You know you're officially having "a morning" when...

you make the 7:12 train from Providence, only to have it stop about two miles up the track. Ten minutes later, the conductor says that we're going back to Providence station because the Pawtucket police are investigating a fatality on the track and have shut all tracks down.

And... the conductor urges us to find "a different way to get to our destinations."

*blink*

When the MBTA is actually admitting to find another way in, everything is completely, utterly screwed. And that's the indication that you know you're going to have a morning.

Although not the MBTA's fault today. Not remotely.

And on top of that, the irony is that I left the house a half hour earlier this morning than I did yesterday... and had debated driving to Quincy to take the red line today, rather than deal with the Providence parking situation (which translates to parking at Providence Place Mall, which is $17 for the day, with no way to get my car out of hock before 10 a.m. because there are no tellers at the payment windows until then).

*snort*

Officially? I was an hour late today, as I was scheduled to open the office - Erich had thankfully not yet left the house, swung by, picked me up, and drove me to Norwood (because I was not going to Route 128 today with everyone else on the entire Providence to Boston line to pick up the Stoughton train).

But according to my normal starting time at work (9:15), I was only 15 minutes late. So by sheer coincidence, I've found an emergency back-station (as opposed to back-route) to get to work relatively easily. This is good.

Being productive, slacking off, and brown-nosing

All in all, it was quite productive. I got a lot of the email work I needed to finish completed - already have heard back from the caterer, and a few of the panic questions (i.e. we do have a tent reserved for the reception, right?!?) are now solved to my relief. I got caught up on a decent amount of housework. I leveled my character in World of Warcraft to 70. And I did some file cleaning on my computer. Not too shabby.

Oh, and with the help of my father, I've hopefully solved the poor timing of female systems during the wedding issue, with the help of Walgreens. Dad called in a resupply of my birth control pills to the Walgreens near me (gotta love that as long as it's not a narcotic, he can call cross-country). I'll be picking them up and starting them tomorrow, making sure to take no placebo pills at all to force my period to skip. And if all goes well, I'll be requesting my own OB/GYN to please put me on the Seasonale that's now on the market, which is essentially the same idea.

Didn't get to my office as I'd hoped - but the pouring rain that was supposed to last all weekend and cool things off didn't really happen. It poured for about a half-hour this afternoon, but I swear it's muggier now than it was before. And so it's just miserable upstairs. But I'll get to it. It may be a midnight project next weekend, but I'll get to it.

Tomorrow morning I'll be getting up bright and early at five, driving into work (let's hope the Jeep doesn't break down like it did last time I did this... on Memorial Day weekend), and pushing a potentially very long day. But it will be a good thing. It's for a large, complicated client, and working with one of the senior account managers and a principal of the company. And I definitely want to make good on putting a strong effort into my workload. Hopefully it all goes well.

It'll be a short work week for me - I'm taking a half day on Friday because I pick up my dress from the alterations late Friday afternoon (eep!). By then I'm hoping to also have figured out the hair stylist issues and transportation for this shindig.

My god, it's August already. Where the hell has this year gone?!?

The upcoming weekend

Random aside - day to day, I've been hanging out over on LJ a lot... as I've become pretty involved with the Doctor Who fan crowd there. So if you have a LJ account, pop on over and say hi. My screenname over there is measi, just as it is here. All of my journal entries are cross-posted, though.

I'd originally toyed with (and signed up for) the Blogathon for tomorrow, but hadn't received an approved message by this morning. And honestly? I know better. I'm already running crazy, and I can't afford to blow the day on it this year.

So I'll do it next year. When I'm theoretically sane.

Instead, I'll be working through a massive half-wedding, half-house chores list this weekend. Thankfully some of it is just email/computer related, so hopefully I can get a head start on it if I have some lulls in work today.

-Update RSVP list, email to Mom and Erich
- Email caterer
- Email DJ
- Email payment addresses to Mom
- Finish Lowes registry, double-check Linens & Things registry
- Update wedding webpage
- Laundry
- Dishes
- Scrub office
- Move bookshelves in office
- LoM files to iPod
- Backup all mp4s to DVD
- Whittle through "my docs" folder
- Time and Chips "Anywhere but Cardiff" fic... 1,000 words written
- Level Tennetty to 70
- Email girls list to Melinda
- Strip beds from last weekend, wash, remake
- Grocery shopping
- Beta reading

Seriously... with all of the crap I have to do... there's absolutely no way I could do that Blogathon. I was stupid to even think of it.

