Twas the night ....Oh snaps! Times here.

The day has come and as I sit here waiting just hours away from marriage I cant help but be excited. The day has gone real smooth. I think what has made it great is that we are booth just taking it as it comes. Sidenote: As I write this the bestman and groomsman came in the office to talk about their dorky shoes. They made comment on how I get to wear better shoes. Funny, I guess you just had to be here. It doesnt hurt that we had some after lunch mints!! Anyways, as I was saying. My family came in this week and there was much to do. We did have a few parties but nothing over the top. I guess I cant go over the top until we get to Mexico for our honeymoon. I just cant wait. As I wrap this up for now I have to say that I think we have a great collection of songs for our wedding. Catering looks good and we have PLENTY of booze. In the end I know I am making the best choice for me. My sweetie is the most wonderful woman in the world. I love my life, I love my wife. I LOVE YOU SWEETIE.

Weekend at Bernies

So over the last few weeks we have both done the tradition Bachelor and Bachelorette party with our close friends. I went with my best man and another good friend. She went her best woman and 2 other pals. Overall it seemed like we both had a good time. I am sure that names where changed to protect the innocent and some minor details where left out to save some feelings. I am OK with that. I don't think she did anything I wouldn't do.

My weekend was a great drunken barn dance. We had all intentions of remaining "low key" on Friday night but that went to hell quickly. I think that all went to hell in a hand basket once we arrived at a strip club where they were selling 50 cent beers and $1 well drinks. YIKES. Go ahead and put that fat kid in the chocolate factory. I felt like Augustus Gollop from Willy Wonka. You know the part where he sees the chocolate river then falls in. Well I fell in! However, that pipe I was sucked into didn't lead out of any further adventure. The adventure continued. I can remember being cut off or thrown out of a bar 3 times. The first time I was in Yuma, AZ at 19. Being from Cali we thought we can go drink legally in AZ since the drinking age was 18. It was 21 in CA. Well I went on overload and got cut off. The second time was BS. A large group of us were at a chain restaurant and were cut off because our group was loud. To bad for them we left after we got cut off and continued to party. They lost a few hundred bucks over kicking us out. Which brings me to the present. YES I got cut off in a state where alcohol is promoted BIGTIME. Man I must have been drunk. That's a story to tell my grand children isn't it? I was shocked when the guy offered me water. I guess I was a big ole pickle.

Well at any rate I survived the weekend in Reno. I did learn that even in the middle of partially naked women and a lap dance I was so happy to be marrying my sweetie. Sure there are woman who may look hot for lusty eyes but I always remember a saying I heard, "No matter how good a girl looks, someone is tired of her shit". My girl is so much more than I could ever ask for. Smart, Beautiful, Caring and Understanding. Finally someone that understands me! There is no doubt I am doing the right thing. More to come more frequently as the day draws near. 25 days and counting. For once I don't have a song to relate to this. Maybe next time...

It's been a while....

You know what they say...No news is good news. Things are still starting to chug along in life and with the wedding plans. My list of critical dates is getting shorter and my stress has also shrunk.

This weekend is my bachelor party. My best man and another associate (frequent party friend)are heading to Reno. Its not Las Vegas but then again I think we would OD on fun in Vegas so this is a great alternative. My fiancee is a worried about this weekend since my Best man and I tend to get carried away at times. She has made me a list of simple dos and don'ts. I have been given the standard guidelines. NO CRIME or PROSTITUTION. I can do that! It has been nearly a month since I have really partied may ass off. The last time I did was on February 11th. It was plain ole ugly. My Best, his wife, my fiancee and I went to do some wedding stuff in Fresno then planned a nice dinner to end the evening. It was my best mans birthday (an excuse to party). Needless to say we got carried away...again. Many shots later I was gone. I didn't even make it through dinner. I can always tell how good (or bad) of a night it was by my wallet. I looked in my wallet and found that I had spent quite a bit of cash. YIKES!! Anyways, this weekend should be interesting. Ill post more on this weekend trip after I return.

As we approach my wedding day (April 22) things are in cruise control. I cant believe that we are almost there. I cant wait. I am not sure there ever was an easier time of this. Sure from time to time I do get stressed or worked up but overall things are still smooth.

I never realized a wedding would take so many decisions. Well we are in the home stretch and life is GREAT.

On the way to work I thought of my sweetie as I listened to John Legends "Stay with you". It captures the way I feel about us being together forever!!

Things are really starting to snowball!!

73 days until the big day and things are really starting to snowball. With my wedding day fast approaching there are still things left to do but the list is getting smaller by the day. Our good friends, The Macs, are helping out BIGTIME. These 2 people are her matron of honor and my best man. They have stepped up. The cool part is that when we do get together for "wedding stuff" a party breaks out. I am always up for a good party.

Another person that has stepped up is my niece. She volunteered to take care of the table center pieces and party favors. Well I am not surprised since she is like my sister. Her and her husband are cool and are on a short list of family members I miss regularly since we live 450 miles apart.

The caterer is in place. My sweetie started with a simple cake quote from this lady but she was so good and relatively inexpensive that she was hired to do the food.

The photographer is in place thanks to my daughter. She is/was best friends with this girl whose mom is a photographer. I didn't see her work because I am trying to minimize me involvement since I tend to stress easily. I trust my sweeties judgment.

