I just don't get it...

Disclaimer: This is NOT, I repeat NOT, a reflection on P, my best friend and the person for whom I am the Maid of Honor. Any similarities to events surrounding P & M's wedding is unintentional and purely accidental. No, seriously, she isn't a bridezilla!

There are so many things about weddings that I don't get. Why a bride goes apeshit in the weeks before the wedding. Why if things aren't perfect some brides think it is the end of the world. Why are things like cutesy little scrolls and bubbles and the like necessary. Isn't the whole point of the day to bring two people together in front of witnesses? Does it really matter if the liner down the aisle is wrinkled or the flower girl didn't drop the flowers in a perfect pattern? Isn't the end result the same. The bride and groom are married at the end of the day whether things are 'perfect' or not.

Don't get me wrong. I understand the desire to throw a good party. I have planned enough events and had things go horribly wrong to the point that I've wanted to ( and had to fight the very strong urge to) choke people, any people, who got in my way. Still, at the end of the day when the party/event/meeting is over, most people don't realize anything really went wrong.

I was watching a show on WE called Bridezillas the other day and one of the brides had a complete and total meltdown over the fact that one of her nine bridesmaids got a haircut that she, the bride, didn't like. Come on! It is her, the bridesmaid's, hair. So what if she got it cut and now all nine bridesmaids can't look like clones going up the aisle. What does it matter? There was a bride who had a meltdown and called the police because the rental car had a flat. No one's fault. They came to fix it and she went nuts because it was her big day and they were ruining it. She actually called the police, the rental car people were asked to leave and the tire didn't get fixed.

I guess my lack of understanding comes with my desire to look at a bigger picture. I try really hard to look for the bigger picture in life and not focus too much on the nitpicky details. Or maybe it is the fact that I've been to so many weddings and seen them from the inside and I've seen all the things that can go wrong (and right) at a wedding.

Still, at the end of the day, two people have pledged to love and cherish one another and will (hopefully) live happily ever after. Isn't the ever after part the important part, not the ceremony. Isn't the ceremony just one hour (more or less) of one day of the rest of your life? Shouldn't the most important day be not the day of the wedding, but every single day after that?

Life rolls on...

It seems that P has things well in hand as far as the wedding is concerned. I think she has just about everything done except the things that have to be done closer to the date. She even has her invites already. Showers are now being planned and as the MOH, I'll get to be involved in at least one of them. (I didn't think I would get to be because they are going to be held far away from me.) Well, two if you count the one I'm planning to throw her in lieu of a bachelorette party. I need to contact the two bridesmaids to see what they think and if they want to help plan it -- especially since they are at least in the same state as P!

In case anyone wonders, my toe is much better. It only hurts now if I forget it's injured and do something stupid like squat down and put a lot of weight on it. (Yes, I have done just that and promptly fell over and made the people standing around me panic.) I go back to see girl trainer tonight. I have got to get back into "food is bad if I am going to fit into a smaller bridesmaid dress" mode. (Don't anyone panic, I'm not going to stop eating. My hiney didn't get this big by my not eating and it won't get smaller if I stop completely. I know that.) Between my birthday and my toe, I've gotten out of that mode and into "food yummy food who needs exercise" mode. I know, I know excuses are weak. I have to make up my mind to do it and just do it. But... Okay, no buts. I have to do it. I am going to do it.

I have right at four months before the wedding and I need to really not look like the short, fat bridesmaid. I am, afterall, the only single one and while there will be other single gals attending the wedding, I am the only one in the purple (victorian lilac) bridesmaid dress. I am the only single girl that will be standing in front of the crowd for all to see. More eyes will be on P, but I'll be standing next to her and I get to hold her bouquet and give M's ring to her and all that stuff, so people will notice me. I mean, at least at both of my sisters' weddings, I was the last bridesmaid and just had to stand there far away from all the action, barely being noticed during the ceremony. (Not a bad thing.)

And the wedding band played on...

