I know how to scare the hell out of The Man

I just get my hands wet, shake my hand a couple of times and the ring flies off.
Oops.
I'm not a size 4.5. Nor a 5. Evidently, I am an unavailable 4.75.
So we've established that I can't wear my ring in the water.
(No really, he almost shat bricks when he saw the ring come off and then yelled at me that we should have stuck to the size 4.5. OK, he didn't yell. But he wasn't pleased.)

Pooped again! But for a different reason

It is crazy busy at work now. We're visiting 10+ potential clients a day and having to do data entry and prep work for the following day. I worked about 13 hours yesterday!
And I have six more weeks of this!!!!!
To be fair, I visited 14 sites because I wanted to shorten my Friday. See, as long as we visit 40 potential customers a week, they don't care how we slice it. But I think I won't make 14 a daily habit.
Yes, I still love my job. But I am T-I-R-E-D. And I didn't do all the data entry I wanted to get done because I started making mistakes and I was getting PISSED. I told Jun that I may have to work one day this three-day weekend which happens to be his birthday weekend just so I can finish on the data entry and follow up. I think he's tired too, though, because his current job stinks so he isn't crying a river. Too bad because it would have been nice to enjoy three days of nothing. But I know I would get frustrated if I didn't devote more time to prevent my own personal chaos.
I am POOPED.

Mondays are tough days

Back to the daily grind, yah? Nooooo!!!!
This weekend was fun. Jun's best friend, Al-Dizzle, and his bomb diggity wife, Vero, visited us for the weekend. (You guys, I have been spelling The Man's nickname wrong this entire time! It sounds like "Jon" but it's spelled "Jun." Crazy ass Filipinos! Joke lang.) They are so much fun! I just laugh and laugh when they are here. And Jun (not to be confused with his non-existent alter ego, Jon) is so at ease and can really be himself around them. Vero commented how both Al-Dizzle and Jun comes off so serious when you first meet them, which is true, because they are shy. But they are actually quite funny. And dorky! :) In a good way. Plus they let us tease them! We're always giving them a hard time, pretending different scenarios that happened between them when they were going through puberty - they have known each other since they were 12 years old! Anyhow, this couple is so much fun. I have to confess, though. I was so worried that the house smelled like dogs (because that is NASTY) that I lit candles, plugged in air fresheners, toasted bread and popped popcorn before they arrived just to make sure!!! I know, I'm a dork, too.
Jun knew he wanted to ask Al-Dizzle to be his best man for our wedding. Since it's going to be a small one, we both only wanted one attendant. When he proposed, I asked him when he was going to pop Al-Dizzle the question and he said he was going to wait until they visited. But he tends to forget things so I asked him again when they were here. Jun replied, "Don't worry, I will." I figured he wanted to take Al-Dizzle aside from their crazy significant others and ask him in private.
We were eating breakfast at IHOP and Vero and I were talking about presentations and how they can be a pain in the ass. Vero said that was a big reason why Al-Dizzle doesn't want to go back to school. Jun asked, "Oh, you don't like giving presentations?" and he replied no. Jun then asked, "Well, do you want to be my best man?"
"Wow." Pause. "Do I have to give a speech?"
"Yup."
Men.
So we went home and Al-Dizzle tried on a few of Jun's different barongs to see what would fit best before we ordered it. Vero said that he was truly surprised and didn't expect to be asked to be the best man. Al-Dizzle is a great guy and I think Jun made an excellent choice.
In case you're wondering, Sister is my matron-of-honor (aka Bad Ass MOH.) And I didn't even ask her. I think I told her over the phone before I even got engaged. I believe it had been a while back and I just attended a very big wedding. I said something like, "Hey, if I ever tie the knot, I don't want any bridesmaids. I just want you to stand up for me." It wasn't even a question! Oops. But I think she knew it was a given. I hope!
Vero and Al-Dizzle, I'm so glad you were able to finally visit us. Please don't make it a one time deal! We hope to see you a little more. Xoxo!

I tend to look a gift horse in the mouth

What does that mean?! I mean, I think I know what it means which is why I used it but after I typed it I thought, "Who the hell came up with that when all they really meant was, "I don't just appreciate when good things happen, I want to know why it happened!"" Anyway, completely off the point but I just had to express my opinion.

