A little TOO ironic, I really do think.

Smoking saved my life.

As anyone who has heard my car in the last six months or so knows, I need a new muffler. I took it in today to get an estimate of how much repairs are going to run me. Apparently, the hole is right below the car's ventilation system--and apparently, such a hole creates a carbon monoxide situation. Well, according to the mechanic (who saw the cigarettes in my car as he was pulling it in), had I been driving around with my windows up (running the air conditioning, for example), this carbon monoxide would have been in from the muffler, through my car's ventolation system and into my car through the vents. At this point, the mechanic said, I would have "gone to sleep and never woken up." It was only driving around with my windows down (from the smoking) that allowed this Death Gas to escape.

Weird, huh?

I am a stress-ball.

My wedding is 5 days away and I am an emotional ball of stress. I have a list of last things to do that keeps growing longer everyday. Our families keep changing the counts for the reception & groom's dinner, which adds up to hundreds of dollars for their whims. My fiance is changing the ceremony that he said I was totally in charge of. I have to work but my brain fell out some time last week and won't back until after the honeymoon.

And now my fiance emailed me to see if I want to play softball tonight. Who the hell is this guy and what planet has he been living on that he thinks I have time to play softball?! I am not marrying him. New guy, please!

I know that none of this stuff is a huge deal, it's all going to be ok, it's going to be a great day no matter what, that logically all of this stuff is easily handled, but right now I'm feeling pretty emotional and stressed about it!

Here's your update. Sheesh.

Since Renee is pretty close to inflicting bodily harm if I don't provide a wedding update, here you go.

Everything went just fine. It was a lovely evening.

Thanks for reading!

What? Not enough details?

The highlights:

We had to start about 15 minutes before sunset, as it was starting to sprinkle. (Luckily, the truly heavy rain held off until my mom and I were walking home from the bar. Yes, you read that correctly.) Of course, because of the clouds, we never really SAW a "sunset" per se, but the location was beautiful anyway.

Bobby, instead of wearing a mack daddy orange suit with a matching tophat as he had been threatening to, showed up in a very sharp white tux/suit thing. He looked SHARP. April cried when she saw him for the first time, since she had no idea he was going to do that.

The ceremony itself went great. It was, as desired by the bride and groom, very laid back, fun and casual. Bobby's self-written vows were entitled, "Our love is like a pancake mix." Instead of "I do," he replied with "Word."

It was truly a great, personal ceremony. I've always envisioned a large, relatively formal (ie, in a church, with flowers and a wedding dress and a reception and bridesmaids and all that) wedding for myself, but I am really inspired by how Bobby and April decided they wanted to get married--and then just DID it, on a South Haven beach with the people who really mattered to them.

Oh--and the officiant received a lot of very positive feedback on her performance. Everyone said I did a great job, that I didn't seem nervous at all (which is good, since I was pretty sure I was going to puke) and that I came off as very professional. It was actually a lot of fun. And I wouldn't mind doing it again.

Who's next?

Thinking holy thoughts.

Exactly 24 hours from now, I will be officiating April and Bobby's marriage on a South Haven beach at sunset.

I'm pretty nervous--but excited, too. All jokes aside, I am truly honored that they've chosen me to participate in what will hopefully be the best day of their lives. To be able to join two people in marriage--wow. It's even more significant to me, as April and I have become closer over the last few months. We're not just work acquaintances any more; we're FRIENDS. (Anna, April and I even had a Girl's Night Out last weekend.)

Wish me luck--and even more importantly, please join me in wishing April and Bobby a lifetime of happiness.

What's in a Name?

I've only got 10 days left until my wedding. Yay & Eeek!

I've decided to take his last name. I'm not getting rid of my original last name, just adding his. No, not hyphenating it, just adding it. I feel a little bit like who I am, who I've always been, is wrapped up in my name so I don't want to lose it. But I want to add his to join with him together in name as well as in life.