But hey, I'll find a way to get through the list. And I'll multitask when possible to try to get stuff done faster. I'm a professional admin assistant. I can multitask quite well. :) And since the weekend's supposed to be absolutely craptastic, it may help me to stay on task.

I can dream at least. Stop giving me those looks, Erich.

I do hope to have at least a couple hours of couch time this weekend. I bought copies of The Second Coming and Revengers Tragedy (both with Chris Eccleston) weeks ago and haven't watched them yet - and since I can only watch them on the living room TV since they're Region 2 discs, it limits my time a bit. Doctor Who was mostly to blame for that, of course. But maybe this weekend I can find a couple hours for one of them.

We'll see.

Happy Friday, all!

When Geeks Get Married...

So... the insanity continues in the wedding planning. Talked to Mom, who I think had a heart attack this morning over money. But so am I, so no worries there.

By process of elimination, we've picked our rings: ooh... shiny!

And then the email thread commenced on vows, since it relates to the ring...

I start the conversation off quietly - with vows I actually really like, either as-is, or with some modifications by us to personalize them:

I love you. You are my best friend.
Today I give myself to you in marriage.
I promise to encourage and inspire you, to laugh with you,
and to comfort you in times of sorrow and struggle.
I promise to love you in good times and in bad,
when life seems easy and when it seems hard,
when our love is simple, and when it is an effort.
I promise to cherish you, and to always hold you in highest regard
These things I give to you today, and all the days of our life.

As a joke, I also suggested that we could send my family into spasms by doing the ceremony this way: http://weddings.about.com/od/yourweddingceremony/a/SeussFunnyVows.htm

In response, Erich sends me the link to a google search... all on the word "Obey."

Now... we've had a lot of discussion on that word - and my distaste about it. It won't show up in my vows (whether Erich decides he wants to say he'll obey me... well, hey... *wink*). But I can joke about it.

So then the next proposal for vows he gives is this:

I promise to put up with your family, pull your pigtails less, and obey the cats.

Followed by a quick revisement, with both sets of vows. Me = Erich, You = Me.

Me: I promise to pull your pigtails less, mow the lawn more often, and obey the petting needs cats always.

You: I promise to cook more (because I’m good at it), clean more (because my office is scary), and buy more coffee (because we both need more coffee).


That may have potential...

Wednesday morning musings

Both other admins are late this morning for doctors' appointments. How'd this work out? Well, no matter. It's nice and quiet.

I'm highly annoyed, based on current events and some calculations, that I'm going to have my period during my wedding, thanks to my cycle deciding to do some timing switches and show up a week early. HIGHLY. ANNOYED. (seriously... on ALL OF THE DAYS... the one that I'm going to be wearing white on top of white on top of white. SERIOUSLY). Pissed. off.

Gathered all of our contracts for vendors to double-check final payment dates. Glad I did... 'cause our site payment in full was due Sunday. *sigh* Have already emailed them with a copy to my mom to get that resolved. *sigh* So the panic ensues again.

We have six RSVPs already returned to us. It's very freaky. OMG people are coming to this thing. *runs* *hides*

I seriously need a haircut. And a recolor. And a clue as to what I'm going to do with my hair for aforementioned wedding, which frustrates me because I'm just NOT a hair person and don't care about it like I really should be doing.

Thank Goddess for Indiebrides.com, which has a kickass repository of readings and vow ideas that others have used. Me thinks I may be diving into those threads on the Kvetch boards this weekend to get those vows written.

Speaking of writing - scribbled 300 words on my piece for "Anywhere but Cardiff." Whether I finish or not, no can say. But I'll give it a try.

Well, no... it will get finished. Whether before or after the wedding is the real question.

Shit, I still have lots of beta reading to do, too. Hmm...

Life on Mars is awesome. Just finished Episode 7 of Series 1 this morning.

I need more coffee.

I haven't watched an episode of Who since Friday night. Scary.

No, I really need more coffee.

Shit, I hope we didn't fuck everything up with our reception site by missing that deadline on Sunday. Fuck fuck fuck.

