12 days until the Wedding

Update

Things I need to do:
* make play list for CD favor, make over 100 of this CD, find way to package CDs. I have made the play list, now am working on making the cds.
* call and reserve a margarita machine. To be done today
* figure out what to do about makeup and hair. Have gift card to Ulta, going to go this week.
* buy teeth whitening kits for Brad and I. Amazon.com baby!
* get the marriage license To be done this week
* get my hair cut. Got it cut, not going to color it
* convince wedding parties to dance a certain first dance with Brad and I (Amber had a great idea and I don't want to spoil the surprise)
* stress about the rehearsal because it is not going to be at the actual wedding site, so I guess it will be a pseudo rehearsal. Sent Evites to guests, made reservation for dinner at Buca di Beppo
* figure out who will give speeches and let them know. Still wondering about this. I know Billy and Christy will give speeches, but not sure who else.
* send pictures of site to my wedding coordinator (my aunt) and worry about where tables and chairs will go
* call party rental place today to get PA system and runner.

Dang it

I just found out Sigur Ros will be here on Tuesday and I have no money and it is sold out! I also missed My Morning Jacket and Vampire Weekend this week because of no money.


Also I think I am going to sell my 2001 Ford Ranger next month, so if you are interested, let me know.

**ETA** never mind, I'm not going to sell my car. Why am I so impulsive? I get an idea in my head and I have to do it now, now, now!

Like a bad Disney movie....

so funny.

Wedding Update

Wow, here is an update on my previous list. A lot has been done. I am a lot less stressed now that my Aunt will be the Wedding coordinator for the actual day. She is a kick ass organizer.

Things I need to do:
* buy hosiery (spanx?)
* find a cake topper Found Lego Bride and Groom on ebay
* make play list for CD favor, make over 100 of this CD, find way to package CDs
* find wedding mad libs for favors Just bought Mad Libs In Love on Amazon.com
* buy sharpies and paper for guest book pages
* find/buy shoes with one inch heels I got flip flops and blue converse
* go to the party rental place to look at linens and reserve linens, tables, chairs, and perhaps lighting
* call and reserve a margarita machine
* figure out what to do about makeup and hair (do it myself or find someone to help me)
* go to target and buy strings of garden lights that are hopefully on sale.
* think about what to buy my bridesmaids as gifts we are going to get manicure/pedicures for everyone
* buy the rings I got a gold band, and a tungsten carbide ring for Brad; both on Amazon.com
* think about what ceremony/vows we want to use From the Union by Robert Fulghum
* go to a feed store to look at/buy tubs for drinks my step-mom is in charge of drinks, I think she is just getting blue plastic tubs, but I will not stress about this at all. I have delegated this.
* pressure groomsmen to go and get fitted for their tuxes and get their shoe sizes in order to buy them Chuck Taylors for the wedding the groomsmen have been fitted and their converse shoes are on their way right now. I heard one of the groomsmen was very drunk at the time of his fitting, nice.
* cry because we are not going to have pie like we envisioned, and probably not coffee either. have gotten over it
* buy teeth whitening kits for Brad and I. Still need to do this, will go to Target today.
* exercise every other day or so. Look into Brad joining my gym (yay exercise buddy!). Plan to continue doing this after the wedding as well. yeah, not being done right now. We are too stressed to do that until after we move (where we will have an exercise room
* freak out about my horrible skin. stop picking at face (which goes against what I've always done), wash face every day. Working on this, still have many spots, damn adult acne
* get the marriage license To be done this week
* get my hair cut and colored. Appointment on Thursday for haircut
* convince wedding parties to dance a certain first dance with Brad and I (Amber had a great idea and I don't want to spoil the surprise)
* stress about the rehearsal because it is not going to be at the actual wedding site, so I guess it will be a pseudo rehearsal.
* figure out who will give speeches and let them know.


The wedding shower went very well. No one ended up spending the night or drinking because we are all old party poopers. But I got some great gifts and had fun talking to Laura, Christy, and Amber for a long time after the party was over.

Alias

By this time next month I will be living in a new apartment, under a new name, and married.

This is crazy.

