My best editor

Danny: You gotta walk before you crawl.
Rusty: Reverse that.


M: You should have used the Ocean's 11 quote for your last blog title.
herhighnessness: But I reversed it.
M: But now it makes sense
herhighnessness: Yes.
M: And in your case you never crawled and now you have to basically learn how, so the Ocean's 11 way makes more sense for you.
herhighnessness: Yes, but this makes more sense to people in general.
herhighnessness: And I have to learn to walk.
herhighnessness: Not crawl.
M: But wouldn't the slightly confusing way be more compelling?
herhighnessness: It would still be confusing, no?
M: The only reason I say so is that now it sounds like just a regular saying, but if you keep it the way it was, people may recognize the quote or at least be more compelled to read on.
M: Your song should have been from Ocean's 11, but now I'm just being really picky.
herhighnessness: I don't remember Ocean's 11 having a song about walking.
M: That's probably true.
M: Yeah, no really good songs:
herhighnessness: I love that you actually looked.

HRH

Always setting a good example

A rare double post today, but for very good reason. Today my wonderful parents celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary! They're both pretty private people so I won't go into gushing detail about them, save stating that they're amazing people, wonderful parents and I couldn't love them more. I just wanted to take a moment to recognize how happy I am for them that they've been able to share the last 40 years as best friends... and had two fabulous daughters in the process (modest too!). I raise a glass to you both tonight.

Today's sing-a-long song: "Time in a bottle" by Jim Croce

HRH

Cleaning habits die hard

When I was younger and when I was living on my own, I used to stay up into the wee hours of the morning cleaning. I know, I was so wild and crazy it's hard to imagine how I made it through my youth with all my limbs and organs in tact. There would be days when I would decide that things had to be scrubbed, reorganized and reordered. Living with M for the last seven years ostensibly put an end to the late night OCD cleaning episodes.

Having to respect that there is, indeed, someone else in the house and that it can really mess up his sleeping patterns if I am up at 2 a.m. making all the books in the guest room line up just so, really helped with using the night for more practical things like sleeping. I have to confess that whenever he travels and I am at home alone, I go to bed in the cleanest of all possible worlds. I'd rather have him with me at night one hundred times out of a hundred, but the OCDist within has a special moment when things are properly sorted. I suppose it's a neurotic way of finding solace in being apart. I clean because I miss him?

Anyway, it's after 11 and I have no inklings of being able to sleep. I've been cleaning fairly intensely for a school night. I would have kept going if M hadn't retired for the night.

I guess I just have to go through this a couple of times a year. The last bout of insomnia brought the revelation that turning my clock away from me would end all the terrible clock watching, at it is wonderful to be free of that. Now I just have to sort out how to stop watching the jets on final approach to Pearson through the window all night. I must have passed an hour or two last night wondering about all the people on those planes. Where they were coming from, what their lives were like and if their homes were clean.

Today's sing-a-long song: "Sleep Tonight" by Stars

HRH

Holiday wrap

I suppose my appearance back at work today means that the holiday season is drawing to a close. It started with some sadness for me this year as I was down about M and I being apart for Christmas. On the train to Kingston, while the cold that often takes over my body as soon as I let it relax took over, I resolved to make the best of my holiday, even though I would be apart from my husband for three days of it. And I was doing pretty decently, though I missed him terribly, and I was rewarded for my positive spirits by yet another holiday surprise from my man.

Mid-afternoon on Christmas day I was coming inside after taking Zeus outside for a walk and my father called me into the living room for something. I walked into the room, look at my Dad, looked at M, then looked at my Dad again and said "What?" Moments later my brain synthesized M's presence in the room and I exploded with glee. He had driven to Kingston a day early so he could be with me for Christmas dinner. And, as always, my family was in on it all. My mother even had me set the dinner table for six guests as part of the ruse. M is now wondering what he can do next year to surprise me to keep the tradition running.

The rest of the holiday was great. We spent time with friends and family, as well as some seriously quality time napping on the couch. There were a couple nights of playing Wii that resulted in a shocking amount of stiffness in the days after, but also in a tremendous amount of fun.

So while my holiday spirit arrived late, it made it in the right amount of time. The holiday season basically finished for me yesterday with the celebration of the wonderful M's 30th birthday. We will be commemorating the occasion fully on Saturday with a healthy amount of friends, drinking, gifting and karaoke singing. I'll try to refrain from making any ending the season on a high note jokes.

