love is blonde

It’s 4:11 AM. My alarm is going off in 49 minutes. (I never went to sleep.) My plane leaves at 8:25 AM.

We’ve packed four suitcases and four carryons. Two of our suitcases weigh 49.5 pounds, half a pound shy of the limit. The wedding gown goes with me onto the plane, which is sure to cause lots of ruckus.

I’m pretty dang proud of myself because other than one box that my mom brought with her, those four suitcases and four carryons contain everything I need for the entire wedding and honeymoon, all decorations included. I didn’t ship a single thing and the only thing I plan to buy down there is flowers. Even then, my flower budget is $250. That is how ridiculously simple this wedding is going to be. I love it.

Andrew and I had a really fun night tonight. First, we had to make an emergency run to Target, which is fine if you live in the ‘burbs but for us city folk this is a 10 mile rush hour drive through downtown. By the time we got there we had worked up quite an appetite.

So wouldn’t it make sense to go eat Mexican food? Yes indeed, we ate at Northern Virginia’s finest: Don Pablo’s Mexican Cuisine.

Mental Note: When you are about to go to Mexico for nine days, do not eat Mexican food the night before you leave. Stupid. But fun!

When we got home we had to burn a bunch of CDs for the DJ to play at the reception. I had some doubts about Andrew’s choice in dance music when I saw that Peter Gabriel’s Sledgehammer made the list. So I made him come into the living room and dance to it on the spot, proving that it is indeed a terrible song to dance to. I love the man dearly but his dancing skills are not the reason I’m marrying him, if ya know what I mean.

I guess I’m rambling now because I have to say goodbye to my little blog and my friendly readers for the next week or so. Thanks for all your love and support in the comments and emails. I promise to post lots of photos and stories when I return to the land of the internets.

And since I couldn’t invite you all to actually fly down to Baja with us, I will leave you with the vows Andrew and I will recite right around 4:30 PM (Mountain Time!) Saturday. Just mix yourself up a margarita, turn your tv to a static channel (sounds like ocean waves?), close your eyes tight and picture yourself right there with us with your feet in the sand.

I, Andrew, do take you, Janet,

To be the wife of my days

the companion of my house

The friend of my life

and the mother of our children

We shall bear together

whatever trouble and sorrow

life may lay upon us

And we shall share together

whatever good and joyful things

life may bring us

With these words

and all the words of my heart

I marry you

and bind my life to yours.

(repeat, with tears)

When Andrew and I planned our wedding for five days post-election day, I’m not really sure what we were thinking. You see, Andrew works in national electoral politics. There’s a distinct chance that, depending on the outcome tomorrow, our wedding will rank only second on the scale of amazing and successful events this month.

I’m thankful that he was never shipped out to North Dakota, Tennessee, or any other location beyond Arlington, Virginia to work directly for candidates, as was threatened more than once. It’s been nice having him here to finish up the wedding details.

But tomorrow, we start moving in fast forward mode, and I have a feeling it’s all going to start flying by. No doubt we’ll be up late watching the election returns come in (hopefully at this party). Then we’ve got to pack, finish writing our ceremony, take care of 14 bazillion tiny details, and catch an 8 AM Thursday morning international flight. Once we touch down in Mexico, we’ve got 48 hours to host three events. I’m afraid I’ll blink and it will already be over.

I’ve tried my hardest to avoid unnecessary stress. I’m so glad I took this week off of work. I didn’t even leave my house or my pajamas today. Tomorrow I’m treating myself to a spa day. I’ve made enough lists and spreadsheets to make Martha Stewart’s personal assistant proud (god bless that poor woman, whoever she is).

But some things I just can’t suppress. I called my mom at least ten times today, just to ask stupid questions and go over things we’ve already gone over. Last night, I went from being giddy and playful to crying in ten short minutes, for absolutely no damn reason. The Crazee is lurking around the corner.

Or maybe it’s just the overexcited, anxious bride who has been planning this day for her whole life, or at least one full year now. Either way, it’s a long time coming and tomorrow I think it’s really going to start happening. Fast.

Wish me luck squeezing in one last night of peaceful slumber.

Oh, and go vote!

I’m excited for a lot of different things about my wedding. My plan to O.D. on chips and salsa and margaritas. That I get to see so many friends and family members all in the same (gorgeous) place at the same time. Excited to laugh and dance and surf and marry the man I love. And I’m really damn excited to be able to finally wear my wedding band.

Do you know how hard it is to have diamonds sitting on your kitchen table NOT being worn? Just sitting there sparkling and shining begging to spend a few moments on your hand?

So hard that one day a few weekends ago I caved in and let those little diamonds get their way. I wore them on a trip to Costco.

I figured that Costco was the perfect place for my premarital indiscretion. It’s full of zillions upon zillions of bright overhead lights that make my rings “shine like the top of the Chrysler building.” Plus, I was pretty much guaranteed to pass through the aisles anonymously. That guy I passed in the Giant Bags of Frozen Meat Aisle? He had no idea I wasn’t really married.

Every few days I try it on again, but just for a moment, because I want it to feel really special when Andrew puts it on my finger and I never have to take it off again.

I think it’s a seriously good thing I am not really a newlywed right now, because a girl should not have to spend her second day of marriage:

• At work
• Getting drunk over a bottle of wine at dinner with an old friend while discussing religion and relationships
• Watching The Biggest Loser on TiVo at her friends’ house, where she had to go on the way home because she broke the seal and really, really had to pee
• Home alone because her boyfriend/husband/fiance/whatever-he-is went out of town for the night

Yes, it’s a good thing I didn’t really get married yesterday, because this would truly be one crappy honeymoon. It sure was a fun night out with friends though! Now if I can just get myself to get out of bed in the morning and go running, as I do still have to fit into that wedding dress in two weeks…

Thanks to all for your sweet comments from yesterday. I do love all you crazy internet gals so much! Wine = much love tonight! Smootches!

I’m about to leave work early for my afternoon “doctor’s appointment” aka my special bridal facial with Olga the Esthetician. I can’t wait for clear, glowing skin.

Tomorrow I pick up my altered wedding dress and our wedding rings.

The countdown is now at 10 days left of work, and 22 days until “I Do”…

Happy weekend, everyone!!