The Nerd

My husband is a wonderful nerd. Most people don't guess incorrectly when trying to figure out who's the nerd and who's the free spirit.

He is such a nerd, in fact, that months ago he started planning a blog. Not anything extravagant, mind you, but he just wanted to be very intentional. He started working on post ideas, asking my opinion, and formulating in that sweet little nerdy brain of his what he would like the purpose of his blog to be.

At one point he told me his blog would "go live" on October 1. (-: As you know, it's after October 1, so you guessed it, the blog is live. I thought you might want a little peak at his wonderfully nerdy heart by checking out his blog. Mind you, it's the polar opposite of this little crazy piece of blog land.

So, go check out Mark's new blog, "Intentional Writings", and leave him some love.

In other news, I'm wearing sweats and working on a paper for seminary. This has been my life as of late. Nothing glamorous about it, let me tell ya.

Peace.

~Kathryn

I Gave Mark a Haircut

Yes, folks. I did a very brave thing. I took my husband's appearance into my own hands. When we were dating and I attempted the same thing, but we ended up having to shave his head. So, really, I was being very brave. Especially if you knew how anti the shaved/buzzed head look I am.

Mark's hair was out-of-control-long, so I thought maybe we could save a few bucks and I could cut his hair.

So I had him wet his hair and then we took a before pic:

And no, I don't know why he has that weird look on his face. I try to get him to smile for pictures and he does stuff like that. Anyway, so his hair is long.

So, unfortunately for him and for me, I couldn't find the hair cutting scissors so I had to use regular ones. Oops. Here I am with the clippers, the comb, and the scissors, and my own awesome hairdo that clearly hadn't been touched in like 15 hours. ha.

I did my best to try to do a good haircut. I will admit, it is not perfect, but I did not have to shave his head. Praise the Lord. Here we are mid-cut.

Doesn't he look so thrilled?

Well, the deal was, he got to pick the music we listened to while he got a haircut. There was much debate. Should we watch a movie? That was voted down so that we could talk while we were cutting Mark's hair. My ipod was shot down, because, well, my ipod is going 24/7 pretty much and it has all my favorite songs on it. Which, might I add, are GREAT songs, but for whatever reason, Mark was tired of hearing. He wanted his own music. I said, sure, no problem (cause I'm just that kind of wife), and we listened to the Beatles and some old school Caedmon's Call. Everyone was happy.

After much cutting, and even more after this picture, his hair was short again! Yay!!! Here it is:

Now, don't make fun of me. I know it's not perfect, but it'll do. And it was free. And with more practice (if Mark'll let me), hopefully I will improve.

And since Mark is so handsome with his new haircut, I had to give him a big kiss when it was done. (-:

Are you inspired? Have you tried giving someone a haircut? Good? Bad? 

Happy Tuesday!

~Kathryn

We Had A Fight

Since this blog is all about being honest, I thought I'd air a little of our dirty laundry and share a recent newlywed squabble we had. Perhaps you can relate.

This weekend our church hosted a Disciple Now weekend. It's basically a weekend-long youth conference with speakers, music, food, and community service stuff, along with lots of fun. Mark worked as a sponsor at this event. The kids stay at host homes, and some of the adults stay there as well, but thankfully, Mark decided to come home and drive back in the mornings.

So, Friday came, and Mark had a great time out and about at the retreat. He came home around 11:30pm. I would have liked it be a little earlier, but you know, who wants to be the nagging wife? So, I was just glad he was home and listened as he told about the event.

Saturday morning he left before 8:00 to go back and hang out. I went to an event from 9:00 - 5:00 that was pretty tiring, then hung out with my sister for a little bit before finally getting home at around 9:15pm.

Then it all started. I got home and the dogs were deservedly begging for attention. The neediness of a 14 year old blind/diabetic/hypothyroid/toothless dog, compounded with that of an 8 week old puppy is pretty intense. Then Miguel had a sort of accident in the living room that indicated to me that he had a bacterial infection, so I had to start him on some meds. He wasn't feel well, and Melvin (yes, that's the name) wanted to run all over the apartment and play play play.

I had to be at work at 7:15am the next morning, so my bedtime was quickly approaching. I asked Mark if he would mind coming home a little early to help with the dogs. And by early, I meant leave the event at 10:00pm (not really that early) and skip the final session. He said he really wanted to say. I said just try to come as quickly as you can, please.

