J-Dawg turns 23!

Well, I have a confession... J-Dawg is younger than me. Thank goodness for his maturity level though, because he seems much older than he actually he is. I turned 23 in September of 2010 and he turned 23 in July of 2011 (you do the math). The poor thing severely dreaded his b-day coming up and was not looking forward to aging. But I give him props for being where he is at his age- manager of the mechanical and farming portion of the dairy, owns his truck, lives in a very nice home, is situated, and knows what he wants out of life. Now, how many 23-year-old men can say the same? 

I was invited out his way for the weekend to celebrate his birthday with his family and friends. I had been racking my mind for weeks of what to buy for him, and finally came up with some fun yet pragmatic ideas. His birthday was on Sunday, and I arrived on Saturday. His gift bags full of surprises and tissue paper sat in the back of my car, driving me crazy. But at midnight, I woke him up and handed him his gifts (I know, not nice). 

He got a new diddy bag (toiletry bag) stocked full of schtuff, plaid shorts (that I knew he'd never buy himself, but they were super cute), Silly Putty (perfect for he who must be playing with something at all times) and some brain teasers that I discovered he loves. He was grateful for his gifts and took right to the brain teasers. Sad part was, he's too stinkin' smart and figured them out in minutes, even though they were rated "difficult". Afterward that morning, we headed to his parents for the ritual Sunday morning brunch. 

Let me explain something to you... the Dutch love sandwiches! While I was taking my Dutch courses, I learned a new word: uitsmijter. Directly translated, it means "bouncer". Confused as to why the lady in my textbook was eating a bouncer, I called in reinforcements for my poor translating abilities. "No silly, uitsmijter is a breakfast sandwich," J-Dawg told me. Ooohhhh... that makes more sense. In fact, according to ask.com, the story goes that "this dish used to be served to cafe patrons late at night just before they were kicked out at closing time. It is still a popular breakfast- and lunch dish in the Netherlands."

Sunday morning brunches with J-Dawg's family consist of uitsmijters ham en kaas-  toast, mustard, ham and other sandwich meats, eggs (sunny side up) and varieties of Dutch cheese (Edam or Gouda). The first time I made J-Dawg breakfast (French toast, sausage and eggs), I watched as he piled it into one big sandwich. This would be the first of many occurrences. Then after about three Sunday brunches with his folks, I discovered the connection between the Dutch and sandwiches-- and it is a strong one! 

I began to love sandwiches, and now find myself making uitsmijters with or without J-Dawg. Also at Sunday morning brunches, coffee accompanies the sandwiches. And oh what a delicious combo. I love coffee to begin with, so anytime someone says "coffee break!", I'm in. While in Europe, I discovered that the Dutch and Belgians love to have coffee breaks around 9 or 10 am. This allows you to pull away from your work for about 15 minutes, and enjoy a cup of coffee and snack with co-workers or family. Now that I am savvy in world-travel (haha, not so much), I believe the US should instate this custom also. Would anyone like to second the motion? 

While enjoying our sandwiches and coffee, J-Dawg's family began to hand him his gifts. To explain what fun people his folks are, they told him he must FIND his gift from them. It was somewhere in the closed-off pool area where Sunday brunches occur. He looked everywhere possible and then eyed an air compressor box that looked out of place. Once he lifted it, he found a beautiful wooden carved eagle that stood about three feet tall. J-Dawg loves eagles, and was thoroughly impressed with his mom's purchase. He has the perfect place for it, but this will be mentioned in a blog to come later. : ) 

Prior to J-Dawg's birthday, his younger brother and I discussed what to get him. As I've mentioned before, J-Dawg is so incredibly pragmatic that whatever anyone purchased him, it would have to have a very good use. When his brother asked what I thought would be a good gift, socks immediately came to mind. What's more practical than socks? J-Dawg opened his gift to find thick, white, Hanes socks. For the boy who's always griping about having ones with holes, he got six brand new pairs. Everyone laughed, and he looked at me with a grim smile, knowing darn well it was my idea. He also received also received a pair of fluffy, soft, baby blue socks, from his sister along with a gift certificate to travel to Fredericksburg, TX for a weekend of wine tasting.

Birthday boy with his cake and fluffy socks

His mom then brought out his cake, and it looked delicious. We all enjoyed one an others company, slices of cake and coffee. It was then time for a dip in the family pool where pool badminton would take place. Do you have any idea how far birdies fly? Maybe that's why they're called birdies... J-Dawg, his sister, two brothers and I spent most of the time hopping in and out of the pool to get them, but we still had a blast! 


After his birthday party and hours of swimming, it was time for dinner. Afterward, clouds began rolling in. J-Dawg's dad talked about the chance of rain. If you've ever heard about farmers discussing rain, and think its cliche, you may be right. But owning a farm in eastern New Mexico and west Texas is probably on the Top 10 list of difficult jobs. These individuals go through months of drought and are still expected to produce not one, but numerous crops. So when rain finally hits, its a big deal!

They spoke in Frisian how they hadn't seen a good rain since October of 2010, bear in mind this was July of 2011. Just then, thunder began grumbling all around us and lightning flashes lit up the whole farm. The excitement could be seen in everyone's eyes as it began to pour. Being a desert rat, I ran out from under the garage and spun in circles in the torrential downpour. J-Dawg smiled warmly at me and joined. Just then the lightning hit very close to where we were standing, so we decided we could see the rain just fine from the garage. J-Dawg hugged me tightly and said it was the best birthday he had ever had.

You don't have to be a kid to act like one...

Reason #476 why I love J-Dawg: 
As you know, J-Dawg is just simply a blast. Everything done with him instantaneously becomes fun. I've had boyfriends in the past that would be fun for a minute, then would either become irritating or just flat out boring shortly after. I have not experienced this with J-Dawg, and don't believe I ever will. So... what do you do with the most fun kid ever?! Take him to 3-D movies and go-cart racing, DUH! 

After the Alan Jackson concert, we returned back to my folks house. Then J-Dawg, my mom and I purchased tickets to watch Cars 2 in 3-D. J-Dawg loves animated films, and I love watching them with him. They are also my favorite, but I never thought I'd meet someone who enjoys them as much as I do (except my niece).  J-Dawg just cracks up throughout kids movies, and then remembers the best quotes from them. He is such a pure and sweet individual (just like a child), and I love that about him. 