.

Personal exposure

Erich's had a nickname for me, said somewhat jokingly because of my blogging online for so long - "Measi, Queen of the Internets." It generally gets an eyeroll from me, sometimes an amused snort, and we carry on.

And then this week has rolled around, and I feel a bit wigged.

It all started last week when a member on LiveJournal posted a truly atrocious opinion article about a particular subset of Doctor Who fandom, accusing them of ruining the show, being racists because they didn't like a particular character, and just a lot of nonsense that basically is summed up with "they don't agree with me, so they suck." And I got sucked into the fire for a few brief hours, being careful not to troll but also to vent my anger. This type of insane drama, for those not in the internet fandom community, is generally known as wank. And if you're familiar with that phrase and its British usage... you're on the right track as far as the quality of these discussions.

Anyway - I did quickly come to my senses and backed off, shaking my head at the idiots who decide to determine fandom for everyone else, and started my week. But a lot of quiet, kind emails have followed me back to my little corner of LiveJournal, saying I was right to say what I did, in the manner that I did.

Was I? I'm not so sure. I stand by my words - I did mean what I say, how I said them. But I feel a bit dirty for jumping into any sort of fanwank.

And then my first completed fanfic in eight years was published for one of the fandom ficathons... that was early Monday morning. Oh, might I add (for the readers who aren't reading this via LiveJournal, where it's posted), I finally got over my fear of writing intimacy, and jumped in for this fic. And as nervous as I was to write it, it did feel good - liberating, even - to finally cross over that barrier. Definitely a sense of accomplishment, even if my ultra-introvert mind feels like I'm standing naked in the public square with a ton of onlookers. Writing sex scenes is... well, quite the exposure. I was taught, and generally have composed based on the "write what you know" philosphy.

That gets a bit personal when you're dealing with sex. And so I've been terrified of it.

So early Monday, it gets posted. To my surprise, so far people are really liking it. Me - who always thinks my writing is complete utter shit. People are liking it. I'm getting added to favorite author lists on fanfic sites for it. I go to my friends' list on LiveJournal this morning, and I'm seeing it rec'ed by a few people.

All a bit surreal for me.

Does it make me more confident as a writer? Oh hell no. The day I feel good as a writer is probably the day I need to stop. Insecurity is probably the driving force that makes me always try to improve.

Encouraging? Definitely. Once this wedding is over, I'm looking forward to more writing.

But in the meantime, I'll switch between being flattered and wigged out over here in my corner. Because contrary to the "Measi, Queen of the Internets" persona, I'm fairly intimidated by the whole thing.

(but yes, thrilled at the same time)

Wedding Chucks, yo

Wedding Chucks, yo
Originally uploaded by measi.

The official wedding footwear has arrived - positively geeky, and just what I wanted. :)

The orange is a bit brighter than I expected, but it's perfectly autumney against the red.

Now I just need to get the organza ribbon I'll use as laces for the wedding day. Color suggestions, anyone?

Random Sunday Thoughts...

My accomplishments this weekend:

1) Wedding invites are DONE (save two that we need new addresses for). All addressed, all compiled, all stamped. They go out tomorrow.

2) The Linens 'n Things portion of our wedding registry is populated. I feel like such a mooch. But I have to admit to being excited that I may actually get some of these things and finally break free of college decor-itis. Somewhat, anyway.

3) Laundry - ongoing. I'm on load 3. One more load of towels, and then a mini-load of delicates to go.

4) Erich and his dad put together our guest room bed (yes, ... an actual bed. With a headboard and footboard and everything!). Unfortunately, the Queen-sized boxspring will NOT go up our stairs. We removed the back staircase pole. We removed the front staircase ceiling molding. Won't happen. So... if you're in the general southern New England area and need a Queen boxspring (now or in the near future), lemme know. We're going to have to go purchase a split-style boxspring for the Queen bed. Depending on how that goes, we may have a mismatched mattress shortly, too. We can make arrangements somehow.

5) We narrowed our wedding ring decision down to five different bands. We've decided to get matching bands, rather than the newer trend of getting ones that each person likes. Thankfully, we both have similar tastes, so it's been fairly easy. Choices we're down to now are: A, B (possibly in the rose/white combo), C, D, or E (not bicolor).

