Things that have happened since my last post:
1. Andrew, my mom, and I looked at three wedding venues for the reception. None of them were quite right, so we're trying again this weekend. Downside: 2 weekends in a row of long drives for Brittany.
2. Andrew and I have been pre-approved for a mortage! Updates on home-buying will definitely be coming in the next few weeks as we look at houses.
3. Pittsburgh got cold. Really, really cold. It actually has been so cold that I have been sleeping on my couch because it closest to my radiator. Can summer come back?
I will write a longer post tomorrow, but I thought these points were worth sharing tonight!
Britt
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Friday, January 21, 2011
When I disappear from my blog, it can only mean one thing...
...I had an exam. And it was rough. Luckily, though, it was rough for everyone in my class, and as a result there was a low average, so I passed. YAY!
In my absence, a few additional things happened.
1. Andrew stalked a a priest.
2. I looked at lots of houses/condos to buy in the Pittsburgh area.
3. I went skiing, and did not sustain injuries. (Snaps for Britt!)
4. I + a group of my med school friends + Andrew went to Grand Concourse and had the best brunch that I have ever eaten. Pictures will come soon - they are on Andrew's camera, and not mine.
I think that based on the above list, the most intriguing is probably number 1, so let me take the time to explain. Last week was not a good week. I already mentioned that I had an exam. As you can imagine, leading up to the exam, I settled into panic mode. Andrew even has a name for it - "Test-time-Britt."
On top of the test panic, I also was dealing with physical pain - I pulled a muscle in my face, likely one of my pterygoids. You can see them labeled in this picture:
As a result, my face and neck swelled up severely. We're talking to the point where people look at you and go "What's wrong with your face?"
If that was not enough, I was also struggling to get information on having a wedding at a church in Grandview that I absolutely love. I had called early in the week and was told that I would need to speak to the priest before they would give me any information about having a wedding there, but the priest was out of town until the weekend. I waited patiently and called back on Saturday to speak to him. Here's how that conversation went.
Me - Hello, Father, I am calling to get some information about holding a wedding at your church.
Father - Are you a member?
Me - No, I am not. I currently live in Pittsburgh where I am a medical student.
Father - Do you ever come back to Columbus?
Me - Yes, my family and fiancee live there.
Father - OK, then come to mass some time, and we can talk then. Good-bye.
Test-time-Britt + Swollen Face + No information on the church of my dreams without a 6 hour trip home that I couldn't make for at least 3 weeks = CATASTROPHIC IMPLOSION
Just when I was convinced that the universe desperately wanted to see me fail a test, adopt a physical deformity, and never make any progress on the wedding planning, Andrew told me that he would go to mass on his own to speak to the priest. What a relief!
Keep in mind that the information I have on the subject is all second hand, but here is how it went down:
Andrew went to mass. The priest who said mass was a retired visiting priest and not the one that we needed to speak to, so Andrew went on a mission after mass to find the right priest. In the mean time, he came across another couple looking to speak to the priest about their wedding. Andrew and the other couple headed over to the rectory (or in Andrew's words, "the little house by the church where the priest lives"). After they had attempted to bang on the door and get in touch with the priest for some time, the other couple gave up and left. Andrew did not. Instead, he waited in his car "playing Angry Birds and looking for signs of movement." Eventually, he could tell that priest was awake (I really do not know how, nor am I sure that I want to know), and he managed to have lovely conversation with him in which the priest granted us permission to get married there.
Now really, how many girls can say that their fiancee would stalk a priest for them? I must have landed a serious catch.
Also, my face is back to normal. The universe and I are peace once more.
Until next time!
Britt
In my absence, a few additional things happened.
1. Andrew stalked a a priest.
2. I looked at lots of houses/condos to buy in the Pittsburgh area.
3. I went skiing, and did not sustain injuries. (Snaps for Britt!)
4. I + a group of my med school friends + Andrew went to Grand Concourse and had the best brunch that I have ever eaten. Pictures will come soon - they are on Andrew's camera, and not mine.
I think that based on the above list, the most intriguing is probably number 1, so let me take the time to explain. Last week was not a good week. I already mentioned that I had an exam. As you can imagine, leading up to the exam, I settled into panic mode. Andrew even has a name for it - "Test-time-Britt."
On top of the test panic, I also was dealing with physical pain - I pulled a muscle in my face, likely one of my pterygoids. You can see them labeled in this picture:
As a result, my face and neck swelled up severely. We're talking to the point where people look at you and go "What's wrong with your face?"
If that was not enough, I was also struggling to get information on having a wedding at a church in Grandview that I absolutely love. I had called early in the week and was told that I would need to speak to the priest before they would give me any information about having a wedding there, but the priest was out of town until the weekend. I waited patiently and called back on Saturday to speak to him. Here's how that conversation went.