We arrived to theater, and for the big premier there was Cars stuff everywhere, including a car show out front. We found posters of Cars characters that kids had drawn, and J-Dawg helped me to see, my name was on it! 

We then went into the theater and were excited to watch the previews for upcoming films. Cars 2 ended up being a very cute movie and I love that Mater saved the day! I'm just sad that most Disney movies now have social, economic, or environmental message directed to children, when they are just supposed to be fun (with maybe a subtle moral message in it like Aesop's Fables). 
But we watched the movie and enjoyed our 3-D glasses. 

J-Dawg had been talking about this indoor race track for awhile, and he finally talked me into going. Although I love to speed, I wasn't too thrilled about the idea of teenagers on the same track as me, playing bumper cars. But I thought why not, and tried it anyways. 

We suited up and got into our cars. I was very cautious, slowing down at all the curves (I didn't wanna get flipped around and hit head on), whereas J-Dawg was just haulin! I lost count of the amount of times he passed me. I just waved and blew him a kiss, but I think he was going too fast to even see. 

Well, it goes without saying, J-Dawg kicked my butt. He decided to go a second time and I chose to sit on the sidelines and be his cheerleader. Teenagers bother me for the most part, and he had the same problem on his second go-round. They were acting ridiculous, using them as bumper carts, and didn't slow down when the caution flag was up. Although J-Dawg was leading, one of the rotten adolescents got their car stuck and hung out in front of him to let the others pass. Boo on teenagers. 

But we still had fun. He finished in the top both races. That's the great thing about J-Dawg-- no matter how many people try to ruin his fun, it just doesn't happen. It takes a lot to get him down, he's just a happy laid-back fella. We left holding hands and smiling.

Mother knows best...

My mom is such a sweetheart and really wanted to give J-Dawg and I a special and fun weekend. She was completely fine with me taking him to the Alan Jackson concert instead of her. Because the concert was very far away, she purchased us a hotel room so that we could use the hotel shuttle. Her best laid plans didn't quite turn out as we hoped, and trying to situate everything was becoming quite frustrating. This was the first time J-Dawg saw me mad, and although he was getting frustrated also, he tried keeping his cool for my sake. 

After hours of driving through 5 o'clock traffic with construction, we reached what we thought was the hotel, only to find it was in a complete other location. Once we arrived to the actual hotel, we realized how far away from the concert it was. We then learned there was no shuttle to and from the concert. The hotel room was incredibly elegant (and very expensive). Although I was grateful that my mom had done this for us, we felt horrible about the cost, and even worse that our "get-away" was making us want to go back home. 

We drove for miles out to the concert that was being held at the Santa Ana Star Center. After a long and frustrating night, we both took deep breaths and realized we needed to stop and enjoy the night. Some guy opened for Alan Jackson and neither of us were very impressed. Then we waited for the headliner... and waited... and waited... and waited some more. It was about an hour between the opening act and when Alan Jackson actually came on. People were getting up and leaving. 

But once he arrived, he put on a wonderful show. He wasn't promoting a new album, so he sang tons of his classics. Being in love with AJ since elementary school, I knew all of his songs and it brought back lots of memories. J-Dawg was really enjoying himself also. Country isn't big in Europe, but since he moved to the States, he had definitely come to love it. All our worries were forgotten that night, as his arm was wrapped around me and we sang along to "Tall, Tall Trees". 

We enjoyed the rest of the concert and then went back to the hotel. We stepped outside and realized how beautiful the view from the balcony was. J-Dawg had packed a bottle of wine (we both love wine and that has become our thing is to go shopping for a bottle of wine together, and then on our date nights, open it and share a glass) and we drank it sitting outside on the balcony, looking at the stars. "Okay mom," I thought, "you did good." 


We then wandered around the ginormous hotel, and checked out all the amenities. Three pools, what?! Unfortunately, it was too late and all were closed. The scenery was beautiful, and because the hotel was on tribal land, everything was very Native American (including this ginormous pottery waterfall). 

The next morning before leaving, we decided to soak up the landscape, and enjoy some time on the balcony before check out. The hotel truly was amazing, and J-Dawg and I felt as if we got the Honeymoon treatment as guests. 


What do you know, mom was right...

Family Pow Wow in the Panhandle

My elderly grandmother had one request of her family--- that we take a family photo for her to hang on her wall. Bro and Fiance, being the wonderful people they are, arranged a time and place for all the Tuttles to meet. Reeder (my other brother), his wife K, and their two beautiful children, already had plans to visit Bro and Fiance, so we all decided to go to Texas to meet them there. It'd be a great time to get the whole crew together... and a camera. 

We were slightly hurt though because my sister, Yo-Yo, and her husband, Marshdal (a name given to my sister's husband by a family friend's daughter), wouldn't be able to fly out there in such short notice from Georgia. Bro and Reeder gave Yo-Yo a hard time for missing out on "family time". All the while though, Yo-Yo had a trick up her sleeve--- she was planning on surprising everyone. My mom knew Yo-Yo and Marshdal would be coming, so they made the airport arrangements. After my mom picked them up, Yo-Yo and Marshdal surprised my dad, and they all loaded up and headed to Texas. 

In a Suburban full of Tuttles, they all arrived at Bro's house. Yo-Yo and Marshdal surprised Bro and Reeder, and the family reunion was nearly complete. J-Dawg and I weren't there yet because I had the interview with the company in Eastern New Mexico (who interviewed me with zero intentions of hiring me prior to even meeting me. Grrr). Grandad and Mo-Mo (as my parents have now become known as by the grandkids) were able to spend time with the little ones. This was also an exciting weekend, as this was the first time most of us met the newest addition to the Tuttle family, Reeder and K's son, Pate. He's so stinkin' cute! 


J-Dawg and I arrived and the festivities began. Bro was barbequing, mom and Yo-Yo were makin' drinks, and we were all just wandering around enjoying one an others company. The best part of the afternoon was when K came in the kitchen and said, "Hey Traci, he's cute! And don't listen to what your brothers say, his accent is awesome!" Receiving K's approval for J-Dawg  meant a lot to me! We roamed around Bro's house, which is out in the middle of nowhere (no, serious). Everyone was outside near the pens where the horse and calf were, and instantly I saw Bailey dart under the fence to chase the calf! Next thing, I hear Bro screaming, "Traci, get your dog!" Just what I needed was for my Llasa Apso to kill Bro's calf. Luckily, J-Dawg sprung in and grabbed her. She knew she was in trouble.


