Apathy

I starting dating someone about six and a half years ago who I thought the world literally revolved around. I thought he was intelligent, funny, and handsome. But the relationship was a roller-coaster. When things were good, they were really good; but when they were bad, it felt like my entire life was falling apart. Normally, my demeanor when I’m upset is to just simply express my feelings and talk to my significant other if there’s conflict. But he never really wanted to acknowledge conflict. In fact, the conflict and our relationship as a whole didn’t really seem to matter to him. Our dates and times together used to end with me feeling emotionally numb, used, and insignificant. I hung in there (off-again, on-again) for almost three years!

This morning, as Bryan and I were eating breakfast he asked whether I thought The Big E would take me out to lunch today since it was my last day. “Nah, I don’t think so,” I told him. He responded, “But you’ve worked for him for 7 years!”

Interestingly, today as I drove down to my final meeting as a member of The Big E’s lab, I was oddly excited. I’ve been experiencing all kinds of conflicting feelings regarding the end of my 7-year “career”, but driving in this morning, I couldn’t help but just be happy for the end of this chapter. I was looking forward to the meeting and the official ending.

I knew Mary was not going to be at the meeting today since she’s on vacation. I’ll see her probably next week or at the very least for her birthday in a few weeks. But imagine my surprise when I arrived at work to find out that The Big E had done something beyond taking me out to lunch in celebration of my last day and 7 years of service.

He had cancelled the meeting altogether.

He had informed the other two members of the lab that there would be no meeting this week, but neglected to tell me. Oops. I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

That’s apathy for you.

So I drove home shortly thereafter in the same stoic state in which I spent the past 7 years. A quiet, unblinking ride home.

I decided to go some place that makes me happy. Michael’s. And it definitely worked. Of course I also returned home to get hundreds of kisses from a very excited Maggie, which also always makes me feel better.

So it’s over. I stayed in the aforementioned relationship with that particular “boyfriend” for entirely too long. And I basically feel like I stayed in my “relationship” as a member of the lab for too long. I learned a lot scientifically through the past 7 years, and of course, I did make friendships in the lab (Mary and Bridesmaid Tami!). I don’t regret moving to Atlanta for the opportunity to be at Georgia State as I met some amazing fellow students and professors, but it would’ve been nice from time to time to receive some acknowledgement or reinforcement regarding a job well done from The Big E himself.

Anyways, I had been thinking about this blog all day long. I don’t want to talk or think about the last seven years of my life anymore due to the fact that, career-wise, they’ve essentially been a waste. I have lots of technical skills that no one in the actual hiring world seems to think are worth a shred of anything. Fabulous.

If I’m not going to receive extrinsic reinforcement, I’m at least going to do something for myself: A nice Indian-inspired dinner and some wine awaits me. Oh, and I also bought some cardstock at Michael’s so I can play with formatting place cards. I will be blogging about wedding details and our fantastic New York trip tomorrow, I promise!!!

Red wine and honeymoon planning - a match made in Heaven

10:30 on a Friday night and I'm watching a World Cup match from yesterday with Bryan. Riveting. I'd much rather watch Roger Federer's or Andy Roddick's tennis match from today, but I forgot we had DVR. The good news? I can now DVR 'The Bachelorette'! I've just started catching up on this season in the past few days and, although I think all of the guys are unattractive and sort of obnoxious, I still can't turn away! What is wrong with me!?

Bryan and I are preparing for our trip to New York City tomorrow. It's a very quick trip, a blink of an eye, really. But I haven't been to New York in years, so I'm excited. I'm also hoping to find the Fabulous Miss Theresa in her fancy Manhattan neighborhood if I get a chance. Also, I'm hopeful that it's slightly cooler up there than it is in Atlanta (where, shockingly, it hasn't been that brutal!). You know you're adapted to Southern weather when you wear a cardigan outside when it's 94 degrees.

Anyways, Bryan came home inspired tonight. He's been throwing around the idea of an all-inclusive honeymoon for some time. I didn't know what that meant. A resort somewhere, a cruise? As I've mentioned, I don't have a preference. I just want to sleep, eat, drink, and spend time with him (and not necessarily in that order!). So I was excited when he came home to talk to me about the possibility of Antigua or St. Lucia. Truth be told, we seem to be leaning towards Antigua for no apparent reason. Both places look INCREDIBLE! We've gotta do more research, but I finally feel like the planning for the honeymoon is really underway.

Other than this recent progress, there's no other wedding news to report. I think I may have congratulated myself in the last blog regarding my splendid idea for favors and place card holders. If I didn't do it in the last blog, then I'll say it now: the favors will rock. I'm really excited. I've gotta start the process of pricing and ordering, but I'm pretty sure I know what they'll be. I am still waiting on my invitation proofs from La Belle Wedding. I'm really excited to see them!!

Finally, this week marks my last week in the lab in which I've spent the past 7 years of my life. I'm officially finished working for The Big E on Wednesday. Ironically, the tutoring center is on "July Break" starting July 1st. This means I'll have approximately 6 days where I'm not responsible for any sort of work. I don't know what I'll do. Will I sleep? Clean? Create work for myself (writing, reading papers, job searching, etc.?) This is going to be so interesting. I certainly will be blogging more as finishing up in the lab and tutoring has kept me running around quite a bit the past few weeks!

Before I get to packing for our trip, I want to send Congratulations to two wonderful couples that are celebrating their engagements: Christine and Rob got engaged over Father's Day weekend (also Christine's b-day weekend!) and Will and Meredith got engaged last evening!!! I can't wait to hear proposal stories and listen to their adventures through the process of planning their respective weddings! I'm sure both will be absolutely beautiful!

Silver where?!?

Days after my first official wedding-inspired meltdown, I have realized that I've headed into "one-track-mind" territory. I find myself humming, "Going to the Chapel and we're gonna get married..." Even though we're not going to a chapel, whoops!

