Craig & Gen's wedding HAKA MAORI finally uploaded!

OK, I know it's been over 2 months, and I apologize!
 
BUT, I think it was well worth the wait. I have uploaded pictures of the wedding here:
 
http://www.flickr.com/photos/theanykey/sets/72157603024659817/
 
And, drum roll please... I finally figured out how to get into youtube (use a different email address!),
and as I know you've been waiting long enough:
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YoDdrzmvNE
 
Again, I am sorry it took so long, I hope you all enjoy it!
 
Love, Blaine

 
 
 

Got pix posted... finally

Sorry about the late posting, C&G... and Mel.
 
I will have to figure out my youtube login to upload the Haka Maori... :)

Not making it to Cold Lake

Even with the new tires, I just can't get past the feeling in my gut saying to not go.
 
I will probably try again before Christmas.
 
Besides the $$$ factor, there's a million little things adding up that just make me uneasy. The risk of freezing rain for the beginning half and the last quarter of the trip to Cold Lake (and the likelihood that it will remain the same forecast for the return trip doesn't help) really scares me. Last year on a trip to Cold Lake, Chris was driving, I was trying to snooze, and out of nowhere, we hit a patch of black ice, and the car turned sideways. Literally. While we were going about 100 km/hr - I think, I wasn't exactly keeping track - which is slower than the speed limit.
 
It made me sit up super quick, and started to freak out. After we felt it might be safe to, I had Chris pull over and I broke down. It sucked. After that, I was terrified the whole trip.
 
So, all things considered, I decided it's safer to stay put, clean the house, get some long-awaited pictures uploaded (C+G), and some other stuff done.
 
While I'm not indulging in the craziness that is NoBloPoMo, I plan to post again this weekend because I'll have a lot to say! After I get some of the things done, I will have a lot to tell you. So check back later on.
 
:) Sorry I won't see you this weekend.
 


 

 
 
 

Just need bridesmaid dresses now...

Well... As some of you know, the dress shopping went very well. VERY WELL!

 

Steph found a dress in 3. Mine was 5th. But I left and then decided I had to go back, I wanted it, couldn't stop thinking about it!

 

It was a wonderful weekend, but I am still very glad to be home. The city is so loud, so busy... too many people. I'm not used to people. At all, anymore, really!

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Obviously, I won't be posting pictures of the dress shopping experience simply because of the potential fiance leak factor... Meaning that Chris or Todd might get their hands (eyes?) on them!

 

Maybe I will blur out everything but the faces, so I can at least show how happy we all were. And it was so much fun!

 

We went around picking out dresses and just put clips on the hangers, then got shown to our rooms and we met with our individual consultants. It was super fancy, but at the same time, very laid back and relaxing.

 

My consultant was named Julie, and was wonderful. She was knowledgeable, answered all of my questions, responded to all of my concerns thoughtfully and even suggested I try on styles I outright decided that I did not like, so that I know for sure. (This, of course is after she asked why I didn't want to try on any strapless gowns. I just assumed that a strapless would mean I'd be pulling up the gown all day/night long, and she explained how it would support, and how it should fit. She brought one over that she thought I might like, and I loved it, it was comfortable and glorious, but not right for me. I was still expecting to be too self conscious about my arms and that weird little 'pouch' that magically appears when you put on a strapless dress. And, pending my ability to lose weight/tone before the wedding, I didn't want to be disappointed/unhappy with how I look/feel on my wedding day.)

 

Either way, the dress I chose suits me perfectly, I think, and considering everyone else's reaction when I was stepped out of the change room…

 

Well, for a while it was between 2 dresses, until Mel pointed out (THANK YOU!) that the dress I chose only looked second because of the color difference. White made me look washed out, and it was white. Very white. So, I pictured the white dress in the colour of the other one, and couldn't stop thinking about it. So, after we dicided to think about it, I wanted to go back.

 

And now I can't stop thinking about it. I also have another problem. I share everything with Chris. It's killing me to hold back and not tell him every detail about the dress, show him pictures…

 

But he's said that he doesn't want to know, see or hear anything about it until The Day.

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It has been very, very windy around here lately, and it seems the planning of my workplace did not take that into consideration. I've been somewhat forced to walk from the office to the bays with my eyes closed.

 

Something else I re-discovered: a Strong gust of wind can blow your eyelashes around so that they tickle the tops of your eyes. It's kind of cool.

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Warning: Somewhat selfish sounding rant ahead.