Okay, this whole wedding thing is rolling right along. P has her dress (see previous post), a string trio has been selected to play the ceremony, the site has been chosen, the bridesmaid dress designer has been chosen, I've chosen the style of dress I want from the choices, I've been to try them on (last weekend with the broken toe and boot). So much has been done! I am debating putting the pics Moma took while I was trying on dresses here to show what they looked like. The only problem is that I looked awful that day. Maybe I will, but it will have to be a post all unto itself. Let's just put it this way. The name of the bridal shop was "Little Mexico House of Brides."

P called last night and she got a call from David's Bridal. She won a spa day for her and her wedding party. She said her first thought was "wow, I never win anything, cool!" and then immediately "I wish I had my maid of honor here." The MOH wishes she were there, too. She could use a spa day! Oh well. I guess I'll just have to have a spa day here. I don't know when, but I most decidedly need a pedicure! My toes are NOT spring ready.

I found the cutest thing at Barnes & Noble the other day. (P, If you're reading this now and haven't gotten the package yet, skip to the next paragraph.) It is a scrap book similar to a baby book for couples. All those things you say you're going to remember forever but don't, you can put them in the book. It has things like where your first kiss was, were you went on your first date, how you met, etc. I had to get it for her. I thought it was too cool to pass up. Besides, it was on clearance since the store is closing. (Those who think B&N is the root of all evil, don't get too excited. It is moving to a new, larger location.)

Okay, P you can read again. I'll keep thinking about posting the pictures of me in the tops.

In Other News...

So much is going on with the wedding right now, but so much is going on in the Texas Panhandle (where I'm from and where I still call home) with all the fires, it seems silly to rant about finding the perfect bridesmaid dress and the search this weekend for it. So, for just this one post, you-all get to see the more serious me.

At last total, over 840,000 acres burned. Along with that went livestock, houses, cars, and unfortunately people. At least 10,000 head of livestock were killed and those who survived need food because often, the barn that held the hay burned to the ground and the rangeland they grazed on has been burned.

As an article in the Amarillo paper put it, the fire took on a life of its own and took the lives and livlihoods of many with it.

I could go on with numbers and statistics, but my sister Carrie put it so eloquently that I'm going to just link to her blog and let you read her post. Say a prayer for those affected. They need it right now.

Now I'm going to whine....

I broke my toe on Saturday night at about 3 a.m.

I broke my big toe on my right foot and I was sober. Heck, I hadn't even gone out Saturday night.

I did a doozie on it and all I did was fall down. There was no trippng, no kicking the wall in frustration or anger or anything else.

I simply fell down and all of my body weight (and there's quite a bit of it) went into my right big toe.

I went to the emergency room on Sunday and they x-rayed it. It is broken. I have a lovely boot that I *get* to wear for the next couple of weeks until it is healed enough to put shoes back on. Other than that, I just get to whine a lot.

I now have more sympathy for my BIL who kicked a case and hurt his. See.

I had to cancel with the trainer for the next couple of weeks so I'm going to have to double-up after I'm better. In the mean time, I'm doing yoga and the balance ball so that I'm at least doing SOMETHING because I don't want to ever fall and have this much weight directed toward any other body part!

What happens when you're far apart...

It seems that what I was envisioning and what P was saying weren't the same.

I talked with P on Sunday and I think I was making her wedding a lot more formal that what she's actually planning. So, instead of a formal wedding that I was thinking, it is going to be more like a cocktail party. Now the short dress makes sense! (This is my "ah-ha moment" for the week!)

If you're the groom, turn away now...

Wow, so much has happened. P has her dress. I met with girl trainer. I've talked to P about half a dozen times planning and plotting -- it never fails that when we get together, it sounds more like plotting to do things than planning!

I'll start with her dress. It is gorgeous, I think, and I think P will make a lovely bride in it! (Of course, I think she'd probably look great in just about anything she wore. She tends to be able to wear clothes instead of them wearing her. In other words, she almost always looks great!)

