Equ, is your ring better?

[fisherofmengirly]

Hey girl,
I saw you posted on her tonight and I was hoping you''d pop back around soon because I''m curious to know if your ring has been fixed, and if they had to end up changing the style of it at all.

So, what''s up with all that?

And by the way, happy summer off teaching!

 

[Mannequin]

Hi Fishie! Summer vacation is still not quite here yet, only a few more days and then we''ll be done at my building with next Tuesday''s half day. I am exhausted from dismantling and organizing two classrooms, dealing with obnoxious middle school punks, and doing end of the year grading, and I cannot wait to hand over my keys and gradebook and split for a few months.

I did get my ring back this week on Tuesday. FI went to pick it up after bar review and when I got home from school he gave it to me to put on. I was disgusted and furious to find that a) the reworked prong on the outside looked HORRIBLE and did not match the other original one at all, and b) the stone that was set back into the ring was LOOSE. I could turn it with my fingernail!

I was soooo tweaked, especially because I''ve been really careful with my ring since I got it and had only worn it about two weeks when it broke. Being without it for over a week only to get it back and have it still not right? Oh, hell no...

I drove it right back to the jewelers within the hour and requested an immediate, on site repair. They were able to accomodate me and fixed the loose stone as well as the prong issue. I told the man that I wanted both of the outside prongs on the smallest sidestones to match, and that they should be slightly curved over the top of the stone, more so than before, to help them stay secure. I waited 45 minutes while they guys worked on it, bringing it out to show me and then going back to fix things.

I was browsing the store while they had my ring in the back, and they have a case of colored diamond jewelry that caught my eye. I liked one of the rings, a halo with a round medium-blue diamond in the middle. I saw it and immediately thought of that as a right hand ring for me in a few years'' time.

So, anyway, I do have my bling back. FI felt so bad that I couldn''t wear it for so long, and commented on that more than once during the week I was sparklie-deprived. I told him of course that we were still engaged without it, and even though I couldn''t wear it, the most important thing was not the ring - it was that I am going to get a really great guy to be my hubby.

Back on my hand now:

 

[fisherofmengirly]

Yay! I''m glad it''s back where it belongs, and fully beautiful again!

Good luck on your last days. And just focus on the break! Do you have any plans *other than your wedding* for the summer?

I miss you and Blenhiem being around so much!

OOh, and did you get your horse braid bracelet yet? When you do, post a picture!

Have a happy Friday!

 

[anchor31]

I''m glad to hear that the ring is fixed and you have it back on your finger!

 

[ilovesparkles]

OY stupid jewelers! Did they really think that fix was gonna be ok

I am glad to hear you got it all fixed and its back where it belongs! And here''s to hoping its perfect now for years to come!

 

[IrishAngel7982]

I''m so sorry your ring broke! What happened? At least you didn''t lose your stone! Anyway, I''m happy it''s fixed for you now.

 

[Mannequin]

One of the prongs on the smallest sidestones completely snapped off. I did NOTHING to it, it just happened, as in I looked at my hand and it was there and thirty seconds later another glance down and I have a missing stone. Thank goodness I was standing in my bedroom and not outside or at the grocery store or at school. We found the little stone and had to wait to get it fixed because of Memorial Day weekend. So, I was minus sparklie from that Saturday to this past Tuesday.

 

[FireGoddess]

Glad to hear at least that all is well and your sparkly is back in its proper place, on your hand.

 

[Mannequin]

Date: 6/8/2006 11:07:26 PM
Author: fisherofmengirly

Yay! I''m glad it''s back where it belongs, and fully beautiful again!

Good luck on your last days. And just focus on the break! Do you have any plans *other than your wedding* for the summer?

I miss you and Blenhiem being around so much!

OOh, and did you get your horse braid bracelet yet? When you do, post a picture!

Have a happy Friday!

Missed you too, Fishie! I am so ready for summer! I have a day and a half left of fun stuff and finishing grades, then vacation. Can''t wait!

No bracelets yet. I plan on sending those orders out this week coming up. I decided to go with the mother and daughter team at www.twistedtails.com.

