Friday, March 31, 2006

Bikes And Winding Roads




Yesterday was a fun day. The shipped docked in Dominica early in the morning and after breakfast, we went ashore for our Mountain Biking tour. We boarded a small bus that took us up a mountain through a very winding road. I sat at the front cause I thought I was gonna get car sick but I didn't. The weather at the bottom was perfect, warm, blue sky, white fluffy clouds, etc, however, it was a different story closer to the summit. When we got to our biking starting point, there was a big, black cloud which quickly let go and it started raining. I guess they call it the rain forest for a reason. The guide handed out the helmets, and by the time he was done, the rain had stopped. It was pretty cool up there, almost cold, and that was a welcomed relief.


We were given the bike that best suited each one of us and told to take it for a spin around the round-about. It was was a bit odd since I was going against the normal flow of traffic for me, they drive on the left side of the road, but the bike was fine. I hadn't ridden a bike in at least 3 years (spinning bikes don't count!) so I was a bit worried but it just came back to me. I guess what they say it's true, once you learn to ride a bicycle you never forget. We finally got going and it was great. The ride was mostly downhill with only one very step climb I just couldn't make so I walked up. As a matter of fact, only a few people actually made it up on their bikes, Matt was one of them. Going downhill on a bike on an empty road is fun, you pick up a lot of speed very quickly and you don't have to pedal, just hold on to the brakes. The temperature was nice, even when we got down to the hotter part. Well, down there it was nice when you were actually riding but it got hot as soon as you stopped. We stopped by a shack named "It's Nice To Be Nice" that is owned by a guy who gives people fruits free. He had bananas, pineapples, oranges, etc. He also had a delicious shredded coconut dessert that when eaten with a banana, according to him, you'd have an instant pina colada....LOL....


Just before that we stopped by a house where a Carib (indian) family lives and one of the kids was dressed in traditional Carib garb and had a basket full of cinnamon tree barks which he gave to us, free. It seems the people of Dominica are very nice and welcoming people. Towards the end of the ride (and just before the big climb), we stopped at the Layou River where we caught up with the river tubing tour group from the ship. The river and the landscape were beautiful and very peaceful and serene once the tubers had floated by. We went down for a swim, and for the fist time since I was a kid, I changed into my swimsuit behind a towel Matt held up LOL. The water was a bit cold, but not too bad and there was a natural jacuzzi on the other side of the river so I swam there. The water there was so warm and nice, which made it hard to get back into the river to swim to the other side.


After that we just rode past the big climb and to the coast where they took our bikes and gave us rum punch.....yummy! We still had some time left on the island but we decided we were too tired to do anything so we went back to the ship. The ship was having some sail away festivities I wanted to go to so I asked Matt to come along with me to the pool for a quick swim. I had to beg him until he said yes, then I grabbed my book and he asked surprised, "Are you gonna read???" I guess he thought it would just be a dunk in the pool and then back to the cabin so when I said "Yes!" he replied "I'm not coming then!" I said "fine!" and stormed out the door but not before having to go back into the room twice for things I kept forgetting. So much for my dramatic pissed off exit. I was out there for a little while but was feeling guilty for storming out like that so I went back to the cabin but I didn't say anything, except for "You want some?" referring to the plate of cheese I had in my hand. He said no and I made a bee line for the balcony where I laid down on a chair to get some sun. I didn't want to be the first one to give in so I stayed out there for a while hoping he'd come out and apologize or something but that didn't happen. I got tired of waiting and went back inside only to find him fast asleep. I guess he didn't take it as seriously as I did. We'd just had our first married fight and to be honest, I can't remember who said "I'm sorry" first but we made up and made out. That was the first out we had spent apart in 10 days, it was weird, but it made us both realize we are not attached at the hip. For dinner, we had made reservations at the Pinnacle Grill again and I barely made it through cause I was so sleepy. We crashed at 9:30 PM


Today we were woken up by the noise the ship makes when docking and by the overhead announcement about immigration. St Thomas, USVI, follows the same procedures as the United States when it comes to immigration so the whole ship had to be cleared before people could go ashore. Immigration officials came on board and we went into the theater or one of the bars, depending on what passport you carried. It was quick though. We were supposed to go on a sea trekking tour which would have taken us on a walk on the bottom of the sea but that got cancelled so we were left to fend for ourselves. At first we didn't know what to do but we ended up renting a car from Avis. The car was a Jeep Wrangler, and after seeing the roads, I had no doubt we needed 4 wheel drive! The island is mountainous so the roads are very steep.


