Wow, am I behind!

January is almost over, and I have yet to make a note-worthy post! Let me start by saying that I feel truly blessed with what great family and friends Todd and I have. Our friendship circles have expanded 10-fold (i don't actually even know what that means, but i think it sounds good) since we started dating. Todd has about 3 million friends. I have about 10. But combining all of those friends and their significant others and spouses equals lots o' friends (3 million and 10) for us. That being said, our social calendar seems to have skyrocketed. Apparently the future Kalinosky's are in high demand. That's right, I'm tooting our own social horn.

Anyway...how can I catch you all up on the past few weeks...I think we left off with the great anticipation of our annual NYC trip with the Schwass'. The trip was more fun than I think should be legal in one weekend. We drove up to Scranton on Friday evening. It had been a long time since Todd and I had gone on a "road trip" together (I think the last one was when we went down to the Thursday night Tech game against Maryland) and it was nice to have 5 uninterupted hours of conversation. Well, I thought it was nice. And during that time, it became official back in VA that my brother and Marissa are ENGAGED!!!!

(Side story -- they had already told me they were engaged, but they were waiting to tell mom & dad so they went out to dinner with mom & dad at - of all places - Sweetwater! and gave them the good news! So they called us to share the news, which we already knew ;), and Todd immediately called Sweetwater and had them send out some celebratory desserts to the table -- see, it pays to be part of the GAR family! -- and we were all very excited! My mom and dad immediately went out and bought a treadmill, saying they have to be in shape for our wedding, and stay in shape for Matt & Marissa's! haha Anyway, now everyone is on wedding planning overload :)

So back to NY...we had already surprised Jay & Larissa earlier in Dec. when they came down for Christmas, and told them that our gift to them would be hotel rooms in NYC for the night. Needless to say, we were all very excited, and I packed a suitcase with enough contents to last me for 3 weeks...in the middle of the Alaskan tundra (helloooo...it was January in New York! Which can only mean FREEZING cold!). I'm rambling... We went to NY, saw Avenue Q, which was HYSTERICAL. I highly recommend it. If' you've heard the commercials, it truly is a play/musical with something for everyone. Well, at least everyone who enjoys inappropriate things. :) After the show we went to the hotel to check in, and then headed to dinner. Jay looked up a restaurant on his iPhone and we all headed for Tony DiNapoli's family style Italian restaurant. Clearly it was a good place because it was hoppin'. 2 HOUR WAIT. So we put our names on the list, and decided to go to the brewery next door to drink some appetizers. 2 dirty martini's later, it was apparent I needed substantial food, and we all tipsily made our way next door, back to Tony's. O.M.G. the food was amazing. It could have been because we hadn't eaten all day...and because we were all working off "drunk munchies" from having 1 too many pre-dinner cocktails, but I really think the food was just that delicious. After dinner we returned to our new favorite watering hole (the something brewery and chophouse...i forget the name) and had so much fun that I ended up speaking French and wishing strangers a Happy New Year (3 days late) in the middle of Times Square. Jay and Larissa were practically wetting their pants in amusement. My future groom, who had to hold me up and take care of me, was slightly less impressed, but we all had fun until I had to get up in the morning! Back to Scranton we ventured, stopping at a little diner on the way for some much needed grease in our stomachs. Once we returned, the consensus was "nap time", and like a bunch of kindergarteners, we all passed out for two hours. Afterwards, we headed to Jay's parents (oh Mary & Lou...how we love you!) for Sunday dinner. Todd had brought a whole filet loin (or whatever you call it) to cut up and make steaks for dinner. Now, I already knew Todd was good with the grill, but seriously, that was THE BEST steak I have ever had. Something about a charcoal grill, in the dark, in the below zero temps of Scranton, must really make for a good-eatin' steak. After dinner, we played some games, and then headed back to Jay & Larissa's. Monday morning Todd and I drove home, which brought our exciting weekend to an close.