We spent the rest of the afternoon, just socializing with one another and playing with the little ones and the pups.  It was so nice to have everyone together, and I was excited for J-Dawg to meet everyone. The boys were very kind to him, but did give him the "if you hurt my sister" lecture.

Then we went back to the hotel and realized there was a lot of goofing off to be had! There were these ginormous horse statues out front, just calling mine and J-Dawg's names. AND a huge heated swimming pool that we had to jump into!

The next day we went to Amarillo and hit up all the sporting goods stores. In two separate vehicles, we were split up, but met at Gander Mountain. Suburban 1 had Bro, Fiance, Reeder, K and the kids while Suburban 2 had Mom, Dad, Yo-Yo, Marshdal, J-Dawg and myself (who would have ever thought our family would be this big!?) J-Dawg and Dad were having a blast looking at all the ammunition, while Mom and Yo-Yo were looking at camping cookware. Bro, Fiance, Reeder and K were all wondering around checking out everything. I felt like a 5-year-old who had lost their parents in Wal-Mart, I wasn't sure where to go. 


Suburban 1 had already eaten, so they went shopping some more while Suburban 2 went to grab some grub. There's a place in Amarillo that my dad loves because of their calf fries (if you're unsure what these are, you may know them better as Rocky Mountain Oysters), so we opted to eat there. J-Dawg had never eaten them before, so he was pretty excited to try them. And I think Yo-Yo and Marshdal were just excited to eat at a delicious steakhouse. The waiter came by and took our orders- Dad got an entire plate of calf fries, haha. And J-Dawg and I ordered steaks and milk, the best meal ever.

Then we went to yet another sporting goods store, and J-Dawg and I goofed off some more. He is just so much fun and there is never a dull moment when he's around. We walked down the dog aisle to see if I could find anything fun for my pups. He stared at the shelves lined entirely with dog beds and wondered why dogs like them so much. Then, he found out. They're super comfy!  

The next day, the photographer came and took pictures. Photographing this many people must be difficult, so I give the young aspiring photographer who took our pictures props. And J-Dawg was even in the total family photo, hmmmmm.... (*cough* foreshadowing *cough*) 

The Tuttle Girls- (From left to right) K, me, my niece, Mom, Fiance, and YoYo

My Handsome J-Dawg and Me

The Tuttle Men- (left to right) Reeder, my nephew, Grandad, and Bro

We're goin' out with our boots on!

World's Longest Tramway (Well, 'usedta-could' be)

J-Dawg had mentioned he had heard that New Mexico had the world's longest tramway and wanted to check it out. (Sandia used to be the world's longest tram, until Armenia built a 3.4 mile last year). The Sandia Peak Aerial Tramway transports you above deep canyons and breathtaking terrain, a distance of 2.7 miles (when it's open). The winds that afternoon after the wine fest had kicked up something fierce, so we went the day after. 

So the next morning, we left to head to the tram. Its funny because I used to dread driving in Abq, because of the inconsiderate drivers. But J-Dawg offered to drive. In his hefty, tall truck, he does not put up with any aggressive nor passive driver's non-sense. I love how safe I feel when I'm beside him. I realized that each time I'm with him, I have an invisible safety bubble around me, and am untouchable. My lifetime of clutziness (broken bones, dented cars, public plunges, and other embarrassing moments) may be reduced with the simple introduction of one man into my life. If I never run into an open dishwasher door again, I would consider myself to be ridden of the terrible Anaya curse, all fixed by Sir Dutchman.

After a very long, steep drive up to the base of the Sandia mountains, we took a deep breath of the cool mountain air. We waited in line, then crawled onto the tram with many others, especially tourists. Sometimes, I forget J-Dawg is still semi a tourist. He hasn't seen many things in the state of New Mexico, or the US for that matter, that the rest of us are accustom to. Because of this, he reminds me of the true beauty in the small things, that otherwise would go unnoticed. We take time and smell a lot of roses. 

He stood behind me and held me around the waist as we looked at the beautiful mountains below us. Although neither of us are really scared of heights, there were times when the wind began rocking the tram, that it became pretty uncomfortable. But I wasn't too worried, because I was in J-Dawg's arms. The scenery was beautiful, the temperature was a wonderful change from the desert heat, and we were together. It was perfect.

We reached the top and looked over at all of Albuquerque, what a beautiful site.We visited the High Finance restaurant (appropriately named, pretty expensive), and opted to share a drink. And to be honest, I was curious about the myth of alcohol at high altitudes. J-Dawg told me to pick any drink I wanted, that it was on him. (He was driving and didn't want anything.) Yes, it is true, I felt a slight buzz after only a couple of sips of Sandia Ice Cream made with butterscotch, Bailey's, Kahlua, and Frangelico with cream on the rocks. What a delicious drink... $13 delicious. We hung out a little bit longer at the top and enjoyed the beautiful view, then decided to head back down.

We then headed south to my place so we could spend some time together, and it was important to me that J-Dawg and my friends had become acquainted. I invited a couple of my girl friends to go to dinner with J-Dawg and I at Texas Roadhouse. It made me laugh how he loved the peanuts on the floor. The girls really liked him, and were super happy for me. That meant a lot to me. I received a text afterwards from one of them that said "Be sure and send me an invite to the wedding!"

Once again we only had the one night left together, he had to leave in the morning. I hated saying goodbye, but felt a little better because I was planning on heading his way at the end of that week and then we would head to Bro's for a mini family reunion. The next morning, we bid our goodbyes and I explained to him that I felt sorry for people who don't know him because they're missing out! He replied, "I don't know, I'm just me." And that's what I love the most about him.

Rotten Weekend Turned Wonderful

J-Dawg and I were as happy as we could be (except for fighting the distance between us). At this point, we had only been together for one month, but when we spent time together it was like having five dates in one, so we were pretty far along in the relationship. After that frightful night, we became even closer and realized how important we were to one another. 

For a couple of weeks prior to the wrong-way accident, J-Dawg and I had been discussing how neat it'd be to attend a wine festival. We knew there were a couple going on during Memorial Day Weekend, and had planned on attending. There was also one in southern NM, but we opted to avoid the heat and dirt, and attend the one with grass --great decision-making skills, right? Logic. Besides, were already at my folks and didn't want to head back south. (Little did we know, the good tasting wine would be at the other wine fest! Dangit!)

