Diversions

Three days left! The suspense is killing me.

In the meantime, we've found a few distractions to help the time go by faster. Last night was Olivia's employee party at work, and she brought me along for companionship. Being a movie theater, the featured entertainment was an early showing of Avatar. Despite my initial misgivings, it was actually quite good, and I wouldn't mind seeing it again. It doesn't have to be especially pagan and anti-American unless you want to watch it that way. It basically took the Pocahontas story to an epic level.

I've also discovered eBay, which has been consuming the greater part of the rest of my time. I have a $5 limit for my recreational spending, but I'm hot on the trail of several fascinating artifacts. My very first conquest, yesterday, was a bran new 10" blue vase with gold fleur de lis for the kitchen; $3.30, free shipping. ;)

Point C

We left Point B last Thursday for Point C, but returned without incident yesterday evening. We met lots of family and had a great time. It's been a little crazy ever since, but I'm hopeful that we can wrest some sort of order from the chaos very soon now that all the major traveling is over with.

Point B

I have left Point A and successfully arrived at Point B yesterday after ten hours on the road. It was very boring, actually, and thankfully uneventful. Now we're assiduously preparing for Christmas, at least a couple homecomings, and the wedding.

David still has two weeks of class left, and I'm sure he could use a few extra prayers to get through his tests. Apparently Sarah could use some as well. It's a rough life out there, and I'm glad I'll only have to manage the domestic side of it.

Black Friday

I am pleased to report that I have survived Black Friday. I was not trampled by maniacal shoppers in search of widescreen televisions, and I even managed to snag a half-price vacuum for us.

The remainder of the programs have just been printed, mostly to keep up with the growing guest list, but also to dilute the occurrence of the mortifying typo discovered in the first batch. Darn it all.

I have one day of work left, and all I have to pack are my bags for the road trip. Sometimes I doubted we'd ever make it this far. I remember the indefinite period, the possibly-two-years period, a year-and-a-half, a year, six months, and now we're finally down to four weeks. We're tired of living our relationship like a correspondence course. I think I can safely say this is everything I've ever wanted for Christmas.

Stress Ball

It's that awkward time -- too soon to just leave, and too late to finish everything I planned to do beforehand. Essentially, I'm left with a compromise between the two.

As much as I'm ready to get this show on the road, the thought of leaving home in ten days can be just a little terrifying. I've been telling my friends I feel like a heroin addict, locked away in my room amid the chaotic clutter, completely absorbed in last-minute sewing projects with no conception of the passage of time. Fortunately I have the rest of the week to get my act together before my last days at work.

Short Notice

Apparently David won't be able to stay home as long as we thought he would over Christmas. Due to leave restrictions he won't be home until the Monday before Christmas, and has to be gone at a ridiculous hour the morning after the wedding to catch his flight back. Prayers for the timely departure and arrival of that particular flight would be very much appreciated.

As far as "for better, for worse" goes, the worse part of being married will seem like the better compared to all this.

"For the Record"

I just have to say, I love this guy. As far as political commentary goes, this has to be the most entertaining I've seen yet. He knows his stuff, and if you're a fellow "right-wing extremist," you'll love him too.

Down and Out

I'm glad I didn't make any plans to attend homecoming in the first place, since I ended up being sick all weekend. That really came out of the blue; I don't come down like that very often. But the good news is that the cough is essentially all that's left, and I should be up and running again by tomorrow. At times like this it's evident that our family as a whole isn't sick a lot, as I suck on the last few sticky cough drops and throw out night and day syrup that's at least a year out of date.

At three months out, everything seems to be on track. Here's hoping it stays that way.

Targetisms

Scratch that. The Christmas lights won't set next week, because they set YESTERDAY. And today we dragged out lots of glitter and tinsel, bows and bells, the whole nine yards. Apparently a natural consequence of keeping the planogram schedule of the store a week ahead means we're a week early with the early Christmas set. When does this begin to get ridiculous? It isn't even October yet, and Halloween is still out in full force. I remember when the Bearenstein Bears were complaining about Christmas starting the day after Thanksgiving. Now apparently the week after Labor Day is acceptable.

