Our hotel for the Florida wedding has a private beach, and they charge $250 to use it as a wedding site.
The original hotel we were going to stay at (yeah, we switched to a nicer hotel that was charging the same rate) didn't have a private beach, so there was no charge to use it.
I'd asked the people at the new hotel if there was any way we could get a lesser fee since we were having a smaller ceremony -- and since the other hotel wasn't going to charge us. I was told that they charged to use the beach because it's private. The total was set.
The hotel was going to work with us on a backup location in case there was rain, which the other hotel couldn't do, so I justified the $250 fee in my mind based on that.
Well, I talked to the hotel wedding person today about some other details and about reserving our beach. I had said nothing to her about the price, so I was really surprised when she told me that since the other hotel wasn't going to charge us -- and since all we were using was the beach (no setup on their part) -- they would bump our price down to $50. She knocked $200 off the price!
In my mind, that means my dress (and then some!) was free! (MLIB logic: If my dress was <$200 and we get $200 knocked off the beach price, then the dress is free.)
With the stress of planning two weddings at once and trying to choose between reception sites, this was the kind of surprise I needed today!
Friday, June 29, 2007
Thursday, June 28, 2007
~~*@*~~!! ThAnG$ I 1-dR bOuT tN@Gr$ !!~~*@*~~
- Do they ever get tired of capitalizing EvErY oThEr LeTtEr? Does it not take them twice as long to do that in emails?
- How many different symbol combinations do they try before they find the perfect one (for that day)?
- Do they really know what all those abbreviations mean?
- Do they spend more time studying online lingo than they do for school so they can translate their own conversations?
- What do they do when all those "pretty" symbols don't fit on one line (see my subject?)? (My hard work is ruined -- I'd never make it as a teenager today!)
TAFN. TTYL!
Since you're so good at helping me with everything else ...
So it seems I can't make decisions by myself. But I'll have you know I've been making some pretty serious, big-time decisions lately. And you've been awesome at helping me with most of them. :)
I'm planning two weddings while my fiance is training cadets at We$t Po!nt. By the time we get to talk on the phone, he's exhausted. I have about 10 to 15 good minutes to find out about his day and throw 50 bajillion questions at him before he starts falling asleep on the phone. I lost him tonight before my current big decision: I really need to decide on a reception site -- pronto.
Since many of you are already married or have spent a lot of time at weddings lately, who better to ask than you? Besides, with your amazing taste and judgment, I know I can trust your opinions. (You totally want to help me now, right? I knew you would. You're just awesome like that.)
Place A
Pros:
- Closer to the airport (which is good for guests)
- $3,000 cheaper
- Takes care of everything -- flowers, decorations, catering
- Is close to downtown Dallas, but farther from where I live
- Has a really pretty front door area for pictures
- We could do our Italian/BBQ reception food idea
- Looks really awesome in pictures -- honestly, it looks better in pictures than in person
- Variety of choices in chair color and linen color, all included in the rental price
Cons:
- Smaller space than Place B
- Has two tiny bathrooms that aren't in great shape (but not bad, really), each with only one toilet
- What if their in-house decorator has tacky taste or ruins my flowers?
- Not in the greatest area of Dallas -- meaning it feels like it could be in a bit safer location, and the area isn't that attractive
- Parking is a little odd at this site. People will have to walk farther than they will at Place B. Parking for Place B is more obvious than at Place A, but Place A has uniformed cops directing traffic through events.
Place B
Pros:
- I really like the person we've worked with so far in checking out the site
- K has seen it and liked it
- Has a separate bridal room where K and I can go before our grand entrance
- Is closer to the suburb where I live, so I know my way around that area better
- Is closer to ER's parents' house, which has been offered to the bridesmaids for the night before the wedding so we can all stay and get ready in the same place
- Is in a nicer area than Place A
- Has large, nice bathrooms
- (This isn't really a pro or a con) More traditional-type space, where Place A is a bit more contemporary
Cons:
- $3,000
- We can't do the Italian/BBQ thing
- We'd still need to find a florist
- Um, $3,000
With both sites, we could bring in our own alcohol, so that's no deciding factor. Place A doesn't need a dance floor because the floor is already dance floor-like, and Place B includes the dance floor in the rental price.
Place B is the one I visited and loved back in April. Everything just went so smoothly. Tonight, when I visited Place A for the first time, I didn't click with the two ladies there in the same way. Since K won't be come to Dallas again until mid-July, I'd planned to take pictures of Place A to send to him. When I pulled up to the site, it was raining. I pulled my camera out of my purse and went to take a picture of the outside area. My camera batteries were dead. I looked in my purse for extras, and I didn't have any. I almost always have extras. I don't even know when I pulled them out of my purse. Was that a sign?
I played with my ink pen as I talked to the owner and her decorator about the site. My pen, which I've carried in my purse and used successfully hundreds of times, kept falling apart because I had twisted it so much it didn't want to stay together.
The woman at Place B had told me the questions I had ready for her were good. She answered them all very well, and she had her own spiel about the site as well (meaning good things to know, not things to try to pressure me to book there). She gave me a handout of questions and answers about the site. Many of my questions were on there.
The owner of Place A looked at me halfway through my list of questions and said, "Where did you get these from?" I gave a sheepish grin and told her they were all recommended in a planning book I had. She laughed at me and asked what I did for a living. They weren't surprised with my answer. When I finished my questions, I asked if they had any other info for me. I had waited for some sort of spiel, but there wasn't one. They had nothing else for me. I could have left that place after 20 minutes, but I stayed longer because I kept waiting for some epiphany to either go with the place and save my $3,000, or go with Place B because it would be totally worth it. There was no epiphany.
I felt more pressure from the people at Place A. They asked me questions about place B a few times: "What did they quote you? Can you bring in your own alcohol there?" At the same time, Place B was one of the first places I went, so the woman there didn't really have a chance to ask me questions like that. Still, though, I don't think she would have.
I tried to be open-minded about Place A and not compare it to Place B, but it was hard. At the same time, though, three thousand dollars ...
So I guess my big question is which is it better to have: $3,000 and a fun, funky menu mix, or more bathrooms, more space and a more convenient location for me and my bridesmaids?
I'm planning two weddings while my fiance is training cadets at We$t Po!nt. By the time we get to talk on the phone, he's exhausted. I have about 10 to 15 good minutes to find out about his day and throw 50 bajillion questions at him before he starts falling asleep on the phone. I lost him tonight before my current big decision: I really need to decide on a reception site -- pronto.
Since many of you are already married or have spent a lot of time at weddings lately, who better to ask than you? Besides, with your amazing taste and judgment, I know I can trust your opinions. (You totally want to help me now, right? I knew you would. You're just awesome like that.)
Place A
Pros:
- Closer to the airport (which is good for guests)
- $3,000 cheaper
- Takes care of everything -- flowers, decorations, catering
- Is close to downtown Dallas, but farther from where I live
- Has a really pretty front door area for pictures
- We could do our Italian/BBQ reception food idea
- Looks really awesome in pictures -- honestly, it looks better in pictures than in person
- Variety of choices in chair color and linen color, all included in the rental price
Cons:
- Smaller space than Place B
- Has two tiny bathrooms that aren't in great shape (but not bad, really), each with only one toilet
- What if their in-house decorator has tacky taste or ruins my flowers?
- Not in the greatest area of Dallas -- meaning it feels like it could be in a bit safer location, and the area isn't that attractive
- Parking is a little odd at this site. People will have to walk farther than they will at Place B. Parking for Place B is more obvious than at Place A, but Place A has uniformed cops directing traffic through events.
Place B
Pros:
- I really like the person we've worked with so far in checking out the site
- K has seen it and liked it
- Has a separate bridal room where K and I can go before our grand entrance
- Is closer to the suburb where I live, so I know my way around that area better
- Is closer to ER's parents' house, which has been offered to the bridesmaids for the night before the wedding so we can all stay and get ready in the same place
- Is in a nicer area than Place A
- Has large, nice bathrooms
- (This isn't really a pro or a con) More traditional-type space, where Place A is a bit more contemporary
Cons:
- $3,000
- We can't do the Italian/BBQ thing
- We'd still need to find a florist
- Um, $3,000
With both sites, we could bring in our own alcohol, so that's no deciding factor. Place A doesn't need a dance floor because the floor is already dance floor-like, and Place B includes the dance floor in the rental price.
Place B is the one I visited and loved back in April. Everything just went so smoothly. Tonight, when I visited Place A for the first time, I didn't click with the two ladies there in the same way. Since K won't be come to Dallas again until mid-July, I'd planned to take pictures of Place A to send to him. When I pulled up to the site, it was raining. I pulled my camera out of my purse and went to take a picture of the outside area. My camera batteries were dead. I looked in my purse for extras, and I didn't have any. I almost always have extras. I don't even know when I pulled them out of my purse. Was that a sign?
I played with my ink pen as I talked to the owner and her decorator about the site. My pen, which I've carried in my purse and used successfully hundreds of times, kept falling apart because I had twisted it so much it didn't want to stay together.
The woman at Place B had told me the questions I had ready for her were good. She answered them all very well, and she had her own spiel about the site as well (meaning good things to know, not things to try to pressure me to book there). She gave me a handout of questions and answers about the site. Many of my questions were on there.
The owner of Place A looked at me halfway through my list of questions and said, "Where did you get these from?" I gave a sheepish grin and told her they were all recommended in a planning book I had. She laughed at me and asked what I did for a living. They weren't surprised with my answer. When I finished my questions, I asked if they had any other info for me. I had waited for some sort of spiel, but there wasn't one. They had nothing else for me. I could have left that place after 20 minutes, but I stayed longer because I kept waiting for some epiphany to either go with the place and save my $3,000, or go with Place B because it would be totally worth it. There was no epiphany.
I felt more pressure from the people at Place A. They asked me questions about place B a few times: "What did they quote you? Can you bring in your own alcohol there?" At the same time, Place B was one of the first places I went, so the woman there didn't really have a chance to ask me questions like that. Still, though, I don't think she would have.
I tried to be open-minded about Place A and not compare it to Place B, but it was hard. At the same time, though, three thousand dollars ...
So I guess my big question is which is it better to have: $3,000 and a fun, funky menu mix, or more bathrooms, more space and a more convenient location for me and my bridesmaids?
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
In case you were wondering
The new Lifetime show Army Wives? Totally sucks, and WAY exaggerated. Whoever writes it clearly knows nothing about the Army.
Glad I could clear the air. :)
Glad I could clear the air. :)
Ya'll are awesome!
Thanks for the kind words after my last post. They really did help.
