This whole week was a complete blur. On Monday, John and I were sitting around doing nothing when I blurted our “I’m bored”. It then turned into a discussion that I didn’t even see coming. We discussed or argued for lack of a better word about our relationship.

I met him when I was 20 and it took 2 years for us to actually become a couple. It took that long because I was really weary about men, I had my reservations and my own issues to deal with and it took 2 whole years for me to be comfortable enough with myself to get into a long-term relationship.

At 22, something changed. I suppose I changed and before long we were in a committed relationship. It was amazing, it was romantic and it was so exciting that I would day dream about him all the time. When we first made our relationship official I would wait up for him to finish work at 3am when he was working nights and we’d drive over to the water front and watch the sunrise and just talk.

It’s now almost 4 years later. He’s proved to me in so many ways what a healthy relationship is about. A healthy relationship is full of love, respect and honesty. Yet, I’m still not happy?

It’s been about a year since I can say that I’ve truly been satisfied in our relationship. I’ve done a lot of growing up and I feel like I’m ready to move on in life. I want to make that move with him and that’s where the argument started.

You see, John has some really deep communication issues. He has a really difficult time expressing what he does or does not want. I made myself clear on Monday that I wasn’t satisfied with where our relationship is. I’m not satisfied with what has become of us. I need more.

I never thought I’d say this but I want to get married and I want to have a family. When we first met, I was completely against marriage. Looking back on it now, I realize that I was not opposed to marriage itself I was just scared out of my mind to put myself in such a vulernable place. Does this make sense? I didn’t want to open myself up to the idea because I didn’t want to get rejected.

So we spoke about it. I asked him why he’s never initiated conversation about the subject. I asked him why our relationship seems to be hanging in relationship stand still. Why everyone we know is getting married, moving in together or having kids and we have never even spoken about the issue?

It is partly my fault though since I don’t readily bring up the topic. However, I did speak to him about making commitements to doing something about this 2 years ago. At that time, I told him that I wanted to start saving money so that we could build a future together. We agreed to make this promise to each other. For a few months he was excited about the idea - then life got busy and our plans were put on the back burner.

Here we are, 2 years later, 4 years into our relationship and I don’t feel like he’s willing to make a long term commitement to me. Once I told him how I felt he said he was willing to do whatever it takes to make me feel better. He asked me if I wanted to move out with him and look for an apartment this July, he asked me if I wanted him to propose.

His suggestions just made me angrier. Why should I have had to give him an ultimatum to want to spend his life with me? Is it normal that I have to tell him when it’s time to propose? Should he not want this just as badly as I do?

I have so many lingering question right now. Had I not brought this up, how much longer would we have gone without anything changing? Does he really want this, or is he scared into it by the threat of losing me? At what point do I just believe and trust his intentions?

His reasoning for his lack of movement is the fact that I’m still in school. He claims that once I finished school we would get married and start building a life together. It angers me, because he’s never told me this? How am I supposed to know that this was his intention? Also, given the amount of time it takes to plan all of this, why would you want to wait until graduation? We would then have to spend at least another year figuring and planning everything out?

Am I being completely unreasonable? Am I asking for too much? For those of you who are married or living with their significant others how did it happen? Was it planned before hand? Any advice would be appreciated at this point.

The weekend is over and here I am Monday morning without much to say. My weekend was completely uneventful. Partly because it rained nonstop since Friday and party because I needed to do nothing if that even makes sense? Life is so jam packed with stuff to do that often I’m left exhausted feeling like I don’t really have the run of my very own life. Thankfully, this weekend I had no obligations other than my usual Saturday morning classes. Gladly I came home Saturday afternoon and made muffins with John. He hates to bake but he humours me and measures the flour or does the dishes while I bake.

Sunday, I slept in a little and by a little I mean until 7:30 am which is a great accomplishment for me. I’m usually up anywhere between 5 and 6 am so sleeping past 7 is absolutely fabu. We spent the rest of the day being lazy and watching T.V. Finally for dinner we got dressed because staying in pajamas all day is not proper attire to go out for dinner and headed out for a fantastic authentic chinese food dinner.