Other plans? I am moving into an apartment with FI soon! It will be our first place together, only about ten or fifteen minutes from school for me and about a half hour from the firm he''ll be working at. As soon as I walked in when we toured it, it felt like home. It has wood floors and a private balcony that overlooks the park across the road, and it has a second bedroom that we''ll be using as an office. I am excited to start moving in, but I have to wait until school is out to begin packing up. We''re going to need some area rugs, but won''t purchase a ton of stuff for it since we have a wedding registry on the way and will likely move to a house in a year or two. Want a tour??? Here''s some pics below:

Part of the living room. This room sold me on the place, huge and the wood... wow! I love how bright and light this is in the daytime! Sliding door opens to a 5''x20'' balcony, for which my mother gave me windchimes as an apartment-warming present. I want to get some IKEA shelving for the long wall to the right, for putting our books and TV and other assorted stuff on.

Dining area, right next to living room. Also nice and bright. I have a cool four color wool rug and a dark wood four seater pub-style table set that will be perfect here.

Kitchen area, MUCH more counter space and a dishwasher - YAY! I can finally use some of the great cookbooks I have been collecting because I will now have space to make things. Rachael Ray, eat your heart out.

Bathroom. Needs a TP holder and showerhead currently. Lots of counter space, but only one sink. Dueling toothbrushers again, but this is bigger than my current apartment''s WC and will be much better for two people getting ready in the morning.

Master bedroom, with oodles of closet space. All for me, none for poor FI.

This place has a ton of storage, really, and between the 3 bedroom closets in here and the office ones, plus the ones that line the main hallway, we''ll have no lack of places to put things.

And that''s the grand tour! I just love the apartment and the price was not to be beat. We weren''t going to find another place this nice in a neat neighborhood for ~$800/mo with some included utilities. I am still paying some rent on my current apartment until August, because I couldn''t break the lease and avoid insane fees, but it''s manageable.

 

[ilovesparkles]

WOW Equ that is just gorgeous! Where on earth do you live that you can find that ki9nd of place for that kind of money

I can''t remember where you two are off the top of my head but man you have me thinking about moving! That place is just to die for! And the wood floors, oh lalala

 

[Mannequin]

Date: 6/11/2006 4:25:42 PM
Author: ilovesparkles
WOW Equ that is just gorgeous! Where on earth do you live that you can find that ki9nd of place for that kind of money

I can''t remember where you two are off the top of my head but man you have me thinking about moving! That place is just to die for! And the wood floors, oh lalala

Yes, yes, the floors did me in too! I loved them from the start and I think a few cool area rugs will be the perfect touch in there.

Sparkie, this apartment is in Royal Oak, Michigan. This little area is considered rather "hip" and has had a lot of newer developments and businesses moving in recently. FI and I love going into downtown Royal Oak to the Comedy Castle to catch a laugh act once in a while, and there are lots of bars and restaurants and vintage/resale shops with quirky cool stuff. I can''t wait until school is over so I can start packing up and hauling my stuff in.

 

[anchor31]

Wow, this is an amazing place! Congrats!

 

[ilovesparkles]

Ah yes MI now I remember. Because I was pretty sure it wasn''t too too far from me. MN. But I live in a very sought after neighborhood in St. Paul here, something my mother has always treasured and made sure of despite the cost of living! I am sure I could find something closer to that if I went out to the burbs but yuck, burb life is not for me! OY, I am starting to think about apts. here and should be going looking by Sept. for K because he will be moving here in Jan. So he mentioned I should scope things out a bit. Thankfully things here are much better priced than in Seattle where he is! You''ll have to show us furnished pics after you move in!

 

[IrishAngel7982]

Equ~ I have heard nothing but wonderful things about Royal Oak. My boyfriend grew up in Michigan for most of his childhood and moved back to Auburn Hills for about 3 years before he moved back to Chicago, met me, and fell in love.

That apartment is gorgeous and such a great price for an awesome area. Congratulations!

 

[fisherofmengirly]

Cute apartment! I have hardwood floors in my apartment, and that''s what sold me, too! I had to decide between *ugly* murky brown/tan carpet and central heat and air, or *gorgeous,* shiny hardwood floors and base board heating and a/c window units. Alas, I freeze in the winter and huddle close to the windows in summer, but I love my floors!

*It''s also fun to watch my dog get excited and run and slide on the slick floors from time to time.*

Pretty, pretty. Have fun at Ikea! I just love that place! They have the best frames and cheap art! Ooh, and the coffee tables, and the accent pieces, I just love them. Atlanta has an Ikea, too!

 

[Blenheim]

Hey, I''ve missed you girls too! The cable/internet guy finally came yesterday and got everything hooked up, but when he left we STILL couldn''t get internet. I thought that I was being incompetent with installing the software he gave me on my computer, but my FI finally just called Comcast when he got home from work and it was a problem on their end. But, I finally have internet! Yay! I''m no longer Pricescope deprived!

