Va Va Vroom!

Right when we arrived in Sacramento I began checking Groupon and Living Social for hip cool things to do and ways for Samantha and I to explore our new city.  Sacramento is pretty big and not knowing where to go is a terrible excuse for not going out.  That said it helps to have some sense of direction because there are always more wrong choices than right and bad nights can be grating.  Lucky for me there was an upcoming event at the Crocker Art Museum called "Va Va Vroom!"  

The event had a little bit of everything.  It was celebrating Mel Ramos, comic book artist and perv, with a fashion show showcasing the late 50s-70s fashions he so richly portrayed in tandem with the special exhibit.  There was also a small car show hosted by the California Auto Museum, wine and cocktails, as well as the general Crocker collection!

So to break it down: Pop-art, Superheros, Nudes, Fashion Show, Art Museum, Car Show and Alcohol. It was a damned good date night.

If you're an art person come visit Sac and we'll take you there.  Art Museums are never more fun than with Samantha who will take the time to explain the significance and creation of any piece you choose. It's kind of creepy when she starts telling you what brushes were used and where the minerals for the paints were collected based on era but also fascinating.  

The Crocker was immense and their collections impressive.  The building is great too as it's 1/2 old school 1/2 modern - really does justice to the art within.  It was actually so big we never made it to the Ramos exhibit after we got lost in the 17th-20th century.  We did pause for the fashion show however and Samantha loved it.  I was distracted by how Amazonian and skinny the women were but the clothes were nice too.

A link to the Google + album of our amazing evening and a short video of the end of the fashion show.  If I'd have gotten a better view I would have done more, promise.

Also, hidden in the Crocker was a shout-out to home!

Love you all dearly and if you're gonna be on the G+ hangout tonight know I'm counting the hours.

Armoire Update & Continued Adjustments

More than a week later and I've completed the armoire!  It was honestly a little more harrowing an experience than I'd like to admit but more on that after I've shown off a bit.

Fantastic, I know, and it did come out like I'd hoped.  A little more cramped than in my imagination but enough space to store all of our wine glasses, our two sets of china (we had registered for an everyday set (thanks to everyone who gifted from the wedding) and Samantha got her grandmother's quality set on the bottom - enough for twelve), her mom's fancy tea set, her great-grandmother's silver flatware and all of our everyday flatware.  Makes us look a little more cultured than we are but just think, in several several years when we've gotten a bigger place and are hosting Thanksgiving there will be space for TWELVE on nice things!

Speaking of having guests, how inviting does this dining room table look?!

This brings me back to an earlier thought: this project took entirely too long.  Not because of complications really but because I had a hard time maintaining focus.  I'm already an easily distracted kind of guy but this past week or more has been exceptional.  Every other minute I'd walk away to change my shirt or walk the dog or play a game or watch TV or really do ANYTHING other than what I had set out to.  

I have a long running theory that if watched long enough in sequence any sitcom can force your issues to the surface.  When I bought my house I watched Daria until I realized I was lost and angsty and needed to get over it.  When my mother was sick and my aunt died suddenly I watched Scrubs for three days straight until I got to the episode where Cox's brother-in-law dies and he can't face it or let go of his anger.  It's a cathartic sort of thing I recommend to any and all.  If nothing else you'll enjoy a helluva good show if you pick right.

I've been watching How I Met Your Mother for background noise while I clean or paint or cook.  Back to back to back.  And this week I've just been kind of watching instead of doing those things.  I enjoy the show well enough but I'm never happy or tired about it when I lay in bed at night.  I've wasted a lot of time and energy on this and other shows.  Today while finishing the armoire I stopped at least three times for hours just to sit.

Then Stella left Ted at the alter and he didn't deal with his feelings.  He said something to the effect of "In Ohio when we have a feeling, we push it down and if that feeling gets too strong we get ourselves another feeling and shove it down on top of the earlier feeling to get it back in place."  Something like that.  Great delivery.  Funny stuff.  Watch the show.

That's when I realized that I'm pretty damned depressed.  Not really emotional or apathetic and definitely not depressed in a sad way; I'm a newly wed, in a new city, facing a brave new world!  But I am a newly wed, in a new city, facing a fantastic but scary new world.  And I miss you all.

I'm happy to be here and I'm not coming back for a long while, even then only for a visit, but I miss you dearly.  Thought you should know.