the serious and the too-serious.

Today, I ran into my friend Grant, who mentioned the fact that he checks this blog daily, in search of an update.

Sadly, my friend Grant has been disappointed for nearly five months.

As I sit here (putting off the sundry other things that appear on my many lists), I am 22 days from collecting my master's degree, 31 days from getting married, 33 days from my honeymoon, and 43 days from departing to Malawi, in SE Africa, for two weeks.

And there's more.

But, rather than go through what is arguably the craziest schedule of transitions I have ever faced (at once, anyway), I think I'll, instead, elaborate on other things.

First, bay windows.

I love bay windows. If you're in my family, this is the part of the entry where you interject the story of me, at a young(ish) age, attempting to store pizza (that didn't fit into the fridge) by the bay windows, since an outside wall would keep them cool. And then you'd laugh.

But you're not in my family, so you're not doing that. Thanks.

Anyway, I enjoy bay windows because, first of all, they bring more light into a room. And, they are a great place for a "nook" (if the windows are collectively small enough for a bench to sit among them). And, above all, they add tremendous character to a home.

This is on my mind, of course, because I'm sitting in the living room of the apartment that Joe moved into (and into which I will also be moving soon enough). "Apartment" is misleading because, in reality, we have overtaken the entire first floor of a victorian home that has since been converted. There is a young couple on the second floor, Beth and Adrian, and a single girl, Mindy, on the top floor.

We have lots of space, our own laundry, 4 fireplaces (none of which are functional, but they're all very interesting), and, most excitingly, it is our first home together.

There's something very strange about moving in together. Merging all of the "stuff" and, in one way or another, giving as much access to one's spouse to your stuff as you will likely assume you have to theirs. It's funny though--because I don't officially live here yet (though I've signed the lease and I have the keys), I still feel a bit like I should tip-toe around. I feel guilty taking any of Joe's food. And when I do our laundry (I picked that over dish-washing--a fine compromise, if you ask me), I feel almost as if I'm doing it at someone else's house.

But, the biggest shift in thinking, as far as I can see (apart from the obvious things like...you know...being married), comes in changing my name. I have had the same name for nearly 26 years.

Twenty-six years is a long time to be so attached to something, and then to watch it change in the blink of an eye.

It feels like (and in some ways, this is true) I will have an entirely new identity. A new name...heck, I have to get a new social security card, passport, driver's liscense, etc. And, what's more, I will officially be a resident of Pennsylvania. I never could've predicted this.

It will be a great hassle to become someone new. Change is tough; I rarely get the year right for all of January and, let's face it, you know the new year is coming...you know what it will be...and you have between 365 and 366 days during which to prepare. But this is different. This is new. This means that I'll have to wait longer to hear my name in alphabetical order. And, sometimes, when a group is split in half, I'll be with the second half of the alphabet. Strange--I've never been with the "Z's" and "Q's"

I'm not doing justice to the sort of feelings that changing my name has produced, but I'm not sure that I can.

Even still, I feel that it is incredibly important to make this switch. I think that it is one way of truly demonstrating my committment to Joe, and to our marriage. I believe that it is a tangible means through which our solidarity and family-ness will be proclaimed. Plus, it's pretty exciting. It, in a way, will make the true more true.

Ok, speaking of Joe, I promised him a sandwich when he got home from work. I'm going to make one. And while he's chewing on that, you can chew on all of this.

Bye! :0)