Ka-wow-ee!

THIS is where we're going to be in 80-something days!!! We booked it tonight! That's going to be us on those outside bar stools! Another pina colada, please!


Like most East Coast kids, I first heard about Hawaii from the Brady Bunch episode. Growing up, nobody went to Hawaii - people would go to the Caribbean. Hawaii was someplace you would maybe go on your honeymoon, but that was it. And now I finally get to go! That's called livin' the dream.

I'm excited because in the pictures, the rooms look very nice. No tacky flowered bed spreads here - it all looks clean, modern, tasteful. Maybe this will be our room? We did spring for an ocean view...


Sweetie found this place, proving once again that he has excellent taste in hotels.

I Am Turning Into the Biggest Sap

What is happening to me???

This is the kind of thing that I would have totally made fun of in the past, if I had even bothered to watch it. But now, I'm a little embarrassed to admit, I was almost in tears at the end because, well, they just all look so joyful.

OMG, this wedding/love stuff is just turning me into the BIGGEST sap. And I always thought of myself as such a Miranda!

No, wait, this kind of makes sense. I love movies that are not musicals, yet end with everyone singing and dancing (see The 40 Year Old Virgin and There's Something About Mary), and this is a little bit like that.

But still, um, no, we're not doing this at our wedding.

Simpsons parody of Mad Men

I'm currently in the middle of a Mad Men Season 2 Netflix marathon. Pure bliss.

Since none of the moments on the show are really YouTube worthy, here is the completely awesome Simpsons take on it. Maybe I should start watching this show again.

Matthew McConaughey's Best Role Ever

We've had cable for just over a month now. Before that, I lived sans cable for four years. And last night I experienced one of the forgotten joys of cable: flipping around and catching the last 1/2 hour of a movie you love. That just doesn't happen when you only have the major networks plus one Spanish and two Chinese channels (and the latter three get the best reception, natch).

Juno seems to be on every time I turn on the TV, but last night Sweetie and I caught the last half of Dazed and Confused, a movie we both love. And we got to experience the joy of MM's best role ever, the deliciously creepy Wooderson. He is SO much better here than in any of his subsequent rom-coms.

Saturday Night Lamb

I made lamb chops last night!


I've never made lamb chops before, and they turned out surprisingly well. I was inspired by a recipe in a recent W-S e-mail that can be found here. We skipped the wraps, but I'd like to try those another time.

Sweetie made the rest of the food, a Greek salad and tzatziki. Wow, tzatziki is really not photogenic, all white and blobby. But it's delicious. We decided that the next time we make this we'll add some sort of rice side dish, like a pilaf.

He taught me how to chop with the big knife. Now I can chop veggies in a somewhat proper manner, instead of just hacking away at them.

Green Kitty

It never ceases to amuse me how, when anything new is brought into the apartment, Petunia will sniff it, circle it, rub up against it, sit on it for awhile. And any twinge of guilt that I feel about never buying her a special $30 kitty bed is alleviated by the fact that she is content to cuddle up to anything left on the floor, like this re-usable Market Hall shopping bag. I like to think she's trying to show her support for the whole green movement here.

Do I Have to Wear White?

No, you don't have to wear white, according to this book by Anna Post, which is the latest of the wedding books that I have been borrowing from the library (why buy when I'm only going to use them this one time? :) I, of course, will be wearing white. Well, ivory. It goes much better with my skin tone.

Anyway, this book was useful because it covered all sorts of etiquette questions, as well as the nuts and bolts of the ceremony and reception. All that stuff that I feel a little bit clueless about. I really liked that the book included lots of questions about same-sex weddings, too.

Which reminds me of a phone conversation I had with my brother in CT a couple of weeks ago. He told me that he was talking about the wedding with his family, and someone - presumably his wife or one of my nieces or nephew - asked why I was getting married in California instead of Connecticut, where most of my family is. Um, maybe because I haven't lived in CT since I was 18? Maybe because I've been in San Francisco for 10 years now? Maybe because Dave's family and friends are all in the Bay Area, and it's a heck of a lot easier on everyone to have it here rather than have them all trek out to CT?

It actually never occurred to me to have the wedding anywhere but here. But when I think about it, there are two reasons why having it in CT would have been cool. Reason #1, of course, is my Mom. Because she's getting on in years and because she has always hated to travel, she won't be coming to the wedding, a decision I fully support and am at peace with. Reason #2 is because I love the idea of getting married in a state that allows same-sex couples to be wed. Hooray, CT ! And Massachussetts, and Iowa, and soon Vermont, New Hampshire, and possibly Maine. I still can't believe how backwards the majority of California is on this issue. I know it's just a matter of time. But in the meantime, I love the idea of some "Yes on 8" Central Valley bride-to-be reading this book and seeing that the Emily Post people approve of gay weddings!

Three Months!!!

92 days until we get married! Yikes, time is just flying. And so much to do! Much of the major stuff is done - the place, the dress, officiant, photographer, cake, bridesmaids gowns - but there are SO many other things left. Sweetie's suit, my shoes, flowers, flower girl dresses, the rings, music, favors, cake topper, centerpieces, deciding what to wear in my hair. LOTS of stuff. For the next three months it's all going to be Wedding, Wedding, Wedding.

Oh, and stamps! We got our invitations today, and we're so happy with them. They're so cute and they just set the perfect tone for the wedding. I want to mail them NOW, and not wait the recommended 6-8 weeks before the wedding.

OH! And I have three months to get all Buff Bride. Good start today - I worked out, and Sweetie made his yummy sweet potato/rice/chicken dish for dinner. The key is going to be to make healthy food at home and avoid eating out as much as possible.

Three months! I wish I could have gotten that cute Knot ticker to work on my Facebook page.

***Update*** I was just informed that No, the next three months are NOT going to be all Wedding, Wedding, Wedding. Hmm...I guess SOMEONE is reluctant to have this cut into our Scrabble tournament and quality TV watching time (we've still got PR Season 3 before Season 6 begins on 8/20 !).