All of my favorite television shows (How I Met Your Mother, Parenthood, Grey’s Anatomy, and The Big Bang Theory) have had their season finales, so there is nothing to watch on television. I’ve been finding myself reading in the afternoons–right now, I’m reading The Lovely Bones–but it hasn’t sped things along. Lately, life has seemed a bit on the boring side, and I know I could do something to change it; however, I’m trying to learn how to enjoy the slowness of time.

I want to fill my evenings with things to do that will keep me busy, but I won’t. I’m learning to enjoy sitting and relaxing with a book in my hand, the television off, and sunshine boiling in through the window. I know that I will be over-stressed with too much to do come August–when classes begin–so I’m trying to learn how to enjoy the fact that I literally have nothing on my plate right now (aside from work, of course).

I’m finding myself wishing that I would’ve taken a class this summer. Hopefully, once June hits, I’ll find a love for the “boring moments” in life again. In the latter half of June, I’ll be taking a trip with Husband for our second wedding anniversary; at some point this summer, I will be taking a trip with Husband and my in-laws to the beach and possibly to a cabin. I’m trying to plan going to baseball games (though I’ve never been a fan of baseball) and cookouts, just to enjoy the moments that can only exist in the summer. I’m learning to enjoy the simplicity of life, but it’s hard.

How do you make yourself okay with the “boring moments” in life? How do you “stay busy” without really staying busy?

I think it’s about time I start taking control of my life. Honestly, so far, I’ve let life control me a little. It’s easier that way. Things just fall into place sometimes, and it’s nice not having to make decisions. When I felt myself getting stressed last week over what to make for dinner, though, I knew it was time to reevaluate. Deciding what to make for dinner should not make me want to curl up on my couch eating chocolate ice cream while crying and watching Sex and the City. It shouldn’t upset me that much.

When I was fifteen, I had a “plan” for my life–married by age twenty-one(check), finished with school by age twenty-three (not going to happen), buy a house and have a baby and an awesome career by age twenty-five (yeah, right). As we all know, plans usually don’t work out. Why, though? What happens in between? Life, of course … But when do we stop controlling how our life pans out? When do we lose the grip we have on all of those big plans?

While I’m okay with not receiving my Bachelor’s degree until I’m probably twenty-five, I’m sometimes not okay with the fact that I may be nearly thirty by the time we’re ready to start a family. I told Husband the other day that I’d rather just get my Bachelor’s degree, have a baby, and go back to school for my Master’s when the baby is old enough to start school. (To do what I want to do, I need my Master’s.) Is that realistic, though? Is it idiotic to have a “plan,” even though I know it probably won’t pan out exactly in the way I want it to? There’s a time in everyone’s life in which we must allow life to take control, allowing the chips to fall where they may … But when is the appropriate time to take back the reigns and steer life the way you want it to go?

Even with music and movies, I’m not a fan of critique. (Don’t get me wrong, I love reading reviews/critiques; I just can’t dish them out.) Just recently, I bought Ingrid Michaelson’s new album, and it has taken me a while to warm up to it. While the songs are catchy, they’re very different from her first albums. I adore Ingrid Michaelson (I even follow her on twitter), and she has an amazing voice, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed at first listen. However, after a while, I’m okay with it. I realize that artists change, and I still adore her voice.

I always feel sort of bad for artists/actors/musicians/writers. Every time they complete something, it goes through a review process. Even if the majority loves it, there will always be someone “hating” it. I can’t imagine what they go through, having to deal with that on a regular basis. I suppose it just comes with the territory.

Even though I despise giving negative feedback, I’m considering writing reviews every once in a while on this blog. While I’ll mostly review/suggest things I love, I know I’ll run across things I’m not so fond of. I’m just trying to figure out how to deal with those without being incredibly hurtful.

What do you think about reviews?

This weekend, Husband and I are taking a mini-vacation (before classes begin next week) with my in-laws. We’ll be heading to Gatlinburg, which is just less than three hours from where I live. We’re leaving Friday afternoon with a return home Sunday evening. I’m looking forward to it. The last “vacation” we had was our honeymoon last year, so this is needed. I’m looking forward to staying in the cozy cabin and skipping across rocks at the creek. (I might be lugging my film camera with me for this; while I’d choose film over digital any day, I really wish I could afford that Nikon D5000. Sigh.)

