A Small Rant About Decisions.

"When did you decide you're lactose intolerant?" says my intolerant sister.

Oh, you know, around the same time I decided I didn't like milk, cheese, butter, ice cream, cookies, cake, ordering like a "normal" person at a restaurant, not having to check labels and ingredients, not having to try to guess the required ratio of Lactaid-pill-to-dairy-foods, ice cream cake, pizza, Twix's, Kit-Kats, muffins, Reese's, fondue (both cheese and chocolate, obviously), ranch dressing, Caesar salads, most breads, basically all desserts, entrees and side dishes, and pretty much every other delicious dairy-laden item in the world.

Around the same time that I decided I wanted to be a burden to friends who want to invite me for dinner. Around the same time that I decided I wanted to make my waiter's shift just that tiniest bit more difficult, or the chef's job just a pinch harder, because now he has to find a cooktop that hasn't had butter on it. Around the time I decided I wanted to have to eat before going to a party, out of fear that there would be nothing I could eat.

No, Melissa. I didn't decide I was lactose intolerant. I decided not to feel horrible all the time, regretting that candy bar or the teeny tiny amount of delicious ranch dressing on my carrot. I decided to not go to bed angry at myself for indulging that part of my brain that wanted anything with dairy. I decided to not be afraid to see a movie with friends after eating dinner.

I decided I didn't want to feel gassy, bloated and uncomfortable, and I decided to do the easiest thing for my body.

Which just so happens to be deciding to not eat dairy.

Nine Years of Selfies.

Newly-Introduced selfies turn into

Friends selfies turn into

Best Friend selfies turn into

Boyfriend and Girlfriend selfies turn into

Engaged-to-be-Married selfies turn into

Married selfies turn back into

Best Friend selfies.

2006. Picture taken in Wendi's parents' garage. We spent the

first six months of our friendship freezing in a garage, designing

and building a human-powered water filter for our MAE 100 lab.

Notice that we have matching green cord necklaces, both of which I

still have, and the ring that is barely noticeable on my green cord

was the first that Hubs gave me.

2007. This picture was taken in our MAE 110 (Computer-Aided Design)

classroom on day when we got together to do homework. More likely

than not, we ended up bailing on the homework and instead went to walk

around downtown.

2008. This picture was taken on the front porch of Wife's apartment in the

ghetto. Husband (at the time, Husband was merely "Best Friend") brought

over two pumpkins so we could carve them. It was Wife's first time ever

carving pumpkins! This particular pumpkin sat at the bottom of Wife's stairs

collecting bugs and roaches for months. Shame ensued.

2009. Husband and Wife visit Chattanooga for the first of many

times together. We went to the Chattanooga Zoo (unsatisfactory)

and the Tennessee Aquarium. We had just started dating about 2

weeks prior to this photo. Neither Hubs nor Wife still have either of

those sunglasses.

2010. Husband and Wife (engaged at this point) meet up with friends

at Bridgestreet for a short day-trip to Chattanooga to visit the Aquarium.

2011. Husband and Wife (still about 2 months until our wedding!)

meander around Bridgestreet for Wife's 23rd birthday! Later in the

day, we met up with Husband's family for dinner and cake.

2012. Husband and Wife at the Memphis Zoo for our 1/2 anniversary.

2013. Husband and Wife travel once again to Chattanooga. In this

photo we are waiting for one of Wife's high school friends to show up

for lunch. We were waiting for them at our booth at Sticky Fingers.

2014. Husband and Wife go on a Sunday afternoon day trip to downtown

Huntsville to enjoy the sun and relatively warm weather for the first time

in several months. We brought books and a picnic blanket for our walk, and

ended up enjoying a beverage at Pane Y Vino while we read. Hubs is very

Knicks'd out.