So, being on my own, I tried to get the dogs to calm down a little, and got ready for bed. I'm in bed around 10:30, trying to sleep, and the dogs are pulling out all the stops. As I'm trying to keep Melvin from thinking I'm his prey, and keep Miguel quiet, anger is started to well up inside of me. I developed a little bit of a "Woe is me" attitude. Here I am, all by myself, trying to sleep, these dogs are acting like idiots, and Mark is out hanging out with teenagers and having a grand old time. And I have to be at work in just a few hours! 


The dogs calm down for what I think will be the night until they start up again a few minutes later - it was a mean trick. I start slipping them melatonin in an effort to get them to sleep and I start getting angrier. I look at my clock at it's 11:37pm. Did I know where my husband was? Certainly not at home with me being a helper!

So, I sent a text message telling Mark how I am feeling about this whole situation and continue to try to sleep. The text message might not have been the nicest one I have ever sent

He got home sometime after midnight and then I could finally get a little rest. I woke up late (big surprise), and was still angry when I got to work, as Mark and I hadn't had a chance to talk things over. And believe me, I had a speech ready.

I carried about my business until my boss started chatting with me about how everything was going, and I told him about my lack of sleep, my late awakening, and my bad attitude toward Mark. I tried not to go into too much detail, but let's just say he got the gist of it.

Then it happened. God must have a sense of humor, or must really just love my husband.

After I delivered my complaint to my boss, he and I were standing in a hallway waiting, when a church member walked up to us. Not just any church member. The church member at whose house Mark had stayed for the weekend.

She marched right up to Jeff and I and she started talking about Mark. Not the usual "it was nice to meet your husband" talk. We're talking a monologue that sounded so rehearsed and perfect that she was ready to deliver it to a dignitary.

I just LOVED your husband this weekend! He was so sweet and such a helper! I don't ever see men like him at that age. I mean, I know there are good solid older men, but meeting Mark this weekend really gave me hope that there are good Christian guys out there for my girls. Now I know there are awesome young men out there and they can find them. He was just such a delight. And so serving.... etc etc etc.


I'm talking, if this lady wasn't married, I think she'd go for Mark.


My boss is casually standing next to me, I'm sure just loving every minute of this. And I'm thinking, "Lady, this is not what I want to be hearing right now and you are totally ruining my case!"

All I could muster to say in response to her praise was "He's a keeper!" through my clenched jaw.

And then she walked away and boss turned to me and just starting chanting "Guilt! Guilt! Guilt!"

Okay, YES, I do feel guilty! Yes, she is right. I DO have an amazing godly husband who loves the Lord and loves me and is the most servant hearted person I know. But can't a girl at least have the right to tell her husband a piece of her mind without being reminded of his apparent sainthood?!

Perhaps it was the Lord's way of reminding me what a blessing Mark is, and that even though he might drive me crazy at times, I wouldn't trade him for anything.

So, after that, Mark showed up and looked like he knew I was getting ready to give him a piece of my mind. He looked dejected, worried, and downright pathetic. And when it came time for me to deliver my best speech, all I could do was laugh and give him a big hug. And of course, I told him how it made me feel that he didn't come home when I needed him, but I told him in a much more loving way than I would have had I been left to my own demise.

I think he now feels the same away about that particular church member that she feels about him. I would, too, if I were him.

~Kathryn

March Madness at My House

We are snowed in. Being the good wife that I am, I have consented to the all day ticket of March Madness.

If you want a sneak peek into my world, enjoy the following short clips of Mark's antics.



And yes, he talks to himself the whole time. And one more:

 

I hope you are having fun watching B-ball at your place as well. (-:

~Kathryn

Your Questions Answered and A Video

Hi, everyone! We are going to try to wrap up the question/answer segment. Also, we have arrived in Branson, MO, for some vacation time! Yay! At the bottom of this there is a video (that may as well just be audio because you can't see anything) of a little of our road trip. Enjoy!

I want to know some OSU stuff....like what you love about it, favorite OSU memory, etc!!! GO POKES!!!

Me: Well, neither of us went to OSU. Shocking? I will let Mark tell about his love for OSU, but I will say that he knows more about that school and loves it more than many people I know that graduated from there. Also, he is considering a master's degree from OSU. I started liking OSU because I was dating a boy who was really obsessed with the school, had season football tickets, and knew everything about it. So, I decided that if I was going to date that boy, I should like his school. He just happened to be Mark.

Mark: Our favorite OSU memory together was the 2007 OSU/Texas Tech football game. It was an offensive shoot-out that came down to the final possessions and the Cowboys prevailed 49-45. However, what more people remember from that day is not the game, but the post game press conference, which can be seen here.

