THE DAILY DIVERSION

SCOURING MY BRAIN FOR A LITTLE ACTIVITY

Monday, May 01, 2006

IT HAS BEGUN...

For me anyway! For Adrianne it's probably been like this for a while now, but I haven't been privy to the whirlwind that is "an upcoming wedding".

Yikes! This weekend was crazy! Usually our weekends together are kind of hectic. We're usually running here, there, and everywhere, so it's no big deal. However, this weekend was slightly different. With that being said, it was also a very wonderful weekend!

I made it up to Owensboro right around 6:30 Thursday night. It was a beautiful day for a drive through the countryside, which is the way I went this time. You can only drive through Nashville so many times before you're bored to death. Anyway, we didn't do much Thursday evening, that I can recall.

Adrianne got up early Friday morning, her last day substituting at Foust. She was out the door just before 7 am, and I was pretty much awake after that. I ended up getting out of bed shortly after 8. Yes, I got out of bed at 8 am, on a day off. I wanted to go spend the day with Adrianne at work, so I didn't want to sleep all day. I ended up making it over to the school just before 10 am, and I stayed there all day, playing games with the kids and trying, feebly I might add, to help out in the classroom. It was really fun. I enjoyed being around the kids all day. It was a healthy change from my usual work day, I can say that!

After we left school we headed to the Daviess County Courthouse to get our Marriage License. I've just got one question... Do you actually ask the question on the application "Are you going to be grumpy every day and/or be a total bitch to everyone that comes in?"

Dammit! The girl who "helped" us was just a world class beeee-yotch!! She pissed me off the second we walked in, so I was immediately defensive. I almost apologized for interrupting her reading of "Inside the Bermuda Triangle". She asked, but not in a polite way, if it was less than 30 days from our wedding. Here's where I got a little snippy with her. I replied "Well, we're getting married on the 27th of May. Today is the 28th of April. I don't know, sounds like less than 30 to me?" Then we had to proceed to count out the days. Luckily the lady next to her actually wanted to help us. We should've moved our stuff over to her station, but we hung in there. We're just gluttons for punishment, I guess?

One last thing I'll say about this "lady" who "helped" us. In what profession can you wear a tie-dyed t-shirt, ratty blue jeans, and flip flops (no, not nice sandals, plastic thong flip flops) on any day of the week, where you deal with customers? Well, obviously you can for the Daviess County government. I was just standing there thinking "What the fuck?" I've never seen such an unprofessional atmosphere. First off, you're dressed like that. Secondly, you act like a complete shit to the customers. I guess you do it because you can get away with it? Hell, everyone has to deal with the government, right? So, that gives her to the right to treat us like that? I'm glad every other profession doesn't let that behavior go. I'm done talking about that!

Let's see, what did we do next? Oh yeah, we went back out to the house to drop off one of our cars. We didn't need to two cars to run around town. We ended up going over to Kohl's to find me some new swimmy shorts for our trip. I found a pair I like, even though I have at least 10 pairs at her Mom's house (since that's where the pool is). What? They were at least on sale!!

We then headed over to see my friend's new hardwood floors in his house. He's been on a mission since he bought his house to make it actually look like someplace that people could live in. I remember the day he bought the joint. It was absolutely trashed. It had been a rental house for a while, and the last renters were evicted, so they destroyed it before they left.

We spent the first several days just patching holes in the walls, so they could be sanded and painted. The front door was busted. I think there was some wallpaper on the walls in the kitchen. The bathroom barely had a light that worked. It was almost scary to use the toilet at the time. Actually, I think we went behind the garage to take a leak, half of the time. No, that was because the toilet was broke.

Now, however, his place looks absolutely awesome! The hardwood floors open the front room up considerably. He put some new molding down also, which looks great. It's like complete night and day, and I'm really happy for him. I know he's done a ton of the work himself, so it has to feel good to know you've done a great job.

We didn't get to stay too long, because we had to head out to our Ring bearer’s baseball game at 5:30. We get there just as he's striking out an opposing player. I didn't know he was pitching this year. He played third base last year, and had only pitched once that I know of. He ended up getting a big double in the bottom of the inning too, while we were there.

