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Category Archives: Boyfriend of the Year
(No more) WOO!
It has been decided that I will eventually change my last name. Yes, WOO! The greatest name in the universe, one that often doubles as an expression of “Yipeeee!” It is derived from the Greek name Wootemelagos, which means “awesome.”
No, I am not so thrilled about this, but one morning, several months before Matt and I were engaged, we had the conversation. I think I casually said, “I’m gonna be Michelle Woo forever” and then Matt pretty much declared that his future wife would be taking his name. I never realized how important this was to him and then I started considering his views and then suddenly, we were negotiating my name.
“Well, I wouldn’t change my name at work.”
“Oh definitely. You should keep Michelle Woo for all professional purposes.”
“Well then pretty much, I would just change my name on my license. And I guess we can sign our Christmas cards using your name.”
“And you’d change your name on Facebook.”
“NO, THERE IS NO WAY I AM CHANGING MY NAME ON FACEBOOK! Or Twitter. And I am definitely not getting rid of MichelleWoo.com.”
“OK, that’s fine.”
It was the weirdest conversation ever.
I was cranky for a while. I mean, it’s my name. It’s me. I had to endure years of playground taunting: “Here comes the train! Chugga-chugga WOO WOO!” “Hey, are you Arsenio Hall? WOO! WOO! WOO! WOO!” It sucked. But I overcame it and learned to love my last name. Now I have to start all over with a new one? So not fair.
So for better or worse, I am “officially” changing my name. To be honest, I don’t think I’ll really notice the difference. I mean, I get Facebook, Twitter and my blog — what else is there? And I guess when we have babies, it’ll be nice to all have one name and not confuse the teachers and stuff. And a teeny part of me is even excited to change it. Mr. and Mrs [Same last name] is kinda fun. “Hi, we’re the [Same last name]s!” Cute.
Gawd, I’m so accommodating. Best wife ever.
WOO!
Edited to add: Many people who know Matt and I have said, “Well, you can always hyphenate your last name,” but then they’ll think of what our names would sound like together and they’ll burst into maniacal laughter. Yeah, it doesn’t work, unfortunately.
Posted in Boyfriend of the Year, General, woo!
My Space
When it comes to my forthcoming marriage, what I am most looking forward to, and also most nervous about, is, well, living together. In this day, I suppose it’s rather odd for a couple that has been together for this long (let’s see, we reunited in 2003, so that makes it … forever) to have never cohabitated. But we just never felt the need to take that plunge. (Um, you think I’d give up my rent-free room in my parents’ spacious abode to share a teeny apartment with a boy who hates floral comforters? Heck nah.) So it’s gonna be an adjustment. And to be honest, I have no idea how it’s gonna pan out.
First, here’s what I’m excited about:
— Getting to see Matt all the time.
— Nesting. I don’t really know what that means, but I think it includes decorating?
— Becoming domesticated. Can’t wait to finally wear all the cute aprons people have bought me over the years (gag gifts, mostly) and learn to cook!
— Hosting dinner parties (uh, assuming that whole “learn to cook” thing works out).
And here’s what I’m slightly freaked out about:
— Having to see Matt all. the. time. OK, this is gonna be weird. Even though we’ve been together for so long, because we live apart, I still feel like our days together are like dates. There’s a goodbye kiss at the end. Keyword: End. At the end is when I begin my ‘me’ time. I can do my freelance work, blog, dawdle on the internet, straighten up my room or just veg—all in peaceful solitude. Once we live together, THERE IS NO END. Once, he was like, when we get married, we’ll have to shower together to save water. (Ladies, it’s a trick!) And I was like, but I do my best thinking in the shower! I need to be alone! And he was like, sorry, you’ll have to talk to Mother Earth. Dude. We’re totally gonna be up in each other’s grill. When do I get my ‘me’ time?
— Decorating.
— Becoming domesticated. A recent conversation:
Me: When we get married, I’m gonna cook for you!
Matt: Why do you hate me?
— Bills and such. Le sigh.
In the end, everything will work out because we love each other. Right? RIGHT? Married people, stop laughing at me! No really, we are slowly but surely discussing our current living habits and what we might need to adjust in order to cohabitate sanely.
What’s most exciting about the move is that every day, I’ll get to fall asleep and wake up next to my husband (weirdweirdweirdweird!!!!).
That I can get used to.
Posted in Boyfriend of the Year
2009: An Assessment
So I wrote this last week but was about to delete it because I was like, it’s sooooo boring, who wants to read about my boooring life? And then I thought, hmmm, well, this site is called Michelle Woo (me), so I guess you all do. Which brings me to my first goal of 2010 (and beyond): STOP CARING WHAT PEOPLE THINK. Oh, by the way, I’ve decided that every day this week, before I answer your questions (keep ‘em coming!), I’m going to write about one aspect of my life I’d like to work on. I was kidding myself when I thought I could cruise through the new year without some emo self-reflection. So stay tuned!
For now, here’s an assessment of my 2009, with ratings from 1 to 10.