We drove around till about 2:30 pm. We went to Coki Beach, which was very pretty, Magen's Bay Beach which was crowded and not as pretty, Hull Bay Beach and to a secluded beach called Dorothea Bay which we found thanks to a local who kindly helped us when we got lost and after directing us in the way we wanted to go, she said, pointing in the other direction, "There is a pretty little beach down there" There are small condos there so we had to park outside and walk in. It was beautiful but there was not a single person there.


After a bit more driving, we decided we'd had enough and returned the car. Right now we are sailing again and tomorrow is another day at sea, then it is Half Moon Cay in the Bahamas, Holland America's private island.

Tuesday, March 28, 2006

Oranjestad, Willemstad, stad, stad, stad



Yesterday morning we finally hit our first port, Oranjestad, Aruba. We had requested a wake up call but I was up about 10 minutes before the phone rang. We had to get up early because we had booked a 4x4 off road Jeep shore excursion and we were supposed to be at the cruise terminal at 8:20 AM. We got on a bus that took us to where the Jeeps were and got paired up with another couple. I drove the first leg of the trip. Early in the morning the weather wasn't looking very promising, it was very cloudy but it cleared up, and got much hotter, as the day progressed.

Our first stop was the Casibari Rock Formations, these are massive mysterious boulders which no one knows how they got there. Their geology is very different from everything else in the island but there are more of these rock formations a little further to the North East. Second stop was the Natural Bridge. There used to be two, one very big 25 feet high and over 100 feet long bridge and a smaller one. A few months ago, however, the large one collapsed leaving just the little, unimpressive one for tourists to see. Then we went to the Alto Vista Chapel, which was originally built by the Spanish in 1750 and has been remodelled a few times since. The California Lighthouse was next, a tall, not very impressive lighthouse named after a British steamship which shipwrecked off the coast in 1891. All that time we were off road and I was by no means enjoying it. It was hot and my skin was sticking to the leather seats and sweating like a pig. It was dusty because we were driving through the desert (what ever happened to TROPICAL????); it was bumpy and just icky. My hair was disgusting with dust and even my clothes were dusty. How did I let Matt talk me into that??? Finally we stopped at the beach for about half an hour. Even though it was bloody hot, the water was cold so I had to get in little by little. After the 30 minutes were up we drove back to home base and then on the bus to the ship.

After lunch, I wanted to go to the beach but Matt had a headache. He's always complaining about the heat and he does not travel well, not in places where it's not cold anyway. This drives me nuts because I can tough it out but he can't. He makes these puppy dog faces and wants to stay inside. Around 3ish I finally convinced him to go to the beach so we took a cab there. We found a spot in the shade under a tree and he parked himself there. I took my clothes off and braved the cold water again, then laid out my towel in the sun and toasted for a bit. He wanted to go wade so I went with him. After a few minutes of that we decided we'd had enough and took the bus back to the ship. I understand that he burns in the sun and what not, but he was wearing sunscreen all day, I understand that he dehydrates quickly but he doesn't drink as much as he knows he should. I love him to death and we are very much compatible in everything else but when it comes to travelling in warm climates, I sometimes feel he slows me down. I know it is awful for me to say that and I hope he forgives me for it but it's the truth. However, he has just told me it's not his fault and I agree.

We were pretty tired so we crashed by 9:30 PM

This morning we docked in Willemstad, Curacao. The morning was once again cloudy but we decided we'd go out in town anyway since yesterday was the same and it turned into a nice day. It was pretty early, only about 8:30 am when we got off the ship and started walking around. We took the ferry to the other side of town, Punda, and walked around for a bit. It was hot but still overcast. At around 10ish we decided we wanted to rent a car so we started investigating our options. After a while we realized it wasn't as good, or easy, an idea as we had thought so we went back to the ship for lunch. At around 3:30 pm we headed out again to do a bit of shopping. I was hot but still cloudy, although not as bad as in the morning.

Tonight there's a deck party and fireworks as we leave the pier and tomorrow is another day at see so it won't be exciting enough to blog.

