I ran track in high school. Not only did I run track (which can be generic and mean anything from 'I like wearing short shorts and tennis shoes' to 'I can throw a shot put 100 yards'), but I ran the 4x400 meter relay and was often the first leg. Which means when the gun went off, I had to get around the track one time as fast as I could and then hand the baton off to the next person, so they could get around the track one time as fast as they could. And so on, and so on until the 4th person raced across the finish line, and flopped into the waiting arms of their teammates.
Now, the hardest thing about the 400, for those of you who have never run it (those of you who have ever run it DO know...) is the fact that, while 400 meters seems to be a comparatively short distance in the grand scheme of running events (think marathon), when you're running as fast as you can (let's say sprinting) for 400 meters it's a LONG FREAKING WAY TO THE FINISH LINE.
There's actually some strategy, too. You start out controlled, lifting your knees more as you go around the first curve, you open out a bit more on the first straightaway, and then as you come out of the second curve, you put it all out there. You leave it on the track. You haul ass down that last 100 meters, towards that thin, white finish line. And your lungs burn and you're pretty sure you left your legs 10 yards behind you and there's is no way you can possibly move any faster than you are, but then somehow you pull everything together for one last lurch and you stick your arm out as far as you can and try to focus on placing the baton into the outstretched hand of your teammate, even as your field of vision shrinks because all the blood in your body is going to your screaming muscles and can't be bothered to keep your eyes working.
The feeling of the baton being pulled from your clenched fingers by the next runner is the best feeling in the world, because then you know you're done and you can stop running and best of all, you didn't drop it.
The way that you feel as you start that last 100 meters? That's how I feel right now.
It's a sickening, excited, glorious, knot-in-your-stomach kind of feeling, because you know the end is almost there, but you have to put in a tremendous amount of effort before you can collaspe in relief that it's over.
I have 4 days exactly before I'm married. And there is oh so much still to do. I have to figure out a detailed schedule of the next 96 hours, make sure everyone else has that schedule, double check with all the vendors, fit in two last pilates work outs (no telling what I'll be eating before Saturday morning), and get my fiance cuff links that don't look like I picked them out 4 days before the wedding.
And I know I said this whole wedding planning thing is more like a marathon, but it's all sprint now.
But then again, I'm better at sprinting anyway.
Yay!
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
T minus 18 days
Oh yes. We are within a month of the big day. And that's just crazy. I mean, seriously? I'm getting married in less than 3 weeks? SERIOUSLY?
Yes. Seriously.
It's one of those things that I've been thinking about and planning for and talking about and thinking about some more and fighting about and hearing other people talk about and crying about and working out for and getting excited about for so long that it is really hard to believe it's actually almost here.
And things seem to be under control.
Dress? Check.
Minister? Check.
Groom? Check.
Rings? Dang. Haven't picked those up yet.
Reception? Um, check?
But seriously...I think everything's ready to go. There are of course small details that I go over and over again in my mind just to make sure that I didn't imagine they had already been taken care of.
And then of course we have to be there. And that's it. Right?
People have told me a lot that I should slow down, and really enjoy this time. And I get where they're coming from. They're coming from AFTER their wedding. I'm not there yet, which can be a little frustrating. Yeah, I'll enjoy it when it's over, too!
But (in a more generous spirit, and after eating some peanut butter crackers...I get cranky when I'm hungry...yet another reason a diet would never work for me) I can appreciate what they're saying. Plus, it's nice to know that the stress of having this big moment looming over you will eventually end and you'll just remember the good stuff and how quickly it all went by.
So, while my heart does do little tiny flip-flops when I think about how I'm getting married in 2 weeks from Saturday (see, there it went), I think I will accept that as a good thing.
And just try not to think of it so much.
Yes. Seriously.
It's one of those things that I've been thinking about and planning for and talking about and thinking about some more and fighting about and hearing other people talk about and crying about and working out for and getting excited about for so long that it is really hard to believe it's actually almost here.
And things seem to be under control.
Dress? Check.
Minister? Check.
Groom? Check.
Rings? Dang. Haven't picked those up yet.
Reception? Um, check?
But seriously...I think everything's ready to go. There are of course small details that I go over and over again in my mind just to make sure that I didn't imagine they had already been taken care of.
And then of course we have to be there. And that's it. Right?
People have told me a lot that I should slow down, and really enjoy this time. And I get where they're coming from. They're coming from AFTER their wedding. I'm not there yet, which can be a little frustrating. Yeah, I'll enjoy it when it's over, too!
