Updates

So much has been happening that I haven't had time to blog. Melissa got married the weekend before last. I was a co-maid of honor. The wedding was seamless and went off without a hitch -- perfect weather, wonderful food, incredibly happy bride, and well-received speech. It couldn't have been better.

Last weekend was my bridal shower. It was fun. There was good food, silly games, fun gifts, and great friends, and the theme was Pink Princess so everyone was dressed in pink and I was treated like royalty. My type of party! Hehe. :) Afterwards I went to Sean and Jen's b-day bbq, where there was more good food, great friends (though no silly games or fun gifts (at least not for me). :) I'm getting used to my house not being home anymore, but it still feels a little strange.

Yesterday morning I ran to the gym and then came back in time to make brunch for Pam and Allen, P. and the kids. I made some yummy crepes (if I do say so myself). Then just about as soon as we were done eating, we had to go to my dad's cousin's house for a early dinner. I felt like I spent the whole day eating, but it was good times. Peter and I then came home and started to open wedding gifts that have begun to pour in. Gifts are fun!!! Peter was particularly excited about the new coffee maker (thanks Jason!) and went around the house whooping with joy (and this was even before he drank a cup).

Anyway, things are great. I have four more days to be officially single. Peter and I are going to city hall on Friday afternoon to do the deed (too complicated to get legally married in Spain). Mom and Dad are here and Peter's mom just arrived this morning. We'll have the immediate family at the ceremony and then are going out for a celebratory dinner. I've been so focused on Spain (and getting married on June 24) that it just hit me that I'm getting hitched on Friday. Holy smoke!!! Yowsa!

I haven't been taking pictures (I need a new digital camera), but other people have. I'll upload them soon.

What's going on

"Remember to be gentle with yourself and others. We are all children of
chance and none can say why some fields will blossom while others lay
brown beneath the August sun. Care for those around you. Look past your
differences. Their dreams are no less than yours, their choices no more
easily made. And give, give in any way you can, of whatever you posses.
To give is to love. To withhold is to wither. Care less for your harvest
than for how it is shared and your life will have meaning and your heart
will have peace."
Ken Nerburn
American Author, Artist and Theologian

On Saturday I gifted P. (us) with a Couples Massage Workshop 101 for our one year anniversary. It was just the two of us and a massage instructor. For 4 1/2 hours we learned about massage, how to give a relatively professional full-body massage, and each received a full body massage. It was divine and so much fun. And it's been great to trade massages ever since. :)

On Saturday afternoon, P., B., and I went to an art gallery opening in Downtown LA --Modern Myths. The show focused on the works of 13 different artists combining modern icons (Olsen Twins, Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Howard Stern, etc.) with mythology (Zeus, minotaur, leprachaun). It's a very cool idea, but I was slightly underwhelmed. It could have been because I was too zoned out from the massage. In any case, it's always nice to do something cultural and artsy in this town.

On Sunday, we royally celebrated Easter. My brother's friend Ray organized his third annual Easter Brunch at Harbor House in Marina del Rey. It's a great venue for this thing -- beautiful restaurant overlooking the harbour and the crowd keeps getting bigger and bigger. This year we had over 40 people (including all my siblings). It was also a surprise 35th birthday party for Kelly. Good times.

After a brief stop at the old house, P. and I went on a fun and challenging ridge hike in Runyan Canyon with Marley. We all love that hike and it's great to go someplace where Marley can run off-leash.

Last night we went over to Corinne and Rob's to hang out with the new baby -- now one week old. He's such a cute baby boy (especially for a newborn, who I'm sorry to say are not generally the cutest things). It was nice to hang with them and to have some cuddle time with the baby. There are few things I love more than a baby's tiny little hands and feet. Too precious! P. made a comment that I was drooling a bit while I was holding the baby. That is not accurate, but it did make me feel the tick tock of my body's clock and the typical maternal tuggings of a woman. Luckily, I get to fulfill my maternal urgings during my quality time with my future step-children.

New Orleans

I figured out how to upload pictures. Yeah! Here are two of the more sedate pics from the weekend. Hehe. Hey, it was a bachelorette party! It really wasn't too crazy, but we made a pact that what happened in New Orleans stayed in New Orleans. I think I can share the following pictures with the public without breaking any pacts.

This picture is of the group at dinner at Emeril's restaurant, NOLA. To say that the food was incredibly delicious is an understatement. It was truly divine.

This is a picture of the group at the Musical Legends Park. Though Cafe du Monde gets all the hype for having amazing beignets, the Musical Legends Park actually had tastier ones. Cafe du Monde definitely wins for best ambiance however.

anniversary

"An anniversary is a time to celebrate the joys of today, the memories of yesterday, and the hopes of tomorrow." ~Author Unknown

I uploaded my New Orleans pictures onto P's iPhoto and haven't been able to figure out how to upload them (I'm new to Macs). There are all sorts of fun features -- for example, I managed to instantly create a website with all the New Orleans pictures, but I can't seem to upload a couple onto here. I'll fiddle with it and hopefully put something up soon.

In other news P and I celebrated our one year anniversary on Wednesday, April 4. He sent me a beautiful bouquet of sunflowers (my favorite) and he took me to dinner at Inn of the Seventh Ray, which has to be the most romantic restaurant in all of LA. It was delightful, we talked about the past year and we set goals and intentions for the year ahead. I'm so happy, excited, and grateful for P and our life together. I'm also so happy that as much as I loved him at Day 1 (and I really did love him at first sight), at this point I find myself more in love than ever with my feelings deepening every day.

New Orleans

"In New Orleans, gluttony is a way of life."
-Mortin J. Horwitz

I just spent the past weekend in New Orleans for Melissa's bachelorette party and I concur wholeheartedly with the above quote. In fact, it seems that most, if not all, of the cardinal sins are a way of life in this city. I say this with the the utmost admiration and appreciation. I truly loved New Orleans with its outstanding food, exuberant party-life, unbelievable friendliness, beauty, sensuality, freedom, voodoo, music (in such diversity and crazy abundance), dance, celebration, coffee, alcohol. Standing in the French Quarter as the spring festival parade rattled by on horseback while costumed citizens threw flowers, beads, and candy to the onlookers, I was blown away by the poetic nature of the culture.

Anyway, I loved the city and had a terrific time with the 7 other phenomenal women at the bachelorette party. The weekend was a perfect mixture of pre-wedding merry-making, oyster po'boys, beignets, and hurricanes, shopping, quality girl-time, and the occasional run. I'll post pictures as soon as I upload them.