Sunday, March 26, 2006

Two and a Half Days




We boarded our honeymoon cruise in Fort Lauderdale at about 3:00 pm and sailed a little after 5:00 pm. We were directed to our veranda suite and we proceeded to eat lunch. This ship, the Volendam, is by no means a big ship but I only found this out by walking around. I was expecting one of those grandiose, larger than life atriums you see in pictures or in brochures but this one is nothing like those. It’s rather small and uninspiring, however, the ship size of the ship makes it easier to have more staff per guests than a big ship.

We have been at sea for the past 2 and a half days so nothing really exciting to tell yet. Last night we went to the Captain’s Welcome Reception where everyone on board was invited. We got there late so we got bad seats, but even then, it was nice and there was free booze. After the reception, which we decided to go to right when it started and thus threw some nice clothes on in a hurry, we showered and dressed properly for a nice meal at the Pinnacle Grill.

I had made a reservation so we were just escorted to our table where, for the first time, we were seated side by side instead of facing each other. It was nice. I had Dungeness Crab Cakes for appetizer and Matt had the Thai Chicken Soup. The crab cakes were very tasty but small, gourmet portions I guess. Our main dish was a Pinnacle cut Fillet Mignon with Béarnaise sauce, I had creamed spinach and scalloped potatoes as side dishes and Matt had scalloped potatoes and asparagus with hollandaise sauce. The steak was divine! Mind you, not as good as the one at Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse but close. The spinach was really good too, even for a non green veggies eater like me, and the potatoes were better. We decided to get some champagne since we were celebrating anyway so we ordered a $78 bottle of some Curve Rose but the name escapes me right now. I’m a lightweight so after the second glass I was tipsy and drunk by the third. I was laughing like a nut and staggering. We thought it would be fun to go to the casino and gamble some money. We started out with $10, lost it, got $20 charged to the room and played some more. We won about $30 but spent it all….LOL…so I guess we lost $60. It was fun, we had a great time and we liked the Pinnacle Grill so much we are going a back in a few days.

Today was slightly more active. We decided to actually partake in the ship’s activities so at about 10:15 am we headed over to the ship’s kitchen for a tour. I guess once you’ve seen a ship’s kitchen you’ve seen them all, this one looked an awful lot like the USNS Comfort’s kitchen. After the tour we went into the culinary center for a show that started at 11:00 am. We got there early enough to get front row seats. That too was fun and after the show, we got to taste the food.

It was lunch time by then so we went into the main dining room for burgers and fish and chips lol. We then hurried to make it to the ping pong tournament but it was full by the time we got there. We tested our knowledge in a team trivia game, then we played some bingo, etc. We were invited to a VIP only cocktail reception with the Captain at the Crow’s Nest bar on the 9th deck. That was fun because unlike the reception yesterday, there were few people there. I am not sure why we got invited but we did. To be exact, Matt got invited and I crashed the party. The invitation was for Mr. Matthew Hawkins. We sat with this nice old couple who are on their 13th cruise and have been married for almost 50 years, their anniversary is in April. The finger food was good and once again, free drinks. Being at a VIP party really makes you feel important, even if it’s just on a cruise. We were the youngest couple there. I had two glasses of champagne and got tipsy again. Our dining time is 8:00 pm so we had to leave the party early to make dinner.

Right now I am in the Exploration Café posting this from a very expensive internet connection, I am that dedicated ;) Tomorrow we dock in Aruba and the real fun begins!

Wednesday, March 22, 2006

It's All Been Done




Yesterday was just unreal. It started out as a very quiet day and remained so until around noon, then the craziness started and the day was over in the blink of an eye. I woke up at around 8:00 AM and just couldn't fall asleep again. I hung around and just relaxed till almost noon when the hair and make up lady arrived at my hotel room. We got to it right away. By the time she was done with my hair and make up it was already pretty crazy, and then the photographers arrived...at the same time as the florists with the flowers...then it got REALLY crazy.

The flowers were beautiful, gorgeous, exactly what I wanted. I loved my bouquet. The photographers started taking pictures of my shoes, jewelry, garter, etc and then of me pretending to put make up on a what not. The the time to put on the dress came, that was a trip! They photographed and videographed the whole thing. We took pictures and video for the next hour or so until about 3:35 PM, just after my dad and my step dad arrived, half an hour late! I was pissed but I let it go. My mom, my dad and I got into the limo and headed for the church. The limo driver didn't know how to get to the church so I had to should directions from the back seat until my dad took over. Ridiculous. On top of that, he was braking so hard that I got nauseous and I thought I was gonna throw up if we didn't make it to the church soon.

