Magneto will be pleased

Our Save The Date magnets came today! Well, technically they came to Cara's work via FedEx. But I get to see them in just under two hours. I'm pretty excited. Although since I'm currently battling a cold/flu bug It's been hard to get really excited about anything.

So this weekend we will be addressing, stuffing and mailing out these special little reminders to individuals we consider important. So basically, if here in a few weeks you haven't received a magnet from us, you were not a part of our main list. But don't worry, you could be a part of that amazing group of players to come off the bench if a spot opens!

And just remember, if you are on the secondary list, it's not that your not important....it's that someone else is more important.

Our photog just won an awesome award!

From Steve Koo's website:

"I’ve got lots of news to share! First, Steve Koo Photography has been awarded the 2010 WeddingWire Bride’s Choice Awards for Photography. The Bride’s Choice Awards is given to the top five percent of the more than 100,000 vendors in the WeddingWire community. The WeddingWire network includes WeddingWire.com and Martha Stewart Weddings. Steve Koo Photography also made the list of Project Wedding’s Top 25 Wedding Photographers in Chicago. Thank you to all of my clients who took the time to rate my work so highly; it really means a lot to me!"




I'm really excited for Steve and that we chose such a talented photographer. I know both Cara and I are really looking forward to working with him!

The Cheese Stands Alone

Two words: Bridal Shower

I can almost assure you that there is no other set of words in the english language that every man in America has a strong feeling on. Not even "super bowl" can match it for the decisive feelings it can give any man. It makes their blood run cold and their spines curve.

This is nothing against the brides out there, but sweet sassa-frass you need to stop pretending that it is for both of you. This, and this alone, is the most heated wedding topic that my bride-to-be and I have gotten into.

You see, the thing of it is that it is full of irony. I'm led to believe that we are going to have a party thrown for us where we eat food, socialize with friends and family and receive some gifts. But here's the pickle: the only dill in the room is me. No other men allowed. No family men, no friends that are men. Me and an unkindness of ravens (one tree hill reference, holler!).

This deeply disturbs me and, gulp, honestly makes the wedding feel like its less for me and more for her. Not that any other man on this planet has ever felt that like....except for every man at every wedding since Jesus turned himself into a never ending supply of crackers and wine for saucy church-goers to have it.

No, I'm forced to accept my fate. That, as much as this is 2010 and we're equal and forward thinking and whatever, that there are some things that most women still want. To feel pretty, to put on a dress once in a while and make men go hubba hubba, to wear a beautiful white dress at their wedding... and to have a gala of a social with their female family and friends to gush over it all it.

And who am I in this? Am I the poor sap who sits through it all, already accepting that this is part of what being married will be like? A little bit. But really, I'm the poor sap who hopelessly loves a girl who is more stubborn about so many things in life then anyone i've every known. And the sick part is, that's part of the attraction.

To wrap this up, let me go through the five stages of grief, as noted in the Kubler-Ross model. The italic quotes have not been altered, but i'll right my blurb under them:

1. Denial — "I feel fine."; "This can't be happening, not to me."

This is when I believed that some sort of compromise could happen.


2. Anger — "Why me? It's not fair!"; "How can this happen to me?"; "Who is to blame?"

And here is where I realized that I just got hood-winked.


3. Bargaining — "Just let me live to see my children graduate."; "I'll do anything for a few more years."; "I will give my life savings if..."

Here is where I first bargained to have my dad and future father-in-law present. And then I presented the idea of a groom shower, which almost without a beat in between was shot down.


4. Depression — "I'm so sad, why bother with anything?"; "I'm going to die . . . What's the point?"; "I miss my loved one, why go on?"

Annnnnd here I am writing this post.


5. Acceptance — "It's going to be okay."; "I can't fight it, I may as well prepare for it."

The cheese stands alone



It should be said, in the end of his post here, that I truly love my bride-to-be and this last line should act as a disclaimer and protect me from any verbal, emotional or physical backlash that may come my way as a result of writing this.

