it out. And let me tell you, all loyalties to Super Fresh were instantly swept away. I was seduced by the luscious bakery, the gourmet deli, the "build it yourself" salad bar, the huge selection, the lack of any alcohol whatsoever in the entire store, and the gorgeous gardening section. I mean, the place even had a "dollar section", and we all know that anything that costs a dollar is practically free and need not be accounted for in any budget. Now, I was a huge fan of Macey's back in Provo. I even know personally Ben Macey, grandson of founder Waldo Macey, and feel a certain allegiance to the place...but the Weis gives Macey's, Smith's, Reams and Albertson's a run for their money! I think I have found my match in grocery stores. I hear there is an even nicer place about 20 minutes away (it has been called the Gucci of Grocery), but I'm just not sure I could handle anything better than the Weis.

How life has changed...when I was lost in the middle of research papers and lesson plans I never thought I would think so much about grocery stores. But lest I get over zealous with the whole domestic thing, I do have a job interview tomorrow. It is for a Spanish Teaching position at a private school for students with special needs. It seems like a really neat place, and I'm excited to learn more about it.

Be ye one...

Jon and I are working on "becoming one" and have decided that part of that process is to become one in the blogosphere. I've added him as an author on this blog, so make sure you watch to see who's posting!