We finally got to the church and they helped me out of the limo. I didn't realize it would be so difficult to sit, bend over and get in and out of a car in a wedding dress. We went into the church through a side door and my dad and I waited in the Bride's Room until it was showtime. Mind you, we got there with 5 minutes to spare so the waiting wasn't long. The coordinator lined everybody up and when the music started playing, she came and got us to join the line.

That's when I first cried. I was holding my dad's arm behind the closed curtains and had to lift my thigh length blusher to wipe my tears, which in return, made my dad tear up as well. Canon in D started playing and the mothers and bridal party started walking, then the music changed to Trumpet Voluntary and it was my turn. I held my dad's arm tight and looked straight ahead. I swear I didn't see anybody. I don't even remember looking at anything but Matt. I didn't actually look around and at who was there until I was already on the last step of the altar and the minister had started talking.

When I got to the end of the aisle, they played the first solo. So, for two minutes I stood there, holding my dad's arms wiping my tears every now and then and staring at Matt. Those were the longest couple minutes of my life. Once the solo was over my dad handed me over to Matt and we walked up the steps together. We held hands and the ceremony started. I can't remember most of what the minister said because I was too busy looking at Matt and whispering stuff to each other......and smiling. My feet were killing me!

When we got to the vows part I totally lost it. I read the first word and I was sobbing so bad I couldn't read and the tears were clouding up my vision and I couldn't actually see the words. I kept saying "I can't see, I cant see" Finally I got a hold myself and was able to read the vows, but I was sobbing the whole time. Matt had brought some tissues in his pockets and gave me one so I could wipe my tears.....so sweet :) When the time came for him to say his vows, I was all smiles. They were just music to my ears. I also had to wipe his tears once or twice. The best part of the ceremony was the kiss. We were overly dramatic and did the dip. It was cute and everyone loved it.

By the time the ceremony ended, I couldn't stand my shoes anymore so I took them off and did the formal portraits barefoot. It was such a relief. We did lots of photos in the church and then went outside where people were waiting with bells and bubbles. It was really cool. At this point, we were planning on heading to South Beach for some photos and we told the limo driver to take us there, however I don't he heard me and he took us to the ceremony. I was a bit upset but it turned out great because we didn't really have enough time for the South Beach plan. Instead, we did lots of photos at the Rusty Pelican and the beachy part close to it.

The cocktail hour started at 6:00 PM and we made our grand entrance at around 6:50 PM. It was great. We did our first dance and then got seated for a slideshow one of our friends had made for us. The Best Man gave his toast and dinner got served. We did all the traditional stuff, ate, danced, and fun. My feet were in so much pain that I decided to go barefoot and only put my shoes on when I had to, for things like the garter removal. I with I had brought comfortable flip flops or something. 55 people had RSVPed "yes" and only about 35-40 actually showed up so there were a lot of emtpy chairs. I was upset because it was a lot of wasted money but then realized that it was their loss and the important people were there. It turned out just fine because our very amazing vendors got to eat the same delish meal as us as opposed to club sandwiches, and let me tell you, they deserved it!

I just can't believe how quickly the day went by after noon. It seems like it was just the blink of an eye. We were so busy taking pictures, talking to the guests and having fun that we lost track of time. All those months of planning and agonizing over little details just gone! All in one day. My mom says everyone kept saying how great a wedding it was and how good the cake was. I am pleased with the way the day turned out but it was very, very, very exhausting. Some girls say they wish they could live in that day forever, but I cannot say the same. I had the time of my life and I am not sorry I did it but I never want to do it again.


PS. In case you were wondering, we were too exhausted to consummate the marriage last night, but I assure you it has been done ;)

Monday, March 20, 2006

Go!...




I have been awake since 6:00 am and dozing between then and 8 am. I kept having weird dreams. I dreamed I was still in the navy and I had been selected to go on the first manned mission to Mars and it was happening tomorrow. In my dream, I kept reminding myself "The wedding is tomorrow! I can't go to Mars! How am I gonna tell Matt and my family I am not gonna be able to make it??" bizarre, huh? I don't know what to make of it but the fact that I kept reminding myself I had my own wedding to go to was a good sign.