On a slightly related topic, it was while neck deep in these Christmas lights that we discovered the worst example of cookie-cutter English I have ever seen. It was printed on a large carton originally intended to be stored and displayed on the riser shelf, far above anyone's reach, but with a picture on the side to look decorative before it was broken down and added to the shelves from which one could actually shop. In an attempt to convey this concept, the Chinese manufacturers had printed:

"THIS CARTON IS RISERABLE AND NOT SALEABLE"

What a nifty way to try turning nouns into verbs. Shakespeare could get away with making up words, but I don't think these two will make the cut.

While we're discussing the misuse of the English language, no one at Target seems to know what the word "compliance" really means. It's been bothering me for the last twelve months.

COMPLIANCE - noun (1) the action or fact of complying with a wish or command: they must secure each other's cooperation or compliance. - (COMPLIANCE WITH) the state or face of according with or meeting rules or standards: all imports of timber are IN COMPLIANCE WITH regulations.

When Target talks about "compliance" they mean compliance with the regulations regarding lawful breaks and lunches. However, when someone misses his lunch or is late in taking it, he is accused of being "in compliance" and subject to disciplinary action, etc., which grammatically makes no sense. People talk about not wanting "to be in compliance" as though that would be a bad thing, and everyone is encouraged to "stay out of compliance" by taking their breaks on time. I know vocabulary isn't a large part of the public education curriculum, but this use of the word is simply incorrect, and I pray it isn't used this way on a corporate level.

Also, this past week I noticed that some of the promotional signage in the women's apparel read: "MORE COLORS, LESS DOLLARS." I believe "fewer" would have been more correct in that case.

Is it just me, or is this getting a little embarrassing?

No News is Good News

It's been rather slow lately, and there really isn't anything new to report. David is settling in and killing some time before he can really get down to business. It's been great now that he has his phone, internet, AND snail mail, even if they don't let him have Hulu or YouTube. I've been up to my neck in Halloween candy and tacky decorations at work. The life-size skeleton butler with pipes for legs was a bit much. The overall theme this year is the Skelanimals; I liked it better last year when Domo was king. The rumor is that the Christmas lights get set next week, sneaking in on the back wall behind all the other fourth quarter seasonal madness.

The wedding is on track, so far as we know. There still remains some paperwork to clear, but it's being dealt with in due time. Invitations are still en route, leaving the house in waves, about as many as will fit in a ziplock bag I can grab before work in the morning and drop off on the way home. The recommended hotels, driving directions, and all other such useful information included in the invitation (and some that isn't) will also be posted here and linked to the sidebar for future reference. The registry has been edited and streamlined for what must be the tenth time. This imminent cross-country move is already giving me a headache.

Oh, and I bought an iron yesterday. So, just in case anyone was thinking of gifting us one, that's all right; we're covered. :)

A Valediction Forbidding Mourning

by John Donne

As virtuous men pass mildly away,
and whisper to their souls to go,
Whilst some of their sad friends do say,
"Now his breath goes," and some say, "No."

So let us melt, and make no noise,
No tear-floods, nor sigh-tempests move;
'Twere profanation of our joys
To tell the laity our love.

Moving of th' earth brings harms and fears;
Men rekon what it did, and meant;
But trepidation of the shperes,
Though greater far, is innocent.

Dull sublunary lovers' love
-- Whose soul is sense -- cannot admit
Of absence, 'cause it doth remove
The thing which elemented it.

But we by a love so much refined,
That ourselves know not what it is,
Inter-assured of the mind,
Care less, eyes, lips and hands to miss.

Our two souls therefore, which are one,
Though I must go, endure not yet
A breach, but an expansion,
Like gold to aery thinness beat.