I'm wondering who this woman with the new name will be. Yes, she'll be like me, but she'll be different. She'll be a married person. She'll sign her name differently. Will I like her? What will she be like?

Welcome to my personal identity crisis. It's lovely to have you. ;)

I am my mother's daughter.

As most of you know, my mom is very--how you say--sesitive. Well, I had an incident yesterday at work that made even HER look like an emotional rock.

Tuesday was the first day of kindergarten for the afternoon kinder class (Monday was a half day and school was dismissed at 11). Well, one of our afternoon kinders was dropped off in the morning by her parents, who both work, and we were responsible for bringing her down to her class at 12:15. I was the staff member who was appointed to deliver her to Mrs. M's room.

I showed N. her classroom, including the number 2 on the door so she knows how to make sure she has the right room, took her to her cubby and desk, introduced her to her teacher, stood in the back of the room with the other "parents" to make sure she was adjusting okay, and then snuck out.

And promptly starting bawling in the hallway.

Again, this was Tuesday. Mind you, my first time meeting this kid was on Monday.

One of the parents looked at my sympathetically. "It's hard when your kids start school, isn't it?" she asked understandingly.

"She's not my kid!" I sobbed.

I chalk it up to PMS.

Even so, when our future child(ren) start school...Jeff's going to have to be the one to drop them off.

My first day of preschool.

Today we switched from summer camp to our pre-K program. I am now an assistant teacher (I don't know if that's my official title, but it's what I'm calling myself) to 3 and 4 year olds.

First of all, getting a group of kids that age to just sit DOWN is a major accomplishment. (I was much more successful once I got out the duct tape, though.) And they wander around. And cry. And talk when they aren't supposed to. And tug on your shirt, saying, "Teacher, guess what?" over and over until you either answer them or drive a pencil into your eye.

But having said all that...I really had a great day. Even though I have the early shift and have to be there at 6:30. Yes, that's the time I have to BE THERE. At 6:30. In the MORNING. If you've known me longer than a day, you know that I'm not a morning person. Let alone a get-up-at-5-in-the-morning person.

Good times.

My fiancé had his bachelor party last weekend.

He left at noon on Saturday and got home around 6pm on Sunday. When I heard from him for the first time in over 24 hours at 2pm on Sunday I joyously greeted him with "You're alive!" To which he replied "No, not quite, but not quite dead either." He seemed to be mostly recovered by Monday morning.

So I ask you: If the groom-to-be dies at the bachelor party so that he can't marry the bride-to-be, doesn't that defeat the purpose of the bachelor party in the first place?

I am NOT addicted.

On Friday, Jeff showed me this online game called Bejeweled (it can also be found on certain cell phone models). The object is to line up 3 or more identical jewels in a row, either horizontally or vertically. The goal is to make lines, horizontally or vertically, of three or more matching gems by swapping two adjacent pieces (just click once on each of the two pieces you want to switch around). It's a problem-solving, puzzle-type game, and I have spent an obscene amount of time this weekend in intense competition with Jeff.

I will give you the link; however, please be careful. This is a very powerful game. It has the ability to tear you away from your family and friends. It can isolate you from the outside world. It can cause you to neglect your significant other. Hell, you may very well forget that you HAVE a significant other.

That doesn't mean I'm addicted, though. I can quit any time I want to. Really.

Now if you'll excuse me....I have something I have to go do.

Bejeweled...if you dare

Goodbye, summer.

Today is our last day of summer camp already, and school (and our pre-K program) starts on Monday. I'm so excited that it's back-to-school time again (although I must say that this was one of the best summers of my life). ;) Leaves changing colors, Jeff's birthday, my birthday, Halloween and Thanksgiving, carving pumpkins, picking apples (okay, I've only actually done that once in my life), drinking cider....

What's YOUR favorite part of fall?

Viva la Sex.