Us with the Schwass' in NYC

The following weekend began a crucial turning point in our lives. We had our first house hunting day. We were both super excited, but I was also incredibly overwhelmed and realized I don't know a thing about home-buying. (Side note, after we left Scranton, the very next day, Jay & Larissa bought their first home!! Congrats to them, it is absolutely beautiful!!) So we had a short day of viewing the most beautiful townhomes I've ever seen, out in Stone Ridge (past South Riding...) I fell in love, realized I desperately want to buy a new home, and then pinched myself to wake up and realize that if we bought in Stone Ridge, I'd never get to enjoy being in our beautiful new home, because I'd be in traffic 4 hours a day. So we (sadly) put the kibash on Stone Ridge and decided to look closer in to the beltway.


That same evening was the HNTB holiday party -- which is actually the company Lori and Monica work for on the second floor of our work building. So Todd and I got dolled up and ventured to the Reagan Building in DC for food, drinks, dancing and prizes. We got the drinks...and then the food...and then poor Todd got sick :(. I'm fairly confident it was food poisoning...he thinks it was all the sugar he had that day. Either way, I got my first real experience as a 'wife tending to her sick husband'. It was the first time (at least that I can remember) that Todd was pukey-sick (i'm sure he'll appreciate that) since we started dating. While Todd was getting sick in the bathroom, Whinnie proceeded to bring him several of her toys to try and make him feel better. It's becoming more and more obvious where her affections are directed.


ANYway...moving on to the following weekend. (please note, because of my poor memory I am having to reference my blackberry calendar to remember all the events I did over the past few weeks. So thank you to my future hubby for my awesome Christmas gift!) Friday night (16th) we went out with Tommy, Brian, Jamie and Ameer to 4 Courts in Courthouse. The food was sub par, but the band was pretty good! We didn't stay long, and ended up going back to Jamie & Ameer's for a few serious rounds of RockBand. Which, although I was by far the worst rockstar in the room...and all of Arlington...I still want my own Rock Band. Todd said not until we buy a house. I think he just doesn't want to hear my 'dying-cat' version of Metallica "Enter Sandman" anytime again in the near future.

On the 17th we continued our house hunting...with yet again, no real luck. We found one place that was a foreclosure that we really liked for it's size and potential, but it's in Centreville, which means wrestling with the idea of going from a zero-minute commute to a 1.5 hour commute. ugh. So I can't remember what we did that night...but that was the start of a 4 day weekend for me. Yes, we got to have both MLK day AND Inauguration day off of work!

Sunday night, Stef and I spent the night at my parents house and had an old school LB sleepover in their basement. It wasn't quite as good as the high school days b/c my parents put hardwood in their basement and the old blue velvet couches have long since been thrown out, but we made the most of it by drinking 4 bottles of wine and gossiping with my dad (my mom was tired and went to bed early, which was also a bit of a change since it was usually dad snoring in the chair while we gossiped with mom!). Finally dad headed to bed so Stef and I made queso and pulled out old yearbooks and laughed until about 4am. Needless to say, we were tired the next morning, but we got up and headed to Sweetwater with my parents for lunch. Food was awesome, of course -- specially ordered and prepared by my favorite chef ;).


That night Todd and I went to see a townhouse in Burke that he had found online. It was really nicely done inside, but SUPER tiny. So the seller told us he had a few other properties that were done just as beautifuly inside, but were larger. We went to see the other properties and decided we really liked one of them...so we're kind of debating about that right now. Debating with the hopes that nobody else in Northern VA decides they also like the property. Anyway...

Then Tuesday night (inauguration day) we went out to dinner at Jackson's in Reston with Connor and Lauren -- Todd's good friends from Tech. They are fabulous. Super sweet and hilarious! Jackson's was awesome (I highly recommend the lobster mac & cheese...and highly do not recommend the miso glazed cod...unless you like mooshy sweet fish. I also highly recommend the eel sushi rolls...and everything else on the menu.) Afterwards we grabbed starbucks and went back to see Connor and Lauren's townhouse. Their place is absolutely beautiful and only made us want our own place even more. Todd mostly so that he has a place to host Shandy Cup. And me secretly so that he has a place to host Shandy Cup because I think it's exciting and I live vicariously through him because it's not socially acceptable for women to sit on the couch, unshowered, stuffing their faces and killing kegs for 4 days straight while watching girly shows and reality TV. Although now that I think about it, that might be an idea worth pursuing...