We didn't get to stay too long there either, because we had to go meet up with the DJ. We discussed how we wanted things to go and some musical options. Don't worry everyone!! I'm not going to be singing… much? Just kidding! I'm not planning on singing at all. We still have some details to work out, but I'll take care of those.

After that meeting we meet up with Adrianne's parents and a friend of hers for dinner at Shogun. Umm... I ate way too much. I had been doing pretty good on a diet I'd put myself on. I hadn't eaten much all day, so my belly was really letting me know it needed some food. I just didn't know how to control myself though.

Yeah, that came back to bit me in the ass later on, literally. I woke up right at 2 am with a serious case of "grumble butt". I can think of a hundred names for it, but that's my favorite. I spent the better part of the 2 o'clock hour on the toilet. Yes, it was pretty important that I get that hour of sleep, since we had to be up around 6:30 to get on the road to Hopkinsville at 7:15.

We had a 9 am meeting with Father John. When you get married in the Catholic Church you're supposed to attend an "Engaged Couples Encounter". It's a weekend of events where the two of us have relationship building exercises and meet other engaged couples and so forth. Well, we couldn't make it to one of those weekends, so we had to do something else. Our something else was meeting with Father John.

He was a really nice guy. We talked about a lot of things that Adrianne and I have already discussed, and our meeting went great. He even gave us some great ideas for the ceremony, so it was time well spent. Oh, I almost forgot... Father John has a hairless cat. It was really cute and funny. Man, cats have such a personality. Maybe that's why I've always liked them. They're so much more like me than dogs. However, I haven't had a dog since I was just a wee lad.

We make it back to Owensboro just before 11 am, and I'm dead tired. Having my wonderful night's sleep interrupted has really taken its toll on me. Either that, or all the driving I had done in the last couple days. It’s more likely a nice mixture of both. Our "Honeymoon Shower" doesn't start until 3 pm, so I've got a little time to catch a nice "siesta"!

I grab a quick bite to eat and head upstairs for a little shut-eye. Adrianne joins me for a little snugglin' some time afterwards. I think I got nearly 2 hours of sleep, which was dearly needed. I woke up a completely different person, in a completely different place.

When I got back downstairs the place was lavishly decorated with all sorts of Luau items. It was really a fun atmosphere. There was a plethora of snackies, so I had a little of this and that, before everyone else got there.

We had a good turn-out, or so I thought. Later on Adrianne ran down the list of everyone we invited that didn't show up, and it was kind of depressing, but I was happy that the people who did come were there. I know some couldn't make it for good reasons, and I had talked to them. I got to see both of my best men, which is always good. I also got to catch up with one of my friends that I hadn't seen in some time. We actually got more than a half an hour to catch up, which was awesome. The only contact we've had since last July has been weekly emails (or so).

Did I mention we got a ton of gifts? Yes, an actual metric ton. The house actually sunk into the ground another foot and a half. I sure hope the pool never overflows, because the lower floor of the house may get flooded. Up to this point we've actually received a lot of gifts. Adrianne showed me the booty (pirate style, not hers, even though I wouldn't have minded!) we already have received. I didn't know we had so many people that thought so much of us?

This "shower" we got a lot of stuff we can actually use on our honeymoon, like sunscreen, flip flops, magazines, towels, and the like. We also got a few things for our home too, which are just beautiful. I think I'm becoming a big pansy with all of this attention? I almost forgot… My sister got me a “banana hammock” (aka Speedo swimsuit) along with a dare to wear it around on the honeymoon and get pictures of me doing silly things in it. Yes, I’m going to have fun with it, and, YES, I’m going to embarrass the hell out of Adrianne doing it!

Oh well!! You only do this once, right?

We got some pictures from the event, and I'll try to post one or two later on. I didn't get in as early I was wished last night, so I went straight to bed. I think my luck has run out, in the driving field. I've had three times in the last year that I've been on the interstate when it's been turned into a parking lot for more than an hour. Yesterday they actually detoured all of us off of I65, north of Nashville, onto some back roads and back around to the interstate. I had planned on getting home around 9 or 9:30, depending on potty breaks, but ended up making it downtown at 11, without a pit stop. Yes, my bladder was mad at me when we finally made it inside. "I am John's mistreated Bladder. I get mad. John gets wet."

