the happy blur continues

sorry I haven't been posting much. Haven't had much to report, since I've been mostly off program for the past couple weeks. I'm expecting this to improve now that I'm back to work...I always do better with a routine. However, getting the routine to once again include things like 2-3L of water and 95% less chocolate has been a challenge. Add to the mix that this is one of my 3 PMS weeks per cycle, and you've got a nearly impossible mission. I am trying though...really.

I'm in this weird sort of limbo right now--we still have the two houses, but I'm living mostly in the "northside house". My important stuff (eg, computer) is at the northside house, but hte more trivial items (work clothes, furniture) are still at the westside house.

Our cats are still living in the "westside house" with my former roommate, who will be very happy to see them come live with us soon. They stayed over there this long because we still have stray/the neighbor's cat and kittens. However, with the two being adopted the other day, and Neighbor wanting to take her cat home pretty soon (she's in heat again, did I mention that? Oh, the yowling...), I think we'll probably just take our pick of the two kittens and let the other one stay with his mama at the house across the street until he's adopted. Then we can start bringing the other four cats back in stages, starting this week. Maybe even today. For our own safety, we'll probably bring Rory back last. She's going to be pissed when she sees that another cat's been living in her house all this time. Better to mix mama cat's scent with the rest of the brood before she comes home. That way, the boys can also establish some territory before she returns to her old domain. She'll still very likely re-claim all the good napping spots.

But enough with the cats. There's also my name, which is in a weird sort of flux. I can't change my last name until the marriage records are processed and we have official documentation. According to the county clerk's office, this takes around six weeks. But unofficially, I endorsed the wedding checks written to us as a couple, Noah's been signing his schoolwork "Noah Allison" (which is a different set of paperwork entirely), and I answer to both surnames. I'm torn about whether to change my network ID and phone display at work to the new name, because I can't change it in HR until I have my new SS card anyway, which I can't get until we have a certified copy of the marriage record, which is taking six weeks. Also adding to the fun is the fact that if I want to put Rob on my insurance, I have to do it within 31 days of the marriage or wait until the next open enrollment in a few months. But I won't have the necessary proof within 31 days of the marriage, so they have to pend the changes until they see the marriage record. So, in summary, I don't really know who I am exactly, Noah's signing his schoolwork as a person who doesn't really exist yet, and Rob can't go to the dentist. Ah, wedded bliss.

Anyhoo, like I say, I'm trying to get back into the whole healthy lifestyle thing, but it's going slowly. We've been trying to get out and walk after dinner at night, but we fail most of the time. Last night, we did homemade pizza at 8 pm, and I was falling asleep in my chair by 8:45. We either need to eat earlier or walk before we eat. I can't really decide which.

Food is hit or miss...I'll have a couple really healthy meals, followed by a junkfest that leaves me feeling bloated and sick. I've been drinking far more soda than water. I'm just baby-stepping my way back to where I was 3 weeks ago. I expect some ups and downs (mostly ups) on the scale to show for it.

It must all be more complicated in Texas than it was in Tennessee. After we got married, we went to the clerk's office, gave them the signed paper and they sat down and typed up and signed the marriage certificate in about a minute and a half and that was all the paperwork we've ever needed for anything.

we probably could have done it that way, too, had we known. As it was, we went in and did the application, then gave it to our officiant. He mailed it back to the clerk's office on the day of the wedding, and now we have to wait for them to process it.

If we had known more about how marriage works, we probably could have taken the license there in person, and the whole process would have been faster. Or maybe not...who knows? :)