I've heard of Baby Brain, but Bridal Brain too????

Oh my...things are getting busy at Chez Impending Nuptials, with less than a month to go.

JD and I just returned from a 10 day trip down to Texas, to pick up a used scientific instrument for my work. We also made a bit of a scenic roadtrip out of it - using the opportunity to visit/drive through Indianapolis, St. Louis, New Orleans, Galveston, Houston, Dallas, a bit of Oklahoma, Hot Springs and Little Rock - travelling throughout the hiways and scenic byways of the American South and MidWest. Saw bayous and mountains (Ozarks), the Gulf of Mexico, rivers and plains....and many many interesting vistas and people. More about that, and pictures, later on.

I'm glad we did it, though it was a LOTTA driving and felt mostly like one of those "see 10 countries in 7 days" type of tours (except we did all the work).

I'm very upset (since last night) at my brain. I am even more forgetful than usual these days, which means things are getting quite bad. I attribute this and my mental fogginess to "Bridal Brain". Not sure if anyone has come up with this term before, but let me tell you brothers and sisters, it is REAL, as real as Baby Brain.

Here's what happened. Way back...just before our trip, I made a trip to our jewellery store to finalize my wedding ring purchase (JD's was bought last year but we were hemming and hawing on what mine should look like), and I managed to do this without JD in tow, so a perfect opportunity (so I thought) to pick him up a little wedding day surprise from me to him. Said Surprise was tucked into the car in a big ol' Rubbermaid container we keep in the back of Edward the Sparkly Prius to house groceries and other items we want to hide from view. My plan was to drive to work and then remove Said Surprise to my office, to hand off to the Best Man at some future convenient juncture, to give to JD on the Day Of.

But of course, you must know what happened, right? Bridal Brain kicked in and I forgot about it. In my defence, I didn't have an opportunity to sneak it into my office before our big trip and then, well, the trip happened (Edward stayed home 'cos work rented a van for us) and we came back and had to resume our normal (??) lives again, in full-on overdrive and catch-up mode.

Then last night, we were packing Edward with groceries at the store and JD lifts the lid off of the container and says "There's a Birks bag in here?!?". He took one look at my stricken face and says "I didn't see anything", and promptly moves back to the task at hand. Gotta love the man for that, amongst other things! But I was quite crushed, at yet further evidence of my declining mental abilities. Sigh. I guess as long as I still recognize JD at the altar, it can't be that bad....yet.

The Said Surprise is now firmly ensconced in my office and I'm saying a little prayer to please help me remember to pass it on to Michael before September 3rd.

Wedding Planning Update and Random Assorted Ramblings...

Lookee what I found on eBay!Swarovski dragonfly hairpins!!!!!

Not sure how they will be er....implanted...in my wedding 'do, but that will be for the marvelous Suzie at Essence Salon to figure out. I am pretty much hair-stupid...it takes all of my hair dressing skills just to scrape it offa my face and and anchor it with a clip. I think it's a matter of patience, of which for hair, I have none. Three hands would be a plus too.

Invitations were either mailed out or hand-delivered this week to all of our guests. Mizzus K did a fabulous job on them. What a wonderful gift these were!I do hope all of our guests can make it, though I am thinking some might not, for various good reasons. Some have even hinted that travelling to the wedding is not going to be a viable option, but I sent them invites anyways, to let them know we consider them to be our honoured guests regardless of whether they can actually make it or not.

New Topic

Random shots of daylilies from my sadly neglected but thriving somehow anyways front garden:

The first was a gift from my daughter, the second a gift from my son. I've split them once already, and am going to be taking some to our new home at JD's place. And the third? A "volunteer" who magically appeared one season in the front garden from somewhere, most likely from the ones in the backyard.

I leave you with this, to ponder:

I see this truck every once in a while, parked at the golf course that JD is working at this summer. Hard not to forget a pickup with a scrotum. I would love to know what kind of person feels the need to give his motor vehicle balls. Does he love his truck so much he wishes it would reproduce? (I am assuming it is a guy and perhaps that is sexist of me, but really...would a woman decorate a vehicle in this way?) Maybe I just don't get it. Thoughts?