But (in a more generous spirit, and after eating some peanut butter crackers...I get cranky when I'm hungry...yet another reason a diet would never work for me) I can appreciate what they're saying. Plus, it's nice to know that the stress of having this big moment looming over you will eventually end and you'll just remember the good stuff and how quickly it all went by.
So, while my heart does do little tiny flip-flops when I think about how I'm getting married in 2 weeks from Saturday (see, there it went), I think I will accept that as a good thing.
And just try not to think of it so much.
Monday, October 12, 2009
But, wait...there's more!
Well, the heels were the perfect height, even if the dress needed to be taken in just a tad more.
Sigh. And not in a good way.
But the solution, "just add some more padding" was not going to work. My poor fiance would have been hard pressed to keep the look of surprise off his face had I appreared at the end of the aisle more "blessed" than I had been the day before.
What can I say, though? I am who I am, and he loves me for who I am, and the dress just had to be taken in a bit more.
And my Uncle Bruno forbid me to lose any more weight. Not that I have lost a ton, but I am proud to say that there will be no "muffin-top" on this bride!
Now, if I can only refuse to eat the whole basket of cheese fries the next time we go to Snuffer's. Or maybe just not go to Snuffer's in general.
Anyway, things are still good...calm...even tempered as we approach the 4 week mark. But then again there is still more stuff to do. We have to make sure all the right people know all of the right information. We have to make sure we know the right information. We have to finalize wedding cake options, find napkins, figure out how my hubby and I will get back to the hotel after the reception (Car and driver, or the party bus with the rest of the crowd? Whose to say which will be funner? And yes, that was a nod to Legally Blonde.) And I have to come up with an official plan for the weekend, too.
And then. There are the thank you notes.
Not that I'm not grateful for the generosity of our dear friends and family. I am. Entirely, completely, fully. Grateful from the bottom of my heart. And humbled. Humbled by people who don't need to give me a gift to show me how much they care but who do anyway. I am honored and humbled and grateful.
But I am bad at writing thank you notes. Mainly because I feel so strongly in the first place, it takes me a long time to write each one. I haven't found the secret formula for the short, genuine, sweet note that can work for my future grandmother-in-law, my best friend from college, my co-worker, and the person in the congregation whose name I can't remember. If you have such a formula, please, please let me know.
Until then, the only good solution I can think of is for my darling fiance to grab a pen, flex his hand, and get to writing. His penmanship is better than mine anyway...
Sigh. And not in a good way.
But the solution, "just add some more padding" was not going to work. My poor fiance would have been hard pressed to keep the look of surprise off his face had I appreared at the end of the aisle more "blessed" than I had been the day before.
What can I say, though? I am who I am, and he loves me for who I am, and the dress just had to be taken in a bit more.
And my Uncle Bruno forbid me to lose any more weight. Not that I have lost a ton, but I am proud to say that there will be no "muffin-top" on this bride!
Now, if I can only refuse to eat the whole basket of cheese fries the next time we go to Snuffer's. Or maybe just not go to Snuffer's in general.
Anyway, things are still good...calm...even tempered as we approach the 4 week mark. But then again there is still more stuff to do. We have to make sure all the right people know all of the right information. We have to make sure we know the right information. We have to finalize wedding cake options, find napkins, figure out how my hubby and I will get back to the hotel after the reception (Car and driver, or the party bus with the rest of the crowd? Whose to say which will be funner? And yes, that was a nod to Legally Blonde.) And I have to come up with an official plan for the weekend, too.
And then. There are the thank you notes.
Not that I'm not grateful for the generosity of our dear friends and family. I am. Entirely, completely, fully. Grateful from the bottom of my heart. And humbled. Humbled by people who don't need to give me a gift to show me how much they care but who do anyway. I am honored and humbled and grateful.
But I am bad at writing thank you notes. Mainly because I feel so strongly in the first place, it takes me a long time to write each one. I haven't found the secret formula for the short, genuine, sweet note that can work for my future grandmother-in-law, my best friend from college, my co-worker, and the person in the congregation whose name I can't remember. If you have such a formula, please, please let me know.
Until then, the only good solution I can think of is for my darling fiance to grab a pen, flex his hand, and get to writing. His penmanship is better than mine anyway...
Friday, October 2, 2009
Drum roll, please!