We finally got out of bed at around 8:30 am, showered, packed our stuff and got ready for the rehearsal. We went to the Gables Diner for the rehearsal brunch where our families met for the first time, thankfully it went well. After brunch we headed to the church. When we got there it was packed because of several christenings that had happened just before. We had to wait a while for the minister who then kicked people out of the church so we could rehearse. We went over the details of the walking up and down the aisle and practiced. I just smiled down the aisle, it just felt so weird to be doing this. I can't wait till tomorrow so we can do it for real. The minister also signed and dated the marriage license (tomorrow's date) and had the witnesses sign.

I needed my nails done so I went back to the mall and took Matt along with me. I got my crystal gel nails and Matt got his polish redone cause it was chipping. We then went to dinner with Matt's parents and his uncle and his girlfriend. The food was awesome and Matt's uncle gave us a very generous wedding present.

Now I am sitting in the hotel room I will be getting prepped in tomorrow and the one Matt and I will spend our first night as a married couple. I am feeling a bit guilty about sleeping on that bed without him. I am ready for tomorrow to come and become a Mrs.!

Sunday, March 19, 2006

Set....




The past few days have been a bit hectic. On Wednesday we packed the Expedition with all our wedding junk and the honeymoon stuff. We folded the rear seats down and stuffed it completely. I didn't realize we had so much stuff to bring down here. We picked up my wedding dress and hung in on the middle seat. I'm glad we had a car this big otherwise I don't know how we would have transported all that.

At 3:30 pm or so we checked into the hotel, unloaded the car and headed for the airport to pick Matt's parents up. We had to wait over an hour for them because the immigration lines were so long. We went out for a meal at night before leaving them to rest.

On Thursday we got up around 8:00 am, had breakfast and took Matt's parents to the rental car place where they had booked a car. We left them there and headed off to run some more wedding errands. We dropped off the cake stand and topper at the bakery, went to the Rusty Pelican to make our final payment and final arrangements and then to the linen place where we ended up renting 9 table cloths to match the sashes on the chairs. At 7:00 pm we met up with the day of coordinator to give her all the wedding stuff to set up and went over some things with her. She's been great to so far. After that we took Matt's parents and brother to Versailles, a very well known Cuban restaurant on 8th street. They liked the food, thankfully.

On Friday we went to Dolphin Mall so I could get a pedicure. We walked around the mall, I got my pedicure and Matt got a manicure. We had lunch at Johnny Rockets and headed back to the hotel so I could go to my 2nd hair trial. I drove all the way up to Pembroke Pines to the salon where my make up and hair for the wedding day lady works. We tried a different updo this time and I really liked it, it was exactly what I wanted.

Today we went in search of hair pins since the ones I ordered online haven't arrived. I am not wearing a tiara but I want some sort of hair accessory so pins are the best way to go. We found them in the first store we stopped at. They are very pretty, if not exactly cheap. We came back to the hotel so we could pack, tidy up, iron our clothes for tomorrow, etc. I had bought a dress for the rehearsal that I liked, I tried it on today and I didn't like how it fit, it seems the dress has shrunk (wink wink). So, after deciding I couldn't wear that dress, Matt and I went shopping for something for me to wear. We walked up and down the mall, I tried on lots of outfits, but in the end, we didn't buy anything. I am just too fat and nothing fits, nothing looks good on me. I tried this one dress on that I actually liked and fit fine but the stupid zipper was broken. After a very disappointing, stressful and downright depressing afternoon at the mall, I came back to the hotel empty handed and with very low spirits.

It was about dinner time and I didn't really wanna eat since I'd been having all these fat issues today but I was dragged out because a couple of friends of ours arrived today from Maryland and Pennsylvania for the wedding and wanted to meet for dinner. We went to yet another Cuban restaurant and as usual, I ended up eating more that I should have. I have concluded that I am a masochist. Every night after I eat I say I'm never eating like that again and then I do the next night and the cycle repeats itself. It's frustrating. I am now freaking out that I won't be able to fit into my wedding dress or stay in it all night. I was able to lose all this weight and now I don't know what happened to my self control.