If they be two, they are two so
As stiff twin compasses are two;
Thy soul, the fix'd foot, makes no show
To move, but doth, if th' other do.

And though it in the centre sit,
Yet, when the other far doth roam,
It leans, and hearkens after it,
And grows erect, as that comes home.

Such wilt thou be to me, who must,
Like th' other foot, obliquely run;
Thy firmness makes my circle just,
And makes me end where I begun.

A Trinity

by Hilaire Belloc

Of three in One and One in three
My narrow mind would doubting be,
Till Beauty, Grace and Kindness met
And all at once were Juliet.

Grad-N-Go

David just called. His graduation snuck up on me; I thought it was tomorrow, but apparently it's all over and done with already. He was sitting on a plane, on his way to Point B.

For those who would like to know, he is in possession of his cell phone, but he'll probably be rather busy in the next few days as he's processed and wades through copious paperwork. I have no idea when the best time to call him would be, but if I find out I will pass that info along.

On Schedule

Yay! We heard from David today, and apparently he's currently on schedule to graduate next week as planned. Thanks to everyone for all the prayers; they were appreciated on both sides.

Unfortunately, I won't be able to make it up for the ceremony, but his parents probably will. The idea is to return his phone to him as soon as possible, probably shipping it to him as soon as he's settled. Then he can call almost whoever and whenever he wants.

The Dress Mix-Up

Here's the whole comedy of errors which resulted in the bridesmaids wearing the wrong color.

The moral of the story is to never trust online color swatches to be accurate. Because I did all my window shopping online, and because my laptop screen is apparently brighter than most, I was under the impression that "Marine Blue" was actually a kind of cobalt. When we went to get Beverly fitted, there was indeed an example of the dress we wanted in that cobalt blue satin, which we assumed to be "Marine." The tags either did not specify, or did so in very fine print. We had it in our hands when the nice salesperson asked us what we had in mind, and we said we wanted that dress "in this blue." That was all well and good, but they didn't have her size on hand, and she had to try on a green one. Once her size had been determined, we actually ordered the dress in "Marine Blue", and so it was written in the paperwork.

Enough time passed for all four bridesmaids to order their dresses, and for two to actually receive them. I got my first look at what "Marine Blue" really was when Bev brought hers home. Rather than the lovely royal blue around which I had planned my decorations and flowers, what we had was an almost black, military uniform blue. Too late now.

I don't hate it, but it's not what I expected. However, if I had planned on a blue that dark, I would have gone with white accents instead of black. Oh, well. Hopefully it won't look too much like a funeral.

Messages!

Another letter came yesterday. David still seems all right, all things considered. At least, he did a week ago when he wrote it. This kind of arrangement makes one appreciate just how precious each shred of communication can be.

So far there aren't any major adjustments being made to our long-term plans, but as we all know, that could change at a moment's notice. The best things in life certainly don't come easily.

Halfway Through

It's been nearly four weeks, and apparently David is still alive and doing well. He finally got all his mail, and sent some of his own. He also earned several ten-minute phone calls, so his family and I have been enjoying those immensely. The connection wasn't so great, and it sounded like talking to someone two rooms away through a ventilation duct, but it was certainly better than nothing.

I spent a great deal of my day gathering addresses and stuffing invitations. They aren't quite finished yet, but I hope no one objects to receiving them a bit early. I'd rather err on the side of caution, considering how much advance warning one needs to travel, and also the unfortunate proximity of the event to the busy holiday season.

Engagement Pictures

All photos courtesy of Dr. Buckner Melton, Jr. :)

David's Mailing Address

Send him mail; he's probably lonely. White standard-sized envelopes only, please. Nothing bulky. I'm sure any nuggets of encouragement will be very much appreciated.

