Mrs. Lonely

Brock and I are spending the week apart. He's got job interviews in Utah this week, and I'm home in Colorado  to tend the wee ones while my dad goes off to run a 100-miler in Texas this weekend (with my mom crewing him).

How is it that I can't spend one day apart from the one person who singlehandedly drives me insane without bursting into tears???

Marriage is funny like that.

Heart-shaped rock that B found for me at Petra :)

Brock, you're such a good man.

Let The Record Show

That Brock and I do not  have a perfect marriage.

Got it?

It's been brought to my attention several times during the last few months that some people think this. And it frustrates me because I actively try not to portray things that way. (One of my biggest pet peeves is "mommy bloggers" and the like whose social media escapades give off the appearance of them having it all together. Who does?!)

It's hard, though, because you don't want to broadcast the negative--not just for the bad vibes it sends out, but rough patches should be a personal matter between you and your spouse. Even so, I do  write about hard times that Brock and I are having, insecurities I have as a wife, the mundane, and spats that we get into. Usually with a dose of humor, since that makes everything easier to swallow.

Don't get me wrong: Brock and I are really happy together. But the interesting thing about marriage is that just because you're happy doesn't mean it's easy. Believe me when I say that fiery arguments are far  from uncommon between us. It's a constant struggle to fix the things you need to improve upon as a couple and as an individual. What's more, we're both very headstrong and opinionated (imagine Newt Gingrich marrying himself), so when we come to blows, we come to blows.

Thankfully, we're quick to forgive and Brock is very patient (I'M WORKIN' ON IT, OKAY???????). More importantly, we're committed. Watch out ya'll, because I'm about to quote "The Bachelor" all up in hurrr: I remember watching the season premiere a few weeks ago, and Nikki was talking about her first marriage and why it failed. She said something to the extent of "After a few years, it just wasn't the same. There was no spark, we weren't the same couple." I wanted to yell  at the television saying WTF GIRRRRRRL WHAT DO YOU THINK MARRIAGE IS???  YOU SHOULDN'T  BE THE SAME COUPLE THE WHOLE TIME. YOU GROW AND ADJUST AND DEVELOP TOGETHER, IDJIT. (Yes, I said "idjit" in my brain. No, I am not thirteen years old.)

The wonderful (and sometimes scary) aspect of Mormon marriages is that we believe the covenants we make to each other are eternal.  None of this til-death-do-us-part business. So you'd freaking better learn  to like the one you love because they're gonna be around for a loooooong  time.

Something I've learned along the way is that you can never think your marriage is "safe." What I mean by that is the mentality of Oh! We reached the 1/2/3/4/5/20-year mark! If we can make it this far, we can do anything! We're going to be together forever! As soon as you start thinking like that, you're screwed. Marriage isn't a game, it's a process. Whether you've been married for four months or forty years, your chance of success is just as good as everyone else's: 50/50.

I had a professor at BYU who put things perfectly:

"Every couple comes to a point in their marriage--usually five years down the road, sometimes sooner, sometimes later--when they look at each other and think WHY ARE WE TOGETHER???? ARE WE CRAZY???? Any couple who tells you that they never got to that point is lying.  Rest assured, everyone does. And the marriages that work are the ones where, in that moment, the guy and the gal remember their promises."

In closing, I want to reiterate that Brock is a wonderful man (despite the occasional proliferation of "that's what she said" jokes) and that I don't take him for granted. It takes a real man to put up with a real woman, and boy does he. We haven't got it all together, but we manage to keep it together.

Our marriage is rocky sometimes just like everyone else's, promise.

And sometimes it's ROCKY!!!!!!!!

Photo Source

Jordanian Politics

Before I proceed to blog the last month of living in Jordan, I want toshare with you some insights into the its political system I may do the same for Israeli politics, because Israeli politics are cray-cray. If you don't understand the political system of Israel, it really is impossible to fully understand the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The political system in Jordan is a faux democracy. Everybody says they love King Abdullah II and his wife Queen Rania, but in reality people don't talk smack because they're afraid al-mukhabarat might be within earshot--secret police that'll nab you for talking badly about the royal family. Brock remembers talking to one of his friends and asking "Do you think you have free speech here?" His friend responded "Yes, absolutely!"

"Oh, so you can say whatever you want about the King or government?"