And today was better overall. My checkup at the oral surgeon's went well. They even trimmed most of the stitches that are still left, so there's less poking into my gums now. I still have headaches and ear aches, but nothing a couple Advils can't handle.
We had a work lunch today, so we all went out to a Mexican restaurant. I ate more food at lunch today than I've had in at least an entire day's time since my surgery. I ate two enchiladas, half of a soft taco, most of my beans and a little of my rice. Yesterday, I only ate a hot pocket, a Jello pudding cup and some Easy Mac. I also ate a little bit of ice cream, but it was light anyway, so it doesn't even count. :)
I now have to squirt water with a little syringe-like thing into the back of my mouth after everything I eat, but it hasn't been bad so far. I actually started feeling more like myself again today -- meaning perkier -- which was nice.
So was the lack of drama in my inbox!
And today was better overall. My checkup at the oral surgeon's went well. They even trimmed most of the stitches that are still left, so there's less poking into my gums now. I still have headaches and ear aches, but nothing a couple Advils can't handle.
We had a work lunch today, so we all went out to a Mexican restaurant. I ate more food at lunch today than I've had in at least an entire day's time since my surgery. I ate two enchiladas, half of a soft taco, most of my beans and a little of my rice. Yesterday, I only ate a hot pocket, a Jello pudding cup and some Easy Mac. I also ate a little bit of ice cream, but it was light anyway, so it doesn't even count. :)
I now have to squirt water with a little syringe-like thing into the back of my mouth after everything I eat, but it hasn't been bad so far. I actually started feeling more like myself again today -- meaning perkier -- which was nice.
So was the lack of drama in my inbox!
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Maybe tomorrow will be better
I go back to my oral surgeon at 8 a.m. tomorrow for a checkup to make sure everything's on track. While this recovery process hasn't been as bad as I thought it would be, it's still annoying and uncomfortable. My temples have been throbbing since Sunday, and my ear hurts, which I know is just the back of my jaw. I'm ready to be able to eat crunchy foods again and to chew with all of my teeth instead of using only the front four. It took me a full hour to eat a hot pocket for lunch today!
I'm also ready for these stitches to be gone from the back of my mouth. They're kind of digging into my gums. They're the dissolving kind, though, so they'll be there for a few more days.
But it could be worse, I guess.
Honestly, the most painful part of the whole thing was having to put the surgery on my credit card. My benefits at work are awesome, but I guess the dental isn't. It only covers $1,000 a year. Since I had my teeth cleaned about a month ago, part of that $1,000 was already gone. That meant I had to pay for the majority of my surgery. I had to put $1,286 on my credit card. That was painful.
While I'm talking about things that have sucked recently, I should mention that my mom did respond to my email about the Florida wedding yesterday. She answered me with questions: Is it definite, and am I sure I want her to go? I told her yes on both. She responded again last night. Her email was long and waaaay off topic from the Florida wedding. She brought up the past. She exaggerated. She tried to make me feel guilty. She accused me of only inviting her so we could get money. She said that's the only reason I ever talk to her, which is pretty humorous. I asked her a few days after K and I got engaged if she and her husband could sit down and figure out how much they could contribute to the wedding. I told her whatever total they gave me would be all that I'd count on -- nothing more, nothing less. My mom told me that she needed to pray about it more. Then, she told me that K and I probably make more money than her, and that she and my dad paid for their whole wedding. She said she didn't know what her role was supposed to be in all this, especially with our relationship being so rocky all the time. She said again that she still needed to pray about it.
So in my reply to my mom, I told her that K and I weren't asking for a penny for anyone on this wedding. I wondered why she thought I'd be asking her for money if she wasn't even going to help us pay for the "real" wedding in Dallas. Other than that, I just gave her the details again. I told her it was up to her and her husband whether they came or not. I didn't address the majority of her email since it had nothing to do with the Florida wedding, which was what I'd emailed her about.
She responded to me today. Her email was long and very unpleasant. I decided the best response would be no response. Anything I said would result in a complete 360 to where we were before I sent her the email about Florida. I went with that plan -- no response.
So imagine my surprise when I checked my email again about two hours later to find another email from my mom. I can't imagine what she'd have said if I had actually responded, because she certainly managed to fuel a fire on her own. To give you a sample of the email, here's the last paragraph:
So I guess that's two people we won't have to worry about getting cake and champagne for in Florida ...
I'm also ready for these stitches to be gone from the back of my mouth. They're kind of digging into my gums. They're the dissolving kind, though, so they'll be there for a few more days.
But it could be worse, I guess.
Honestly, the most painful part of the whole thing was having to put the surgery on my credit card. My benefits at work are awesome, but I guess the dental isn't. It only covers $1,000 a year. Since I had my teeth cleaned about a month ago, part of that $1,000 was already gone. That meant I had to pay for the majority of my surgery. I had to put $1,286 on my credit card. That was painful.
While I'm talking about things that have sucked recently, I should mention that my mom did respond to my email about the Florida wedding yesterday. She answered me with questions: Is it definite, and am I sure I want her to go? I told her yes on both. She responded again last night. Her email was long and waaaay off topic from the Florida wedding. She brought up the past. She exaggerated. She tried to make me feel guilty. She accused me of only inviting her so we could get money. She said that's the only reason I ever talk to her, which is pretty humorous. I asked her a few days after K and I got engaged if she and her husband could sit down and figure out how much they could contribute to the wedding. I told her whatever total they gave me would be all that I'd count on -- nothing more, nothing less. My mom told me that she needed to pray about it more. Then, she told me that K and I probably make more money than her, and that she and my dad paid for their whole wedding. She said she didn't know what her role was supposed to be in all this, especially with our relationship being so rocky all the time. She said again that she still needed to pray about it.
So in my reply to my mom, I told her that K and I weren't asking for a penny for anyone on this wedding. I wondered why she thought I'd be asking her for money if she wasn't even going to help us pay for the "real" wedding in Dallas. Other than that, I just gave her the details again. I told her it was up to her and her husband whether they came or not. I didn't address the majority of her email since it had nothing to do with the Florida wedding, which was what I'd emailed her about.
She responded to me today. Her email was long and very unpleasant. I decided the best response would be no response. Anything I said would result in a complete 360 to where we were before I sent her the email about Florida. I went with that plan -- no response.
So imagine my surprise when I checked my email again about two hours later to find another email from my mom. I can't imagine what she'd have said if I had actually responded, because she certainly managed to fuel a fire on her own. To give you a sample of the email, here's the last paragraph:
I think it's safe to say that we will not be attending. I have no doubt in my mind that I won;t be missed and except for the rather awkward conversations about why I am not there, I also have no doubt that you will find a replacement for me in the ceremony just as you have in every aspect of your day to day life.
So I guess that's two people we won't have to worry about getting cake and champagne for in Florida ...
Monday, June 25, 2007
Pretty lazy lately
The last couple days have been pretty lazy. I got up yesterday morning and went to church with ER. After, we went to lunch with her grandmother and aunt. I was able to find something soft at Macaroni Grill that I could chew with just my front teeth. It was a nice break from potatoes and pudding.
After lunch, I came home and vegged out. I didn't really feel like doing anything, but ER is about to go to Ch!na for a month. She called to see if I wanted to meet her and another friend at the mall, so I went. We were only out for a couple hours, so it wasn't bad. I managed to not spend any money too, which was good.
I wasn't really in pain yesterday, but I was a little uncomfortable. My ears hurt a little bit, and my temples were throbbing. I just wasn't feeling like myself. I didn't feel like talking much, and I just wanted to lie on my couch at home. At the same time, it was good to get out of my apartment for a bit.
I went to bed early last night -- around 10. I woke up at 3 a.m. feeling like I was going to be sick. Luckily, after lying there for a while the feeling went away, but I felt sick again when I woke up to get ready for work this morning. I sat on the floor in my bathroom for a while thinking I'd get sick. I was ready to get it over with so I'd feel better, but on the other hand, I was worried it might mess up my stitches. That wouldn't be good.
I wound up being okay. Once I got to work, I started drinking water and the feeling went away. I went to lunch with a friend of mine who started interning at my work today. I was able to get around my craving for pizza by eating a pizza sandwich. It was almost as good.
I still wasn't feeling quite like myself this morning, but all in all, this hasn't been as bad as I thought it would be. And a few days of discomfort is definitely worth not having to deal with the pain of my wisdom teeth coming in again!
After lunch, I came home and vegged out. I didn't really feel like doing anything, but ER is about to go to Ch!na for a month. She called to see if I wanted to meet her and another friend at the mall, so I went. We were only out for a couple hours, so it wasn't bad. I managed to not spend any money too, which was good.
I wasn't really in pain yesterday, but I was a little uncomfortable. My ears hurt a little bit, and my temples were throbbing. I just wasn't feeling like myself. I didn't feel like talking much, and I just wanted to lie on my couch at home. At the same time, it was good to get out of my apartment for a bit.
I went to bed early last night -- around 10. I woke up at 3 a.m. feeling like I was going to be sick. Luckily, after lying there for a while the feeling went away, but I felt sick again when I woke up to get ready for work this morning. I sat on the floor in my bathroom for a while thinking I'd get sick. I was ready to get it over with so I'd feel better, but on the other hand, I was worried it might mess up my stitches. That wouldn't be good.
I wound up being okay. Once I got to work, I started drinking water and the feeling went away. I went to lunch with a friend of mine who started interning at my work today. I was able to get around my craving for pizza by eating a pizza sandwich. It was almost as good.
I still wasn't feeling quite like myself this morning, but all in all, this hasn't been as bad as I thought it would be. And a few days of discomfort is definitely worth not having to deal with the pain of my wisdom teeth coming in again!
Saturday, June 23, 2007
I'm pretty much the toughest girl ever
My wisdom tooth surgery was today, and (knock on wood!) I feel totally fine! I really don't feel like I had surgery at all. My jaw has felt so cramped for so long that it really feels better today than it has in a long time -- not to mention the fact it's been pretty much constantly swollen anyway. I heard the nurses talking about how swollen my gums were around one of my teeth this morning when they were looking at my x-rays.
ER drove me to the appointment, and she was the best nurse ever. Her boyfriend stopped by my apartment to drop off some lunch for her, and when he walked in, he said, "Wow! You look really good!"
I had no makeup on, and my hair was in a messy ponytail. I had one of those ice pack things wrapped around my head. "Liar!" I said.
"No, I'm serious! When I had my wisdom teeth taken out, I was swollen and puffy, and completely out of it. ... Do you remember the drive home?"
I told him I did. And then I thought about it. "Actually, no. I don't!"
ER told me that just before they put me in the car, the nurses told me I couldn't have Coke for three days. She said I got a really sad look on my face and said, "Really? No Coke? Three days?"