Although I was hesitant about attending an activity involving alcohol, both J-Dawg and my parents reassured me that what happened that night wasn't my fault. We ate a large lunch and decided wine sipping would be enjoyable. We arrived at the entrance into Balloon Fiesta Park, paid a hefty admission cost, and was then given small wine glasses with the Abq Wine Fest logo on it. J-Dawg said, "Well, I'm glad that for that price, that we got something out of it!"  I agreed. I love J-Dawg's financial reasoning. His wallet doesn't squeak when he opens it, but he is a money savvy. 

When we walked in, the entire park was completely packed and lines were incredibly, unreasonably long. So much for avoiding the crowds. And there were tons of children! Surprised, we wondered why parents would take their children out into the blazing heat, and make them watch people drink wine. Poor kids. We took our glasses, stood in line (for-ev-er...), and began the taste testing. Too dry, too sour, too syrupy. Hmmm... maybe we just weren't wine connoisseurs.

 

We saw the Plum Loco booth, and I was ecstatic because I knew it'd be sure to please. Of course, it had the longest line. While waiting, there was a group behind us of girls about my age just a-yappin'. One was complaining about how full she was because she ate, not one, but TWO gluten-free pancakes for breakfast. That was the highlight of my day to see J-Dawg nearly shoot wine out of his nose, fighting back the laughter. Oh no, not TWO gluten-free pancakes!!!

We got to the front of the line and was excited to see all the flavors they had. Not just Plum Loco and Summer Peach, but Voluptuous (Strikingly sweet, this Moscato is bursting with the flavor of rich melon stacked with plump summer berries and hints of ripe peaches) and Triple Berry Bliss (an enticing red wine blended with the all natural juice of three of the world's foremost super fruits-- tart cranberries, sweet blackberries and tropical açai berries).We had about a sip of each, and that was all it took. We purchased bottles of the ones we knew we couldn't get elsewhere.

We were grateful for the Plum Loco booth, because we didn't have such wonderful tastings at the next booth. I will not mention any names, but I do recall asking to taste one of their cherry wines that looked and sounded delectable. He poured it into my glass, and I marveled at its beautiful color, somewhat opaque but nearly looked metallic. I took a swig, swished it around in my mouth for a moment, then, as quick as possible,went to the side of their tent (where no one could see), and spewed it out everywhere. I then wiped my tongue with my shirt. 

J-Dawg's look on his face expressed 'it can't be that bad!' I handed him my glass, and after tasting it, he reacted exactly the same. "It tastes like burned electronics!" (explains why it was metallic in color) he sputtered out with his tongue hanging out. Although this description may be hard to fathom, if you had tasted this wine, you would completely agree! After we regrouped (and drank lots of water and ate some food to get that awful taste out), we decided to call it a day, thinking there was no way we could handle another similar experience.

 

That night we played Rummikub with my mom, and nearly busted a rib laughing so hard. My mom really got to see the warm and funny side of J-Dawg that night, and really took him. My mom and I are cheaters very considerate with one another when we play board games. Its more like Go-Fish for us, "Oh you need this? Here you go." I worried J-Dawg may get upset with our board game behavior. Just as I began to wonder if he was crazy competitive like my exes, and would stop at nothing to win, I felt him touch my knee... holding the tile I needed. It isn't that any of us believe that cheating is okay, but I realized just then that J-Dawg has a heart just like the one I got from my mom. If you love 'em, be there for 'em.

Near Brush with Death

During Memorial Day Weekend, one of my best friends that I had known since mid-school, was having her college graduation party that Friday night, and I really wanted to celebrate with her. J-Dawg wouldn't be able to come till Saturday morning, so it all kind of worked out. I made my parents dinner that night, so I was running late getting out of the house to head to Kat's party. We finished eating, I kissed my parents goodbye, and they asked me to be safe (as they always do) but there was a deeper concern in their voice than normal. I disregarded their uneasy feeling and left.

I pulled onto the highway from my parent's road, and was listening to a new song from the Country Strong soundtrack I had recently downloaded. Singing along to the lyrics "When the stars line up, and you catch a good break, and people think you're lucky, but you know it’s grace. It can happen so fast, or a little bit late, timing is everything. You know I’ve had close calls, when it could have been me. I was young when I learned just how fragile life could be, I lost friends of mine, I guess it wasn’t my time, time is everything. I could have been a child that got took home, and I would have been one more unfinished song. And when it seems a rhyme is hard to find, that’s when one comes along just in time. Timing is everything."

At that instant, I saw headlights pointed toward me and immediately realized there was a truck driving the wrong way. I then saw them pass me in the inside lane driving incredibly fast. Immediately, I began to panic, pulled over and call 911. I explained my location, the description of the vehicle (which I barely caught because of how quick it was going) and gave them my contact information. I hung up the phone and then called my parents to explain what happened and told them I was on my way home. I also called J-Dawg, because I knew he'd be able to help calm my nerves.

I took some deep breaths, collected myself and got back on the road, only to see red flashing lights, ambulances and police just a mile or two down the road. "Please no" I thought. For some reason, could be human nature, but I had to drive down to see what had happened. All the while I was hoping the driver did not hit someone else, but a pole, wall or something to that effect. When I arrived at the scene, the police officer asked me to turn around and said "someone has just passed away here". My worst fear was just realized.

I went home completely startled and in tears. My mom and dad stayed up with me throughout the night to comfort me. My phone rang at 2am, it was the 911 dispatcher asking for more information. I asked what happened and was informed that the driver had hit another car and killed the person. And that instant, my stomach dropped and I felt as if I needed to vomit. J-Dawg called and talked me through my sadness and comforted me. Then my parents and I just sat. After hours of sitting there in silence, I was able to fall asleep. The next morning, we had turned on the news, only to hear there were three other similar accidents Memorial Weekend involving three wrong-way drunk drivers. 

J-Dawg got in that morning, rushed to me, and swept me into his arms. He whispered into my ear "I don't know what I would do if that was you last night. I'm so glad you're okay," and kissed my forehead. At that point, I was more than okay. I knew it wasn't my time, I knew there was still much more to learn, much more to see, and that God had some more tasks for me on his to-do list. I couldn't leave them unfinished. My parents smiled as J-Dawg held me, and they, like me, were so grateful that my guardian angel was flying faster than I was driving.