Husband-to-be's best friend and PookiePie came to visit this weekend. Whooppeeee! They even came along to an appointment I made at a bridal boutique - just because. So did The Man (I know, an unconventional thing to do but I want be to pretty not just for me but for him, too. And when he just couldn't express what he had in mind when I asked what he would want me to wear on our big day, I thought I'd just bring his butt along!)
I never knew how ugly and bulky wedding dresses looked on a hanger until we went to this boutique. I cringed at the dresses the consultant was giving me. They looked like 80s prom dresses! Thank goodness that these type of dresses are just the ones that are ugly as sin on the rack but a whole lot different when put on. I think the tulle, satin and/or sequins (or sparkly crap) smacked of 80s to me so that's why I hesitated. "But I thought she liked sparkles?" I do. But if it looks beadazzled, I'm not a fan.
I tried on about 10 dresses and the very first one I put on is the one that Jon and Vero really liked (Vero's honey was a non voter.) We narrowed it down to two dresses and, still, they liked the very first one I put on but they liked the second one's material. Well what-do-you-know! The favorite could come in that material, too!
In less than an hour, I had my wedding dress. I'm still going to try on the three I ordered from Nordstrom (they have a great return policy so I ordered the top three to try them on and then decide) but it looks like Jon really liked the one we saw at the bridal shop. It will most likely be that one.
It just seemed too easy. I started to have doubts at the end of the day, wondering if I picked something to just get it over with. But Pookie said if I liked it, Jon liked it, and a third party (her) liked it, it's probably it.
So yah, I'm looking a gift horse in the mouth b/c it just felt too easy.
And no, I'm not posting a picture. I guess because I think it's a whole lot prettier on and not much to look at in a picture. And I don't want to be talked out of it!!!

So much to do, such little time

No, not THAT. Just everything that needs to be taken care of before the weekend. But guess what I get to look forward to this weekend?
PARTYING WITH THE POOKSTER!
Ahhhhh-yahhhhh.
It's like Christmas day for me and The Man. His best friend and wifey have never visited us before but they're a-comin' this weekend! We are going to celebrate Pookie and Jon's birthday by doing I-don't-know-what but I'm sure it will be fun. I even cleaned this past weekend (well, I put off cleaning an extra week because I didn't want to clean twice.) But there's still so much to do-
1. Go to the laundrymat to wash the comforter
2. Take Pili to the vet (her ear is icky)
3. Grocery shopping - although I doubt we'll be cooking so maybe I can skip that
4. work work work!!!!!!!
Jon is cleaning the kitchen so that's not on my list. Hehehe
Work is still great but it's about to get super busy. It requires me to do some prep work the day before every work day. I'm sure that it's not a big deal but it's a change in schedule. Maybe it's a blessing. I could really use a break from the wedding stuff. I also realize that I have to be better at follow up when it comes to work. I think I'm pretty good at it but when the volume increases, it's hard for me to keep up and keep it straight. Anyway, back to Pookie and her hubby.
Oh yes, I told her that Jon was looking forward to barbequing for her Hubby. We even talked about buying his birthday present early. (It's a grill. You are shocked.) But he's been working 12 hour days and I've been working really early days and that just makes for two lazy people when we get home. So we haven't bought the grill yet. I'm secretly (well, not anymore) glad because I hate washing his BBQ equipment and the dishes caked with BBQ crap. He said we can go out instead. Hurray!!!!
So I'm scrambling around trying to get stuff done before the weekend. But none of it really irritates me. Well, other than the fact that I've been having sleepless nights.
I love me some sleep. I miss it so much. This 5 hours of sleep deal is kicking my ass.
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Sweet Jeebus. I had to get up at 4:00am today to take my parents to the airport. Thanks, Sister. I'm kidding. It's not her fault. If my parents save $60 by taking a butt-crack-early-in-the-morning flight, by golly, their baby can certainly take them to the airport .
But I can't go back to sleep because I have a 9:00am meeting in San Francisco. Ai-yai-yai.
Oh and I have to add one more thing about the Pookie-Mama. I adore her because we BOTH were relieved after we met each other. Seriously, how much does it suck when you hate your boyfriend's/husband's best friend and/or his wife? Her hubby is a peach - he's very nice, you can tell he loves and respects his wife, he's attentive to his family, and quiet (like his best friend) which makes his humor that much more funny when he starts cracking jokes. Pookie likes to tease both of the guys, just like me, and is just a funny gal! And she even tried to rig her bouquet toss so I would get it. She knew me for two days, bless her heart! But I have an unreasonable fear of the bouquet toss so I stepped out of the way. That's beside the point.
They are our favorite couple to hang out with (not including family or couples that we haven't hung out with yet so I don't want any nasty comments!!!!) which is really sad because they have a ton of couples they hang out with in their hometown. And here we are, when The Man and I are feeling social, pining away for a couple that is nearly three hours away. But they are so much fun!
OK, I'm done. And now you know why I'm super happy they're coming, even when I'm pooped from no sleep :)
Oh, and ...
Happy Birthday, Pookie-baby! You saucy thing, you! ;)

