What does one wear to a wedding in the middle of nowhere, Iowa?
the kid in me
Can you guess to which movie this New York Times review is referring?
“A nearly flawless piece of popular art, as well as one of the most persuasive portraits of an artist ever committed to film. It provides the kind of deep, transporting pleasure, at once simple and sophisticated, that movies at their best have always promised.”
How surprised are you to learn it’s about Ratatouille, the Disney/Pixar film about a rat who wants to be a chef? J and I were planning on going to the movies last night, and we wanted to see something fun and lighthearted because I was feeling a bit blue. Homesickness + Overwhelm-ness. We were going to go to the cheap, second-run theater to see Blades of Glory when we came across positive review after positive review of Ratatouille. So off we went.
Here’s my review: It was wonderful! The story was so original, it was funny without relying on toilet humor or pop culture references, and the visuals were spectacular. It captured my attention for the entire 110 minutes, and I didn’t look at my watch once (a sign of a great movie in my book). Go see it.
We left the apartment early so we could stop at the nearby B&N to pre-order not one, but two copies of Harry Potter #7. Yes, two copies. How could one of us read it while the other sat and waited for their turn? When we got to the theater we also pre-ordered movie tickets to the first showing of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix at 12:01 AM on Wednesday, July 11. I have a week and a half to re-read Harry Potter #5 before the movie, and two+ weeks to re-read Harry Potter #6 so that I’m caught up before the final book. I’m such a nerd.
back in the 402
It’s happening again. I have no idea what day of the week it is. Did I fly back from NJ yesterday or the day before? Two days ago, I think. Yes, Wednesday.
My trip home was a smashing success. The families met, ate, and got to know each other. Best of all, they like one another! J and I toured several possible wedding venues, and we chose one! And I spent Tuesday searching for a wedding dress, and I found one! Exciting!
It was hard to say goodbye to my family again. Being back with them, it felt like I had never left. Coming back to Omaha, I had another bout of homesickness.
The first thing I did when I returned to NE on Wednesday was stop at Verizon for a replacement cell phone. The backlight on mine decided to stop working that morning, and since I purchased an extended warranty with my plan, I could get a new phone gratis. However, they no longer carry the phone I got back in Nov ’05, so they upgraded me to a Razr. The Razr’s nice, but it doesn’t compare to the iPhone, out today. Actually, my dad got a new Blackberry and gave me the Treo he had been using, so once I figure out how to use it (he didn’t give me the instruction manual or computer software), I’ll upgrade from the Razr to the Treo.
J’s at work until 4 PM, so I’m hanging out at the apartment, watching TV, and browsing for jobs online. I really need a job — not only for the money, but as a reason to get out of the house. Sure, I could leave now, but where would I go? To the mall? I have no money!
meet the parents
What a whirlwind of a weekend. You should be relieved to know that J and I made it to the airport on time, but by the time we got through security (who knew there would be such a line at 5:30 AM?), our plane had already started to board. So we hopped on, and away we went.
Friday: Wedding venue search, day 1. Out of the three places we visited, two had potential — and they couldn’t be more different. One was a hotel. The other…let’s just say it was a unique location. My wedding planner told me I couldn’t tell anyone until we made our decision. Then it was off to dinner at Maggiano’s, where my family met J’s family for the first time. Ordering “family style” at Maggiano’s could be a great way to break the ice when eating amongst strangers, but for some reason we didn’t do it that way. Still, it was a delicious dinner. I highly recommend the lobster ravioli.
Saturday: Wedding venue search, day 2. Out of the three places today, we only liked one. We were much faster today and even had time to stop at Nordstrom so I could buy shoes for Sunday’s fete before heading back to my house for an informal “meet the in-laws” BBQ. This time we were able to play musical chairs more easily and make sure that everyone had a chance to converse with each other. It was such a beautiful evening, and, thanks to the handy Williams Sonoma grill thermometer my dad received for Father’s Day, the food was delish.
Sunday: Engagement party! 53 of our nearest and dearest (and local) stopped by the house for a luncheon. A cousin of my father’s catered the event, and we had enough food to feed three times as many guests. The weather could not have been any more gorgeous, and had my mother not spilled Dr. Brown’s Diet Black Cherry soda all over the back of my dress*, I’d say the party went on without a hitch.
Monday: Parted ways with J on NJ Transit — he got off at Newark Airport and I continued into the city to run a few quick errands. I was in and out of the city in no time and then ran a few more errands with my mom when I got back home before having dinner (leftovers!) with family friends at the house.
Tomorrow: Wedding dress search, day 1!
*J and I were able to get most of the soda out of the dress before the majority of the guests arrived. A trip to the dry cleaners should make the rest of it all better.
clockwatching
J is in the shower, and we’re meant to be leaving the apartment in 20 minutes to head to the airport. We have a 6:15 AM flight back to NJ. He swears that if we leave by 5 AM we’ll arrive at in the airport in plenty of time. I made him promise we could leave at 4:55 AM. His last apartment was literally 4 minutes away from the airport, but we’re further west now, and I don’t want to risk missing the flight. We have a huge weekend ahead of us — three days of my parents meeting his parents (and grandparents), two days of appointments with potential wedding venues, one day of dress shopping. If something gets screwed up, taking a later flight would put a huge kink in our entire schedule. We have to take a taxi from Newark Airport to our first appointment; that’s how tightly our schedule is packed.
My leg is shaking.
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