Comments from Rob...

Some updated notes from Rob... his perspective, if you will, on the events of the week.

"Yesterday marked one year since my family lost my grandmother. Life has been a rollercoaster ride of ups and downs this past year. In the last twelve months I've felt loss and I've felt tremendous love. I lost my grandmother but alot cleared up in my head. Which if you read my other posts, you know gets filled up with alot. This clarity came when I finally woke up and saw Andrea in a new light. She was there when my grandmother was sick and then again when I lost her. She even read a eulogy at my grandmother's wake. Even though I feel a little blue about yesterday's unfortunate anniversary, my spirits are still high. My grandmother was everything to me and she will always be missed but in that moment of darkness, when I thought nothing could go right. Andrea was there, she was the light in darkness. Everyday that goes by I know one thing. Nana is watching, nana is pleased and nana would welcome Andrea into her family without question, hesitation or second thought. I guess that was more than one thing. I told you my head gets filled with alot of stuff. I know you must think me a boob. Now let's talk about
ESTROGEN intoxication...This past weekend me and bride to be went to a bridal expo. Let me preface this by saying I love Andrea, tons, no doubt about. I don't even mind going to these events with her. BUT Oh my god. There was enough concentrated estrogen in this room to cure a woman who is going through the change of her hot flashes 100 times over. I was at least willing to have fun with it, but some of the looks on the other groom to be's faces were uterly like a child who was told he had to clean his room. There were guys covering their faces, looking and tapping at their watches, and tapping their feet. It was worth it because my groomsman will get discounts off their tuxes because we went. Andrea competed in this money booth, where the money was thrown around by air and you had to catch as much as you could in 15 seconds. I let Andrea do this because she had previous experience in this and she was a pro. She nabbed $160.00 off the price of our tuxes. With all the activity in that booth I don't think I would've done as well. I more than likely would've fallen and broken the booth. We sat through the whole bridal/groom fashion show waiting for us to win prizes. But alas, no prizes. So as a consolation Andrea took me to see Dwayne "the Rock" Johnson in Doom. I loved that movie. Any movie that features lots of explosions, blood, guts and really bad action movie one-liners, is a movie I'm going to love.

Great Bridal Expo...

Well we did it. And won nothing. But we did have fun. Lots of pamphlets, free little stuff like magnets and such. I did take home some flowers. There was no food, much to the groom's disappointment. There was one of those enclosed cash machines where the money flies around you and you grab as much as you can in 15 seconds.... so I got $160 off tuxes at After Hours. We figured we would share the wealth with all the groomsmen As it was raining, we didn't get to the car cleaning. But after all that enclosed estrogen at the Westin Copley, I did treat Rob to a fried dough and seeing "Doom" at the theater. :)

October 22

Went earlier this week to look at wedding rings for me. As if I need more diamonds... HA! Of course! Seriously I did find that my ring was called a Chevron cut ring - and we are trying two possibilities - notching out a plain gold band - or possibly shaping a sideways S shaped ring.





Great Bridal Expo tomorrow. Groom accompanying me, as the MOH had a last minute emergency. I bribed him to go by saying:
A. I would help clean the car
B. Buy him breakfast
C. told him they would probably serve yummy food
D. Promise we didn't have to stay the whole time
E. Told him if we both register for free stuff we double our chances of winning.
F. All of the above.

I love him.

A great quote from my grandfather

So we go to visit Bumpa and my Uncle Brad in the nursing home last night and we are discussing where we are going on our honeymoon, and I reply probably the Carribbean, we're not sure yet and then I said I would love to go to Paris, but I don't think Rob would like it. My uncle, who was in Paris during the war, says how much he loved Paris. My grandfather pops up and says "There's a lot of whores in Paris." Best. Line. Ever.