This is completely off-topic, but I have a question for all of you tech savvy people. Basically, I’m going to be purchasing a new laptop soon. I’ve had my Dell since my senior year of high school, and I’ve never had problems with it … but I’m itching for some new/upgraded technology, especially since I’m taking online classes this semester. I’m just unsure of whether I should buy another Dell or go for a Macbook. I’ve always wanted a Mac (I love the design, especially), but Dell has been great for me the past few years. What do you think? I’m trying to weigh the pros and cons, so I’d love feedback of any kind (especially if you’ve used both).

Just a sneak peek of where we’ll be staying this weekend.

{image via Hearthside Cabins}

If you could have any wish or any experience, Patch Adams style, what would it be?

To live a happy, fulfilled life … and bring that happiness to at least one person throughout my life.

How did you and your husband meet and get together?

I have a love/hate relationship with this question. I love being asked it, but the story can be long and confusing. So, sit back and relax.

The summer before my sophomore year of highschool (living in TN), my granny was diagnosed with lung cancer. In an attempt to cheer her up (and make her feel better), Dad decided to move us back to Florida to be near her. (I had a boyfriend back in TN and we continued to date the entire time I was in Florida.) During my time there, I started a xanga account to keep my friends updated. (It was mostly filled with angry posts about how much I hated being there and how upset I was that my best friend [Granny] was dying in front of me. Unfortunately, I’ve since deleted that xanga [dang it!], so I’m unable to show you posts.)

Granny passed away in August, but my family still wanted to attempt starting a life back in Florida. I started school (my sophomore year), and it was one of the hardest times in my life (thus far). By the beginning of the new year, though, my parents had decided that they missed Tennessee too much, so they told us we’d be moving back. I was beyond thrilled, and I wrote in my Xanga about it. Later, I received a comment from a boy that I didn’t know (under the name Jimi Higgenbottom). He told me that he was glad that I’d be moving back and that he was glad I was finally happy. (Apparently, he had been reading for a while, though I had NO IDEA who he was. I actually assumed he was some boy that maybe went to the Univ. of TN who had just happened upon my little blog.) It was odd that someone I didn’t know actually cared that I would be happy again.

Fast forward to February (still my sophomore year); my family moved back to Tennessee. It was surreal. The first night, I went to a “welcome home” party, but I realized how much things had changed. I thought my friends had changed, but it wasn’t them. It was me; I had grown up. I felt awkward.

I started school a day or two after (details are fuzzy) at the same high school I had gone to for my freshman year. The counselor let me choose my classes, so I picked each class based on the classes my friends had. By the time sixth period had rolled around, I had so many people coming up to me saying, “Hey, you’re that girl that moved to Florida and came back. Blue eyes.” (My name on xanga was bluexeyes88–haha!) Apparently, a lot of people had been reading. (It was odd.) I had several friends in my sixth period, including my sister.

I don’t remember if it happened the first day or a few days later. (Like I said, details are fuzzy now.) There was a curly-haired boy with a scar on his nose. I thought he was cute (but I still had a boyfriend), so I flirted mildly. Or tried to, at least. I remember asking him for a piece of gum. I remember it being Orbit’s bubble mint gum. Someone said his name (Josh [lastname]), and it hit me. (His real name had been on his xanga profile.) Jimi Higgenbottom. The boy who was so glad I was happy. I immediately said, “Jimi Higgenbottom” out loud. He smiled and nodded, almost an I wondered how long it would take you. I loved him right then, I won’t lie.

He was a senior, so he soon graduated. I broke up with my boyfriend. I was ready to move forward, and I wanted to move forward with this new boy. He felt the same way, but he was wishy-washy. One second, he would like me; the next second, I wouldn’t hear from him for weeks. We hung out that summer (always with other people), and then I started my junior year. I rarely heard from him except on xanga or AIM. On Valentine’s Day, he text me telling me he loved me. I thought we’d be forever then. Of course, he’d disappear again.

I was ready to move on. Well, not ready, but I was forcing myself to be. I tried dating, but it didnt work out. Every time there’d be a new boy, Josh would come back around, and I’d be smitten again. Once he had me, he’d disappear again. He called me once while he was drunk and told me he loved me. I just laughed. He asked if I’d still marry him someday. I said, “sure, Josh.”