SR BUSHEY, DAVID E
SHIP 12 DIV 294
RECRUIT TRAINING COMMAND
3515 SAILOR DRIVE
GREAT LAKES, IL 60088-3515

Gone Again

David left for boot camp today. We should have been excited, and we tried our best, but it's hard not to be a little bit miserable. We just had our last phone call for the next two months. As soon as I know where to send it, I intend to inundate him with mail.

We're trying to look on the bright side, considering that we'll be married before we even intended to be engaged by the original plan. Tomorrow I'll have all kinds of useful things to do to keep me from noticing how lonely it is all of a sudden. In the meantime, I continue to wander aimlessly around his house with no idea what to do with myself.

Registry Info

The elusive baptismal certificate did indeed arrive, and all the rest of the paperwork seems to be coming together nicely. It's just turning out to be more expensive than planned. >.<

I was initially opposed to wedding registries by nature because the idea seemed very mercenary. Weddings aren't supposed to be about how much stuff one can accumulate from the guest list. But everyone seems to want me to register somewhere, so as a favor to all our generously inquisitive guests I've made up a gimmie list, David & Stephanie's Wedding 2010. It's still undergoing some construction. Anything and everything will be appreciated.

There may not be any polite way to say it, but by no means feel guilty if you're thinking about just sending a gift card. With the Navy breathing down our necks, we can't help but observe that gift cards are very easily transported to a new household on the other side of the country.

Annoyances

The navy is calling David two weeks earlier than scheduled, which is creating some problems on the ground here, most notably ruining his plans to attend his best friend's wedding at the end of the month. We also had to reschedule his going-away party, which wasn't such a big deal; but I'm glad I came down early or it would have trashed my visit as well.

Then there's the mysterious case of the disappearing baptismal certificate that never seems to make it to Point B once it was put in the mail at Point A. We've tried twice already, and it seems like we'll have to bother them for a third copy.

It seems like we should be able to get so much done in the time we have left, but we end up waiting for paperwork that never gets filled out, contracts that don't get printed, and mail that never comes.

Calling All Bridesmaids

Two dresses (and accessories) have been ordered; two remain unaccounted for. The ones we've already ordered don't come in until August, so I would strongly suggest looking into that soon if you haven't had a chance yet. Don't worry about veils/headpieces. I'll have something for you when you arrive.

It's going to be a busy week. We've scheduled appointments with the priest, the cake people, the florist, and the caterer. Hopefully it won't be such a scramble after that. In this case, I think simple is smarter.

Engaged

Finally we managed to exchange a ring and become officially official on our way to check out one of the restaurants being considered for the rehersal dinner. At least two more to go before the voting begins. There wasn't much suspense, but it's all the same to me. ^_^

It was a crazy day otherwise, rife with less than encouraging news about several of our friends and their situations in life. The prayer army has been mobilized, so there's not much to do but wait and see how they work it out.

The Revolving Plan

Just when we were ready to do the online class, it turns out that somebody cancelled and left us a spot in the live class this Saturday. So, in the interest of getting it done in one day rather than one week, we'll attend that one. Go figure.

The trip was very uneventful, which was good. I saw Target as we flew over on the way out; all my people should have been just coming off their lunch break. It was kind of sad, but liberating at the same time.

Hooray!

Each of my friends seems to have a chance to save the day one way or another.  Sarah has been exemplary in her naval reconnaissance efforts; Meredith and her family have graciously agreed to let me stay with them after the wedding rather than be abandoned indefinitely on the wrong coast; and now Sheila has managed to rescue our Pre-Cana scheduling debacle by pointing out the nifty online class.

The good news is that the priest is willing to accept it and intends to use us as guinea pigs for the rest of the diocese.   That by itself is a huge relief.

Contact Info

I'll be away from home for the next five weeks, but not deprived of the Internet.  If anyone needs to contact me, feel free to use my email or my new cell phone number.  Ordinarily my phone isn't even on since we still live in the dead zone, but next month it should be very useful.

