10:15 AM: Spent this morning at the body shop dropping off my car for some minor rear end repairs from when I was rear-ended in March. They provided me with a rental car, which is a huge Dodge Ram 1500. Way more vehicle than I've ever maneuvered. Couldn't park next to anyone in the parking lot because I couldn't judge how big the truck was.

Now I must work. Hard. Need to catch up on some stuff around here so I can leave at a relatively decent hour, drive my large and in charge truck homeward, and proceed to my mani/pedi appointment. My nails look like jagged claws and I won't even burden you with a description of my feet. *sigh*.

More later, maybe at lunchtime.

11:23 AM: Meeting this afternoon, then MVG tonight. I am noticing progress from my 2-3x a week strength training + increased protein/good whole food consumption. My clothes fit... better, and I feel stronger.  

12:30 PM: Impromptu lunch plans with Agnes as she's going to be at this afternoon's meeting as well! Yay! I will eat whatever she's eating. Agnes has a knack for finding something healthy, gluten free, whole, and nutritious on any menu she's presented with. She could probably find something good to eat at Burger King! Really! So, instead of reinventing the wheel..."I'll have what she's having..." 

I like this one too.

REST. SORE.

Cleaned and vacuumed the house. Purchased and planted some flowers for the back porch. Drove around in the convertible and got a little sun. Gorgeous sunny and warm day!

Went to a wedding reception last night. It was OK... watching the daddy/daughter dance made me realize that I really missed my Dad at our party last weekend. I don't know if I didn't realize it at the time... maybe I did... but I was so busy dancing around and running hither and tither that I didn't have a chance to really think about it. Last night, while sitting at a guest table while the bride and father of the bride danced, I choked back tears.  

In happier news:

The professional photos are up... on www.fredfox.com code SLWCP. Enjoy!

Me and Mama Whiz.

These are grainy because I've pirated them off of the website. Our package includes a CD of full sized images.

Everyone cheering! L-R Front: Chris' Dad, Mom, Me, Chris, Matthew (nephew) my Mom and Rachael. Back row: Jim & Christina and Jon.

9:52 AM: Another crazy day at work, I think. Lots to do. MVG again tonight at 5, since I had to skip Wednesday. Woke up this morning and my arms and shoulders were so sore I could barely bathe myself. No way I could swim this morning. No. Way. Shoulders, triceps, biceps, wrists, etc etc. ZOMG.

In other news Chris and I have had a jolly good time lately watching Downton Abbey. I realize we are somewhat behind the times, but we are still enjoying ourselves immensely. We crack ourselves up sending each other text messages using Downton terminology. As I write it here, it just doesn't seem that funny, though. Hmmmpf.

Now I must stop flanneling about and ring for tea.

11:51 AM: Why is it that nothing happens when I ring for tea?  

Let them eat CAKE!

How about that, huh? Loved it. That wasn't sand... it was actually graham crackers... crumbled! And the shells on the cake were edible! Those starfish and whatnot.

Dancin' Fools!

Iron GIRLZ! That's KTpitbull, me and our IMKY pal Paige. Taken with an iPhone... our eyes are dead and hollow!

12:22 PM: Couple of things:

• The drive to work today was frought with... DOUCHEBAGS. I must have said that very word 15-20 times today on my hour long drive. I've never seen so many people drive so erratically on the same day!
• I found a mummified banana in my car. It was black. And squishy. My car smelled vaguely like bananas.
• MVG tonight at 5. He was able to rearrange his schedule.
• Busy at work. Like ZOMG busy. I have so much to do there just aren't enough hours in the day.
• I think I will continue to post wedding photos until either I, or you, (my dear reader) get disgusted or tired of them.
• My department has moved to Downers Grove. I sit every day alone now, in my old cubicle, surrounded by empty floor space. I'm lonely and I miss Agnes, my work wife. It's also freezing cold in the office.
• That should do it for now.

Whitney and me, April 5, 1991.

And us, May 12, 2012. The only thing missing is my retro squatty Miller Lite bottle.

Oh and about a gallon of this:

STIFF STUFF!

UNINTENTIONAL DAY OF REST

9:44 AM: Wedding Wednesday! But I'm absolutely slammed at work. Phone conference meeting at 10... then work work work after that. I haven't forgotten.

5:58 PM: Work never really improved today, and I got caught up on the phone with my manager (who has moved to a different office), so I had to cancel on MVG. I am sad. The good news is that he was able to get me in tomorrow at 5PM... so I still get my ass kicked by him 3x this week! Yay!

This right here is my favorite shot from the wedding itself. I love this picture. LOVE it. I am ordering one for my Mom, as well as one for the Whiz/Dump abode.

Closely followed by this one:

Those are my two favorites. They are from the professional roll that we got from St. John. We don't have the professional photos back from the photographer @ the party yet. I suspect those will CRACK ME UP. He was everywhere. Running around, hither and tither, and he really worked up a sweat. I tried to feed him, but he said he wasn't hungry. That man earned every last penny of whatever he made that day, and I highly recommend him, if you're throwing a wedding in the Chicagoland area. I mean, I haven't seen his final product yet, but he was certainly enthusiastic, and sometimes that's more than half the battle! He was also EVERYWHERE. ALL THE TIME. I don't know how he perfected his time/space travel, but somehow he made that work as he seemingly teleported his way from one end of the ballroom to the other.

Oh, and he was Polish. So I got to use my big-small-8-squirrel-hat-scarf-toilet-carrot vocabulary on him. You know that was one of the highlights of my evening!

His name was GREGORY and he's out of FRED FOX STUDIOS. Hit him up if you are planning a wedding or a vow renewal or whatever. I think you have to go through Fred Fox, though.

Beer Swilling Bride Sparks Controversy?

Wow. I'm glad who ever found that controversial wasn't at our party, where the bride was doing shots, wearing a race number, a Hawaiian lei, and dancing with a woman she calls her "work wife".