Finally, a day off

You guys, I got promoted!!! 

Two months ago. Yes, I'm ashamed for not telling you sooner.

But I did! I'm now the assistant manager at New York and Company, a job that comes with 40 hours per week, a $4.50 per hour raise from what I was making before, paid time off and the added option of health benefits (if I ever decide I want off my parents' health plan or turn 26, whichever comes first). 

But those 40 hours per week mean that between work and school, I don't have a day off. Ever. Unless I ask for one two weeks in advance.

Which I did two weeks ago. So on Wednesday, I had my first day off in two months, and celebrated by going to a spring training game for the San Francisco giants (the first one of the pre-season, and against the Oakland Athletics).

Josh humored me and went to a SF Giants game, but insisted on wearing
a Phillies jersey. Now that's dedication! Image via Instagram.

Josh, though he cares nothing for either of the teams that played, was a trooper and went with me so I could watch my boys in orange. But just to make sure no one mistook him as a lover of the west coast, he wore his Phillies jersey. 

I told him I thought he was a dork for wearing it, but secretly I wouldn't have it any other way. His passion for everything Philadelphia is part of what I love so much about him.

We ended up leaving the game early—it was kind of a boring game with the A's so far ahead of us the entire way, and I, used to being cooped up inside 24/7, was starting to burn in the blazing February sun. I guess spring training is in Arizona for a good reason. 

As a side note, I just realize both pictures of Josh I've posted here have been of us at baseball games. The funny thing is that we've only been to two.

Panic Mode

Josh's parents are coming to visit in two weeks. And they're staying for four days.

I have never met these people. And naturally I'm scared stiff. 

It's my boyfriend's parents, guys. And he's constantly telling me they're super excited to meet me and they're going to love me and it's just terrifying. Because anyone who raised Josh to be as fantastic as he is is going to expect a lot. And what if they don't love me as much as Josh thinks they will?

Me and Josh at a Diamondbacks game. He's such a Phillies fan that he
refused to take his gear off, even for a different team.

Josh has already met my parents via video chat. In fact, he's met my whole crazy family. While Rachel was home in August we had a very complicated three-way Google hangout that included Mama, Daddy, Rachel and Molly in Livermore, Emma in Reno, and me and Josh in Phoenix. Mama was sure we'd scare him away, but the guy grew up with three brothers and a sister and a million cousins. My three sisters aren't going to scare him off. 

We've only been dating for four months or so. But already it feels pretty serious. He has this way of looking at me that's not like other boyfriends have done. I tried to explain it to my friend the other day and wasn't doing a very good job, so he said, "You mean like you're the best thing that ever happened to him?" And that's exactly it. 

Which is part of why I'm so terrified of meeting his parents. Because I do not want to mess this up.