The Official Dress

We tried to choose something conservative that would please all parties involved, and what we ended up with is known as 8567 at David's Bridal. The official color is Marine Blue, which you can find by clicking on the color swatch at the side of the page.

To go with it, Bev picked out a black chiffon shrug, known as 81094, which apparently isn't represented on the website. The shrug isn't set in stone; if you already have a black one, by all means feel free to save some money.

Shoes need not be uniform. Heels, flats, whatever makes you comfortable, so long as they're black. It's supposed to be a floor-length gown, so they shouldn't be very conspicuous anyway.

We're still working the problem of the veils/hats. I'd like not to have to stick each of you with a $60 hat if I don't have to.

If there is a David's Bridal outlet near you, you're in luck. Just go to them with the style number

and they'll know what you're talking about. If you give them my name and the fact that this all originated at the Richmond location, you should be able to get $20 off with my coupon.

*Please bear in mind that it's going to take about three months to deliver if you have to special order it.*

If you simply must get new shoes, online or in-store, I also have a 15% off coupon for those if you like. Contact me for the promotional code if you need it.

If by chance you don't live near a David's Bridal, you can give me your dress size and I can order it for you.

Jewelry will be provided. :)

Never Mind

Maybe that was a bit of an overstatement.  Anyhow, it looked very grim yesterday.  There's still some chance that the whole thing will fall apart, but I'll die young if I keep worrying about it.

Foiled Again

Ladies, I don't know what to tell you.  We picked out a dress today, but I'm not sure why, because the whole thing is a shambles once more.  It may not happen at all, but we won't know until the last minute.  It could be this year, it may be next year, it may be in six years.  I don't know.

I've never been so close to abject despair in all my life.

Bridesmaids

You know who you are.  Bev and I are going to investigate the selection of dresses we have to choose from this Thursday, and we will keep you informed about color, style, price, how and where to get your own.  Unfortunately it seems that the vast majority are strapless, but we'll work the problem as best we can.  Stand by for further instructions.  ;)

And if anyone has suggestions for head gear, do share.  We're having the old Mass, but there must be something that complements a formal gown better than a chapel veil.

Useful Information

The whole purpose of this site is to provide a forum for useful information about the wedding for those who would like it, and as a means to help friends and family keep track of us as the Navy moves us around afterward.  I tried one of those wedding sites, but it was just too complicated, hard to use, cluttered with stuff we didn't need, and a black hole for our personal information.  I'll probably be getting spam from photographers, caterers and florists for years.  Besides, this seemed like it could be easily adapted to serve our purposes long after the ceremony and reception are things of the past.

Unfortunately, it's very difficult to promulgate useful information if you have none yourself.  As soon as we have any to share, the selection of wedding links will be expanded accordingly.  Take the virtual tour of the church if you haven't yet.  In the meantime we might have a chance to be in the same room long enough to get officially engaged.  That step seems to have been so much taken for granted that it was lost in the confusion.

The Current Plan

The idea of having a current plan is actually quite laughable. Any plans we've made never seem to have time to set, like Jell-o that hasn't been in the fridge long enough before someone takes a big scoop out of it. I don't mind being adaptable myself, but I hate to keep changing our itinerary when it affects dozens of other people.

If the current plan doesn't change, please God, I'll be leaving home in a week to visit with David's family until mid-July. During that time we'll do what planning we can for a prospective wedding in January 2010. He'll suffer boot camp from July to September, hopefully make it to Monterey without any significant delays, and then be back home in mid-December so we can pull it all together before he leaves again. That's "the plan." But as usual, we're all at the mercy of the unpredictable realities of the situation.

The one variable in this equation remains the unconfirmed date upon which he would be shipped out.  The original one we've all been working around was set when he was supposed to be going to Pensacola.  Ideally it won't change, but the recruiter has not been able to say one way or the other because he's been inconveniently out of town.
Again, many thanks to Sarah for sharing the necessary insider information to make all this possible on such short notice.