We have picked a date: Saturday, May 7, 2005 at 2 PM. Hopefully that won't interfere with the high school reunion. ;) It will be at the church we didn't originally want, but we are satisfied, and it's probably better this way anyway. And the reception will be in the city council chambers/ballroom. Very pretty, right downtown, newly renovated. Next week we'll be meeting with our two caterer choices, and hopefully a decision about that will be made soon. Then we can relax a little bit. The dress situation is actually the least stressful thing of everything. A few weeks ago I went to this renowned bridal outlet and tried on a few dresses, just for fun. Alone, so there was no pressure. It was kind of fun. There was one I really liked, but for some reason I can't find the style number on the company's website. Anyway, I guess I'll be doing the big trip in September or so. But now my grandmother has offered her dress--fifty years old this fall--which would need to be restored (and might not even fit), but it would be pretty cool. Plus she said I could do whatever I wanted to the sleeves, neckline, etc., and she wouldn't be offended--and it wouldn't hurt her at all either if I decided against wearing it. So it's good to have that option. Bridesmaids: probably going with David's Bridal so y'all can get different dresses all in the same color/s. Haven't decided on the color yet--possibly periwinkle or lavender--but we have time to work on that.
Relations with my mother have gone surprisingly well since the engagement. At one point I said to Mark that I hoped the wedding-planning experience would bring my mother and I closer together. I suppose we can bond over swatches or something. There have been a few times where I've tried to get her off the phone lately, but mostly because she was talking about money and my employment prospects. I've sent off about eight resumes for part-time jobs, and I'll just keep trying. I really need to call these music schools, but for some reason I've been dragging my feet about it. Probably just fear of rejection. Whatever. What have I really got to lose here?
Tuesday, June 29
Friday, June 25
Aha! I am back. My computer is hooked up to the internet, finally, though I have an excruciatingly slow connection (and a Pentium 133, to make matters worse). It's been difficult to get things done.
Anyway, my father came through his surgery just fine, though they did have to take out almost his entire right tricep. The scar starts at his elbow and loops around his armpit (apparently to help with flexibility), and was originally held together with several dozen staples. He looked a bit like Frankenstein, which was scary. But he didn't take any of the prescribed Percocet, and is returning to work next Wednesday, only about three weeks after the surgery. He's not sure how much he can do yet--he's not supposed to lift more than 15 pounds with his right arm--but is very happy about getting back to work.
I, on the other hand, have spent the last two weeks on my ass. Watching Buffy reruns, mind you, but still not doing much of anything. I am in a very precarious financial situation--I won't even get into it. Mark is helping me (including paying for my gas!), and I don't need to pay rent or anything, but I do have lessons and cell phone bills and a credit card to take care of, plus some audition-related expenses coming in a few months. I know it's part of the whole depression-prone monster, but I'm tired of it. So Mark and I talked about it AGAIN last night (after a near-breakdown in Kmart on Sunday), and this morning I faxed off my first resume for a part-time job. I'm not really counting on any of the music schools in town to be interested in hiring me (or anybody) at this point--particularly in the summer--and I think working mornings is a great way for me to feel like I'm doing something. And I definitely will be able to pay my own bills this way. There's a program in Sarasota that I REALLY want to do in the winter (eleven weeks long, with only nine days off the whole time--now THAT is intensive), so right now I'm just trying to fill something in, to pay the bills. Plus I really don't mind administrative work--especially when it's part-time, because I don't have to stress over it. And I know I won't be doing it forever, of course. It will actually be nice to meet some new people.
I must go, but I have a question: how do people feel about April 16, 2005 for a wedding? Looks like it'll either be that or May 7th (which, incidentally, is the day Mark proposed, but we're leaning towards the former). We really wanted to get married on a Friday evening, but the church we're using (which was not our first choice, but will do just fine) only does weddings on Saturdays, before 2 PM. I think we're pretty sure about the reception site, as well; we just have to choose between two or three caterers. I think we're going to have a pasta station! Yay!
p.s. Helen, I owe you an apology for not getting back to you. As I mentioned, I've been sitting on my ass, and really have no excuse. How is Monday for you?
Anyway, my father came through his surgery just fine, though they did have to take out almost his entire right tricep. The scar starts at his elbow and loops around his armpit (apparently to help with flexibility), and was originally held together with several dozen staples. He looked a bit like Frankenstein, which was scary. But he didn't take any of the prescribed Percocet, and is returning to work next Wednesday, only about three weeks after the surgery. He's not sure how much he can do yet--he's not supposed to lift more than 15 pounds with his right arm--but is very happy about getting back to work.
