Monday, June 28, 2004

 
Bryan & I saw Fahrenheit 9/11 on Friday night. I bought our tickets on Wednesday and I'm glad I did. The theatre was packed for the 8:10pm showing at Renaissance Place in Highland Park. We got there an hour early and about 5 minutes after we got there people started lining up. By the time they let us into the theatre the line was down the stairs (the theatre is on the second floor). It was so crazy. When the show before us let out it seemed like there were endless people coming out of the theatre. I wanted to ask them what they thought, but I didn't want it to bias my personal feelings about the movie. The women behind us mentioned to each other that they wanted to ask too. No one came out of the theatre looking happy and most looked quite somber. After having seen the film myself, I understand their somber looks. It was an amazing film! We all laughed together, gasped together and I along with a few other people in the audience cried (I could hear other people sniffling). I didn't like George W. Bush before this film and now I literally can't stand him. I hope this film changes the election because we have to get W. out of the White House. If we don't, it could be a very, very dark and dangerous four years!

Saturday was Bryan's birthday. We had kind of celebrated on Friday by going out to dinner and going to see Fahrenheit 9/11. So Saturday was a very leisurely day. We bought new lawn chairs and I sat outside for a few hours reading. We had thought about going to the Field Museum downtown, but then we found out that the Taste of Chicago was this weekend and that postponed those plans. There were also the Sox/Cubs games this weekend and the Gay Pride Parade on Sunday, so we figured it was a good weekend to stay home.

Sunday was another leisurely day. Heck, most of the weekend was, which was SO nice. We did go to services at the Unitarian Church. We got to talking to a couple about Fahrenheit 9/11 and Bush after services. It was quite an entertaining conversation. One thing that I really like about the Unitarian Church is that there are so many like-minded people there. I've noticed that it's a generally liberal church, not just in religious beliefs, attitudes towards gays and lesbians, but politically too. I guess they really truly go hand-in-hand. Yesterday, a guy spoke about his experience as a gay Baptist preacher's son and about his organization, HeartStrong. It's an organization that helps gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered kids who "trapped" in religious schools. It was a fascinating lecture and discussion yesterday. I can't imagine growing up and feeling so out of place and trapped within my family and school.

Well, it's back to work today. At least, it's a semi-short week. Bryan and I leave on Friday for Kansas. It's going to be an action-packed weekend of assembling wedding invitations! I can't wait!

Wedding countdown: 82 days!
posted by erica Monday, June 28, 2004 []

  Thursday, June 24, 2004

 
I'm having one of those days! I want to be home reading all day. I went home for lunch and started reading Living History by Hillary Clinton and got sucked in once again. It's a really fascinating read and one of those books that you could just read and read and lose track of time. I have to watch the clock very closely when I go home for lunch or I'll just read all afternoon without realizing what time it is. It doesn't help that it's raining out today and it's a bit chilly. A perfect day to stay home, curl up on the couch and read!

I just realized that I forgot to mention what we did last Friday night. We went to see The Innocence Mission at Schuba's in the city. It took us two hours to get to the club where they were playing. Friday afternoon rush hour traffic was horrendous! The show was really good. Mila Drumke opened. She has a song called "Motorboat" that has Karen Peris (the lead singer for the Innocence Mission) on it, so it was cool to see the two of them on stage. It's a really nice song. I think I might have to hear more of Mila Drumke before I buy one of her albums though. Sometimes you can really tell if you like a band or a singer when they open for a band and other times you feel like you just have to hear more of them because you're not really listening very intently as you are waiting for the band you came to see to be on-stage. Did that last sentence make any sense? I apologize if it didn't make any sense. I hope you got my point. :)

The Innocence Mission put on a really good show on Friday. We have most of their cd's and when we found out that they were recording that evening's show, we decided to spend our money on the live cd. It sounds really great and it was fun listening to in the car on the way home. I wish that they would record more concerts because sometimes you really like a concert and you'd love to have a recording of it. I like live cd's but sometimes they don't pull you in as much as if you had actually been there, so if you could buy a cd of the concert you just saw after each concert, I'm sure a lot of people would buy them. I would definitely buy all of the Metric concerts we've been to. I know some people do bootlegs, but to me those just aren't the same because the sound quality is so bad on some of them.