Lovin' and Livin'

While staying with J-Dawg that week, he had asked that I spend some time with his mom because he wanted us to get to know one another more. I was more than willing to do this. She and I went to the paint store and ran some errands around town. While driving, we discussed a lot, especially about J-Dawg and how he was as a child and teen. (He's considered the more quiet, reserved and relaxed one of the family, but was also able to do his share of damage as a kid. AKA, stories for another day...)

We got back to the house and I offered to help her with her current project, painting old milk pails that they actually used in Friesland.  How cool is that?! (She is very crafty, and always working on some fun project). I had collected milk 'paraphernalia' since I was young, and while living in the dorms, I purchased green milk crates, stacked them and tah-dah, had a bookshelf! I also had replica milk buckets, and loved to buy old milk jars when I came across them (part of the reason I love Starbucks' Frappacino bottles). But J-Dawg's place was decorated with the real deals.

For the next couple of days while J-Dawg was working, I was helping his mom paint the milk pails. She chose a gunmetal silver base coat with a metallic green tint to be brushed over them, making them look even more antique. They came out very awesome, except I may have gone a little heavy on the green (imagine that!). I had a fun time painting in the cool garage, and my pups were runnin' in circles around me, ecstatic to be at the dairy (as was I). 

The Two Dogs and J-Dawg (= 3 Dogs)

Over the time that Jeroen and I had spent together, he really took to my pups and they were just as crazy about him as I was. Bailey, the ornery hard-headed Llasa Apso, and Snickers, the old, quiet, yet easily excited Bichon Frise, were both rescue dogs. They were just happy to be with people who loved them. Bailey, being the misbehaving dog, learned quickly she wouldn't get away with much around J-Dawg. He quickly put her in her place when she bit his sister's Great Dane (I'm not kidding when I say she's a handful).  Not only does she like J-Dawg, but respects him, she's very well behaved around him and I love it! (If only I wasn't such a pushover and could have the upper hand with her, like he does...)

The weekend before, J-Dawg's mom had invited me to attend a baby shower for a family friend of theirs. Although I didn't know his family very well at this point, I thought this would be a great opportunity to spend some time with them. The baby registry was at Target and they didn't have one near them, so I offered to pick up the gifts since I was going to the "city". When I returned with them, his mom and sister were very grateful. We wrapped them up in baby blue and tan tissue paper, put them in a very cute gift bag, and headed to the shower. 

The decor at the shower was beautiful, and there were lots of women there (with lots of children). Most of the baby gifts were cow print, which made my heart melt. The mom-to-be was a wife of a dairyman,  and that was that day that I discovered how close the dairy community was. All the women chatted with one another, as they either grew up on a dairy or were also dairy wives. The shower was fun and I loved being introduced to everyone as "J-Dawg's [insert his real name here] girlfriend".  Also, being able to spend time with J-Dawg's mom and sister was a treat. They were both down-to-earth and fun to be around. 

After the shower, I returned to the dairy to find J-Dawg in the shop, covered in grease and smelling of oil, dirt and sweat. I smiled and thought, 'he's still so handsome'. Every girl loves a man that can work with his hands. We loaded the pups and headed back to his house so he could shower.  We discussed how our days went, and he mentioned he was glad I went to the baby shower with his sis and mom and got to meet the dairy women (kind of an initiation to being the girlfriend of a dairyman). 

With only one night left together, we discussed what we do the following weekend. I hoped it would come quickly, as I was not looking forward to going back home to my empty, broken home, my jam-packed work space, and hours of resume writing. Although it was never planned this way, we take turns driving back and forth to see one another (works out quite nicely). Because I was at his place that week, he offered to come to mine the following weekend. Instead, we decided we'd go to our half-way point and check out the wine festival during Memorial Day weekend... stay tuned.

 

The Economy is Shot!

(Forewarning: this blog may be a tad random and tends to jump from topic to topic. During this time there was A LOT occuring and can't really be listed chronologically, nor organized by title. Please bear with...)

 After graduating, and telling my friends and family goodbye, I was at a loss of what to do. I had been in school for the past 18 years of my life! Textbooks and highlighters were all I had known, they brought me comfort. Because I spent so much time of the last semester focusing on Europe and graduating, I hadn’t put as much time and effort into finding a job (like I should have been).

I pulled out the laptop, opened my resume and started cranking out as many “buzz words” as possible. Efficient, responsible, accountable, blah blah blah. Thanks to our shoddy great leadership in the U.S. government, myself and thousands of other graduates across the nation, will have hell trying to not only find a job related to our degrees, but a job [period]. So will many other Americans who have been working nearly their entire lives, and were let go.

Maybe it’s because of my generation’s so-called ‘entitlement’ issues, but I honestly had high confidence that I’d be able to find a job.  I did everything as I was supposed to: went to college, got a high GPA, was an honor student, participated in academic and social activities, and had good work experience. I thought I was ahead of the game, probably just like many others did. But guess what?! All of this isn’t enough. There aren’t enough job openings, and tons of people are applying for them. A phenomenal resume will not help in this situation.

Prior to realizing this, I sent everyone my resume and was optimistic.  I decreased my odds over time by only applying to positions in NM, OK, TX, and CO. I realized that although I’m ready to leave the safety net, I wasn’t quite ready to move somewhere totally foreign to me (East/West coast, New England, Arkansas…) where I knew no one and would be starting out with nothing. Besides (it may have been too soon to decide this) I didn’t want to get too far away from J-Dawg.

While searching for jobs, I went ahead and stayed working at the car dealership I had been working for for the past year and a half (as the marketing director, I don’t sell cars). I had never really been totally stoked about the position but was grateful to have a job. And although J-Dawg was five hours away from me, I had a pretty flexible schedule that allowed us to spend a good amount of time together.

About this time, my mom had run across an opening for a marketing position with an agricultural company in Eastern NM. I thought the position had been created for me, it was everything I wanted to do for a career. I told J-Dawg about it and he was optimistic about my chances. I put together a perfected cover letter and resume and emailed it to their HR person. Now it was just time to wait (little did I know J-Dawg and I would be doing that A LOT for the next couple of months). 