More notes from G2B

Rob has his very own blog, and as you've seen before he often tells "his side" of the story. I think you'll agree after reading below that marrying him is, in the words of Martha Stewart, "a good thing."
The week has gone by pretty uneventful. I've been reminded several times that this month marks the 7 month count down to wedding bliss. I still don't think my friends believe it. I'm not even sure I do. If you told me 6 or 7 years ago that I was going to marry the girl I met at Cross Country Motor Club, I would've probably laughed. Not saying that six or seven years ago that I wasn't into Andrea. It's just that it was a way different time for both of us. I find that every day stranger things do happen in this world, and who knew back then I met my future. I hate to sound stereotypical by quoting a song but it did start out with only one word, "hello," (of course the song in question is "you had me at hello"). It's funny how things work. I've asked three women....Scratch that, two girls and one woman to marry me in my life and it is now going to happen. I have a list of emotions as we get closer, most of utter excitement, happiness and glee. I do admit to being fearful, not of the marriage, but of the shear fact that I can't do the things I want to, I can't provide for her like I want to. I hope I don't let her down, and that's my biggest fear. I promise one thing, I will not let fear ruin a good thing. It took me a while to come to this life altering decision and it's something that is so right, so magical, so unbelievable that I could never think of it as a wrong decision. This is one thing I have done right in my life. Andrea is the one person, other than my family, that I can count on. I hope she knows she can count on me, (uh yeah like she isn't going to read this.) She'll be fine as long as she remembers three words "love, honor and obey." Just kidding.

And the train keeps rollin....

Right along! 7 months and 29 days! Wow! MOG's dress has been purchased, as has JB's dress. Centerpiece components have arrived, along with other assorted wedding items. Beginning to feel like I have not seen my floor in some time. Storage is happening all over; MOB's house, MOG's house as well.
Went to a Mardi Gras night - that was really fun. Pictures to be uploaded shortly. Next on the agenda is the Bridal Expo on 10/23, and meeting the DJ on 10/29 with MOB.
(See prior post for all these abbreviations.)

Nana notes and church chat

Rob's notes...
Nana would love the fact that in 8 short months I will be getting married to Andrea. Nana loved her and for the short time Andrea knew Nana, she loved nana too. Today we met with Reverend Peggy, she is probably the most human of any person of the cloth I've ever met. I enjoyed our conversation immensely. She told me and bride to be what to expect and gave us some wonderful ideas for the ceremony. Rev Peggy is truly a marvelous person, I'm really glad she will be presiding over Andrea's and my special day. She even gave us a prayer book. She also gave me materials on what it is to be episcopalian. You see I am proud to announce that I will be baptized in Andrea's religion and into her church. For along time now I've been against any religion but I see now that I was a little wrong. I will always be somewhat skeptical about most religions. I guess most are good but if Andrea was a Catholic, we'd be getting married by a justice of the peace because that is one religion I will never believe is out for the good of their parishoners.
Anyways back to Rev Peggy. She was absolutely adorable. She served us muffins and offered us tea. Andrea respectfully declined. I already had my usual nectar, dunkin donuts iced coffee, but I did partake in the muffins. The poor thing, she (Rev Peggy) hurt her knee playing softball, so she limped around. She asked Andrea and I how we met. I let Andrea tell the story because I generally stutter under situations like this. The she gave us an assignment. I thought great, in high school you couldn't count on me to finish one assignment. But this was an easy assignment, write a love letter to Andrea... BUT make it like it was 25 years from now. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH Damn, that makes it alot harder but I think I will manage.All in all it was a mixed emotion day. I will obviously never forget my grandmother. She touched my life, filled it with love and spoiled me rotten. Afterall, I was her first born grandchild. I love you nana, hope you're enjoying the planning of the wedding.

And onward we go!

8 months and six days. This weekend, we got Jessica's dress! Oh my god, she looks so amazing. After trying on at least 10.... (5 more than I even tried on...LOL!) we settled on a gorgeous periwinkle floor length dress with a halter style top. She is just such a beautiful young lady. So that's two dresses down, two to go. My MB and my MOH. There's still plenty of time, no worries.
Today we had our first meeting with Rev. Peggy at St. Anne's. Of course, like a goof, I started crying when I walked up the aisle and Rob put out his hand to me from the altar. Happy tears, of course. Our homework for our next meeting is that we have to write a love letter to eachother.... but it has to be written as if it's 25 years from now. What has happened in our lives, where we are living, what we are doing, and what we are to one another.
We also met with (and signed a contract for) the photographer, Jeff Corrazzini. Awesome guy, and he will be a wonderful energizing force at the wedding.
Components for favors are due to arrive this week for their creation and adornment... 1/2 of them are finished already as each table will feature two different kinds at each place setting.
:)