Career: 6
This score may seem a little harsh since this past year, I 1) left a position that was weighing me down, 2) created my own part-time position (at the same company) that I’m enjoying 100 times more, and 3) declared I would also be a freelance writer and have actually—knock on wood—been getting steady work. So overall, 2009 seems like a mondo WIN. The thing is, and when it comes to my career, there’s always a thing, I feel so far from where I could be. And I don’t quite know how to get there. It bugs.
Love: 9
So, I got engaged. If that doesn’t boost my score in this department, I’m doomed. No really, I am loving this stage in our relationship—we’re building a life together, piece by piece. (Did I tell you that Matt and I are now on Verizon’s family plan? Isn’t that the sweetest thing?) It feels wonderfully natural, like oh hi, you’re gonna be my husband. Grin.
(I didn’t give myself a 10 because I suppose there’s always room for improvement. Maybe Matt can make me French toast in bed sometime, ya think?)
Friendship: 7
I can do a lot better in calling—not just gchating and Facebooking—my best pals, but overall, I feel really blessed to have people in my life who know me (and like me anyway). I’m excited for what’s in store for us: More trips! More dinner dates! More nights we can’t remember!
Family: 9
Family rules! (Though Ma keeps nagging me to take my clothes out of the dryer, even if the buzzer went off just an hour ago … for the 42th time.)
Appearance: 5
While I wouldn’t call myself a grenade (Dude, I don’t even watch Jersey Shore and I kinda love that term), my appearance has taken a downwards turn. Yes, we all get older, I know, just deal with it, but this is the first time I’ve noticed some “signs.” Ew, that word! My undereye area is kinda dry, my cheeks are not as glowy as they used to be and my eyes make tiny creases when I smile. Oh, and we’re not even gonna talk about my hair. It’s all okay, though, I’m just gonna have to put more effort into this important area of life, you know, bring out the power tools. I just invested in good mascara and fake eyelashes (I’ve never tried them!), and my mom bought me this secret gel that she says will make me look five years younger (23, can’t wait to see you again! I have missed you!)
General happiness: 7.5
I have a good life. Now I want more.
Posted in Being pretty, Boyfriend of the Year, Family, Feelings, Friendship
Bachelor party addendum
Matt thinks my last post has turned all of you against him. I never intended for that to happen. Amsterdam is (was?) a legitimate contender but it is not the final decision. (And when a couple of my girlfriends asked me if they could go to Matt’s bachelor party instead of my bachelorette, I guess that was a joke. Though NOT THAT FUNNY, grr.) The boys are still in the brainstorming stage (I think). If there are serious plans to whisk my fiancé out of the continent for a week of testosterone-fueled shenanigans, I will be included in the discussion. I’ll be sure of it. I’m sorry if my last post was misleading in any way.
Our friend Vicky commented that if Matt does go to Amsterdam, maybe he could at least bring me along on a popsicle stick. She was referring to the time when Matt went on a family vacation to Rome, Spain and Italy, and surprised me with photos of himself carrying around a Mini Michelle.
Sweetest thing ever. Can we all love Matt again, please? Thanks.
Posted in Boyfriend of the Year
Bachelor party VETO!
When I asked my best girlfriends to be my bridesmaids, we squee’d a little and started discussing color schemes. When Matt asked his best buddies to be his groomsmen, they immediately started planning his bachelor party.
It’s great that the bachelor party gives Matt something to be excited about. I mean, if he has to put up with a year of me agonizing over pale peach vs. pale pink napkin holders, he should at least get a chance to see nipple. I’m totally fine with whatever type of soiree—or, er, man-party—his friends decide to throw him. They can go on a weekend-long strip club crawl for all I care, as long as Matt jumps in a tub of Purell before seeing me again.
I’m a pretty chill fiancé, right?
That’s what I thought.
So Matt tells me that bachelor party planning is in full force and that his friends have a location in mind.
Brace yourself.
Amsterdam.
Yes, as in the European country.
The thing is, this isn’t a joke. Several of Matt’s best friends would be up for flying across the globe for a bachelor party. (I was just telling Matt that we’re totally the Rachel, Phoebe and Joey of the group and he was like, “Huh?” and I was like, you know that episode of Friends where Rachel, Phoebe and Joey are sad that they can’t partake in all the fun-yet-extravagant activities that Monica, Ross and Chandler plan because they are broke? That’s totally us! And then Matt said he wanted to be Joey because Joey gets lots of action.)
So Matt was telling me about their plans and I was like, “YOU CAN’T GO TO AMSTERDAM!” And he was like, “Why not?” and I was like, “You can’t go out of the continent for a bachelor party! And what if I wanted to go to Amsterdam with you? WHAT THE HECK?!” And Matt’s like, “I really have no control over this party. You’ll have to take it up with the groomsmen.”
So now the word on the street is that Matt’s bachelor party is in Amsterdam and everyone is all excited about it. Even my girlfriends want in. This is super annoying for me on so many levels. (I don’t really know what those levels are but a lot of people use that phrase so I thought I’d try it.)
I must stop the madness.
But how?
