We’ll be home for Christmas.
23 Dec 2009 4 Comments
in holidays Tags: aaron, christmas, firsts, road trip
So Aaron and I were supposed to leave for Texas on the 21st, have an easy time of driving there with the two dogs and make it easily before Christmas. Well, work got in the way and suddenly Aaron was working until the 23rd. He was ready to cancel Christmas. But I offered to drive all night while he slept if he drove all day the next day and now we’re heading to Texas tonight! With a stop for some proper rest (and present opening) in some Motel 6 on Christmas Eve, we should make it to the in-laws in time for Christmas!
I feel like we’ll be starring in our own “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” movie, JTT style.
Though we’ve made this road trip several times together over the years, this one is going to be a little different.
- We’re bringing BOTH the dogs this time. Usually we only take Jackson who is a wonderful little traveler. Not sure how Peezu’s gonna fair, but we’ll soon find out.
- It’s the first time we’re taking a car other than Aaron’s Camry. Aaron’s car is a stick-shift. I don’t drive stick. I’ve tried and I just end up having major anxiety attacks. This has made for many a fight on our road trips. I keep promising every year to get over the fear that I’m going to cause his car to explode and help drive, but then I always freak out and end up a sobbing mess on the side of the road. Poor Aaron.Well this year my dad offered us his Civic Hybrid and it’s an automatic! Which means we both get to pitch in. I’m happy about this.
- This is the first year (for me) that we are actually going to go to his folk’s house ON Christmas. Which means, this is the first year that I will be away from my family on Christmas. No opening presents in their living room in front of a fire. No stockings that my mother needlepointed. No Nat King Cole Christmas music blaring on speakers all over the house. No Boston Terrier dog drowning in ribbons. No trading gifts with my sister. No coffee and hot chocolate on a tray in Christmas mugs while we open presents. For the first time ever. Weird.Luckily my family has all decided to head to San Francisco to watch the USC bowl game this year, so I won’t feel like they’re doing all that without me. AND I love my in-laws so much that I know I’m going to be just as happy and comfy and Christmas-y.
- And this is the first year we’re leaving in the cover of darkness, which worries me. But I’m sure we’ll be fine.
Well, on that note, I should really finish getting everything ready to go.
Happy Holidays my lovely readers… all 5 of you.
Merry Christmas, love the Finleys
the silliness of an anniversary
10 Oct 2009 3 Comments
in love Tags: aaron, anniversary, fight, firsts, marriage, wedding
Today’s our 1st wedding anniversary!
We’ve never actually celebrated an anniversary before, so this’ll be our first celebration. And I have to admit, I’m kinda glad we never celebrate anniversaries or valentines day, or anything like that. I just hate the pressure it puts upon you to MAKE THINGS SPECIAL!!! It gives me anxiety. It even caused fight last night between us… He was in a bit of bad mood so to lighten things up I thought I’d start a conversation about all the fun things we could do the next day (today). So I said, “What do you want to do tomorrow?” And Aaron, feeling under as much pressure as I am to MAKE THINGS SPECIAL read that question as, “So what do you have planned for me? Because the one thing you previously mentioned isn’t good enough. I want MOAR SPECIALNESS.” And then he blew up at me, leaving me totally confused.
When talking through it, after all the butt-hurt on my end wore off, we realized that he was reacting to an all too common stereotype; where it’s all on the man to wine and dine and buy flowers and shower the girl with special gifts and surprises all in the effort to try and make her happy, while the girl just sits there and gets pampered. At least that’s how it’s portrayed by the media. But I work really hard to blast that stereotype, and ALL relationship stereotypes (especially as they pertain to women) out of the water. Like I mentioned before, he’s off the hook for any and all anniversaries (except this one), he’s off the hook for Valentine’s day and I plan all of my own birthdays. But for some reason he failed to remember all of that. I’m telling you it’s the pressure of MOAR SPECIALLNESS that really fucks with your head.
After the fight had blown over, Aaron had apologized for being a total idiot and I slapped him upside the head a few good times, I told him that our neighbor CoCo was coming up to watch yet another Disney movie with me. And Aaron went, “Wait, wait wait, let’s just play devil’s advocate here — if I were to make plans with someone of the eve of our anniversary without asking you if it’s okay, I think I might get in trouble.” And I looked at him like he was a crazy person and said, “Now that’s ridiculous. You don’t get an “anniversary eve,” this is not Christmas, you don’t get a whole season of this shit. I can barely take one entire day of romance.” And then he remembered, ‘Oh yeah, you’re a total dude!’ I don’t know why or how he forgot, maybe because I expressed any interest AT ALL about the silliness of an anniversary. But the guy who once had to tell me, “Megan, you are NOT a dude with a vagina,” had totally forgotten that I happen to think I was a dude with a vagina.
Anyway, what was my point? I don’t know. I guess it’s just that, I’m glad we’ve reached a year together and that it’s been relatively easy. I’ve been looking forward to this day for a long time. I have a couple really nice and romantic things planned for him. But I can’t wait until it’s over. 
Offbeat Bride internship
06 Mar 2009 2 Comments
in offbeat bride Tags: firsts
During my seemingly never ending period of FUNemployment I’ve started doing an internship over at OffbeatBride.com, the patron saint of my wedding planning process. My penchant for amazing wedding photos and ideas just couldn’t be expunged, even after my wedding, so I thought I’d find another excuse to delve into the bridal world. That and I’m learning a BUTT LOAD about the business of blogging from Ariel, my rocking slave master and creator of the term “funemployment.” 
Anyway, the main reason for this post is to shamelessly promote a blog that I wrote called 17 Bouquet Alternatives for Fearless Brides in which I list a number of amazing non-floral bouquet choices either posted by other Offbeat Brides or thought up in my wedding filled brain. It was my first post as a big girl intern and I’m pretty proud of it.
a pink feather bouquet creation, just one of the many bouquet alternatives featured in my post
The 1st Annual Attackiversary!
30 Oct 2008 Leave a Comment
in parties, sharks Tags: aaron, attackiversary, coco, firsts, shark attack
Autograph disTraction Event
17 Sep 2008 Leave a Comment
in music Tags: airborne toxic event, bands, daren, firsts
weird.
Aloha there, I'm Megan Finley. I'm a 30-something girl, living in Los Angeles with that guy I married and our rescued pets. I work online (a LOT) for the 