Things are looking up

Maybe being on the verge of my period has contributed to my impatience. Although I've always been this way so maybe not.

In any event, there appears to be a few ways Jon and I can go about getting what we want. It's just that I want to get the big tasks (like getting a venue) out of the way. I'm starting to get really busy at work and expect to get slammed within the next two weeks. When you have that looming over your head, you want to check off as many things on your personal list as you can, you know?

On something completely unrelated but a lot more fun, we made a purchase only crazy dog lovers would make ... see, Piko loves loves loves (I mean, LOVES) to stick her head out of the car window. If she can't stick her head out of the window while we're driving (because, say, we're on the freeway and I don't like my hair whipping me in the face nor do I want to worry about her falling out of the car) she tries to sit on the console so she can see above the dashboard and through the windshield. This girl loves road trips.

We joke around how we should buy her goggles, a bomber jacket and a scarf (kind of like Snoopy) because she loves to go on car rides, peaking out the window. Well, we stopped by a local pet store, Wags & Whiskers, and bought Piko a pair of goggles. Or "Doggles."

Seriously.

How fierce is my puppy?! These aren't great pictures of Piko (we've all agreed that she is much cuter in person and just not that photogenic. And by "we" I mean me.) But how fantastic are these goggles? DAMMIT, they are awesome.

OK, The Man is giving me flack for posting ugly pictures of our puppy. But I couldn't wait show off her Doggles. I promised him I would post better ones when she's actually in the car, sticking her head out with the shades.

But just in case you don't believe that Piko is a very pretty Pekatese, here's a picture to remind you:

Love / Hate

I love being engaged to Jon. Pookie's right - he's my lobster:) I am thrilled to be marrying my best friend and starting new adventures with him.
But I am beginning to hate planning my wedding. It's true! Isn't that terrible? We just wanted something very simple. After talking to Jon (I'm happy to say there were a series of discussions rather than arguments) and after many discussions, we have agreed that we will have a small ceremony with parents and siblings on Oahu in the Spring. He is shy and private and I respect that. We both also come from huge families.
We would then have a wonderful party in the Bay Area to celebrate with our extended family and friends in the Fall. It may not be the least expensive way to go but this was an arrangement that made both Jon and me happy. So all rightee then!
I started making calls to my #1 choice in Oahu because we chose mid-April as our desired ceremony date. I will not disclose the venue yet because (1) if I go with them, I'd rather not mess up my karma by ripping them a new one on my blog and (2) I really really want this place and don't want to talk too much about them until I figure out if they'll work with me or not.
But who knew that if you don't book the ceremony AND a banquet room (because using the restaurant on the property, for whatever GD reason, doesn't count) you can only book six months in advance. Well that doesn't help when you want to make sure your mama and Sister have a freakin' place to stay when and if the wedding takes place! And at choice #3, if you only book the ceremony (because restaurant doesn't count) you can only book 31 days in advance. What?!
Well, you say, why don't you just use one of their banquet rooms? I'd love to, I would reply. But most banquet rooms, at least, the PRETTY ones, require a minimum of either 50 or 100 people.
I have 21.
Well, you say, what about the rooms that require less people? I would then reply that the rooms require a minimum of 30 people - which is fine because I'll probably have to feed some of my vendors and the minister - are boring hotel rooms with fold-away walls (and that would be OK if I decided to have my wedding here in the Bay Area ... not when I'm having a destination wedding!) Or, the other choice is outdoors in a beautiful area but they will charge me $2,800 NOT INCLUDING FOOD.
Sweet Mary Mother of Pearl. I'm ready to kick some ass.
And the best part?
I've been talking to the assistant because the manager has been on PTO. The catering manager finally came back towards the end of the week so I left her two messages. Haven't heard back from her yet.
I'm thinking about getting married in Mexico at an all inclusive resort. I don't need this kind of stress.
But I'm still happy to be engaged to Jon. I just hug him when I get upset.
He's been getting a lot of hugs the past couple of days.