The best part about having cable again has got to be the Sex and the City reruns on TBS (Tues. and Wed. nights, Anna, starting at 10.) Obviously the episodes are edited for television, but it still provides the Sex fix that I've been so desperately needing.

How many of you watch (or used to watch) SATC? If you weren't able to catch it on HBO, I highly suggest you catch these broadcast cable reruns.

I went to the movie Garden State last night, done by the guy from Scrubs. I thought it was quite good.

Has anyone else seen any good movies lately?

Testing, testing, 1, 2, 3.

Did I do it? Am I a blogger?

Look, look, I AM a blogger!

Woo-Hoo!

Random thought.

In the illustration for how to properly take a home pregnancy test, why is the woman always standing up? Do a lot of women regularly pee while standing up?

Dang, somehow I was creating my own blog and then I thought it was a good idea, and then I thought it was a bad idea, so I deleted it. Now I am wondering if it would be a good idea again :). But for now, Jen was kind enough to let us post on her Blog, so I was going to see how many comments I would get from my first "formal" post.

I was wondering what stress reliever remedies work for you?

Sometimes at the end of a long day at work, or after being with a toddler all day, or after the housework has piled up, I just feel tired, sore, and cranky. Sometimes I unwind with a good book, or a hot bath, but generally I am too tired even for that. What works for you all and what stressed you out?

Thanks for your suggestions,

Kishelle

I really don't have anything to say right now; I'm just seeing if this will really post.

Anna, I keep forgetting to email you, but I had a WONDERFUL time at the honky tonk bar! Thank you SO much for inviting me!

Life is good.

I got home today and their was a single red rose waiting for me on my computer monitor.

Seriously, I don't think life gets much better than this.

Knock yourselves out.

I've invited a couple of you to become "team members" on this here blog. Basically, that means that you can create actual posts and not just comments. Remember when I was offline whilst moving and you all started that Favorite Movie Actor thread in the comments section of an existing post? Well, now you can make that kind of stuff an actual blog entry.

I'm not sure EXACTLY how it works, but you should be receiving an email about it from the Blogger site. If you're so inclined, follow the instructions and we'll see what happens.

Dish pan hands.

Jeff doesn't have a dishwasher. I'm pretty sure that even the AMISH have dishwashers by now. I'm not sure I can handle this primitive living environment. Granted, the digital cable and internet access helps to make it a bit more tolerable, but still. ;)

Speaking of Amish...I watched part of that show the other night, Anna, but didn't see the infamous Hot Amish Boy--and certainly not a Hot Amish Boy without his shirt.

Bullriding makes your legs sore.

Here, Kishelle, I got rid of my original entry. I do, however, need to keep my shout out to Renee for her help on Sunday. AND, of course, for the mint chocolate cheesecake.

Rumor has it that Renee's hurtin' a bit from Saturday night. Anna, how are ya feeling?

Everything is pretty much out of my old apartment (everything that we're taking, anyway). Now it's just time to unpack and wait for "his" place to start feeling like "our" place.

Stuff.

Fine, Anna, here's your new blog entry.

I'm looking forward to this weekend and our big Girls Night Out. Alcohol and mechanical bulls...nothing bad could possibly come of THAT combination, I'm sure.

I'm just feeling really..."blah" lately. Not depressed, necessarily. Just unexcited.

I'm really pissed off that, once again, the husband of a missing pregnant woman has been arrested for her murder. I've already asked Jeff, very politely, not to kill ME if I ever get pregnant. He said he would try not to. So that's good to know.

It's scary, though. I mean, you all think that Jeff is in love with me and could NEVER do something like that, right? Well, at first, that's what the families and friends of these other couples all said. He couldn't POSSIBLY be involved in her disappearance. They're so much in love. He adores her.

Chances are that these women never imagined that their husbands could do something like that to them. I'm willing to bet that they trusted them with all of their hearts and souls. So maybe you never really know ANYONE.

And on THAT happy note...how are all of YOU?