The past two days I feel like my brain hasn't been running on all cylinders.

Work is really, really busy, only because I've proven pretty competent. Whoops! I like helping people. Someone told me today that I've been coming up on the report to the director (who knows how they found that out). Really, I don't like recognition; I just like doing a good job. I don't need someone to pat me for doing what I was hired to do. For the next two weeks I get to be a little bit more in charge of the system I help administer, which is a little worrisome but seems totally do-able.

I have a love-hate relationship with Facebook.

Wedding vendors like to take advantage of you. Not only monetary advantage, but they also seem to like to taaaaake their tiiiiiime. I'm not talking about anyone in particular.

In looking for a house, Andy has wisely been looking at statistics for the area. Looking at the crime statistics for our current neighborhood, which I've always joked about being ghetto, is actually really scary.

Oh, I wish we could afford the first house we toured. I still like it.

For some reason, I've been hearing about women having miscarriages. It makes me sad.

Lately they've been playing those "Real Men of Genius" commercials on the radio again. They were off, for a little while. And to be quite honest, they aren't as funny this time around. Anyway, it reminds me of the first round, when they were "Real American Heroes." Anyone else remember the abrupt change after 9-11?

Instead of placing an order with my friends Harry and David, I decided to bake myself. I couldn't figure out how to ship a cake or cupcakes, so I was down to cookies.

Ugh, so much homework, & I'm exhausted. I'll post my baking efforts later ...

For a very brief amount of time, I tried shopping in stores. I went to the mall a couple of times and looked at clothes. And discovered that shopping in a store is a great waste of time.

Because of this discovery, the next week or so means I'll be getting a lot of things in the mail!

• One item came in the mail yesterday. My mom saw some pretty plates on our registry were going out of stock soon, and she bought us a set of 12! Guess we need to up the number of place settings accordingly!
• Our videographer contract is in the mail. I'm dying to get that checked off.
  
• I'll be discrete and just say this: I love not shopping the semi-annual sale in the store. And free shipping.
  
• I ordered two of my textbooks, finally. One isn't quite out yet, but should be shipping soon; luckily no one else in the class will have it yet either. The other I bought from an Amazon seller because I refuse to pay $270 for books for one class, and it was $50 versus $170. So, please come through for me!
• Finally, the object that led me to the realization that I don't even remember how to shop in stores: a bluetooth headset. Let's go back to the beginning: California is implementing the hands-free requirement in July, and since I get most of my family time in the car, and my freebie earpiece just doesn't cut it, it was finally time to invest in one. And then I realized I had absolutely no idea where to get one. Everyone I know shops in stores for the instant gratification, but ... did I go to the Verizon store? I'm kind of anti them, and their stores bug me (see below, rude people in large groups). Target? Did they even sell good ones at Target? Or just cheap ones? Even though I want it right nownownow, Amazon won out with a $30 pink Motorola set with good ratings.
  

On a side note: I wonder if the excitement of getting something in the mail, convenience of not having to drive somewhere, and dislike for rude people in large groups is coloring my opinion.

Yeah ... I recognized all my favorites too!

I can totally see why people like a 9/80 work schedule. Three day weekends are pretty easy to get used to!

Thursday, after my victorious Wednesday, I went over to Jinny's Bridal to order my dress. They've been quite good to me, especially being mom-less (although there were two girls there trying on dresses with their fiances - what a letdown!). It happened to be the day of our thunderstorm in the OC, which is greatly unusual for folks like us here. The saddest part was getting measured; I seriously need to do something about the junk in the trunk. Regardless, I have a lovely dress and veil on their way!

Friday we spent the evening getting ready for the party. We'd intended on ordering some platters from the nearby Chicago for Ribs - but they'd closed down a month ago! I remembered seeing fully cooked ribs at Sam's the last time we were there, so we swung by to see the situation. We got a rack just to try, and they were so good we went back Saturday morning and bought six racks and two chickens.