This week is going to be absolutely insane since 2 of the lovely ladies at work gave in their notice so i’m pretty much covering all their classes along with mine! Fun hunh? Once that’s coupled with my own night class it makes for a very long and exhausting week!

I’m usually clueless as to when my period is going to start. It’s not that I’m irregular it’s just that I’m really lazy when it come to writing it down. So, a few months ago totally irritated with not knowing and the panic that ensues, I did a little research and found mycycle.com. This website is designed for women who want to chart their ovulation so they can get pregnant. I use it to chart my period so I won’t get a nasty surprise on my way to class. Best thing about it? It sends you an email 5 days before aunt flow is due to start. Love love love it.

I’m currently sitting on the new Malm bed surfing the net while John is laying right next to me watching Rambo 4. Rambo 4? Really now?

Like I mentioned in an earlier post, he agreed to come and see Sex and The City if I agreed to let him chose 2 out of the 3 rentals this weekend. We have this thing about renting 3 movies. Not 2, not 4, just 3 but that’s besides the point. So after work, we ran out and did a little grocery and headed over to the movie rental place to pick up a few movies to keep us occupied over the very long and rainy weekend.

So of course, I had to make the most informed and well educated movie choice tonight seeing as I was only allowed to pick one of the three movies. Well, I’m a complete movie idiot because I rented a documentary about Bob Dylan that was absolutely impossible to watch. It’s one of those long drawn out you need to be high to understand types that literally makes me nod off in less than 30 minutes. Of course, my choice had to be the crappy one.

So as the gun shots ring in the background, I’m trying to keep myself occupied for the next hour and a half! Boy do guys and girls have super different taste in movies.

It’s finally the weekend. For most people that means that the work week is over but for me it means that it has just begun. I woke up to a really loud thunderstorm this morning and according to the weather channel it’s going to rain all weekend. The sky is completely overcast and as I’m sitting here typing this I don’t feel like going to work. I’d rather crawl back into bed and sleep in.

Last night, John and I went to see the Sex and the City Movie. While we were waiting in line there were two guys standing behind us who were having a conversation about movie reviews. From the bits and pieces I overheard, it looks like one of them is a movie critic who was coming out to review satc. I had an itching to turn around and ask him what his blog address was, but I controlled myself because I didn’t want to seem like an internet stalker. It’s always really cool though to meet people who are blog writers as well. It’s even cooler to put a face to the internet persona that we create for ourself when we write religiously for the online world to see.

As for the movie, I wont give away too much since those who haven’t seen it need to make a judgment of their own. I was generally satisfied with the way the movie ended the series. However, I didn’t find there was that much drama. It was just a really really really long version of the 30 minutes episodes we’re used to watching on HBO. In any case, it was still Sex and The City and I still totally loved it because it’s Sex in the City ya know?

As for the weekend, we/I have absolutely planned. I’m teaching a methods course this morning and this afternoon and afterwards I might swing by the movie rental place and pick up a few good rentals. Apart from that there is absolutely nothing exciting going on!

Happy weekend everyone!

Apparently the moment people hear that I’m in Law school I become a wealth of free legal knowledge. What I wish people would know is that we are not allowed to give out legal advice and that even if I wanted to I couldn’t because well I don’t know that much yet.

I must get asked legal oriented questions about 5 times a week. I’ve gotten customers at work ask me “if I hypothetically leave my wife, how much can she get from me?” , i’ve gotten “I owe my landlord back rent, can he evict me?”, I’ve even gotten asked “Can I legally tell a police officer to f off?”. Needless to say I cannot answer these questions nor do I know how to.

So today, as i’m watching T.V taking my day in stride, enjoying the fact I don’t have that much school work to do - I get a phone call from my boss. Now he even wants legal advice! pfffft.