"What?! No! But other than that, we have free speech."

For a general overview, here are snippets of the Wikipedia article on the basic outline of the Jordanian government. I'll insert bolded commentary along the way.
________________________________________________________________________________

Executive Branch

Executive authority is vested in the king and his cabinet. The king signs, executes, and vetoes all laws. The king may also suspend or dissolve parliament, and shorten or lengthen the term of session. Get that? He can dissolve parliament. If you think our government is inept, can you imagine how completely ineffective it would be if President Obama could just get rid of Congress as he saw necessary?! Usually what happens in Jordan is that whenever parliament makes a decision that appears populist or, y'know, actually democratic, the King dissolves parliament. This has happened three times in the past two years (nine times in King Abdullah II's twelve-year rule!). It actually happened while Brock and I lived there. In October 2011, the King dissolved parliament and replaced the prime minister in response to widespread public dissatisfaction with government performance (which the King promised to improve in a major televised speech in June, in the midst of the Arab Spring uprisings) and escalating criticism of the premier because of public concerns over his reported involvement in corruption. A veto by the king may be overridden by a two-thirds vote of both houses of parliament at his discretion, most recently in November 2009.

He appoints and may dismiss all judges by decree, approves amendments to the constitution, declares war, and commands the armed forces. Can you see how unilateral his power is? Absolutely no checks or balances. Cabinet decisions, court judgments, and the national currency are issued in his name. The Cabinet, led by a prime minister, was formerly appointed by the king, but following the 2011 Jordanian protests, King Abdullah agreed to an elected cabinet. Oh, how nice of him. The prime minister is responsible for choosing all the other ministers in the cabinet (with the King's approval). You would not believe how many ministries there are. There has to be plenty of room for nepotism and playing favorites in Jordan's government, so the more ministries the better! The cabinet is responsible to the Chamber of Deputies on matters of general policy and can be forced to resign by a two-thirds vote of "no confidence" by that body.

There was a fantastic opinion piece in the New York Times last month titled "Jordan's Club of Has-Beens." I highly recommend it. Here's a pull-quote:

In political terms they are, quite literally, the quick and the dead. They are the rapidly expanding club of former ministers of King Abdullah II — several hundred, by some estimates — who came to the well, drank as best they could and were then sent home to think about what they’d done wrong. 

They sign on for a limited season, aware that they are scapegoats in suits, cloned to take the rap whenever another palace policy bites the dust and the public demands fresh blood. 

“You appoint governments and then you change them like knickers,” says a once important official. “A new team arrives and spends a few months blaming its predecessors and then the same thing happens all over again. There’s no policy, no vision. It’s just a way to buy time.” 

So there are currently few incentives for climbing Jordan’s political tree. The average career expectancy of a prime minister has fallen to around eight months — hardly long enough to give birth to a cogent thought, let alone an innovative policy. 

Imagine the hapless head of government, all but dead on arrival in his office, staring disconsolately day after day at his telephone, wondering only when someone will be instructed to call him a cab.

Legislative Branch

Legislative power rests in the bicameral National Assembly. The National Assembly (Majlis al-Umma) has two chambers. The Chamber of Deputies (Majlis al-Nuwaab) has 120 members, elected for a four-year terms in single-seat constituencies with 12 seats reserved for women by a special electoral college. This is the Jordanian equivalent of the House of Representatives. I think its 120-member composition may be based off the Knesset in Israel, which also has 120 members. For Israel, there's special meaning in this number: 120 members is symbolic of 12 tribes of Israel. Also, considering that women in Saudi Arabia just barely got the right to vote, Jordan is pretty forward-thinking in terms of women in politics. In addition 9 seats are reserved for Christians and 3 for Chechens/Circassians. While the Chamber of Deputies is elected by the people, its main legislative abilities are limited to approving, rejecting, or amending legislation with little power to initiate laws. "Little power to initiate laws?!" That's the point of our House of Representatives! Also, can you imagine what our House might look like if there were quotas to meet regarding its composition like there is in Jordan? The Assembly of Senators (Majlis al-Aayan) has 60 members appointed by the King for a four-year term. These guys are basically all the King's buddies. The Assembly of Senators is responsible to the Chamber of Deputies and can be removed by a "vote of no confidence".

