86

Yesterday was my first St. Louis Cardinals game and Joe’s first trip to the new stadiums. A woman in his program, Heidi, bought tickets for a group, and we spent the afternoon with Joe’s M.F.A. and M.A. friends.

His time as a student is drawing close to the end now. Tonight, we’ll see his friends again for the annual reading for graduating creative writing students. And then he’ll graduate and then I’ll leave and then we don’t know yet. But we can see the endpoint for now–only 86 days.

Before we hit up the Metro train to the stadium, we stopped in a Design Within Reach. We pass the store frequently while we're out and about in the Central West End, so we finally took a moment to stop in. Then man working was excited and passionate, making it very, very hard not to buy the sectional and 1940s original desk we both fell in love with.

He kept asking about our lives and being excited for our French escapades... and he kept showing me all of these amazing 1920-40s collections and original pieces. I'm weak for the time period, as our wedding makes obvious, and I'm glad I didn't have $2k in my bank account. Oh, someday... and then on that someday I'll feel horrible that I bought a desk instead of feeding an entire African village.

It’s odd how grown up I felt, how cool, buying us a beer and nachos to share. How settled and happy I felt passing the Bud Light between us and screaming at low pitches in between. I walked back to our seats and had one of those existential moments when you feel like this really is you, living your life and piecing things together.

As we took the Metro train to the stadium and after, we decided to use it for a trip out to the mall. I’ve tried to make sure that each day of fun includes a bit of wedding preparation. Yesterday was gift and champagne flute shopping.

Little did we know that the average champagne flutes cost, oh, $20 to 40 each. As we walked between stores, we rattled of the to-do list and tried to find expenses that could be cut back. These talks usually lead to raised voices (mine) and exasperation (Joe’s). But yesterday and this morning, when the budget talk included a spreadsheet, we were quite calm. And we found these at Anthropologie:

 They have an awesome yellow/gold splash. That and the ridge in the glass make them feel perfectly vintage and match the 1920s time span. We both liked them, and they're weren't as expensive as everyone from Lenox to Martha Stewart down at Macy's.

I’m afraid that I’m a bit too calm here. I had so many plans this week, so much reading. But something happens each time I open my book. I fall asleep. I worry about all of the things I should be in Ohio taking care of. I get distracted by watching Rome (men in short skirts and gorgeous women).

What a relief it will be someday to really have my life in one place instead of Muncie/St. Louis/Wapak or St. Louis/Wapak/Evansville or Wapak/Evansville/France. I think I’m going to clean the apartment. Feel like I’m moving or accomplishing something.