Wedding planning updates

So, having just finished a 5-page paper on group dynamics and theory which I started approximately 4 1/2 hours ago (there was lots of office watching and dealing with cake tasting leftovers in between), I thought I would provide an update on our wedding plans. Anything to avoid school at this point, really.

We had florist appointments and cake tastings this week, and I'm feeling positive about our overall progress thus far.

A recap:

Wedding: June 5th
Ceremony: Sacred Heart Cathedral, Raleigh
Reception: Sister's Garden
Photographer: Aperature Aficionado (Holly & Andrew Wagner)
Reception band: The Boilermakers (swing)
Flowers: Kelly Odum (we picked dark pink, blue/green, and coral as the main flower colors)
Cake: Cinda's Creative Cakes

The cake process was really awesome...she had us look through her albums and mark any features we liked, and then did a sketch while we talked, so we came away what our wedding cake will most likely look like. Plus we had three 10-inch cakes to eat at the end. I'll post a scan of the design if I get a copy.

Next up: Finalizing our invitation list and buying invitations. It does seem like it's getting more real as things move along!

Business as usual

I know I haven't written in a while...but that's mainly because I haven't had anything to say. I continue to not be motivated to do school-related things (especially when they pertain to Community Theory, aka, the class I want to end RIGHT NOW.)

I haven't made any more wedding progress (although I do have florist and cake appointments this week).

I will comment on all the TV shows that are now back from their summer break:

• Top Chef--much more predictable than last season. But still good.
• House--I actually liked the premiere, and may keep watching even though I didn't plan to watch at all this season.
• Bones--So far excellent as usual. And excellently gross.
• Glee--No words can describe how much I love this show. I just hope they don't lost their momentum and end up like Ugly Betty, more drama than comedy.
• Grey's Anatomy--I'm not sure how I feel about the whole Mercy West merger. And the fact that Meredith, Izzie, and Derek will be gone for parts of the season.
• The Office. I just got addicted to this thanks to Brian (and my very Michael Scott-like boss at my internship), but so far I like it. Plus a girl I went to England with is supposed to be in an episode soon.

Obviously this is far more TV than I should really be watching...but I'm going to watch it anyway. School isn't exactly so riveting that it tears me away.

I'm just holding out for Thanksgiving.

Settling in

2 weeks of school down...14 to go until Christmas break.

I've discovered so far this semester (like I didn't already know) that I'm just not into school anymore--the group projects, the papers, all the reading. I don't know if it's because I went straight from undergrad into grad school without a break and now have been in school for 17, going on 18, consecutive years, or the fact that most of my textbooks talk about "right wing repression" as the reason for all society's ills, or the fact that our DD system is so crappy out there right now that i feel like I need to DO something, instead of just sitting in a classroom and shadowing people as the intern. Don't get me wrong, I like my internship, and I've learned a LOT in the 6 days I've been there so far, but I'm tired. Tired of being a student, tired of having homework, tired of not getting paid for all the hours I put in, tired of being told that my political leanings caused everything that's wrong in the world.

I want to graduate, but I'm scared what will happen when I do. Brian's sending in the first of his grad school applications this week, and with that putting our living situation next year into limbo. Where will we be? Where will I find a job? How will we pay for things? Who knows.

In wedding news (i'm trying to stay positive about it despite all the fluctuating variables), I found a band for the reception thanks to some help from the Triangle Swing Dance Society. Next up: finding a florist. And graduating. Making it to graduation without exploding in "repressive right wing" anger is a big goal right now. We'll see how it goes.

Welcome back, Reality

Today is the last day of my only week (well, really 10 days) off all summer. And I spent most of it either a.) running around Cary doing errands I didn't have time to do while I was working full-time or b.) in New Bern trying to juggle seeing both of my parents and Brian an equal amount of time. In other words, I don't think it should count as far as time off goes.

Now I'm back to reality, as school starts back tomorrow, and I am really dreading it. Not only do I not have a job yet (the school of social work is posting jobs on Wednesday, but as I'm sure most of my classmates are just as desperate as I am, I'm trying not to get my hopes up), but my classes this semester don't exactly tickle my fancy.

I'm taking:

• Marketing and Fundraising
• Nonprofit Law
• Community Theory & Practice

Wahoo.