6) Saw Harry Potter: OotP again today. It was Erich's Dad's 64th birthday today, so we treated him to a heavy breakfast at the Cracker Barrel, followed by the movie.

It was better on second viewing. Still not my favorite, but I did like it better this time around.

7) Attended the wedding of Erich's cousin, Katy, and her (now) husband, David. It was at Sakonnet Vineyards in Little Compton, RI. Lovely place. Definitely a setting I'd recommend to anyone looking for peaceful New England space - near the water, surrounded by the vines. Although it was a bit buggy in the evening (welcome to July). Otherwise, weather was incredible for July - absolutely perfect. I can only hope we have such good weather in September.

8) Went a little snarky with Doctor Who fandom. But I'm better now and moving on.



Good weekend. Definitely can't complain! :)

Street icons

Anyone who has gone to Boston University in the last fifteen years probably has had at least one amusing encounter with some of the mainstays - but completely harmless - street folk around Harvard Avenue, Harvard Square, or Kenmore Square. Some of them are colorful characters that you forget about later, except when a college story of old comes up.

And now one of the better ones has died...

Street icon 'Mr. Butch' dies at 56
Scooter crash claims popular homeless man

By Bryan Marquard, Globe Staff | July 12, 2007

Dreadlocked, homeless, and usually cheerful, Mr. Butch was an iconic presence in Kenmore Square for years before moving his base of operations to Harvard Avenue in Allston a decade ago. Ranting in rhyme with a beer in hand — a tall boy, preferably — he would panhandle one minute and offer to share his take with a friend the next.

‘‘Mr. Butch,’’ whose name was Harold Madison Jr., died yesterday of injuries from an early morning crash when the motor scooter he was driving hit a pole, friends and family said.
The subject of YouTube videos, a MySpace tribute page, and a Wikipedia entry, Mr. Butch may have been the most famous street person in Boston. He was so popular that The Boston Phoenix wrote in April that it was considering changing the criteria of the ‘‘Readers’ Pick: Neighborhood Character’’ category because Mr. Butch won so regularly.
At 56, he had lived on Boston’s streets for about 30 years. In Kenmore Square and his Allston neighborhood — areas rife with college students and people who prefer less traditional approaches to life — some saw in Mr. Butch a latter-day Thoreau, a man who chose a path that didn’t involve taxes, rent, or office cubicles. Instead, he helped the elderly cross streets, joyously played air guitar, philosophized, and sang.
‘‘He’s been in so many local movies, videos, in the Phoenix — he’s like an icon of the neighborhood,’’ said Erin Scott, manager of New England Comics on Harvard Avenue in Allston.