She said I asked her like five times on the way home, "Are you sure I can't have Coke?"
When we got home, I just crashed. ER woke me up to take my medicine, and I crashed again. I had to wake up 45 minutes later to take a different kind of medicine, so I stayed up and talked to ER all day. We watched some of season one of Sex and the City and talked about her sister's wedding. We looked at the pictures from it, and we talked about my wedding(s). I showed her my wedding dress, and she loved it. It was really cool to just sit around with her all day and hang out. We hadn't done that in a while.
I'm hoping tomorrow goes as smoothly (and painlessly!) as today. I'm sticking very strictly to the rules, so maybe that's the trick.
In other news, I talked to K today, and we booked a minister for our ceremony. I'm really excited. I had really liked her (yes, it's a woman) when I spoke to her earlier this week, and since it's not just my wedding, I wanted K to have a chance to talk to her too. He liked her as well. Yay!
And the best part about today (even better than hanging out with ER all day and eating Oreo-flavored pudding -- YUM!):
THREE MONTHS FROM TODAY I'M GETTING MARRIED!
ER drove me to the appointment, and she was the best nurse ever. Her boyfriend stopped by my apartment to drop off some lunch for her, and when he walked in, he said, "Wow! You look really good!"
I had no makeup on, and my hair was in a messy ponytail. I had one of those ice pack things wrapped around my head. "Liar!" I said.
"No, I'm serious! When I had my wisdom teeth taken out, I was swollen and puffy, and completely out of it. ... Do you remember the drive home?"
I told him I did. And then I thought about it. "Actually, no. I don't!"
ER told me that just before they put me in the car, the nurses told me I couldn't have Coke for three days. She said I got a really sad look on my face and said, "Really? No Coke? Three days?"
She said I asked her like five times on the way home, "Are you sure I can't have Coke?"
When we got home, I just crashed. ER woke me up to take my medicine, and I crashed again. I had to wake up 45 minutes later to take a different kind of medicine, so I stayed up and talked to ER all day. We watched some of season one of Sex and the City and talked about her sister's wedding. We looked at the pictures from it, and we talked about my wedding(s). I showed her my wedding dress, and she loved it. It was really cool to just sit around with her all day and hang out. We hadn't done that in a while.
I'm hoping tomorrow goes as smoothly (and painlessly!) as today. I'm sticking very strictly to the rules, so maybe that's the trick.
In other news, I talked to K today, and we booked a minister for our ceremony. I'm really excited. I had really liked her (yes, it's a woman) when I spoke to her earlier this week, and since it's not just my wedding, I wanted K to have a chance to talk to her too. He liked her as well. Yay!
And the best part about today (even better than hanging out with ER all day and eating Oreo-flavored pudding -- YUM!):
THREE MONTHS FROM TODAY I'M GETTING MARRIED!
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Blurbs
- My mom still hasn't answered my email about the Florida wedding.
- I talked to my high school boyfriend's mom, who I still keep in touch with, and she is coming to the Florida wedding. In fact, she flies into Dallas from two weeks in Europe the day before the Florida wedding. Instead of leaving the airport to head home, she's hopping on another plane to Florida!
- My wisdom tooth surgery is tomorrow. I'm so ready to have them out! Especially since the gums around my bottom left wisdom tooth have been swollen all week.
- The best part? I get to lay around tomorrow and take naps, and I get to watch movies all day with ER, who is driving me to my surgery. And I get to eat ice cream and Jello all day -- doctor's orders!
You know you're extremely OCD when ...
I was working on something at my desk when my (married) cubemate turned around to me and said, "I have a quote. It's good enough to interrupt you."
I turned to her as she read aloud from the paper she was reading: "Forget love. I'd rather fall in chocolate."
I was quiet.
"I like that," she said.
Feeling like she was wanting my opinion on the quote, I said, "Well, at least love can help you burn calories, and chocolate only adds them. Plus, chocolate would be really hard to wash off."
She laughed at me.
I turned to her as she read aloud from the paper she was reading: "Forget love. I'd rather fall in chocolate."
I was quiet.
"I like that," she said.
Feeling like she was wanting my opinion on the quote, I said, "Well, at least love can help you burn calories, and chocolate only adds them. Plus, chocolate would be really hard to wash off."
She laughed at me.
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Woohoo!!!
I just booked K and I a honeymoon suite in Florida! It's got a Jacuzzi overlooking the ocean. As we sit relaxing in it, we can watch the sun set over the ocean!
I'm freakin' excited!
I'm freakin' excited!
Definitely took notes at this one!
Friday night, Danielle, her fiance and another friend got to Dallas. We went out and met up with ER and her sister's wedding party for some bowling and silly games. It was a good time. I love getting to hang out and act like a goofy kid with all my friends. Especially when there are $1 Jello shots involved!
It was cool too because we don't all get to meet up together like that very often. ER's sister, Danielle and I were sitting and talking about how great it is that we're all in such good places in our lives. We were there for ER's sister's wedding. Danielle is engaged. I'm planning my wedding(s!), and ER is in a great relationship with a guy who treats her very well. We're all doing great, and we're all really happy. Talking about that together made me realize how lucky we all are to be in such wonderful places, but especially to be able to all share that at the same time.
I already blogged about my fun find with Danielle the morning of the wedding. As for the wedding itself, it was awesome.
ER's sister's wedding was perfect for her and her new husband. Everything they did fit them to a T. The ceremony was a Lutheran ceremony, which lasted just about an hour. I hadn't expected that. It was pretty, though, and ER and her sister both looked gorgeous.
The reception was a blast from start to finish. The grand entrance was definitely grand! There was a cocktail hour and hors d'oeuvres in the foyer between the ballrooms of the hotel. Crimson & cream pompoms were passed out to all the guests as we waited for the wedding party to arrive.
Suddenly, the DJ called us all over to this grand staircase. He began playing AC/DC's "Thunderstruck" (I totally wanted that to play for my wedding party's entrance. And that song has been my ringtone for a year now, just so you know. Plus, K says it's used in a lot of Army slideshows, which makes it kind of all the more fitting for us.), which got some laughter from the guests. Each member of the wedding party, including the ushers, ran one at a time down the staircase, with the DJ giving a fun little introduction and silly facts for each person. When ER's sister and her new husband made their entrance, the song switched over to a recording of the Pr!de playing "Oklahoma." It was like a mini pep rally!
Then, there was a receiving line into the ballroom, where the party began. Everything was very well organized, and each table was named after one of the islands the newlyweds will visit on their honeymoon cruise. To prevent waiting in line forever at the buffet, the DJ called our tables by name in groups of four. Each table would scream in excitement when their name was called for the buffet. What is usually a frustrating experience was made fun through that little idea!
It was cool too because we don't all get to meet up together like that very often. ER's sister, Danielle and I were sitting and talking about how great it is that we're all in such good places in our lives. We were there for ER's sister's wedding. Danielle is engaged. I'm planning my wedding(s!), and ER is in a great relationship with a guy who treats her very well. We're all doing great, and we're all really happy. Talking about that together made me realize how lucky we all are to be in such wonderful places, but especially to be able to all share that at the same time.
I already blogged about my fun find with Danielle the morning of the wedding. As for the wedding itself, it was awesome.
ER's sister's wedding was perfect for her and her new husband. Everything they did fit them to a T. The ceremony was a Lutheran ceremony, which lasted just about an hour. I hadn't expected that. It was pretty, though, and ER and her sister both looked gorgeous.
The reception was a blast from start to finish. The grand entrance was definitely grand! There was a cocktail hour and hors d'oeuvres in the foyer between the ballrooms of the hotel. Crimson & cream pompoms were passed out to all the guests as we waited for the wedding party to arrive.
Suddenly, the DJ called us all over to this grand staircase. He began playing AC/DC's "Thunderstruck" (I totally wanted that to play for my wedding party's entrance. And that song has been my ringtone for a year now, just so you know. Plus, K says it's used in a lot of Army slideshows, which makes it kind of all the more fitting for us.), which got some laughter from the guests. Each member of the wedding party, including the ushers, ran one at a time down the staircase, with the DJ giving a fun little introduction and silly facts for each person. When ER's sister and her new husband made their entrance, the song switched over to a recording of the Pr!de playing "Oklahoma." It was like a mini pep rally!
Then, there was a receiving line into the ballroom, where the party began. Everything was very well organized, and each table was named after one of the islands the newlyweds will visit on their honeymoon cruise. To prevent waiting in line forever at the buffet, the DJ called our tables by name in groups of four. Each table would scream in excitement when their name was called for the buffet. What is usually a frustrating experience was made fun through that little idea!
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Please pray for me ...
I just sent my mom the details of our Florida wedding. I still haven't talked to her since our last fight. She probably knows about the Florida thing, since my stepsister asked how planning was going and I told her we were planning a small ceremony on a beach in Florida. I couldn't not tell my mom about my wedding.
I just sent her basic info, and I told her there would be about 30 people there -- including Dad and his girlfriend. We'll see what my mom says about it. If she talks about going, I'll tell her she has to be okay with the fact that Dad and his gf will be there. That'll be a fun conversation.
Anyway, I'm sure this will be an interesting development. At least I'll have a good excuse to not talk to her on Friday!
I just sent her basic info, and I told her there would be about 30 people there -- including Dad and his girlfriend. We'll see what my mom says about it. If she talks about going, I'll tell her she has to be okay with the fact that Dad and his gf will be there. That'll be a fun conversation.
Anyway, I'm sure this will be an interesting development. At least I'll have a good excuse to not talk to her on Friday!
Since you did such a good job with the voting for the dress ...
My wisdom teeth have been coming in for quite a while now. I've mentioned the pain they've caused in my blogs a few times.
Well, my lovely (not quite so new now) new job brought a fabulous thing into my life: dental insurance. This Friday, I'm having all four of those annoying little suckers removed from my mouth. I'll be relieved to have them out, but it'll be a crazy experience for a few days.
I'm guessing many (if not most) of you have had yours removed. Any advice?
(Please save all horror stories for after June 22.)
Well, my lovely (not quite so new now) new job brought a fabulous thing into my life: dental insurance. This Friday, I'm having all four of those annoying little suckers removed from my mouth. I'll be relieved to have them out, but it'll be a crazy experience for a few days.
I'm guessing many (if not most) of you have had yours removed. Any advice?
(Please save all horror stories for after June 22.)
The bachelorette party
It's late, and I'm tired, so I'll save blogging about ER's sister's wedding for tomorrow. I'll leave you tonight, though, with fun photos from the bachelorette party last Thursday!