On the way to the mall we drove by my high school. I hadn't been there since I graduated in 1999. I couldn't believe how much it's changed! They've added fences, benches, outdoor sitting areas, etc. It just looked so different, its not the same school I remember. Even then, I got very nostalgic. All those high school memories flooded my head. My friends, my teachers, classrooms. It was very weird. I never thought I was the nostalgic type but age really does change you. I have found that as I get older I find myself appreciating more the things I had or experienced in the past, like all of a sudden they have some hidden meaning that I never saw before. It made me realize that I am not a kid anymore, I am getting older, maybe even wiser. It just hit me..... "Crap, my 10 year reunion is in just 3 years!" I can't believe it it has been that long since I graduated. I think it was a good idea to have driven there today as I get ready to get married in just 2 days. It's good to reminisce every now and then, specially so close to such a life changing event. It reassures us of who we are and where we can from, how we developed our personalities and characters, which in returns helps us see where are headed and appreciate our accomplishments. Maybe in 3 years I will return to Miami Springs Senior High, the Home of the Golden Hawks for our 10 year reunion, maybe I won't, but what I do know is that it will always have a place in my heart.

Wednesday, March 15, 2006

Ready....




Things have mellowed out a bit. The arguing has diminished and the stuff for the wedding has been finished. We still need see some vendors and arrange a few more things but other than that we are set. I had my 3rd and final dress fitting on Monday. The dress was perfect, it finally looked like it was made for me. I am so in love with it I wanna do a post wedding photo shoot just so I can wear it again, Matt is OK with that.

Tomorrow we leave for Miami. We pick up my dress, all clean and pressed, on the way down. We are checking into the hotel and then picking up Matt's parents for the airport. The wedding is only 5 days away and things are actually falling into place. We still don't have a location for the photos after the ceremony but we are still working on that. We may go to some ruins in Coral Gables or maybe Downtown or something to take some funky, modern portraits. To be honest, I had my heart set on the Biltmore Hotel right across from the church but they are just too strict with the time they allow for photos.

On Sunday Matt as feeling a bit sick but I was starting to get cabin fever so in the late afternoon we went out in search of the beach for sunset pictures and for scouting locations for sunrise pictures the next day that never happened. We drove around for a bit until we finally came to the bridge that connects Jensen Beach to Hutchinson Island. It was nice but sunrise would have been a much better time for that area. The good thing was that we got out of the house and had some fun. Then we went to Chilis for some baby back ribs.

I am so ready for this wedding day to finally be here! I have worked so hard so many months to make it happen and it just seems like I'll never see the fruit of my work. This has been the longest week!

Friday, March 10, 2006

You Say Tomayto, I Say Tomahto




I had typed this really, really long entry and when I tried to do the spell check and changed the pop up settings the stupid page refreshed and I lost everything. These is not the first time this happens and I thought I was gonna have a hissy fit but I got a hold of myself and just laid in bed with my eyes closes for a few minutes while Matt hugged me. It is too late now for me to retype everything so I'll leave it till tomorrow, then I'll edit the post.

Take 2:

This morning started with one of those "are you sure you wanna get married?" talks. We hadn't had one in a long time but I guess being just 11 days away from the wedding is bringing all these anxieties back. I know people think that having these kind of thoughts means you should really reconsider your decision, but I think having them is normal and not having would be a bad sign. After all, marriage is a very serious step in anyone's life and I am not taking it lightly. I am in it for the long run and the thought if failure scares the living crap out of me. I am gonna work really hard it because I don't wanna end up a statistic like my parents. I'm much rather end up like Matt's parents still happily married after 28 years.

The good news is, that every time we have this conversation, the result is always the same and the answer to the question is always the same. Yes, I do want to marry him and he does want to marry me. We know it's not gonna be easy but we've come this far for a reason and we truly believe we are meant to be together, even though we are not carbon copies of each other. To be honest, I wouldn't want us to be!

After we finally got out of bed, we watched a couple episodes of "A Wedding Story" on TLC. During the first episode, when they were introducing the new Mr. and Mrs. at the reception, Matt and I cried on each other's shoulders like babies. I don't know if it was because we imagined us in that same situation in a few days or what, but it was odd. Not necessarily a bad odd, but odd nonetheless. I was actually supposed to be showering and washing my hair during that time because we had to be at the spa at noon. I finally got around to showering at 11:30 am but didn't have time to wash my hair so I left with dirty hair. THE HORROR!!!! Note the sarcasm.

