Christmas & Boxing (!)

What a great Christmas! Mike & I spent most of our time with both our families and had plenty to eat & drink. Today, we went to see "Rocky Balboa" (a movie Mike had been looking forward to seeing for quite a long time). I will admit I was worried that this film was going to be pretty cheesy, but I was pleasantly surprised! They tied up all of the loose ends in the series, and to their credit, they did it in a believable way. I would even go as far to say that I would see this film again; I know my dad would LOVE it. It gets two thumbs up from me, so if you're in the mood for a good film, now you know what to see. YO, ADRIAN!

Booked the Belated Honeymoon!

It's official--Mike & I will be headed out on a Caribbean cruise for our honeymoon, and only 10 months after our wedding!!! Can't wait until March!!!

Heisman Winner!!!

We can stop saying "leading Heisman candidate" and finally call him the 2006 Heisman winner--Troy Smith won college football's most distinguished award last night. Anyone who follows Ohio State knows this guy's great story, so I won't go into detail here. I just wanted say thanks to this guy for making the past few years--especially this year--pretty damn exciting. And to see Coach Tressel brought to tears last night--it was just beautiful. But as Woody would say, we still have one game to win--LET'S GO BUCKS!!!

Sick sucks.

Well, Mike & I were supposed to go to the Browns game yesterday, but a nasty cold changed those plans. I've been feeling lousy since Thursday evening, so I stayed home from work Friday and have pretty much just laid around everyday since. We watched the game--what a great ending!--and were thrilled that my brother John & his friend Tom were able to go and see a great overtime win. No city in the country deserves a winning team more than Cleveland. Mike & I ended up going to Mongolian BBQ to celebrate our 6-month anniversary, and then we came home to watch the Browns game in the comfort of our living room; we still wore the sweatshirts I bought us for the game! Sneezing and nose-blowing aside, it was a great weekend.

Not happy.

Mike just gave me a call; he's figured out why our cats seem to like being in the kitchen so much. Apparently, we've got another roommate--a tiny mouse! EWWWWWWW!!!! You'd think that between Callie & Chloe, this uninvited guest wouldn't be around very long, but according to Mike, Chloe just wants to play with it while Callie couldn't care less. All I know is that I WANT IT GONE!!!!

For the Dawgs!

So Sunday is the 6-month anniversary of Mike's & my wedding. Can't believe it's been that long--being married is just awesome (to sound totally tacky). To celebrate, Mike came up with the fantastic idea that we should go to a Browns game, and we were lucky enough to get some great seats (just check out what our view will be in the photo)! I've never been to a Browns game before, so this is gonna be a blast--it's also gonna be COLD!!! CAN'T WAIT!!!

Can I take my heart out of my stomach?

We did it. We went wire-to-wire as the No. 1 team in the country for the first time in our history. We beat Meeeechigan for the 3rd straight time. We probably locked up the Heisman for our overly-deserving quarterback. I could go on and on and on about yesterday's AWESOME win, but I'll let the media do that. For now I'm just content to bask in the glow of the first out-right Big Ten Championship in 22 years. And kudos to our fans for keeping things toned down last night--thanks for proving that all that bad press was undeserved! GO BUCKEYES!!!! See you in Glendale (49 days and counting)!!!!

"Damn, it feels good to be ALUMNI..."

I received an e-mail invitation this week to attend a two-hour program featuring one hell of a speaker--Coach Jim Tressel! Luckily I was able to respond in time and secure seats for Angie & I. It's downtown at the Ohio Theatre on Monday, November 20--a mere two days after THE GAME. I hope we somehow get to do a meet & greet; I'd love to place his autograph & photo right next to the one I have of us with Archie Griffin! Being an alumni has sure had it perks this year! GO BUCKS!!!

Waiting on November 18th

I'm bored at work waiting for some stuff that was promised to me to arrive (looks like it will be tomorrow), so I was messing around in the internet, found this photo and thought I'd share...can't WAIT for November 18th to take on those morons from up north...

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

Been busy...

