starting.

(photo: Ben) Well, most of the components for the cross bike were in, so we got started. Still missing are the brakes and valve extenders--the later being a BIG problem since we can't properly stretch the tires or start gluing till those dohickeys come-- but Ben's on top of it. What floors me is how hard it is to find some of these components. Like, what's with QBP being out of stock on our tubular cement? I just don't get it.

Either way, the build started, and it's a Shimano build, something I haven't done since I left DC. They do some quirky things, those Shimanoans, like infuriate my husband by using star-pattern chainring bolts (a pattern I haven't seen on a bike outside of the rotor bolts), and use proprietary plastic tools for installing crank dustcaps, and ship shifters with housing but not enough housing. The Big New Discovery for me was the pins that replace master links for the DA chains- I want a bucket full of those things! Genius. Now when you pull a pin you can actually replace it without swearing alot. (We in Chicagoland don't see much Shimano. I don't think I've seen a Shimano chain in 2-3 years. It's SRAM, all the way. Or maybe it's just our house...)

This morning the knots in my calves didn't want me to run, but Molly insisted. I ignored the puddles and put my nice new shoes on and their springy-ness made me run strong and fast. Before work I stopped by the Social Security office to change my name officially. I was somewhat startled to be told "no, you sign this with your new name." So, there ya have it. I'm now a Popper. I smiled and sung along to "Bleeding Hearts Show" as I walked to work today, same person, differerent name, relishing our new kneesock weather.

the wife life.

i've been married about 26 hours. i have not had a happier 26 hours of my life.

things worth mentioning:
i woke up at 4am the day of the wedding. Ben was nowhere to be found. I searched the room. Frustrated and confused, I kicked a pile of covers at the foot of the bed. They talked back to me. Ben had decided for some reason to sleep on the floor at the foot of the bed on the eve of his wedding.

I found a totally cute pair of wedding-specific underware with blue ribbons that tie on the side to attach. Murphy's law doing what it does, they came untied. During the ceremony. I have to say that I'm lucky I didn't leave them in the aisle. Note to future brides: no tie-side underware.

And Ben is now insured.

I'm just... happy. It's sinking in and making me happier. Thanks for all of your well-wishes. We're off for honeymoon land.

+1 underwear, -1 bra. 1 to go.

wow.

Ben says the fact that I'm sucking down a bottle of HEED and singing along with Weezer at 8am is an indicator that I'm still drunk. I'm not in an arguing mood, so whatever.

Last night was epic. Amazing. One can only hope the photos don't make flickr. The limo was the bestest thing EVER. goodness. It had beers n' rum n' mixers n' glasses and it drove us around, how cool is that? We rode bulls and danced and some random dudes who got nasty looks from their girlfriends bought me beverages. I came home with a new pair of underware (thanks Ann!) and missing my bra. I think there's photobooth evidence from late on but things get fuzzy. Kisha and Emily and Lisa and Audrey arranged some madness, including "One more ride before the knot is tied" tshirts. My friends are amazing people.

In a few hours, we leave Chi for MKE. We'll come home married folk. Please don't hold it against us, but we're rather disgustingly googley-eyed in love.

ps- not running today.
pps- Ooooeeeeoooo, I look just like Buddy Holly.

licensed to wed.

i just realized...

that the reason Ben continued pushing through the snowstorm on December 28, crawling along a snow-covered I-43 in wisconsin, when it was clearly insane to be driving anywhere, and it took us like 7 hours to get to Door County, is because he had a plan in his brain and a ring in his pocket.

That's why we didn't just go home, or stop at a roadside motel, or otherwise give up.
I didn't realize he was on a mission. He had it planned in his brain, and without the sparkley snow backdrop and big blue sky, it just didn't match up.
I just figured that out now. 8 months later.

more not-riding-my-bike

while everyone was riding their bikes at Muir on Sunday, I was busy doing the things one must do to be a bride.

it's funny how, as this process unfolds, all the little traditions and oddities add up to an event as foreign to me as the Indian weddings I watched. O, the protocol!

Either way, yesterday Lisa and I trekked to Milwaukee for a bridal shower, where my sister (the host) was kind enough to pass on the silly games and we instead drank margaritas and made bad jokes and my mother's friends gave me advice and recipes. It was pleasant, and I'm usually a shower-hater. I'm starting to think about things like haircuts and nails and tan lines and teeth whitening. This is me we're talking about- I've never shaved my legs in my life and my nails are for chewing not some decorative item. But it's starting to eat its way into my head, this whole bride thing. It's very, very hard to resist.

It's all so disorienting.