Everything that comes into my field of vision is potentially something that can be tied into this wedding. When I'm not working, I am thinking of another seemingly small detail. Every option is being weighed for it's full effect. And not in the "I'm driving myself crazy" way. More like, "I can finally envision this and I don't want to overlook an opportunity to integrate our motif, our monogram, or anything that could potentially infuse even more of us into the wedding."

I've started to do some super-fun things:

1.) Seating arrangements - You're probably wondering, "How are you seating us when you haven't sent invitations out yet?" Alot of people have made this easy for me (especially the out-of-towners) by telling me that they're definitely coming or not coming. Sure, there are alot of wild cards and possibilities of people bringing guests or not bringing guests. But for the people I know that are definitely coming? I've already started seating you. :-)

2.) Cards designating Table Name/Numbers - I'm not giving away our idea on this one, but I'm designing the cards that will be displayed on the tables. Bryan has seen me doing this on occasion and protested his lack of involvement. I told him he will get the rights to final approval and if he has any better ideas, we'll talk about them then. For now, it's my playtime!!!

3.) Place cards - Motif madness, that's all I'll say.

4.) Wedding favors - I have an illness, people. I can look at wedding favors for unusually long periods of time. Literally, hours.

I have an idea that I need to run by Bryan tonight. I will say we've been unwilling to break the bank on this. I want something that's ultimately cute, but not going to make up a large percentage of our wedding budget. Why? Because my honest assessment is 40% of you will leave without your favors. Not to slight us, but you'll forget it. I know this because of the 4 million weddings I've been to, I've left the favors behind about 40% of the time. Again, not on purpose. But I'm usually either drunk or distracted (or still dancing), and I just forget it. And to be honest? I normally can't recall what the favors are at most weddings (I am like this with centerpieces, too). They're cute, but not a HUGE part of the day. Just a sweet way of saying, "Thanks for coming!" and in our case, probably telling you where on Earth you're sitting. Either way, regardless of how much we spend on them, do not be surprised if I show up at your hotel room Saturday morning delivering your favors.

Finally, I am extremely excited that I received the sets that complete our formal silverware!!! Oddly enough I had gotten a notice that we had a package on Friday (after the leasing office had closed, though) and figured that Bryan had ordered another DVR or something of that nature that I really don't care much about. I mean....I care about DVR's cause they're important to him...uh, yeah, that's right.

Anyways, Saturday I asked Bryan if he was expecting a package. He said he wasn't. I was still convinced this was something electronic-related. Unfortunately for me, when I went down to the office, no one was in there! So no package for us on Saturday. Sunday, I happened to check our registries (a habit I've shockingly relaxed on a bit!) and I saw that our silverware was FULFILLED!

After freaking out on Facebook, I realized, "My gosh, what if that package is our silverware??"

I ran down to the office to find it closed. NOOOOO! So first stop this afternoon, still holding all of the books from my tutoring session, was the leasing office. A big Macy's box. I will say, I think it's bad form to reveal the identity of our mystery gift-givers publicly (like reporting who gave what on a blog...kinda weird, probably not good etiquette - Martha would be mad), but I am beyond thrilled!!! I actually want to open the boxes and play with the serving set a la my former child self.

Ironically, I do not even know if our generous friends even read this blog! So it's funny to me that I'm totally spazzing out, and they might not even know how totally stoked I am to have this silverware.

Soon-to-be-Mrs. Hoey + Gorham silverware/hostess set/serving set = <3 LOVE <3

Speaking of love, Bachelorette Party #1 is coming up in just a few short weeks and I'm totally psyched. I don't know what is in store, but we are going to see my favorite comedian, Landry! And we'll probably cause a ruckus throughout Atlanta, or whatever's in stumbling distance of the comedy club. It's been too long and I'm having Landry withdrawal. Then a couple of weeks after that, it's a night for the senses when I'm back in Philadelphia for Bachelorette Party #2. So I get a last hurrah twice!!!

This week I have several assignments: price out the favors that I plan on trying to get Bryan to agree to, start playing with templates for programs, book transportation for the wedding day (we are working on getting a bus to transport guests from the hotel to the Payne-Corley House), and finalizing music.

I am getting closer to my goal of being completely ready before the final week of the wedding. Until then, I'm gonna go back to singing, "Gee, I really love you and we're gonna get maaaarrrriiieeed..."

A Breath of Fresh Air

Ahh...the apartment is filled only with the sounds of the intro to 'Dexter'. No soccer for at least a few hours! I was so tired, I fell asleep during an episode of 'Dexter' last night! THAT is tired for you! I set my alarm for 8:30 this morning, but Maggie had different ideas; and gave me a big kiss right on the nose about 1/2 hour before I wanted to get up.

I knew I had to get moving, though. I had been working on our invitation wording for the last few days and wanted to print up the rough drafts for my appointment at La Belle Weddings in Duluth. While I finished up typing the prototypes (and then calling Bridesmaid Mrs. Smith to make sure I hadn't forgotten anything!...Thank gosh I did this, because I had forgotten details here and there!), Bryan made an amazing breakfast. Finally, I was on my way.

The appointment got underway with Tanya, one of the co-owners of La Belle, at about 11:30. For two hours we worked on perfecting everything. I actually really like the set-up of the invitations, so I'm excited for you all to see them.

There were two other things I wanted to work on just to add some cute details to the wedding: cocktail napkins and linens. I don't want to give everything away, but I love love love that I've been able to one-stop-shop at La Belle for these things. And for great pricing! The website is: www.labelleweddings.com if you want to check them out. It was actually the perfect end to a week where I was definitely starting to feel the stress. And with that statement, I can tell you that we have ironed out some details which will be shortly updated on the wedding website.