The party Saturday was so much fun, I can't wait to do it again!! Aside from the barbecue snafu, one lost guest, and the bummer of kicking everyone out at 3 to go to the movie, it seemed like everyone had a good time. Lots of food, lots of mingling, and nice, comfortable weather rather than the heat wave we had last weekend. I think everyone was kind of disappointed by Indiana Jones. After, we even had people come back for round #2 of food, and the party didn't end until after midnight! I realized, though, that all of my friends live in Orange County, and we'll be moving to Redondo soon. They're already so far away that it's hard to see everyone aside from work ... and that will likely change in the near future too. Before, all of my friends were in the midwest ... now, they're all going to be at least a half an hour away ...

Sunday we could hardly be bothered to do anything. Cleanup hardly took any time at all, and aside from a short trip to Ikea for centerpiece ideas and a visit to the bunnies at Long Beach Community College (really, why are all those bunnies there?), we didn't leave the house. No school, no work, no wedding, no house shopping. A nice, relaxing, absolutely no-pressure day.

Monday we went for what was supposed to be a 9-mile hike in the Santa Anita forest. The day started out with no water pressure, which happens occasionally, but this time it was just terribly low. It ended up that something had happened to the fire hydrant outside (probably someone hit it, the way they drive through there) and it had exploded and flooded the street. The police and fire trucks had the street shut down, and the firemen were wading around in knee-deep water. The hike was close by and very pretty with lots of waterfalls; things were all going well until we had to climb the side of the waterfall and walk across a steep rock ledge to the rest of the trail. Unfortunately, the trails weren't marked very clearly, we went the wrong way, and got to an elevation that was in the clouds and much, much colder than I'd dressed. 13 miles was just too long for me, and evidently my right knee doesn't agree with that distance any more. We couldn't do much else the rest of the day, and went to bed super early. I didn't sleep much last night because I was too uncomfortable, and ended up having really crazy dreams.

This week:

• My last Rubio's taco Tuesday
• Meeting with our potential photographer
• Hopefully getting our videographer contract turned around in the mail
• Going swimming? Ugh, I shouldn't have signed up for a triathlon.
  
• Meeting with a realtor
  
• Ordering books for summer (sigh)
  

Mmmmmmmmmmm .... dresses.

I have a strong affinity for lovely lacy dresses. Target has really pretty ones now (in their bridesmaids section - eek!) for cheap.

French lace, just $30 ...
For just $5 more, I like the lace of this one better (and, in fact, sent it in pink to a friend for a themed wedding) ...

And of course, those bastards at the Gap had to bring back the dress I wanted desperately last year (I'll pay your stinkin $55! I'll never dawdle again!!) but have already sold out in my size.

Let's give a big hallelujah for today, good karma, and things not going south.

• I encouraged someone to be nice and give someone else the benefit of the doubt. Not become best buddies, but just extend an olive branch of sorts. Surprise of surprises, it actually kind of worked out. Good karma abounding!
• I marched in to a local bridal store after yoga class (nothin' but good karma there) and asked to see my dress, in multiple colors. Lo and behold, she took me right to it, in the color that I wanted. I'll be purchasing it tomorrow, although I really could/should have today. In the meantime, cue frantic excited call to mom. Emily: 1, wedding industry: ... ok, we'll not go there.
  
• While on said phone call, I loaded my email in the off chance my grades were posted (they weren't). But, I had an email from the professor teaching my summer session class that the class will actually start June 3rd, not next week. That means: one more week of summer vacation!!!

Oh, the grand plans I have for tomorrow (videographer, dress) and next week (photographer, harpist, rehearsal, perhaps coordinator). Honestly, the past week has been just exponentially increasing stress and random things-going-wrong. I'm going to wish my good fortune on to you, because everyone deserves to have a totally awesome day like this.

Dear MSNBC.com,

If you want to encourage teens to donate more blood, this is not the way to do it.


Just a friendly heads-up.