Posted in Boyfriend of the Year, Crazy wedding lady
Jon & Kate Plus The Stomach Flu
I’ve been home sick (again) these past couple days, this time with the stomach flu or food poisoning or something equally miserable. Yesterday was pretty bad. I woke up after a night of toilet-hugging and thought for a moment that I could actually function in real life. Knowing that I had about six million things on my to-do list, I tried pep-talking myself out of bed. “OK, Michelle, just lift off the covers. One, two, three. Go team!” But while my brain said yes, my body said oh, hell no. I instead tweeted my agony and my Twitter friends said I needed to stay home and rest. And Twitter is ALWAYS right.
I was able to muster up enough strength and walk downstairs to the living room and collapse on the couch there. The one perk of weekday sickness is bad TV. I flipped through the channels and landed on a “Jon & Kate Plus 8″ marathon. Yessss.
You guys, I watched like 10 episodes in a row. That statement right there is more legit than a doctor’s note. I was really, really sick.
They were doing this whole retrospective thing because the very last Jon & Kate episode would air later that night. Gosh, it was the cutest, happiest show back in its early days, wasn’t it? Kate with her crazy and Jon with his sarcasm and the kids with their quarter-Asian adorableness — it was all so endearing. They were Just Like Us.
But of course, we all know how their story unfolds.
So I had to watch the final episode just because I had invested so much of my day into this mindlessness. Unsurprisingly, it was a train wreck. So much tension. So much hate.
Sigh.
Why can’t they just love each other?
I spent the rest of the night being mad at Jon, thinking things like: How can you eff up your family like that? You’re not “only 32.” You’re already 32! Man up! And come on, just stop with the Ed Hardy, will ya?
I get way too emotionally involved in celebrity couple breakups, particularly married couple breakups. When Brad and Jen split, I was devastated. When Nick and Jessica called it quits, I cried (and am still holding onto hope that they’ll maaaaaaybe one day get back together).
It all makes me so sad. And it makes me think about marriage. (It’s kinda sad that this is what finally gets me thinking about marriage, but whatever.)
Why didn’t these couples last? What went wrong? Could it have been prevented? What would they have done differently?
When they were engaged and planning their weddings, I’m sure she thought, “I’m in love and he’s The One and OF COURSE this is forever.” I’m sure he drove over to her house on a Monday night just to pet her head when she was sick with the stomach flu.
What makes their relationship so much different than ours?
(Let’s hope it’s fame and beauty and fortune, cuz we’ve got none of that.)
Posted in Boyfriend of the Year, Famous people
Can you guess what we are?
Those familiar with Asian cuisine might get it.
If you are our parents, the correct answer is “Noodle Soup Prince.”
Hope you had a happy Halloween!
Posted in Boyfriend of the Year
First comes love, then comes WEDDING, then comes … oh yeah, that.
Sometimes I wonder if I’ll ever get my old brain back. It’s hard easing back into reality once you’ve been out of it for a while. But I’m trying.
I’ve been meaning to write a post about marriage, just because, I dunno, I suppose it’s a topic I should be pondering in between spastic declarations of “AND NOW I WILL MAKE MARTHA’S PAPER ROSETTES.” But the thing is, and here’s my confession: I don’t know what to write. I don’t have any grand thoughts about marriage. I don’t even really know what it means to be married except that, well, you hang out a lot and you pick up each other’s my underwear off the bathroom floor and you make all these decisions together such as pale blue walls and dark wood furnishings and two girls named Priscilla and Penelope. That’s what marriage is, right?
No? Hm, then I don’t get it.
All I do know is that I want to be married to Matt. ‘Til death do us part. (We plan to be single in the afterlife but meet up for an occasional booty call.) I know that we’re a team and have been for a while. I know that he is my happy. I know that I’m excited to be his wife.
We’ll probably attend pre-marital counseling in the coming months. There’s a whole lot of stuff we don’t know and it will be good to have some guidance.
Just curious—for hitched folks, how has marriage changed things in your relationship?
Posted in Boyfriend of the Year
Rationalizing the crazy
I didn’t expect it to be this way so quickly, but hot dang, ever since he put a ring on it, it’s been ALL WEDDING, ALL THE TIME. A preliminary guest list has been drafted, venues have been researched, wedding blogs have been bookmarked, an inspiration folder has been created, disagreements with parental units have ensued …
Oh hi, I’m Michelle and I’ve been engaged for 6.5 days.
I’m a bit crazy pants right now, but honestly? I love it. I mean, fine, maybe I’m one of those brides (I don’t even know what that means), but hey, why deny it? We get to plan a cool, hip, FUN party for our friends and family that’s very uniquely us. I think that’s pretty rad. Plus, I might not feel this same sense of giddiness down the line once we realize that, I dunno, our dream locale can only host our wedding on a Monday at 7 a.m. or that Grandma hates Chipotle burritos or that, crap, someone’s gotta pay for all this—so you might as well take Happy Bride now.
Also, we made our very first wedding decision. The most important one, obviously.
Introducing …
I think we’re off to a pretty good start.
Posted in Boyfriend of the Year, General