HRH

Best Prom-posal Ever

I was already on my way to having had a wonderful holiday. My time spent in Kingston was filled with the pleasant company of my family, eventual peace amongst five cats and many days spent watching movies in front of my father's new 52 inch plasma TV. If I didn't want a TiVo before... My goodness do I want one now. But I digress.

The big news from the break happened when M and I took a much needed vacation to New York City. M suggested this trip back in November. Thanks to the generosity of friends and family we were able to fly down on frequent flyer miles, stay in a lovely hotel for almost nothing and live a little beyond our present means without all the pesky guilt and regret. For a long time I'd thought that this was just another bit of proof that we have the most amazing friends and family in the world (and we do) but it turned out that there was a hidden agenda.

I'd decided to let go my obsessive-compulsive self and let M organize the trip. He knows NYC much better than I do, the trip was his idea and I actually found myself enjoying the idea of just packing a bag, showing up and letting someone else worry about the details. Turns out it was the best plan.

We got to New York on Wednesday afternoon. M suggested that we head down to the village. It was a beautiful day, mild and sunny. We made our way Washington Square Park, a place near and dear to our hearts as I think we've watched When Harry Met Sally about a zillion times together. The last time we'd been there the triumphal arch was under reconstruction so I'd never seen it in all it's glory. It was really beautiful. The afternoon sun cast a warm glow over the park. I was really happy and relaxed.

M walked me over to the side of the arch and stopped. He turned to me and said "Now I can tell you the real reason why we're here. It's time for you to stop being my girlfriend," as he got down on one knee and pulled out a small wooden box.

Clone High fans will appreciate that as M asked me to marry him he said "I know this isn't a fancy prom-posal, but will you marry me?" I responded, through tears of joy, with "Yes! This is the best prom-posal ever!"

I remember feeling so many good emotions at the same time that a part of my brain must have broken. A lot of it is one big happy blur. I know it took me a day or so before I could really remember everything that happened. Even still I find I remember that I am engaged to marry someone so perfect for me and I get this big silly smile on my face.

I think that M and I were hugging and crying tears of joy for a long time before I even remembered to look at what was in the small wooden box. What was in it was too awesome for words. A sapphire the colour of the sky on a perfect day set in white gold. So blue and sparkly. And like that I was engaged to marry my best friend in the world.

And that was just the start of the most perfect 4 days. After a quiet late lunch and sending out a volley of text messages to let everyone in on the plan (read: almost everyone I know) know that it had gone well we went to see the hilarious Star Wars one-man show off Broadway. What better way to top off a day of great emotions with 90 minutes of laughter.

The next day involved walks through beautiful New York City in the rain, a serendipitous viewing of an exhibition of a collection of works of art from the time of Bohemian kings Karel IV, Vaclav IV and Sigismund at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, walks through the east side of Central Park and the Central Park Zoo (had to get a zoo in there to make it perfect for M). That night we enjoyed some delicious sushi and followed by ice skating at Bryant Park under the NYC lights.

Yesterday started with shopping at Sak's Fifth Avenue, something I have longed to do for more than half my life, and yes, it lived up to my expectations. Then we met up with some family friends for lunch on the upper west side and experienced the first re-telling of our engagement. After that it was a walk down the west side of Central Park, a little more shopping on 5th Avenue, topped off by dinner at a great restaurant in the village called Po.

We're home now. Happy and exhausted. I'm engaged and I feel no fear or anxiety about it. Just the overwhelming knowledge that this is the right thing and so much excitement about being able to plan a fun celebration of my relationship with M. I also feel so honoured to be with someone so thoughtful and wonderful that would put together a proposal and trip like this.

Today's sing-a-long song: "Aint That A Kick In The Head" by Dean Martin

HRH

Very much of the good

My mother is in town this weekend, which means copious amounts of food are being consumed, a copious amount of shopping is being done and a general overall feeling of joy and goodness has infused my days.

Also, I have more boots. I was slightly scolded by the salesman at Brown's for leaving boot shopping so late. According to him, I got lucky, since all the size 11s are usually gone in October. He even told me what months I should start my shoe shopping for summer (March! Can you believe it). However, it found exactly what I wanted. A pair of warm, lined, water proof, stylish and barely heeled winter boots. They are heavenly.

To add to all this joy, I had sushi for dinner and M is further proving that he is the best boyfriend ever by letting me watch Grease 2 on TV.

HRH