The Great Failed Eyelash Experiment

Eyelash Extensions, behold:

I investigated these as a possible wedding day alternative to other eye enhancements such as regular false eyelashes, mascara etc. I had heard you don't need mascara with these, in fact you CAN'T use mascara with extensions as makeup remover will also remove the extensions. Which I thought could be a definite bonus on a day you might end up crying off all your mascara anyway!

Application of the extensions was a lovely relaxing experience - lying with eyes closed in a quiet room, music softly playing , while the technician's cool fingers touch your eyelids as she painstakingly applies the lashes one by one.

I asked for the shortest length of extensions possible, called "Natural" by the technician. Which she mostly gave me. However she did put longer ones in the middle of each eyelid, she told me afterwards. People, these eyelashes were scary long, even the so-called "natural" length.

I tried to like them, I really did. Did they look real? Yes, except for the length. I have only ever met one person in my entire life who had eyelashes this long, naturally. And they looked freaky on her too. (Unfortunately she had very tiny eyes and it kinda looked like a spider was trying to crawl out each eye.)

I would have much preferred the lashes to be half as long and to have twice as many applied to each eye. To get away from the spiky look.

The other thing I didn't like about them was that I had to be sooooo careful or else I would lose them. Sleeping was uncomfortable as I was constantly waking up lest I roll over on my stomach and "crush" them against the pillow. Showering, towelling off, washing my face - also times for extreme caution lest they get rubbed off. I didn't even dare try putting on any eye makeup.

Despite all my care, I did lose quite a few lashes. Mostly from one eye, much to my chagrin. I was starting to look like that guy from Clockwork Orange when I decided to end the experiment and remove the rest of the lashes. Had them put on, on a Friday night - and ripped them all off by Monday morning. They were supposed to last for 3 weeks and I couldn't even manage them for 3 days.

I dunno. They seem quite popular, from what I've seen on the innernet. How do other people manage them? I found them to be a lotta work and worry, and I wasn't very successful at keeping them on.

Serenity NOW......please!

Bless me Mother, for I have sinned....it's been over a month since my last pedicure, since I last intentionally exercised, since I've taken anything more than the most cursory care of myself.

I said I'd never go back to Crazytown (I say that every time) but I found myself there once again.

The refridgerator is almost empty and the cupboards are getting bare. The house is neglected. My dog is a scruffy shaggy mess. The yard is an embarrassment. I have no friends anymore and my family doesn't remember who I am.

JD and I have been busy with a capital B on a large accounting project with a deadline outside of work and it has taken its toll on us and our surroundings.

But now the worst is over and I am ready to rejoin the life currently in progress, which includes matrimony in about... !!!!EIGHT WEEKS!!!!!!
How did that happen?

Already, the anxiety dreams are happening. You know the ones....where you suddenly realize it's the day of your wedding and you're getting married in 20 minutes and you haven't picked up your dress from the store yet. In fact it hasn't even been altered yet. Then your eyes open and you realize it was just a dream and there's still time...

But not a whole lot of it!

And not a whole lot of time to post to the blog either, at least not till I get somewhat caught up at home. When life gives you an empty fridge, don't make lemonade - at least not until you clean the darn thing inside and out....which is what I plan to do tonight.

Chore List 4 2Night: The Negative Space approach - like the art exercise of drawing the negative space around an object instead of the object itself, only the housework version
(oh goddess, I'm punchdrunk from lack of sleep....)

1. Empty fridge (should take less than 3 minutes) and formulate shopping list from items that are NOT being removed from fridge.

2. Clean fridge.

3. Go shopping for the edible essentials of life.

4. Fill up sparkly clean fridge with purchases.

5. Feel less insane

Have a good night!

Yeah, but are these Princess feet?

I actually did find a pair of pink peep-toe wedges, exactly what I thought I was looking for. Only 1 problem (well, 2 really): they look really plastic-y. And they were insanely cheap - $19.99 on clearance, which believe it or not is a problem for me.

