richlayers

Last week I got an email informing me that I was one of three First Prize winners in Melissa Marr's Radiant Prose writing contest. I didn't believe it at first, but it's sunk in now. The prize is a $25 Apple giftcard and a signed copy of Melissa's newest book, Radiant Shadows. I am totally thrilled. :D

ALSO, Chris is having three short stories published at Flash Shot, which features a daily flash fiction story. His first one will appear on September 21st.

ladytairngire: how long are you going to be gone?
richlayers: pff
richlayers: one week
richlayers: Aug 3-10
ladytairngire: i'll totally be texting you
richlayers: GOOD
richlayers: you can do that today, too
ladytairngire: and reminding you how close NY is to DE
ladytairngire: ok
richlayers: if you have any errands that require Rachel commentary
richlayers: haha you do that
ladytairngire: maybe i'll text you while i shave
ladytairngire: that would be nice and kinky
richlayers: that's what I was gonna say
ladytairngire: bigamy is legal in Utah,
ladytairngire: so i've been told.
richlayers: ooooh
richlayers: I could have a husband AND a wife!

We got back from Mexico on Friday night/Saturday morning about 1:00 AM, and I've been sleeping and grooming mostly nonstop since then. Ahhhh hot shower, how I love you! Much more about that, and many pictures, coming soon.

Now I'm swinging into party planning mode, because I think that's a much better way to think about this wedding/reception than to go crazy trying to figure out how to have a WEDDING. We did figure out a date finally that will work for Chris's family and mine, so it's July 30th! Yay! I figure having a very short time frame will keep away the possibility of things getting out-of-control fancy and expensive. The ceremony itself will be tiny tiny tiny, just our immediate families. More information about the reception, coming soon!

The guy still isn't done with my ring. We found one we liked at a store, but it had a diamond and so it's getting replaced with a sapphire. I was really hoping it would be done and ready to wear when I got back from my trip, but I think it'll be worth the wait. Engagement ring, coming soon!

Mom and I shopped like crazy yesterday, and I think I may have found a dress. Plus I think the wedding registry is pretty much done. We're on amazon.com and bedbathandbeyond.com, so if you are the kind of person who wants to send wedding presents, that is where to find us. Thank you notes, coming soon!

Yesterday Chris, Curtis, and I went to the RenFest that was going on in Wichita. Unfortunately, Chris sleeps during the day, so even though he got up early, we didn't get there until 4, and they were ending the whole thing at 6 p.m. (even though it's light out until like 9:00pm now? wtf?) AND tickets were still full price, which we all thought was something of a rip-off.

So we wandered around outside of the fence, trying to decide what to do with ourselves -- go to a movie? Hop the fence and hope no one saw us? Sit in the car and cry?

We couldn't find a likely, unobserved spot in the fencing, so we wandered back around to the entrance, where I muttered to the guys, "Follow my lead," and strolled nonchalantly through the gate without looking at any of the ticket booth people or hand stampers or anyone else. Once through, I stopped and looked back. The guys were trailing after me, looking only slightly smug and/or surprised.

We shopped around through all the tents and booths, and landed at a small stage where a magician was working. He wasn't the best I've seen, but he had a pretty humorous if not entirely original patter, and he had some fun tricks. At one point he needed three volunteers and he called Chris, Curtis and me up together, so that was fun. I may or may not have gotten a close accidental look at how that trick worked.

We walked around some more, avoided all the overpriced fair foods, watched a little bit of the singing pirates, and thought about what to buy. I was leaning toward either one of the knifes with leather sheathes, or one of the belly dancing sashes with all the coins on them. Chris wanted to get a couple of the silver goblets we'd spotted, so we went to that booth first, then back to the leather & sharp pointy object booth.

I ended up finding a pretty nice knife for $10. It needs to be sharpened, but it's really an impressively good knife, especially for $10. And since it was so cheap, I had enough to get the sash TOO. So I came home feeling quite smug and satisfied.

I had my camera, but the only thing I took a picture of the whole day was a sign on a sword rack that said, "Don't Be Stupid."

I'll get pictures of the knife, goblets, and sash (probably tied around my butt) when I get a chance.

We all decided the fair was definitely worth the price of admission.

I had a pretty good day on Friday. I slept in, then slowly got myself together in time to go to lunch with mom. We went to the Mexican place and had chimichangas and margaritas. Then I went to the library to see if any of my ILLs were in (they weren't, but I have plenty to read).

I went home in the afternoon in time to meet Gregory and Chris at my house. B called to wish me happy birthday, which was fun. We hung out and played Magic until my grandparents showed up for dinner, when we had Dad's homemade pizza. There were some presents presented, among others: Got a gorgeous Blue Willow tea set from mom, as well as an iHome. Greg got me The Child Thief by Brom -- yay! Chris got me a nice hefty external hard drive and a cover for my iPod (which he got me for Christmas). Then there was The Greatest Birthday Cake in the World, which we consumed with mighty amounts of ice cream.

Then Gregory, Chris and I went over to Chris's to watch The Shawshank Redemption, since Chris works in a prison and he's never seen it. Only I wanted some wine, and there was no bottle opener, so we went to Walmart for that, a new lightbulb, and I found a copy of Tropic Thunder at a buy-myself-a-birthday-present price.

We watched Shawshank Redemption with wine for me to drink and pizza bites for us all to eat... and then decided to rock out with some rock band. Only... we didn't have enough batteries for the guitars. So another trip to Walmart and a $5 copy of Super Troopers later, we were back in the warm apartment rocking out.

Overall, it was a little too much Walmart for my birthday. Oh well.

Finally came home and crashed around 5, a little after Gregory headed back to Manhattan, where he had to be late in the morning to help a friend move.

It was an awesome day.

And NOW the holidays are over.

2009

June: Rachel

The Artichoke, Collective Soul


July: Chris

Miss Saigon


August: Rachel

District 9, Bonefish Grill


September: Chris

Wichita Art Museum


October: Rachel

Wicked!!!, Fazoli's


November: Chris

Artichoke, browsing at Bookaholic


December: Rachel

Dinner at Sumo by Nambara for sushi and hibachi. It was the first time Chris ever had hibachi, and after the chef lit the oil on fire and it blustered up in front of us, he said, "I approve!" We split a dinner and a couple sushi rolls, and that was a pretty perfect amount of food -- we were both pretty full, had a little bit of rice left over, and ate everything else.

2010

January: Chris

Overnight trip to The Cottage House in Council Grove, KS. Had dinner at historic Hays House, a pretty nice Western style restaurant with the claim to be the oldest continually running restaurant west of the Mississippi. Lots of really nice scenery and old timey feel, although a bit cold still!

February: Rachel

Frugal February! Our goal was to spend as little money as possible all month. In the spirit of things, I got takeout from the local Italian place, picked up some cheap candles from Walgreens, and set up an indoor picnic. We ate delicious food, played video games, and cuddled.

March: Chris

Cosmosphere Museum and IMAX showing of Hubble! Dinner from Arby's as we zipped outta town to get back in time for Chris to go to work.

April: Rachel

Looong walk out to El Dorado Lake, where the car was strategically parked. Presentation of parking pass for the park and lake for the year. Drive out to picnic table by the lake, and picnic of deviled eggs, chicken salad sandwiches, sun chips, Hansen soda, and chocolate chocolate chip cookies.

May: Chris

???

OMG good.