Judicial Branch

The judiciary is completely independent from the other two branches of the government. The constitution provides for three categories of courts--civil (in this case meaning 'regular'), religious, and special. Regular courts consist of both civil and criminal varieties at the first level – First Instance or Conciliation Courts, second level – Appelette or Appeals Courts – and the Cassation Court which is the highest judicial authority in the kingdom. There are two types of religious courts: Sharia courts which enforce the provisions of Islamic law and civil status, and tribunals of other religious communities officially recognized in Jordan. The court system is interesting because it rarely interferes with tribal matters in Jordan. Tribal culture is definitely still strong in the country, which adds a complex dynamic to the government. I'll write more on this later.

Political Conditions

King Hussein ruled Jordan from 1953 to 1999, surviving a number of challenges to his rule, drawing on the loyalty of his military, and serving as a symbol of unity and stability for both the East Bank and Palestinian communities in Jordan. One of the main reasons Jordanians espouse love for King Abdullah II (the current King of Jordan) is because they ADORED his father. He made sure to not only please the West Bankers (who primarily live in Amman), but the East Bankers who are thinly spread throughout rural regions of the country. King Hussein ended martial law in 1991 and legalized political parties in 1992. In 1989 and 1993, Jordan held free and fair parliamentary elections. Controversial changes in the election law led Islamist parties to boycott the 1997 elections.

King Abdullah II succeeded his father Hussein following the latter's death in February 1999. Abdullah moved quickly to reaffirm Jordan's peace treaty with Israel and its relations with the United States. Abdullah, during the first year in power, refocused the government's agenda on economic reform.

Jordan's continuing structural economic difficulties, burgeoning population, and more open political environment led to the emergence of a variety of political parties. Moving toward greater independence, Jordan's parliament has investigated corruption charges against several regime figures and has become the major forum in which differing political views, including those of political Islamists, are expressed.

On February 1st 2011, it was announced that King Abdullah had dismissed his government. This has been interpreted as a pre-emptive move in the context of the Tunisian Jasmine Revolution and unfolding events in nearby Egypt.

Decentralization

King Abdullah II and the Jordanian Government began the process of decentralization, with the Madaba governate as the pilot project, on the regional level dividing the nation into three regions: North, Central, and South. The Greater Amman Municipality will be excluded from the plan but it will set up a similar decentralization process. Each region will have an elected council that will handle the political, social, legal, and economic affairs of its area. This decentralization process is part of Jordan's Democratization Program. Sounds interesting. We'll see how this ends up working...

Corruption

According to Transparency International, Jordan is one of the least corrupt countries in the Middle East. Woo hoo! What a badge of honor! Jordan ranked 47th out of 180 nations in the Corruption Perceptions Index. The Constitution of Jordan states that no member of Parliament can have any financial or business dealings with the government and no member of the royal family can be in the government. However, corruption remains a problem in Jordan despite progress. Corruption cases are examined by the Anti-Corruption Commission which is likely corrupt itself... and then referred to the judiciary for legal action. Corruption takes the form of nepotism, favoritism, and bribery.
________________________________________________________________________________

Whew! Wasn't that fun? :) Jordan is in a precarious position for several reasons. One of them has to do with its reputation as a peaceful Middle Eastern country--it has friendly relationships with both the United States and Israel. Jordan feels intense pressure to keep up that image as it is heavily reliant on foreign aid. This is something that its citizens are all too aware of. That's not to say, however, that Jordanians are mindless robots who keep opinions to themselves. I was so impressed with a recent Facebook posting of one of my Jordanian friends:




The first incident to which my friend refers has to do with a Jordanian man's self-immolation this past Monday--something that has never happened before in the country. From the linked article:

Ahmad Humoud al-Matarna reportedly torched himself on Monday after he failed to find a solution to pressing financial difficulties. According to Jordanian media, the man, who was also a father, had been unable to pay moutning bills, especially after he was made redundant and had a limited retirement income.

The second incident refers to a young man's burning a picture of the King yesterday in Madaba just yesterday. Here is the AP story:

AMMAN, Jordan — A military prosecutor says a young Jordanian activist has been charged with harming the king’s dignity for burning a street portrait of the monarch. 

The prosecutor says Odai Abu-Issa, 18, has been detained for two weeks for interrogation. He faces up to three years in jail.

