Wow. What a weekend it was! It was wonderful to see everyone, but tough because there wasn't really time to actually socialise with anyone.
The ceremony was really nice; brief but real. We re-said our vows so Paul's family could hear them and we re-affirmed our commitment. There'a really nice description of our day on Paul's weblog.
The food was really good, but I really didn't want to take the time to just sit and eat, so I only had a little - chicken, scalloped potatoes au gratin (a big favourite of both Paul and me!) and some veggie-and-pasta salad.
By the time we could have explored the Festival, I was way too worn out. It's much bigger than the Bristol Faire, with which I am much more familiar. We did do a little shopping - we picked up some gifts for some of the folks who helped us out with this.
My outfit was gorgeous but *heavy*.
The band was marvelous; we had The Folk Underground for an hour. They have CD's available. :o)
The photographers were very good. The pics will be available for viewing online later this week, and if anyone wants any you can apparently order them right from them through the site. I think the photographs will turn out pretty well... I'm looking forward to seeing them! In addition, Donna took some pictures. She is a really good photographer and Paul posted them in his blog entry for today. There's a link to his blog in the list over there to the left of the screen...
NOW...
I'm here, Ben's here, Ben's stuff is*all* here... it felt like a party to celebrate that. Now we can go ahead and have a life.
Yay!
The skirt is beaded. The bodice has hooks on it. Our stuff is packed, the car is loaded. The gameboy is charging. I have list beside me, ready for things I recall during the day that I've forgotten... Paul will be heading home to get Ben when he's home from school, then they'll both come back and get me, and we'll head out. We get a bit of an earlier start that way, and there's a chance to grab things we've left behind.
I'm really looking forward to seeing my parents.
Auditions: Ben should hear today about his (possible) role in Into the Woods, Jr. I'm nervous! :o)
Progress: The underskirt is mostly beaded. Ben's pants still need to be repaired and the hooks still have to be attached to the bodice.
Hubcaps et al: Mom and dad wanted new hubcaps for their truck, and we found the ones they wanted on ebay... they bought them and are having them shipped to us. They haven't arrived yet. I was hoping they'd be here to take to mom and dad this weekend. I'm also bringing a couple presents I have for them; dad's birthday present (that I'm really keen to give him, I think he'll like it a lot!), and a couple nice things I found that wanted to belong to mom. I've never looked forward to receiving hubcaps in the mail before...
Fighting: In this respect, I can't wait for the reception to be over. I just want to fight, is that so hard? Geez.
I think I'll bring in come more plants.
Working out went well. I ran/walked 1.48 miles, did a bunch of Matt Furey torso exercises, and I'm not dead today. :o)
Lots to do tonight, beading the underdress, hitting the pell and grocery shopping.
On my mind these days, getting ready for the do this weekend. No brain space for much else!
Paul and I will be hitting the gym tonight for the fist time in far too long. We have a trial membership and we're going to see how late we get home after we work out. Neither of us is as healthy as we'd like, or as our doctor (or my foster-Knight) would like. I'll report on this travesty-in-the-making tomorrow, provided I can move at all.
The party this weekend is looming larger, and I'm starting to get nervous. I want it to be OK, fun, not a headache, not a side-show.
Keep breathing, all... the corsets come soon!
Ben has a bike. It's a very cool bike! It has *suspension*. Thanks, grandma. :o)
LU's system has caught up and I have access to my course materials. Now I'm waiting for my texts to arrive. In the meantime, I'm hoping we can get our printer working (we're short a cable or something...?) so I can have my notes on paper; I'd rather not have to read all this off the monitor if I can avoid it.
I did my first required course at work; an anti-money-laundering course. It was about an hour long, and not very difficult. Basically, it defined due diligence in this respect.
Got mom's overskirt done, and the underskirt as done as far as I can. I made it just a front panel, with ties on the waist. Saturday morning mom and I will put the clothes on her and see how we can make it work. My plan is to put a couple quick stitches in on each side of the panel to hold the front panel to the overskirt. I think it will look nice.
I sewed the fasteners onto my skirt. I still have to sew them onto the bodice, but I think I have to put on the corset and bodice to be sure where they have to go. Fun for this afternoon.
Ben's outfit still fits, so aside from repairs to the pants, he's set to go.
My arm is now mostly black and purple, so I guess that's progress of a sort. No fight practice today. I think my arm would drop off if I got hit there. Instead, we're going to go find a pell-tree this afternoon. It won't hit back! :o)
Now, sewing beads onto my underskirt. Whee!
My right tricep is very colourful. Seems it's a greatsword target. Guess I'd better learn to keep that elbow tucked in, and to block some, eh?
LU still won't let me log on to the site I need for my class.