ER and I kind of planned the party together. Her sister had wanted it to be a fun night where we all dressed up to get together. I knew exactly what I was going to wear. I felt a little overdressed when I arrived and found ER in jeans, heels and a nice shirt. Oops!
We started the night with dinner and some drinks. There were a lot of girls there -- even the bride's mom and now mother-in-law. Her br!desm@n was there too.
ER and I had gone earlier in the week and bought silly, fun gifts for her sister to wear and use, and leis for everyone else. We brought all of it out as soon as we sat down at our table.
After dinner, we went to a piano bar, which was a total blast. It's a great place to go for a bachelorette party, since the whole atmosphere is so laid-back and silly. It fit ER's sister well. She had such a blast with the night that one of the pianists really took to her.
He called her up on stage, and he actually got two guys to go up and serenade her with "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'." As you can tell, she totally didn't enjoy it (rriiiiiiiiiight).
We all belted out songs and had a great time.
ER's sister even got called up one another time toward the end of the night to play along with "Head, Shoulders, Knees and ..." (the piano bar version didn't exactly always mention toes. Or heads ... or shoulders.)
The night was really awesome, silly and fun. The bride had a blast, even though she managed to get sick from eating too quickly at dinner.
As it neared 1 a.m., we were all exhausted from laughing so hard, taking silly pictures and singing at the top of our lungs. We called it a night, even more excited for the wedding that weekend. You've gotta love a great bachelorette party!
ER and I kind of planned the party together. Her sister had wanted it to be a fun night where we all dressed up to get together. I knew exactly what I was going to wear. I felt a little overdressed when I arrived and found ER in jeans, heels and a nice shirt. Oops!
We started the night with dinner and some drinks. There were a lot of girls there -- even the bride's mom and now mother-in-law. Her br!desm@n was there too.
ER and I had gone earlier in the week and bought silly, fun gifts for her sister to wear and use, and leis for everyone else. We brought all of it out as soon as we sat down at our table.
After dinner, we went to a piano bar, which was a total blast. It's a great place to go for a bachelorette party, since the whole atmosphere is so laid-back and silly. It fit ER's sister well. She had such a blast with the night that one of the pianists really took to her.
He called her up on stage, and he actually got two guys to go up and serenade her with "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'." As you can tell, she totally didn't enjoy it (rriiiiiiiiiight).
We all belted out songs and had a great time.
ER's sister even got called up one another time toward the end of the night to play along with "Head, Shoulders, Knees and ..." (the piano bar version didn't exactly always mention toes. Or heads ... or shoulders.)
The night was really awesome, silly and fun. The bride had a blast, even though she managed to get sick from eating too quickly at dinner.
As it neared 1 a.m., we were all exhausted from laughing so hard, taking silly pictures and singing at the top of our lungs. We called it a night, even more excited for the wedding that weekend. You've gotta love a great bachelorette party!
Sunday, June 17, 2007
The awesomeness of Oklahoma
G@ry Eng!and is a very well-known meteorologist in Oklahoma. He's like a legend. There's even a G@ry En!and drinking game in Oklahoma. I haven't seen this commercial, but knowing very well who he is and having grown up in Oklahoma, I can appreciate it very much.
The search is over!
This weekend was ER's sister's wedding. Danielle, her fiance and another friend were supposed to come into town Saturday afternoon just a bit before the wedding and stay Saturday night with me. I had plans to be productive Friday night and Saturday morning. I was going to go dress shopping for my Florida dress to make sure the perfect one wasn't waiting for me in a store before I went through the torture of ordering online again.
Danielle called me Thursday night to tell me they'd decided to come Friday night instead so they could sleep in Saturday morning. That meant all my plans of being productive would be put off. I couldn't exactly leave them all here while I went to the gym and ran errands.
Saturday morning, the guys wanted to go to the electronics store, so Danielle and I took that time to go to the mall. I returned my let-down dress to Macy's. While we were there, Danielle and I looked at the white dresses in the store. We found a couple of nice ones, but they either weren't what we were looking for, or they didn't have my size. We did manage to find a decent dress in the juniors department. It fit well, and it was only $54. I wondered if I should go ahead and buy it just in case. It would definitely work for the wedding, but it just wasn't quite bridal, and something about buying a wedding dress for $54 in the Macy's juniors department wasn't quite what I had in mind.
We checked other stores -- JCPenney, The Limited, even Forever XXI. We had been to every store I thought might have a nice white dress, and then some. We headed toward Dillards. It was the last store left. We walked right into the special occasion dress area. There were a couple of white dresses that were really nice. One wasn't in my size, but they did have it one size larger. I figured I could try it on and get a basic idea, and if I liked it, I could find it at another store.
When a Dillards women's department lady asked me for the second time if I was ready to try the dresses on, I let her take them from me, and Danielle and I followed her to the dressing room. There was a rack of red dresses hanging just to the right of the door. At the back, behind all that red, was a bit of white peeking out. I pulled the dresses forward to make sure I hadn't missed a good white dress. I was glad to see that the dress was just like the one I was going to try even that was one size too big. This dress, though, was in my size.
I told Danielle what I'd found, and then I looked at the top of the hanger to see there was a piece of paper on it. "Oh no!" I said. "It's on hold!"
"No it's not," the Dillards associate said to me.
Another women's department came up behind her. "This dress is on hold," she said. "It's my hold."
The women proceeded to argue heatedly about it. "For three days this dress has been here. She's not coming for it," the first woman said. She ripped the paper from the hanger and wadded it up while the second associate still protested. The first one thrust the dress at me. "Try it on. It's not on hold."
The second woman's gaze followed the dress into my hands, and I could tell she wasn't going to let the argument go. It was awkward for Danielle and me, and I felt somehow in the middle now that I was the one holding the dress.
"Tell you what," I said. "I'm just going to try this dress on since it's the right size. I won't buy it. If I like it, I'll order it." I smiled at the woman to try to reassure her, and the women left us, still arguing about the hold.
As I was undressing and getting ready to put the dress on, the first associate came back into the dressing room. "The dress is not on hold. There was a misunderstanding. She didn't realize it had been on hold so long. We called and took care of it. It's not on hold anymore." She apologized for what had happened in front of us. Danielle and I told her it was fine, eager to end the awkwardness.
I stepped into the dress and started to zip it up. "This might be it!" I thought to myself. I slipped my head through the braided strap and tied it in the back. It was perfect.
"Danielle, I think I'm going to buy this dress!" I said as I came out of the dressing room. She looked at me and gasped, and her jaw dropped. "Oh my gosh that's it!" she said. "You've even got that bridal glow!"
Just to be sure, I tried on the other dress. It was no comparison. I told Danielle I needed to put on the first dress one more time. As I stood in front of the mirror in the dress, I knew I was going to get it. I heard Josh Groban playing over the speakers in the store. I love Josh Groban, so I took it as one more sign that it was the perfect dress.
As if that wasn't enough, the first sales associate came into the dressing rooms with another shopper. They both stopped and gasped as they looked at me. "You're so tiny!" the shopper exclaimed. "And you must work out -- your arms are so toned!"
Needless to say, I bought the dress! Just as Danielle and I were walking away from the register, the second Dillards associate went up to the register. "Did she buy it?" she asked. The first associate broke the news. I smiled nervously, and Danielle and I picked up our pace out of the store.
I thought it was perfect that Danielle was the one with me when I found it, since she was there with me when K proposed! (I just had to throw it on quickly to get pictures, since we were running late on getting ready for ER's sister's wedding. It looks much better in person, and the braid down the back will be straight when I don't throw it on so quickly. Trust me on that. I was kind of disappointed when I saw the full-length picture, but the dress looks totally gorgeous in person.)
Danielle called me Thursday night to tell me they'd decided to come Friday night instead so they could sleep in Saturday morning. That meant all my plans of being productive would be put off. I couldn't exactly leave them all here while I went to the gym and ran errands.
Saturday morning, the guys wanted to go to the electronics store, so Danielle and I took that time to go to the mall. I returned my let-down dress to Macy's. While we were there, Danielle and I looked at the white dresses in the store. We found a couple of nice ones, but they either weren't what we were looking for, or they didn't have my size. We did manage to find a decent dress in the juniors department. It fit well, and it was only $54. I wondered if I should go ahead and buy it just in case. It would definitely work for the wedding, but it just wasn't quite bridal, and something about buying a wedding dress for $54 in the Macy's juniors department wasn't quite what I had in mind.
We checked other stores -- JCPenney, The Limited, even Forever XXI. We had been to every store I thought might have a nice white dress, and then some. We headed toward Dillards. It was the last store left. We walked right into the special occasion dress area. There were a couple of white dresses that were really nice. One wasn't in my size, but they did have it one size larger. I figured I could try it on and get a basic idea, and if I liked it, I could find it at another store.
When a Dillards women's department lady asked me for the second time if I was ready to try the dresses on, I let her take them from me, and Danielle and I followed her to the dressing room. There was a rack of red dresses hanging just to the right of the door. At the back, behind all that red, was a bit of white peeking out. I pulled the dresses forward to make sure I hadn't missed a good white dress. I was glad to see that the dress was just like the one I was going to try even that was one size too big. This dress, though, was in my size.
I told Danielle what I'd found, and then I looked at the top of the hanger to see there was a piece of paper on it. "Oh no!" I said. "It's on hold!"
"No it's not," the Dillards associate said to me.
Another women's department came up behind her. "This dress is on hold," she said. "It's my hold."
The women proceeded to argue heatedly about it. "For three days this dress has been here. She's not coming for it," the first woman said. She ripped the paper from the hanger and wadded it up while the second associate still protested. The first one thrust the dress at me. "Try it on. It's not on hold."
The second woman's gaze followed the dress into my hands, and I could tell she wasn't going to let the argument go. It was awkward for Danielle and me, and I felt somehow in the middle now that I was the one holding the dress.
"Tell you what," I said. "I'm just going to try this dress on since it's the right size. I won't buy it. If I like it, I'll order it." I smiled at the woman to try to reassure her, and the women left us, still arguing about the hold.
As I was undressing and getting ready to put the dress on, the first associate came back into the dressing room. "The dress is not on hold. There was a misunderstanding. She didn't realize it had been on hold so long. We called and took care of it. It's not on hold anymore." She apologized for what had happened in front of us. Danielle and I told her it was fine, eager to end the awkwardness.
I stepped into the dress and started to zip it up. "This might be it!" I thought to myself. I slipped my head through the braided strap and tied it in the back. It was perfect.
"Danielle, I think I'm going to buy this dress!" I said as I came out of the dressing room. She looked at me and gasped, and her jaw dropped. "Oh my gosh that's it!" she said. "You've even got that bridal glow!"