If you could travel anywhere in the world where would you go?

Me: Hmm... Well, I have maybe two places. Or three. I'd really like to go Hawaii, because it's so beautiful, and people speak English. So that's a plus. Other than that, I would like to go to Paris and London probably. Apparently Mark agrees. I just asked him. That's handy.

Fav activity to do with hubby?

Me: That's a really tough question. There are a lot of things I love to do. But, I think it I HAD to pick one, I would probably say just talking. Like in the car or at a coffee shop or at a camp out. We have a lot of fun talking to each other and Mark always makes me think of things from a different angle. We have a lot of fun talking, planning, and making each other laugh. Hopefully that doesn't sound too cheesey, but it's true.

Mark: Relax together while I read and Kathryn blogs. And getting Italian cream sodas from Rocket Brothers Coffee.

Favorite gift you ever received? :)

Me: Hmm.... one that really sticks out is a keyboard my dad got me when I was really little and had just started piano lessons. I remember going to the store to pick it out and they were "sold out" of the one I wanted, but on Christmas, it was mysteriously at my house. I remember feeling really special when I saw the keyboard. Even though I was really young, that is still a really strong memory for me. Other than that, anything Mark gets me. (-:

If you both had a month off of work, and all expenses paid, where would you take a vacation to and what would you do while you are there?

Me: Somewhere with a beach and the ocean. I LOVE the ocean. And I would probably lay on the beach five days of the seven and then the other two days we would dress up and go out to eat and do fun things. (-: And repeat that for a month. Mark concurs.
 
How does your hubby feel about your blogging and blog friends?

Me: He is very supportive. He reads all the posts, and lets me know if there is one he especially likes. I bounce a lot of ideas off of him. As far as my blog friends go, he is kind of friends with them through me. Occassionally I will be sitting on the couch reading a blog of someone going through a really hard time, and I feel especially burdened and I just start crying. And so then he reads the blog, too. I feel like I have a connection with a lot of bloggers, even if I haven't met them. I pray for them, and enjoy reading their blogs, getting their comments on mine, and even meeting some of them. So Mark has to hear about them as well.

Mark: I think it is one of the most constructive habits Kathryn could have because it chronicles our lives. I encourage her because I enjoy reading books while she types.
 
What makes you really angry? And can you get over it easily and move on?

Me: I guess the thing that makes me really angry is rude people. I don't get angry very often, but when people are rude for no reason it really fires me up. Life is too short for people to be rude. And yes, I usually get over it pretty quickly. Rude people shouldn't be able to ruin my day. (-:
 
What's your fave meal? Fave food?
 
Me: I pretty much like anything. There are very few things I don't eat. That being said, I love... hmm... so many things are going through my head. I used to always say Chinese was my favorite, and I still really love it, but don't eat it nearly as often. I love Mexican food as well, Chipotle is a favorite. I love meatloaf, chicken pot pie, stir fry, soups of many kinds, wings, really good sandwiches, ice cream, lots of stuff.
Mark: Right now, it's probably pizza. If it's at home, it's the tomato basil pizza Kathryn makes. If I'm eating out, it's Sam and Ellas.

What was the "I'm in love" moment for each of you?
 
Me: This is really hard. I can't say that I have a definining moment, but I do remember us riding in the car together and driving home from somewhere and just talking. I remember the highway and I remember Mark being more open than usual and I remember being to really be able to see his heart. And I remember that being a really special moment.

Mark: For me, it was when I visited her in Washington, D.C. We were not dating at the time and it was then that I realized just how much I really had missed her. And the time that we had when I visited her was very memorable and special. Going home from that trip was definitely bittersweet. As soon as she came home from that semester, I put the full court press on, but that still took several months. And we've been together ever since.

Okay so this video is basically a dark blob, and then my nose. Because apparently my nose was the only thing big and bright enough to show up in the video. So, call me Rudolph. And PS, in case you can't tell, Mark is sick. Poor guy.

 
~Kathryn (and Mark)

So I Married a Nerd

In case you haven't picked up on it by now, Mark is the nerd in the "A Nerd and A Free Spirit". Not that there's anything wrong with that.

I just thought I'd share a little example of the nerdiness with which I live.

What do you, or your husbands/friends/boyfriends/etc. do when they are on the computer?

Things like Facebook, check out music, blog (woo!), play games, read about sports, email, etc, right?