Low Carb

I remember in 2002 I tried the Atkins diet for a few days. Sure I liked eating a lot of meat but I love carbohydrates and sugar. Which really became apparent to me last week when my doctor told me I have high glucose levels (or maybe it was insulin). The normal is between 2 and 25 and mine was at 24. Yikes! There is no way I want diabetes. I don't eat unhealthy really. I make most of my meals and try to eat a balanced diet. But I am eating too many carbs and sugars. Carbs actually turn into sugar and are very bad for people with diabetes and high glucose levels. I was looking around online for a good menu plan and found this one. Which I don't think will work for me because the normal meal they have has about 65 grams of carbs and my doctor wants me to only eat 35 grams at each meal and then 15 for snacks. But that is doable I think. Looking at that menu I can totally see cutting out the toast for breakfast (there is already oatmeal), maybe the crackers or one of the pieces of bread on the sandwich at lunch, and the roll at dinner.

I also found a great menu on the Food Network website. But that one doesn't show the grams of carbs per meal so I am not sure.

Also my doctor recommended taking a teaspoon of ground flaxseed about ten minutes before eating each meal. This really helps regulate your blood sugar, makes you feel fuller so you will eat less, and also has a lot of fiber so you will poop better. We are so poor right now though that I haven't gotten to Whole Foods to get it. But I will go shopping this Sunday and buy it and start on this diet. I have already started cutting out sugar and carbs, but I really want to have a menu planned out an not deviate from it. Wish me luck!

duh

One really important thing I need to start doing is to wear an apron when I cook. It seems silly but I have so many shirts that are ruined with grease stains because i stand so close to the stovetop when I cook and I get oil spattered all over me. I don't even realize it at the time, but then I wash the shirt and wear it again and then notice in the bathroom mirror at work that I have stains on my shirt.

Basically I leave the house without even looking at my outfit in the mirror and I usually look like crap. So these things have been bouncing around in my head and I need to write them down so I don't have to think about it until after the wedding.

Things to do to revitalize my wardrobe:
1. Wear an apron or pajama type clothes while cooking
2. Go through clothes to check for holes, stains, and ill fitting things and get rid of all of those items (this will be a lot of things).
3. Buy lots of new shoes. Try Payless and Famous Footwear clearance. Not just flats, get sandals and boots.
4. Buy more skirts.
5. Buy more blouses. I don't need more t-shirts or tank tops, I need nice blouses. Try kohl's, Lane Bryant clearance, Target clearance.

Notice how I say clearance a lot. I always have trouble spending a lot on clothes, it makes me feel guilty.

Notice number four. I have just recently starting loving skirts. I never wore skirts in the past. I always go for comfort and thought I would hate being in a skirt; but I found I love knee length skirts. I have bought four new skirts in the last few months and I love them. Oooh, I can wear skirts with new boot and perhaps colored tights in the winter. That is acceptable right?

to add to the wedding stress....

Now we have to move next month as well. Our lease should have been up at the end of this month, but we didn't really want to move right before the wedding; as well as our roommate didn't really have a lot of other options. But now she she does have a place to go and so we are going to be out of the house by November 2nd. The issues are that we will be out of town from 31 Oct to 2 Nov so we cannot move then; also we have no money until October 10, the day before the wedding. I believe we will be getting a place the week after the wedding and moving in those last two weeks of October. It is just scary to not have an apartment tied down yet. We have to go in the beginning of October and start applying and everything. So I am hoping that everything works out okay.

I am excited because the apartments we chose are in a great location. There is a workout room on site and within walking distance of a Walgreen's, coffee shop, art store, restaurants, and a Sunflower Market. Plus I like the apartment layouts.

Not tagged

What were you doing 1 second ago?
Answering a call from Dell at work.

What were you doing an hour ago?
Eating a baked potato that was so, so yummy and too big to finish.

What were you doing yesterday?
Working late and going to get Brad sized for a ring.

What were you doing a month ago?
I'm realizing my life is boring. I was doing the same thing I am now. Working and worrying about the wedding.

What were you doing a year ago?
Going to school and moving in to our rental house.

What were you doing five years ago?
Doing illegal drugs, working at Quiznos, and dating a douche who broke up with me by just never answering his phone. nice.

What were you doing ten years ago?
I was a sophomore in high school. Already very close friends with my bestfriend/roommate that I have now. I was just about to start my first job at the local movie theater. I had just lost my virginity that summer to a guy who broke up with me by never calling me again. Wow, I dated some winners!

What do you hope to be doing five years from now?
Maybe living in a different city, or actually knowing what I want to be when I grow up; definitely will have a child or two, either naturally or by adoption.