The prosecution says Abu-Issa burned a portrait of Jordan's King Abduallh II in front of a government office in the western city of Madaba on Wednesday.

He belongs to a small group of young Jordanians who have taken to the streets to demand that the king's powers be curbed. Abdullah is an absolute ruler who has the final say on all matters.

The prosecutor spoke Thursday on condition of anonymity because he is not allowed to make public statements.

Free speech, indeed. But intelligent Jordanians are becoming less and less afraid to speak out, as demonstrated by my friend's gutsy Facebook post above (also, notice how 10 people "liked" it). Sadly, however, there will always be idiots who have no sense of morality:



I'm so proud of my friend for not putting up with this bullcrap. And you know what? He's not the only one. I met many young, hyperintelligent Jordanians while living in Amman. They work hard at their studies, speak amazing English ("You sordid microbe"--gotta learn how to say that in Arabic!), think progressively, and often study complex subjects in English-speaking universities. Can you imagine majoring in computer science or biology in your non-native language? Unreal.

Unfortunately, most of these people want to leave Jordan.

Anyway, I doubt anybody is still reading at this point, so I'll quit blathering on. I'll close by saying that it was so eye-opening to learn about and live in a foreign government. It gave me an appreciation for the functionality of my own country's political system (hate it all you want--it works) and for the fact that I enjoy real freedoms instead of quasi ones. It'll be interesting to see what the future of Jordan holds, and I pray for its well-being.

Why I Should Be A Politician

"MOMOMOMOMOMOMOMOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!"

That's what I screamed about an hour ago upon seeing a huge wave of suds splash out of the dishwasher.

"Kristi! What did you put in it?!"

"The liquid in the huge container under the kitchen sink!"

"That dish soap!"

"What?! Where's the dishwasher detergent?"

"There!"

. . . . "In a random side cupboard in tiny packets!? Why can't you be normal and put your dishwasher detergent under the sink like everybody else?!"

"CLEAN!!!!!!!"

"I will but I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Home Stinky Home

We're back in Fort Collins and settled in! Our clothes are hanging in a closet, our belongings are in drawers, and our dog remembered us! I love that little sweet thing, but he's definitely been spoiled by everyone here. Eating people food, lounging on couches and beds--stuff that never would have flown when we lived in Provo! But he's a well-behaved dog so I can't complain too much. Brock and I joke that we're going to name our first son Mojo Jr. JOKE'S ON YOU, EVERYBODY! WE'RE SERIOUS.

I do have one complaint about living in the basement, however. You see, the basement is Caden and Connor's domain (my nine- and seven-year old brothers). It always looks like someone threw a grenade in the toy closet, but I don't mind that because to me it's a sign that they're engaged in creative play--puzzles, Legos, forts, Pokemon drawings, crafts, you name it. I'd much rather live in a messy basement like this than in a clean basement with the TV on 24/7. (Plus, Caden and Connor are good about cleaning up when you ask them to.)

The thing about them ruling the basement is they also rule the basement's bathroom. Now, a little splatter on the toilet seat is to be expected from any member of the male species, be he seven years old or twenty-seven years old. What shouldn't be expected--ever--are unflushed turds in the toilet.

Bless Connor's heart: He's apparently so anxious to get back to creative play that he neglects to send his bodily deposits--fluid or otherwise--on their merry way down the septic tank. It might be a cute idiosyncrasy if it didn't happen two or three times a day.

But it does.

Journey To My Thoughts: January 2, 2012

11:48am: do do do, must go to target and buy lots of things, do do do
12:03: colored skinny jeans?! get in my cart.
12:05: how do i always pick the nastiest fitting room??
12:06: long black hairs on the floor. my favorite.
12:07: my, these skinnies are awfully skinny....
12:11: SCREW YOU, SKINNIES.
12:12: hmmm what else to try on, what else....
12:13: chambray tunic, be kind to me.
12:14 cuuuuuuuute! this goes on the "to keep" hanger.
12:15: nothing like looking at your naked body under fluorescent lights.
12:16:  i could totally be in one of those old paintings of a naked fat lady lounging on a velvet chaise.
12:17: WAIT. IS THAT BACK FAT?!?!?!
12:18: omg, my first roll of back fat. NOT OKAY.
12:19: i'm buying new workout clothes.
12:25: ooooh and maybe some shoes.
12:56: brock is SO gonna kill me when he sees this receipt.
8:24: i WOULD go on a run....but the bachelor is on.
8:26: these girls are annoying. i'm going on a run.
8:30: or mayyyyyybe i'll finish watching the crazies.
9:14: PSSSSYYYCHO!!!!!!
9:58: okay, it's go time.
10:25: move over deena kastor! i'm a machine. i wonder how far i went?
10:26: HA! my weight on runkeeper is still listed as 141. precious.
10:28: plot this here on the map, this turn here, down this road....
10:30: TWO AND A HALF MILES?!?!?!!?
10:31: at least i looked cute doing it.