Yeah, I've been pretty busy lately. Work has been crazy, and will continue to be so, but I'd rather not post just to complain. Had my 27th birthday (why does that sound so old to me?), and thanks to a winning lottery ticket from my grandparents, I was able to treat myself to a new digital camera! I LOVE IT!!! I shipped my old camera down to my sister Heidi in NC; looks like it's working out okay for her, so that makes me happy. John moved in with us at the beginning of the month, and it's going quite well. Our thing seems to be going out to B-Dub's; I took this wonderful photo of him last week (it was just as appetizing to be there in person, let me tell ya). And a big congrats goes out to my father-in-law, Mr. Donald Cotter, who retired last Friday! Look for him soon at a Wal-Mart near you! Just kidding! :)

Grillin' Out

Mike and I made a big people purchase on Sunday--we bought a gas grill. We've wanted one for awhile and found a nice end-of-season deal. Mike christened it tonight by making chicken with mouth-watering dry rub. Yummy!!!

All out or not at all

So most of you that REALLY know me also know that when I tend to get into a TV show, I REALLY get into it. Honestly, I can go through my life up to this point and outline it by the TV show I was obsessed with at the time--Elementary school: MacGyver (hottie, even with the mullet!); Middle/High School: The X-Files (creepy, and Mulder is smokin'!); College: Farscape(F***ing brilliant. End of discussion.); etc. I also remember that right after I graduated from OSU, when Courtney and Lorrie and I were living together, we'd sometimes watch re-runs of "Felicity" on WE. Well, it's been a few years, but I've again been bitten by the "Felicity" bug. They had been running the re-runs again, and I found myself hurrying home from work (!) for a few weeks to catch what I could. Thank God for a resourceful husband who was able to score me the first and second season on DVD!!! I don't know what exactly it is about the show; the writing is great, the acting is great, and I just love that the show spans the exact four years that I was in college (although my life at the time was not nearly as dramatic as Ms. Porter's). I've been guilty of doing nothing but watching them (sometimes 5 episodes a night!) in the time before Mike gets home each evening--probably my own form of escapism since now I'm part of the "real world." I guess my news is that I just finished the last episode of season 2, so now I'm in limbo until we find seasons 3 & 4. Looks like I might have to do something constructive, like housework...

Ahhh, sweet revenge...

I was surprisingly calm during last night's 24-7 win, which was a much better feeling than I had last year during the OSU-Texas game. Maybe it was the five beers, I dunno. :) I could go on and on about how great a game it was, but I'll just sit back and let the media do that. Bring on Cincinnati!!!

Peek-A-Boo Chloe...

...and Many More!!!

HAPPY 26th BIRTHDAY TO ANGIE!!! And despite what you say, my dear, you don't get to repeat 25!!! Hope your day off is great, but get back to work so it's not so freakin' boring!!!

Hangin' out with Buckeye legends...

No, your eyes are not deceiving you--that's Angie & I with the ONLY two-time Heisman Trophy winner, Archie Griffin!!! For her upcoming birthday, I took Angie to "Girls Night Out / Football 101", offered by the OSU Alumni Association. We got autographs & photos with Archie, we met Brutus, we listened to a great talk by Kirk Herbstreit, and watched a fashion show of OSU apparel by Buckeye Corner. I was also 1 freakin' number away from winning a doorprize! We were also treated to hors d'oeuvres and a cash bar. I would say it was a great night--hope you had fun, Mrs. Wood!!!! :)

Here it is...

...the first cake that I ever made completely by myself--that's not a cupcake, of course! Now I know you're all snickering and laughing at me right now (probably because the frosting is not quite right, but I ran out!), but gimmie a break--at least I'm trying this whole cooking/baking thing, which is more than I've done in the last few years!!! What can I say, I'm inspired to be domestic now that I have this lovely band on my finger. You may all want to know the recipe, but let the hubby and I try the darned thing first, and I'll let you know if it's share-worthy. :)

Ho-hum...

Not too exciting of a day (unless you count that it's Mike & I's two-month anniversary of marriage--love you, honey!). I'm hoping my new photo program arrives today; my friend Angie told me about it, and I can't wait to try it out! Maybe it will make some of my photos pop on my future scrapbook pages. Man, I still feel like Suzie Homemaker when I start to talk about scrapbooking; I'm SUCH a novice, and I don't know many people in my circle (other than my sisters) that actually scrapbook, too--except, of course, for my amazingly-talented cousin Holly ; she is a finalist for Creating Keepsake's Scrapbooker of the Year--an awesome accomplishment! CONGRATS!!!