 

After trying to keep our house somewhat reasonably clean, I am looking more and more forward to the days I get off. However, I am feeling stressed, because I know that if I spend all of this weekend cleaning, I won't have fully relaxed, and I can't count on next weekend to catch up on relaxing, because I will be driving 7 hours on Thursday (8^th) and another 7 hours on the 11^th, in time to go back to work.

 

The weekend after I have plans to travel to Edmonton to hang out with Jarrod for his birthday for the whole Saturday, even though his birthday isn't actually until the following Friday… I just figured I would leave him his actual birthday so he can go to Cold Lake, or whatever.

 

So it will most likely be at least 3 weeks before I can have a weekend to myself, at home, doing nothing. So I am afraid I've wasted all of last night, and all day today.

 

I have been afraid to start cleaning too much, lest I use up all of 'my' time and end up stressed all week.

 

Chris was supposed to be home tonight after the yard job, and he was going to refuse (it's complicated, but he would have been allowed to) to work on Sunday. So we could spend the day together.

 

At around 5 p.m. he called to tell me he was about to go out on a coal train, meaning he'd get home around 9 a.m. tomorrow.

 

Needless to say, I am a little disappointed, but he wasn't feeling well earlier this week and so he took time off, and I expect he's trying to make up the time on this trip (which will definitely do it). I just wanted to spend the weekend with him, and I know he thinks we still can, but with him getting home at 9 a.m. ish, it means he will be sleeping/exhausted tomorrow, and it would be hard for him to have a good day if he tries to stay awake when he should sleep.

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I have plans to upload a bunch of pictures, I've gotten them ready, I just need to sit down and upload them… So they will be uploaded within a reasonable timeframe.

 

J

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I've finally gotten into contact with the company that owns the bunch of hotels in Jasper that we've been looking at, and it looks like they have no bookings at all for the week we want to get married.

 

The representative said that the location we want for the ceremony is as good as ours, but that he might have some trouble getting the place we want for our reception, because they advertise it as the lounge for the hotel in the summer months. (I assume it's also the lounge in the winter.) I emailed back that I plan to reserve a block of rooms for all of my guests to reserve if they decide to, and so I hope that that will help sway their decision. If half (?) of the hotel is booked by our guests, there won't be as many complaints about the lounge's inaccessibility.

 

I hope to meet with them by the 15^th, and find out how much of a deposit we'll need to put down.

 

J J J J J J J J

 
 
 

Going Dress Shopping!

Wedding dress, that is!

Going to be a shopping with my Mom, Auntie Mel, and my (also engaged) cousin Steph! (Congratulations, again, by the way!)

I'm sending out tons of positive energy to the universe, asking for and thinking that the stores we go to will have some amazing dresses for reasonable prices, and plenty of happy smiling people who are pleasant and courteous. (Hint hint universe... C'mon, it's a bridal shop! Everyone should be smiling!)

I plan to leave here right after work on friday (meaning I have to pack and get ready tomorrow!), and come back Sunday morning. Got my fingers crossed for good weather, too!

I won't be bringing M (Marley) because I'm pretty sure she'd not be allowed at Steph and Todd and Willy's place. She'll probably be pissed at me for 'abandoning' her, but I don't really have a choice, and it's only two nights! (Ten to one says she leaves 'presents' in the house while Chris is at work - if he has to work while I'm gone.)
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I am feeling the time crunch factor. For everything. For wedding planning (seeing that I probably won't have a weekday off during which I can do wedding stuff until the end of November, I am stressing about the idea of meeting my self-set deadline of December 15th, for having the reception and ceremony sites booked. I'm also stressed, because I know that every day that goes by, I risk not being able to book the places I want! Gah! Then there's the issue of having to put down a huge deposit on the site(s) Right. Before. Christmas. (insert terrifying scream here). That's all for the wedding stuff for now.).

As for finding time to clean the house, fold towels, clean up after/take out Marley, take care of Marley's necessities (clipping her incredibly fast growing nails - which is an arduous task, at best, and brushing her easily matted fur that I refuse to clip* lest she freeze in the colder months that are creeping up behind my back), eat healthy meals, exercise (jumping to conclusions? nah, more like running after Chris asking him questions about the wedding!**)... yeah, I barely have time to cram dishes into the dishwasher, or do laundry that's necessary (muddy and soaked work clothes - mine, actually. Chris is relatively dry at work.) I can't wait to be a SAHM, I know there is tons to do and very little time to do it when you have kids, especially first time SAHMs. But I just can't stop thinking that we will find the time to do the things that need to get done (I'm a dreamer) and that I will be able to make healthier meals, not only dinner, but breakfasts, and pack good lunches for Chris so he doesn't have to 'pick something up on the way to work'.