I, on the other hand, have spent the last two weeks on my ass. Watching Buffy reruns, mind you, but still not doing much of anything. I am in a very precarious financial situation--I won't even get into it. Mark is helping me (including paying for my gas!), and I don't need to pay rent or anything, but I do have lessons and cell phone bills and a credit card to take care of, plus some audition-related expenses coming in a few months. I know it's part of the whole depression-prone monster, but I'm tired of it. So Mark and I talked about it AGAIN last night (after a near-breakdown in Kmart on Sunday), and this morning I faxed off my first resume for a part-time job. I'm not really counting on any of the music schools in town to be interested in hiring me (or anybody) at this point--particularly in the summer--and I think working mornings is a great way for me to feel like I'm doing something. And I definitely will be able to pay my own bills this way. There's a program in Sarasota that I REALLY want to do in the winter (eleven weeks long, with only nine days off the whole time--now THAT is intensive), so right now I'm just trying to fill something in, to pay the bills. Plus I really don't mind administrative work--especially when it's part-time, because I don't have to stress over it. And I know I won't be doing it forever, of course. It will actually be nice to meet some new people.
I must go, but I have a question: how do people feel about April 16, 2005 for a wedding? Looks like it'll either be that or May 7th (which, incidentally, is the day Mark proposed, but we're leaning towards the former). We really wanted to get married on a Friday evening, but the church we're using (which was not our first choice, but will do just fine) only does weddings on Saturdays, before 2 PM. I think we're pretty sure about the reception site, as well; we just have to choose between two or three caterers. I think we're going to have a pasta station! Yay!
p.s. Helen, I owe you an apology for not getting back to you. As I mentioned, I've been sitting on my ass, and really have no excuse. How is Monday for you?
Tuesday, June 1
I know I haven't posted in a while--I have a lot going on. And right now I'm at the public library, so I have to keep this short.
Recital was fine, other than getting makeup in my eye and singing my whole Wagner set afraid I was going to go blind. Cathy and I had a good time here.
Moving was relatively stress-free. Sold the bed and the TV, so we didn't have to rent a truck or anything. Still getting settled in. Currently unemployed, therefore earning my keep by going to the dry cleaners, removing stains from white shirts and making meatloaf for dinner, in between episodes of BUFFY. I feel like June Cleaver. Actually, no.
But the big thing is this: my father has a tumor in his right tricep that the doctors thought was benign, but it isn't. It's a rare, slow-growing cancer currently the size of a fist, and they're operating next Monday. And Thursday they need to do a CAT scan of his lungs to make sure it hasn't spread. I found out Saturday, and I'm still pretty freaked out. I mean, I know my parents aren't invincible, but this is scary. And he's only 47. Everybody in my family who's had cancer died in their eighties. Anyway, I don't think they're very worried--or maybe my mother is making it sound better than it is. I mean, she said he'll probably only need to be out of work for six weeks or so, and they have to remove a bunch of his tricep muscle. (Traditionally they used to have to AMPUTATE, but thank goodness they won't.) There's a chance he might need radiation treatments as well, but they're not sure yet. In any case, I'm going down there next week to help out--my mother is working part-time, so I'll do what I can. He might be a bit too medicated to need much of anything for a few days, but what else can I do? I feel pretty powerless about the whole thing. The odd thing is that my mother still wants to go look at reception sites while I'm down there. Crazy...
Recital was fine, other than getting makeup in my eye and singing my whole Wagner set afraid I was going to go blind. Cathy and I had a good time here.
Moving was relatively stress-free. Sold the bed and the TV, so we didn't have to rent a truck or anything. Still getting settled in. Currently unemployed, therefore earning my keep by going to the dry cleaners, removing stains from white shirts and making meatloaf for dinner, in between episodes of BUFFY. I feel like June Cleaver. Actually, no.
But the big thing is this: my father has a tumor in his right tricep that the doctors thought was benign, but it isn't. It's a rare, slow-growing cancer currently the size of a fist, and they're operating next Monday. And Thursday they need to do a CAT scan of his lungs to make sure it hasn't spread. I found out Saturday, and I'm still pretty freaked out. I mean, I know my parents aren't invincible, but this is scary. And he's only 47. Everybody in my family who's had cancer died in their eighties. Anyway, I don't think they're very worried--or maybe my mother is making it sound better than it is. I mean, she said he'll probably only need to be out of work for six weeks or so, and they have to remove a bunch of his tricep muscle. (Traditionally they used to have to AMPUTATE, but thank goodness they won't.) There's a chance he might need radiation treatments as well, but they're not sure yet. In any case, I'm going down there next week to help out--my mother is working part-time, so I'll do what I can. He might be a bit too medicated to need much of anything for a few days, but what else can I do? I feel pretty powerless about the whole thing. The odd thing is that my mother still wants to go look at reception sites while I'm down there. Crazy...
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