Sushi Staycation

Life has changed a lot for us in the last few months, right? No surprise there. Our vacations used to include spots like Morocco, Italy, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, France, Egypt and Jordan.

Now our spot is mainly Chez Brown. Whenever my girlfriend and her hubbie take time away from the old homestead we step in as house- and dogsitters/squatters/vacationers. This time they even took the adorable pup with them, and we've been left with a real staycation. Still in town, still working, but when we come home at the end of the night - it's just to each other, and all the goofiness and lightheartedness of the life of two young marrieds (sans kiddos) on their own.

Tonight, for example, we reveled in the bliss of a living room all to ourselves, takeout sushi, and a few adult bevvies while enjoying a St. Pats marathon of mythbusters (all focused on busting at least one drinking myth) and contemplating how we plan to execute the master plan of making salad cars out of the newest VW model Routan (by labeling them all with an additional C).

 

I love laughing with Jacob and just being goofy. I'm so lucky to have a fun and equally goofy husband.

Milk...does a body good

One of the great things (most of the time) about our crazy little situation (intermittent work and unusual living arrangements) is that we get to have a lot of time together - I especially love time in the mornings, probably because I enjoy morning time anyway. It's also a time that, once "normal" life (what? what is that?) resumes, we might not have.

So, we do have a little bit of a routine, which involves me getting up and making coffee and usually flipping on the Today Show (I know, I know) and then Jacob comes in and gets a bowl of cereal and we both work on our computers for a little bit.

Recently, I've been reflecting on this little tradition and I've gotten a glimpse of ourselves as a much older version of ourselves (possibly living in our kids' basement instead of my in-laws basement). It's funny because it's true and it involves Jacob persisting with his argument that "there's just nothing better in the morning than a little milk and a little fiber to get you started," explaining why he likes cereal only for breakfast and me continuing to make excuses for watching ridiculous shows like the Today Show's fourth hour with Hoda Kotb and Kathy Lee Gifford (there really is no excuse, btw).

Window Shopping

Upon recent invitation from a friend, I signed up to receive membership (read: promotional emails) from a couple of web sites that sell designer season-old shrug-offs for major discounts. There are so many beautiful things and I'd love to spend at least a few (ok, many) of my dollars on: a Nanette Lepore skirt or maybe something tiny from LaPerla or even some hand-engraved cards or jewelry, heaven forbid. The fact is, we're not spending money on rent right now, let alone luxury items.

I don't say this to complain because even back in the "big money" single girl days, buying something like that would still be the exception, rather than the rule, I say this because I am amazed that people can just plop down $1K on a dress or undies or jewelry for an impulse buy.

You may say, 'it's not necessarily an impulse buy,' but that's the whole structure. The sales are designed to drive you to action - they are exclusive, there are limited quantities, discounted prices and - time limits! If you think that you'll just take a moment to check the balance sheet before buying the bag, you'll return to find a nasty little sold out label on the item's pic. You may even find the sold out items reappearing at the bottom of the page by the time you finish scrolling to the bottom when they were still available when you started.

It's ingenious! And staggering, I must say. Who are these people who can buy this

before I even have time to finish my daydream about it? Well, there's always the wait list.

Love and Basketball

It's no secret I bleed blue. Go Blue, Big Blue, Blue Nation. But my blue game has always been horse, not cat. Of course, I've supported the hometown team, and I've even been to several games, but now that I'm officially married into a Kentucky family, basketball is officially mixing with love.

But that's ok, it's actually pretty fun. And it's a nice salve on the end of glorious football seasons that always leave me feeling so hollow. Plus, this year's been a banner year for the C-A-T-S Cats, Cats Cats!

Congrats to the SEC Champs and here's to you looking forward to this year's trip to my own hometown: Indy! PS-Blue is a great color to wear up there.

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

In our time of transience, I've been doing what I can to stay productive, helpful and sane. That roughly translates to a partial stay-at-home mom existence of daytime bible studies, laundry, workouts and getting kids off the bus partnered with the working girl dream of doing freelance writing and marketing/PR consulting work on a very flexible schedule (I'm available! Call me!).

Of course, that flexible schedule sometimes means meetings at odd hours, like this morning, when I'll be doing some client work. And I'll be doing it from the couch - in my bathrobe (have I mentioned that I love this flex schedule thing?). It's a good thing that I have some meetings that get me out of the house, though. I dig the bathrobe thing, but I think I respect myself more when I'm wearing a pair of heels...