I felt obligated to write about this because I gave Kim and Tater a hard time not updating me on their wedding plans. I have a feeling that I may be posting a lot of angry entries. I apologize in advance.

It's all about timing

I worked a long day yesterday. It was fun. But looong. We were at the first 49ers pre-season game and out in the sun for about five hours, handing out giveaways, soliciting donations, and raising awareness of our organization. After the first quarter, we all splurged a little, buying garlic fries and other yummy ballpark treats, and enjoyed some of the game. We all decided to leave early, in the third quarter, because it was getting very cold. I stopped by my parents house to pick up the pups. Yes, they puppysit! But I didn't stay long because I was exhausted. So I said a quick "hello-thank you-goodbye" and headed home. The puppies, used to being picked up earlier than 8:00pm, were eager to go home too. I parked, entered through the garage, walked into the kitchen and saw this-

I thought two things: "Oh my gosh. OH MY GOSH!" and "Oh no. OH NO. I smell like the outdoors and have garlic breath!"
I followed the white path lined with candles and rose petals. I couldn't believe it. It was really very romantic. The path lead through the kitchen into the living room hallway and ended in the bedroom: There Gil was, on one knee, with a ring, a bottle of wine and two dozen red roses. His proposal was short and very sweet. And of course I said yes! So he slipped the ring onto my finger.
What touched my heart and just confirmed that this man is the PERFECT person for me is what he said next. He told me that just a few minutes ago he had been on his way to my parents' house to ask for their blessing. But he saw my car in the driveway and was sure I had seen him drive past in his work truck. (I didn't.) He realized that I was an hour early and raced back home because all of the petals and unlit candles were laid out. He knew he had only a few minutes to light all the candles and finish setting up. After he told me this story, he asked me to take off the ring because he wanted to show it to my parents. I said, "Oh." (Just kidding, I understood.)

I gave him a kiss, a big hug and wished him luck. He went off to ask for their blessing and pretended that he had not asked me already. Poor guy, he was flustered because he had dressed up, wearing a barong (traditional filipino dress shirt) and slacks, ready to meet with my parents but had to rush and beat me back home! He still looked very handsome, though :)

So he went to my parents' house with my ring and a gift for each of them. My dad, ever the serious person, asked him his plans (oh goodness!) but both my mom and dad were happy and, of course, they gave their blessing.

I apologize for the informal announcement but you know me, I'm a terrible storyteller, especially if I have to repeat it more than once! I tend to leave out all the good stuff. And he had worked so hard to make this a special and memorable proposal. And it was. I love him very much and we are very happy to be engaged!
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Here is a picture, Kim:

Son of a biscuit, I've been tagged.

The Rules:
1. We have to post these rules before we give you the facts.
2. Players start with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
3. People who are tagged write their own blog post about their eight things and include these rules.
4. At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged and that they should read your blog.
5. 8 is a magic number. Not three.

And here we go:

1. My first french kiss was a disaster. Remember when you were a (pre)teen and PDA was just the norm? Nothing has changed. I mean, kids just make out right in front of each other. You don't believe me? Visit a junior high or high school during a lunch break. Well, my first boyfriend asked for a kiss goodbye and we were with another couple. I thought he just wanted a peck on the lips. He stuck his tongue in my mouth. I actually spit in disgust because I was a reserved little 13 year old and didn't know that's how we were going to say goodbye.
We broke up one week later.

