Wedding (and Weight) Planning

It's been a while since I've posted. Life gets in the way of blogging. :)

I've been in rapid wedding planning mode. We have a little over six months left before the big day, and we've got the majority of the things covered:

• Date, check
• Ceremony and reception locations, check
• Pre-Cana certification (for those non-Catholics out there, this is a wedding preparation course), check
  
• DJ, check
• Photographer, check
• Florist, check
  
• Honeymoon, check (the hotel at least)
• Wedding dress, check
• Getting in shape to wear the dress..... *screech*

Ok. I've been a wee-bit lax in the area of getting in shape, and losing some weight I managed to pack on in the past year. So...I called Jenny. Jenny Craig.

I started the Jenny Craig weight loss program last Thursday night, and I have to say, the food isn't bad. Because I like structure, this program is perfect. They give me a daily menu planner, and I buy the food there. It could not be simpler!

My challenge is the size of the food portions. I think this will get better as my stomach adjusts to what is deemed "healthy sized" meals. I had an a-ha moment about this. I didn't realize one could actually be addicted to food. In the greater Philadelphia area, it is a smorgasbord of food - good and bad. And there's so much of it, it's difficult not to be tempted.

I also have to learn how to eat when I go out with friends and family. I have a book, and I can't wait to see the look on my peeps' faces when I start hacking away at meats to make sure they're the size of my fist.

It will be times out that I wish I was born with man hands.

Musically Challenged

As part of everything SCF and I have to do for the wedding, we have the challenge of picking out some music.

Why, you may ask, is music such a challenge? Perhaps I should mention now: SCF is a huge music buff. I am humbled by his vast array of musical knowledge. I am merely someone who likes a little of everything, and can't tell you the name of any song titles. So, if I have a song in my head, I either have to hear it again and say, "Oh, yes. That's the song," or ask the SCF.

So far we know what we don't want. We've already decided "anything with animals" is to be excluded - for example, there will be no Chicken Dance or Alley Cat. We've nixed the garter tradition, so I guess that means no Beyonce's "Single Ladies." I personally have never been a fan of the tradition (I like the Beyonce song), and given most of our friends and family are already married, it doesn't make much sense.

We've managed to pick out our first dance song. Ok - SCF picked it out and I wept when I heard it and pronounced that had to be the song. We've found some agreed upon music for dinner and dancing (everything from Michael Buble to Metallica). Now we're at the stage where we need to pick out the "entry" music (we may go with something from Prince) and the "Father Daughter" and "Mother Son" dance music.

This will either be a lot of fun or excruciatingly painful for the SCF... :)

Little Mouse, Big City

I've started off the new year not only with Manfriend now being my SCF (super-cute fiance), but also with a new job. After four and a half years at the small consulting company owned and operated by good friends, I said goodbye and started at a rather large company in the city.

I am both excited and anxious about it. I'm excited, because it feels like I am exactly where I should be. The team with whom I will be working has welcomed be warmly, and they are very nice. I'm anxious, because it's in the city. It's a really easy commute, don't get me wrong. The train system is fantastic - especially since I just missed the union strike. But I've been a suburbanite all of my life. The prospect of going to the city every day is a little daunting.

My first day was fine. As luck would have it, as I walked out of the train station, there was a lovely young woman there who was going to the same orientation I was, so we traveled together that day.

The rest of the week I managed to get to the train station on time and to walk to and from my office building without getting lost. The city, for the most part, is quite lovely. There is so much architectural eye candy there, and interspersed there are a lot of fun shops and eateries.

As much as there is the beauty, there are also the harsh realities, which include cold weather, the unfortunate (and sometimes scary) homeless souls seeking shelter where ever they can, and...rats. I saw a big one skitter across a walking path one day and froze dead in my tracks. I'm used to seeing deer. They're prancy and they have cute fluffy tails. Rats...not so much.