Equestrienne, that apartment looks amazing! I looove those hardwood floors. I now have that ugly beige carpeting for the first time in my life, so I''m pretty envious of you. (Sidenote: I had FI lay a 9x12 oriental rug in the living room, over the carpeting, and it keeps shifting and getting all bunched up. Any suggestions, anyone? It''s driving me nuts.) One thing that amazes me about your post is the similarities currently in our lives:

-- Engaged around the same time
-- Both moving in with FIs; new apartments
-- We''re now in the same state
-- Dishwashers -- I''m so excited about no longer washing things by hand.
-- It looks like we *may* have pretty similar layouts in our living areas from your pics, although I''m not quite sure.
-- "What do you mean you have clothes to put away? This is MY closet!"

Anyway, I''ll stop creeping you out.

I''m interested in checking out the IKEA. I feel like the dining room set that FI''s parents handed down to us is just too big for the space. One of the chairs broke in transit, too, so we''re wondering when we should just go ahead and replace them.

And the comedy club you mentioned sounds so interesting! It might make a good evening outing once Dylan''s bladder gets a bit bigger. I still have to take him out every hour or so right now. (He''s able to sleep through the night, though, no whimpering, which is very good.)

 

[fisherofmengirly]

Where are the pictures of Dylan, Blenhiem?

Glad your internet is back!

 

[Blenheim]

Pictures of Dylan!

 

[Mannequin]

Thanks for your comments, ladies! I love the Royal Oak area and I can''t wait to get packed and get over there. This apartment is going to be fantastic for us.

SCHOOL''S OUT!!!!!!!!!! I turned in my grades yesterday, and I have just a few things left to pack up today. I had this box I kept throwing papers in all year, thinking I''d take the time to put them into organized binders later. That''s the last thing I need to do now. I spent an hour lounging poolside at home yesterday, thinking about how nice it will be to not need to work this summer. Sounds a bit selfish maybe, but I have worked every summer at up to two different jobs since I was 17 (nanny, barn help, produce wench at Meijer, bookstore clerk, Sylvan Learning Center tutor, etc. etc.) and I deserve the break.

Hey, BLENHEIM! I missed you! ((((HUGS))))

Rings, apartments, rug shopping... yeah, I feel the whole "kindred spirits" thing too, Blenheim.

LOL The most telling thing would now be to figure out when your birthday is. I always seem to attract or feel drawn to people with a distinct set of birthdates.

To fix your rug, how about a "gripper" pad underneath it to keep it steady?

Just for fun, some links:

Mark Ridley''s Comedy Castle Located right in downtown Royal Oak, this place is great! FI and I can see a three person show for about 35 bucks total on the weekends. Sign up on their website for email newsletters and they sometimes award free tables for four on some of their weekend shows! I''ve taken advantage of that twice recently and the performers were great.

IKEA! Now open in Canton, MI - WOOHOO! I am planning to go down there with some friends/family sometime this month, likely on a Monday or Tuesday. Let me know if you''re interested in coming too, Blenheim! We can eat meatballs together!

My Apartment Layout This link will pop up a PDF file with the layout of my new pad. The only thing missing on here is that there is an extra walkthrough in the wall as you enter the apartment, in between the kitchen and the living room.

Hope you ladies all have a great day! I''ll be back on later.

 

[Blenheim]

WHOO! School''s out!

I''d love to meet up at Ikea! Next Monday is out, but other than that I''m pretty much free. I''m not working this summer. I couldn''t think of much that didn''t involve sitting or lifting (with my back, I''m still not supposed to do much of either), so I''m just taking care of Dylan, starting to study for qualifying exams (theoretically), cooking yummy meals, and planning our wedding. The good news is that it leaves my schedule pretty flexible. And you know, I''ve never had their meatballs. They''re good, right? I keep hearing about them.

I was born in mid-November -- what does that mean? I''m curious.

The arrangement of living room, dining room and kitchen is similar, but not as much as I was expecting. The proportions are different, as is the rest of the apartment, and I think you generally just have more space. Here''s a teeny tiny approximate floorplan. I had to majorly shrink it to get it under 100KB.