2. My first make out was a disaster. He gave me mono! I lost 15 lbs and dropped two sizes and people thought I was on drugs because I looked so sick. Now you know the reason why I was so conservative. It wasn't so much fear from religion as it was fear of an STD because I swear I thought my luck was heading down that road.

3. By the way, that #2 random fact was my prom date. He broke my heart, then gave me mono. Four years later, we reconnected. I never told him he gave me mono but I turned him down when he wanted to start dating. I didn't mean to give him payback. It just goes to show karma can be a biatch.

4. I had a temper as a child. My mom used to make me practice playing piano a lot (justifiable as she was dropping $ for me to learn) and sometimes I would get so frustrated when I didn't learn something quickly that I would bite the piano. Sister has the piano now and you can see the faint bite marks.

5. My senior year in high school I had the brilliant idea to perm my hair. The next day I colored it. The day after that I decided I hated my perm so I straightened it. My hair was so trashed, brittle and thin from the abuse all happening in one week that I had to cut it. This is how the mushroom hairdo came about.

6. My freshman year in college I had both a 24 year old and a 25 year old (seniors in college) repeatedly ask me out on dates. Luckily, I knew that I was too insecure to accept because my parents gave me an 11pm curfew (yes, it's true!!!) and I thought for sure they would end up dumping me if we ended up dating. I'm very glad for the insecurity because a 17 year old virgin who was also inexperienced emotionally would surely get messed up in the head by dating an older man.
Oh wait, I did end up dating the 24 year old. Whoops.

7. Another fun hair fact: I cut three inches, THREE INCHES, when I got my haircut yesterday. I promptly had regrets after I left the salon.
No matter how bad I feel about myself or how self-conscious I get, I can count on having nice hair. I know that I have at least that. And I went and chopped three inches off. I was a little sad.
Then realized no one could tell. Bastards.

8. The first time I met Jon I was sure that he was everything I wanted in a partner. (I'm sorry, it's mushy but it's true.) Now he drools on my pillow. But that's OK. He still fits the bill.

TAG: OK peeps, you are probably being double or triple tagged by now: Demondoll, Tater, Cyn, Kim, WGD - that's all I got!

Real nutrition facts, I promise

I like my job. They don't promote being skinny or looking a certain way. They're all about living healthy and education. My company is one of the many organizations supporting Mandatory Menu Labeling for all chain restaurants in California. If you think about it, it's really cool. The more information we have readily available, the better decisions we can make.

Take this quiz -

1. Which of the following breakfast items that are served at Denny's restaurant do you think has the fewest calories:
-Ham and Cheddar Omelet
-Country Fried Steak & Eggs
-Three slices of french toast w/ syrup & margarine
-Three pancakes w/ syrup & margarine

2. Which of the following items that are served at Chili's restaurant, do you think has the least salt:
-Cajun Chicken Sandwich
-Classic combo chicken & steak fajitas
-Guiltless chicken platter
-Smoked turkey sandwich

3. Which of the following items that are served at Romano's Macaroni Grill restaurant, do you think has the most fat:
-Traditional Lasagna
-Chicken ceasar salad
-Pasta Classico w/ sausage & peppers
-BBQ Chicken pizza

4. Which of the following items that are served at McDonald's restaurant do you think has the most calories:
-Two Big Macs
-Two Egg McMuffins
-One large chocolate shake
-Four regular hamburgers

The answers are in the comments.
If you want to read more about the Menu Labeling, click on this link. My organization, along with others, is the same group that advocated for sodas to be removed in public schools and that only healthy beverages can be served in elementary, middle and high schools. How cool is that?
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JC UPDATE
On a completely different subject but along the same lines (does that even make sense?!) I lost two pounds my first week on Jenny Craig. I was actually surprised since I didn't start until Monday and weighed in Thursday afternoon. I am now 12 lbs from my target. Can I just say these have been the most difficult 15 lbs I've ever had to lose?! Criminy, they've been such a pain in the ass!! I'm digging the JC plan. Probably because I don't like to cook. More specifically, I don't plan ahead to purchase groceries or cook. So I'm hoping JC will be my solution since they prepare all the food for you. And once I get to my target weight, they will help me incorporate regular food into my diet. Anyway, cross your fingers for me going into the second week :)