**He's actually quite good with it all. At first, he didn't know what was supposed to happen when or where or why (why do we need a marriage commissioner? - seriously), but after a good dinner out that started out as a 'let's go for coffee so I can explain this to you' sort of thing, we're more on the same page.
I mostly needed to realize that Chris hasn't been dreaming about weddings his whole life, and that when he was at the weddings he has attended, he wasn't memorizing every little detail for future reference, later picturing himself in a dress walking down the aisle to the man of his dreams. That toolk a weird turn. Um. Anyway... And he needed to realize that 'do what you want***' was NOT a good answer, because (as I explained) it made me feel like he took no interest AT ALL in what was supposed to be one of the most important days of our lives. We just had to take the time to see how the other person saw it all and felt, and since then, it's been great!

***Don't get me wrong, it wasn't said it in a bad way, it was just that he didn't understand the importance to me of his being a part of the planning, the ideas, the nitty-gritty of it all. I'm not going to make him pick out flowers, but I do want his input on the more important things, like what color shoes I should wear. Just kidding. But I plan on asking just about everytime there is something new or necessary going on. Because it's his wedding, too, and I don't want him to jsut show up! I want the whole planning process to be as memorable - in a good way - as the wedding will be!
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Other tidbits I've been meaning to blog, but haven't had the opportunity:

- It's been almost two months since Craig & Gen's awesome wedding, and I still haven't managed to get my crap together enough to post pictures and most importantly, upload the video of the 'haka maori' that was performed at the reception. It's not the best quality, but it's still cool. Very cool. If Craig or Gen (or anyone who is anxiously awaiting the viewing of the video I have) is reading this, I am very sorry. I just have been scatterbrained lately (delete button is overworked today, and thank gawd for spell check!), and really sore from work lately. (Not a good excuse, I know, but it's all I have.)

- My wrists are KILLING me. My left wrist keeps popping at work- not repeatedly through the day, but once or twice a week, and it just keeps it sore just enough to remind me it's there. And in my left one, the tenderness and sometimes outright pain has spread to the exact area where I badly sprained my thumb back in... April? Nope, after looking it up, it was June. Either way, I am tempted to wear a tensor bandage to work, but it would get trashed. Maybe I should at the very least start wearing the wrist supports on bad days, and exercise my wrist more on good days... 1 lb weights, here I come...

- Been off the sweet, sweet addiction for about 2 or 3 weeks, and succumbed today. I had a coffee. From Tim's. And, in my rush to get cleaning while I had a few minutes, I forgot about it, and ended up only drinking about 1/2 of it... (Don't tell Chris. Chris, if you are reading this... you saw nothing). I am now thinking about getting one tomorrow morning or at lunch time or something...

- Marley has been doing so much better since we got the report from the 'Animal Psychic' lady that Mom recommended. That is a huge post for another day, but let me just say this: I haven't had to strip the bed and wash the sheets two days in a row because Marley pooped on the bed since before I talked to this lady. And, AND, she's telling us when she has to go out. For me, she kinda woofs a little and wiggles, for Chris, she has an elaborate signal: She will sit on the one couch, move over to the couch he's on (this only applies to when he's on the couch though - kinda useless if he's in the kitchen) then she'll look right at him, jump down to the training pads we have on the floor for during the day accidents, circle a few times, and run to the door. Pretty freaking sweet.

- My arms are getting soooo toned from using the firehoses to clean the floor at work... I'll flex for you and show you... They're bigger than when I worked at Mark's and used to lift those massive pots full of bones and stock when they were scorching hot...

- I totally forgot to mention earlier, or I think I did, too lazy to check right now, that my ethical issues about working at a car wash have been long resolved. All of the chemicals that are used at the wash are completely biodegrable, and the containers they come in are recyclable (apparently the containers most car wash chemicals come in are extremely toxic, and have to be disposed of in a toxic waste site.), and my employers are environmentally conscious, as well as being awesome people and really cool bosses.

-After putting plastic on the windows in the house, almost every room has risen 3 degrees celcius, and I'm no longer freezing at night under 2-3 heavy blankets, with the heat cranked. Yay for insulating things. (Best part is, I can take down the plastic carefully, and label them and reuse them year after year. I would only need to replace the double sided tape!)
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I'm tired. I'm sore. My hand hurts. I want an orange.

I'm going to go eat an orange, soak in a hot tub, go to bed and go to work tomorrow morning and get more sore than I am today. :)

More to come eventually.

OMG!!!

You've got to go to http://www.edmontonhumanesociety.com/pet_search.html

Go to the dogs link.

Look at Molly.

