Some forgotten items...

I forgot to mention a few things in previous blogs and was reminded of them recently. Not sure if all of you out there are hockey fans but when I was in high school, Eric Lindros was an up-and-coming star in the minor leagues. I had a HUGE crush on him. He was (and still is) very cute. It was a big deal in Canada when he was finally old enough to join the NHL but he pissed off a lot of people when he refused to play for the Quebec Nordiques. At the time, the Nordiques were the worst team in the league which is why they got the first round draft pick. He ended up getting traded to Philadelphia and didn't do as well in the NHL as expected.

Anyway...while I was in Toronto, the big news was that Eric is now going to play for the Toronto Maple Leafs. The team he always wanted to play for. There are many Canadians (including Firecracker) who are not at all pleased. Although, because he has had such a lack-luster career (and one more concussion may end his career altogether), he isn't going to be getting much by moving to Toronto. I find it somewhat amusing that he was soooo arrogant starting his NHL career and now he has to take what he can get. Makes me wonder where he would be today if he had just stuck it out in Quebec (now the rather successful Dallas Stars).

Another forgotten tidbit - I was really hoping someone would notice the weight loss last weekend. But, no dice. I got a few comments that I looked good. My grandma asked why I didn't wear any clothes to my shower. :) I decided to wear a new strapless top with a skirt. This is a new thing for me which is probably what prompted my grandma's comment. I am very petite in the bust area and never thought I had enough to keep a strapless top in place. After reluctantly trying on some strapless wedding gowns, I now like the way they look and realized that I have just enough to keep the top in place.

One more funny family story, then I'm done. My friends and I were discussing the arrival time for the shower and I mentioned that my family is early for everything. If an event starts at 2, it means the food is served at 2. If you want any, you better show up before then to get in line. They thought I was exaggerating but the tribe stayed true to form! My friends and I had to make a quick stop at the grocery store to pick up some flowers on the way to the shower. As we are pulling into the parking lot at 2:01, my cell phone rings. I know right away, it is one of my relatives wondering where I am. So, I answer the phone and say right away, "We are parking the car right now". I hear an, "Ok", and they hang up. As we walk into the restaurant, sure enough, there are all of my relatives seated, drinks in hand and ready to start the festivities. It's not like they all carpooled together either! Not one of my family members arrived later than we did. LOL!

Fiesta(every)ware!

Even though I am not a fan of showers, this one was ok. A few games that weren't so bad. It was a little weird opening presents with a bunch of people watching. Especially since almost ALL the gifts were our Fiestaware dishes. Hard to show a lot of excitement and enthusiasm when you know what you are opening as soon as you grab the box.

We registered for 10 sets of dishes and got 15. Not that I mind! The extra sets will go back to the store and get exchanged for something we didn't get as a present. I don't have much hope of getting the AlClad pots and pans (a bit expensive) so I'm hoping to build up some returns so I can get some AlClad.

I've spent the last 3 days washing dishes and rearranging my cabinets. Although, the rearranging was kind of fun. All the old stuff is now boxed up and in the basement. I could not get Brad to part with his plastic plate that he loves. He was also reluctant to get rid of the old Corningware plates that he likes. Even though he agrees they are ugly, he likes the size. I pointed out that our new salad plates are pretty much the same size and he said goodbye to the ugly old plates. (YEAH!)

It was good to see some relatives and friends I haven't seen for a while. I felt a little weird getting gifts from people I haven't even talked to in over a year. I have to remind myself that they also benefited from me when they got married so I shouldn't feel guilty. Only one minor mishap occurred. The icing on the cake melted a bit during the trip down from Milwaukee. But my friend, the Grand Gourmet, fixed it up and it looked great. She smoothed out the icing and we stopped by the store to pick up some fresh flowers. A great tip for any baker out there... flowers look beautiful on a cake and also hide imperfections.

After the shower, we decided to make dinner and talked about going out to the local bars. However, after eating a great meal and drinking a bunch of wine, we were tired and lazy. Instead we stayed up chatting and drinking wine. Poor B had to sit there and listen to a bunch of women talk about some subjects that I know he didn't want to hear about. WELCOME TO THE FAMILY! :)

Another Good Weekend, eh?

I'm back from the great white north. More like the great damp north. It was cloudy and rainy for most of my visit but it didn't matter. I was catching up with friends so the weather had no impact. Had dinner with Rika and then Bam Bam. Both seem to be doing really well. BB and I commented on how everyone seems to be 'growing up'. Marriage, babies, mortgages, etc. WEIRD!

I also got to visit with Maple (aka Smelly) and family. Her son is quite the little spitfire. He has a head of firey red hair (even though his mom is Indian/Dutch and dad is Italian) that he somehow got from a Dutch great-grandfather. Even with the red hair, there is no doubt that he is his father's son. They look so much alike. Little Spitfire is constantly on the go and laughing all the time. It was fun to watch him tear around the house and get into mischief. Maple will really have her hands full in February because she has another baby on the way. Congratulations to Maple and family!!!

Even though I had a really fun weekend, I was very happy to be home. I missed B and my puppy and everything else that makes home the best place to be.