2011 (Part Two)

SEPTEMBER

Moved to Amman! Gosh, September was so chock full of experiences that I don't even know where to begin. I'll just be lame and list them: Mt. Nebo, Jesus' baptism site, Madaba, the Dead Sea, Jordan vs. China soccer game, Iraq al-Amir and Wadi Seer, Wadi Mujib, al-Balad, picnic with Abu Muhammad's familiy, dinner in Zarqa with Hussein's family, BBQ at Weston and Kami's, and Jerash!

Jordan vs. China at Sports City! We won!

Picnic with Abu Muhammad and his family (he's the one taking the picture). I've never eaten so much food in my life! Jordanians have perfected the art of picnicking, lemme tell ya.

Roman cardo at Jerash. Hands down the second most amazing ruins in Jordan (next to Petra!).

OCTOBER

Brock's volleyball games at the University of Jordan, Ajloun, Umm Qais, George's baptism, carving watermelons instead of pumpkins for Halloween, and a fun Halloween party at our church.

Only in Jordan would Brock play outside hitter.

Beautiful Ajloun!

Is he fine or is he fine? And by fine I mean fiiiiiiiiine.

Umm Qais chat overlooking the Sea of Galilee.

Happy Halloween!

NOVEMBER

Karak, Petra, and Wadi Rum! Karoke and BBQ with friends, Iraq al-Amir again with Fareed, Weston, and Kami, Madaba again, horse "riding" and witch doctor with Fareed, Saturday morning football games with the study abroad gang, dinner in Zarqa with Hussein's family again, started hanging out with Hana and Israa, Ma'in hot water springs outside of Amman, the Citadel, and an amazing Thanksgiving potluck dinner with everyone on the study abroad!

Karak.

The Monastery at Petra.

The Treasury at Petra.

Desert cruisin'!

Camel rides in Wadi Rum.

No better way to start a Saturday!

Fun times with Hussein and his family!

DECEMBER

Learned how to cook mansaf in As-Salt with my friend Noor, outings to Abdoun Circle, final goodbyes to friends, visiting (and sometimes teaching....) my friend Hana's phonetics class, Jericho, Masada, Akko, Haifa, Nazareth, Ein Gev, Tiberias, Capernum, Jerusalem, Mt. of Olives, Gethsemane, Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the Western Wall (ringing in shabbat!), the Old City, Bethlehem, Cesearea, the Temple Mount, Dead Sea scrolls at the Israel Museum, Bethany and the tomb of Lazarus, the Separation Wall, the West Bank, Hezekiah's Tunnel, Sderot, Yad Vashem, Jaffa.

Brock and Fareed.

Saying goodbye to Hana and my friends from her phonetics class!

Overlooking the Mediterranean in Akko.

An evening in the Galilee with Weston and Kami.

In front of the Western Wall.

The Old City.

 

The Dome of the Rock.

The Separation Wall between Jerusalem and the West Bank.

In Sderot--a city about a mile and a half away from Gaza that absorbs a lot of rocket fire.

Sunset over the Mediterranean in Jaffa.

A game of backgammon in downtown Jaffa.

And finally . . . AMERICA! We've had a wonderful time spending Christmas with the Boyces in Huntington Beach and are excited for new beginnings!

2011 (Part One)

I got this idea from my beautiful friend Sadie, and in return I am paying her back with these:

Oh yes girl, you BEST believe that I saw these in J-Town and totally thought of you! And that I carried them on the plane so that they wouldn't get smushed. Message me with your address!