Just to be sure, I tried on the other dress. It was no comparison. I told Danielle I needed to put on the first dress one more time. As I stood in front of the mirror in the dress, I knew I was going to get it. I heard Josh Groban playing over the speakers in the store. I love Josh Groban, so I took it as one more sign that it was the perfect dress.
As if that wasn't enough, the first sales associate came into the dressing rooms with another shopper. They both stopped and gasped as they looked at me. "You're so tiny!" the shopper exclaimed. "And you must work out -- your arms are so toned!"
Needless to say, I bought the dress! Just as Danielle and I were walking away from the register, the second Dillards associate went up to the register. "Did she buy it?" she asked. The first associate broke the news. I smiled nervously, and Danielle and I picked up our pace out of the store.
I thought it was perfect that Danielle was the one with me when I found it, since she was there with me when K proposed! (I just had to throw it on quickly to get pictures, since we were running late on getting ready for ER's sister's wedding. It looks much better in person, and the braid down the back will be straight when I don't throw it on so quickly. Trust me on that. I was kind of disappointed when I saw the full-length picture, but the dress looks totally gorgeous in person.)
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Let's have a vote!
I've found three dresses now that I like, but I have some concerns about each. I've asked a few of my friends for their opinions, and it didn't seem right to not include a vote on my blog. :)
Dress 1:
Dress 2:
Dress 3:
Concerns
Dress 1:
Dress 2:
Dress 3:
Concerns
- Dress 1 is more formal than what I'd imagined. That's not necessarily a bad thing, though -- unless it's too formal for a rehearsal dinner at the Dallas wedding. Where we'll likely serve barbecue. I could get it altered to shorten the length a bit, which would help, but there's the whole semi-train, tuft thing growing out of the back, which I'm also not a huge fan of, but maybe it's not bad.
- Dress 1 also doesn't allow for a bra, which means I'll have to get those individual cup bra ... things, which might be uncomfortable or hard to get right. Something to consider.
- I really like Dress 2, but I'm worried about possible wind, being on a beach and all. I also wish the dress was a little closer to white than the champagne color it is, but that's just a preference, not a deal-breaker. Is it too sexy for a wedding dress, though?
- Dress 2 is a lot like the original dress I ordered, but I think the lack of the giant band across the waist will make a huge difference. The huge band on the dress I ordered before meant the dress couldn't form to my body, which meant it just hung there and made me look even more shapeless. The cinch in this one will add the illusion of curves, and it'll help the dress to lay better on me. Silk, though, can show everything. Hopefully, with my time in the gym, that won't be a problem. It's also got a polyester lining, so it'll be more forgiving than if it were just silk. Besides, I love wearing soft fabrics like silk!
- Dress 3 is adorable and would be great for a rehearsal dinner, but it's a bit more casual than what I'd pictured for the Florida dress. It's $250, but it'll last, and I'll be able to wear it at more places than the first two.
Who knows -- maybe none of these three are The Dress. But it's fun to vote anyway, right?
Hope is not lost
Thanks for the comments after my disappointment about the dress. I was really sad when it didn't fit! I had been so anxious and, honestly, a little nervous about it all day, so I didn't realize how much I wanted it to work.
What I loved about the dress was that it was soft, light and flowy, which is what I want my dress to be for the Florida wedding. What I really loved about the dress is that it was $109 (On sale today for $55, which means the shipping would've been way cheaper if I'd ordered it today, but whatever. That's my luck with this dress.).
Since I only want to spend $500 at the most on my dress for our "real" wedding in Dallas, I want this one to be somewhere around $100 -- $150 at the most, if possible. Thanks to Jes's suggestion, I checked out J.Crew, where I found another gorgeous dress ... for $250. I won't be buying the dress, since it's a little more than I want to pay, but it has renewed my faith in the search for the dress. And at least I know if the dress hanging in my closet didn't work, there's definitely a better one out there!
******************
UPDATE!!!
Okay, so I just found this other totally perfect (and pretty similar to the first one) dress, and it's only $100. Yay! This one is also only online (what's up with that?!). I very well may order this dress tonight.
What I loved about the dress was that it was soft, light and flowy, which is what I want my dress to be for the Florida wedding. What I really loved about the dress is that it was $109 (On sale today for $55, which means the shipping would've been way cheaper if I'd ordered it today, but whatever. That's my luck with this dress.).
Since I only want to spend $500 at the most on my dress for our "real" wedding in Dallas, I want this one to be somewhere around $100 -- $150 at the most, if possible. Thanks to Jes's suggestion, I checked out J.Crew, where I found another gorgeous dress ... for $250. I won't be buying the dress, since it's a little more than I want to pay, but it has renewed my faith in the search for the dress. And at least I know if the dress hanging in my closet didn't work, there's definitely a better one out there!
******************
UPDATE!!!
Okay, so I just found this other totally perfect (and pretty similar to the first one) dress, and it's only $100. Yay! This one is also only online (what's up with that?!). I very well may order this dress tonight.
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
*Sigh ... the search continues
I left work tonight and immediately met ER at P@rty C!ty to get some things for her sister's bachelorette party this Thursday night. I was starving and anxious to try on my dress, so I was pleased the trip took less than 10 minutes -- maybe even less than five. I hadn't expected that.
We came back to my apartment to have dinner and watch TV. I tried on the dress.
It wasn't good.
The problem is, I don't really have curves. This dress does nothing to hide that. It doesn't look bad, necessarily, but it doesn't look good. It does this weird bunching-up thing under my left arm where the dress zips. And the dress itself just kind of ... hangs there. Which isn't good for a wedding dress. Even if it's just the smaller ceremony, I still need a wedding dress.
A bride is supposed to look spectacular on her wedding day. For that to happen, she has to feel gorgeous. I didn't feel gorgeous in that dress. I felt disappointed. I told ER, "Well, it makes sense, I guess. It's not like you expect the first wedding dress you try on to be the one."
Since ER and I ate dinner later than I usually do, that meant I wouldn't have time to let my food settle and still make it to the gym. I was ready for ER to leave so I could just lay around and relax -- maybe get to bed early.
Once she left, though, I just felt lonely and sad. I wanted the dress to work. And I want to talk to K, but he's at We$t Po!nt in meetings. It's hitting me that I have over a month before I get to see him again, and that's adding to my crappy feeling.
At least with all the free time I'll have on the weekends, I'll have plenty of time to keep searching for my Florida dress.
We came back to my apartment to have dinner and watch TV. I tried on the dress.
It wasn't good.
The problem is, I don't really have curves. This dress does nothing to hide that. It doesn't look bad, necessarily, but it doesn't look good. It does this weird bunching-up thing under my left arm where the dress zips. And the dress itself just kind of ... hangs there. Which isn't good for a wedding dress. Even if it's just the smaller ceremony, I still need a wedding dress.
A bride is supposed to look spectacular on her wedding day. For that to happen, she has to feel gorgeous. I didn't feel gorgeous in that dress. I felt disappointed. I told ER, "Well, it makes sense, I guess. It's not like you expect the first wedding dress you try on to be the one."
Since ER and I ate dinner later than I usually do, that meant I wouldn't have time to let my food settle and still make it to the gym. I was ready for ER to leave so I could just lay around and relax -- maybe get to bed early.
Once she left, though, I just felt lonely and sad. I wanted the dress to work. And I want to talk to K, but he's at We$t Po!nt in meetings. It's hitting me that I have over a month before I get to see him again, and that's adding to my crappy feeling.
At least with all the free time I'll have on the weekends, I'll have plenty of time to keep searching for my Florida dress.
Who would have thought a piece of fabric could make me feel so anxious?
This morning, I was innocently going about my business, preparing for a day's work when I got an email: "You have ups in the mail room."
Oh, God. I know what that is. I tried to play it cool as I considered my options. I knew if I went to get it immediately, I'd want to try it on. It would taunt me all day. But I couldn't just leave it in the mailroom either. I had to get it.
I prepared some things I needed to send out to take to the mailroom with me. When I got to the room, I looked through the boxes and boxes for my coworkers until I found a long, slender box with my name on the label.
I carried the box downstairs and showed it to my coworker, who promptly said, "Open it!" She handed me some scissors, so I sliced through the brown box tape and opened the end of it. I could see the ivory taffeta just waiting patiently inside the box.
I pulled the dress out. It looked a bit different than it did in the picture, but I'm sure it just needs to spend some time not stuffed inside a long slender box. "Ooo, it's so pretty!" my coworker said.
I wanted to try the dress on, but at the same time, I'm scared. That's the dress I might get married in. In September. What if it doesn't look good? What if it's the wrong size? What if it makes me look like a flat-chested boy?
Besides, where am I going to try it on at work? In the bathroom? I can't try on my possible wedding dress in the bathroom!!!
I'm going to have to wait until I get home to try it on.
So now, my dress is behind me in my cubicle, hanging slyly yet somehow innocently at the same time. Man, is this going to be a long day.
Oh, God. I know what that is. I tried to play it cool as I considered my options. I knew if I went to get it immediately, I'd want to try it on. It would taunt me all day. But I couldn't just leave it in the mailroom either. I had to get it.
I prepared some things I needed to send out to take to the mailroom with me. When I got to the room, I looked through the boxes and boxes for my coworkers until I found a long, slender box with my name on the label.
I carried the box downstairs and showed it to my coworker, who promptly said, "Open it!" She handed me some scissors, so I sliced through the brown box tape and opened the end of it. I could see the ivory taffeta just waiting patiently inside the box.
I pulled the dress out. It looked a bit different than it did in the picture, but I'm sure it just needs to spend some time not stuffed inside a long slender box. "Ooo, it's so pretty!" my coworker said.
I wanted to try the dress on, but at the same time, I'm scared. That's the dress I might get married in. In September. What if it doesn't look good? What if it's the wrong size? What if it makes me look like a flat-chested boy?
Besides, where am I going to try it on at work? In the bathroom? I can't try on my possible wedding dress in the bathroom!!!
I'm going to have to wait until I get home to try it on.
So now, my dress is behind me in my cubicle, hanging slyly yet somehow innocently at the same time. Man, is this going to be a long day.
Monday, June 11, 2007
Norman never disappoints
The wedding weekend was pretty much everything I'd hoped it would be. K and I stopped off to see my dad on the way up, and I gave him his Father's Day gift -- a tennis racket, tennis balls and tennis lessons. My brother and I also got a racket for Dad's girlfriend, thinking if Dad had a partner to play against, he'd be more likely to use his gift and enjoy doing it. He liked his present. Hopefully he uses it. It'll be good for him.