Next weekend we are on the go again. It's the bridal shower in Peoria. My sister and cousin are hosting and I'm a little scared. Sister has been eagerly awaiting a chance to get back at me for some pranks I pulled at her wedding. Hopefully it won't be toooo embarrassing.

Almost There!

Almost have all the stuff lined up for the wedding. Yesterday was very productive. I finally ordered the flower girl dress, vail, shoes, flower girl basket AND reserved the restaurant space for the rehearsal dinner. Now the only big thing left is finding wedding bands and invitations. Minor details. :)

My Toronto trip is also getting better and better. I finally called my friend Bam Bam and luckily she is in town. I'll stop by and see her and her mom on Friday night (and also conveniently avoid the nightmare of Friday "cottage" traffic). She is one of those friends that I rarely talk to but it never matters. As soon as we start chatting, it's like we are back in junior high and never left off.

I also found out that the hotel I'm staying at has TWO pools. One indoor and one outdoor. This may seem insignificant to most but I love the water and don't get to go swimming often. I'm down-right GIDDY. The only challenge is that I should really do some strategic waxing before putting on the swim suit.

I really need some form of exercise since I will not have any workout sessions until Monday. If I don't do some sort of exercise between now and then, I'll be a very sore girl come Tuesday. That is good motivation for me.

Good weekend

Overall, this weekend was fun. Went to Cleveland with some girlfriends to visit another friend that had recently moved there. 'Cleveland' just bought a gorgeous house with her boyfriend and did a great job showing us around town. We had sushi on Friday night and stayed up late chatting. Saturday, we went to an art fair, shopping, dinner in Little Italy and some drinks at a wine bar downtown. Sunday, we left Cleveland around 10 and made a quick stop in Chicago at our favorite wine warehouse to restock the cellars.

For the most part, everyone put smiles on their faces and were pleasant. However, I (according to one friend) put a damper on the weekend by bringing up the issue mentioned in previous blogs as we were approaching Milwaukee. Maybe I should have left things alone but I wanted to make it clear why B and I were hurt by their actions (or lack thereof). One person made me feel ridiculous and unwanted for expecting to be included in the event. I was asked, Does that mean I expect to be included in every activity ever planned? Obviously, no. Silly of me to assume that someone I considered a good friend might WANT to include me in the stuff that they do. The other person said that they didn't think we had fun last year and didn't think we would want to go. Maybe if this had been said a few weeks ago instead of keeping things secret, there wouldn't have been so many hurt feelings. Or even honestly saying, you were a grouch last time and we didn't want to include you.

There were many other 'interesting' comments made that I won't go into. Needless to say, B and I will never expect to be included in an activity in the future.

On to more pleasant thoughts... I'm VERY EXCITED about this weekend. I'm going to TO for training and staying the weekend to visit Maple and family. I haven't seen Maple's little boy (besides in pictures) since he was 2 months old. He is now over a year. Also hoping I get to meet up with a few other friends too. Should be fun!

Tough week

Yes, it's been a while since I posted. A lot has happened but I've not really wanted to talk about it. About the event B and I weren't invited to... According to our 'friends', they didn't think to invite us. B and I find this very hard to believe for various reasons. Even if they didn't think to invite us, that's still not a mark in their favor. Thanks 'friend'. Plus, when discussing the upcoming weekend, both sets of friends avoided mentioning that they were going to this event together. If it was no big deal, why not mention who you are going with?

I could keep ranting but I'll just get pissed off all over again and I don't want to start my day off on a bad note. B and I will eventually get over it but it's left a big scar on the friendship that will probably always be there under the surface.

On to the next drama... my wedding dress. I received a letter in the mail informing me that the company I ordered my dress through has declared bankruptcy. I won't go into the messy details but I've been assured that I will still get my dress. At the very latest, it will be here by September 17th. Still enough time to get it altered.

Alterations lead me to a brighter note... I've been working out with a trainer since April and recently started a diet that she recommended. To date, I have lost 11 lbs and numerous inches! All of my clothes fit nicely again and I can easily get into my 'skinny' jeans. This is what I keep reminding myself when a craving for food creeps up on me. On the down side, no one has asked me if I've lost weight. I think I hide the pounds well so it's not surprising. I haven't seen my family in a while so maybe a comment will be made at my bridal shower.

In any case, I feel great and it was well worth the investment!

This weekend should be interesting. The 'friends' mentioned above and I are heading to Cleveland this weekend to visit a friend that recently moved there. The trip has been planned for a long time and I was really looking forward to the visit. With recent events and comments made in the last week, I not really looking forward to it anymore. I'm almost dreading the 7 hour car ride. Who knows, maybe we will all put a smile on our faces and be extra nice to each other. I'll let you know what happens.

On to something I AM excited about. By chance, I am going to a training course in Toronto next week. This means I get to visit with all my TO buddies. Can't wait to see Maple (also known as Smelly on other blogs) and her family! I miss her and don't talk enough so I'm really looking forward to this trip. Thursday and Friday are in training then I head up to Maple's house for the weekend. Unfortunately, my friend Al is out of town this weekend but I'll get to see her in October when she is in Chicago. Maybe I'll get lucky and hook up with Bam Bam and her mom, another friend I rarely talk to these days. Should be a fun trip!!!