08/31/05

Whoops, thought I’d be able to update on Monday. Apparently not.

Well, if you’ve been watching CNN etc, you probably know as much as we do. Who knows when we’ll be able to get back home. Fortunately, we have a home to get back to. Holly, one of the multitudes and masses staying with us, has a mother-in-law who stayed behind in our neighborhood and she drove around the neighborhood yesterday, checking on our houses. Seems we fared okay.

But whether or not our house is okay doesn’t really matter when there’s no city to go back to. Sure, the West Bank is okay, but without city services (or, you know, power), how do you go on with day-to-day activities? You can’t. So looks like Baton Rouge is home for now. I really really wish I’d brought my running shoes and exercise clothes. I can feel myself turning into a big blob. Must go out today and purchase some things.

What else is there to say? Everything is so much up in the air.

Pam

08/23/05

Update time. I haven’t written in a while. It was a very relaxing (read: boring) weekend where I got a lot of little wedding things accomplished. (Boring to anyone but me.)

Actually, Friday night was a lot of fun. My cousins Joey and Monica and Monica’s husband Tom came by our house (for the first time since they moved here late last year – I was keeping them away, their house is so beautiful and well-maintained and spare and gorgeous, and ours is…not. Cute and homey, but cluttered and messy. And we don’t have a two year old like they do. Sigh.) and then we went to the pub, had a few pints, ate some yummy food.

It was a lot of fun. And George asked Joey to be an usher in our wedding, which he was excited about. 32(ish) years old and he said this will be his first time wearing a tuxedo. Glad we can be of service. Joey is also, at about 6’5″, the unofficial garter-catcher at weddings. No one else can compete. He wasn’t too concerned when I told him we weren’t going to do it, though.

Today would be my first tap-dancing class. I think I’m going to have to take “tap-dancing” off the top of my blog, because I won’t be taking it this year. I was planning on it, until I read the fine print on the registration form. $50 registration fee. Um, I don’t think so. Last year it was only $30 or maybe I didn’t have to pay because I was new. In any case, I can’t afford it this year, so maybe next year. Hope I don’t forget all my moves! Ha ha.

Babysat Monica and Tom’s little boy, Max yesterday. We watched Monsters Inc (he only watches Pixar. Smart boy.) and then he played me some tunes on his piano. Perhaps they weren’t technically melodic, but I like to think of him as a two-year-old modern piano virtuoso. I should also mention that it’s really cute how he giggles whenever Boo comes on during the movie.

Saturday is my first fitting for my wedding dress. I’m so friggin’ excited. It can’t come fast enough! And then I’m going to DC for Labor Day weekend, courtesy of my dear dear dear friends and big sister. Fun two weekends coming up. Yay!

Pam

Grrr.

Man. What is wrong with me? Is getting married not enough of an incentive to lose weight? To eat right? Arrrgh. I am disgusted with myself. Well, I’ve had enough and this week I’m back to counting points obsessively. How am I ever going to live without Weight Watchers if I gain every time I stop counting points? Blagh. Argh. Grrrr.

Anyway. Had a great weekend with my mom. We did have steak on Saturday night. Not that steak in itself is going to cause me to gain two pounds in a week, but it doesn’t help. We did shop a lot. You’d think walking around stores and trying on clothes might be considered aerobic activity, even strength training, but alas. I guess not. (However, I did actually go to the gym Friday and Monday and yesterday so it’s not like I’ve been slacking in that regard.)

My first dress fitting is a week from Saturday. I have ten days to get down to the lowest size I can be before the wedding. Pun intended – fat chance. Thank god for things that suck you in.

Pam

08/12/05

I know I haven’t been posting much. Nothing sinister, just nothing exciting going on. Well, unless you consider going to the dentist yesterday exciting. Woo! I got a temporary crown! Woo! They shot my mouth up with so much novocaine my right eyelid was numb and I couldn’t close my eyes!! Woo!!! Exciting! I had to get four mouthfuls of plastic goop so they could get a good impression of my teeth! Woo!

Yes, yesterday was a truly exciting day. Ha ha.

Well, today is sort of exciting in a pathetic way. That’s right, three months from today is the wedding! Yay! So close, yet so far…

Got my invitations this week. They’re beautiful. Can’t wait to mail them out.

Going to Baton Rouge this weekend. I have Monday off for a Catholic holiday, so I’m going to spend some quality time with my mom. I always enjoy that.

Can’t believe it’s already August. Bring on November!