JANUARY

Brock and I went to Ecuador with my family. This was such an amazing experience, but unfortunately I lost my camera on the last day of the trip. I may or may not be over it by now. OKAY SO I'M NOT. 

Nevertheless, it was incredible (obviously). My family was able to volunteer in an orphanage in Quito for a few days, and then we traveled via motorized canoe up the Amazon River to a remote community along the Napo estuary. We ate grubs, visited the local shaman, hiked in the rainforest, learned how to hunt with blow dart guns and spears, and played in the river with the local children every day (I have literally never laughed so hard in my life as I did when playing with them).

Me playing a made-up game called "La Cocodrilla" with the kids.
I was a crocodile who tried to gobble them up as they swung past me.
You would not BELIEVE the acrobatics they were capable of!

Don't let Ofelia's sweet smile deceive you...she's a firecracker!

My brother, Caden, hanging out with some of his new friends.
Check out the muscles of the kid in the foreground! Unreal.

FEBRUARY

Went to a taping of the Conan O'Brien show in Burbank, CA! The guests were Marisa Tomei and Harland Williams (of "Rocket Man" fame...so funny). Fitz and the Tantrums performed "Moneymaker" at the end of the show--I'd never heard of them before, but they were awesome!

Where the magic happens, baby.

Our spot in line and our tickets!

MARCH

The entire campus was swept up in Jimmermania, and we were no exception! 

We went to the last home game he played at BYU. 

GOOOOOOOOOO COUGARS!

Conference champs! Now on to the Sweet 16!

APRIL

Brock finally graduated from BYU! HALLELUJAH! He left with a B.S. in Mathematics, a B.A. in Communications, and a minor in business management.

A long time coming!

I got SO lucky in the in-law department.

MAY

Moved to DC for internships. I interned on the Hill for Rep. Jason Chaffetz (UT-3) and Brock worked for the Brookings Institution.

The first weekend we were there, President Obama announced that Osama bin Laden had been assassinated. We were living at 2600 Pennsylvania Avenue, so we ran down with a bunch of friends to the White House (on 1600 Penn, about a mile away) to celebrate with the masses!

Watching the news with all our Washington Seminar friends.

MADNESS!!

Flags of the US and Pakistan. Yeah, thanks for the help, Zardari...

Says it all.

We also had the opportunity to watch the President give an address on Memorial Day at Arlington Cemetery. It was an extremely hot day, but an extremely cool experience :)

JUNE

Celebrated our fourth anniversary in Baltimore. (Brock stayed for an extra day to take the LSAT. HA! Remember when he was gonna do law school???) I ate my beloved corn cakes at the Cheesecake Factory, and Brock saw his beloved Vladimir Guerrero play for the Orioles at Camden Yards.

JULY

My dear momma came to visit me us in DC! She arrived the same weekend that my cousin Phillip was inducted into the A-100 class for the State Department's foreign service officers. He's headed to Djibouti, Djibouti, so we had a fun dinner together at an Ethiopian restaurant (since there is obviously no difference between Ethiopia and Djibouti . . . hey, it was as close as we could get!).

We also took everyone on an EPIC night tour of the Mall using bikes from Capital Bikeshare. Brock may or may not have gotten in a fight with a guy at the Washington Monument. Okay, so he didn't.

A hilarious show that we saw at the Kennedy Center!

Goofing off in the Library of Congress :)

Crazy Ethiopian bread called injera. 

Beautiful night for a bike tour!

AUGUST

We had a great month visiting family before heading off to Amman. We spent a couple weeks with my family in Fort Collins and a couple with Brock's family in Huntington Beach. Summer perfection!

Chicken fights at the watering hole with the fam!

Wakeboarding at Horsetooth.

Tubing in the creek.

Beachin' it in Huntington.

Californian Mexican food...nothing beats it. Not even Mexican Mexican food.

We bid adieu to Allie as she drove off into the sunset (for BYU!) and then drove back to Utah ourselves (with fun pit stops in Vegas and at our favorite B&B in Ogden).

Lemme smang it guuuuuuurl.

We got a great deal on a room at the Stratosphere.

I left Vegas a winner! I won a whole whopping dollar on the Deal or No Deal game.
In the black, baby!

The Alaskan Inn--our favorite little B&B in the mountains!

Whew! When I started this post I had no intention of it getting this long (story of my blogging life).

To be continued!