Seriously. This has been bothering me for like several months now. Why the flippity-flip-flop do we need new banks? Each time they break ground on a new corner it is a damn bank, most of them I've never heard of anyway. The main thing is...hello??...online banking people? Doesn't this CUT DOWN on the need for live tellers? I'm so confused. I just wish these banks would quit building more buildings and start running the existing ones better with less picky, stupid, money-grubbing charges. Geesh, go build homes for poor people or something. This post was random, but it is bugging the crap out of me.

Do You Really Know Them?

How long does a person have to be dating/married to a person to really know them? Often I hear people say, "I know exactly how he is." Or the infamous, "I know her like the back of my hand," can be heard among friends. But, do they really know them?

This inter-personal relationship topic developed for me about a week ago when Scott and I went out to a company-sponsored party one night.

Not so amazing part of the story: I was eating a lot. I even went in for a giant oatmeal raisin cookie. I brought back some kind of chocolate-nut type cookie for Scott. I figured that he probably didn't want the oatmeal variety. I love them, but often people will comment like, "ew, oatmeal raisin?" when I'm choosing them.

Amazing part of the story: Scott told me that he loves oatmeal raisin cookies. I was like, "Shut Up!" Yeah, I've been dating/married to Scott for 14 years, and I didn't know he loved oatmeal raisin cookies. I couldn't believe it. I like to think I know the guy. Pretty much, I figure I can predict his every move. Yeah, just when you think you know someone, they'll throw you a cookie curve ball, if you will.

Now, I don't mean for this to be a down turn in my otherwise light hearted story, but I was watching Oprah a couple days later, and she had a woman on with a story about her ex-husband. Basically, after like 8 years of marriage and dating for like 6 years before that, he tries to kill her. Yeah, they met to discuss their pending divorce, and after never being physical with her before he just up and bludgeons her about the head within an inch of her life. Then, he shows up after she gets out of the hospital, (He'd gotten out of jail on bond.) pops up in her back seat, and shoots her twice in the head. She survived...crazy.

I realize those are two odd stories to put together here, but when I was watching the show I thought of the "cookie" and how I thought I knew everything about Scott, but I was wrong. Luckily, it was only about baking ingredients. Ironically, this morning Scott threw me another little detail about himself I was unaware of: He has to have a beverage with a meal, like he can't just eat-he must drink too. I guess I sort of noticed that, but he actually verbalized that detail this morning. That's when I thought, I'm going to blog this stuff.

It is mildly exciting to know that after many years of marriage there are still surprises. I just hope I never get surprised with a murder plot on my life. Let's keep it to cookies and cokes.

Willis Wedding Reception...(l-r) April facing away, me, scout, cricket, kevin, charlie. Really beautiful setting for a terrific event.

Tattoo parlor support....these pals were excited for me (Kamie is just getting mentally prepared for her turn) and did a great job of harassing the tattoo artist that worked right in a casino. sshweet.

While in Lake Tahoe...get a tattoo! You only live once, and Kamie is only getting married once, so on with the starts permanently emblazened on my foot. Kamie went after me and got a really neat tattoo on her ankle.

Here is another angle of Emerald Bay. The white specks are the many boats touring the lake and bay.

Emerald Bay State Park on Lake Tahoe was one of our many stops on our road trip around the entire lake.