How do you know when you are marrying a geek? When he builds you your very own Wedding CPU. [via my geek who did not propose like that!]

As I mentioned last week, Super Bowl XXXVIII has arrived and has hit Houston with full force. Everywhere you look in downtown there are signs and references to the Super Bowl. Last week I mentioned the crazy “Put Your Smile On, Company’s Coming!” ad campaign, and Mike pointed out a radio commercial he had heard about the campaign. I later saw the same commercial on TV - it featured famous locals and just your average people, all talking about how they were going to do their best to make people feel welcome in our city. At the end, they showed Bill White, our new mayor as of January 2nd, saying how we should all do our part. Then a guy walks up and asks, “Hey, do you know where the stadium is?” Bill White responds with, “Follow me! I’ll take you there!”

Obviously, the same crazy people came up with this commercial - I mean, really - would you follow some stranger around a city? One that is hard to navigate and has no signs telling you where anything is? Just walk off with him, when for all you know he is a psycho killer? (Ok, if I was lost, I might. But it’s still not smart people!)

Emily and I decided to be brave and venture out among the Super Bowl crowds and the tourist filled streets to head over to the Flying Saucer for lunch. As we walked, we talked about the silly ads and the whole thing with Bill White at the end. We wondered if the Flying Saucer would be packed - and it was, but we managed to get a table right away and had a delightful meal.

As we were heading back towards our offices, we passed two couples walking together down Main Street. One of the women was asking, “Is this a liquor store?” as they passed the run down convenience store at the corner of Main and Rusk where I’ve seen homeless people pee on the sidewalk more times then I care to think about. (Not today fortunately, but still - you remember those things.) We were still walking, when I spoke up and said that it wasn’t a liquor store. Emily then kindly informed them that they could buy beer there, but that there is no liquor store in downtown. However, if you go about 10 blocks down Smith, just outside of downtown, you could go to the Specs Liquor, and they have everything.

The tourists thanked us for the helpful alcohol advice, and then they went on to ask if we knew where the shops were that had all the Super Bowl merchandise. Emily said no, but I told them that there was a special store set up in the Park Shops devoted just to that. “Just go about one block more down Main Street, then turn left on McKinney. It’s about 3 blocks down, and you will see a large sign on a 3 story building - The Park Shops”. They asked if there was food there too, and we told them that it’s a small mall with a food court and a Super Bowl merchandise store. Emily then pointed out that I was going that way, and I said that they were welcome to follow me if they wanted.

At that very moment, we passed a small store that has opened with Super Bowl items, and as they were about to go in they clarified the directions with us to the mall and thanked us for our help. It was only then that we realized that we were just like the ad - only we don’t help people get to the game, we help them with liquor and shopping. You know, the essential stuff. Yep, that’s what we’re all about - the liquor and the goods… Follow us, we’ll take you there!

Leave the poor man alone, Duhbya just wants to get some good ribs. [via Derek]

Originally, I was going to set up a wedding blog. I realized yesterday, while composing my long wedding post, that I actually don’t want to blog about wedding plans separately. I would prefer to keep them here, all in one place. We are still going to set up a wedding site with information for our guests, but it won’t be in blog format. Then again, I loved checking out Erika’s wedding planning blog, and reading Bridefoo over the past few months has given me great ideas and made my planning easier already. I guess I need to make sure all wedding related posts are in the same category? That would make it easier in the long run and there wouldn’t be a need for another blog. Decisions, decisions … I worry about the little ones probably more than the big ones!

I have both wedding updates and house updates. It’s too much to go through in one sitting, so I’ll run through wedding plans for now. House stuff can wait until we look at more houses.

The Date
For some reason, we both suggested May. It’s before the full heat of summer, it’s not a busy month like April (Mike & Jason are both April birthdays) and so we decided to go with May. At first we were talking about May 22nd, but then realized that Jason has finals May 24th - 26th or so. That made us shift to May 29th. Good, more time for out of town guests to be off work. Surprisingly, a lot of venues were still available for that date.