Lots of sewing to do this weekend. Before the 25th, I have to:
-finish my outfit by sewing hooks on the skirt and bodice (an hour, max)
-make mom's skirt (I dunno, it depends on how fancy I want to be. The basic stuff can be done in probably four hours)
-bead my underskirt (this will take forever)
-find and repair Ben's outfit (find, probably only a few minutes work. Repair, depends on what still fits him. I might make him some new bits to incorporate, if I have time and if it's needful)
Saturday, Paul and Ben are hoping to go to Buffalo Grove to go bike shopping with grandma. I'm not sure but I think the bike was his promised Christmas present, to be given when he gets here.
I have a motet to write. Step one, recruit some singers. Paul will sing the middle line, so I need one more male and a female. I have a couple people in mind...
Paul's car needs brakes all around. New front pads and rotors, rear pads and touch up the rotors. About $485.
Progress on the LU front: I don't have to take the two required courses we thought I did, so it will be much easier to finish my degree. :o) I have signed up for my Poli Sci course and am waiting for their computer system to grant me access. Only two classes behind. Still have to get books.
Have to remember to call the vet for the cat's annual shots...
Luckily, the second pay in October is a 3-week one.
We're gonna need it.
I wonder what it says about me that I've been thinking of ways to put a pell in my cube at work...
Really though, my weekend was generally good.
Good: Got some sleep, went to fight practice and didn't absolutely suck (just mostly), played with molten metal (pewter) with TJ and Dahrien. Watched "The Patriot" on tv.
Icky: checked the online bank balances. September is *hosing* us. The trip to Montreal came much sooner than we anticipated, which was great except that we hadn't yet set aside enough money for the trip. Back into the red. So very discouraged. Bleah! It's so good to have Ben home, there are bits of me relaxing that I wasn't even aware were wound tight, but the trip torched our accounts. Add our reception onto it, and it's going to take ages to recover. I *hate* being this marginal financially. Now I get the pleasure of phoning up a couple places and telling them the check I wrote will bounce. Snarl!!!
My own fault, I didn't plan this into the finances, so there was nothing set aside for it.
I hate feeling stupid.
We got a whole whack of running around done tonight: now Ben has the new Game Boy game he's been wanting (Pokemon Fire Red), Paul has the necessary electronic bits to hook his X-Box up to the internet (I think he might be missing one cable) and I have fabric with which to make a Ren Festival skirt for my mom to wear to our reception.
Saturday Ben is going to a birthday party... a bunch of 11+ year-olds are going bowling. I am *very* glad to not be going. I am going to sleep in, then write some music. I may go over to TJ's (Thomas Mailer) to play with hot metal (pewter casting) and ogle a new book he has about rings.
Sunday, fight practice and hopefully talk with the Baron face-to-face about gauntlets. Yay for hitting people with sticks! :o)
Well wasn't that interesting. My dear husband I and met for lunch yesterday at a restaurant where I've eaten a few times. In fact, I've had their broccoli cheese soup before, which is why I could tell it was different this time. With about one spoonful left in the bowl, I got something icky in my mouth, and pulled it out. No class, I know. Anyway it looked a lot like bacon. I had asked on previous visits if there was any pork in this soup and was told no... but it did taste different this time. We asked again, and were told that it WAS made with pork fat. Dandy. Trip to emerg, where, in a great panic, I had...
...no reaction at all. None, nada. They took my vitals about a hundred times, gave me antihistamines and watched me for an hour, and zero. They asked a lot of questions. After much puzzlement, they suggested I go for allergy testing, since it seems I may have "grown out of it".
*shrug*
Paul left for work, Ben got away to catch the school bus this morning, I stayed home with a screaming headache. It's mostly gone now.
Ben's school (Oak Creek West Middle school) is putting on "Into the Woods" for their school play this year. We borrowed a video of the show from Tamara and Kevin for Ben, so he can see if he thinks he might want to be involved.
Once I get my brain all back where it ought to be (you put the right lobe in, you take the right lobe out, you put the right lobe in and and you shake it all about.... ouch), I have to make a menu and grocery list, then go grocery shopping. Do some laundry.
The dress is fabulous! How lame is it to be intimidated by your own clothes. :o)
The Lakehead Univeristy distance ed process is still backing-and-forthing. I got a letter from them thanking me for my application and saying I need to send them transripts from the University of Manitoba and Dalhousie University. They have those already, so I'm waiting to find out if they need them again for real... which, if they do, will take more time and cost more money. Bleah.
LATER...
The admissions office at LU tells me I have been admitted so I don't need to send those transcripts. I tried to register for my class though and can't... so I sent an email to my advisor asking for her help. Hopefully I'll hear soon. I'll keep you posted.