Off & Running!

Yippity skippity...I foud a team mate yesterday! I know I'm supposed to be blogging about all things wedding but I promise that this ties in...

To aid in my search in finding an honored teammate for my marathon, I decided to email our district PR contact, Dianne, in hopes that she could put me in touch with someone. I explained that I was running (ok...jogging/walking) in a marathon for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team in Training & that, though we have a designated team mate, I would love to pledge my run toward someone close to me. I have blessed to not have anyone in my circle of family & friends touched by blood cancer. Now that I've become involved in the cause, I realize how truly fortunate we are to remain untouched by such an awful epidemic. So I asked Dianne to connect me with a child or employee in the district that I could run for.

Asking for a partner wasn't a totally selfless gesture, it's hard to do this alone & I figured that we could inspire each other. It will be inspiring to know that someone will kill themselves 26.2 miles for you, and it's encouraging to know that you can't quit because someone who's fought way tougher battles is counting on you to finish. Imagine my surprise when she called me back 5 seconds after I clicked 'send' and said that she was a lymphoma survivor, and asked if I would want her as a team mate. I'm telling you, God is truly amazing.

Dianne & I spent time talking & it's like she was one of my oldest friends. We have so much in common and...*drum roll to the best part*...she's getting married too! Woo-hoo! i told you I'd tie it in. So Dianne & Chuck are planning a totally selfless wedding in which all of their guests will fund raise & walk for the 'Light the Night' campaign the night following the ceremony. I love it! Why didn't we think of anything so wonderful & humanitarian? Probably because we'll really need all of those towels and place settings, but I really admire the choice to celebrate a higher cause. I'm kind of irked at all of the pressure to go green because it just seems false. The only way to have a really green wedding is to not invite anyone so that they save gas, not take gifts so that they don't have to be wrapped, and wear a paper bag. Other than that, it's a false concept & one that is highly overpriced. Not that I'm against saving the earth but, let's face it people, we only do a small portion of what needs to be done. Consistently doing a small part is better than a trendy, fake wedding effort and that's it. *stepping down off the soapbox*

How did I start on that? Oh yeah, talking about Dianne & Chuck's Brangelina-like nuptials. I just think it's so sweet. And they have such a great story- no I won't post it here because I've already told a lot of their business anyway. I'm really looking forward to getting to know Dianne & I can already tell we'll be more than team mates, but friends. Don't tell the others but I think we'll be the hottest team out there for sure.

Barack the Vote!

*DISCLAIMER: No, I don't really think Hillary is a ho, but that picture was just way too funy to pass up. I was seriously laughing out loud. I have a weird sense of humor like that.*

Woo-hoo! We now have our nation's first black Democratic nominee for President. Am I the only one that was glowing with pride at work this morning? I don't have a cool Obama '08 tee to wear so I chose to sport black instead. No one else may get it but I felt symbolic. I never thought I could see something like this in my lifetime. I was only hoping that my kids would be lucky enough to experience it (at least I had half a hope with Jesse Jackson in '88) but to actually have it happen and be able to share the significance with them is phenomenal. Of course, at their age, they really don't care. They don't see the big deal in skin color (for discriminatory purposes) so Obama's feat is lost on them, but I will still make them celebrate nonetheless. I'm just that kind of mom.

This is such an amazing day for black people. I wouldn't say it's an outstanding day for America necessarily because, somewhere, there are redneck klansmen getting drunk & pulling on hoods for the long haul. No doubt a lot of closet racists will have to take out their anger on someone today. A few more black people will get pulled over or hassled by the cops, the gas station attendant may be a little more snippy, and white co-workers may whisper at the coffee machine but that's the price of progress and it's well worth it! Of course, I say that because I am not personally the subject of racial oppression at the present moment but, should the course of my day change, I guess I would be ok taking a traffic ticket because we could possibly have a black president soon. I would still be smiling (which might make the officer even madder) and even ask him if he was following the election. I can be a jerk to traffic cops sometimes.

But in the grand scheme of things, I am super excited. I know I'm supposed to be keeping everyone up to date on the wedding planning, but I feel I may as well offer up a fair warning that an Obama '08 sticker may be mixed in with your favors at the end of the night. I hope every person attending my wedding is a registered, voting, voter (because there is a difference!). Is that too much to hope for?

*singing* Say it loud...he's Barack & I'm proud...

My Soapbox Moment

Can I just take a moment to rant about how absolutely ridiculous it is to insist that this is my wedding...but that I'm going about it all wrong & ruining my family's lives in the process? I love my family, I do (we've been through this) but I am so sick of being made to feel guilty for everything. I have been relatively accommodating throughout this process- there have only been a few major factors that I would not budge on:

1. I wanted a great photographer and we were lucky enough to find them.
2. I want a great DJ and we're working on that.
3. I want an adult only reception because we can't possibly afford to feed everyone and their kids.
4. I do not want anyone there that can not share our joy in our marriage including exes, back-stabbing friends and- if need be- family members.

I do not feel bound to invite anyone. We are scraping together a miracle to fund our dream wedding and I want the day to be every bit as wonderful as I imagine. I won't compromise my own happiness or sanity because someone who can't stand me should be invited. Going back to my two year old days, it's just not fair. I consider myself a pretty easy going person, I choose my battles, but I won't feel guilty for setting aside one day to indulge in my own happiness. I just want to have a great day. I don't want to stress that there's someone who can't even stand me floating amidst my reception. I don't' want to think that there's anyone in the room that doesn't fully support my union with my husband and yet, if I cave in to the pressure I'm feeling, that will be exactly the scenario. I hate to sound so forceful on the subject, and AJ has been such a good sport about listening to me rant & rave on this topic many times, but I have been engaged for 6 months. If anyone hasn't found it in their heart to talk to me about it by now (or talk to me at all for that matter), we probably don't need to celebrate my wedding together- family or not.