* To explain what happened with the position, I received a call back and did a phone interview! Great, right?! Nay. I was told I'd be hearing from an individual with the company to set up an interview time. Waiting, waiting, waiting... I finally received the call and was told the interview would be in over a month! Cows!, I thought, but I waited (all the while thinking "I may get to move!"). Then the interview came and I met with a couple of individuals--- I thought it went well. They said they'd be in touch. Two weeks went by, and I still hadn't heard anything. Then I received an email from a job posting website, that the position had been re-opened. 

I called, emailed and left them voicemails trying to figure out what was happening. Another two weeks passed and I received an email that said, "Thanks for your interest with our company. We are currently re-opening the position so that all have a fair chance to apply." FAIR?! Life's not fair!!! When did morals and ethics come into play in the work force? That rarely happens! Then I realized, that was just their polite way of saying "We interviewed you for sh*ts and giggles. We're actually waiting on a certain person to fulfill the requirements so we can hire him/her. But thanks for playing along."

I worked part-time for the next week, and found things to keep me entertained throughout the week till I could head to see J-Dawg again (this wasn’t easy in the blazing hot heat of southern NM). One day, I came home from work to find the ceiling in my house had collapsed and I already had a huge hole in the floor, all from an AC leak. I called the insurance and submitted a claim. My happiness was going downhill fast, as my house was falling apart around me, I was still working at the car dealership, a job was going to be nearly impossible to find, my friends had mostly all graduated and moved away and J-Dawg was five hours away from me.

I tried keeping my head high, believing that someone was bound to call me back with the amount of resumes I had submitted.  To ease my woe's I decided to take some time off work (working part-time, there wasn't much work to be done). I loaded up on Friday and left to see J-Dawg. At that instant, I felt all those 'warm and fuzzies' people talk about when referring to love. He was (and is) the most helpful person when it comes to making me feel better. 

While driving up to his house, he was sitting outside on his tailgate. He hopped off and met me at my car with open arms. It felt great, I was where I was supposed to be--- with J-Dawg. This time was crucial to our relationship because I stayed there for almost ten days. This was when we really got to know one another and see the "weekday" side of one another (how we roll our toothpaste tubes, when/ how laundry is washed, sleep schedules, TV choices and so forth).  

It was a blast to spend that much time with one another, and the best part was, we never once got bored, irritated or angry with each other. Our personalities  perfectly coincided, and I loved spending time with him---  someone crazy like me, someone who shares my particular point of view, 'we're in tune and out of touch with all the same things'.

 

After four years (and a victory lap), graduation finally came!

Telling J-Dawg goodbye after the wonderful couple of days we had spent together was very hard, but one event made it somewhat easier...GRADUATION. I was to be graduating that coming weekend of May 7 and I had a lot to do to prepare for it all, so to-do lists enveloped most of my thoughts ( J-Dawg had set up shop in my brain- he had become a permanent fixture, so every other thought was of him).

To my surprise, while saying goodbye, he said "I'm not sure if I can, but I'm really going to try and make it to your party and graduation." I was so excited, I couldn't see straight. What could be better than walking across that stage, being handed a diploma, and then seeing my parents, Bro and Fiance and the rest of the family with pride in their eyes? And then being swept into J-Dawg's embrace? I replied, "That'd be awesome if you could make it, and if not, I'll understand." The great thing about J-Dawg (well, let's face it, everything is great about J-Dawg) is that when he says he'll try to do something he means it. To this day, I don't believe he's ever backed out on his word to anyone.

I began getting everything together for my party. Because of my love for Dr. Seuss (and his sensational quotes), I chose to have a "Oh the Places You'll Go" themed party. Others may have thought this was very childish, but what's life if you're not having fun? My mom and I made a wonderful centerpiece of colored feathers and 'whatchamadoosits", fish bowls filled with Goldfish snacks, and colored and polka dot plates, napkins, and plastic ware. She also designed and ordered the coolest custom cake ever! (See below)

Although I was missing J-Dawg, I had so much to do before graduation (pay all my university fines and parking tickets, clean house, assure family coming in from out of town were situated, work with mom about food and drinks to serve...). Luckily, most of the tough stuff had already been done: grad pictures had been taken, invites were designed and sent out, and cap and gown were in my possession. 

Thursday rolled around and I got a call from J-Dawg saying he couldn't come that evening (that's when my parents, Bro and Fiance got into town) but that he would be there Friday morning! Whoopee! (I literally said that.) That night, my parents, Bro, Fiance, and my uncle all went out to eat for Bro's birthday. We were able to enjoy some authentic New Mexican food, but wished the rest of my family could be there (Yo-Yo, M, Reeder and K couldn't make it for my graduation.)We then went to the bar and were having a great time until we ran into Butthead there, and they had words. That night was the night mine and Butthead's eight-year-friendship had ended.

After Bro's feelings of my past boyfriends, I feared how the meeting would go with him and J-Dawg. Bro is pretty protective of me, but like my parents, fears I don't have the best judgement when it comes to choosing men. He's met all of my exes and never really took to any of them (rightfully so). He, like me, knew none of them quite had "it". What's "it" you ask? "It" is different for everyone, but to impress me (and my siblings for the most part) ya gotta be smart, down-to-earth, minimally cocky, polite, kind and funny. None of my exes really checked off on ALL of the characteristics.


On Friday, we began decorating the house and getting things ready. Fiance was amazing help, while she, her friend, and my mom did darn-near everything! After a long, hot drive J-Dawg rolled into my house pretty sluggish. I felt horrible for him as he had to bust his tail at the dairy so that he could leave work that weekend. I introduced him to the rest of the family he hadn't met yet, including Bro. J-Dawg did the most important thing you can do when meeting my brother- looked him in the eye, gave him a firm handshake, and introduced himself. (You wouldn't believe the amount of people that don't understand this simple, yet crucial gesture.)


While Fiance and I finished getting ready, Bro and J-Dawg sat in the living room, shooting the bull. They talked cows, and when I walked in, Fox News was on, but I wasn't sure which one changed it to that channel, as they're both avid watchers. I came in and sat down with them, and saw J-Dawg yawn and fight to keep his eyelids open. I sent him to take a nap while we finished preparing everything. Although he was reluctant, he was out once his head hit the pillow.

