346 days and counting....

So our wedding is coming up much faster than I thought it would. We have a lot of the big stuff done. We have our ceremony and reception place , our photographer , our dj and videographer , and we're going to, hopefully, book our florist next Wednesday. My gown is ordered and the bridesmaids gowns have been picked out. Now we just have to concentrate on the details such as favors, centerpieces, and invitations. I'm leaving the tuxedo thing up to Brian. I turned into a bit of a bridezilla when we were talking about them, so I'm removing myself from that duty.

Otherwise, things are going great. We're having an engagement bbq next weekend which should be a lot of fun. We're having the party so our families can finally meet after 6 and a half years of dating. Oops!

So I may not be going to school next semester. It's not because I was lazy and didn't register on time. Nope. The government sucks and I probably won't get enough financial aid to go. I can't even do a payment plan because I'm really really broke.

One of the tellers that works at my bank won $1000 a week for life. I really could use that right now. I would quit my job and finish up school. After graduating I would probably visit all of the islands in the Caribbean for a few weeks. I can dream right?

You Say It's Your Birthday

Well it's actually tomorrow, but on my way home from getting my car's oil changed, I was thinking that so many people come up with excuses because of their birthday. For example, a girl I work with took 3 days off because it's her birthday today. I remember being in school and kids got homework passes because it's their birthday. In fact, I got the following scenario playing in my head during my drive.

Sir, you're under arrest.
But it's my birthday.
Oh, in that case, here have some cake, and a homework pass too.

You must think I'm insane, and I am, but it's true. I'm all for celebrating birthdays, but when you think of it, weren't everyone's mothers the ones we should be celebrating for being in pain for many hours and giving birth to us. Here mom, you can have my homework pass.

I got the best birthday gift last night when I got home from work at 10:30 last night. Dirty minds can go away now. Kim baked me a birthday cake and it was yummy. So now we have an entire sheet cake to eat by ourselves for the week.

Save the date!!

So June 2, 2007 is the big day for Brian and me. I can't wait. I'm really looking forward to planning the wedding. I'm sure we'll be a little stressed but that comes with the territory. Now what I'm really looking forward to is the honeymoon. We're thinking of going to Aruba. All I want to do is sit on the beach with a frozen drink and relax. I'm sure we'll do some scuba diving and stuff but we really need to relax.

Gotta get back to work....

can you still feel the butterflies?

Well, yes, I can. I am newly engaged and cannot be happier. Luckily my beautiful girlfriend Kim said yes, and now she's my fiance, which is still difficult to get used to after 6 years of saying girlfriend! There is so much to do, so it's going to be stressful, but definitely fun I think. We're going to check out a few places on my two days off-Sunday and Monday, and see what's available. We're thinking of a June 07 wedding, but have to see what's open and where. We think a wedding near the beach also. I can't really focus on much else right now because this is always going to be on my mind. It's so exciting!

In other news, if you don't know already, I am no longer teaching. In a few words to summarize from my point of view: worst profession ever for me. I truly do not know how people do it. That old saying about it taking a special person to teach is true. I didn't want to ruin my kids' year in learning because I knew by the time March came around, I would have been visibly unhappy to them, and they would have realized it. Too many negatives outweighed the positives, so I am glad I made my decision now, and not when I was 10 years into the job with a family to support. I still may go back to grad school, but have to really find what it is that I want to do for sure first. I don't want to waste any more time in school. Lots of things have crossed my mind, but I just need a chance to start somewhere better, and hopefully I'll like it and it will give me a chance to grow. Well right now, I'm focusing on the good in my life, so hopefully something will fall into place when I least expect it.

I hope that's not King Louis IX's cake!

I don't know what prompted me to do such a thing, but I found a list of famous people who share my birthday, which isn't today by the way. I have listed the talents that they have, that due to birthday osmosis, I now possess.

• Tim Duncan-ability to win an NBA championship and grow a semi-fro
• Jacque Jones-ability to swing a mediocre bat, play solid defense, and earn several million dollars
• Hank Azaria-can now imitate the venerable Apu
• a dude from ABBA
• Al Pacino-ability to get confused with DeNiro
• Ella Fitzgerald-ability to sing some swingin' jazz tunes
• Guglielmo Marconi-invent a fancy new type of radio that works by satellite, whoops
• Tchaikovsky-can now write some scary classical music that millions of incoming freshmen will be forced to listen to in their Intro to Music course
• Oliver Cromwell-force my odd religion onto others, and perhaps have it mutate and become a culture similar to that of the Amish
• King Louis IX-be a fat guy who wears a crown and executes wives. Actually I don't know if that's the right king, but frankly, they're all sterotyped, so I don't know if many people will even notice.

No Diving! Shallow Water!

picture obtained from this site

So They're Called Christmas Cards, right?

Dear Santa,

Why can't I talk about you anymore in school? Someone told me that I couldn't put a Christmas tree on my desk. Do you know why? Does this mean there will be no Christmas? I really hope that's not true. Please write back. I've been good this year!

Love,
Brian

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Dear Brian,

Keep your holid... er, Christmas spirit up. Of course there will be Christmas this year! Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. So do yourself a favor and go balls out this year. Overemphasize the word Christmas as much as possible and spread your anger on a blog for all the world to read, or at least you and me. Listen to "Christmas in Hollis" to get in the spirit, and drink some spirits to get things really going. Don't forget to leave me cookies and some milk. Merry Christmas lad!

Love,
Santa

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I know this is probably a topic that's been torched for a few years now, but I just about finished writing out my Christmas cards this year, and noticed I had to make sure I sent certain ones to places of employment due to different religious beliefs. These were the cards that read "Season's Greetings" or "Generic PC Statement Here." No longer can we send cards that simply say "Merry Christmas," because it may offend some people. Not everyone celebrates Christmas, so we have to make sure we include all the holidays. That's all fine and good. I have no problem with people celebrating different holidays, because I'm pretty sure 90% of Catholics really don't know what we're celebrating on Christmas, but don't make it an unwritten law that I can't wish people Merry Christmas in public.

When I was in elementary school about 15 years ago, these are some of the things we did around this time of year:
*made those red & green Christmas chains to hang around the room
*had a Christmas concert with the chorus & band
*handed out Christmas cards
*had a Christmas party
*had a grab-bag of Christmas gifts
*gave our teacher a Christmas gift
Today, there is a limit to red and green, the concert is now the Winter Concert, Christmas cards are Holiday cards(wtf?), the party is now the Holiday Party, grab bags don't seem to exist anymore, and kids are afraid to give teachers gifts because they don't know what friggin religion they are. Schools can no longer make Christmas decorations, stores have to greet customers with "Happy Holidays," and I'm pretty sure down the road the Rockefeller Christmas Tree lighting will become the Rockefeller Celebration of Cultures, or something of the like.

I refuse to have people tell me what is acceptable or not. So I will be:
*sending out the rest of my Christmas Cards tomorrow
*listening to Christmas music for an agonizing 3 weeks
*wearing a stupid Santa hat for Christmas
*eating Christmas cookies
*wrapping Christmas gifts
*saying Merry friggin' Christmas!
*lighting up my Christmas tree
*and going to church. Go Jesus!

Oh and I almost forgot the Christmas Day tradition of that very special television event-what's it called?...Right, the Pistons/Lakers game. What I'd give to watch the Yule log over Kobe Bryant anyday.