What I Will and What I Won’t Be Doing

Now that wedding planning is over (yay!) and I have a new husband (double yay!), I figure now’s a good a time as any to move onto new and exciting projects that have been neglected while we planned the wedding. The projects and/or activities include things we’ll be doing together. I also have a list of what I won’t be doing:

1. I will not be starting a food blog. Why do brides feel the need to start a food blog? Why do they feel the need to indulge in some good old gender stereotypes?  I swear half of the “About Me” sidebars excitedly report that a) they’re newlyweds and II) enjoying cooking for the “DH” (dear husband in Knot-speak).  Me?  Hell no! I don’t cook. Well, that’s not necessarily true, but I’m not going to start experimenting just because we’re now married. IP knows I’m not much for the kitchen. I’m sure many women who start food blogs aren’t, either. So why are they trying to mold themselves to that role?  Why get domestic all of a sudden?  It’s very strange and, I fear at times, kind of mindless.  Additionally, who the hell wants to eat a casserole, ever?
2. I will not be hanging around the Knot anymore. The one last thing I’ll post there are my vendor reviews for anyone who may find them helpful.  My reviews will have contact info if there are any curious brides, but I’m done. However, as IP pointed out, I never found the women on my local board to be much of a brain trust, so the quicker I leave that board, the better. Posting on the D.C. Nest board isn’t an option; while I do like all the D.C. people I’ve met immensely (and like to hang out with them), I’m not cut out for message boards; they annoy me sooner or later (unless we’re talking about the Princess Marie Chantal of Greece message boards because, hey, they’re just hilarious, smart and witty over there).
3. I will not be starting a wedding business. I have no idea why so many people think they’ll succeed. Do they honestly think they’ll commit the same energy and interest to a stranger’s wedding? Perhaps in some cases, but I’d say the majority of them aren’t that great.  After this wedding (lovely as it was), I never want to plan another event again. I’m already seeing people pop up at wedding vendors shortly after their own nuptials are over—and the complaints haven’t been long in coming, either.

Which leads to what I will be doing:

1. I will be seeking a new job. I no longer want anything to do with planning.  Ever. Again. I took various career tests this morning and they all tell me I should be a writer or editor. Or that I should be working on a construction site or in a national park. Anyway, I need to stop being scared of people hating my writing and thinking I’m a poseur and just freaking apply already.  Geez!
2. I will be taking more time away from work. Going through such long stretches in such depressing and unchanging circumstances really stresses me out; IP and I both agree we need to make it a point to get away more often than not. Understandably, big projects come up and ruin the best intentions for rest and relaxation. But we hadn’t been away from D.C. on a non-work related trip since January.  That’s not right.
3. I will be trying to find a half-marathon to run. Preferably not too far from home, in the spring.  I loved running the Cherry Blossom 10-Miler, but my running suffered shortly afterward as I threw myself into wedding planning once again. I’d like to build up to a fall 2010 or spring 2011 marathon.
4. I will be trying to write some fiction. I made some feeble attempts yesterday while at my computer. I don’t know why I’m so frightened of seeing my words on a page, but I am. So I’m going to attempt to ease myself into it by writing small snippets of random fiction every single day. We’ll see how that takes, but now more than ever, I feel the need to write something.
5. I will be reading more, but I’ve already discussed that.  Any suggestions on reading material (whatever you do, please do not suggest Jodi Picoult)?

So on that note, here’s to what’s next.