This works for the time being.

Trying on a Life

Nearly three months ago, we made our big return - to our friends, family, lives - in a way. But, however you feel about the statement "you can't go home," (is it metaphorical or literal?) when you try, it's always different. 

So, I find myself tonight trying on a life (and blogging about it - because even though I don't think my day to day is that interesting, the last couple of weeks have brought requests for revival) even though I'm home.

There are some things to which return and they are blissfully the same - my iTunes library (recently re-discovered), The Bachelor wine nights with my best girlfriends in Lex (and, puzzlingly, the bachelorettes - same drama), the fact that I love driving around with the windows down, and working.

There are lots of things, however, that are incredibly, disturbingly, wonderfully different. My best friend has a baby! Not just any baby - a miracle baby who I adore. Lots of buds have babies, actually. I could have a baby (no, we aren't even trying, but it's that whole marriage thing - I could! Whoa...) I don't have a steady job, so I'm doing marketing and pr consulting work as well as freelancing (too bad for Obama my entrepreneurial efforts don't count for the jobs numbers) - which I have discovered I love (lots of freedom, but also allows me to be self-motivated). My fab husband and I are homeless homeowners (the house is rented, remember), so we live in my in-laws basement (remember?), which brings me to trying on a life today...

My sweet mother in law (yep, actually really love her) is on a vacation with a friend - for 10 days! There is no one in the world who deserves this more, and I'm so happy she could take this break and we can be here to help support the family in the mean time, but that leaves me the sole female in a house with my father- and brothers-in-law as well as my husband. So I've just sent the hubbie to BSF, the in-laws to boyscouts and I'm left with the dishes.

Don't cry for me, though, I only cooked a frozen casserole pre-prepared by said genius MIL and I'm also left with a miraculously quiet house (except the blaring iTunes!) and a glass of wine as I tidy up and wonder about the future...

Just a little fun sample from a new discovery (the hipstamatic app for iPhone - LOVE IT! Must for medium format photography lovers/owners/wishers):

Ashland, The Henry Clay Estate

FAQ - Again

thehardyheyday.blogspot.com

Most of you all know that we've made the move back to the states, but there are still questions that pop up everywhere, so here are the answers and updates.

First of all, let's clarify this question, "What does a move mean to you?"
For us right now, a move constitutes a timeframe longer than a month that includes the transportation of necessary posessions, which include for us - clothes, books and toiletries sufficient for a long trip. It may or may not include permanent housing, jobs or private toilets.

Where are you?
We are basing our little operation in Lexington, Ky., since that's been the most recent professional home for both of us and also includes a lot of contacts and enough family to help us out with things in the near-term. We are making frequent trips to Indianapolis, of course, especially until February when football season lamentably ends.

So...where do you live?
Why? You know a place? Just kidding (sort of).

We bumped around from family spot to family spot during the holidays, then a quick stint as house- and dog-sitters for our buds, the Browns. This week we officially make home in the basement of Jacob's parents.

Every time I tell people this, they give me a look that is dubious and questioning and sympathetic, then say something along the lines of, "Oh. And how is that?" The answer is, there are two younger brothers and a mother and father living full time in the house, plus two other sisters who come and go a bunch, plus us - the newest addition to this boiling stew of madness. It's nearly always buzzing in that place and there are enough people milling through to take up every room in the house if they so chose to divide in such a manner. But that comes with a lot of really fun stuff like impromptu movie afternoons with roaring fires and lots of people stuffed onto couches together, family dinners, and lots of opportunity to catch a member of my new family for a little chat. Plus, need I say it? Toilets that flush. Toilets. That. FLUSH. Like, without a bucket. Woohoo!

Where are you going next?
Ha. If I knew, I'd let you know (as soon as I packed...again). Places on the dockett include returning to the middle east as well as European locales, but the closer we inch to the summer, the longer of a shot those spots are. More likely destinations include Lexington, South Carolina, Florida, California, Nebraska, Arizona, Washington and, basically, anywhere in the United States.

We move to South Carolina in August for Jacob's final two semesters of graduate school and will stay there through graduation in May of 2011.

What are you doing right now?
Why? You want to hang out? Just kidding (sort of).