Knock Knock

knock knock...

who's there?....

September 11th....

September 11th who?....

You said you'd never forget :( .....



thanks to Billy for telling me that fantastic joke (his 32nd birthday was actually on last thursday, how would you like that for your birthday?).

33 days until the wedding

The only things I did this weekend are buy hosiery and an outfit for Brad for the rehearsal dinner. He had no khaki pants and only has like one dress shirt. I accidentally bought a really long shirt for him that was made for tucking in. I think it will still work, but we are not "tucking in" kind of people. Brad didn't even go with me, he totally trusts me to buy clothes he will like, it is awesome.

This weekend was pretty fun. Friday night Brad and I went to First Friday (a monthly art walk) with Brandon and Amy*. We went to an amazing restaurant, MacAlpine's, which is a soda shop/ antique store that has been open since the twenties. They we went to the Phoenix Art Museum (which I had never been to) and heard an awesome band, Colorstore, one of the members was playing a saw with a bow, it sounded amazing (whoa, I just found out they are playing with our friends' band Japanese Monsters at the Yucca Tap Room soon, yay!). Then we walked around to all the galleries and handed out fliers for an upcoming show that Brandon and Brad are playing at. I got a snow cone, we walked a lot, and it was really hot.

Saturday night we went to a house show in the middle of the desert which was a fundraiser for our friend Chris Knight. He is a long-time friend of Brad's and he will be having a kidney transplant done in a few weeks. He is in full kidney failure right now and has dialysis done every other day. This is a young man who is only in his mid-twenties and just got married last year and has a baby on the way. Thankfully and amazingly enough, he is getting his new kidney from his Mother-in-law. I get teary eyed just thinking about her generosity. I am just so happy that we were able to raise over $800 for his growing family this weekend. If anyone would like to donate money just let me know and I can get the info to you. The night was super fun. Especially when our friend Robin got drunk and started hitting on our married friend Christy. Robin is one of our youngest friends at 23 and Christy is only 28. His best pick up line ever, "You are so sexy, no matter how old you are. I want to take you out to Garcia's" Brad laughed until he cried. So funny.

Sunday, Brad was hungover and we didn't leave the house. Amber made Red Velvet cupcakes with cream cheese icing. God were they good! I had never had Red Velvet cake and I really like it. Amber is going to be making all the cupcakes for the wedding. Brad and I also watched a Buffy disc from Netflix (season 3 disc 1). Great weekend.

Two weeks until my shower, five wees until the wedding

* Brandon and Brad make comics together. Brandon makes comics on his own but he also writes stories and then Brad draws the comic. Brandon and Amy are very similar to Brad and I. On their latest comics, their bios each go something like this;
"Brandon lives and works in Phoenix, Az. He lives with his soon to be wife Amy and their two cats Fruits and Vegetables."
"Brad lives and works in Tempe, Az. He lives with his soon to be wife Shannon and their two cats Beans and Rice."

Word.

I love all that is John Stewart


not to mention Stephen Colbert. I had a racy dream about him this week. Of course in my dream he felt really bad for making out with me because he is married.

Stressville

So I had my third stress out yesterday of this wedding planning experience. I was crying and probably really freaking Brad out. I am really starting to stress out. There is so much to do and there is only a month left to do it. I am sad because I am not doing a lot of the stuff I had always envisioned but it is because I am lazy and don't want to have to figure it out, set it up, or even delegate it. I always wanted a wedding that was very different than the norm, but I'm finding that it is really hard to go against the grain when it comes to wedding shit. My mom is even against some of the stuff I wanted. At least I have complete control over the music. I just had to cut down the 13 hours of music I had picked to only about 6 hours. It was hard. And I still need to add some Michael Jackson songs (Christy I need these songs from you!)

I just feel lost in this wedding world. I feel like everyone assumes I know what to do, but I don't. I have only gone to three weddings as an adult and two of them were at the same house and none of them were of really close friends. So I have never been involved in wedding planning before, I have never been a bridesmaid, I have no idea what I am doing or what people expect at a wedding. People keep telling me, "oh, you have to have this or that, people expect it!" That pisses me off. I don't care what people expect, the only thing they should be there for is to see me get married, anything else is extra. I am not having two meat choices, I am not having a garter (creepy), I will not play cliched wedding songs (fuck "we are family"), I will not have a ceremony that brings up God at all (much to the chagrin of my father), I am not having cake, I am having alcohol (much to the chagrin of my father), my Mother is walking me down the aisle, my Father is the officiant (he is a minister). Things I wanted to do differently but am not: I wanted pie, I wanted a photo booth, I wanted a candy bar, I wanted a lego cake topper, I wanted a vintage non-white retro party dress...