The Location
We looked at and considered a lot of locations. Downtown was where we initially started - we met there, we work there, he proposed to me there. We really like spending time in downtown. However, downtown is pricey. Ouch. The Majestic Metro was almost $4000 for the location alone, and you still have to pay for catering - and they now require that you use a caterer with a certified kitchen. Bling bling. The Lancaster was really high too, and the area where they hold weddings only seats 35 people - the rest are in the balcony on the second floor looking down. No. From there we started to look at Galveston. We both really like the island, especially for the historic feel. At this time we have our sights set on having the wedding ceremony at St. Joseph Church, which is no longer a church - it is now a historic site - and the reception at the Tremont House, just off of the Strand. We have to finalize that within the next week or two. We are having a “Destination Wedding” at a close-to-home destination.

The Time
We are thinking about having the ceremony at 4:00 pm, reception from 5:00 - 9:00 pm. Time enough for people to drive back to Houston or to hang out on the island for a little bit before heading home later that night.

The People
Mike asked his brother to be the best man and one of his best friends from high school to be the groomsman. He will be asking his other two friends from high school to be ushers.

I asked Chelsey to be my maid of honor and Kymberlie to be my bridesmaid. My Dad will walk me down the aisle.

The Kids
Flowergirl: I’m not having one. I know one girl in the right age range, but I just don’t need a flowergirl. I want to keep things somewhat simple.
Ringbearer: Jason. Chelsey said he is too old, but I can’t find information on what is considered the “right” age range. It’s right for us, and that is what matters.
Other Kids: We believe in child-free weddings.

The Photographer
Photographs are really important to me, and there are certain styles that I really love. A few years ago, Rannie took pictures at a wedding that I loved. I asked him back then (before I even met Mike) if he would photograph my wedding if I was to get married again. He said all I had to do was provide the plane ticket. We are planning on providing the hotel room too - plus the cost of film. I will get to “own” my photos, and someone we care about will be an important part of the day. Perfect.

The Attire
I accidentally found a dress just days after we got engaged. I know what you’re thinking - accident? Yes, it was an accident. I was mad at the bridal industry because I had indulged in a wedding magazine, and all of the dresses in it were strapless or sleveless. No way I was wearing one of those. So on a whim I went in to a store to see if they had anything with sleeves. They do, but not much. Maybe 10 dresses. Seriously. However, this store had a dress on the rack that fit me. In stock. Not a size 4 dress, but one I could try on and zip. It was gorgeous. I bought it later that week. I also have a tiara.

Mike and the groomsmen will wear black tuxedos, but the simple ones - nothing too fancy.

I have no clue what the bridesmaids are going to wear. I have thought of a variety of things though - for example, they could just buy their own basic black cocktail dresses. (No, I actually don’t care if they match.) There is a dress that I found in a catalog this weekend that would look great with my dress, but I’m just not sure about the colors. There are tops and matching skirts that would also go well with my dress, and I like the colors a little better. I think they will be a better fit too. We have to decide soon though - it is about a 3 month turnaround on them, and then we will need time for alterations probably.

I don’t care what the guests wear, as long as they don’t try to wear their swimsuits to the wedding.

The Colors
Chelsey came over after Stars on Ice last Friday and spent the night. Saturday morning she asked me what my colors were for the wedding. Uhm, hello? It’s like 4 months away. You expect me to have colors picked? Ok, not really - I know I need to because the dresses need to be ordered. However, I actually don’t care. The fabrics that the dresses are available in will dictate my colors probably more than anything. Well, that and the flowers. Chelsey told me that I was wrong for picking out plum and dark heather purple for possible colors because it is a spring wedding. She then told me she refuses to wear periwinkle - which I happen to really like. Have you seen the Diet Dr. Pepper commercial where the bride is like a drill sargent? Yeah, I almost had that moment. “You WILL wear what I tell you to wear…” Personally, I don’t think anyone would care if they wore purple in the evening, whether it is spring/summer or not.

The Flowers
Originally, I was going to go with red roses. The more I look at the glossy, pretty magazines, I realize that I really like the flowers in the pink/fuschia/purple range and I will probably go with those. Well, if they work with the dress colors. Ugh.

The Cake
The Cake Lady in Pearland. Yummmmm… (looking for a wedding cake or any other kind of cake in Houston? I highly, highly recommend her!) There will be no seashell cakes though.