‘‘He was just the sweetest, nicest homeless person — he looked out for people,’’ said Toni Fanning, who owns the Ritual Arts store nearby. ‘‘I’ll tell you, this whole street is just miserable right now. Everybody just doesn’t want to believe it. It’s so hard to talk about Butch in any kind of past tense.’’
In a YouTube video posted on Mr. Butch’s MySpace page, he offered a buoyant view on how to live: ‘‘You got to be articulate every day and keep going on strong and straight and use your heart and all your might and all your weight and all your power. Do what you can, make it last for many hour, ’cause once you’re dead, you’re done, you don’t come back,’’ he rapped, pausing before adding, ‘‘Yeah.’’
Fanning’s favorite encounter with Mr. Butch was on Easter a few years ago. When she left home to visit a friend who was in bad straits, she was depressed about her friend, the day — just everything.
‘‘And I walked outside and there was Butch standing on the corner of Harvard and Comm. Ave. with a big sandwich board that said, ‘I need weed,’’’ Fanning said. ‘‘I started laughing so hard that it got me through that entire day.’’
Mr. Butch was not timid about his pastimes: drinking beer and smoking marijuana. And he could be irascible. He was a tall and slender man, and the stoop of his shoulders signaled his level of intoxication. Unwelcome as Kenmore Square began tidying up its act, Mr. Butch left, telling friends that encounters with police officers had become too frequent.
Allston proved more tolerant.
‘‘I’m just devastated,’’ said Jerry Katz, a lawyer whose offices are along Harvard Avenue. ‘‘Everyone loved Mr. Butch. I loved Mr. Butch.’’
Though thousands of passersby made his acquaintance through the years, few knew much about Mr. Butch’s background. Born in Worcester, he grew up in a large family. His father, Harold Sr., dubbed him Butch.
A talented drummer, he sat in with bands and played with a mentor in the local music scene, picking up the guitar in his midteens and filling a closet with percussion instruments he made from items he found. He did not finish high school and moved to Kenmore Square in the 1970s when Worcester became inhospitable to his frequent drinking.
‘‘I think he was just looking for someplace to be accepted,’’ said his sister Jeannette Madison of Worcester. ‘‘He told us that this was the life that he chose — a street person, happy-go-lucky, panhandler. I guess for him that was easier, and it didn’t take very long for people to understand what he was doing and just take it with a grain of salt.
‘‘People are who they choose to be.’’
In addition to Jeannette, he has four siblings in Worcester — Russell, Phillip, Jeffrey, and Sheila — and a brother, Alphonso Moore, of Henderson, Nev. His mother, Virginia, died in December; his father died in 1974.
Mr. Butch played on the fringe of Boston’s music scene for years. Friends tried to get him into subsidized housing, but he refused to go through the required detoxification treatments. Recently, he lived in a van friends helped him acquire.
Trusted friends became his ‘‘banks,’’ holding onto his money and storing his belongings. Mr. Butch’s thee-quarter-length leather coat, with his name in white and red letters on the back, was displayed last night in the window of Regeneration Tattoo on Harvard Avenue as a tribute.
‘‘It kind of blows my mind that he isn’t here,’’ Scott said. ‘‘I have his guitar in my back room. I have a buck in his bank.’’
Friends plan to meet Monday at 8 p.m. at Regeneration Tattoo and Ritual Arts for a memorial, said Sue Jeiven, owner of Regeneration Tattoo.
‘‘He always wanted a big blowout for his funeral. He said: ‘Blow a lot of money. I want a big party,’’’ she said.
A favorite among many students and professors, Mr. Butch was once asked to speak at Boston College. Proud of the moment, he sent his siblings a photo of himself lecturing in front of the classroom.
‘‘I feel like he had a lot to say and there were a lot of people who actually wanted to listen,’’ his sister said. ‘‘And I thank the Lord for that. And I thank the Lord that Butch is in his hands now.’’

I was so afraid of him for the better part of college - but one night junior year of college, I was storming around Kenmore in a rage one night sometime around 3 or 4 a.m. He followed me, wouldn't let me keep storming around. I don't even remember why I was so angry, but I remember sitting on the stoop at Planet Records with him as the sun came up, just talking with him. I guess he just had the knack to know who needed someone to talk to.

Oddly probably one of the biggest eye-opening nights I had in college about the world around me.

I definitely won't forget him.

Thursday Thirteen #26: Non-related musings

My brain has officially gone into wedding mush autopilot, so I don't really have anything witty for this week's Thursday Thirteen. But I can come up with 13 random thoughts for the week.

Measi's Brain-Fried Thursday Thirteen

1. My wedding invites are all addressed, save the four that my mom finally just emailed me fifteen minutes ago. That means I can get them addressed and out the door this weekend. Big, big check mark off the wedding "to do" list.

2. If you live in the U.S., love science fiction, and aren't watching the new series of Doctor Who that started last week - turn on the television on Friday night. Seriously. Having seen the entire series, it's fantastic. It's not the goofy sets of the 70s on PBS you may remember, as good as Tom Baker was. The last six episodes of this series are not to be missed, in my opinion. Blink, in particular, scheduled to air on September 7th, is not to be missed TV for any lover of really good, creepy TV shows, sci-fi or not.

3. Next shows on my Brit TV list - I've just started watchng Life on Mars. Brilliant writing, great acting. I garnished stares on the commuter train this morning as I broke out laughing at episode 2. I'm also starting Our Friends in the North, as a continuation of shows starring actors from Doctor Who. I've heard it's an amazing series.

4. I've now lost a total of 20 pounds due to wedding stress. Which I'm really not happy about, because I tend to double-gain back once I'm out of stress.

5. There is a distinct weather line ringing Boston at Route 128/I-95 this week. Outside of 128, it's hot and humid. But inside the ring, it's been in the low 70's, and foggy until today. It's throwing me off on my commute - hot when I leave in the morning, cold when I arrive at work.