 

[Mannequin]

You''re a Scorpio, Blenheim. Scorpio info here Haven''t had many Scorpio friends that I know of, though my grandmother''s BF is one and I just adore him. You guys, as the article says, are comparable to volcanoes - lots of power and emotion bubbling under the surface, and sometimes if things get too crazy... BOOM!

I mentioned the birthdate thing because I tend to attract or associate myself with many people who coincidentally have the same birthdays in May, September and June. I am a Taurus and usually I get along quite well with a lot of Virgos and Geminis. FI is a Virgo and we couldn''t be a better match on many levels, and my BFF is a Gemini as well. I have at least three people I know of who share my birthday, and we keep each other cracking up all the time. One of FI''s good friends has my exact birthday, only I am a few hours older so I can pull rank. Talking to him is like meeting the male image of myself, it''s weirdly hilarious.

An IKEA visit we shall make soon then! Maybe on June 26th? That''s a Monday this month, and I may be able to get at least one or two other people to come down too. I know my best friend and a coworker from school are dying to go down there. Let''s pencil it in and we''ll talk later.

 

[Mannequin]

Oh, I forgot... as FI and I were buying a rug at HomeGoods last night for our new dining room, we had a woman ringing up our purchase for us who looked to be in her sixties approximately. As I was writing my check, she looked down at my hands and noticed my sparklie and her whole face lit up. "Your ring is BEAUTIFUL!" she exclaimed, and I saw FI grinning out of the corner of my eye. She asked us if we were newlyweds, and when I told her that we recently began our engagement, she wished us luck in planning our wedding. She was so sweet, and I got a kick out of FI''s reaction to her compliment.

I think that was the first time he had been around to hear someone other than family compliment his (our) purchase. He loves this ring almost as much as I do, for the meaning behind it and the beauty of it. He likes it so much that he never wants me to change the style, but is willing to maybe have it reset so long as the original diamonds stay in the new piece. He loves "re-engaging" me every morning. I take my ring off for bed, and in the morning I try to make sure that I hand it to him to put back on my hand so he can hear me say "yes" again.

 

[Blenheim]

Aww, the re-engaging is so cute! I''m glad that he heard someone other than family complimenting your beautiful ring. I know that FI enjoyed reading my SMTR thread.

Consider it penciled in.

I read the Scorpio profile in the link. What''s funny is that I seem to be very typical in some ways, and the absolute opposite in others. Like, my favorite TV show is Law and Order (maybe tied with SATC), like it predicts. And I''m in mathematics, which isn''t mentioned but is very logical and detective-like in some ways. And I''m very quiet around people I don''t know, but those who know me well know that I can be pretty emotional. But some things weren''t accurate -- for ex, I am soo much harder on myself than on those around me. Definitely do not overlook my faults.

One of my best guy friends at college actually shared my b-day. We met at freshman orientation when they told us to line up in order of b-day.

 

[jas]

Not to jump in, but I will -- maybe I''m a happy bridge here...

Just had major resizing issues with my ring (got it 10 days ago, and the jeweler has had it for 8 of those days). Got it back, keep getting compliments from store clerks.

I''m a middle school teacher here in Illinois, just finished yesterday, and also have boxes and boxes of those "to be filed later" papers. I got out an hour after everyone else because one pesky parent decided to hold me hostage on the phone about her son''s B+ and how he can get A''s next year. And yet, she refused to see the connection to his actually turning work in on time and a higher grade. I almost drew her a schematic on the board, but decided against that. I also decided against sticking her finger in the pencil sharpener.

I have noticed with parents these last two weeks a new phenomenon. I work in a "high maintenance" community...very demanding and often expecting certain entitlements. Now it''s "Hi Miss S., I love your ring/Congratulations/Please give my kid one of your kidneys." Cute.

I''m also a scorpio, November 14.

And I''m moving into FI''s loft this summer...ALL wood everywhere.

Ok, back to your conversations. I have an interrupting issue.

 

[Blenheim]

Jas, you have me cracking up. By the way -- we''re birthday buddies!

 

[IrishAngel7982]

IKEA is wonderful...you''ll love it Blen! We have them in IL too, and M was very excited to find one when he moved to New Jersey in March. He buys almost all of his furnishings from there, and I''ve been told when we get engaged and/or buy our house we have to raid IKEA. He''s asked if they have gift registries, but I''m not sure.

Jas~Congratulations on finally getting your ring back! I hope I don''t have any sizing issues or prongs breaking like poor Equestrienne...I will go absolutely nuts if I have to be without that ring for more than about 2.5 seconds. Don''t you love parents who always think their child is the only one you teach? I think parents are worse than the children sometimes. But shhh...don''t tell anyone!