The Invitations
Simple. Classic. Elegant. I think we should include both sets of parents names on the invitation. RSVP cards. I will probably just have a “Reception to follow” note on the invitation itself instead of separate reception cards. Is that ok? (Now I’ll have to check on the protocol for that…) I shocked Chelsey by not knowing what “my colors” were, and she asked me how I would pick the invitations without knowing that. Easy - the envelopes will be lined with white or silver. Done!

Ceremony Fluff
I don’t want to add a lot of details because I will worry more then about what will go wrong. Trust me, it will go wrong.

The Officiant
Key detail, and yet the one item I have no clue about. Well, that and a DJ for the reception.

The Registry
Hmmm… need to pick those too. Probably one department store and one specialty store? Foleys and Williams Sonoma? Bed, Bath & Beyond and Target? Best Buy? Fry’s? (Ok, so they don’t do registries - but they should!)

The Departure
Bubbles.

The Rehearsal Dinner
We were going to have it at Josephine’s in downtown Houston, but with the wedding in Galveston, I think we will have it down there instead. We need to scout out a location.

The Sunday Brunch
I’m assuming we will do this at the Tremont House, but that still needs to be finalized.

The Honeymoon
A variety of locations have come up, ranging from Europe to Alaska to the Pacific Northwest to Hawaii. Mike has said he will be focusing on planning this.

Whew! I think that is everything! Actually - it hasn’t really been that hard to plan this far. Venues took the most time, and even that was easy because we had a good idea of what we both wanted. I anticipate that the dress style & color issue will be the hardest thing to decide, but even that isn’t a huge thing for me - I am easy to please for the most part. Now it’s time to get in to planning the finer details! Any suggestions? What am I forgetting?

What is up with people and their lack of elevator etiquette? This has been bothering me for the past few days. I work in a building with 46 floors. We have three sets of elevators, divided in to banks so that things run smoothly. My bank of elevators covers 32 - 46. I work on 34, the third stop. There is rarely anyone else on the elevator that is going to get off before I do, so I position myself accordingly. If I was getting off last, I would go straight to the back of the elevator - but I’m not. I know I am going to be getting off first, so I slide in, press my button, and position myself along the wall. Not right in front of the panel, but not too far back - I want to slide off quickly when we get to my floor. So what is it with people that insist on wedging themselves inbetween me and the buttons? Especially when they are getting off on 45? Hello? The wedge is rude to begin with when there is room to stand somewhere else, but you’re blocking my quick exit! Plus they normally block my view of the Captivate screens. I have to have my view of the Captivate monitors so I can get the latest news! (Seriously, somedays I would be oblivious to world events without those screens in the elevator. How do people live without them?)

Also on the etiquette radar lately - is it wrong to use Evite to send out “Save the Date” announcements for the wedding? How about using The Honeymoon to register for a honeymoon as your gift? How many places should you register? What is the max? 3? (Does Amazon.com count?) Decisions, decisions…

I should note that I’ve been busy making lots of decisions lately, that’s why I’ve been so quiet. More wedding news and house hunting news to come. First I have to worry about people trapping me in the elevator.

There is only one thing that can keep me away from another one of the infamous Tiara Happy Hours. I’m missing the one tonight because I’m going to Stars On Ice! I have wanted to go for several years, but never actually made it there. I’m so excited, I can hardly wait! The only bummer is that Kurt Browning won’t be there - I’ve always wanted to see him skate live. But I don’t care - I’m going to see live skating! I’m going to see Stars on Ice! I am just as excited as I was when I was a kid and got to see the Ice Capades! This is going to ROCK!

As I’m sure everyone is aware, Houston is the home of Super Bowl XXXVIII. It’s over a week away, but the signs are going up and the banners are flying. Literally. They’ve replaced all the banners in downtown that tell you what “district” you are in with Super Bowl banners. A Saturn blimp has been circling my building all morning. Activities are taking place today at the Convention Center just down the street from my office. I’m almost afraid to think of what it will be like next week! I feel like the invasion has begun and we are all under siege!

And don’t forget, “Put your smile on. Company’s coming!” (Whoever thought of that one should be slapped!)

The worst part about not blogging as often as I used to is that sometimes I think about something I want to post about - but by the time I have a chance to focus and write, I forget what I was going to say. That doesn’t mean the topic was trivial - not at all. It means that somewhere along the way I was sidetracked and just didn’t write about it.