I don't think I should be wearing cheap shoes on my wedding day. Mizzus J, my matron-of-honour, reminds me though, that I have many opportunities to spend a wad of dough coming up in the near future. Tell me about it. It's already happening. Sigh.

Then I found these babies, above. JD took one look at them and proclaimed them "Princess shoes", whatever that means. In decoding man-speak, I think it means he likes them.

A couple more sunset shots, taken at the City golf course:

I really have to remember to bring my tripod, in order to avoid blurriness in these evening shots, like in this one:

OK, enough of the beauties of nature....back to the shoes!

Do you think the shoes will look better on me if I have a bit of colour happening? I shouldn't tan due to previous bout with skin cancer (basal cell), but what about self-tanner?

Must.... Avoid ...Sun. ARGH.

Welcome to the Spring/Summer of My Discontent

ALERT: posting contains wedding dress photos. Dear JD, please do not read any further!!!!!

Dear Long Suffering Blog,

Once again life has overwhelmed me and I have thrown my goals to the wayside in order to fire-fight, including posting to YOU, dear blog. I so hate living in Crazytown.

I have GOT to come up with a better way to deal than this. Hmph.

Update on goals and other schtuff:

Picture a day goal - mostly still doing this, despite everything. A lot of my daily pictures look like this:

Or this:
...As I attempt to capture the perfect sunset photo, while waiting for JD to finish up his shift at the City Golf Course he's at this summer (he's apprenticing to be a pro). There are worse places to hang out than at a golf course on a beautiful spring evening.

May Goal - 30 Day Shred

Well, for about a week there it looked like this goal would become the 30 Week Shred instead. However, I did end the month with 20 workouts to my credit. (That's about 15 more than I did in April and March combined - so, yay me!!!!)

My muscles are more THERE, that's for sure. My measurements haven't really changed yet, but everything is firmer. So, a great start. I am pleased despite not finishing in time.

June Goal? - should probably be a meditation session once per day as I desperately need to take time to breathe and remember I am a human being, not a human doing. However I also want to continue with the workouts. It's June 4th and I will have to decide soon. Stay tuned, dear Blog.

Wedding Update

My dress came in!

And it fits quite nicely! No Bulging Brides scenario for me, thank goddess. Just needs minor adjustments at the shoulder and hemline.

And I did something I swore I would never do:

Yes dear Blog, I not only tried on the veil, I loved it so much I bought the sucka. JD so wants me to wear a veil and I have been bucking him on this one....up until last night. When lovely Salesperson Sue said (despite knowing my supposed anti-veil stance), "Let's just try one on, for fun - shall we?" I should have known resistance was futile.

I am keeping the veil purchase as a surprise for JD, so don't tell him, OK?

So...not only am I a second-time bride with 2 grown kids wearing a full-on white gown with train, I am going to be wearing the traditional head gear as well. I expect to be struck down by lightning anytime now.

Or perhaps I will be run out of the chapel on a rail, like Homer Stokes in Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?

Sigh.

Can a tiara purchase be far off?

Clearly, the answer is: NO. When it comes to this whole bride thing, I seem to be subscribing to the "Go Big, or Go Home" mentality these days!

May Challenge Update - 30 Day Shred

Seven days of shredding completed! I feel pretty good about sticking with it, and my progress in general. I am already using heavier weights (5 lb. instead of 3) for several of the exercises. Don't feel any thinner or particularly toned, yet. In fact, I feel bulkier - especially my biceps. I feel like I am getting these killer "guns" - not really a look I was going for. Well, we shall see how things progress.....

My real agenda for this challenge is to make regular exercise a part of my life again - make it a habit like brushing and flossing. The Shred takes about 25 minutes to perform (including warm-up and cool-down). Twenty five measly minutes per day. You'd think it would not be a struggle to fit this in, day-to-day. But I am telling you, IT IS. However, fit it in I do! The discipline is very good for me - something I need...workin' the ol' flabby discipline muscle. Ahem.