We got to the spa just in time. After months of badgering, Matt finally agreed to getting a facial, with the condition that I would be on the premises. Such a baby. So, I booked a pedicure for myself so I wouldn't be bored silly while he got pampered. When I got done, they sat me in a room to wait for Matt. About an hour later, some girl came in to tell me he had been waiting in another room for the past 15 minutes. This whole facial thing brought up an argument. He kept complaining how boring the process was, how incredibly dull and pointless. He was just being a sourpuss. I apologized for having made him go through with it. It just seems like I just can't get anything right with him lately.

The afternoon was dedicated to doing more wedding stuff. We (I) finished the table card numbers. That was hard. I had to do the number 4 like five times. My grandma hemmed my crinoline and repaired the damages caused but the washer, now I can actually walk without tripping all over myself. She also fixed a shirt that the straps were a bit too long, she's great :) We also wanted to see what the wedding table centerpieces looked like so we set my mom's table up with the candelabra, candles, etc. We tried different combinations and came up with one we liked, and it happened to be a simple one. We are glad we did this so now we can tell the coordinator how to set them up.

He's a picky eater, at least lately, so, when dinner time came and my mom made lobster, we decided to go out for dinner. When we walked out to the car, my brother was out there with his girlfriend. I told Matt to ask them out to dinner and he said no. At first he said he valued our time alone but I told him this one time wouldn't kill us. He said OK, but still wouldn't ask them. It was fine if I was the one to ask but he completely refused to do it. This brought on a whole new argument. I won't go into details cause it got a bit serious. It seems like all we do lately is argue. We argue about what we eat, we argue about money, about shoes, about him not making phone a phone call, etc. I feel like I have to do everything, I have to solve every problem and I don't like it. I know that we have been edgy lately because we are stressed about this entire situation, we are living with my parents so we have no privacy, the wedding is so close, etc, but this arguing has got to stop.

We ended up not asking my brother to dinner and going to Longhorn Steakhouse. I had a ribeye with broccoli and he had some steak with a baked sweet potato with butter and cinnamon. That sweet potato was really good. For dessert we had a Caramel Apple Goldrush......man was it good! We devoured that thing like two hungry lions. I was amazing. We were in the same shopping center as Barnes and Nobles so we went there after dinner. We bought over $113 worth of books and magazines. Nuts. He wanted to drive so I let him drive us home. This was his first time driving on the right side of the road with the wheel on the left side of the car. I was nervous but he did fine. After having dissed my mom's huge Expedition, at the end of the drive he said "I like it! Can I have one??"

Wednesday, March 08, 2006

The List Keeps Getting Shorter....




Today has actually been a very productive day. I bought a box of Rit Dye yesterday to dye my crinoline. I want it to dye it light blue and the closest color I could find was Evening Blue. I was a little hesitant, but this morning I went ahead and took the plunge, literally. I followed the instructions on the box for the washer dying method. After the dying and washing process was over, the slip was severely tie-dyed even though I had untwisted it during the dying process. The color was nice though.

I went back to Michaels and bought another box of the dye and did everything again. This time the color was much more even (almost perfect) but a bit darker. It's still nice and bright though. However, the fabric didn't withstand the second cycle in the washer and it tore at the seams on one side. Thankfully, the damage is easily fixable and no one will see my crinoline that upclose and personal anyway, besides Matt and he's already seen it cause he helped me dye it.

Last night I printed everything for the programs and it took us the better part of the day today to actually assemble them, but finally they are completely finished. They came out nice too, I'm pleased with them.

I have gotten the final invoice for the reception venue, which turned out to be much less than we had budgeted for; But then again, only 57 of the 82 people we invited are coming. I have typed a list of the things we will be giving the coordinator for the day of the wedding to set up and what everything is for, how to set it up, etc. I hope she doesn't think I'm a pain in the ass. If we had all day to set this up I would do it myself in the morning but we can only get in at 4pm and that's when the ceremony starts.

There are still a lot of things to do but I am making progress and that makes me happy. Today's been one of those days for Matt and he's just been here but not really, if you know what I mean. I think all this spanish and non-familiarity is getting to him. I feel sorry for him and I understand completely but there is really not much I can do and today I felt like he was kinda taking it out on me. Tomorrow is brand new day, we'll see what happens.