 

[Mannequin]

Date: 6/16/2006 11:35:44 AM
Author: jas
Not to jump in, but I will -- maybe I''m a happy bridge here...

Just had major resizing issues with my ring (got it 10 days ago, and the jeweler has had it for 8 of those days). Got it back, keep getting compliments from store clerks.

I''m a middle school teacher here in Illinois, just finished yesterday, and also have boxes and boxes of those ''to be filed later'' papers. I got out an hour after everyone else because one pesky parent decided to hold me hostage on the phone about her son''s B+ and how he can get A''s next year. And yet, she refused to see the connection to his actually turning work in on time and a higher grade. I almost drew her a schematic on the board, but decided against that. I also decided against sticking her finger in the pencil sharpener.

I have noticed with parents these last two weeks a new phenomenon. I work in a ''high maintenance'' community...very demanding and often expecting certain entitlements. Now it''s ''Hi Miss S., I love your ring/Congratulations/Please give my kid one of your kidneys.'' Cute.

I''m also a scorpio, November 14.

And I''m moving into FI''s loft this summer...ALL wood everywhere.

Ok, back to your conversations. I have an interrupting issue.

Hey, no interrupting unless you raised your hand and waited to be acknowledged first! You know the classroom rules!

Just kidding! Jas, sounds like you can join this thread easily!

I just finished my papers yesterday, and zip-tied all my cabinets shut until later this summer. YAY! I HATE the parents like the one you had on the phone. No responsibility taken for anything all year until grades come out or when grades are close to being due, theeeennnnn they come out of the woodwork. I had a kid come up to me with his dad''s email address and said that they wanted grade updates on Fridays until school was out since the kid wasn''t doing so hot in my 8th LA class... but we had only two weeks of school left.

Some of my kids are way too saavy on how to "play the game" already, because they know that Mommy or Daddy will let them and then will fight the end grades later. It''s disgusting.

Good to hear your ring is fixed now. I was so relieved to get mine back. I am almost paranoid about bumping it now, though, and I check the stones constantly. It''s like "bling OCD" or something, LOL.

 

[Mannequin]

Date: 6/16/2006 11:01:01 AM
Author: Blenheim
Aww, the re-engaging is so cute! I''m glad that he heard someone other than family complimenting your beautiful ring. I know that FI enjoyed reading my SMTR thread.

Consider it penciled in.

I read the Scorpio profile in the link. What''s funny is that I seem to be very typical in some ways, and the absolute opposite in others. Like, my favorite TV show is Law and Order (maybe tied with SATC), like it predicts. And I''m in mathematics, which isn''t mentioned but is very logical and detective-like in some ways. And I''m very quiet around people I don''t know, but those who know me well know that I can be pretty emotional. But some things weren''t accurate -- for ex, I am soo much harder on myself than on those around me. Definitely do not overlook my faults.

One of my best guy friends at college actually shared my b-day. We met at freshman orientation when they told us to line up in order of b-day.

I find the same thing happens when I read anything that describes a Taurus. Most of the the info fits me perfectly, and other stuff makes me scratch my head and go "HUH?" A lot of astrology has to do with what stars and planets were rising and setting at the time you were born too, though. The standard info you find on most sites is just the basics, not taking into consideration the time or the year you were born to see what other influences you have. My BFF''s sister is also a Taurus, but born at the end of April instead of beginning of May, and we are NOTHING like each other. I seem to embody many of the traits evenly, but she has only a few of them and they are EXTREME representations.

 

[sk8rjen]

Wow -- this thread developed and slipped right by me -- sorry! Equ -- I LOVE your new place! You and Blen (who should hang out in LIW more -- hint hint

have a fun shopping trip and share with us here so those of us who are IKEA-deprived can live vicariously through you

Jas, you crack me up.

And yes, parents are ALWAYS worse than the kids. From a coaching, not teaching, perspective, but practically the same. I SO try not to be *that8 parent, but someone, somewhere probably thinks I am. (sigh) You lucky teachers enjoy your break. I had a forced on this week as a compresor went down and our ice literally melted. It''s good to go, now, so back to the grind Monday....

Anyway, have a good one!

 

[Mannequin]

Thanks, Jen! We''ll take pics and let you all know how the meatballs were!

We have a sofa, a loveseat, and an end table coming tomorrow! YAHOO!