Me - Hello, Father, I am calling to get some information about holding a wedding at your church.
Father - Are you a member?
Me - No, I am not. I currently live in Pittsburgh where I am a medical student.
Father - Do you ever come back to Columbus?
Me - Yes, my family and fiancee live there.
Father - OK, then come to mass some time, and we can talk then. Good-bye.
Test-time-Britt + Swollen Face + No information on the church of my dreams without a 6 hour trip home that I couldn't make for at least 3 weeks = CATASTROPHIC IMPLOSION
Just when I was convinced that the universe desperately wanted to see me fail a test, adopt a physical deformity, and never make any progress on the wedding planning, Andrew told me that he would go to mass on his own to speak to the priest. What a relief!
Keep in mind that the information I have on the subject is all second hand, but here is how it went down:
Andrew went to mass. The priest who said mass was a retired visiting priest and not the one that we needed to speak to, so Andrew went on a mission after mass to find the right priest. In the mean time, he came across another couple looking to speak to the priest about their wedding. Andrew and the other couple headed over to the rectory (or in Andrew's words, "the little house by the church where the priest lives"). After they had attempted to bang on the door and get in touch with the priest for some time, the other couple gave up and left. Andrew did not. Instead, he waited in his car "playing Angry Birds and looking for signs of movement." Eventually, he could tell that priest was awake (I really do not know how, nor am I sure that I want to know), and he managed to have lovely conversation with him in which the priest granted us permission to get married there.
Now really, how many girls can say that their fiancee would stalk a priest for them? I must have landed a serious catch.
Also, my face is back to normal. The universe and I are peace once more.
Until next time!
Britt
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Britt goes to Chicago and gets engaged! - Part 2
Sorry about the last teaser post! I had intended to write more, but cellular pathology just wouldn't allow it.
To recap: Andrew and I went to Chicago. I lost my map. I got a new map.
On Friday evening after all of the shopping and map-seeking, we got ready for a fantastic dinner on the town. We had reservations at the Signature Room, a GORGEOUS restaurant on the 95th floor of the Hancock Building. The Signature Room could not have been a more perfect place for New Year's Eve. We had a spectacular view of the city - downtown, Navy Pier, the lake. The restaurant was decked out for the evening; there was a ice sculputure made to look like people celebrating the new year.
Dinner was sooo yummy - we had a winter squash bruschetta, filet mignon, and split two delicious desserts. The cocktails were also delicious - white raspberry Russian? Yes please :-) We had a waiter take a few pictures over by our table. One is kind of blurry, but gives a good feel for the view. The other is a lot brighter.
After dinner, we walked around the restaurant a little bit. Each side offered a totally different view of the city. The side that faced downtown was completely open; during some of the later seatings there was going to be a band and dancing over there. While were looking out the window at the lights, Andrew and I talked a bit, and then all of a sudden I was being proposed to!
I don't know if anybody else feels this way, but for me it was TOTALLY an out of body experience. Here's went through my mind. "Oh look, that boy is proposing to that girl. That's sweet. Wait a minute. HOLY CRAP THAT'S ME."
A very nice man came up and offered to take our picture.
I will admit, that I had always thought that I would cry. I did not, and here is why: the ring was wayyy to sparkly for me to focus on anything else. That and, I just felt excited. Strike that. I felt SUPER EXCITED.
We left the restaurant, and I immediately wanted to call people. That involved a lot of screaming - a girl really never gets sick of yelling "I'm engaged!!" into the phone. The funny thing about calling people was that we could literally get a hold of no one in Andrew's family. After trying the house phone, his mom's cell, his dad's cell, his sisters' cells - he gave up for a while.
From the Signature Room, we made our way to Old Town Chicago for a comedy show at The Second City. Luckily, right before the show started, Andrew's parents called back. I think that made him feel better :-) The show itself was so, so funny. They did scripted skits, a countdown to midnight, and then improv. I would not be surprised if one of the actors we saw is on network TV in the next few years!
To sign off this post, here is a picture of us ringing in 2011 - now officially the year of our engagement :-)
To recap: Andrew and I went to Chicago. I lost my map. I got a new map.
On Friday evening after all of the shopping and map-seeking, we got ready for a fantastic dinner on the town. We had reservations at the Signature Room, a GORGEOUS restaurant on the 95th floor of the Hancock Building. The Signature Room could not have been a more perfect place for New Year's Eve. We had a spectacular view of the city - downtown, Navy Pier, the lake. The restaurant was decked out for the evening; there was a ice sculputure made to look like people celebrating the new year.
Dinner was sooo yummy - we had a winter squash bruschetta, filet mignon, and split two delicious desserts. The cocktails were also delicious - white raspberry Russian? Yes please :-) We had a waiter take a few pictures over by our table. One is kind of blurry, but gives a good feel for the view. The other is a lot brighter.