I tried dating someone else. (He was no good for me.) Josh hated him, and every time I realized things wouldn’t work out with this someone else, I’d turn to Josh. I remember going to his house one day, after that someone else said he just wanted to be friends. I laid on Josh’s bed while he sat in a chair and played guitar. My eyes were closed for the longest time, but when I opened them, he was looking at me. I decided in that moment that I’d wait for him. (I knew he had a hard time trusting people, for reasons that I won’t be talking about on this blog.)

Fast forward to my senior year, second semester. Josh and I had spent a lot of time together in previous months, but he had disappeared again (shortly). One day, he text me asking if I was his girlfriend. From there on out, I was. Then I was his fiance. Now, his wife. The wait was difficult for me, but it was so worth it in the end. What made him realize he wanted to be with me? “It killed me to think of you with anyone else.”

And it all started because of a blog.

(I actually wrote about how we met here and here. I felt like going into more detail on this one, though. To read random posts from old diaries about Husband and I when we dated/before we dated, go here.)

Let’s say you have your choice of dream jobs: what would your top three be?

This is such a difficult question to answer because it changes from day-to-day. Right now, though, here are my top three dream jobs:

1. Self-employed. Though it’s tough work to get started, I’m sure, I’d love to be on my own schedule. It’d be fun to enjoy crafting and selling on Etsy while sitting at home. I know I’d have to be disciplined, but it’d be amazing to sleep in when I wanted and take the day off if I needed to.
2. Counselor. Whether it’s a school counselor or an at-home counselor, really. I’d love to be a grief counselor for children and teens. When I was fifteen, my granny died of lung cancer; when I was sixteen, my pawpaw (Granny’s husband) died of congestive heart failure. It was a rough time in my life, and I would have given anything for someone to talk to, aside from a family member. Plus, I could tell that it was much harder for my younger siblings and cousins to understand. I would feel honored to help young people through tough times like that.
3. Teacher. When I first went to school, I was planning on getting my degree in early childhood education. I don’t think it’s the job for me now, but the schedule is amazing. It would allow me the time to be at home with my (future) children … Plus, teachers get the summer off. Several women in Husband’s family (including his mom) are teachers, and I’m envious of them for getting Christmas break and summer vacation.

What was it like living with your in-laws for the first year of marriage?

It was hard. It wasn’t the most difficult thing I’ll ever have to do in my life, but it was hard having to share my first year of marriage with my in-laws. It was something that had to be done, though. I had a crappy job and Husband worked for a little while before getting laid off, so we would have never been able to afford a house of our own. I won’t lie and say it was perfect–I almost would have rather paid rent somewhere just to have some alone time. Timing is everything, though, and I think it all happened the way it should have. I got my new job in January, and even though Husband hasn’t been able to find work, we have more than enough money to live on. The house that we’re living in now is amazing, and it feels so great to be living alone with my husband. It’s something I won’t take for granted.

Weirdest dream you’ve ever had?

Anytime I dream about bloggers, I find it weird. I haven’t met any of my blog friends, so it’s strange when I can see their faces so clearly in a dream. Just recently, I had a dream that Husband and I went to Chicago to meet some Chicago bloggers. Then we all went to Hawaii. Definitely odd.

Stay tuned for tomorrow’s Q & A. I’ll be posting on how Husband and I met.

What is your most favorite band/artist?

I’ve been thinking about this one for a few days. While I have many favorites (Sigur Ros, Sufjan Stevens, Fiona Apple, Azure Ray, Zee Avi, Jason Damato)*, there is only one lady that I can listen to no matter what mood I’m in–Alanis Morissette. I adore her. (I may have a slight girl-crush.) I enjoy all of her albums, but my favorite is the acoustic version of Jagged Little Pill. It has all of her most famous songs, but it’s just her voice and the guitar. Lovely.

How many siblings do you have? & are you the oldest, the middle, or the youngest?
I have two younger siblings, Amanda (18) and Trenton (13). Amanda and I are exactly twenty-one months apart, but she’s still my baby. And my brother? Well, I used to pretend he was my baby when he was born. Yes, even though I was only seven. I’m actually the oldest out of all of my first cousins on my mom’s side. I’m the oldest girl out of all of my cousins on my dad’s side. (I have two older male cousins [ages 25 and 27], but I sometimes consider them my big brothers because we grew up together.) Also, I have a sixteen-year-old brother-in-law, Jared. (He’s Husband’s only sibling.) They’re all my siblings in a way.