On Thursday, I was freaking out about where our rehearsal dinner was going to be held. We had the idea of the Duluth Festival Center but didn't have our official quotes or availability or a contract or ANYTHING. I have learned that if I start freaking at Bryan around breakfast-time, he gets to work on solving the problem by about lunchtime. So at about 12:30pm on Friday, Bryan and I headed to the Duluth Festival Center (http://www.duluthfestivalcenter.net/pdf/DFC_SpecialEvents.pdf) and worked out the details for our rehearsal dinner set-up. I can officially announce that this is where our rehearsal dinner will take place. YAY!!!!

The dinner will be for the bridal party and all out-of-town guests. It will start at 7pm on Thursday evening (the 14th of October). The details will also be included in the invitation. The nice thing about the DFC is that it's right down the street from the Payne-Corley House. So guests will really be able to familiarize themselves with the area and check out what the traffic situation is like around 7pm-ish.

I'm also starting to really focus on putting together the itinerary for the weekend so that everyone is aware of what is going on, where, and when. Finally, I have to get back into the "Things to do in Atlanta" list.

Bryan and I went to Stone Mountain last night - which is one of the places on this list - to hang out with his cousins, Laura, her husband and their children. It was so much fun! They have a laser light show there that both Bryan and I each had seen years ago and I enjoyed it more then I even remembered! I think Stone Mountain is probably one of the best attractions I'd recommend for people that are in town for the weekend. It's a $10 per vehicle admission and there's tons to see and do! In October, especially, there are alot of Fall-related events. I think there's a Pumpkin festival and ghost tours, so there's plenty of options! And also, of course, the Georgia Aquarium is on my list as a must-see (although that is on the pricier side, but if you can splurge, it is an incredible place).

I will finish up the list this week and try to get some links up on the website so that if you need tickets or information ahead of time for anything, you'll be able to get to the necessary websites easily.

At this point, hopefully, our guests are gearing up to arrange their stays. Don't forget to book your hotel room: http://homewoodsuites.hilton.com/en/hw/groups/personalized/ATLHWHW-GTZ-20101013/index.jhtml?WT.mc_id=POG

Rehearsal dinner venue: Check - now we just have to get some food!
Invitations: Check
Feeling Accomplished and subsquent relaxation: Double check! Silversun Pick-ups at the Tabernacle tonight!

Breakdown

This is the first ragingly angry Tomboy Bride blog I have written. It has taken seven months of wedding planning to get me to snap, but it's finally happened. I have gone through and, to the best of my ability, made sure I took all the bad words out before posting. If I missed any, well, sorry. Hopefully if you've been following the blog this long, you're not easily offended.

I was excited last night to have one of the projects at work come to an end. Utter relaxation. I characteristically, immediately after I pushed the "Submit" button, made my to-do list for Thursday through Saturday. What did I want to get accomplished? A few things:

a.) Invitation order - I have been talking about this forever. After getting Bryan's approval on the invitation, I took this week to think about how we wanted the invite worded. This has actually been a somewhat interesting, and slightly painful process. I never realized wedding invitation wording was so political. There are options for every life situation (which parents are hosting? are the bride and groom hosting? Are the parents divorced? Remarried? Deceased? Estranged? Did you elope and now you want to celebrate? Do you have an alien baby from outer space?). And then, of course, there is the simple task of just how you place your names on this invitation.

It was also during this conversation that Bryan mentioned he wanted the "B" to come first on our monogram (meaning B H S). It amuses him that, together, you can get BS out of our initials. Apparently I'm living the 'Mary Kay LaTourneau-dream' and marrying a 13-year-old. Fabulous. The conversation that followed went something like,

Me: "We can not have BS, that's ridiculous".
Bryan: "It's funny"
Me: "It's not funny"
Bryan: "I want the 'B' first"
Me: "Then there will be no monogram."
Bryan: "Then I don't want that invitation"
Me: "Great, then we'll go Saturday and look for a new one."
Bryan: "What?"

Eventually, this last option was so awful that Bryan agreed to S H B (which is what it's supposed to be anyways, ladies first!).

b.) Rehearsal dinner venue booked - I have gotten vetoed every step of the way with respect to the rehearsal dinner. When I did try to relinquish control of this, Bryan did a good day and a half of work and gave me the name of a venue he was happy with (at least on-line). I encouraged him to set up an appointment for us to look at it. This was in April.

Trying to be a supportive future wifey, I started to look for a place to cater the dinner. One by one, suggestions were getting shot-down. One suggestion I made, upon further thought, I didn't like anymore. Then I came up with what I thought was a great idea (which is what we tried out on Sunday). This morning? Bryan announces: "I didn't like that place."

Ok, I'm done. I've made suggestions, I've been trying to be patient. We have had no appointment with the venue (we looked only at the outside area last week on our own) and now we have no prospects for food. Taco Bell, anyone?

The other issue? Without the venue set in stone, my progress in trying to order invitations is completely stalled.

c.) Officiant drama - When Bryan and I first got engaged, there was no question on who we wanted to marry us. In fact, it was only a few weeks after our engagement that Bryan called Father Bob, his father's college roommate at St. Bonaventure. He had married Jon and Sonia last year and was such a joy to get to know (although he is a Mets fan - NOT cool).

Anyways, according to Bryan, Father Bob immediately agreed to officiate our ceremony. I was not present for the conversation, but Bryan swears he told Father Bob that we were not getting married in a Church. I asked Bryan multiple times if this was ok with Father Bob and he was insistent that it was.

I'm not certain if there was a miscommunication or what happened, but in April, the M.O.G. (or my future M.I.L.) asked who we were going to have officiate our ceremony. "Duh, Father Bob." She mentioned that Father Bob couldn't do it because the ceremony is not taking place in a Church. We countered with the information that he had said it was totally fine. "He said that it's not fine," we were told. IN APRIL.
My reaction?? GET THIS MAN ON THE PHONE AND FIND OUT WHAT IS GOING ON.

Bryan's reaction, "Ok, maybe I'll give him a call sometime before October 15th."