Jacob continues in the internship search, so he is following up on a lot of applications and resume submissions and is interviewing for positions. He is searching for work in operations and/or product management. He needs three months of experience before we start school again in August.

I am working on self-busyness and improvement by enrolling in Bible Study Fellowship and begining freelance work, the first article coming in Business Lexington last week (yay!) See it here. I'm also doing all the things I always thought about doing when I was working full time and thinking about all the people parading by my window. Those things include cooking, organizing (whatever I have unpacked, that is), socializing and volunteering.

How long have you been married?
Yay! Fun question. Just over a year!

Are you crazy?
Still yes. :)

How's married life?
Still good, humdul'allah! We have a whole new set of things to adjust to right now like both of us being between work, having lots of available friends and things to do, living with family and, hello, being in the United States of America, but everything is good. In the words of my mom, "I'm so glad you still like each other even after the last year." Then Jacob, "We even still LOVE each other." Ahhh...and I do. Love that guy.

Are you abroad-sick? Do you miss things from back there?
Of course! We miss lots of things from overseas, like our friends (both expat and local), being in the midst of a culture that requires constant learning and flexibility and the 70-degree weather we just left (though I'm LOVING the snow!). Not to mention all the Indian food we are used to eating!

What are some of the best things about being home?
Of course family and friends, my dog; plus driving on my own and SNOW (did I mention it's been snowing here?), seeing Mia (check her progress here) and Britt, my hair guru (check her out, too - and if you're in Lex, you should just go).

Where did you go, again?
Morocco for two months, including stops in Fez, Meknes, Volubulis and Marrakech. We also hit up Italy (Rome and Florence) and then made the move to Oman, during which time we traveled to Sohar and Muscat and also Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the Emirates. We went to Jordan in the spring and then the US and on our way back we spent a week in France, with our final stop before home in Egypt. Most of the photos have made it to facebook via the blog or albums. Check them out!

Any other questions? Just let me know.

By(line) the way...

thehardyheyday.blogspot.com

Former colleagues (though thankfully not former friends) at Smiley Pete Publishing are the first to give me (and my new byline) the opportunity to re-start writing - at least in a freelance capacity.

One small step for Anne...one giant leap for Anne Sabatino Hardy.

Business Lexington-Breaking News
January 08, 2010
Mayor avoids layoffs in budget cuts
$12.5 million slashed from budget includes employee furloughs
by Anne Sabatino Hardy

Check it out!

The...grind?

We have officially passed the frenzied holiday season and so this first full working week of the New Year - and new decade - finds me...sitting on the couch? Yes, culture shock is upon me.

For the first time in my adult life I am unscheduled and unbusy and unsure of what to do with myself. I wasn't the type who took off summers to traverse Europe or do study abroad or schlep around to music festivals - tempting as all those things were and still are - I just felt like I needed to work. I wanted to work. So I worked. And when I got a break (or got married!) I filled in the holes of those wished-for experiences the best I could with vacations allowed from the grown-up grind.

Now we are back in the states and Jacob is spending days looking for internships while I dream about how to fill this free time without wasting it. So far freelancing for a couple of local publications is on the dockett as well as visiting with friends and maybe some volunteer opportunities with church or community organizations. It's a dream come true in a way. I just hope I don't dream it away...

Action!

Off the Grid

After the slightly grueling 16-hour flight from Abu Dhabi to Chicago (enough to make you a child-hating-tetris-addicted-hypochondriac-alcoholic), and a mercifully uneventful pass through customs, we made it home for the holidays.

Not surprisingly, we have spent the better part of our time in the last couple of weeks with family - celebrating Christmas and catching up - and we've even snuck in some time with our besties along the way. Regardless, we've been off the grid since we got back. No blog posts, limited facebook, email and even phone or text time.

The time has been pretty eventful, though, including Christmas with both sides of our families, a new baby for some close friends and celebrations of the New Year.

Christmas Morning with my sweet in-laws

New Year's Eve with old time friends

Hanging with Grant and Kendall (Team O) on New Year's Eve afternoon

And what a difference a day makes! Daddy Grant with baby Calloway (12-31-09, 7lbs-4oz!) and Jacob.

Getting in on the traditional Hardy New Year's Day bowling event.

 

And more of the ladies on bowling day...(back to front, left to right) Momma Hardy, Momma Sab, Aunt Mary, Momma Suff and Aunt Jaqui.