What a riot!!!

Just got back from seeing Harland Williams--he's got to be the FUNNIEST PERSON ALIVE!!! This is the second time we've seen him, and it's the second time I thought I was going to pee my pants! If you ever get the chance to see him, GO!!! :)

Take THAT, Verizon!!!

So some of you know I was pretty upset last week with Verizon, our wonderful cell phone service provider. Mike went into a location to get a new phone (he was due--his other one was literally a piece of crap); we planned on him getting his new phone and then getting a free one for me, as was their promotion. Well, they informed him that only new customers could receive the free phone, so I was out of luck. I was pretty mad because I had gotten my hopes up; my frustration was rooted in the fact that I HATE my current phone (Motorola just SUCKS), so I was pretty upset. Well, yesterday I went on Verizon's Web site to update my last name & address (I think I'm finally done doing that!), and discovered that even though I had not yet had my current phone for two years, I was still eligible for a $100 credit towards a new phone. So I shopped a bit and discovered that just by ordering online, I was also eligible for a $50 discount. To end my story, I got the exact same $150 phone that Mike got last week FOR FREE, simply by going online!!! And it arrives tomorrow!!! TAKE THAT, VERIZON!!!! The moral of the story, I suppose, is to order your next new phone ONLINE!!!

Birthdays!

Headed up to Mansfield today to celebrate G's 2nd birthday--good times, though it was VERY HOT!!! A happy birthday shoutout also goes to MEGAN--Mike says welcome to the 28 club! :)

Stuff

Work has slowed down a bit for me this week (a welcome change, as all of you who know the details of the past two weeks can attest). Unfortunately, though, the extra time on my hands now has me wondering about . . . stuff. Like, for instance, the fact that Mike & I want to buy a house. Rumor has it that I'm a pretty impatient person (so is Mike--no wonder we're each other's perfect match!), so once we started talking about the fact that we never want to rent again, I wanted the house immediately. Such is not reality, however; we've got some debt to pay down first before we take on that much more. We hope to begin looking earnestly in the spring, and we're thinking the Westerville area as of right now. The whole house thing really affects the other "stuff" I've been wondering about . . . kids (now don't have a heart attack--it's not in the immediate future). In discussions we've had, I've told Mike that I'd like to have a house before we think about starting a family, but also that I'd like to have at least one child by the time I'm 30. So I guess that gives us a good three years. It's so funny the different perspective marriage has given me; before I met Mike, this stuff wouldn't even have been on my radar. It's like getting married has somehow given me license to think about it. Weird.

ME WANT FOOTBALL!!!

You know, the cooler weather today really has me craving my Buckeyes. I can't wait for my boys to take the field! Should be an interesting year. I'm trying to get tickets to the first game since I missed the deadline for the Indiana tickets (I seem to remember having a wedding or something around the time the money was due). Keep your fingers crossed for Mike & I to be among the 105,000+ to cheer the Bucks on September 2!

Just saw "Superman Returns"...

...and I think it is THE BEST MOVIE I have seen in a LONG TIME. Seriously, they nailed it. I almost cried during the opening credits, especially with the music blaring that oh-so familiar theme and the block-letter names flying towards the audience. It reminded me of Sunday evenings long ago when Mom & Dad would let us stay up to watch special presentations of the old Superman movies. We'd all have on our PJs (the ones with the footies!), and if we were really lucky, Mom would even make popcorn (sometimes throwing it in a paper bag with butter and cheese--mmmmmmmmm). I think the nostalgia was what brought on the near tear-flow. But anyways, definitely a great way to spend a few hours--GO SEE THIS MOVIE!!!

Taking a break

Okay, folks, thinks have been going CRAZY here at work for awhile, so to take a breather, I found this little surveyish thing to do. I think everybody should do it (everybody being you, Heidi & Megan, since you're the only two I know who have one of these). I'll be looking for yours in a blog near me! :)

I AM: a wife (worked hard for that one!); an editor; an OSU grad and unflinching Buckeye fan; a friend; a dreamer

I WANT: for Mike & I to find the perfect house for our budget; to have kids someday; to make those I care about laugh and smile; a million dollars (had to say that one!)