It is JUNE and Bryan has tried to contact Father Bob exactly once. The one time Bryan attempted this, he wasn't available. He said he left a message and that was good enough for him. My question: "If not Father Bob, then who?" Bryan returned home after the England-U.S.A. soccer game the other day with the information that the amazing Mary Beth has a friend that married she and her husband as well as other couples that they know. So Bryan was majorly relieved to know that there was an alternative if Father Bob could not do it.

The problem? We haven't gotten confirmation from Father Bob one way or the other. And I think it's only proper (and smart) for us to find out for sure that he cannot do it before asking another officiant.

So problem A can not be solved without fixing problem B and problem C relies solely on Bryan unless I just get Father Bob's info myself and make the call myself (which Bryan has requested I not do; he wants to call Father Bob).

The one silver lining of the week so far? I found out that there will be a very special addition to the Welcome Bags for our guests at the hotel. I am really really excited about it because they're some of my favorite treats and made by someone very special to me. If you have not booked your hotel yet, you should do that. Yes, the rehearsal dinner may be at a Wendy's, but you'll get something very special in the Welcome Bag! The link our personalized wedding page to the Homewood Suites in Lawrenceville, GA is: http://homewoodsuites.hilton.com/en/hw/groups/personalized/ATLHWHW-GTZ-20101013/index.jhtml?WT.mc_id=POG

The hotel info will also be included in the invitations...if we ever order them. Oy, time to get productivity underway for the day. Please send me positive vibes and will me to not stab Bryan (or myself for this matter) in the thigh with one of our blunted steak knives. 120 days to go....yay, marriage!!

Outfitting Bryan

Is it really Sunday at 6:15 already? I write this blog post as Bryan naps - a nap he SWEARS was NOT induced by the soccer game we had on. (It totally was! Germany was beating down Australia and he took a snoozer!). Lucky for him, our Comcast DVR/cable box-thing is STUCK on soccer. I am not kidding. Does anyone know if there's a way to lock these things? I think Bryan's managed to do it. He can only get it to go from ABC to ESPN. Nothing else. Suspicious...

Friday we decided to relax and watch some Dexter, of course. We've been renting other movies and ignoring them. 'Valentine's Day' has been sitting on our counter for at least a week - which in Blockbuster-speak means we've bought it. I just can't tear myself away from that Dexter!

Saturday we were up and at 'em! First stop? Men's Wearhouse to look at tuxedos. I was a little apprehensive given the advice I had gotten many many blogs ago regarding not using Men's Wearhouse. But Bryan wanted to at least look based on the convenience of them being all over the country (with the intention of making it easier on our groomsmen).

With trepidation we walked in and were greeted by a very friendly man who asked if we wanted bottled water, coffee, anything?? Score one for offering me a beverage (even though I never take one - why is this?). A sales associate came over and began to gather our information. Wedding date? Bryan answered quickly, "October 15th". "That's the day I'm getting married" the associate said.

Ok, is this for real? Is this a trick? Do they say that to everyone? Oh, you're being so charming, Men's Wearhouse, I don't even care!

He noticed I was clutching my swatch from David's and mentioned that they had exactly the same color for the groomsmen vests and ties. Yay!!!

The funny point of the morning. "How many groomsmen do you have?" he asked Bryan. "5," Bryan answered.

I was completely confused. "What? No, you have 6." I told him. "No, I have 5," Bryan insisted. "What?!?" And I shook my head convinced that I would re-count with him when the associate finished measuring him (I didn't want to embarrass him and I was seriously asking myself if he had possibly had a knock-down, drag-out fight with someone??!). "Stephanie, do you know all of the groomsmen?" the associate asked me. "I need you to write down their information." I looked at Bryan and said, "Ok, I'm sorry. I KNOW there are 6." And I proceeded to name them. I'm not sure if Bryan was forgetting someone, simply miscounting, or associating 5 with each side of our bridal party because, although I have 6 bridesmaids, on that day there will be 5. So 6 it is! It just struck me as funny because after limiting Bryan to 6, here he is saying he has 5! (When we began this process, Bryan wanted 9!) And with all of the effort it took to get him to ask everyone in a timely manner...my Heavens!

Well, crisis averted. I wrote down all of the names of our groomsmen and, of course, the F.O.B. Bryan was measured and had requested he be excused for a few of the details I was getting to make decisions on that he didn't want to know about. That gave me and this sales associate time to chat about his wedding - code for me trying to figure out if he was really getting married on that day or if he was just trying to charm us. If he was lying, he was quite convincing, but I'm assuming you would be convincing if you were a sales associate. But he was most pleasant and really nice to work with!

All in all, we were finished with all of the details in about an hour! So far: Men's Wearhouse gets an A+ from us.

While Bryan went off to watch the soccer game, I started making our Table Cards. I find this oddly fun and have some cute ideas to give them a true Hoey/Soon-to-be-Hoey signature. Then I did some researching on rehearsal dinner ideas and I think we've got it! We'll try to finalize some details this week and then we'll pass them along publicly. If all works out, it is going to be DELICIOUS!

Saturday night, we headed to the drive-in for a birthday party but shockingly didn't stay out too late even though Bryan was trying to get me to watch Shrek Forever After for the 2nd week in a row! The main reason I was so pushy about wanting to get home at a decent time? We had a 9:30am appointment with TinaMarie this morning to look at more houses. After our 4-hour marathon house hunt last week, we took on only half the amount this morning. We wanted to revisit our favorite house of last weekend in addition to some houses that, online, had some incredible looking kitchens.

The verdict? We actually liked our favorite house of last weekend MORE this weekend! This time we were scrutinizing the types of things we might need to fix/change (light fixtures, things like that) and they were mostly cosmetic which is a good sign. The backyard, while not the backyard of the house we had bid on previously, is a really nice size for Mags and for eventual babies. Plus there is a great spot for a pretty nice-sized garden which is important to me - even though I will be gardening while wearing a bee-keeper suit. So our next step is to check out our commutes and stalk the neighborhood at different times of the day and night.