K and I enjoyed some barbecue with my dad, his girlfriend and my grandparents before finishing our trek to Norman.
The wedding was at the church I went to with ER in college. I knew if K and I got married in Norman, it would probably be at that church. It's a gorgeous church. It's full of dark wood and pretty stained glass windows on either side that let in some great light. The exterior of the church is beautiful. I had forgotten one thing, though: It had no center aisle. In fact, the two aisles it did have were pretty thin. My feelings that Norman would be the perfect wedding place lessened a little after realizing that, which is actually good -- it means we can move forward with the Dallas wedding plans without visions of a perfect wedding in Norman popping up in my head the whole time.
My friends' wedding was beautiful. Several of my college friends played a part in the ceremony, so it was like a little mini-reunion. The bride looked beautiful. She held together through the ceremony and didn't really cry. I figured she'd bawl.
The reception was a blast. I sat with ER and her family. K and ER's dad bonded quite a bit talking about boy stuff. That was cool to see, since ER's family refers to me as their adopted Oklahoma daughter.
I wasn't disappointed about the events of the reception. We girls sang our horrible (we all hate i!) sorority song and got to hear the guys sing their awesome (so much better than ours!) fraternity song. I was really glad K got to experience that. He actually said it was cool.
I enjoyed catching up with so many people I hadn't seen in years, and it was great for K to get a chance to meet some of them too. There was a dance floor, but it was way too hot in that area. I heard a few people saying the air conditioner had broken, but I wasn't sure if that was true. Lucky for us, we were all sitting in an area where it was somehow cooler and there was room for us to dance on our own. ER's parents took a ballroom dance class a few years ago, so they were pulling us all out one by one and showing us how to Salsa, do the Romba and the Samba and others. It was neat to see them dancing together, too. They're really good!
The reception was over way too quickly at 11, so we all headed out to a bar to hang out some more. The bar was one we went to often in college, known for its frozen Sangria swirls, so we enjoyed those and a couple shots. We had a blast.
Everyone was telling me how great K was and how much they liked him. It dawned on me a few weeks ago that K is the Loud Guy. Wherever we go, he's the one people notice because he tends to get a little louder than everyone else. Before K, the Loud Guy was the fun guy to hang out with, but I knew I could never date a Loud Guy -- I'd be humiliated. Well, with K, it's endearing. He just has a good time, and we have fun together. I'm no quiet girl myself, since I can talk to almost anyone, but my volume level just doesn't go as high as K's. It couldn't if I wanted it to. At least K doesn't go overboard, though. Everyone just laughs about it.
What's funny is ER's dad said, "You know what, K? It's okay to be the Loud Guy. I'm the Loud Guy. All it means is you get more stuff than everyone else, or you get served first because they want you to shut up or they wanna get you out of there. Being the Loud Guy has its perks." We laughed at that, and ER, her mom and sister gave nods that said he wasn't kidding.
Sunday, K and I got up early, ate lunch and headed back to Dallas. We relaxed around my apartment doing laundry and watching Rocky before K headed back to Louisiana. He's headed up to We$t Po!nt this week to train some cadets, and he won't be finished until July 4. He'll just head down to PA to see his family. That means I won't get to see him until I make it up there sometime around the weekend of July 13. It sucks we won't get to see each other for so long, but at least we had such a fun weekend before he left.
Even the Loud Guy needs his sleep! (K was so exhausted he started falling asleep at the bar.)
K and I enjoyed some barbecue with my dad, his girlfriend and my grandparents before finishing our trek to Norman.
The wedding was at the church I went to with ER in college. I knew if K and I got married in Norman, it would probably be at that church. It's a gorgeous church. It's full of dark wood and pretty stained glass windows on either side that let in some great light. The exterior of the church is beautiful. I had forgotten one thing, though: It had no center aisle. In fact, the two aisles it did have were pretty thin. My feelings that Norman would be the perfect wedding place lessened a little after realizing that, which is actually good -- it means we can move forward with the Dallas wedding plans without visions of a perfect wedding in Norman popping up in my head the whole time.
My friends' wedding was beautiful. Several of my college friends played a part in the ceremony, so it was like a little mini-reunion. The bride looked beautiful. She held together through the ceremony and didn't really cry. I figured she'd bawl.
The reception was a blast. I sat with ER and her family. K and ER's dad bonded quite a bit talking about boy stuff. That was cool to see, since ER's family refers to me as their adopted Oklahoma daughter.
I wasn't disappointed about the events of the reception. We girls sang our horrible (we all hate i!) sorority song and got to hear the guys sing their awesome (so much better than ours!) fraternity song. I was really glad K got to experience that. He actually said it was cool.
I enjoyed catching up with so many people I hadn't seen in years, and it was great for K to get a chance to meet some of them too. There was a dance floor, but it was way too hot in that area. I heard a few people saying the air conditioner had broken, but I wasn't sure if that was true. Lucky for us, we were all sitting in an area where it was somehow cooler and there was room for us to dance on our own. ER's parents took a ballroom dance class a few years ago, so they were pulling us all out one by one and showing us how to Salsa, do the Romba and the Samba and others. It was neat to see them dancing together, too. They're really good!
The reception was over way too quickly at 11, so we all headed out to a bar to hang out some more. The bar was one we went to often in college, known for its frozen Sangria swirls, so we enjoyed those and a couple shots. We had a blast.
Everyone was telling me how great K was and how much they liked him. It dawned on me a few weeks ago that K is the Loud Guy. Wherever we go, he's the one people notice because he tends to get a little louder than everyone else. Before K, the Loud Guy was the fun guy to hang out with, but I knew I could never date a Loud Guy -- I'd be humiliated. Well, with K, it's endearing. He just has a good time, and we have fun together. I'm no quiet girl myself, since I can talk to almost anyone, but my volume level just doesn't go as high as K's. It couldn't if I wanted it to. At least K doesn't go overboard, though. Everyone just laughs about it.
What's funny is ER's dad said, "You know what, K? It's okay to be the Loud Guy. I'm the Loud Guy. All it means is you get more stuff than everyone else, or you get served first because they want you to shut up or they wanna get you out of there. Being the Loud Guy has its perks." We laughed at that, and ER, her mom and sister gave nods that said he wasn't kidding.
Sunday, K and I got up early, ate lunch and headed back to Dallas. We relaxed around my apartment doing laundry and watching Rocky before K headed back to Louisiana. He's headed up to We$t Po!nt this week to train some cadets, and he won't be finished until July 4. He'll just head down to PA to see his family. That means I won't get to see him until I make it up there sometime around the weekend of July 13. It sucks we won't get to see each other for so long, but at least we had such a fun weekend before he left.
Even the Loud Guy needs his sleep! (K was so exhausted he started falling asleep at the bar.)
Somber anniversary
Yesterday was a year to the day that K's mother died. I didn't know how he would handle it. I had worried that my friends' wedding we had planned to go to might not be a good idea. I didn't know if K would prefer to just stay at home and relax.
We hadn't talked about the weekend and what it marked until late last week. I didn't know how to bring it up, or if I even should. We were on the phone, and I asked K if he was okay with going to the wedding that weekend. He said he just wanted to spend it with me, no matter what we were doing. He said it was kind of his mom's last wish that they not dwell on her death. She told them they could take two days to mourn, but after that, she wanted them to go on with their lives.
I still remember very well the day that she died. I woke up around 9:30 and called K. His mom was still alive, but she was fading pretty quickly that morning. Feeling helpess and so far away, since I was still in Texas, I decided to make it a productive day, so I started cleaning my apartment. I can still remember that it smelled like a mixture of bathroom cleaner and Clorox wipes when my phone started ringing to the tune of "Sweet Home Alabama" just a bit before noon. The ringtone told me it was K, and after our brief conversation just a few hours earlier, I knew the reason for the call.
I was surprised how hard it was to hear she was gone. She'd been sick for a long time, so everyone knew it was coming. K's dad had called him the weekend before to tell him he needed to get home because the doctors had said she only had a few days. She died peacefully, with her two sons, her husband, and her sisters, brother and in-laws by her side. She'd been sick for over 20 years, so at least everyone could take comfort in the fact that she would no longer be hurting.
I'd only met K's mom three times. She was frail and weak, and she'd lost a lot of weight in the months before we met. It was really hard for K to see her like that. He said she taught him how to be a man, and there she was, barely able to do anything for herself. You could still tell, though -- through the way she fought and held on longer than the doctors said she would, and how she'd manage to bounce back and have a great day when she couldn't move or talk the day before -- that she was the same strong Italian woman K had told me so much about.
I had always dreamed that someday I'd get to tell her how much I loved K and that I was going to take care of him. I wanted to tell her how wonderful he is and how much respect he has for her. I wanted to have a great relationship with her. I wanted her to be my mother-in-law, and I wanted us to be close. I never got to tell her any of those things.
K told me that his mother had said around Easter of last year that she knew K and I would get married someday. It meant a lot to me that she'd been able to see that, and I hope it meant she knew on her own all the things I didn't get to say.
K keeps a picture of his mother in his truck, right above his steering wheel. He also keeps a picture of her next to his bed. From time to time when things somehow manage to work out just right -- like last Fourth of July, when it started pouring right before the fireworks display, and just when we decided to start gathering up our things and follow the majority of people who were running out of the park, blankets over their heads, to their cars, the rain stopped as suddenly as it started -- K looks up to the sky and says, "Thanks, Mom!"
I still wish I could've gotten to know her before she got so sick. I still wish I could've told her all the things I'd wanted to say. I know she's in Heaven, though, and I know she's not struggling now. I know she's watching over K, which means she watches over me, too. And it's always good to have a tough Italian woman on your side.
We hadn't talked about the weekend and what it marked until late last week. I didn't know how to bring it up, or if I even should. We were on the phone, and I asked K if he was okay with going to the wedding that weekend. He said he just wanted to spend it with me, no matter what we were doing. He said it was kind of his mom's last wish that they not dwell on her death. She told them they could take two days to mourn, but after that, she wanted them to go on with their lives.
I still remember very well the day that she died. I woke up around 9:30 and called K. His mom was still alive, but she was fading pretty quickly that morning. Feeling helpess and so far away, since I was still in Texas, I decided to make it a productive day, so I started cleaning my apartment. I can still remember that it smelled like a mixture of bathroom cleaner and Clorox wipes when my phone started ringing to the tune of "Sweet Home Alabama" just a bit before noon. The ringtone told me it was K, and after our brief conversation just a few hours earlier, I knew the reason for the call.
I was surprised how hard it was to hear she was gone. She'd been sick for a long time, so everyone knew it was coming. K's dad had called him the weekend before to tell him he needed to get home because the doctors had said she only had a few days. She died peacefully, with her two sons, her husband, and her sisters, brother and in-laws by her side. She'd been sick for over 20 years, so at least everyone could take comfort in the fact that she would no longer be hurting.
