Right now I am in Clinton, North Carolina meeting a few members of Kevin’s extended family. I know, I should have some crazy story to tell you by now, but the truth is, his family is pretty great. So while I’m out here spending time in a town that looks much like the one I grew up in you should read about a time when The Pioneer Woman almost had a meltdown in front of many of her “boyfriend-but-someday-husband’s” family members. It’s hilarious. And sweet.

Here’s an excerpt:

I had no choice but to surge on, to get dressed, to face the music in all my drippy, salty glory. It was better than staying in the upstairs bathroom of his grandmother’s house all night. God forbid Marlboro Man or Tim start to think I had some kind of feminine problem, or even worse…constipation or…gasp!…diarrhea. I’d sooner move to another country and never return to my homeland than to have them think such thoughts about me.

It is 11:11 p.m. and on this day Kevin and I have been dating one year, one month, one week, and one day.

This video is pure cheese, but so am I.

Actor Brad Renfro found dead in home

It’s so strange to me. I wasn’t ever much of a fan, but he was in every issue of Bop, BB, and Tiger Beat I ever owned. Back then I was buying them for the Jonathan Taylor Thomas (”JTT” if you were into that) posters, but I still remember him. Remember thinking that he was so much older and whatnot. I find out today that he was 25. Twenty-five. I’m twenty-three. Poor guy. He had it kinda rough. May he rest in peace.

*This makes me think that I might need to compile a list of the crushes I had between the ages of 4 and the age when I stopped it became completely unacceptable for me to continue planning the fantasy weddings between myself and certain celebrities. Oh yes. I’ll definitely be working on that.

Lauren, I know how you feel. I ain’t no “Spanish oral.”

Tonight was the first class period of my last course in my college career. It’s the second level of intermediate Spanish. Did I mention that I really can’t speak Spanish? Okay, now that we have that covered maybe you can understand how difficult it is to sit through 2.5 hours of nothing but that. Really. To anyone who ever goes to any country ever (including America, because English ain’t easy my friend) and can’t understand what’s going on, you have my sympathy. I know I’m being a baby about it. However, the only thing getting me through is knowing that it’s just once a week and that there is English on the other side. When I get out of class I get to go right back to my first language. I can’t imagine being somewhere where that was not possible

The other day The Boyfriend and I went to see Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. The music was good and I knew to expect blood–only I didn’t realize how much blood. Call me a wimp, but that was too much for me. Again though, the music was phenomenal. I can totally advocate buying the soundtrack.

Lucky for me though, going to see Sweeney Todd meant that I got to see the wonderful trailers that went along with it. Trailers are nearly the best part of the movie to me. I love them. I am exactly the type of person that they aim these things at, especially whenever they make the film sound like some kind of sweeping epic–I am so there.

On this particular trip to the theater we got to see the trailer to a musical. I am a firm believer that life should, at all times, consist of the following things: singing, dancing, kissing, running through city streets, jumping on top of cars, lots of rooftops, and weddings. I’m not sure if Kevin realized how excited I was about this, because all I did was lean over and say “I’ll see this while you’re gone this summer.” (He’s going to coach at a camp in Pennsylvania for the summer) I don’t know how much he likes musicals, but I hope that he does for the most part. I believe that there are two kinds of people in the world–those who like musicals and those who don’t. I think the latter should be euthanized.

Anyway, this movie is Mamma Mia! and it’s starring Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, and Colin Firth. And I’ve had a deep love for Abba music since I was a wee little thing. Again, I’m so there. I suggest going to the official movie site to view the trailer, because it’s better there, but I’m going to post one here anyway. You can be sure that I’ll let you all know what I think about the film after I see it this summer.

Appetizer
What is your middle name? Would you change any of your names if you could? If so, what would you like to be called? Michelle. I’m pretty happy with my names, but I’m excited to know that someday my last name won’t be “Johnson”.
Soup
If you were a fashion designer, which fabrics, colors, and styles would you probably use the most? Drab browns and greys and black. And it would rain all the time. Oh, wait. I’m just a fashion designer, not a diety?
Salad
What is your least favorite chore, and why? Washing the dishes and laundry are tied. Both are just tedious to me.
Main Course
What is something that really frightens you, and can you trace it back to an event in your life? The thought of losing my mother (I will not go into what caused that) and being in the passenger seat of a car and getting hit on that side by an oncoming vehicle. It happened once and I still tense up whenever I’m in the passenger seat and someone makes a left-hand turn.
Dessert
Where are you sitting right now? Name 3 things you can see at this moment. My couch. Strange Business by Rilla Askew, a photo of Kevin and me, and my army green Keds deck shoes.

This is a video of a little boy that my parents take care of quite a bit. His dad is a good friend of my dad, so they have pretty much been around him since birth. He calls my dad “Big Tim” and my mom “NeeNee” which is sadly what she has decided she wants her grandchildren (Designs by Liz™) to call her.

I told her from now on I’m calling her Coates-Kreeger, just ’cause.

And this is my obligatory post-wedding mirror photo, featuring my “I’m so glad they’re finally married after 7 years of dating!” face:

Today, my college roommate/best bud/second cousin is getting married. *tear*