Well, I should go. I need to clean up the kitchen a bit before Bryan gets home.

posted by erica Thursday, June 24, 2004 []

  Tuesday, June 22, 2004

 
I met Bendrix on Saturday at Meredith's apartment. He's a cutey! (see his photo in the June 17 post) Meredith closed the window while we were gone, leaving it open only about 4 inches. When we came home, Bendrix had managed to squeeze himself between the window sill and the bottom of the window and enjoy the fresh air. Typical cat. :)

The wedding dress still fits beautifully. I had a fitting on Saturday for alterations. They need to adjust the bodice and do the bustle in the back. I will have a traditional bustle that attaches at my waist. It will be gorgeous!

Saturday evening, Bryan and I spent some time with his friend, Patricia, she was in town from Seattle. Poor Bryan found his lost way there after a somewhat panicked phone call to me. I feel bad that he can get himself lost so easily. :) Once he found his way and picked up Patricia, he brought her back to our apartment where we talked for a while over glasses of water. Then we went to one of our favorite places, Leona's. About 10pm, we figured we should take her back to the train so she wouldn't be walking to the youth hostel too late at night. So we drove her to the Rosemont blue line station and said our goodbyes.

Sunday, we decided to have a quiet morning on the couch watching George on ABC News This Week. Then I worked on getting our wedding invitations set up on the computer. They look quite nice. Now Mom & I are getting the maps and hotel cards set to go to the printer. I don't think either of us realized how long it would take to get everything laid out properly and get the wording just right.

Sunday afternoon, we took Bryan's dad to see the new Harry Potter movie for Father's Day. It was actually quite good.

This weekend is Bryan's birthday and we're celebrating by going to see Fahrenheit 9/11. That's his choice, so that's what we're doing. We really don't have any other plans for the weekend, which is kind of nice. I was tired after this past weekend. Next week, we travel to Hutchinson to assemble our invitations! :) I can't wait, it will be so fun! Then I have to come back and kick some butt on addressing the invites!

Currently reading: Living History by Hillary Rodham Clinton. I have a hard time putting it down. It's very interesting!

Wedding countdown: 88 days to go!!


posted by erica Tuesday, June 22, 2004 []

  Thursday, June 17, 2004

 
George & Chloe have a new cousin, his name is Bendrix and his happy new mom is my sister Meredith! :)


He's so cute. I will be meeting him on Saturday! :) Congratulations Meredith!
posted by erica Thursday, June 17, 2004 []

  Wednesday, June 16, 2004

 
It's been almost a week since I last wrote. I'm trying to remember what's been going on.

This weekend was a very low-key weekend! We hadn't had a free weekend (both Saturday & Sunday free) for over a month, so it was very nice to be bums! :) Sunday, we attended the picnic after services at the Unitarian Church. We've been attending on a weekly basis and really enjoy it. This past week, they presented parables from different religions. It was really a fun service.

I've done a few cards in the last few weeks. I sent out invitations for a retiring stamp set party that I'm having in July. These won't be in the new catalog. The new Stampin' Up! catalog comes out in mid-July and they discontinue some stamp sets that are in the current catalog to make room for the new sets.

I worked with my mom getting the wedding guest list down to a manageable number that we can actually invite. The wedding is in a small chapel that only holds 90 people, not including the wedding party. I didn't realize that it would be so hard to pare down the guest list because I didn't think it would start out so large! We ordering the invitations this week! Woohoo! Things are really picking up as far as wedding planning goes. I have a calendar of what needs to get done each week. It gets crazier as the summer goes on.

It's so crazy there are only 94 more days till the wedding!

Happy early Father's Day to all of the dads out there! :)
posted by erica Wednesday, June 16, 2004 []

  Wednesday, June 09, 2004

 
I haven't written for a while. I will warn you, I have a bit of Reagan ranting going on here. I don't mean to offend anyone, but they are my personal opinions.