Your most hated vegetable (or other food)?
I was always one of those weird kids growing up. I typically ate any veggie my parents threw my way. One vegetable I’m not too fond of, though? Onions. (Luckily, Mom hates them with a passion.) As I got older, I realized I don’t mind them if they’re cooked, but I can’t eat them raw. Also, I HATE sauerkraut (even though I LOVE cabbage).
___

And another question that I’m going to throw into the mix… Julie of shinyshiny asked,

If you were to fill the sun with rats, how many rats would you need?

Honestly, I have no idea. I’m sure there is a formula I could do with the size of the sun and the size of rats, but I’d have to figure out the length and width of a rat, and I don’t feel like making my brain work that much this morning. Well, I’ll google it. No luck. I’m not gonna lie, rats kind of gross me out.

So, if anyone knows the answer to that question, you can let me know.

*I’ve linked to all of these myspace music pages for your listening pleasure.

What’s your favorite ice cream flavor?

It’s not very exciting, but my favorite is chocolate. I like other flavors (cookie dough, in particular), but when asked to choose between all flavors, I’ll pick chocolate every time. On the other hand, my least favorite is vanilla (unless other things are involved). I’m a girl of extremes.

Do you like water chesnuts (I don’t)?

I don’t mind them, but I couldn’t eat a bowl-full. The crisp snap always gets me, though.

How did you start blogging?

I started out with a love for writing, as most of us do. I had/have boxes of journals when I was younger. When the internet became popular, I started ‘diaries’ on diaryland.com–the first one being in middle school. I still have several diaries there (though I no longer write in them), and it’s interesting to go back and read about my life in the past.

During my freshman year of high school, I wanted a place that I could write in and allow friends to read. (Diaryland was always much more personal for me.) That’s when I found Xanga. (I met Husband on Xanga, but more on that later.) When my granny was diagnosed with cancer (In my diaryland diary, I wrote “My granny has cancer. Lung cancer. She starts chemo soon. That’s all I want to say about it.” on May 24, 2004.) and my family moved back to Florida, I used my xanga blog to keep my friends (and boyfriend, Ryan) in Tennessee updated. My love for blogging formed.

Eventually, xanga died out. I then fell in love with Weddingbee around the time I was planning my own wedding. I started my own planning blog on Blogger, but soon moved to WordPress. Thus, the start of SomewhatVoluble.com!

Now, though, it’s time to answer questions. The first questions were asked by Amber of Girl With Red Hair.

My questions for you: Did you always know you wanted to get married young? AND Were your parents OK with you getting married so young?

Did you always know you wanted to get married young?

When I was a kid/teenager, I suspected that I’d marry young. Everyone in my family married young (including my parents–they married at eighteen after knowing each other for only eight days!), and I was so in love with the idea of it. It seemed romantic to me. However, after a two-year relationship ended after my sophomore year in high school, I fell head-over-heels for Husband. He wasn’t so in love with the idea of marriage, though, so I figured it would take him YEARS to make the huge step.

We didn’t even begin dating until the latter half of my senior year (he had already been out of school for two years), after I turned eighteen. By that point, I was okay with waiting until marriage. Things moved at a quick pace for us, though, and he was the one saying we’d get married in 2008. I just kind of laughed it off, not really believing him… And I didn’t want to get my hopes up.

In June of 2007, Husband wanted to look at engagement rings. We were going to be moving in together in August, so marriage seemed like the next step. We found the ring (a three-stone, round-cut ring … I actually wanted the 1/4 carat, but Husband said he wanted to get me the 1/2). He didn’t buy the ring that day, and I assumed it would be MONTHS before he could even afford it. So, I still figured we’d get married years later. Well, apparently he went back a week or two later and bought the ring. I, of course, had no idea … and I had no idea until November 6, 2007 when he proposed in the bedroom of our apartment. So, basically, he hid the ring from me for a little over four months! (He kept it hidden in his camera bag.)

Basically, until that point, I was okay with the idea of waiting until marriage, and I wasn’t 100% that I’d be getting married at nineteen.

Were your parents OK with you getting married so young?

Since they married young, my parents were okay with the idea of me marrying young. The closer it became, though, the more unsure they seemed. They wanted to make sure I was sure. I think it was mostly because they didn’t want me to grow up yet (though I had already been living with Husband for nearly a year). They were excited, though. They get along so well with Husband, and they know that we’re incredibly happy together. (They just keep wondering when we’ll have kids! …But that’ll be a while from now.)

So, ask away in the comments … or you can email me. Next week, I’ll have a day or two where I answer all of the questions for your reading pleasure.