So, anyway, I'm back at work today. Yes, I was early, again. I was actually almost 10 minutes early today. However, I got started on some work first thing, and forgot something very important. I forgot to call Adrianne to wake her up. She was supposed to be up and going this morning, because she was going to go work at the salon with her Mom. They were supposed to leave at 9 am. I finally remembered to call her at 10 after 9, and she was rushing to get ready. I really don't have much of an excuse either. I'm so used to calling her when I first wake up, since she's usually driving to school at that time, but I didn't want to wake her up that early today. So, when I got busy here at work first thing, I thought I had already called her. It wasn't until I started typing this that I realized I hadn't called her. Yes, I'm a bad fiancée. I hope that doesn't end up making me a bad husband too!

I had a ton of dreams last night, but I remember parts of only one. It's pretty short and sweet, even though it actually wasn't.

My dream: Justin, one of my best men, asks me if I'll help him be an assistant coach for the girls soccer team he's coaching at Brescia. I jump at the chance and come to a game, before he announces that I'm going to help out. However, it's played inside on a basketball court. I'm standing on one end of the floor watching the action, while drinking a Crown Royal and Caffeine Free Pepsi. Yes, I probably shouldn't be "drinking" in there, but I do.

The next thing I know we're actually outside at a practice. I'm working with the team and we're trying to decide on what formation to play. I'm wondering out loud if we should be in a 4-4-2 or 3-5-2. I say to myself "Dammit, where's Paul when you need him? He'd know the answer to this. We need him here." Finally, I decide on the 3-5-2, because of how often the other teams attack us, and that would give our midfielders more coverage. Yes, I know that makes no sense in real life, but in the dream it did.

We end up scrimmaging, and I'm actually playing on one team. One of the girls says something like "Go ahead and try to fast spin or something", but I reply "Man, I haven't played organized soccer since I was in 8th grade. I'm lucky I can dribble the ball."

It ends up someone on the other team gets hurt, so I teach the girls about sportsmanship and kicking the ball out of bounds so the coach can come in and make sure she's okay. About that time, Pau Gasol (of the Grizzlies) comes on the field and sits down by one of the goal posts. Everyone crowds around him to talk to him. I ask him a few questions about the series with Dallas (which we're down 3-0, with, hopefully, not our last game of the season tonight).

That's about all I can remember.

What it means? Well, again, not too much. Justin was actually asked to be an assistant coach for Brescia's women's basketball team, not soccer. Paul, my other best man, was refereeing soccer yesterday and we chatted for a little while before I left BG. I had been thinking about how the NBA playoffs were going, a little while I was driving. I knew we were down 3 games to none, so that's how that got in there.

In other words... Things in my waking world worked themselves into my dreams. They just came in all jumbled up. It probably happened because I was exhausted when I went to bed. These things happen you know!

I'll close with this... We've got only a few weeks left before the wedding, and I know it's going to get even crazier, somehow. I need a vacation right now, so it's just making me long for the honeymoon even more.

Oh yeah, and I can’t say this enough... I love Adrianne! She's been so wonderful to me! I hope, somehow, I can give back as much to her as she's given to me.

PS - Only 24 hours before I will own the new Tool Album 10,000 Days! I'll try to give a full report tomorrow afternoon on it!

||Inflicted on you by John, at 9:12 AM

4 Comments:

It's awesome you're so excited about your wedding - I hope things goes perfectly! I can't wait to meet you and Adrianne at bdub's next season!
Anonymous Anonymous, at 12:45 PM  
As long as you don't go to Bdubs only during the week, then you should meet us. We don't make too many weeknight games! I'm usually sitting in front of the computer during those while everyone else is sitting in Diddle hootin' and hollerin'!
Blogger John, at 2:34 PM  
Yeah, well, at least you are watching...and that sends even more good vibes & positive energy to Diddle!
Anonymous Anonymous, at 3:19 PM  
Aww it's so fun to see your excitement about the upcoming wedding. I'll just live vicariously through you and Adrianne! And you know I'm right there on the computer cheering on those Tops right along with ya!! At least we're watching/listening!
Blogger Shari, at 9:33 PM  

What do you think?