My name is...

After seven months of dual identity (Sister B at church and a "Hello, Mrs. Bunnell" when my mother calls, and Emily S at work and on all legal documents, email, etc.), I have officially changed my name, cutting in line to the front of the alphabet. One little trip to the Social Security office and a short, very efficient conversation with the woman behind the window who typed as if in fast-forward, watching my mouth with firm concentration while I spoke, and I am Mrs. Bunnell, legally and lawfully. Although I slyly wrote Emily Bunnell in the margins of my notes a hundred times before I married Mike, I miss my other name, mourn the loss of the fast curve of my "S" and the tall lines of my 'T' "F" and "L"s, miss being called near to the end to spell "xenophobia" or bend over for a scolosis test while, simultaneously, I'm happy to take the name of the man and the new family I love, despite the fact that my "B" has no magic, tragically looking like a pair of sagging bosoms. Mike has already set me to practicing. My little knot of missing S. goes beyond my abysmal penmanship and my spelling-bee trepidation, although I can't name it, can't articulate to what I am saying goodbye, if anything.

We're back...

So, Mike and I are back in Utah. Again. We had a lovely Christmas with my fam (I'm not sure little Jed will ever recover from all the love we gave him) and a lovely New Years with his fam (o sweet warm san diego and Pete's wedding, yeah!), and now we're living in a basement apartment in Lehi (which seems empty without elise and brad who used to live here), adjusting to the cold icy, frigid world and looking for jobs (which sucks, fyi). We don't have internet yet so pictures will be hard to come by for awhile, but once we do, you will be inundated. I promise. Mike is off working an odd job and I've been trying to fill the day, shockingly inept at being by myself, it turns out. So far it's been the Sound of Music (is it still alright to cry during that movie?), a whole box of macaroni and cheese (it's organic...so...it's healthy...or something), a failed attempt at a puzzle (after 45 minutes of turning all of the pieces over, and another 45 minutes to fit two together, I abandoned my quest), a little reading, and a little nappie nap here and there. And only 5 hours to go....

Thanks to all of you who have posted on your blogs. I filled an hour with that too, totally delighted and refreshed by hearing about your lives.