Things I need to do:
* buy hosiery (spanx?)
* find a cake topper
* make play list for CD favor, make over 100 of this CD, find way to package CDs
* find wedding mad libs for favors
* buy sharpies and paper for guest book pages
* find/buy shoes with one inch heels
* go to the party rental place to look at linens and reserve linens, tables, chairs, and perhaps lighting
* call and reserve a margarita machine
* figure out what to do about makeup and hair (do it myself or find someone to help me)
* go to target and buy strings of garden lights that are hopefully on sale.
* think about what to buy my bridesmaids as gifts
* buy the rings
* think about what ceremony/vows we want to use
* go to a feed store to look at/buy tubs for drinks
* pressure groomsmen to go and get fitted for their tuxes and get their shoe sizes in order to buy them Chuck Taylors for the wedding
* cry because we are not going to have pie like we envisioned, and probably not coffee either.
* buy teeth whitening kits for Brad and I
* exercise every other day or so. Look into Brad joining my gym (yay exercise buddy!). Plan to continue doing this after the wedding as well.
* freak out about my horrible skin. stop picking at face (which goes against what I've always done), wash face every day.
* get the marriage license
* get my hair cut and colored
* convince wedding parties to dance a certain first dance with Brad and I (Amber had a great idea and I don't want to spoil the surprise)
* stress about the rehearsal because it is not going to be at the actual wedding site, so I guess it will be a pseudo rehearsal.
* figure out who will give speeches and let them know.

Sarah Palin

no, no, no, no, no.... I guess I'm glad McCain picked her because I hope it will hurt his campaign, but if they win; holy shit I do not want them in office. She is an anti choice, anti gay, anti sex education, and pro book banning. I congratulate her on her new baby and her daughter's baby on the way, but I know if I had a baby especially at a younger age, my mom would probably be helping me a lot. Is she going to have time for her growing family if she becomes the vice president? Many say this is sexist, but there is one area where men and women are unequal; we can give birth, we can sustain our children with our breasts, her husband can't do that. Just the fact that she would want to go back to work three days after giving birth makes me not want to vote for her.

Total Darkness

Well I didn't get picked for a jury. I didn't even get picked to go into a courtroom. I just sat there for hours, went and ate at the potluck in my Mom's office (she works in the same building as where the potential jurors congregate), read a book and and three quarters of another one. Oh well, maybe next time.

Thursday night we had a huge storm here in Phoenix. I was at a show at the Trunk Space to see the band Andrew Jackson Jihad. The sky was so full of lightning; seriously there was another strike about every three seconds. I counted and I took a video of it (I will post it if I can figure out how to do so). That lasted for a couple of hours. Then all of a sudden it got really windy really fast and started raining super hard. I was out in it for just a few minutes and was covered in grit and grime. See when it is windy in Phoenix you get lots of dust and then mixed with the rain it is basically mud, all over me. Gross.


So then the power went out; thankfully Andrew Jackson Jihad is an acoustic band because they still played in the complete darkness and everyone sang along. It was an amazing experience. I couldn't even see Brad standing next to me it was so dark; I had to keep reaching out to make sure he was there. I took a video of one of their songs, even though it is really just audio because you can't see anything. I will attempt to post that one too.


On a completely sad tangent; Brad and I were watching Animal Cops Detroit last night and and they mentioned how animals are involved in shootings and murder cases nowadays; and I brought up how my family got my Grandma's dog after my Grandma was shot by her boyfriend and the dog was deaf because she had been very near the gun when it went off. Brad was so surprised because he says he never knew my Grandma was murdered (well she was taken off of life support at a later date, that still counts as murder right?); although I swear I must have told Brad before, he claims I never did. It is weird to know that there could be this huge story that he didn't know about. It is not something that comes up a lot and I was only about 10 when it happened so I do not have a lot of memory of the events surrounding it and I didn't get to go to the funeral because it was in Hawaii. But I have definitely talked about her before and assumed he knew what had happened. It is very crazy.