Is she not perfect? She makes me want to go get her! ARGH! First time I look in over a month, and I find a seemingly perfect companion for Marley.

Marley might disagree, and would spend every day trying to show her dominance... but still, argh!

(And she'd be only $85 because she is considered a senior dog! (Over 6 years old). Gah.)

Rolaids does NOT spell relief

especially when the problem isn't in your stomach.

Ok, rolaids are actually my favorite antacid, but they really don't help with my current issue.

Migraine.

Ow.

I got one last night, to blame I'm guessing is the donut I treated myself to* from Tim's. They were out of honey dip (how DARE they?) and out of my next three choices, so when I heard in the list of what they DID have, "Boston cream", I interrupted the young (seemed VERY young, but maybe not...) girl who was rattling them off faster than Marley scuttles away from the yard towards the car.

*I decided I had been good, and deserved a treat. If it works for Marley, it works for me! Or something.

So I spent the better part of yesterday evening wearing Chris' CN hat (kinda like the old time conductor hats- it's huge) pulled down low, so that I could get anything done. Once I was wearing the hat, the pain levelled off at a low dull throb, unless I accidentally glanced in any well-lit direction...

The real issue was the dizziness, the slight aura things and the nausea, oh gawd the nausea.

Last night reminded me of how horrible I felt while I was still taking my antideppressants (for what started out as anxiety, and turned into a combo of that and depression, f*cking pills and their d@mn side effects... just a little bitter about the $$$ I spent on them, the neverending side effects, the numbness I now realize I felt when I was on them. Until I stopped taking them, I never truly realized how much of an effect they had on me. More on that another day.). As Chris well knows, I used to feel sick ev.er.y. damn. day. Maybe once a month I wouldn't have some sort of nausea. Maybe.

Today, I woke up feeling better, but the last 4 hours, I could feel it creeping back. now I am sitting with my work hoody hood pulled as far forward as I can get it, wearing sunglasses in the office. Trying to not give in to the temptation to call my boss and say, "hey, wanna come cover so I can go home and lay down?"

It's not too bad. Dull throb. Light sensitivity's milder than yesterday.

Besides, I have only got 2 hours left in the shift. Then I get to go to the library and pick up the books that are in, go home, see if Chris wants to come shopping, then go to the grocery store. Not sure which yet. (Thinking about going to Safeway... the IGA has really crappy produce, both of them. I need apples to make a pie on Saturday.)

Oh, I need to gas up again. (Tempted to tell Chris to take my car to Edson tomorrow, it's 96.9/L there. Here? Still 103.9/L.)

Gotta go help a customer now!

Once in a Lifetime

We are officially, but not traditionally*, engaged!

That is to say that we are planning, I have bought bridal magazines (3 magazines are a combined 4 1/2 inches thick... Geez.), and we are going to be sending out 'save the date' cards soon. (Homemade, of course, and part of them will be 30% post consumer recycled paper!)

*Not traditionally, meaning that we didn't do the ring thing. We have been talking about getting married for so long, and we really liked the date we picked out, so we just figured, hey, why not!

I have some questions to ask some people, and hopefully, everything works out as planned.

HOWEVER, I am hoping that I can plan a bash as fun as C & G's was, as relaxed and casual as J & M's was, while still having my own ideas and take on things.

My thoughts, so far: (some of them, don't want to give it ALL away...)

- Sage Green and Light Cream. (Those are my colors. I like that they rhyme, too... heh.)

- Going to be in this area, while I understand that it will mean almost all of my guests will have to travel at least 300 km, I am kind of thinking of persuading everyone by saying, "hey, when was the last time you saw the mountains?" Use it as a mini vacation, by all means. Come out early, stay late, go up on the tramway, for gosh sakes. (You can see it in this picture, come on, who doesn't want to go up to the seemingly little shack on the mountain?). *

- Easier for us to plan it when it's where we live, and since it's just over 10 months away (decided on a date before we decided we were going to do it) and kind of but not really already feeling stressed and rushed...

- Probably going to be about 40-72 people. I know it's a wide range, but it really depends on the rsvps. I am expecting a minimum of 40, because there are certain people WHO ARE GOING TO BE THERE. I will make sure of it. You all probably know who you are. if you don't, I will make sure you know soon enough.

- Trying to plan it so that it will be the least environmentally destructive as possible. Most people don't know it, but Chris and I are greenies. Not as much as we'd like to be, but we are getting there, and we are planning to offset the carbon emissions for our entire wedding, including our guests' travel. And then some.

- I am going to talk to caterers about the possibility of organic/local foods, if possible. Hinton is small enough that it might be difficult, but at the same time, there might be some people out of Jasper (Major Green Town) that would be more than willing to work with us.