After our house-hunt we went to check out the venue at which we are hoping to have our rehearsal dinner. Then we went to eat lunch at the restaurant that is in the running to cater the dinner. Did I mention it was delicious??? It's literally the opposite of what I would've ever thought I wanted, but I came up with the idea and I'm really loving it.

I will do the big reveal of all of this information when everything is finalized and there is a contract. So stay tuned on this. Bryan thinks I'm just making myself crazy but I want this portion of the program completely organized so we can focus on our ceremony and other details. Plus, I want to make sure that all of our amazing out-of-town guests are in the loop on where they're going and when they need to be there (plus, what they're eating!). I've already started making an itinerary and a "Things to Do in Atlanta" list. The "Things to Do" list will be posted to our website on The Knot if I can grab some free time this week to finish it up!

So that concludes our weekend. Too much soccer, too little free time, but quite productive. Unfortunately, this whole soccer deal continues for a few more weeks. Anyways, it will be another busy week but I will continue the updates as I wrestle with wedding invitation wording (who knew this was so technical?) among other things. It's back to Dexter for the remainder of the evening for us!

World Cup Widow

So while Bryan watches France and Uruguay (?) play soccer, I thought I'd enjoy my Friday night by posting the much-anticipated pictures from Oregon. I actually don't have much to say tonight as I'm just blatantly tired from the entire week and looking forward to a day of tux-hunting, rehearsal dinner planning, and table card-making tomorrow (Bryan and I want to do something cute for the tables!).

But let's get down to business. To the left, you can see my future B.I.L. (brother-in-law, hehe), the Groom (for that weekend!) and myself and Bryan. We ended up convincing the lovely B.J. to hang out until all hours (well, until 1 a.m. - I'm not quite sure how my future B.I.L. was still awake as he and Sonia had flown in that morning!). But we had a Shuffleboard Showdown in which the future in-laws took down the cousins (Bryan and B.J.). Jon and I clearly will still beat you even if you're getting married in two days and especially if you're on the same team as Bryan! :-)

After a late night, Bryan and I went to the Stepping Stone Cafe which we had seen on Man vs. Food on the Travel Channel. I still haven't decided if I'm more grossed out or fascinated, but the Stepping Stone Cafe peaked my interest. In front of me, you see a short stack of THIRTEEN INCH PANCAKES. No joke. And what else? An omelet with chicken-fried steak, jalapenos, potatoes, and I don't even remember what else. Then it's topped off with gravy. The omelet was INCREDIBLE. Bryan and I split it and devoured it. The pancakes were also delish, but honestly, if we had taken an "after" picture, you wouldn't have seen a difference. We didn't even make a dent!!! But it fueled us sufficiently for hiking lots of falls!

Us outside the Cafe...I was easily the biggest tourist there.

Below, we stopped at something called The Vista House. It was pretty cool and apparently one of the sites in the first Twilight movie.

Ahhhh, LaTourell Falls. This first one wasn't a hike, but this was just a warm-up.

Below, Bryan and Jon at Bridal Veil Falls. Bryan took about 15 pictures of me at Bridal Veil because of the name, and I liked this picture of the two gentlemen the best.

Bryan, myself, Sonia, and Jon all at Montnomah Falls. The Falls were unreal, so what did we decide? Hey, let's hike up it! There was a sign that said, "1 mile hike". The four of us collectively said, "Hey, we're all in decent shape, this won't take any time at all".

Below, 45 minutes later...this is the 1 mile sign...NO FALLS!!!

We couldn't stop. We kept going and on the way, got an incredible view.

When we got to the top? Eh, it was ok. Actually the view was better from the ground. So if you want to experience Montnomah Falls again, scroll back up. Otherwise, we're getting to the real excitement of the weekend - the wedding!!!

A congratulatory banner at the entrance of Amanda's parents home the night of the rehearsal dinner. Unfortunately, all Bryan's pictures from the evening suggest he may have had a few adult beverages...

The Fairbanks School and site of the wedding! If you don't know the story, Ben and Amanda completely restored this schoolhouse both together and with the help of family and friends. It was a fabulous setting for the wedding. They even had an album of pictures that led the guests on their journey of cleaning the place up. It was nothing short of incredible.

Inside the schoolhouse after the vows. I love this picture. They both look super happy.

And below, another happy couple!

This is a random lady I spoke to for a good hour or so at the reception (it may have been longer, I don't know. The champagne started at noon-ish, and this was about 5pm, probably - you do the math). I don't remember her name, but she was AWESOME. She's been married for a really long time (to the same person!). So we had a lovely discussion about marriage over some spirits. I love getting marriage advice from people over a glass (or bottle) of wine. If you're reading this and we haven't done this yet, sign me up!

Speaking of bottles of wine, Sonia and I had our clear favorites for the day. Mine was called...drumroll, please...EVOLUTION. Can you guess why I picked it???

Above is me feeding a horse carrots from my bare hand for the first time in my life. It was awesome. The horses were so beautiful. Now I want horses, we must open up the house search for a farm.

The end of the evening...this is one of my favorite pictures. Bryan laughs because in almost every picture I'm always looking at the camera, but no one else is (he gets people when they don't expect it). In this picture, I'm not certain if Sonia knew Bryan was taking this or not, but it's an awesome pose.

But basically, this says it all about the weekend. It was a blast!!!

Congratulations again to the happy couple, Ben and Amanda! We had the best time and many amazing experiences out in The Dalles!

Inspired

I know I promised more pictures ASAP. Those will absolutely be delivered to this blog tonight. I'm excited to share them, we have some amazing photos from Oregon. It's truly one of the most beautiful places I've ever been. I thought I'd give a brief break from looking at pictures of my mug, and blog about whatever is on my mind since it's been a really interesting week.