Bro and Fiance then surprised me with a box that felt as if it was empty. I was unsure of what was in it, yet excited to find out. I opened it to find a drawing I had made over two years ago of a pair of custom boots I wanted (15" green tops with decorative crosses, my initials on the pull tabs, round toe with roper heel). Confused, I asked what it was, so Bro pulled out the laptop and showed me the order for these custom boots. I was so incredibly stoked and appreciative of what Bro, Fiance, my other brother, Reeder, and his wife, K, had done for me! 'How exciting,' I thought, 'no one is going to have these boots!'

*Side note- For as long as I could remember, I couldn't and still can't handle when girls would go out and purchase all the same items I already had then say "Look what I bought". I've spent a lot of my time trying to find things that are unique, as I'm not a fan of looking like everyone else. So I'm very excited about my custom boots!

J-Dawg woke up from his nap and I showed him my drawing of my custom boots, even he was excited! Then my mom brought in my cake and it was so creatively awesome! At that point I was very grateful that I have such a wonderful family, and a wonderful "vriendje" (boyfriend). I opened the rest of my grad gifts from the family and was surprised to receive my very own status purse (luckily, I haven't seen anyone else with the same one) and inside of it were Alan Jackson tickets. Thanks mom! Guests started arriving for the party, so I walked around introducing them and family to one another. 

Although not many of my friends that I invited were able to come, those that did come really mean a lot to me. It was great to hang out with Alli and her bf, both of which I had met when I first started college. 2213,a guy I had met freshman year that I had become best friends with stopped by and met my parents, as well as a couple of buddies from high school. While I made my rounds, socializing, I noticed that J-Dawg and my dad had been talking all night. 'Yay, Dad will realize J-Dawg is not an angry person!'

"Oh the Places You'll Go" Graduation Party  

                                

  

Textbook Cake

We socialized, had some drinks, and hung out some more. It was pretty low-key and relaxed, but let's face it, after five years of college, I was all partied out. It was getting pretty late, and my grandparents were outlasting most of my guests! By the time everyone had left, Bro, Fiance and I weren't ready to crash. We asked J-Dawg if he wanted to play an awesome game of 'Things', "the hilarious new party game that presents players with provocative topics like "THINGS… people do when no one is looking", "THINGS… you wouldn’t do for a million dollars" or "THINGS… your parents forgot to tell you"… and allows each player to say whatever comes to mind. Pick a topic, get everyone to write a response, read them out loud and then guess who said what. There are no right answers. There are no wrong answers, just a lot of fun. You won’t believe the THINGS… you’ll hear"

We began playing and Bro pulled the card "Things you shouldn't juggle...". Both Fiance and I said 'women'. J-Dawg's response? 'Chain saws'. Bro laughed super hard, and said J-Dawg won that one. Next was "Things you wouldn't want to help your brother with..." J-Dawg's response? "Pulling a still-born calf at 2am". He had won again. Bro was enjoying hearing J-Dawg's responses, not only because they were literal, but because he could relate to them. 

At this point it was super late and we all knew we had a long day ahead of us. The Bro's protective nature kicked in. "J-Dawg, I hope that twin bed in the spare room is comfy, cause you know that's where you're sleeping." J-Dawg, being the respectful gentleman he is, smiled warmly and said "Good night guys", as he walked towards the spare room. Considerate of my brother's request, I gave J-Dawg a kiss goodnight and went to my room.

The next morning we were all dragging butt, but was excited to graduate. All done up in a pretty summer dress and my grandmother's pearls, I grabbed my heels and was ready to go. Next to my heels, were my white top, square-toe, Anderson Bean boots. I went back and forth thinking of what to do - be a lady and wear the heels? Or be me and take my boots? I grabbed them both and we headed to the university.

It was a blazing day and although graduation was inside, we had to stand outside in line. J-Dawg was a sweetheart and hung out with me in the blistering heat and kept me company. The line started to move, so he gave me a hug and went inside to where my parents were. Waiting that day felt longer than all the five years I had actually been in college. My feet were killing me so I opted for the boots, and changed before I went in. 'I love my boots,' I thought.

FINALLY, my college was called and we were getting closer. But one thing my dad gave me besides his blue eyes, his lack of patience, and his love for animals is his last name. The T's took forever to get to! Then my row began to stand and I was overwhelmed with excitement, as my hours of texting J-Dawg and writing on my Facebook page were finally over. I walked to the stage and got compliment after compliment on my boots (luckily I was easy for my family to see). The "Voice of the Aggies" read my name as I was handed my fake diploma. He smiled at me like he had done many times before. I actually worked with him at the radio station and really appreciated him and his humor.

Walking off the stage, I hear someone scream my name and as soon as I looked up, S had taken a picture of me. Then I received a text from him saying congrats with a compliment on my boots. Awkward.  

Afterwards, we were sent back to our seat to wait some more. 'Really people?! I have stuff to do! Let me out!' I'm thinkin' every kid sitting in Pan Am, wearing a a cap and gown was thinking the same exact thing! Either that, or 'Ugh, I can't believe Mom made me walk!' Then we were finally released!

I walked out and found my parents,grandparents, siblings, uncle, and to my surprise, 2213! He sat through a four hour graduation ceremony with my family? Wow. I was grateful, but slightly confused. That's sweet, but why? Bro and Fiance gave me flowers, and everyone gave me hugs to congratulate me. I took pictures with my grandparents, as this was a very important event to my grandmother.

We got in the Suburban and headed back to my house to change and cool off. Sweet, kind J-Dawg put his hand on top of mine, and said "That's cool that 2213 came, but..." He didn't have to say anything, I knew what he meant. He wasn't jealous or hurt by any chance, but like me, was confused. Unfortunately my mom piped in at that instant, "That boy's in love with you!" Really mother?! Really?!

We then went to the hotel where my parents and grandparents were staying, and enjoyed some yummy snacks, pizza and then took a dip in the pool. Bro and Fiance came and hung out with us, and we just enjoyed some relaxed time with the familia. I was finally done with textbooks, university parking fees, dorms, and boy drama. That day I was able to let out a huge sigh and say "I'm done."

I said goodbye to all my family members who had come down and was beginning to feel the relief of things slowing down. I had went to Europe then graduated- time for a breather. J-Dawg asked if I minded if he were to stay another night, and I was ecstatic. Bro shook his hand and said goodbye, then threw in "Just cause I'm not here doesn't mean you don't have to sleep in the spare bedroom." J-Dawg just smiled.