Is anyone else totally excited to see Sex and The City? I’m such a girl aren’t I?. I hate to admit it but I’m freaking itching to see that movie tonight. John was nice enough to agree to tag along and it was completely sold out last night. So, we’ve planned a date for tonight which will include a really fast dinner since he only gets back from the office around 6pm and then the satc movie! I can’t wait.

I’m so tempted to read some spoilers online but I know that doing this would be bad bad bad. I’m always so impatient when it comes to things like this. I can’t contain myself. I need to know every detail right now!!

Has anyone seen it? Is it as good as the reviews are making it out to be!?

The last week has been incredibly chaotic. I had a midterm Tuesday which I should have prepared more for but instead I was busy building this, this, two of these, this, this, this and a few of these. It all started Sunday when I should have been studying but convinced John to take me to Ikea instead. The plan was to take a study break, buy a few new accessories or two but definately not to buy an entire new bedroom set. Needless to say, I am now the proud owner of the Malm series from Ikea.

My hands are still aching from screwing in about a gazillion screws to put this beast together. I totally underestimated how much time and physical labor was involved in building this stuff. Mind you, it was relatively simple once we followed the instructions but the nonetheless it took us exactly 5 days to get everything assembled. Finally, last night the last two pieces were cleverly installed and now I’m officially done. Although my palms are bruised, I have various gashes across my forearms from pieces of furniture that scratched up my arms I must say that I’m super excited about how it turned out. My bedroom looks almost exactly like this!!! How awesome is that?

I love love love it!

I get really intense food cravings right around the time I start my period. Some months I crave sweet and other months salty. After a well deserved nap yesterday, I woke up with this intense urge to make fried chicken for dinner. It all started with a dream I had about The Take Home Chef and the episode where he made friend chicken and baby collard greens for an unsuspecting roommate.

Although it came our relatively yummy, my only complaint is that the recipe was really short on salt. If I decide to make it again I’ll definitely add more salt. Maybe even garlic salt. yumm yumm

So here’s the recipe as seen on The Take Home Chef!

Ingredients

- 3 teaspoons/about 15 g salt, divided
- One 4-pound/1.8-kg whole chicken, backbone removed, chicken cut into 8 pieces, skinned (except for wings)
- 3 cups/700 ml buttermilk
- 1½ cups/200 g all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons/30 ml dry mustard
- 1 tablespoon/about 6 g paprika
- 2 teaspoons/about 4 g garlic powder
- 1½ teaspoons/about 3 g onion powder
- 3/4 teaspoon/about 1.5 g freshly ground black pepper
- 3 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons/30 ml water
- 6 cups/1.4 liters grapeseed oil or canola oil, for frying

Method:

- Massage 1½ teaspoons/about 8 g of salt into the chicken pieces. Combine the chicken pieces and buttermilk in a large bowl, and turn the chicken pieces to ensure they are completely coated with the buttermilk.
- Cover with plastic and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 1 day. Stir the flour, dry mustard, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons/about 8 g of salt, and pepper in a medium shallow bowl to blend. Transfer the flour mixture to a baking sheet.
- Whisk the eggs and water in the same medium shallow bowl to blend. Preheat the oven to 300°F/150°C. Place a large wok over medium to high heat. Once the wok is hot, add the oil.
- Lay the chicken pieces on paper towels to absorb some of the excess moisture, but being careful not to wipe too much of the excess buttermilk off of the chicken pieces. Discard the buttermilk in the bowl.
- Carefully dredge each chicken piece in the flour mixture to coat completely. Dredge the flour-coated chicken pieces in the egg wash and then in the flour mixture again to coat completely.
- Working in 3 batches, carefully place the coated chicken pieces into the hot oil and cook for 6 minutes on each side or until they are golden brown and almost cooked through.
- Using tongs, transfer the chicken pieces to a colander to drain any excess oil. Then place the chicken pieces on paper towels to absorb any remaining excess oil.
- Place all the chicken pieces on a heavy baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes or until the chicken pieces are cooked through but still moist and juicy.