In exactly 3 hours, I will be stepping into my wedding dress for the final fitting. Months of pilates and not dieting will be put to the test. My own sense of self will come under attack. My mother's ability not to cry during the last fittings will be challenged.
And hopefully the biggest issue will be whether or not I wear a 1 inch or 2 inch heel.
And hopefully the biggest issue will be whether or not I wear a 1 inch or 2 inch heel.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Pre-Fair workout
As yesterday rolled around, and I prepared to head over to Telos for my pilates session, I realized it had been over a week since I had last been in. I had been busy moving and my dad had come in town (and you know when your dad comes in town, all other plans cease, and you let him buy you dinner and take you shopping and help fix things around the house. Did I mention I love my dad?) so I wasn't able to make any sessions last week.
Which means it had been over a week since I had crunched, squeezed, pulled, pushed or basically used at all any of the muscles that pilates targets. And since pilates targets just about all of them, my session yesterday was not a pretty picture. I'm pretty sure my abs are just now fully functioning again after what I call the twist/crunch/torture exercise that I'm convinced is the worst thing ever created. And who knew that the exercise they call "Stomach Massage" is definitely not what it sounds like?
But it was nice to get back in, and to realize that even after a week of no pilates and, let's be honest, no diet of any kind, my body still remembered how to function and I was able to make it through the workout with only a slight amount of wanting to die.
And it was even nicer to get through that workout knowing that less than 2 hours later I would be eating fried oreos, fried bacon, fried peanut butter, jelly, and banana sandwich, and fried butter.
Yes, exactly what it sounds like. And yes, so worth it.
Which means it had been over a week since I had crunched, squeezed, pulled, pushed or basically used at all any of the muscles that pilates targets. And since pilates targets just about all of them, my session yesterday was not a pretty picture. I'm pretty sure my abs are just now fully functioning again after what I call the twist/crunch/torture exercise that I'm convinced is the worst thing ever created. And who knew that the exercise they call "Stomach Massage" is definitely not what it sounds like?
But it was nice to get back in, and to realize that even after a week of no pilates and, let's be honest, no diet of any kind, my body still remembered how to function and I was able to make it through the workout with only a slight amount of wanting to die.
And it was even nicer to get through that workout knowing that less than 2 hours later I would be eating fried oreos, fried bacon, fried peanut butter, jelly, and banana sandwich, and fried butter.
Yes, exactly what it sounds like. And yes, so worth it.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
46 days and counting
Yep. That's it.
46 days until the wedding.
46 days until I can stop questioning every decision I make about food (note: I always make bad, or good, decisions about food depending on how you look at it. Let's just say one of the things my future sister-in-law likes best about me is that I don't say no to anything put in front of me...or to a second serving.)
46 days until I don't have to check the hotel reservations to make sure there are enough rooms for people in our block.
46 days until every time I say, "Darling, I spoke to my mom today..." my fiance doesn't groan and say, "More wedding stuff?" (note: I actually do often call my fiance "darling." I think it lends a certain old Hollywood glamour to our relationship. Plus, it reminds me of Lady and the Tramp!)
46 days until I don't have to think about flowers, or favors, or hairstyles, or second cousins who are not invited.
46 days until we see if everything we've planned actually happens the way we've planned it.
46 days until we see how certain people react to the last minute changes that will inevitably occur. (Question: if you plan on having unplanned things happen, are they really unplanned? Do I really have no idea what I'm in for?)
46 days until regardless of what goes wrong with any of the little details, I am married to the man with whom I can't wait to spend the rest of my life.
Bonus: 47 days until we leave for an 8 day honeymoon in Jackson Hole, WY! What will we do in Jackson Hole in the middle of November when the average high is 35 degrees F and the average low is 12 degrees F? Absolutely nothing. And we'll like it!
46 days until the wedding.
46 days until I can stop questioning every decision I make about food (note: I always make bad, or good, decisions about food depending on how you look at it. Let's just say one of the things my future sister-in-law likes best about me is that I don't say no to anything put in front of me...or to a second serving.)
46 days until I don't have to check the hotel reservations to make sure there are enough rooms for people in our block.
46 days until every time I say, "Darling, I spoke to my mom today..." my fiance doesn't groan and say, "More wedding stuff?" (note: I actually do often call my fiance "darling." I think it lends a certain old Hollywood glamour to our relationship. Plus, it reminds me of Lady and the Tramp!)
46 days until I don't have to think about flowers, or favors, or hairstyles, or second cousins who are not invited.
46 days until we see if everything we've planned actually happens the way we've planned it.