6. I'm tired of hearing people chew loudly at their desks at work. The sound of people chewing (presumably with their mouths open) makes my stomach turn.

7. My World of Warcraft guild, the Burrito Bandits, has a new tabard - looking like a lobster bib. (a photo is over on my Flickr page). Our guild leader is insane... in a good way.

8. Speaking of burritos... I think a buffalo chicken one from Boloco is calling my name for lunch today.

9. I bought my first Moleskine notebook over the weekend for doodling and scribbling random thoughts. Because I need more notebooks.

10. I'm tired of my work wardrobe. It's bleh and boring and getting sloppy. But I hate the plus-sized clothes for summer, and can't justify a spending spree. Until after the wedding, I'm just going to endure it.

11. New official count on Hoodsie's toes - 7 on each front paw, 6 on one back paw, 7 on the other back paw. Boy's got a lotta extra claws. And my legs have paid the price as he play-pounces.

12. Holy shit I'm getting married in 9 weeks.

13. I really, truly need about a month-long vacation.

Distracted

The fog that has decided to settle all day over Boston Harbor definitely reflects my attention span today - lots of little things floating around, but nothing's quite distinct.

I have an omnipresent thought floating around regarding Melinda today, who's now recovering from surgery. As of the first update last night, she was doing quite well. Erich, who's had the same procedure - albeit under the methods done eight years ago - was surprised that she was up and walking yesterday. He told me this morning as I read Kevin's email that it took him the better part of a week before he was moving.

Amazing what a few years does for surgical procedures, eh?

In any case, Melinda's a fairly strong presence in my thoughts today, and I'm hoping her recovery goes smoothly so I can envy her in about ten weeks when I see her looking fabulous in a floor-length truffle gown.

Add to that the fact that I'm completely distracted from work today because my office bought out two theater showings for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Erich and I are going tonight after work. I cannot wait. :)

On the planning side, now that it's ever-present...

I'm about 3/4 done with addressing my wedding invitation envelopes, taking a break after every few to rest up my wrist so my writing doesn't start getting scrawly. When my wrist is fresh, my handwriting is surprisingly good - if I'm not using a ballpoint pen, at least. Ironic, considering that I always flunked handwriting in grade school!

Most of my friends have asked why I don't just print out the invitations using a pretty font on the printer, and I've said I don't want to. This is just one of those things I feel the need to do. It's the right thing to do - spending the time to personally address envelopes for my wedding. My love of writing isn't just in the structure of words on a page. I've always loved getting letters written by hand, and whenever possible - I've made a point to write letters by hand. There's something elegant and relaxing about it - reminding the world that it's not all about computers and technology. It's personal, and it's very me. And besides, it's not like I have hundreds of these to do. I have about sixty total. Not too bad at all.

Although I have to admit that writing formal envelopes to my close friends addressed as "Mr. and Mrs. HisFirst TheirLast" is a bit surreal. I'm going pretty casual on the inner envelope, just to stop weirding myself out.

I still have to get in touch with someone regarding hairstyles for the wedding. And I need to touch base with the caterer to start getting those gears going.

T-minus ten weeks...

I has weddingz insanities

Running through the mental checklist for the wedding has summed up my week. But we are now under three months, and it's officially "Okay... you need to get this shit done now" time.

And I just remembered that we forgot to sign the photographer contract. AGAIN.

*ugh*

Anyway... the list in the last week's accomplishments have been thusly:
- deposit for the cake
- finalized the hors d'oevres list & decided on the alcohol, style of catering, etc. from the options given
- had my fitting (god, was that only a week ago?)
- brought Masquedbunny to order her bridesmaid dress. All of the girls are now ordered.
- Erich decided up on his kilt tartan and the kilt rentals for the groomsmen
- We got in touch with my brother, miracle of miracles
- Designed and purchased my custom Wedding Chucks
- Invites arrived
- I bought stamps for said invites.
- Found our florist
- Met with said florist last night for a sample centerpiece. Absolutely lovely. She'll be sending cost estimates & contract this week.
- Drank an intriguing "ninjarita" at the impromptu Fourth of July celebration as I caught up with Sara about our wedding plans
- Did a quick tour of the hotel where my mom has reserved a block of rooms. We prefer the hotel she stayed at last week, honestly, but the one with the block *is* a half-hour closer to the wedding site, so she's keeping the block. Erich and I may rent a room at the other place, though, for our wedding night
- Dad sent me my pearls (on my request) that I got as a gift for my high school graduation. I've never worn them, and they've been at my dad's house the entire time. They should be arriving today here at work.
- Accepted the fact that no, I'm not into the wedding planning, but I'll deal, knowing that I'll have a good time on the day, even if it takes a crapload of alcohol to loosen me up

