My Fairy Tale

I remember when I was young thinking that one day I would grow up to be a beautiful woman who would have it all. That I would live that fairy tale - meet my prince and he would take me away, love me, spoil me and grant every wish I had. I outgrew that dream very quickly. Life and the mirror have the tendency to do that. Life worked very hard at teaching me that I was the only person who could rescue myself. I was the only person who could save or destroy myself.

In time I grew to want not someone who would ride up on a big white horse and sweep me away, but who would share his friendship, thoughts, quirks, hopes, dreams and who he really was without any reservations with me. I didn't want any one to save me. Save me from what? I could handle life by myself, thank you. And I had done pretty well, for the most part. Until one day shortly before my 30th birthday. Yes, I don't mind telling my age. I had nearly 30 years of accumulated wisdom at that point. 30 years of triumphs and failures, accomplishments and disappointments... for the most part shared with nobody but myself. Now I am 31 and very proud of the knowledge, wisdom and occasional white hair (hey - I've got one or two, I'll admit it) that I have gained.

Through sheer happenstance, I met the friend of one of my closest friends and favorite people in the world. His smile, his laugh, his attitude - everything about him was fresh and new, and gave me an entirely different perspective on life. Entirely his own person, he moved through the world marching to his own beat. From the moment I met him, all I wanted was to spend more time with him. Three short months later, just one year ago, he proposed and I accepted. We were married five months later, and every day since has been the happiest of my life.

Despite everything it took to get here, I would not have traded one second of it, for that's what put me on the path to finding him. I could not ask for a better and more loving husband. He is my husband, my best friend, my confidant, my lover and the person that allows me to be me. He is my soulmate. He is the being I want to spend the rest of my life with.

I ponder sometimes what I might have done to be rewarded with a husband like him. However, all of a sudden that question becomes a moot point. It really does not matter what I did to get such a husband, what matters is that I have him and I will love him until the day we die, and then longer.

The more time I spend with him, the more I look at him, his smile, the twinkle in his eyes, the way his hair curls up at the ends, and every single small and big thing he does... every day I fall in love with him more and more. I love you, Jake.

Space Madness

A NASA astronaut is being held without bail on attempted murder charges after police say she attacked her rival for another astronaut's attention at Orlando International Airport Monday. Lisa Marie Nowak drove more than 12 hours from Texas to meet the 1 a.m. flight of a younger woman who had also been seeing the astronaut Nowak pined for, according to Orlando police. Reports show that after U.S. Air Force Capt. Colleen Shipman's flight arrived, Nowak followed her to the airport's Blue Lot for long-term parking, tried to get into Shipman's car and then doused her with pepper spray

From CNN:

Inside a bag Nowak was carrying, the officer found a tan trench coat, a new steel mallet, a new folding knife with a 4-inch blade, 3 to 4 feet of rubber tubing, large plastic garbage bags and about $600 in cash, the report said.

Inside the car, police found a half-dozen latex gloves, MapQuest directions from Houston to Orlando International Airport, e-mails from Shipman to Oefelein, diapers that Nowak said she used to eliminate stops along the highway, a letter indicating how much she loved Oefelein and directions to Shipman's home address in Florida, the report said.

First of all, hats off to Lisa for that first rate Nick Nolte style mugshot.

Second... diapers? That's commitment to your cause on a whole new level. The willingness to piss (or worse - shit) your pants in order to get to your destination on time takes a special kind of crazy.

Third - when she found out that Shipman was flying to Orlando from Houston, Nowak decided to confront her, according to the arrest affidavit. Shipman was flying from Houston to Orlando. Nowak drove the 900-mile trip from Houston to Orlando and made it to the airport in time to confront Shipman. That takes more than diapers, man. That takes one hell of a fast car.

Jesus Christ. It's women like this who make the rest of us look bad. I mean seriously - a steel mallet and rubber tubing? Everyone knows that you use duct tape and nylon rope. That space tourist who was going to go up dressed as a Gundam character doesn't look that crazy now, does he?