I will forewarn, I am not going to blog about the Flyers losing the Stanley Cup. I'm not a crazed hockey fan by any means (I root for the Thrashers and Flyers, yes, in that order) but I watched most of the Series which I thought was great, actually. I am not in anyways crushed (or even surprised, as they were true underdogs!). I think Philly should be very proud of the Orange and Black, and that's all I'll say on the subject. If you are a "Blackhawks fan" (and yes, that is in quotes since the number of fans they have exponentially increased since the Stanley Cup Finals began), then congratulations to you.

Moving on. I have been feeling especially introspective lately. I'm not going to write the woe-is-me blog that I thought I would. And I'm not sure if my newfound optimism is a result of having some delicious coffee this morning (I finally figured out the ratio of coffee to cream that I like with this new Fresh Market stuff that I tried), getting a good night's sleep, or being on the very verge of possibly landing a job that would be perfect for me (well, maybe I'm not quite on the verge yet, but there is a strong possibility, I think), but I am quite inspired at the thought of some of the upcoming events this Summer. And I'm not even just talking wedding-related events, although from the sounds of my favorite ladies in the world, my bachelorette parties are going to be two for the ages!

In approximately three weeks, I will be concluding my time working in a research lab. I have been dreading this for the past few months, mostly because the idea of relying entirely on tutoring for income panics the heck out of me and because I will no longer be working with Mary (who recently has established herself as not only the coordinator for the particular lab I was working in, but is now a manager of a core facility for the entire Institute - a HUGE deal!). That being said, not only am I losing a salary and a fabulous co-worker, I started to think about the fact that I'm sort of losing part of my identity. And this has been a hard pill to swallow. I wanted to be a Scientist since I was about 9 years old and declared to my Aunt Nonie that I had ideas on how to cure AIDS (this was before I realized that my IQ was only so high).

Interestingly, as a kid, I was receiving most of my scientific information about various diseases from movies ("Lorenzo's Oil", an incredible true story of parents doing the research to find a cure for their son's disease; "And the Band Played On", which dealt with the beginning of the AIDS epidemic in the U.S.; and hopefully everyone on the planet has seen "Outbreak" - I still never stand too close to a centrifuge, thank you, Kevin Spacey). So Science and research have been a big part of my life since I can remember.

After 8+ years doing research, now what do I do?

Well, first, I have about 400 journal articles in the spare bedroom that we call my "office". They're everywhere. I have a small file cabinet stuffed with papers, a set of drawers with papers in them; they're on the floor, stacked on top of shelves; they're everywhere! I never thought about getting rid of them EVER. What if someone asks me one day to reference an article about the seasonal regulation of aggression in song sparrows???

But no one is going to! Because that's not what I do anymore! How weird. (Although if you really need to know something, I most likely can cite references for you from memory...it's almost scary).

So first thing on the agenda for July 1st? The recycling center. There will be paper, paper, and more paper. And then what? What if I don't get the job that I so badly want?

Well, then I tutor, which is awesome. But then, I think I'm going to do something that I've wanted to do FOREVER. And that is write a novel.

Ok, ok, well first I'll also be applying for more jobs. And I'm still pursuing the possibility of entering the MPH program at UGA (This is funding-dependent for anyone who is wondering - I've gotten lots of questions about this lately, so let's just say, Status: Pending).

Regardless, job or no job, I'd like to write a novel. I've been talking only to Bryan about this for a really long time. He's always tells me I'll have plenty of time to write when I'm pregnant! (My take on this is that I have a feeling I'm going to be tired, hot, and hungry the whole time I'm pregnant and if my hands are busy delivering food to my mouth, how am I going to type?)

And not write a novel as in, sit around, write it, and hope that an agent spontaneously reads it one day because they manifested in a puff of smoke on my front doorstep. I mean, write a manuscript, find an editor, and seriously pursue publication. A Tomboy Bride-based novel? Maybe one day. I know the M.O.B. is pulling for that one. But I've had an idea for a long time, these characters that live in my head (yes, I may be crazy, I know that), and it's gotta get written. So I'm not sure which will get written first, and I know there's lots of research to do with respect to writing a proposal for a book and all of that (in hopes of getting a meager advance of some sort that will allow me to live off of oatmeal and spend my time in seclusion writing). Can you imagine?

Soon-to-be-Mrs. Hoey: Former Scientist, Math/Science Instructor, NOVELIST??? One thing that being a novelist will (most likely) include? Research. So maybe I won't lose my identity after all. The situation around me will change (not "The Situation", I mean MY situation), but I'll still strive to make a positive impact on people regardless of my job title. And who knows, maybe by the time my first novel is finished the Flyers WILL win the Stanley Cup (and the Thrashers will make the playoffs!)! :-)

Let's talk Vancouver!!!

Is it sad that as Bryan and I approached Vancouver (in our rental car...quick recap - we drove to Vancouver, B.C., from Seattle), I kept thinking "Wow, this is the home of Bachelorette Jillian Harris!!” You know you are way too invested in reality TV shows when you think that approaching what is considered one of the most beautiful places in the world. She still shouldn't had dumped Reid!!! I've moved on, I swear, I've moved on....

All joking aside, I would have also liked to have seen where they hosted the Real World/Road Rules Challenge that is currently airing on MTV, but Bryan seemed to think we had better things to do. So I decided to post some of the pictures from those things!

In the light of day, Vancouver wasn't quite as scary as when we had come in the night before. Bryan and I for some reason (well, the reason was I was reading a map and picked the most direct route to our hotel from the highway) went through a neighborhood the scariest place I have ever been on Earth (and I lived in Downtown Atlanta for a year!). It was especially refreshing that - after I begged Bryan to turn around and take me back to the States -when we did reach our hotel, that the lovely tour books in the hotel room specifically mention staying out of the part of town we came in through (at 9:30 at night -with NO other cars in the road. It was a scene straight out of "28 Days").

But I digress. Vancouver was, in fact, as beautiful as they say.

To the left, here's Bryan and I at the site of the lighting of the Olympic Torch. They actually had a really nice area right around the site of the Opening Ceremony. Very green and well-kept. Check out the mountains behind us - ALL of Vancouver actually has that view!!!