Here is the dress. Now, I realize the model looks like Carol Kane in Taxi, but look at the dress, not the model...

Obligatory notice of where the dress came from: And if you are looking for your dress and would like to see the entire collection, you can find this dress and many others at Casa Bridal.

Anyway, I love the dress. I can't wait to see it in person.

Speaking of dresses. Now, I do realize that all eyes are going to be on her. She'll be the one in the big white dress. But I still want to look good and I think my idea of good and her idea of what I'll look good in are a little different. So, I have made the decision to wear a short dress. Something in a tea-length persuasion, maybe. I don't think I can do knee length. I have pudgy knees. No, seriously, I have knee pudge on the inside of each knee! Even my thin sister has it, so it must be a genetic thing. Still, not attractive in knee length dresses. I wonder if there is an exercise you could do for that. Hmmm. I'll have to ask girl trainer.

Speaking of girl trainer, I met with her for the first time Tuesday. I'll reserve judgment for the time being. Maybe it just takes a bit for her to warm up to people. She actually asked me if I wanted to work out, though. Isnt' that the reason I'm there? I don't know. We worked on arms and shoulders and chest. As I was working my chest, all I kept thinking was when Ren (or was it Stimpy) from the old Ren & Stimpy cartoon would go on about having "huge pectoral muscles." She didn't seem the type to appreciate that kind of humor, so I kept it to myself. My arms and chest and shoulders were all shaky and sore, but by today, they are fine. I think that is a good thing.

There is so much more going on. I guess I should be better about writing this thing so that the posts aren't so long. I'll try. That is my March resolution -- to blog more often!

Hunky, young trainer says...

I went to the gym last night and met with hunky, young trainer and he said I'm not in as bad a shape as I thought and that once I lose the layer of fat over my muscles (at that point I thought to myself "what muscles") I'll be in great shape! My next thought was "doesn't that describe 99% of the population?" Anyway, he worked me out emphasizing my abs so breathing is a little tough today. So is laughing and talking and moving in general. But it's a good pain.... sure.

OH! As we got started, he was asking me my reasons for wanting to work out with a trainer and all that. Then he asked if I joined the gym with anyone. I said just me. He asked if my Husband knew I had a trainer. I must have looked puzzled as I said I wasn't married because he went on to explain that he has women that sign up without their husbands' knowledge and the husband then comes after him or whomever the male trainer is. Um, yikes! He said it had happened more than once to several of the trainers. How funny/sad is that!?

Unfortunately hunky, young trainer won't be my permanant trainer. I'm pretty bummed. Anywho, I made a standing apointment with a trainer for Tuesdays with my new trainer Toni. That is short for Antonia and she is a tri-athlete. I'm not sure how I feel about a female trainer, but I'm going to give it a try.

In more wedding-y wedding news. It looks as if P has found a dress or at least a dress style that she likes. If she sticks with that style, the bridesmaid dresses are going to have to be pretty formal. Then again, it is a Friday night wedding, so after six attire is appropriate. I think I've decided I want a long dress as opposed to the ones that come to the knee. The ones that come to the knee are cute and all, but I think I don't want to go for cute as much as stop the room gorgeous. I know, I know. Everyone is supposed to be looking at the bride because it's her day and all, but she's getting married, ergo, she is off the market. I am not getting married, am not married and would like to someday be married. Ergo, I want to look (as Paris Hilton so aptly puts it) HOT! Besides, I'll be the shortest one at the alter, so everyone will be looking at me anyway because I'll stand out. The Hobbit bridesmaid. That will be me! But, with the help of the trainer, I'll be the HOT Hobbit bridesmaid!

The e-mails of proposed bridesmaid dresses and colors and styles are flying. I think I'm going to end up wearing a different color dress than the other two bridesmaids. I hope it's a darker shade of whatever they wear. I look better in darker colors. She also suggested a green color. That would be great. There are very few shades of green that I don't look good in. Again, I know, I know. It isn't about me. But in this blog, it is all me!!!