46 days until we see how certain people react to the last minute changes that will inevitably occur. (Question: if you plan on having unplanned things happen, are they really unplanned? Do I really have no idea what I'm in for?)
46 days until regardless of what goes wrong with any of the little details, I am married to the man with whom I can't wait to spend the rest of my life.
Bonus: 47 days until we leave for an 8 day honeymoon in Jackson Hole, WY! What will we do in Jackson Hole in the middle of November when the average high is 35 degrees F and the average low is 12 degrees F? Absolutely nothing. And we'll like it!
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Some people are just great
And those people include my pilates instructors, Veronica and Alex.
Why, you ask?
Well, besides the fact that they are excellent instructors (you can tell because they are more toned than the Tabernacle choir), they are the most understanding, patient, chill, forgiving of me people I have ever met.
Our email conversations usually (I'm ashamed to say) go something like this:
From: Elizabeth
To: Veronica
Subject: Conflict
Hey Veronica (and/or Alex),
I know I said I'd be there on Thursday, but something came up. Again. Is it possible to meet later that day
or maybe on Friday? I'm so sorry for doing this again, please let me know!
Peace,
Elizabeth
---
From: Veronica
To: Elizabeth
Re:Conflict
Elizabeth,
No problem about Thursday. I can do Friday morning if that works better for you.
Veronica (and/or Alex)
It never fails. I abuse them time and time again, I'm consistently 5-10 minutes late (at least I'm consistent right?) and they are not only gracious when I do finally show up, but they make me feel like they don't hate me for being a total airhead about my schedule.
Why can't everyone be that great?
Plus, pilates is actually working! I know I'm firmer, trimmer, and Veronica and Alex both said I'm showing some good definition in my arms! (Another reason they are great.)
I also have this old rugby injury (I love that I can type that...I feel so hardcore), and my right shoulder was really messed up and was much weaker than my left. But at pilates, with all the one-on-one attention that they give me (let's just say I can hardly blink without them knowing) I have been able to strengthen it and it feels great!
The main point is that because of the greatness of Veronica and Alex, the craziness of what I have to deal with for my wedding doesn't even stress me out as much. Because while I have to worry about finding time to go to the jeweler's to look at wedding rings so that my fiance and I don't end up having to use string or foil or grass or whatever else we can find in my grandmother's backyard the day of, I know that I don't have to worry about rescheduling my pilates in order to figure it out.
So thanks, Veronica and Alex. You have truly made this whole wedding thing possible, and maybe...just maybe...I'll be on time tomorrow.
Why, you ask?
Well, besides the fact that they are excellent instructors (you can tell because they are more toned than the Tabernacle choir), they are the most understanding, patient, chill, forgiving of me people I have ever met.
Our email conversations usually (I'm ashamed to say) go something like this:
From: Elizabeth
To: Veronica
Subject: Conflict
Hey Veronica (and/or Alex),
I know I said I'd be there on Thursday, but something came up. Again. Is it possible to meet later that day
or maybe on Friday? I'm so sorry for doing this again, please let me know!
Peace,
Elizabeth
---
From: Veronica
To: Elizabeth
Re:Conflict
Elizabeth,
No problem about Thursday. I can do Friday morning if that works better for you.
Veronica (and/or Alex)
It never fails. I abuse them time and time again, I'm consistently 5-10 minutes late (at least I'm consistent right?) and they are not only gracious when I do finally show up, but they make me feel like they don't hate me for being a total airhead about my schedule.
Why can't everyone be that great?
Plus, pilates is actually working! I know I'm firmer, trimmer, and Veronica and Alex both said I'm showing some good definition in my arms! (Another reason they are great.)
I also have this old rugby injury (I love that I can type that...I feel so hardcore), and my right shoulder was really messed up and was much weaker than my left. But at pilates, with all the one-on-one attention that they give me (let's just say I can hardly blink without them knowing) I have been able to strengthen it and it feels great!
The main point is that because of the greatness of Veronica and Alex, the craziness of what I have to deal with for my wedding doesn't even stress me out as much. Because while I have to worry about finding time to go to the jeweler's to look at wedding rings so that my fiance and I don't end up having to use string or foil or grass or whatever else we can find in my grandmother's backyard the day of, I know that I don't have to worry about rescheduling my pilates in order to figure it out.
So thanks, Veronica and Alex. You have truly made this whole wedding thing possible, and maybe...just maybe...I'll be on time tomorrow.
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