Bridal Show Fun

I really should've brought my camera for the fun(madness) that was had today. We gots tons of business cards, flyers and brochures. Had some yummy cake and spreads and dips, and I even won a 100 dollar gift certificate for a wedding planner. Too bad I already have one for free!!! It was fun though, though there were a lot of undesireables there....if you know what I mean. I did get a cool "Bride to Be" heart shaped pin, and free Godiva chocolate. Can't beat that. And I know that if for some reason, ANY one of my vendors doesn't work out, I have about 432 other backups.

We also had our engagement photos taken on Saturday evening at the beach in Sandbridge. I so cannot wait to see them. Becca was our photographer, and as soon as she has her site up and running, I'll link her. She's doing some color, some black and white and some a mix of the two. Can't wait!!!!

That's about it on the wedding front right now. Very overwhelmed with school right now...so I think I'll sign off with a plea for luck wishes for my big Cardiac final on Tuesday. Ciao!

INTERNET!

I have been without internet for quite some time now. Of course, it comes and goes in spurts, so some of you might have seen me online. I just got it restored, and it's about 5 times the speed it was before--and it's FREAKIN' storming--BAD. I'm just waiting for the power to go out.

School's going good. Killing me, but it's going good. It feels so awesome to have nothing to focus on BUT school. At the same time, that can really suck. I go to school ALL day, then come home and study my butt off until I collapse in the bed at 8 pm. Yes, 8. I get up at either 4:30(when we're at the hospital) or 5(when we're at school), so I'm pretty tired at night. And the working at the hospital? It's great--but it's just like working(but so much more stressful--more on that in a minute), but you're not getting paid. I was literally getting sick to my stomach(Kim, I'm sure you'll remember what I mean from swim team back in the day) twice a day from nerves. This is our first time "working" in a hospital, and we're just thrown in. The very first day I performed these tasks ALONE: vital signs, bathing a patient in their bed, changing their bed while they were in it, feeding the patient, doing a doppler on the distal pedialis pulse, checking the patient's blood glucose level. Not to mention constantly having a very overbearing scary Wicked Witch of the West teacher coming in to ask you questions like "Why is your patient on this drug? What are the side effects? What is the effect of a patient having a high level of creatinine on their skin?" AHHHHH! I did well though. I finished my first rotation in the Cardiac unit with perfect scores all around. The only thing she requested of me was that I be less nervous. She even asked me if I was already working as a nurse(CNA, a step lower than what I'm in school for), because she said I seemed to really know what I was doing and had a real rapport with the patients and their families. That made me happy. :-) I think I might have actually found something I'm good at!

In wedding news, I met with my wedding planner/coordinator on Sunday, and that went well. She's awesome, in fact. I also discovered that our reception site is too small to hold the number of people we want to invite, so I need to find another place, which makes me mad. I loved our reception site. Any ideas would be fabulous! Also, we're having FREE engagement photos taken weekend after next! Yippee! At the beach, as well! Annnnnnnnnnndddddddddd, I'm picking up my dress this FRIDAY! WOOOOHOOOO!!! I can't wait!

Soooooo.....only one other thing to say, and that is.....

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KIM!

Blast from the Past

Since I stayed up to an astonishing 2:30 AM last night, I spent a great deal of time sorting through all my old pictures from my old computer. Fun times, I tell you. Let me just say this: All those times in 2002 and 2003 that I thought I was fat...I had no clue what I was talking about.


Looking at some of these pictures, when yes, I was already a mere 50 pounds over weight, makes me just want to kick myself. But seeing as I've put on a total of 80 pounds since JMU, I can't hardly lift my legs to tie my shoes.

I know I know, I shouldn't complain about it, I should get out there and do something about it! Easier said than done. Especially when it's in the 90's outside and the central air feels just so awesome. I have about 2 pages of excuses. I could put some down, but that would require extra energy.

I should be excited! I have my size 14 wedding dress just about ready for me to take home...and I can actually put it on(no small feat for a size 18 bride). Granted I can hardly breathe, and I have to wear a corset to be able to zip it up, but that's besides the point. I should be literally working my ASS off to fit into that dress, and even have it taken down a size! It IS possible. I have well over a year.

For those of you who know me, I do this vent quite often, as in several times a day. Even my fiance has gotten on the ball and has lost 18 pounds so far. I have been eating better...with being stuck at school all day, and my nerves being a wreck, I've been eating small meals and most of them are really healthy.

I even have a huge vacation this weekend. Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday are mine, until I sell my soul back to school. Yesterday was wasted because I felt like dirt--I ended up sleeping all day. Today...well, half of today is already gone. I've been drinking copious

amounts of coffee trying to get myself going, but even that doesn't seem to be working. I have a million things to do: grocery store, massive cleaning, laundry, homework, and I even offered to help my friend repaint her townhouse. Maybe I should get started?

Sorry for the massive embarrassing non-productive rant. I do feel a bit better now. I should stop feeling so damn sorry for myself. Here's a truce: for every ass-kicking comment you leave me, I'll go exercise for 30 minutes. That way I can blame you guys for me not exercising. :-D Sounds like a plan to me!

Dress pics, again!

My Matron of Honor, Kim and I went to DB to order my dress yesterday--and of course tried it on again. We also decided to go ahead and order Kim's MOH dress--and then when I ask the other girls, hopefully we'll be able to get theirs ordered too--the dress is discontinued, as was mine. Actually, the dress I have on in the picture is MY dress--we were unable to order it brand new. So it'll stay in the shop while they clean and fix a few threads here and there.

Relaxation

Well...only one more week of work until I'm a free bird. Free, that is, until two week later, when I start hell--oops--I mean, school full time. I have my CPR certification class on Thursday(9 hours long!), and then Friday's my last day!!! Whoopee!

I plan to fill my days with copious amounts of Gilmore Girls--I bought the two newest season DVDs on sale just for this reason--and sleep...and I guess some cleaning and gardening. Oh yeah, and some reading. I wish I could wedding related stuff, but that requires large amounts of money. Poo.

Kim's coming up the week before I start back at school. Hopefully we'll make to more than just one bridal store--don't ask me why, other than because it's fun, I guess. I'm going to take her to show her the dress I picked out. By the way, both of my dresses I had in reserve sold on eBay, so that made me happy. I can't wait til Kim comes...it'll be my last hurrah until I graduate!

Troy also bought me IRL tickets for the Richmond race that same weekend. I'm sure that'll be a GREAT time as well. I haven't been to an IRL race since I lived in Indiana, which was a looong time ago.

Hope everyone's doing well!