Next, Bryan and I went into Historic Gastown. The main attraction is this steam clock that actually gave me a big thrill when it played a series of musical whistles at Noon. Apparently it does this every hour, but Bryan INSISTED we be there at noon. So we were....on time!!!

Below is me at Stanley Park in front of the amazing Lions Gate. If that sounds familiar, it's because you see the words Lions Gate before your favorite movies. Yes, THAT Lions Gate! Thrilling!!!

Bryan and I at a beach area at Stanley Park. I am fascinated with the Pacific Northwest with respect to being able to look at this massive evergreen scenery complete with mountains and beaches. I was deprived of large doses of the Poconos as a child, give a sister a break.

Bryan was extremely happy to point out a specific mountain, in this case, Grouse Mountain from another part of Stanley Park. Stanley Park was 8 km around (to us Americans, I estimated this to be somewhere around 5.9-ish miles when Bryan asked "Can we walk this?" My answer, "Well, we can run a 10K, I think we can walk 8K!") So walk it we did!

After a day filled with adventures at Stanley Park and an amazing dinner, we got a good night's sleep and were off to take on the "Sea to Sky Highway" the next day. Along the way, we stopped at various scenic viewpoints including the beautiful Shannon Falls (below). However, what you'll notice is I'm consistently either holding an umbrella or standing like some kind of turtle (the reason: I'm FREEZING!!!!).

This is obviously a sexy pose for me, so I kept doing it so that I could minimize the cold air coming anywhere near my neck. Ironic since I decided against packing a scarf (I thought it couldn't possibly be THAT cold!). Check out the Seattle hat...it was cold!!!

Still cold....





But finally, we reached Whistler which is really where the Olympics went down!!!

I'm still not quite sure what this thingie is called, but it's the symbol of the 2010 Olympics (it's EVERYWHERE in Vancouver and on every article of clothing you can find).

Bryan's picture was taken first...I mention this because after my picture with said...rock-person, he was jealous he hadn't executed the fun pose that I had struck for the camera!

Hehe...I'm the rock-person!

Above is the first of a series of pictures from our last day in B.C. Bryan had read about a suspension bridge in Lynn Canyon and was determined to see it rain or shine. Luckily, we finally got some sun!!! Bryan was happy to hang out on the suspension bridge. Me, not so much. (But there is a picture of me on it, scared for my life, for your viewing pleasure. I waited until almost no one was on it to get my picture taken on it...then ran off it as quickly as possible!). There were some crazy kids that were having fun leaping across it. I'm not so much for leaping and shaking on a narrow thing suspended in the air (I don't even like going to the bathroom on an airplane!). But here I am in a hollow tree! These things were everywhere in Vancouver! They were awesome!

I liked Vancouver, but I was definitely happy to see this sign on our way to Portland!!! We had such a great tour of Vancouver, but the real fun was waiting for us in Oregon!

Excited to hear about it? I'm excited to tell you! But you'll have to wait til the next update (I'm gonna aim for tomorrow) to see pictures from the amazing Remington-Hoey Wedding. For now, I need my nightly dose of Dexter. Bryan and I are on Season 2 and loving it!

Well, at least I got some rest!

Ok, no pictures this time. But after a evening of many conversations about this blog, I figured I should update you, my 6 readers (I think there may be 6 of you now!!!), about the events of yesterday's excursions.

Bryan and I went to the drive-in Friday night with M.O.H. Nicole and her man, Dan. This week I wanted to treat M.O.H. Nicole and Bridesmaid Lindsay for the incredible shower they threw last month. Lindsay and I were fortunate enough to spend some time together on Tuesday night and Nicole and I on Wednesday. But since Nicole insisted I didn't have to buy her dinner (Lindsay insisted the same thing, but I was possibly even more pushy on Tuesday?), I threw out the, "well, we can grill out at the drive-in!" idea (and yes, I still need to spoil my Pennsylvania-based bridesmaids silly for all their hard work, as well!).
So we did head to the drive-in, and it was so much fun! But as with any drive-in night, a double feature that starts at 9pm means we don't home until late. (We saw Shrek and Ironman 2 - Shrek was awesome. Ironman 2...what I saw was good, but it was late and I was sleepy).

I set my alarm for 8:30 on Saturday, and even though Bryan got up to watch the USA/Australia soccer game, he didn't wake me shortly after I hit the "OFF" button. Instead, I ended up sleeping until 11am! Not a good start when you're on a schedule (but Bryan knows no timetables). I was hoping to be at La Belle Weddings at 11am, instead we didn't get there until 1:30!!! We had an appointment with our realtor at 2:15!!!

When we walked into La Belle at 1:30, I thought, "Ok, I have the info on this invitation that I like, they just have to pull it out and Bryan approve it". Instead, there was a girl ironing linens that asked if she could help us. "Yes, we're looking for this specific invitation. I was here a few weeks ago and wrote all the information on it, I just want him to see if he likes it." I was answered with a blank stare. "Um, it's one of your most popular designs, all of the cards are included, it's gold??" Nothing. "Here's the item number, does this help?"

"It would be in one of those books..." she said as she pointed to a good 20 invitation books on a shelf. Because there was NO way I was figuring that one out for myself. Yes, I know it's in an invitation book, but I have no idea WHICH book it's in.

She returned to ironing linens and Bryan and I started to search through every book.

Finally, another woman walks in (holding the lunch she had just run out to get) and asks if she can help us. "Yes, we're looking for this specific invitation," I told her. "Oh, it's in this one." And she immediately pulled it out for us to see. We had almost gotten to that book, but probably had about 4 to go. And what do you know - Bryan liked it!!!! SUCCESS!!! We have an invitation!!!
Bryan then selected his monogram and we talked briefly about motifs, but ultimately, we had to run out the door to try to meet Tina Marie on time.