Pam

August 10, 2005

Ooops, I haven’t posted in a while. I think it’s time to post about the show that’s on everyone’s mind…Rock Star: INXS.

Yes, I used to be obsessed with INXS. Scary obsessed. Covered my walls with pictures, posters, articles. Belonged to the fan club. Spent hours at the public library, searching the microfilm archives of Rolling Stone, Spin, and Billboard for any mention of the band. Filled a notebook with nothing but “I love INXS” and “I love Michael Hutchence” over and over and over and over again.

But this all ended last year. Ha ha, just kidding! My obsession finally sputtered to a halt after I saw them in concert in December 1993. (It was an amazing concert – I think I just needed to see them, in order to put the obsession to rest.)

If you could only imagine the depth of my love for this band. I knew their birthdays, their wives’ and kids’ names, their wives’ and kids’ birthdays. And favorite colors. Thank goodness I wasn’t old enough to get a tattoo during this phase of my life.

And yet, I hardly cried when Michael Hutchence died. I was sad, yes, but I was so over them by that point that it just didn’t resonate with me. How awful is that? I had friends from high school calling me, emailing me, wondering how I was holding up. Don’t worry, I was fine. (Also I was in London. I was really fine.)

So it’s weird to watch this show now. Weird to try to replace my beloved first love (okay, second love, after Julian Lennon) with some random person off the street. Weird to see the guys – Tim, Andrew, Gary Garry (or is it Garry Gary?), Jon, and Kirk all grown up. Old.

And not a little sad. Every time they are referred to as “rock supergroup INXS,” I cringe. Their lead singer died eight years ago. They haven’t had a hit in at least twelve years. (Don’t quote meon that.) Their last really big hit was in 1988. Seventeen years ago. How can they be a “rock supergroup”? I just don’t get it, and it makes me sad that they’re so delusional.

Nevertheless, it’s an entertaining show. I don’t know who I want to win. Jordis? But I’m with Kettie – she just needs to be solo. Marty? He seems kind of wimpy off stage. Mig? Or is it just because he’s Australian? Who knows. I just know if JD wins, I’m going to be very very very very upset.

Pam

08/03/05

Woo hoo! Had a bit of a loss this week! Yay!

Well, that’s the good news. The bad news is I’m going to have to get a crown. Which is not covered by my dental insurance. Argh. Just what I need right now. A $700 dental procedure. At least I can pay for some of it with my Flexible Spending Account but not all of it. Ah well. It must be done.

Tomorrow is going to be exciting! Article is supposed to be in the paper. I’ll post a link to it if it’s published. Fingers crossed! And I’m going to have margaritas with friends tomorrow night. Yum. (Mustn’t overinduldge, however.)

Today the bridesmaids dresses will arrive at my office. Hopefully they’ll all be the right size and color. I’ve heard horror stories, but not about the company I ordered them from, so I’m not really worried. But still. It’s always a possibility.

This weekend I have a wedding shower to go to for a friend who is getting married the week after me. That should be fun. I love showers because there are always finger sandwiches involved.

Pam

08/02/05

Oof. Broke a tooth yesterday at work. Chewing on a peppermint. Yeah, yeah, I know. You’re not supposed to chew on them. Anyway, it’s a tooth with a filling, and so far the filling has stayed in place. I really hope it doesn’t fall out before I get to the dentist. That would be painful.

Well, any excuse to eat ice cream…

Pam

08/01/05

Nice, relaxing weekend. Mostly. Some wedding stress involved,
but isn’t that natural? Last night, in fact, I had my first
wedding dream/nightmare. I mean, I didn’t wake up screaming or
anything, it was just a strange dream. (Well, some might
consider a dream where you are about to get married but you
realize you haven’t made an appointment to get your hair fixed
and you haven’t bought any makeup a nightmare, but not me.)

(Okay I lie. That is sort of nightmarish. Why can’t I be like
Kettie and just put my hair in a ponytail, plop the veil on top,
swipe on some lip gloss and go down the aisle? And look
stunningly beautiful in the process? Hmmph.)

Well, anyway. The rest of the weekend was nice. Hung out with
friends, went to see our favorite band play (well, the only
local band I’ll see) and relaxed. Always a good thing.

This week should be v exciting. Bridesmaids dresses are due to
be delivered on Wednesday and Thursday is when the newspaper
article should be published. Eeep! And there is dinner and
drinks with various friends throughout the week. Fun! (Must
remember not to overindulge. Mustn’t gain weight.)

Pam