Tuesday, March 07, 2006

Wedding Shower, Etc




It seems like I just can't quite catch up lately. I haven't been blogging as often as I used to but I haven't necessarily been busy, just lazy. Saturday was my bridal shower, well, ours because it was a Jack and Jill, boys and girls. My parents left for Miami, where the shower took place, on Friday, so Friday afternoon and Saturday morning we had the house to ourselves ;) We left for the shower on Saturday morning and got there around 12:30pm

My mom had put 1:00pm on the invitations but we weren't expecting anyone to show up at that time, after all, they are all on Cuban time (eg. 1-3 hours behind). However, out of the people that had said would go, only my family and some friends showed up. We got 4 gifts and lots of food since my mom bought food for about 40 people. The cake was delicious and the rice and plantains too. So much for my low carb diet!

We didn't wanna stay in Miami that night so we drove back up right after the shower was over. We were exhausted so we pretty much went straight to bed.

We have actually done a lot of the stuff we needed to do. We have chased all the missing RSVPs, made the sitting chart, printed the programs and have them ready to be assembled, bought Matt's 2nd suit for the cruise, we have bought the baskets for the programs, etc. Quite a bit done, I'm glad about that because I was feeling a bit overwhelmed with so much to do. We also finished the menu cards.

Today was my 2nd dress fitting and the dress still needs a lot to be done. First of all, it was too long and I couldn't walk without tripping over it. When I tried it on for the 1st fitting I wore a Victoria's Secret corset kinda bra but it was too tight and I decided I just could not wear that all day so I decided to wear the Spanx bodysuit instead. Because of that, the dress was still quite big around my bust so they have to fix that too. I tried a regular strapless bra but the dress is too low in the back so that didn't work either. In the end the seamstress decided it would be better to sew bra cups into the dress for fullness and comfort. The only other problem, which seems unsolvable, is the design at the bottom of the dress. I am too short so some of it gets lost in the hem. I thought they would undo it and move it up but she says it's not worth it. I am not happy about that but there is not much I can do. Now I have to go back on Monday for a 3rd, and hopefully final, fitting. I'm crossing my fingers that will be it.

Saturday, March 04, 2006

Catch Up

It's been a few days since I last blogged so I thought this would be as good a time as any.

On Wednesday afternoon I drove down to Miami to pick Matt up from the airport. I was at the arrivals hall at 4pm and his flight had landed a few minutes before. I waited impatiently by the glass corridor for him to come out. At 4:20 pm, when he still hadn't come out, I called him to see where he was. He was half way down the immigration line. About half an hour later I got a text message from him saying he had been held up by immigration and they wouldn't let him go until they verified something. At this point we didn't know what it was they were verifying. I was worried and he was shitting his pants. I was worried he'd be sent to immigration prison for whatever it was he supposedly did and he was worried they'd send him back to the UK and wouldn't be able to be here for the wedding. LOL

Over one and half hours later, they let him go. It turns out he didn't have an exit stamp for last May. We only had a flight to the Dominican Republic that connected in New York, they stamped him on the way in coming back but not the way out. The stupid thing is, we entered the US in October with absolutely no problems. When he finally came out to the arrivals hall we just hugged for like a minute, tight hug. We just would not let go of each other, I thought I was gonna cry because I had been so scared he'd get in trouble or something.

As it turns out, this would also be a happy day. His arrival in the US marked the last day of the last period of separation we'll ever have to endure, at least non voluntary separation. From now on we'll only be apart when and if we want to. No more long distance, no more weeks without seeing each other. We are happy about that.

Yesterday we woke up VERY early (4:45 am) because he was, and still is, jet lagged. We just stayed in bed till after 7, just talking and cuddling, it was great......except for the waking up at o'dark early. We had breakfast and went Downtown to get our marriage license. After we got it we were acting like two little kids that had just done something naughty. We were giggling and just smiling like nuts. We then drove up to meet the photographer on the way to my parents'.

The photographer was great. We just love his work and he's very easy to get along with, unlike our previous one. He listened to everything we wanted and even volunteered to come along with me on a bridal shoot to give me some pointers and advice. We are really excited to have him photograph our wedding.

I guess it's just been a productive week. We bought clothes for Matt, clothes for me, the groomsman's gift, finished and printed the menu cards, etc. There is still a lot to do but we are making progress.

Right now, I just can't sleep, so here he is, next to me, fast asleep and I am typing away. The poor thing was so sleepy and still jet lagged that he could sleep through anything. It's usually the other way around, I'm always sleepy and he's not so I guess this is a change from the ordinary.