Is it really September?

Wow. September 1.

I hope I have everything squared away for the wedding! It's coming faster than I thought it would!

Brad and I went to Greensboro to get our marriage license on Tuesday. Do you know they make you swear on a Bible? I didn't.

I also chewed a little on the weekend schedule. I'll include a bit about it here. Let me know if you'd like to volunteer for anything (I'm in desperate need of people with things labelled **)

Before Friday:
buy two wreath hangers for church doors
buy floral tape
buy big trashcans (makeshift coolers)
get Brad's passport

Friday:
Drop off babies in Charlotte (me)
Pick up dresses from David's Bridal (my stepmom is doing this for me)
Flowers delivered (stepmom/dad taking care of this)

Saturday:
2: Build bouquets and other florals (bridesmaids and Bumps)
4: Rehearsal
Pick up groom's cake from baker **
5ish: Rehearsal dinner (Queen will set up beforehand)
8: Separate for night

Sunday:
Drop off beer, soda and decorations at Kress for caterer ** (my brother may volunteer for this)
Pack drinks in ice in trashcans so they can start getting cold **
11 a.m.: Ladies' brunch
noon: Head to church to start getting ready
Help caterer decorate Kress **
2:30ish: Groomsmen and Brad meet at church for group shots
3:30ish: Bridesmaids and Jess have group shots
4:30ish: Boys begin ushering early arrivals
4:55: Susie starts playing live music
5: Ceremony
5:30ish: Ceremony over; Guests head to Kress; We have more group shots together
6:15: Leave for Kress
6:30: First dance, etc.
7: Dinner
10ish: We leave for night

Monday:
5 a.m.: Brad and Jess leave for Charlotte
(Someone pick up Brad's tux and Jess' dresses)**
9 a.m.: International flight returning Friday

My mother and miscellany

I refrained from posting about my mom for a long time. I didn't stew in silence; I've talked about it with many of you. And as many of you know, she disowned me on Mother's Day.

I could go into her reasons, but I won't. I could justify my thought processes and subsequent lack of action, but I won't.

I wish her the best. People have asked me what I'll do if she doesn't come to Brad's and my wedding. I have come to peace with the fact that she probably won't come. I haven't, however, come to peace with the fact that she might come.

I don't want her to come and act the way she did at our graduation cookout in May. I don't want her to make everyone else uncomfortable, and I don't want her to force other loved ones out of sharing in the moment. I don't want our special day to revolve around her.

But I want her there. Not so much for me (because I've always been the independent type--or so I tell myself), but for her. I don't want her absense to add to the darkness she is in.

I know one thing though. I'm not going to tiptoe around the issue any more.

Water shortage
When I woke up this morning, it worked just fine. Brushed my teeth, washed my face, watered the cats. When Brad woke up this morning, it did not.

"Did you pay the water bill?" he asks.

"Honey, it's included in rent, and we paid that."

Poor Brad. I hope the water is on when we get home. I need to do dishes...

Apendages no more
Our boys have appointments to have almost every dangly bit chopped off. We will drop them off next Friday morning at Dr. Peeple's office, where they will have their front claws removed along with their ability to reproduce. To make things worse, they have to get a few booster shots, too.

Poor boys. At least the daily barrage of my favorite cushy chair will end.

36

You're sitting at a cramped desk in a stuffy room that smells like industrial paint and cleaner, and the vanilla lotion of the girl sitting behind you chomping on gum. You're scribbling furiously on a sheet of paper trying to make the gibberish transform into the answer you need. Just one. You look up at the clock and you can hear the second hand ticking. Ticking your time away. The more you notice the clock, the less you can concentrate. Tick tick tick.

Countdowns are stressful. OK, so I'm being a little melodramatic. I checked our Knot page today. It has a countdown til showtime.

36 days.

I have 36 days left of calling vendors, harrassing people for RSVPs, scratching together enough moolah to make this big day happen. Tomorrow I'll have 35 days. Soon I'll have a month.

I have to admit, I'm being very melodramatic. I'm coasting right now. Almost everything is taken care of (well except for the RSVP thing--that is stressful).

For so long our wedding day was so far away. I could relax and piddle with whatnots. The ribbons on the favor boxes; the floral pins; the votives. Now I have to answer real questions: Who will do my hair? When should my dad get to the church? Where will Brad be while I'm getting ready? (and so on...)

I am 36 days away from being a new person, if not just in writing. I'm going to be a wife.

More shower photos

TiVo

How great it is to have almost complete control of your television viewing experience!

My lovely new friend not only tells me what is on, but what episode it is. It remembers if I liked it or disliked it. It makes suggestions of things I might like to watch. It even lets me record "Blind Date," a show I thought went off the air a long time ago only to discover it airs at 3 a.m.

There is only one drawback. Channel 71 was WE (Women's Entertainment) without the box, and with the box it has become the Encore Love Stories channel. Boo. No more "Bridezillas" until Brad gets a functioning TV in his room. I think I've had enough training on what not to do that I can go without the rest of the new season.

The deadline for RSVPs approaches, and I'd say we've had about 60 percent return their red cards or contact us. Now comes the fun time of place and escort cards, and seating charts.

More fun news: Queen has arranged the rehearsal dinner. Anyone planning to be in Greensboro the night before the wedding should come out to Hagan-Stone Park. Stamey's Barbeque is catering for us after the rehearsal. We have a shelter near the lake, and lots of good food. Because it is a cute park, all the girls can still wear their cute sundresses. Yippee!