Our first house-hunting excursion in a few weeks, since we lost the house we really liked, was interesting. We began the day with 13 houses on the list. 4 hours later we had looked at all 13 houses and seen alot of really great places. This is somewhat abnormal becuase we weren't driving up to a house and nixing it right away (there's usually some of those in a regular mix). The big thing for us right now is finding a yard that suits us. We want a good amount of space for Maggie and the babies (both human, and canine!) that will be outside playing with her. We want to be able to sit out and enjoy the yard. Every yard we saw yesterday didn't compare to the house we had bid on. So we're still mourning slightly.

Anyways, come 6pm, Men's Wearhouse (Bryan's first stop for tuxedo shopping) closed. So we were out of luck on accomplishing everything on our to-do list for the day. But we continued the night with a nice dinner of leftovers from the previous nights and a great birthday party for our friend Roland (where the aforementioned conversations regarding the blog took place).

As I conclude this blog, Rafa has just won his 5th French Open (I think that's what they said earlier) and I am about to head out to meet the lovely Megan and lovely Emily for an afternoon of "Sex and the City 2". I have to see it, ok? I just do. I'll let you know what I think either later tonight or tomorrow. I am still aiming to get pictures up, but I will have a somewhat busy afternoon post-movie because I've gotta prepare to teach my first ACT Math class tomorrow and I've gotta finish some work on a manuscript for The Big E (something I am going to try to accomplish tonight). Then, of course, the Flyers are on!!!

Long story short: Invitations = thumbs up, houses = progress made, thumbs up, tuxes = ???? I have a feeling this week is going to include several weeknight runs to get things done. We're at less than 4 1/2 months!!! Oh, I need a Cosmo...or at least, I need to watch people drink them. To the movies, I go!!!

Let the Games Begin...again

Bryan has SHOCKINGLY (and I mean that as sarcastically as possible) not downloaded our pictures from the Vancouver and Oregon portions of our trip out West yet. So I have stalled on blogging because I really wanted to fill everyone in on our incredible adventures, but I realize some of you (well, Mrs. Smith, at least) are going through withdrawal and desperately need a Tomboy Bride update. I, of course, am more than happy to oblige because things are CRAZY around here lately!

The rest of our trip was absolutely phenomenal. I have lots of commentary on both Vancouver and Portland/The Dalles (Oregon) but I really want the pictures to truly do our trip justice. So that being said, I will put the pressure on Bryan tonight that maybe a few people want to read my running journal of the rest of the trip or he will have an angry-woman-stampede on his hands (which means me possibly pelting him with M&Ms...just kidding, I wouldn't waste M&Ms like that!)!

This week has brought us back to reality following our Monday return from Seattle. I am hard at work trying to finish out my last month working for The Big E. I am still desperately seeking a real, full-time grown-up job (and that's a whole other blog!), but am super grateful to be getting lots of tutoring hours in through the Summer (plus, I love love love tutoring!). I'm even teaching Math for the first time which will be...interesting....a learning experience to say the least. Oh yeah, and hopefully the kids will learn something too! :-) I'll write a woe-is-me, the-job-situation-is-hopeless, I'm-not-qualified-to-do-anything, why-do-I-live-in-Atlanta, I-will-be-poor-forever blog when I'm PMSing. It'll be one to look forward to! Just keep the vodka on hand for afterwards when you're weeping into your keyboard.

On a happier note, Bryan and I have a full weekend ahead of us. We will be headed to La Belle Weddings in Duluth on Saturday morning to (hopefully) agree on our invitations. Then we'll be on the hunt for the perfect tuxes for the wonderful, amazing gentlemen in our wedding party. Finally, we'll wrap our Saturday afternoon with our latest round of house hunting!!! I literally feel like we're on a sitcom that just got back from hiatus and we're starting another season. All new houses...same great characters!!! So the two of us and our saint of a realtor, TinaMarie, will be out and about in the June heat on Saturday afternoon.

Things have sort of kicked into a higher gear with all this wedding stuff - well, I knew it would eventually! It's already June! Under four-and-a-half months to go! Today I received documents from our incredible wedding coordinator at the Payne-Corley House, Krista. It had...drumroll, please...a seating chart!!! I'm actually quite nervous about this because I can be somewhat oblivious to who should be sitting with whom and whatnot. I'm going to need ALOT of coaching with figuring all of this out (that's another area where the M.O.B. comes in!). Luckily Bryan and I do know how we're going to name the tables...but that's a big secret until the day of the event!

A little more commentary on PCH: Our incredible photographers of One Six Photography (www.onesixphotography.com), Caroline and Matt, shot a wedding at PCH this past weekend. I got a great message from Caroline today telling me how beautiful it was, how fantastic the staff was, and how many great pictures we're going to get there. Bliss!!!!

Finally, I will say that I'm starting to get really excited about all of this since the details are really starting to come together. I've been excited, of course, and looking forward to the big day. The whole experience of all of this planning has been fantastic, especially with the amount of help and support we have from our family and friends. But now that it's approaching time for fittings and tuxes and seating charts and invites and music selections....well, if I could write the correct phonetic representation of a squeal, I would do it!

I feel like I have lots more going on in my head, but some of them are actually thoughts and feelings that would make me vulnerable to the blogosphere. So I will wait for another day after I've had too much coffee and it's the middle of the night and Bryan's alarm keeps going off for no reason - not that that's ever happened in this household! Oh wait, that was last night when I got an hour of sleep - to pour my heart out about all the things that I'm terrified of with respect to the wedding (don't worry, none of them involve Bryan not showing up! THEN there would be an angry-woman-stampede!!!). But yes, there's lot more to share with you! For some odd reason, this whole blog thing has not only allowed me to have a running (well, one-sided) conversation with the people who are interested in the behind-the-scenes of our wedding, but it's also been functioning to keep me partially sane!!!

The sun is out and I have a wonderful M.O.H. to take a walk with in Chastain Park in just a little bit. Check back in the next few days and hopefully there will be some pictures up!!!