Steve Koo for me and you!

Awesome photographer to capture your special day in a way that will have your emotions bursting years down the road when you look at the pictures and how amazingly beautiful they are: Check!!!

Such a sigh of relief and joy that we not only found a photographer, but one who seems pretty awesome and has a great take on how to capture a wedding from start to finish.


Now if we could only figure out where to actually get married. :)

Week 4 Weigh Watch

267

I've been really trying to do a lot more at the gym. Lately i've been concentrating on at least 40 minutes on the eliptical at resistance 10, one weight exercise, tons of crunches and then a mile on the treadmill. So far, so good.

Week 3 Weight Watch

268.

I'm a few days late posting this. But this was my weight during my official Monday morning weigh in at 5:40 in the morning.

Save The Date

Last night we recieved our first draft of our Save The Date's. This is a project that is near and dear to me, as Cara has granted me project manager status. At first, I really wanted something funny and cute as our STD's (editor's note: the Save The Date abbreviation [STD] is not in any way flattering to itself or anyone who use's it).

Anyways, I know our invitations are going to be all serious and stuffed with girly goodness, so I saw this as a great oppurtunity to showcase our couple personality. I had some great STD concepts. I must emphasize that I am referring to the Save The Date's and not some form of "super crabs" that the kids will totally be scratching themselves over.

But after a lot of thought and discussion with the future Mrs., I decided to try to whip up something on photoshop. A real rough look at what it might shape up to be. Cara really liked it and I passed it along to my best man, who happens to be a hella awesome graphic designer with jedi-like skills.

So last night he sent us the first draft. It looks real good. It's like my version is how the girl looks when you get the bar and his is what she looks like after you've been drinking for hours and it's last call. That's not to say his is an ugly whore who just seems like a good option at the time. No, his is truly awesome. We're going to see if we want to fine tune anything about before we commit to it.

It's January 4th. I feel like August 14th is just around the corner. My stomach just dropped.

Week 2 Weight Watch (up 1 pound)

Wow. Sooo this wasn't how I wanted this to go. The goal is to drop, not add the pounds. I blame all the awesome food of New Year's Eve. It was a great and big selection of buffalo wild wings and sushi. I ate a great amount and obviously paid for it. I actually crept up to 273 the day after NYE, but then did a complete self butt kicking at the gym and in my eating habits ever since.

It's really dissapointing to have gained a pound, overall, since last week. Especially since this past summer my weight was a steady 265ish. Damn you, winter and your cold heart!

Photographer found? Excitement upcoming?

Ok, a major vendor selection may be upcoming. We met with a photographer today and had a great time. He has amazing pictures and really works with the couple on what they want out of their special day. We're going to take a day or two to think it over before signing any contracts, but it's looking good!

Another benefit of meeting with the photographer today was that it was in Oak Park. He lives in Chicago and we wanted to meet half-way. Cara and I really like the Oak Park area. It's that borderline mix between suburbs and city life with a great splash of scenery and architecture that just makes you smile.

Tonight we are going to our bi-weekly bowling league. We never have been a part of anything like this before and we're really enjoying it. Although, Cara doesn't really enjoy all the Sunday evenings it takes up, or as she call's that time frame, "prime real estate."

Aside from that, things seem to really be moving along. The next big thing we want to get done this month is to pick a place to get married at. She came up with a great list of 5 or 6 places to look at and I'm really looking forward to seeing what is right for us.

Tomorrow I will be posting my Week 2 weigh in result. I'll be honest, it's not looking good. I've cut back on the bad foods and random eating, but New Year's Eve brought on a big selection of buffalo wings and sushi. You read that right. And it was awesome. All of that and I might have the flu. But I have been to the gym the past 3 days straight (aside from today). I've been running at least 2-3 miles on the treadmill and yesterday I did an extra 6 1/2 miles on the bike. Still, with all of the variables considered, my weight still remains up. It's frustrating, but I'm not letting it get in my way. I will lose this weight. There is no other option.

Toodles.