emails with spouses

Greetings from the other side of finals! As always, it was a rough few weeks (maybe someday I'll figure out how to keep finals from being a tortuous and miserable ordeal?), but it all ended well, with a 4.0, some really kind and helpful comments on my papers from my professors, and a trip to New York (pictures forthcoming). And even the misery of actually writing and slogging through was eased somewhat by my fabulously funny and supportive spouse. As an example, here's an actual email exchange, reproduced here for your reading pleasure. Enjoy.

Monday, April 29 at 1:01pm  

Haylie Swenson to Ross Dewey

Subject: Hey you

Email me, okay? It would do me good to hear your (digital) voice. 

Love lots, 

me 

Monday, April 29 at 1:43pm

Ross Dewey to Haylie Swenson

Subject: RE: Hey you

Uh…you’re really putting me on the spot. You know how that shuts me down. I never know what to say when I’m asked to say something, but I’ll give it my best shot. I’m reminded of one of my childhood memories. It was last summer, and we were celebrating the joyous day commemorating the birth of my spouse. As you may recall, in fact, you were my adoring spouse at the time. There was good food and good company to be had in plenty at the ever-busy Good Stuff. Having already given up the cow for some time, you may not recall just how good Good Stuff can be when augmented by the succulent flavor of bacon, beef, barbecue sauce, cheese, and onion rings combined in the Coletti style. I digress. As I was saying, a very special birthday occasioned the event, and indeed there was nothing to disappoint. Following the main course, of course, we enjoyed the immensely enjoyable artistic stylings of the Brothers Cohen in the form of the classic Homer’s Odyssey, accompanied by very well-intentioned yet lackluster brownies. Lest, however, by my own selfish elocution I entirely miss the window of opportunity for spousal communication and support given me by the distant plea of my favorite little voice, I must now draw on the powers granted by the underrated god of brevity as I come to my point. Which is thusly: such good times as were had then, must surely increase tenfold in less than the time it takes the moon to cycle from shy to bold. In more universally known terms, your time of bondage will be interrupted by a brilliant burst of freedom in less than 388,800 seconds. With this in mind, and with the remote yet powerful support of your beloved, you must now persevere. And so onward. Huzzah!

Thanks, Ross. I couldn't have done it without you. Onward to summer! Huzzah!

morning mnemonic

As I biked to campus very early this morning I found myself frantically worrying that I would forget one of the many things I have to do today (finals are upon us, DUN DUN DUHHHHH). Biking is hard that way: it's not like I can write things down as I think of them. So, naturally, I made up a song. Enjoy.

To the tune of "Hello Muddah, hello Fadduh" (or "Dance of the Hours" if you're fancy like that)

Email Jeffrey.
Email Jason.
Email David.
Email Ali.
Email France
Re: the request
Fix the syllabus and then you're done, I guess.

Happy Wednesday.

 

life lately

penny pinching

So next week is Spring Break, and I'm not going anywhere this year, which means I have all week long to stay home and work hard. This is great, actually, as I have a lot to do, but at the moment it just means that I've completely lost my carefully cultivated sense of urgency. To that end, here is a list of stuff I've been saving up for recently. None of these things are expensive--or at least they don't have to be--but none of them are truly necessary, either. I think that's a good combination: it's fun to save up and anticipate, and these things are cheap enough that they're within reach. Win.

1. A cozy flannel shirt

2. A manicure (fun fact: the last time I had a manicure was a few days before my wedding)

3. Fake glasses. I know 

4. This fake tattoo, because even though my sister-in-law gave me one a few Christmases ago, once is never enough for a rabbit smoking a pipe

5. This album

6. These shoes (which, thanks to the unbelievable generosity of a dear friend with a store credit, are actually on their way!)

7. A simple pair of sleek black tights

One of my favorite bloggers does a series called make-believe, where she imagines outfits or tools for certain activities and places. If this were my own make-believe series, this would be called "Moving to Austin."

2.14.2013

Happy Valentine's Day to you and yours!

Love, 

Haylie, Ross, and Creature

♥

haylie's recipe for happiness

A list of clearly defined, manageable tasks 

+ 

Momentum from a string of small successes 

+ 

Sunshine 

+ 

The Flight of the Conchords 

= 

Happiness

I hope you have a similarly happy day.

little thank yous

Dear iPhoto,
Thanks for allowing me to come across old photos I'd forgotten I'd taken, like this picture of a Scrabble game I played with Ross. Looks like we were really rocking the w's: Tweed. Trawl. Wink. Cowl.

Dear Mom and Dad,
Thanks for spelling my name so weird. Even though people misspell it all the time, it comes in handy when I want a simple email (haylie@gwetc., for instance).

Dear Deweys,
I know it was a while ago now, but I had a really good time with all of you at Christmas. Thanks for allowing me to be a part of the family.

Dear Illuminated Manuscripts class,
Thanks for making The Secret of Kells even more interesting and awesome than it was before (among other things). For instance, I totally know what the Chi-Rho page is now.

Dear gossip,
If indulging in you is wrong, I don't want to be right. Thanks.

Dear Lorin and Asenath,
Thanks for the angry birds catnip pig you brought Creature the other night. She cuddled up with it today and it was killer adorable.

Dear Teecino,
Thank you for existing (and intertextual thanks to Charlotte for introducing me to you). I don't know what I'd do without my daily dose of fake coffee.

Dear self, 
Thanks for forgetting the iPod today. It really made me realize how addicted to it I am, and how much better... 

Dear iPod,
Thanks for always being there for me, loaded up with "This American Life" and "Fresh Air." I'm sorry I left you behind. I miss you.

Love,

Haylie

it is *fill-in-the-blank* in our house

It is sleepy in our house right now. Ross is currently sleeping on the couch (he's sick). Creature is sleeping on the bed (I know... high-larious). I'm doing nothing of great import on the computer in preparation for school. It is scholarly in our house. Later tonight we're hopefully going to happy hour at P.F. Chang's (they have a GREAT happy hour) and then to see The King's Speech, which is about English history, is getting excellent reviews, and stars Colin Firth. Oh, my. Later later tonight we'll probably come home and watch Buffy while I finish knitting my first ever scarf. It is nerdy in our house.

Most of all, it is Saturday in our house. Happy weekend.

UPDATE: So. Good. Soooo good.