I'd only met K's mom three times. She was frail and weak, and she'd lost a lot of weight in the months before we met. It was really hard for K to see her like that. He said she taught him how to be a man, and there she was, barely able to do anything for herself. You could still tell, though -- through the way she fought and held on longer than the doctors said she would, and how she'd manage to bounce back and have a great day when she couldn't move or talk the day before -- that she was the same strong Italian woman K had told me so much about.
I had always dreamed that someday I'd get to tell her how much I loved K and that I was going to take care of him. I wanted to tell her how wonderful he is and how much respect he has for her. I wanted to have a great relationship with her. I wanted her to be my mother-in-law, and I wanted us to be close. I never got to tell her any of those things.
K told me that his mother had said around Easter of last year that she knew K and I would get married someday. It meant a lot to me that she'd been able to see that, and I hope it meant she knew on her own all the things I didn't get to say.
K keeps a picture of his mother in his truck, right above his steering wheel. He also keeps a picture of her next to his bed. From time to time when things somehow manage to work out just right -- like last Fourth of July, when it started pouring right before the fireworks display, and just when we decided to start gathering up our things and follow the majority of people who were running out of the park, blankets over their heads, to their cars, the rain stopped as suddenly as it started -- K looks up to the sky and says, "Thanks, Mom!"
I still wish I could've gotten to know her before she got so sick. I still wish I could've told her all the things I'd wanted to say. I know she's in Heaven, though, and I know she's not struggling now. I know she's watching over K, which means she watches over me, too. And it's always good to have a tough Italian woman on your side.
Friday, June 08, 2007
Three weddings and countless band geeks
My leg is doing better today, but it's still pretty sore. I think I feel like I'm 50 today, which is a great improvement from feeling 80 yesterday.
Work has been slow, so it's given me a great opportunity to browse around for information on our Florida wedding plans. I've emailed several companies in the Pensacola/Destin area and in Seaside. A couple people have actually recommended Seaside, but no one from there has emailed me back yet. I did speak with a woman in the Destin area, and she told me that the beaches in Destin and west are "whiter and prettier" than those in Seaside. I've never been, so I don't know. Way to confuse me, lady.
Thirty people seems to be a lot for a beachfront wedding. I've asked about chairs, since those don't seem to be included in most packages for beachfront weddings. The anti-Seaside lady told me most people prefer to stand at beach weddings, since people in the back often can't hear when they're seated. It just seems like it'd be so much less organized that way -- like a blob of people elbowing to get closer.
And if we do have chairs, how does that work? Do we put people's names on the chairs, or let them fend for themselves? So many decisions!
At least K and I will be doing a lot of driving this week. It'll give us time to talk them all over.
Some college friends of mine are tying the knot in Norman tomorrow, and I'm way excited about going. I'll get to see so many people I haven't seen in so long. It's going to be a total band-geek freak fest -- and I can say that because, as you know, I am a band geek. You may not be aware of the extent of my band-geekness, though. Just please promise me you'll keep reading my blog after I tell you this:
I was in a band sorority in college.
I know, I know. *hides head in shame* If it makes a difference, though, I wasn't really into it. I only joined because all my guy friends were in the band fraternity. And I joined so I could meet girls. As friends. Because all my friends were guys, and even though all of them had girlfriends and the guys thought of me as their little sister, some girls are not okay with the thought of a girl being such good friends with a handful of guys.
Anyway, so I'm really excited for K to get to see everything that this wedding will entail. I'm pretty sure the colors are crimson & cream, because, c'mon -- what else would they be? I'm quite certain "Boomer Sooner" will be played, and "Oklahoma" may even be sang. Maybe even the "OU Chant," which is our alma mater. In fact, I'm sure it will.
The groom is the former president of the band fraternity, and the bride is former president of the band sorority. That means those songs and traditions will be brought in as well. I'm so excited K will get to see all of that and get a better idea of what a part of my college life was about.
Plus, I'll be in Norman! Since part of me is still dreaming about the idea of a Norman wedding for our big "official" ceremony either in May or once Kevin returns from Iraq, I'm hoping that after this weekend I'll either have my heart set on it and can work toward that, or I'll be fine with Dallas.
Either way, I'm really looking forward to this weekend. We'll stop off and see my dad on the way to Norman, and then it'll be college reunion time -- with an open bar! Boomer Sooner!
Work has been slow, so it's given me a great opportunity to browse around for information on our Florida wedding plans. I've emailed several companies in the Pensacola/Destin area and in Seaside. A couple people have actually recommended Seaside, but no one from there has emailed me back yet. I did speak with a woman in the Destin area, and she told me that the beaches in Destin and west are "whiter and prettier" than those in Seaside. I've never been, so I don't know. Way to confuse me, lady.
Thirty people seems to be a lot for a beachfront wedding. I've asked about chairs, since those don't seem to be included in most packages for beachfront weddings. The anti-Seaside lady told me most people prefer to stand at beach weddings, since people in the back often can't hear when they're seated. It just seems like it'd be so much less organized that way -- like a blob of people elbowing to get closer.
And if we do have chairs, how does that work? Do we put people's names on the chairs, or let them fend for themselves? So many decisions!
At least K and I will be doing a lot of driving this week. It'll give us time to talk them all over.
Some college friends of mine are tying the knot in Norman tomorrow, and I'm way excited about going. I'll get to see so many people I haven't seen in so long. It's going to be a total band-geek freak fest -- and I can say that because, as you know, I am a band geek. You may not be aware of the extent of my band-geekness, though. Just please promise me you'll keep reading my blog after I tell you this:
I was in a band sorority in college.
I know, I know. *hides head in shame* If it makes a difference, though, I wasn't really into it. I only joined because all my guy friends were in the band fraternity. And I joined so I could meet girls. As friends. Because all my friends were guys, and even though all of them had girlfriends and the guys thought of me as their little sister, some girls are not okay with the thought of a girl being such good friends with a handful of guys.
Anyway, so I'm really excited for K to get to see everything that this wedding will entail. I'm pretty sure the colors are crimson & cream, because, c'mon -- what else would they be? I'm quite certain "Boomer Sooner" will be played, and "Oklahoma" may even be sang. Maybe even the "OU Chant," which is our alma mater. In fact, I'm sure it will.
The groom is the former president of the band fraternity, and the bride is former president of the band sorority. That means those songs and traditions will be brought in as well. I'm so excited K will get to see all of that and get a better idea of what a part of my college life was about.
Plus, I'll be in Norman! Since part of me is still dreaming about the idea of a Norman wedding for our big "official" ceremony either in May or once Kevin returns from Iraq, I'm hoping that after this weekend I'll either have my heart set on it and can work toward that, or I'll be fine with Dallas.
Either way, I'm really looking forward to this weekend. We'll stop off and see my dad on the way to Norman, and then it'll be college reunion time -- with an open bar! Boomer Sooner!
This must be what it feels like to be 80
Last weekend, I noticed my right leg was sore right at the top, kind of near my hip on my lower, lower back. I didn't know what the deal was, but it felt very uncomfortable. It went away sometime between Sunday night and Monday morning. I didn't exactly realize when it left, but I definitely was aware of the moment it returned.
Last night, I was having dinner with one of my best friends, who was in Dallas from Norman, shopping with her boyfriend. We were sitting outside having drinks, and I'd had my legs crossed for a while. I started to feel the sharpness again near my hip, around the gluteal area. I got up to use the restroom, and I was surprised how hard and painful it was to make the short walk.
I mentioned something about it to my friend, who is a dance teacher and has danced almost as long as she could walk. She told me she had experienced that before too. "Your muscle is probably inflamed," she said. I couldn't understand what I could have done to make that happen. She asked if I'd gone running. "No," I said -- and then I remembered I'd done leg workouts on Tuesday.
I'd gotten to the gym late -- about 9:30 -- so I wanted to get my workout finished quickly. I did seven different leg exercises, and I did three sets of at least 12 on each. I gave myself very little rest time between sets. I wanted to get a bit of a cardio workout too, and I wanted to speed my workout up so I could leave at a decent time. Needless to say, my legs were tired pretty quickly, so I didn't even do cardio that night. I was afraid I'd fall off the elliptical, given my luck on treadmills when I'm feeling fine.
Then, I realized I did run last week. I had decided to spice up my cardio time a bit by running for awhile on the treadmill instead of the elliptical. That explained my original problem on Sunday.
Today, though, made Sunday seem like nothing. It was incredibly difficult to walk. I had to sit down and slowly stretch my arms to my feet to put on the right leg of my pants this morning!
Getting down the stairs to my parking lot was especially fun. I loved clutching onto the germy handrail like my life depended on it (it probably did). Climbing into my car was quite a feat as well. I had to grab onto anything and everything to do it, and it was a very painful process. I considered just working from home today, but I decided I'd tough it out -- especially since I'd already gone through all that to get into my car!
I'm normally a fast walker, but today was pathetic. My posture was undoubtedly terrible. I had to lean forward slightly to be able to walk, and my shoulders were hunched forward because I was constantly grimacing with every move. I was worried what people in the office who didn't know what was wrong would think. I had to have looked like a freak.
One of my coworkers teased me that she was going to get me a cane. I needed it.
Here's hoping tomorrow it's easier to get around. And here's also hoping I've finally learned my lesson that maybe I'm just not meant to go near the treadmills.
Last night, I was having dinner with one of my best friends, who was in Dallas from Norman, shopping with her boyfriend. We were sitting outside having drinks, and I'd had my legs crossed for a while. I started to feel the sharpness again near my hip, around the gluteal area. I got up to use the restroom, and I was surprised how hard and painful it was to make the short walk.
I mentioned something about it to my friend, who is a dance teacher and has danced almost as long as she could walk. She told me she had experienced that before too. "Your muscle is probably inflamed," she said. I couldn't understand what I could have done to make that happen. She asked if I'd gone running. "No," I said -- and then I remembered I'd done leg workouts on Tuesday.
I'd gotten to the gym late -- about 9:30 -- so I wanted to get my workout finished quickly. I did seven different leg exercises, and I did three sets of at least 12 on each. I gave myself very little rest time between sets. I wanted to get a bit of a cardio workout too, and I wanted to speed my workout up so I could leave at a decent time. Needless to say, my legs were tired pretty quickly, so I didn't even do cardio that night. I was afraid I'd fall off the elliptical, given my luck on treadmills when I'm feeling fine.
Then, I realized I did run last week. I had decided to spice up my cardio time a bit by running for awhile on the treadmill instead of the elliptical. That explained my original problem on Sunday.