If anyone is in need of lodging information for the hotel, please let me know. It is a small hotel so it may book quickly.

When I get off from work (err... I mean not work), I head home to my lovely fiance who made cookies tonight just for me. I picked a good one.

Shower

I didn't truly remember how great it was to open presents until this weekend at our wedding shower. My bridesmaids threw the shower at the church where we are getting married. Here is a photo... I have to get ready for work, so I'll update at (err) not work. Yeah, that's it. (wink wink).

More updates...

Brad and I left early Sunday morning to make it to the 10:10 service at Mt. Pleasant. For those who have never attended one of the contemporary services churches are offering, I recommend them. You know it's a good thing if the little boy in the aisle is grooving out to the music.

Bill (the preacherman) saw the wedding program and referred a printing company. (For those who don't know his back story, he was a graphic designer and owned his own business in a previous career life). He was impressed with it and asked me if I'd be willing to do some illustration work for some of their outreach services. I'd basically draw coloring book figures for different Bible stories. More details on that when I get them.

I got a voice mail today from a lady at Rowan Cabarrus Community College. I had applied there for an English/Communication instructor position before I landed my current job. She said someone left them and they were in need of an adjunct instructor for some communication classes. She gave me her HOME phone number and asked that I call her immediately if I am interested. She even said there is potential for full-time by the spring. But... I am happily employed at the moment. It was nice to know I was wanted though.

Queen set up the rehearsal dinner and called to tell me about it tonight. It should be great! She reserved a shelter at Hagan Stone Park in Pleasant Garden (about 20 minutes south of Greensboro). It has a lake and all kinds of fabulous things to do. She's booking the best barbeque restaurant ever to cater it at the park: Stamey's. That's one more monkey off my back.

Oh! I bought a rehearsal dress this weekend at David's Bridal. I went home and tried on my gown Sunday night and realized that I was going to melt if I had to wear that thing anywhere but a 65 degree room. For anyone not named Brad Norman, click here to see it. I will definitely be able to have a good time in that dress. I also got new cute shoes from Payless to complete the ensemble (I prefer to call it a "costume change").

While I was in Greensboro I also visited the cake maker Maxie B's. I ordered a few surprises and a grooms cake to go along with our super-amazing wedding cake. If you go to the Web site you'll notice that the store is very chic. Their cakes look and taste amazing! I can't really describe the grooms cake because Brad wants to put his touch into it. We'll see if that lasts (he tends to forget things unless they come up again).

The shower was great. All the bridesmaids but Sarah and Erin were there (they were in NYC having a wonderful time). Brad's grandmother, aunt and mom came, and my dad was there. Amanda's mom was there too to round out the house. The shower was themed "Around the Clock," and everyone was assigned a time of day. I loved it.

I think the most amusing gift had to be from Steve Fowler for Brad. It was a Superman throw blanket (yes, he registered for that) in a Superman gift bag with a Superman card: "From one Superman to another, love Steve." Brad's face lit up. He still has the bag.

I have two photos that took too long to upload this morning, so I'll post them soon.

Whew!

We FINALLY got Internet access at the apartment. When you get used to having something, then not having it, it feels like you're missing a few toes or fingers. How did we ever survive without Mapquest, email and online bill pay? Is it ironic that I am still using the Internet at {the place we shall not mention] instead of at home? HAHA!

On my way out the door to work today I stumbled over a massive box. How exciting! Brad was giddy as we cracked open the shipping tape to find...a wedding gift! Our first (well, unless you count the absolutely fabulous toasting glasses Erin and Sarah gave us as an engagement gift). It was from Moose and Reba. It was a super cool barbeque set (baster, spatula, poker and such for the grill)! Brad was still looking it over as I left for work.

It is now August. I am not freaking out now that it is August, or at least not as much as I was in late July thinking about it soon being August. I think (knock on wood everybody) that everything is pretty much under control at the moment. We still have quite a few missing RSVPs, but the "deadline" isn't until mid-August, so I can be patient.

The babies (kittens for those not in the know) have their first vet appointment tomorrow for their shots. We're also going to have them declawed in the near future. I keep reading on the Internet about how you really shouldn't declaw cats. It's inhumane and terrible, etc etc. I tried to do some research so I could talk intelligently with the vet tomorrow, and Google searches came up with all these sites screaming at me not to get it done. They all recommend these SoftPaws, some kind of plastic covering on the claws so they can't do any damage.

I really don't want to hurt my babies. But what about when Brad and I decide to have human babies? I know I won't be able to handle the litter box, but I want to be able to handle my kitties without causing damage to my human-baby. Then when the human-baby comes out I don't want to worry about the kitties scratching him/her.

So there, I have rationalized it all I need. Plus I can't keep my hands and furniture looking nice when I have to hellions who didn't know it wasn't cool to claw when they were impressionable. How many people have cat-clawed hands in their wedding photos?

One last thing, then I'm done. Brad and I got new phones today. I kept my same phone number, since I was already with Cingular. Brad was added to our new FamilyTalk plan. (Yikes, how old am I that I just signed up for a FamilyTalk plan?!?) His new number is 828-308-0647. Guess how happy he was to hear that his favorite number was now a part of his phone number? Right, very. He still has his old phone, since the plan with his parents doesn't run out until a year or so from now. You can still reach him with that number.

We also ordered TiVo today. I'll update more later this week.

I'm off to Greensboro this weekend for tons of wedding fun (including my shower--sweet!!).

More later...