- I already have ideas for centerpieces and 'other' cool things... but not disclosing those to anyone who doesn't need to know, yet.

- I already know who I want my flower girls to be. I just have yet to ask... You'll get your calls probably on sunday...

- I intend to honour the flower girls, but making them 'princesses' for the day, and I have other plans, too.

- I think I need to make a trip into Cold Lake in November at the latest.

- I need to find a good time to go to the lady in Cold Lake ish area to do a cake tasting. I loved the pictures of all the cakes she'd done, and I think she could do what I want done with my cake. And she made Joy's.

- I need to ask certain people for the name of the DJ company they used... I will be calling.

- I still have to find a good place to have the wedding. Of course, places in Jasper are gorgeous, but at a day rate of $17.80 PER VEHICLE to enter the National Park, it will be as a last resort, only. I would feel way too bad asking my guests to travel this far, spend as much money as I estimate it will cost, just to have to spend that much more.

- I like the idea of a day after brunch/open house. Am considering it. (Of course with all sorts of twists from the regular stuff. Hee hee hee.)

*I can offer several amazing places to go for beautiful views that aren't listed on any travel maps, too.
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HAPPY (belated) BIRTHDAY, CHAIR! Hope it was a good one, even if you had to eat pink icing....

Sorry I missed it, I thought about you on it, and hoped you were having a great day!
:)
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I can't stop thinking about wedding stuff. I can't even sleep at night, I am so excited/anxious/nervous/freaking out in a good and bad way.

Trying to block it all out while I am at work, but it is so NOT working, especially on a rainy day like today, where in the last 3 hours, there has been 1 customer, and I've already cleaned just about everything there is to clean. Inventory is done, floor's mopped. Blaine is turning into a puddle.

Gah. So much to do, so many people to call. So many things to print and cut and paint and glue and send. And I guess I have to address envelopes, too.

That reminds me, I need stamps.

I also have 4, no, 5 library books about weddings to read, and 6 more on hold... oy.

Where do people find the time to do all this stuff?

I think my head might explode. I need to have a long relaxing bath tomorrow night, and read mindless Archie comics I've read thousands of times before. (Can't have one, tonight, get to go over to C's parent's house tonight, because it is his Mom's birthday! If I'm not mistaken, we get to have another delicious cake made by Kellie... can't wait to see how she decorated this one! She makes some pretty interesting cakes, very creative!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY Bernie! I hope that you had a good day, I know you had to work until 9 p.m., but we taped Survivor for you, so hope that helps! (It was good, too).
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Chris's Mom has already offerred her services if I need any help with anything for the wedding, and I already have an idea for something... No, I'm not going to tell you!

Oh, yeah, I am more motivated than ever about getting into shape. Going to do it, one of these days, too.

:) Blaine

Not Moving.

For Sure.

Chris is arranging a home terminal transfer from Edson to Jasper.

So, long drives in the winter will prevail, BUT, he won't be working 6 days each week, and be forced out to random places from Thunder Bay, Ontario to the West Coast EVERY WINTER until people start to retire anywhere from 5-15 years from now.

And, if he really wanted to go back to Edson in 5-15 years, we could always try. (It might be hard to get back into, but the pros vs cons came up with this being better overall.)

:) And, in Jasper, he will be qualified as a conductor sooner, and not be the bottom of the seniority for the terminal.

So, yeah.
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Mark 8.8.8. on your calendars, and cross your fingers it works for then.

:)

More moving crap

We are looking at some trailers in Edson, there is a brand new park that offers a discount on the lot rent if you buy from them, or it's more expensive if you buy a still newish slightly used trailer that was built the year before (plus the selling price is higher for the used because the sellers only bought it to make an extra few thousand when they sold it the year after. Bastards.)

It is fairly east, in a new development kind of area, and while we wouldn't be overjoyed about paying the lot rent forever, it's basically what we are looking for: a place to live where we can have Marley, that's in a decent area, in good condition (considering the brand new ones are much cheaper - all around - than the year old ones, we'd be going for that.) that we could stand to live in for a few years until we can "maybe" afford to build our own house. (We're ambitious.)

I get to drive up to Edson today to meet with a bank 'mortgage specialist' there and try to figure out all of this home-buying crap.

(It really sounds like one big headache to me. But I'm sure we'll figure it out eventually.)

:)

Oh, still loving the new job. Feel bad I might have to leave it right away, they wanted someone reliable and for long term. Damn.

Not much I can do, though, I don't want Chris to be exhausted working 6 days a week and having to drive when he admitted it was getting to be too much.