I HAVE: the most WONDERFUL husband anyone could ask for; 1 very wired kitten; 1 visibly depressed cat (it's really killing me that Callie doesn't seem to like me anymore); an amazing family that I appreciate more everday; a sometimes-frustrating sense of responsibilty

I WISH: that I could stay motivated in certain areas of my life; I could be more assertive; that my husband didn't have to work so hard; I could snap my fingers and the bathroom would clean itself

I HATE: MICHIGAN; disorganization; the current white house administration; when I say the wrong thing and know I can't take it back; having to work late when it seems it won't really help in the long run

I MISS: Mike, when I'm not with him; that childhood certainty that everything's going to be okay; family & friends that I don't see often enough

I HEAR: right now, the AC & the sound of someone stamping "APPROVED" on pages here at work

I WONDER: if someday our children will be the same idiot teenagers to us that we were to our parents; what's for dinner tonight; whether I'll be dumb enough to come in and work this weekend; whether the Buckeyes can truly pull off another National Championship this year

I REGRET: some of the wrong things I've said or done, especially recently

I AM NOT: afraid to be a geek out in public anymore!; a snitch; closed to suggestions

I DANCE: pretty badly; any chance I get!

I SING: horribly; in the car

I CRY: at a lot of movies--not just the super sappy ones; when I really care about something or someone; sometimes alone

I AM NOT ALWAYS: who I want to be

I WRITE: here on my blog; emails

I CONFUSE: myself, a lot

I NEED: my husband; my family; to know that I am love and appreciated; to sleep with some kind of blanket at night; the internet

I SHOULD: go back to work; eat better and exercise; go to the store

I START: a good book and can't put it down until I'm done (Harry Potter, Da Vinci Code); organizing things and can't stop!

I FINISH: hoping that you learned something small about the person that I am! And remember, GO BUCKS!! :)

Congrats to Auntie Angie!

A big congratulations to Angie, who became an aunt again on Monday! Owen Thomas came into the world at 8 lb 11 oz, and with a nice head of hair! Congrats, Mrs. Wood!

FINALLY!!!

Well, I am finally OFFICIALLY Mrs. Mike Cotter!!! I just checked the Franklin county Web site, and after what seemed like an eternity, they finally processed our marriage application. Now if I could just get them to send us the darn copy so I can get all of my paperwork done!

Whirlwind...

Boy, did we ever have a busy weekend!!! First it was up to Mansfield to visit with the folks; we had filets and SHEESH were they fabulous! We also got to watch GT play with his car and in a bucket (and do some other things but I won't get into that here--winks to all of you who were on the deck at the time). Then we went and saw the Star Wars thing at COSI with John; the best part was going on the Millenium Falcon simulator--freaking cool. Then today it was off to Jacobs Field to watch the Indians lose to the Reds (trust me, we wanted that to be the other way around). Now we're at home receiving love from the kitten (she just loooooooves Mikey). Hope everyone had a good weekend, and we'll talk to you soon! :)

Happy Birthday to Julie!!

Hope she enjoys her cupcakes! :)

Not so exciting...

Yeah, today is pretty dull so far. I'm waiting on a project to come back from a vendor, and I just received word that it won't be here until tomorrow. Now I get to work in piddly stuff instead. Oh well, such is life here in production. I did get this wonderfully bizarre photo from my sister Heidi, though--talk about random! My other sister Abby is coming to visit tonight (actually, she's coming to visit her boyfriend Mike and needs me to keep her company until he gets off work), so at least I've got that to look forward to; I'm gonna make her help me make cupcakes! Good times. Let's see, what else...Mike & I have a pretty busy weekend planned; we're headed up to Mansfield on Saturday to visit my folks, then we're bringing John back down here so we can go to COSI and see the Star Wars exhibit. On Sunday, we'll drop John back off on the way up to the Indians/Reds game in Cleveland. I wonder what the weather is supposed to be like...

I'm back!

Well, I can't get on MySpace here at work anymore, which leaves me pretty much nothing to do while I'm on lunch, so I figured I'm come back here and try this blog thing out again. It's so weird not to have any errands to run during lunch! Before the wedding, I was always going somewhere, trying to take care of some small detail before the whole thing came together. It was a beautiful wedding, and it was exactly how Mike & I wanted it--short, sweet, personal, FUN--I just hope all who attended had as good a time as we did.