I must see him again...

The Monday following Easter Sunday, I was floating on Cloud 9. In two weeks, I would be graduating! Not to mention, I had just met a wonderful human being who was unlike anyone I had ever met before. Things seemed to be getting better and better. Longing to know more about this intriguing man, I nonchalantly mentioned to him that 'perhaps, just maybe I could make it up your way again, possibly. I'm not sure.' Didn't wanna seem overzealous.

I thought it was time to ask my parents' opinions. Because I had been to Europe, and especially the Netherlands, I had a much better understanding of J-Dawg. Why he did the things he did (wear wooden shoes), why he talks the way he does (he's only been in the States for seven years), and why he seems so quiet and reserved (Europeans don't hug strangers). Although both of my parents had been overseas, this was their first real interaction with a young man from Europe, who was still in the process of becoming an American.

When I asked what they thought, Mom was constantly worried that she did or said something that offended him because of how reserved he is. My dad on the other hand, thought that J-Dawg was 'angry'. When I heard this, I was shocked because J-Dawg is the happiest, most light-hearted person I knew. Come to figure, because of his accent combined with his deep voice, my dad mistook this for anger. When I tried to explain this to my dad that this kid truly is a sweetheart, and rarely gets angry, my dad was still riding the fence about this stranger his little girl was warming up to.

After some thought, I decided I wasn't going to worry too much about the parents' hesitation, and instead spend more time learning about J-Dawg. After all, my approval was more important than my parents', right? He text me daily and if he was busy, he'd let me know. I was never left hanging or wondering why I hadn't heard from him when he said he was going to call. This was all new to me, a man doing what he says he's going to? What!? This was unheard of in my world. I'm not the type to play cat-and-mouse games, and I don't believe in "the chase". So he'd call me when he felt like it, and I'd text him in between phone calls with no mind games, no catch-me-if-you-can bologna.

Although I knew J-Dawg wasn't a typical guy, I still had my guard up. What if he was just on his best behavior since it was still in the beginning? Whatever the case, my mind was mostly concerned with graduation and finding a job outside the area I had spent the past five years of my life. Although I was busy looking at the big picture, filling out university paperwork, polishing my resume, and job searching, that didn't stop thoughts of J-Dawg from sneaking in every chance they got. 

As I got excited for the upcoming weekend, I received word that my brother and his fiance were going to be at my parents that weekend. They asked that I head up north and meet them there so we can all hang out. Immediately, I felt feelings of guilt, as I knew which ever decision I made (whether to go hang out with Bro and Fiance or J-Dawg) would cause someone disappointment.

I love my brother and his fiance, but I was so torn as to what to do. 'Should I just plant myself here at home for the weekend so that all parties lose? Do I let bro down, and say "Hey ps, I'm not coming. Mr. Fantastic wants to see me and I can't deny him of that! (*chuckle*)"? Or tell J-Dawg, who I'd already made plans with, "Sorry... although you're gorgeous, and fun, and stinkin' fantastic and I wanna spend every waking minute with you.... I can't see you this weekend"?

Aye yiy yiy, what's a girl to do?! Hmmmm, only one answer to this situation: spend half the weekend with Bro and Fiance and the other half with J-Dawg. After informing all parties of the plan in place, in flowed the flak. "Really?! You're leaving your favorite brother and the coolest chick ever to go see some dude? Really?! I see how it is!" Luckily, there was no criticism on the other side. J-Dawg just said "That's understandable, family is very important." Feeling grateful that I hadn't hurt J-Dawg's feeling and sad that I disappointed Bro, I packed my bags with a heavy heart and hit the road.

Bro, Fiance and I hung out on Friday night and Saturday. We had a really good time, except that it was so condensed due to my need to see Sir Dutchman wearing his Cinches again. I told the family goodbye, and after getting what amount of grief Bro could spew out at me in a small amount of time, I headed J-Dawg's way. After a boring and quiet three hour drive, I finally made it to the dairy and was excited to be within a minute of seeing him.

He was waiting outside for me and greeted me with open arms. I jumped out of the car into his embrace, and all the guilt I had in my stomach from Bro disappeared. We then did what has come to be my favorite activity with J-Dawg (get your head out of the gutter). We poured two glasses of wine, headed outside, and hopped on the tailgate. We sat and watched the beautiful multi-color sunset, all the while holding hands. May sound cliche or cheesy, but it was none of the above. It was perfect.  At dark, we headed inside and opted to be bums, watching TV on the couch. The day had been pretty overcast (making for an even more beautiful sunset) and some strong winds were hitting the sides of the house. Although this usually makes me uncomfortable, laying there with J-Dawg made me feel not only safe, but invincible.

We had what has become our normal routine of curling up on the couch, wrapped up in one another and browsing through channels trying to find something of interest. To be honest with you, I couldn't even tell you what we watched that night as I was all enveloped in the moment, thinking of nothing else but being with J-Dawg. His strong big hands held mine, and my always cold feet were tucked under his muscular thighs, being kept warm. 'What could be better?' I wondered.

Then he leaned down and kissed me on the forehead. Tah-dah, the deal was sealed! That was it, it was over. I was putty in his hands. At that instant a 6 ft 2 Fresian sweetheart had won over this 5 ft 3 jaded non-believer. The only thing I could think to say at that instant was, "Will you buy me a goat?" Cause I knew my future no longer involved only me and my goat farm, but me, my goat farm and J-Dawg!

Prior to seeing J-Dawg that weekend, we were texting and discussing the difficulty that Dutch men must have when introducing their female friends and girlfriends to others. Female friend in Dutch is "vriend". Friends in Dutch is "vreinden".Girlfriend in Dutch is "vriendin".Although, Dutch people understand this well, to me, as an American, I found it confusing. So I asked, "Am I your vriend?" and laughed. He asked to discuss this later, because of texting's ability to completely allow for miscommunication.

After asking J-Dawg for my goat, we laid in each others' arms, enjoying the moment. Then, he squeezed me tightly and whispered "You're my girlfriend, right?" But the way he asked did not leave any room for discussion, it was more of a statement. I loved the way he was stern and insistent and I had no intentions of arguing with him for any reason.  I was excited the topic came up, but was confused as to where it came from.When I asked, he said "Just making clear that you're more than just mijn vriend."  I looked into his glistening eyes, and said, "Yes I am."