After dinner, we walked around the restaurant a little bit. Each side offered a totally different view of the city. The side that faced downtown was completely open; during some of the later seatings there was going to be a band and dancing over there. While were looking out the window at the lights, Andrew and I talked a bit, and then all of a sudden I was being proposed to!
I don't know if anybody else feels this way, but for me it was TOTALLY an out of body experience. Here's went through my mind. "Oh look, that boy is proposing to that girl. That's sweet. Wait a minute. HOLY CRAP THAT'S ME."
A very nice man came up and offered to take our picture.
We left the restaurant, and I immediately wanted to call people. That involved a lot of screaming - a girl really never gets sick of yelling "I'm engaged!!" into the phone. The funny thing about calling people was that we could literally get a hold of no one in Andrew's family. After trying the house phone, his mom's cell, his dad's cell, his sisters' cells - he gave up for a while.
From the Signature Room, we made our way to Old Town Chicago for a comedy show at The Second City. Luckily, right before the show started, Andrew's parents called back. I think that made him feel better :-) The show itself was so, so funny. They did scripted skits, a countdown to midnight, and then improv. I would not be surprised if one of the actors we saw is on network TV in the next few years!
To sign off this post, here is a picture of us ringing in 2011 - now officially the year of our engagement :-)
Happy belated New Year!
Britt
Monday, January 3, 2011
NYE: Britt goes to Chicago....and gets engaged! Part 1
First of all, Andrew and I are engaged!! This should come as a shock to almost no one who reads my blog, as we are probably facebook friends, and the news has been on facebook for a few days now.
In response to the facebook post, a lot of people (OK, a few people) have asked for some details. I also wanted to share a few photos from the evening - so here it goes!
Before I get into the engagement, I have to tell you another story. This story is called "How my life rapidly deteriorated following the loss of my map of Chicago."
I should begin by telling you that I have a collection of Streetwise maps - a specific brand of map that shows a city, its transportation system, and its main attractions in a compact, water-proof form. I went to Chicago in May with Darci, one of my best friends from OSU, and got a Streetwise map for the trip. While Darci and I were waiting for a train from Wrigleyville back to our hotel, I was looking at my map. I already knew exactly how to get back, I was just studying the map for fun - checking out some of the things we'd seen on the trip and figuring out their locations with respect to everything else. This nice, friendly guy who must have been a Chicago native noticed how intently I was looking at my map. He, as any normal person would, assumed that I was so engrossed the map because I was trying to figure out how to get somewhere. We then had a conversation that went something like this:
Friendly guy: Are you looking to get somewhere?
Me: Oh no, we're good thanks.
Friendly guy gestures at map: I just thought maybe you were lost.
Me: Uhhh, I like maps.
SERIOUSLY. I said "I like maps."
Fast forward to Friday. Andrew and I arrive in Chicago. I am very excited to put my Streetwise map to good use. In fact, I was able to use the map in the car to rescue us when the GPS failed due to all of the tall buildings. However, when we got to the hotel, my map was no where to be found. I distinctly remembered holding it as we checked in, but when we got to the guestroom, it was gone. Gone!
I was distressed. I really liked that map, and I had already figured out a route to get to dinner and a show that night using it. What was a girl to do?! Andrew sensed my panic and sprung into action. He looked everywhere while I waited in the room for the luggage to show up: the front desk, the downstairs lobby, outside by the valet. It was no where to be found.
Then, he came up with another plan; we could buy a new map! This plan was especially appealing to me for two distinct reasons:
1. It involved maps.
2. It involved shopping.
We headed to Michigan Avenue (The "Magnificent Mile" of Chicago shopping locales). Unfortunately, the weather was disgusting - super rainy and dreary. Using our smartphones, we were able to pinpoint a Borders a few blocks from the hotel. We walked that direction, and stopped in a few stores on the way (60% off at Express is just too hard for me to pass up!). Honestly, it was nice to stop in stores just to get out of the rain. When we finally got to Borders, a tragic sight met our eyes: it was out of business. As in, no maps for sale.
Dejected, we headed back toward the hotel. I was in a better mood (the shopping helped!), and I wasn't going to let a lost map ruin the trip. Right before we arrived back at the hotel, Andrew spotted a Walgreens. He suggested we check it for a map and buy some drinks - the walking had made us thirsty. The Walgreens was packed, and we shuffled up and down all of the isles looking for a map. Nothing - not by the magazines, books, cards, or Chicago souvenirs isle. Right as we were about to check out, we spotted a small display. There, nestled in the display was the EXACT same map that I had just lost! SUCCESS!
We bought the map, some pop, and we walked back to hotel: mission accomplished.
And that concludes part 1 of the Andrew-Brittany Chicago adventures - more to come soon (including the pictures as promised!)
All my love,
Brittany
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