Well, if you were to peek over Mark's shoulder, like I did last night, this is what you would see:

So it's a map of Africa - no big deal, right?

Well, notice how there aren't names of the individual countries on the continent. So, for daily entertainment, Mark sits down at the computer, on this website called "Sporcle" (www.sporcle.com) and plays games like this, where he has a certain amount of time to type in all the names of the countries correctly. It's a website full of trivia games.

There are games about geography, games about sports, games about music, actors, tv shows, and just about anything you can imagine. Some of them are cool. But, really? A map of Africa?

Mark was all-state in quiz bowl in high school. Trivia is his middle name.

In case you still don't get the depth of his commitment, he actually said this to me last night:

"I almost have all the countries in the world memorized!"

Cool, sweetie. That's so awesome. Isn't that everyone's dream?

So, in case there was a question over who the nerd is, I hope it's settled. (-:

~Kathryn

The Other Blogger

Okay, guys, here's the other half of this blog site. Mark decided he would be up for doing a blog, and this is what he decided to do - ten things about him. So read, enjoy, and comment so it will encourage him to post more! (-:


Here it is - enjoy!




Ten things you should probably know about me if you are reading this blog:

1. More than ever I believe that natural ability or ‘talent’ is highly overrated. This viewpoint was initially stirred by a combination of Malcolm Gladwell and Geoff Colvin, but the more I think about it and observe anecdotal supporting evidence, the more convinced I am. The only thing that I’ve ever been particularly good at is accumulating useless trivia, and that’s something I started doing when I was about six years old and never stopped. Don’t get me wrong—I won’t be confused for Ken Jennings—but I picked up more random facts about history and geography before middle school than most people do before college. But that wasn’t because of natural ability—I just spent a lot more time on that stuff than most everyone else. This revelation has been simultaneously humbling and inspiring.

2. I LOVE dollar menus at all fast food restaurants. Anywhere I can eat well for two or three bucks is a winner in my book. It has really been a determining factor for when I eat fast food. The places that don’t have dollar menus better have really good food or they’re not going to make it. I’m glad Sonic finally joined the party.

3. I have had a love-hate relationship with following politics for the past six years or so. Every journalist is human, so of course various biases will always exist. Because of this, when I really want to learn about something, I read op-eds. Who better than to sell (or decry) an idea than someone who supports (or opposes) the idea? The beauty of op-eds is that biases are mostly transparent, rather than hidden. You generally know where the columnist stands, so you are free to explore other assenting and/or dissenting opinions.

4. I am obsessed with Amazon.com. I have a full wish list and make virtually all of my purchases of books, music, or movies there. It almost always has the best prices, the best consumer information, and the best selection, so there’s no reason to go anywhere else. I even have the perks of Prime membership now. As a confession, I still do go to other bookstores to physically check stuff out—mainly books.

5. I don’t dislike movies, but my attention span and tendency to fall asleep prevents me from watching very many of them. I actually own at least three movies that I haven’t even seen yet—two of which I have owned for more than a year. It’s very rare that I set aside 90-150 minutes to watch one by myself, so unless it’s something that also interests Kathryn I probably won’t be sitting down to watch it. And even if I do actually sit down to watch it, there’s a good chance I will fall asleep, regardless of how good the movie is.

6. I love to read but often have a terrible time finishing books. I might start a book and read on in faithfully for 2-3 days, but I get busy doing other things and don’t pick it up for another 3-4 days and by that point I’ve lost it. Because of this, I rarely read fiction.

7. I spend way too much time on fantasy football between August and December and am in two different leagues. Last year I won one of them and broke even in the other. My reward for the league I won was $80 (from a $10 buy-in). I think if I broke that down to how much time I spent on the two leagues in preparation and during the season, it probably came out to about ten cents per hour. Not sure if this year will turn out as well…

8. I am adopted. It happened when I was less than three weeks old. I couldn’t have asked for two finer people as parents. I feel that I am a living example that adoption should be an option for people who face unwanted pregnancy. I have never met my biological mother, but if I do, I will have a tough time holding back tears thanking her for not aborting me when that would have been the convenient thing to do.

9. I love Kathryn’s family as my own. I couldn’t have asked for a better, more interesting, or more inspiring group as the family of my significant other.

10. I was essentially indifferent to dogs when I started hanging out with Kathryn, but very quickly the exposure to dogs that came with that softened me up a bit. My love for them has now culminated in Brinkley, a standard poodle, who I treat as my own. My life is so enriched by him that I can’t believe that I was ever indifferent to these wonderful animals.