I just have to comment on a few things here.

First, Republicans want to change the dime and put Reagan on it. They also want to change the $10 or $20 bill. Oh and the best is renaming the Pentagon to the "Ronald Reagan National Defense Building." Heck, why don't we just rename the country, the United States of Reagan. Or require that every new federal building have the name Reagan in it. Come on, let's stop being ridiculous here.

Here's another blog with some great comments! The promoter of small government has a big taxpayer funded funeral. Does that seem a bit strange to you?

Bush is definitely going to try to use Reagan's legacy (or whatever you want to call it) as a reason that he should be re-elected president. Like was said in the blog, Republicans criticized Paul Wellstone's memorial service and you know that they are completely offended when anyone eludes to the fact that they may be politicizing Reagan's death.

I personally am very tired of hearing about what a great president Reagan was. Interesting how quickly we forget. The current president and the press can certainly influence people's feelings. The idea that Reagan was a better president than FDR is flat WRONG! I couldn't disagree more with the people that say that.

I was in my formative years (or should I say I was in grade school and junior high) during the Reagan Administration. I remember being very scared that Reagan was going to push the button and blow up the whole world because he wanted to blow up the Soviet Union. I don't remember having a lot of faith in Reagan when he was in office and I haven't changed my mind about him since he's left office. Yes, it's sad to hear about someone wasting away with Alzheimer's. It's a horrible disease. And I'm very glad to hear that Nancy Reagan has come out in favor of stem-cell research. I will pay my respects in a more polite way but I'm not going to gush about him being responsible for communism falling. He was not responsible, yes, he said a few things that didn't make the USSR happy, but he alone is not responsible. Give me a break.

So as we near the time of Reagan's funeral. I think it would be beneficial if everyone stopped to think about how he may not have been as great as the press is saying he was.

Oh, I also find it odd that Reagan never went to Europe or Asia during World War II, but he supposedly gave this great speech at the 40th anniversary of D-Day. How interesting that our current president gave a speech on the 60th anniversary, supported the Vietnam War and managed to do everything to keep from serving during that war and is trying to compare his war on terrorism to WWII. Give me a break - Bush is certainly not a president to be proud of! I wonder how many soldiers that were there for the D-Day anniversary were insulted by Bush speaking. I know he's the president, well at least the appointed one, but what he's done for this country is not in any way honorable, especially compared to the men who fought in WWII and the men and women who are dying in Iraq.

I'm really rambling and feeling like I'm not making any sense.
So anyway have a good Wednesday, or what's left of it.

posted by erica Wednesday, June 09, 2004 []

  Wednesday, June 02, 2004

 
Well, we had an exciting weekend. Friday, I came to work and we owned a Ford Focus and by Saturday 1pm, we owned a 2004 Honda Civic. Bryan's car had major transmission problems that were going to cost about 1/2 of what the car was worth. So we did some quick number crunching on Friday and decided it was time for a new car. Friday afternoon, Bryan test drove two Honda Civics and really loved the 2004 Civic. That night we did more research to figure out if we could afford the 2004 and we figured with some good negotiating, we definitely could afford it. Saturday morning, we went to the dealer to buy our new car and we did end up doing a lot of negotiating to get a price we liked. We were very proud of ourselves. Bryan was a bit stressed by the whole situation - car problems to buying a new car, but I looked at it as something really fun, so I think we really balanced each other well. I kept his spirits up and he kept me level-headed. He really loves his new car. He does look very cute in it, I might add! :)
Here's a photo of what Bryan's car looks like.




This weekend we did a lot of stuff that needed to get done around the house. I started to move my winter clothes out of the closet and dresser into the office closet. I know it's wishful thinking but it is June. It's only 60 degrees today, so I really can't win. :) We also cleaned out our storage closet - we mostly got rid of moving boxes that were just taking up space.

I hope everyone had a great holiday weekend and if you had Monday off, I hope you enjoyed your day off!
That's about it for now. Happy Wednesday.
posted by erica Wednesday, June 02, 2004 []