This weekend's projects (that will undoubtedly bleed into next week):
- address invites & get at least the long distance ones in the mail by Monday
- gather list of the girls for whatever Melinda is planning behind my back. (Goddess help me)
- Harass my mom for those final addresses she keeps telling me she wants added to the invite list
- Contact the spa regarding hair/massages/etc
- Contact the bridesmaids once I have prices for hair and stuff, and see who's interested, and who prefers to do their own
- Find time to sleep. A lot.

To kick off the weekend, though, we're heading to the drive-in tonight to view the Uber Manly Double Feature (TM), consisting of Transformers followed by Live Free or Die Hard. And since both are fairly long movies, we're not expecting to get home much before two a.m.

I has insanities. Mel brain go boom.

Thursday Thirteen: Things I've learned in the last week

It's Thursday morning - I'm very tired, sitting at work, and it's a depressingly gloomy day. If you watched any of the Boston coverage on CBS last night, you didn't get the half of how dreary a day it was. But it was fun. I just want the rest of the week off. :)

In any case, it's time for the Thursday Thirteen, and since it's the 100th edition of T13 on their site, they asked for a special T13 linking to your top thirteen favorite posts for the meme.

I'll be getting to THAT this evening, when I have time for it (and to also make up a couple missing T13s). Until then, here's my normal one...

Thirteen things I’ve learned in the last week

1) My mother is completely, utterly unpredictable. Things I don’t think will bother her about the wedding… do. And things I think she’ll flip a gasket over… don’t. I’m so confused.

2) Fourth of July celebrations on a Wednesday make for absolutely brutal Thursday mornings.

3) Guys vs. girls when it rains on the cookout: The guys all duck for shelter under the porch. The girls take over the chairs in the yard vacated by the guys, make sure the chairs are relatively under cover of the trees, and go about their business.

4) I’m severely out of practice with any sort of healing energy work. The girls were working with it last night, and now I have an energy drain headache.

5) Watching six cats work out the pack pecking order is fascinating. Particularly when the humans are dead wrong as to who the alpha male of the household was. I laugh at the idea that cats are solitary animals.

6) There’s clearly something wrong with me since I don’t enjoy the wedding planning like others do. But that’s okay. I just don’t like to fuss over things, and wedding planning is a whole lotta fussing.

7) I’m thankful I don’t live closer to the Italian markets in Federal Hill, Providence. I’d be broke and even fatter than I am now. OMG, the food is so good though!

8) Weddings are frighteningly expensive. Even when you think they won’t be. I should have really figured this out before, honestly.

9) Apparently, I can write NC-17 rated fanfic quite well, based on my livejournal friends’ list reviews. (blush). Not sure whether it’s a good or a bad thing that I have my friends requesting that I “write more smut.” Heh.

10) I don’t like gin and tonics. I do, however, like whatever Chris and Sara were putting in their “Ninjaritas” yesterday at the cookout.

11) There is nothing quite like having David Tennant, John Barrowman, and John Simm on the TV screen at the same time. The only thing I can think of to make that better is to add a young Mel Gibson to the mix.

12) Reactions that came from the groomsmen about their wearing kilts – my brother is suggesting he’ll be tempted to recreate the bottom-bearing scene in Braveheart (and well… he would.) One of Erich’s friends – “What did I ever do to you?” One of the other groomsmen reminded said dreading groomsman that apparently he tried to kill Erich with an icecube tray once. I have not heard this story yet. And I think I need to. Very soon.

13) I’ve rarely paid much attention to him since he left ESPN, but Keith Olbermann did an amazing commentary the other night on TV. This is the type of discussion the First Amendment was made for. When our nation is in crisis. Regardless of which side of the party fence you sit on, please watch it.





Off to work.