2 of my 3 task are complete and I feel the pressure easing. Easy Like Sunday Morning!!! The DJ is in place thanks to my nephew. The honeymoon is taken care of. Hotel, flight, passports and plan....CHECK!!!. My last task is getting myself and my groomsman (my brother) and my best man (Mr Mac) dressed for the wedding. I was thinking casual but then I thought that although my sweetie said I could wear whatever I am thinking this is girl speak for "Wear a dam tux". Not sure what I am doing but "I am not worried....I am not overly concerned" (Counting Crows). The status of my emotions are great and as the day approaches I get more excited. Oh yeah. The invitations came in and they look great. Simple but elegant and cool.

Nothing to do?

Host Super bowl party (favorite holiday)
Party with my best friend for his birthday
Participate somehow in my daughters Prom
Valentines day with my sweetie
Take my daughter to San Francisco for her 18th bday
Get crazy in Reno for my bachelor party
Get drunk and celebrate my brothers birthday
Attend a party in our honor
Get married and throw a big bash
My daughters graduation including a party

These are the significant things that are coming up in my life. 10 things in the next 4 months. WOW, no wonder my sweetie told me (in her sweet voice) "If you don't settle down you are going to have a heart attack". I am afraid she may be right. I will try to settle down. Despite all this stress I am still happy. Oh the power of love. Like a fat kid loves chocolate cake, I love my life.

In a rush?!

As I took my daughter to school this morning I was amazed at how everyone around me was in a rush. Jackasses jockeying for position, cutting people off all in a hurry to get to work? Well I for one am never in a hurry to get to work. Don't get me wrong. I love my job and what I do but I don't think RUSH is the word I would use when describing my method of getting to work. This led me to think about why I wasn't in a rush. It seems to me, now that I think of it, that I try never to be in this rush. Did I apply this same thinking to my life and did this contribute to me waiting so long to get married to my sweetie?

Well as I continued my commute I pondered this some more and this is what I came up with. I guess I have always believed there would be more time for me to do everything I needed to get done. What if I am wrong about how much time I have left? Well I am sure everyone thinks of that possibility. At any rate I am glad that my wedding is soon. As it gets closer I am starting to let go of my fears always thinking of the words my sweetie once told me "With us being married it will only get better". YEAH RIGHT. How could it get better! Its damn good now. She was a saleswoman trying to sell me the concept of marriage and I wasn't buying it. I was like the guy at Costco who loves all the food samples but never buys anything. She could have told me anything to try to convince me that marriage would make our life better but I wasn't buying it. Why? I think I thought I had more time. Now that I am in the middle of planning (which in the beginning I said I wanted no part of) I am seeing the wonderful life we will share. Last night we went over to a friends house to sign some documents and he had a guy working for him. We started to talk to this guy and found out he has been engaged for 4 years. As looked at that guy and listened to his story I was really happy that I wasn't that guy. Engaged for 4 years...WOW. I think that at that moment I saw what a shmuck this guy was for doing that to his girl. I also thought of what I shmuck I was for waiting so long. I think that last night I felt bad for making this wonderful woman wait for 7 long years but on the positive side I didn't get engaged and make her wait 4 years.

I don't think that getting married will make me get in a rush but I will certainly look at ways to make our lives better and not hesitate to make that move. Maybe I don't have a lot of time.

During this entire commute I was listening to songs to try to find the perfect wedding song (more about this task later). Although I didn't find one I did run across 2 great songs by Damien Rice "Delicate" and "Volcano".

The start of a wonder life!

A few weeks ago I proposed to my girlfriend of 7 years. So I was reading my buddies blog and decided I should blog just to get some thoughts out that are dancing in my head about the pending nuptuals. I kinda feel like Doogie Howser. At any rate these are the stories. Some names may be changed to protect the innocent.

So I proposed on December 18th. Then we went from there right to a wedding date of April 22nd. I suppose my sweetie wants to be sure I dont change my mind. HAHA. I wont!! I love this woman. Check this. I have been divorced for 12 years and have loved every bit of my singleness. Not to say I didnt like being married. Good news is that my ex and I remain great friends. I use to believe it was for our daughter but truth be told I no longer think that. I now believe it is based on much more than that.

Anyways I meet this wonderful woman and she has done what many before her have tried to do, get this guy to commit. HA! She did it. How you ask? A few different ways. One of her great traits is to punk me out subtly and make me like it. WOW. Before I know it I have been punked. Thats talent. I think I really like the way she allows me to be me even though we are an us. So all this time I was single I thought I was a whole but in fact I wasnt. I needed her. Was I too stupid to realize it? I am stubborn at times. Well now I know better. I think I was single for so long I actually made myself believe I was whole. When we set a date (punked) I was all worked up. To the point where I had a meltdown. I had to analyze why that happened. Was it her, was it just me, was it fear? No...I think it was the thought of having yet another set of things to do. As if I dont already have enough to worry about. She made me feel better by telling me she would handle it all except write the checks (I usually handle everything, I feel like our household quaterback, calling plays telling my family what to do).

Today she is at a bridal fashion show. She is happier than a clam. I didnt believe our life could have gotten better but it has. Right now I feel happy!! I have other task that stress me but this isnt one of them. That may change tomorrow.

One last thought for the day. I love music and relate life to songs. I can hear a word and it automatically turns my mental juke box on and takes me to a song in my database. Its like I have an iPod in my head. I always make fun of my brother because he does the same thing. I call it the best radio station on the planet, you can listen to any song any time, inturrupt that song that was playing for a better song. Catchy tunes are a must or they get switched out rapidly. My point to this? I was at the local watering hole last night and heard this song that made me think of my sweetie. Not because of the words exactly but the way Lennon sings it. He gives a feeling of love and admiration for the girl. The kind girl that you see and makes you sigh. Check it out "Girl" by the Beatles. 01/14/06