Monday night, Elaine informed me that I have been nominated for a 2004 Bloggie! Tuesday morning when I checked my e-mail, there was the official notification, along with an e-mail from Jenn, pointing out that I was nominated in the “Best Programming of a Blog” category - up against ScriptyGoddess! I really don’t feel worthy in Scripty’s company, especially since most of the tweaks on my site are either things found on Scripty or code that Jenn wrote and implemented for me! (With the exception of my recent commenter code that Ste wrote for me.) There are a lot of things that I have done myself, but still - you have to admit that it’s ironic. I am thrilled and honored to be nominated though - what a treat! Wheee! Thank you, thank you to everyone that nominated me!

Really, really, Bush has proof that there were Weapons of Mass Destruction in Iraq, but you’ll just have to wait a few years for the details.

Maybe it’s just me, but if you go to war - and in the State of the Union address last year say that you’re going because Iraq definitely has those weapons - shouldn’t you be able to give us some evidence now? I thought that was how it worked? I’m not too thrilled about someone sending my family members and friends off to fight in a war, along with spending a lot of taxpayer dollars but not having evidence to back it up. Maybe Bush should think about his own actions when he drones on about being accountable with our tax dollars?

I’m still wondering what ever happened with Bin Laden. Why doesn’t Bush ever talk about him anymore? Does he think we’ve all forgotten about that little detail?

We’re hunting wabbits…

I just posted this in my comments on the post below, but decided to make it a post too for anyone that might wonder or might have more information to share.

I had allergy testing done because every year I have sinus problems (to the point I’ve asked a doctor before if they could just cut them out) - and any time I end up congested from allergies, I then end up with a sinus infection - or this last time I ended up with tonsillitis. We know it is allergies because Claritin helps keep the congestion away. I’ve had swollen glands most of the fall & winter this year and my doctor suspected it is also due to allergies. Now that we have tested me and found out what my allergies are, they will mix up a special serum just for me and I will go in once a week for injections. (I think it is once a week - maybe once every two weeks?) This will help me build up immunities to my allergies - hopefully preventing the sinus infections and tonsillitis of my past.

My family doctor just gave me Claritin constantly to fight my allergies, without ever testing to see what they were. I went to an Ear, Nose & Throat specialist for my tonsillitis though, and he is the one that recommended it (I’ve always wondered why no one did it in the past). Now that we know what we’re fighting, we can fight it better.

On a positive note, I called my doctor’s office this afternoon and she had me come in so they could check my itchy arms. They hooked me up with some special prescription ointment that made the itch go away. For now.

Last Friday, I was given the opportunity to experience the fun joy that is allergy testing. I was tested for grass, mold, trees, cats, dogs, cockroaches and dust mites. I didn’t react to the grass testing - so I’m not allergic to grass. I am allergic to everything else, with allergies that are strongest to trees and molds. Especially Elm and one of the Maple trees. I was stuck with serum a total of 39 times on my left arm and 28 times on my right, for a grand total of 67 pin pricks of serum.

Days later, my left arm still itches. Bad. I want to scratch it all the time. At work yesterday, it took all the energy I had to think about something other than scratching it - even while I was knee deep in a project that took a lot of focus, I still wanted to stop and scratch my arm. I’m using Benadryl ointment constantly and taking Allegra, and it still itches.

The creepy part? The one that is still red and inflammed is the cockroach test! Ewww! Seems that they shed their exoskeleton and people are allergic to it. Good thing my apartment is roach free!

Now if only I would stop itching.

Want to know yet another reason why I absolutely love my Tivo and I am a die-hard Tivotte? Because you can use it to pause the State of the Union address and yell at Bush about what an idiot he is and how the last thing he said was just incredibly stupid. Of course, it will be trumped by the next stupid thing that he says. As an added benefit, you can rewind it to replay the priceless looks people in the audience get as he talks. I thought poor Ted Kennedy was going to hurt himself, shaking his head so much.

I’m not up to writing actual commentary on what he said. If I tried, I might end up with a spork. Erika & Jay have summed it up so nicely, I’ll just point to them.

We’re hunting wabbits … we’re hunting wabbits!

Did you know that Leanord Nimoy sang a catchy little tune about Bilbo Baggins, the greatest hobbit ever known? Yeah, I had no clue about that either. I’m can’t stop giggling. Oh my. [via Elaine]