Ok maybe not.

Thursday I went to the eye doctor. Not important or really too relevant, except that I talked to the doctor about my desires and fears of having lasik eye surgery. My desire was to have it done for a low price...my fear was of having a laser pointed at my wide open eyes and having permanent damage done to my retinas and going blind. The eye doctor assured me that it was not a James Bond-esq laser, blaring red, that would burn an awesome scar into the side of my face -- instead, it's actually a clear laser that you can't even see and your eye is open for about a minute, and when you sit up after they finish, you can see again. HOWEVER, he also told me it would probably cost about $2400. PER EYE. Considering we're saving for a downpayment, lasik surgery is completely out -- for the next year, at least.

Friday night we had Make-Your-Own-Pizza and Wii night at Matt & Marissa's. Got to see her beautiful diamond ring and talk wedding plans, which was very exciting :) not really interesting to the boys..., but they had ping-pong to play anyway. The pizzas turned out awesome, and we played Wii Carnival Games until our eyes were blurry. We're definitely looking forward to having our own place to host them at in the near future!

Saturday we did MORE house hunting and realized that if we want to buy a single family home inside the beltway, it will have to be one of the most disgusting, run-down, foreclosure properties in northern VA. We went in one house that was so awful, we walked right back out. Todd said "we could buy it and try to get on Extreme Home Makeover!" I said "yeah, but we have to have a story -- some REASON -- for being on the show" and Todd said "uh, the house would be the reason..." duh. That's how bad these places were. One of them had three full bathrooms. Each one with a toilet in a matching color to the sink, floor and shower tiles. And when I say "color" I don't mean white, marble or something neutral. I mean they had a pink toilet, a yellow toilet, and a blue toilet. Awful. That same house had the kitchen in the basement, original 1960's appliances, and a smell that burned your nostrils. I'm done with single family foreclosures.

Sat. night we went to the DC Improv for Chris Cutler's 30th birthday. The acts were HILARIOUS and we all had a blast (minus the sub-zero temperature walk from the metro to the improv). All four comedians (it was the Jameson comedy tour...we even got free t-shirts. sweet.) referenced marriage or married life, their wives, and their kids a lot. It was all hysterical and I kept looking over at Todd to make sure their views of marriage hadn't changed his mind at all. ;) (they hadn't).

Sunday I went to my parents house and sat down with my mom and made a matrix/list of all of the items we have done, and need to do for the wedding. I think this actually stressed her out more. We seem to be pretty on track according to the 923409823 different wedding "check-lists" we've gotten out of magazines, bridal expos, friends, family, etc. but there are still SO many things left to do. I'm pretty laid-back about all the details, assuring myself that they will get done, but mom is a little more nervous/stressed/tense about everything, which is probably how I should be. So, after our sit-down session on Sunday, I decided I needed to get into full swing with planning.

Sunday actually marked exactly 6 months until our wedding!!

Thursday will be our two year anniversary of dating...though as Todd says, it feels longer than that. But in a good way :)

Today I made a flower appointment, researched wedding invitations, contacted the bakery we want to use for our cake, contacted Regency about linens, AND bought my bridal shoes (two different pairs!) I feel quite accomplished...or at least like I'm moving forward. My next plan is to research centerpiece ideas and figure out who the heck is going to do my (and my bridesmaids') hair and make-up. If you have ANY suggestions...even if it's Mimi from the Drew Carey show...PLEASE send them my way. My biggest fear is having a bad hair day at my own wedding. Unless of course Todd and I decide to just wear hats...which would make his whole life ;)

So, I end on a high note of promise to be better about updates. Things are picking up and planning is back in full swing! Stay tuned because I feel a lot of updates coming on...