I'm also not looking forward to going back to the generally one-sided liberal climate of the school, and social work in general. I don't consider myself to be an incredibly conservative person, or a Republican at all, but compared to most opinions over there, I might as well be Ronald Reagan. Or Ann Coulter, my new hero (she's conservative AND sarcastic.) It's not that I don't like the people there--they are all very nice--but I am tired of being the only conservative voice (and the one constantly going, WAIT, what about people with disabilities?? People are starting to get annoyed with me, I think, but what ABOUT people with disabilities??). In conclusion, it could be a trying (and exhausting) semester.

In wedding news, we got a photographer. Next up, finding a band for the reception.

Wedding movies and expo

This weekend was the Southern Bridal Expo (which was madness...more on that in a bit), so Lara and I decided to have a wedding movie marathon to psych ourselves up for it.

Here is the list of what we watched:

• My Big Fat Greek Wedding
• Father of the Bride
• The Wedding Singer
• The Wedding Date
• Bride Wars
• Four Weddings and a Funeral
• Runaway Bride
• The Wedding Planner

Here is what I have determined about weddings based on these movies:

• If you are not engaged, you will be soon. If you are, you're probably engaged to the wrong person. But don't worry--you'll find the right person, no one will be upset, and you'll get married anyway.
• Canceling weddings at the VERY last minute is not hard. Also, no one bothers about all the money you just wasted.
• Weddings=awkward conversation and family members.
• No one bothers to make arrangements to live together after the wedding if they're not already. In fact, a good number of brides are living with their parents.
  
• Many wedding dresses are ugly, especially if they are from the 80s or early 90s.
  
• Grooms don't get much, if any, of a say.

What I learned from the bridal expo is this:

• Most people are WAY more serious about wedding planning than I am; they all had custom labels with their wedding dates printed up.
• Apparently you are supposed to lose weight to "look your best". It seems like not such a smart idea to lose weight after you buy your dress, but gyms think it is.
• Some bakeries can't make cake better than I can in my tiny apartment kitchen, and don't deserve to have me pay them for something I could do myself.
• Champagne and lemonade is good. Pink rose champagne is not.

In other words, it was 3 hours of having people throw themselves at me to get me to agree to use them. In most cases, I was not inclined (for example, registering at Macy's...who can afford to buy anything there??), wearing a sticker that said "June" on it like it was my name, and registering for a LOT of free stuff, none of which I will probably win. I was disturbed, really, by the gyms that were there advertising "bridal boot camps". Why would you want to look not like yourself on your wedding day? Thin does not equal "looking your best". Urgh.

I am trying to take it one step at a time as far as planning goes...currently I am looking for a photographer. Hopefully that will be soon.

Moved at last

Well, I'm in my new apartment at last, and mostly unpacked except for some odds and ends which are scattered about still. It does have its advantages over my old one, windows and a sink sprayer being the primary ones, plus a larger bedroom (not to mention the fact that it's $100 cheaper than my old one). I haven't figured out my way around Cary yet, which could be interesting/frustrating.

The week ahead, though, could be a grueling one--commuting to Chapel Hill every day for work, not to mention dealing with all the stuff the last week of camp involves (like having to clean out our room) and staff and kid burnout alike. Last week nearly every kid had a meltdown, even the ones that normally never do, and all the staff are starting to get on each other's nerves and be short with the kids, myself included.

If I get through this week, I get a week off before school starts, which is much needed; I'm already dreading school and having to do homework on top of working all the time. I still haven't found a part-time job for during the year, but I have a few ideas, so hopefully something will work out. If not, at least I'm living somewhere cheaper...

What a Week

I think this was one of the most stressful weeks I can remember.

A few highlights:

• One of my kid's basketballs got stolen out of the room we're using this summer
• Another one of my kids broke his foot coming off the bus and is now in a walking cast with a walker for 6-8 weeks.
• The evening cleaning people threw all our stuff out in the hallway Thursday night, leaving me to deal with it Friday morning.
• It started pouring rain halfway through our cookout on Friday.
• Whole Foods, where I've been working with my client, decided to "cease participation" in the summer program. Hence, I now loathe them, b/c they've treated us badly from the start and now they've "fired" us. Seriously, don't shop there. They are not nice to people with disabilities AND they're ridiculously overpriced.
• I move on Saturday, and have been scrambling to pack--and now I'm living in a 2/3 packed , depressing, echoing apartment for a week. Blah.

On the plus side, I DID find a place for the wedding reception, which at least takes away some of the stress. And thank goodness camp ends in 2 weeks--I may not make it at this rate.