Today, though, made Sunday seem like nothing. It was incredibly difficult to walk. I had to sit down and slowly stretch my arms to my feet to put on the right leg of my pants this morning!
Getting down the stairs to my parking lot was especially fun. I loved clutching onto the germy handrail like my life depended on it (it probably did). Climbing into my car was quite a feat as well. I had to grab onto anything and everything to do it, and it was a very painful process. I considered just working from home today, but I decided I'd tough it out -- especially since I'd already gone through all that to get into my car!
I'm normally a fast walker, but today was pathetic. My posture was undoubtedly terrible. I had to lean forward slightly to be able to walk, and my shoulders were hunched forward because I was constantly grimacing with every move. I was worried what people in the office who didn't know what was wrong would think. I had to have looked like a freak.
One of my coworkers teased me that she was going to get me a cane. I needed it.
Here's hoping tomorrow it's easier to get around. And here's also hoping I've finally learned my lesson that maybe I'm just not meant to go near the treadmills.
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
Guess this means that whole September thing's on ...
Yesterday, I totally ordered the dress. I wanted to try it on in the store, but I couldn't find it at the ones I tried. I figured I'd kick myself if I waited too long and it was gone, so I did it. Hopefully it'll fit -- and fit well!
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
Getting ready is getting to be quite an ordeal!
In junior high, I had an awesome getting-ready-for-bed routine: I showered, brushed my teeth, splashed water over my face and was done. But in high school, I started noticing my friends were doing other things -- they had Clearasil or Noxzema, and some of them even had face lotion. I started experimenting with those too.
In college, I went to a friend's makeup party, where I was introduced to a different face wash and lotion. I liked how clean they made my face feel. I was supposed to wash and moisturize before bed and each morning. Twice a day was a little more than what I wanted to do, so I rebelled by only using the moisturizer at night.
Later in college, I was introduced to a new skin care line, which added facial toner to my routine. Eventually, though, I switched again, and a new triple action moisturizer was also added to my morning and evening mixes. I got eye cream and an acne cream for breakouts. I started using eye makeup remover rather than leaving my waterproof mascara on overnight.
My post-shower routine evolved as well, adding several steps before I was ready for bed. I got leave-in conditioner. I started drying my hair with a blow dryer. I started moisturizing more than just my legs.
A few months ago, I went to the eye doctor to get a new prescription for contacts. My sophomore year in college, I'd started sleeping in them and only changing out my one-month disposables when they started hurting my eyes, which generally took about three months. My optometrist, though, told me I should start taking my contacts out each night and even throwing them away after only one month of wearing them! I promised him I would, so I added taking my contacts out to my nightly routine and putting them in to my morning repertoire.
And last week, I did something I hadn't done in an embarrassingly long time: I went to the dentist. The appointment went well. My teeth were in good shape, but the enamel on my back teeth is getting thin. The dentist wrote me a prescription for a rinse that will help to build it back up. The assistant also told me I should start flossing.
I don't know anyone who flosses every day. Before Thursday night, I pretty much only flossed after eating popcorn and sometimes after strawberries, so this will be a big change for me. I wasn't excited about it, but I want my teeth to be pretty and in good condition, so I'll cooperate.
Regardless of my lonely membership in the Daily Flosser Club, my morning and nightly routines seem to be getting longer and longer by the month. I haven't even had a chance to go get my rinse prescription filled to add that to my routine.
I can't think of much else that could be added to my morning and evening routines. I don't know if I can handle much more. If I keep up this pace, I'll be spending my entire day getting ready for bed by the time I'm 40!
In college, I went to a friend's makeup party, where I was introduced to a different face wash and lotion. I liked how clean they made my face feel. I was supposed to wash and moisturize before bed and each morning. Twice a day was a little more than what I wanted to do, so I rebelled by only using the moisturizer at night.
Later in college, I was introduced to a new skin care line, which added facial toner to my routine. Eventually, though, I switched again, and a new triple action moisturizer was also added to my morning and evening mixes. I got eye cream and an acne cream for breakouts. I started using eye makeup remover rather than leaving my waterproof mascara on overnight.
My post-shower routine evolved as well, adding several steps before I was ready for bed. I got leave-in conditioner. I started drying my hair with a blow dryer. I started moisturizing more than just my legs.
A few months ago, I went to the eye doctor to get a new prescription for contacts. My sophomore year in college, I'd started sleeping in them and only changing out my one-month disposables when they started hurting my eyes, which generally took about three months. My optometrist, though, told me I should start taking my contacts out each night and even throwing them away after only one month of wearing them! I promised him I would, so I added taking my contacts out to my nightly routine and putting them in to my morning repertoire.
And last week, I did something I hadn't done in an embarrassingly long time: I went to the dentist. The appointment went well. My teeth were in good shape, but the enamel on my back teeth is getting thin. The dentist wrote me a prescription for a rinse that will help to build it back up. The assistant also told me I should start flossing.
I don't know anyone who flosses every day. Before Thursday night, I pretty much only flossed after eating popcorn and sometimes after strawberries, so this will be a big change for me. I wasn't excited about it, but I want my teeth to be pretty and in good condition, so I'll cooperate.
Regardless of my lonely membership in the Daily Flosser Club, my morning and nightly routines seem to be getting longer and longer by the month. I haven't even had a chance to go get my rinse prescription filled to add that to my routine.
I can't think of much else that could be added to my morning and evening routines. I don't know if I can handle much more. If I keep up this pace, I'll be spending my entire day getting ready for bed by the time I'm 40!
Monday, June 04, 2007
Proof God has a sense of humor -- and that you should never say never
It's been a while since I've ventured on here! I worked late almost every night last week, and I didn't even turn my computer on once I got home each night. I even worked late Friday night, despite the fact I had a five-hour drive to K's.
I left Friday at 7 p.m. K and a group of friends had planned a weekend at Toledo Bend, a couple hours from Shreveport. We rented out a lakehouse and bought plenty of food to cook out. It was a decent time, but I'll have to post about it later. I managed to leave my camera at K's, and I can't post about a weekend like that without pictures. Stay tuned.
K and I have been talking more about the whole Florida Plan B wedding thing. I really don't want two weddings unless he gets deployed, but at the same time, we want to be prepared in case he does. Just because we're told we'll know something in August doesn't mean we will -- and just because we hear one thing in August doesn't mean that's the final word.
K and I were planning to go to Florida in September anyway (we went last August since it's not too far from Louisiana) with a group of his friends. We'd planned on just turning it into a wedding trip if we got word in August that he would be getting deployed in November. The problem is, it would be pretty last-minute, and I'd have a hard time trying to call and plan all of that through the certain sobs that would follow after that news. If K and I went ahead and planned a small beachside wedding for the Florida trip, that would save all the trouble, and we'd be prepared in case he got deployed.
We started off thinking it would be just a quiet beachside event, with a few of our friends there. Once I got to thinking about it, I realized that would be my wedding, even if we do have our ceremony as planned or once K gets back if he's deployed. I can't get married without my dad and my brother there, and I'd really want ER there too. CG and Joe aren't too far away, so we'd want them there. And the list goes on.
I called my dad and made sure he and his girlfriend would be able to come. I called my brother. K and I talked to ER and her boyfriend, and we've been askign everyone else we really want there. They're all going to be there! If we do this, we'll probably have around 30 people there.
I've emailed three communities in Florida for information. Hopefully we get at least one helpful response.
Today at work, I even started looking up some dresses for the Florida wedding. I found two.
I like the first one the most, but the second one is an option too. We'll see.
What's funny about all this is that if we do get married in Florida, it will happen in September. I've said more times than I can count that I am not getting married during football season. Well, September is definitely football season.
I did, however, take a look at the game schedule before selecting our weekend. Labor Day weekend is out, since K may still be in training at that time. That meant Sept. 8 was available. That's the same day as the OU-Miami game. Not gonna happen. I'll be waaaaaay too distracted that day, and I'll really want to watch that game. For that matter, so will my dad, my brother and ER. September 15 is the next available weekend. OU plays Utah State. That one I can miss.
So Sept. 15 it is -- maybe. It's very possible I'll find myself planning two weddings at the same time, and both of them will be mine.
I left Friday at 7 p.m. K and a group of friends had planned a weekend at Toledo Bend, a couple hours from Shreveport. We rented out a lakehouse and bought plenty of food to cook out. It was a decent time, but I'll have to post about it later. I managed to leave my camera at K's, and I can't post about a weekend like that without pictures. Stay tuned.
K and I have been talking more about the whole Florida Plan B wedding thing. I really don't want two weddings unless he gets deployed, but at the same time, we want to be prepared in case he does. Just because we're told we'll know something in August doesn't mean we will -- and just because we hear one thing in August doesn't mean that's the final word.
K and I were planning to go to Florida in September anyway (we went last August since it's not too far from Louisiana) with a group of his friends. We'd planned on just turning it into a wedding trip if we got word in August that he would be getting deployed in November. The problem is, it would be pretty last-minute, and I'd have a hard time trying to call and plan all of that through the certain sobs that would follow after that news. If K and I went ahead and planned a small beachside wedding for the Florida trip, that would save all the trouble, and we'd be prepared in case he got deployed.
We started off thinking it would be just a quiet beachside event, with a few of our friends there. Once I got to thinking about it, I realized that would be my wedding, even if we do have our ceremony as planned or once K gets back if he's deployed. I can't get married without my dad and my brother there, and I'd really want ER there too. CG and Joe aren't too far away, so we'd want them there. And the list goes on.
I called my dad and made sure he and his girlfriend would be able to come. I called my brother. K and I talked to ER and her boyfriend, and we've been askign everyone else we really want there. They're all going to be there! If we do this, we'll probably have around 30 people there.
I've emailed three communities in Florida for information. Hopefully we get at least one helpful response.
Today at work, I even started looking up some dresses for the Florida wedding. I found two.
I like the first one the most, but the second one is an option too. We'll see.
What's funny about all this is that if we do get married in Florida, it will happen in September. I've said more times than I can count that I am not getting married during football season. Well, September is definitely football season.
I did, however, take a look at the game schedule before selecting our weekend. Labor Day weekend is out, since K may still be in training at that time. That meant Sept. 8 was available. That's the same day as the OU-Miami game. Not gonna happen. I'll be waaaaaay too distracted that day, and I'll really want to watch that game. For that matter, so will my dad, my brother and ER. September 15 is the next available weekend. OU plays Utah State. That one I can miss.
So Sept. 15 it is -- maybe. It's very possible I'll find myself planning two weddings at the same time, and both of them will be mine.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)