Wheat and I get married in 96 days and my current mindset about our upcoming nuptials is this crazy mix of whoa, really?, yay!, and yikes! Fortunately, it's been mostly yay! lately with a little I'm so excited on the side. This weekend was our first weekend unworthy of a blog recap in a long, long time. Why, you ask? Because with the exception of a trip to the county fair (where we paid $1 to see 'the largest horse alive') and a wonderful double date at the Dixie Twin Drive-In on Saturday, we filled our time with wedding errands. Lots and lots of wedding errands.
In case you're wondering, Minions was disappointing, Ant Man was great, and this friend is awesome.
We booked a DJ and a photo booth. We registered at Bed, Bath, and Beyond. I asked why we would ever need two slotted serving spoons (The answer, by the way, was one for casual eating and another for fancy dinners, as if we ever host those). I had an appointment to have my wedding dress altered. The seamstress asked why it was so wrinkly (The answer, by the way, was my sister's closet finally caved in on itself, leaving my precious girl in a crumpled mess on the floor). We attempted and abandoned two different centerpiece ideas. We made a lot of progress on our wedding favors and decorations for the big day.
All in all, we finally feel like we've stopped playing catch-up. We're starting to focus on the details rather than big-ticket items and that's both fun and expensive. I was a little blind-sided by the hefty price tag of my dress alteration, which really didn't require much altering (just hemming and a bustle). Also during my alteration appointment: I stabbed myself with a pin and vowed to lose at least five pounds before the wedding...then stuffed my face with Five Guys immediately afterward. Oops.
I want to share all of the things we worked on, but it's top secret material until after the big day. I do have a few questions, though, for my wiser, wedded blogger and real-life friends:
- Are there places that allow you to rent pre-made centerpieces? I've entertained glorious dreams of sporty centerpieces loaded with gorgeous flowers, then remembered I'm not a millionaire. Everything we've tried to do on the cheap side looks super homemade, cheap, and reminiscent of a nine-year-old boy's birthday party. HELP.
- Flowers are the bane of my existence right now. I don't have a thousand dollars to spend on them. Can I get a bridal bouquet from the floral department at Kroger? This is a serious question.
- If you attended a wedding where dessert was cupcakes, not cake, how many would you eat?
- What is the one thing you wish you had remembered on your big day? I know I'm forgetting something...
When I think about all the detailed things we have left to do, it's easy to freak out, but for the most part, I think we're feeling kind of like this right now:
Here's to hoping the progress continues and the planning for our fun day stays fun.
...your fiance has to work NBA dance team auditions (read: professional cheerleaders) until 2:00 AM, so you do your best to restore your confidence by treating yourself to a pedicure.
...you bring an extra snack to the office in case you get hungry that day and you always feel hungry enough to eat it. Oops.
...you're rocking out to a song in the car and then you realize it's the new Justin Bieber song.
...you get gorgeous flowers from both your fiance and best friend in the same week.
...you get so jealous of other people's vacations that you're ashamed of yourself.
...you spend 20 minutes deciding where you'd go first in the case of a zombie apocalypse, only to realize a) it's probably not going to happen and b) you're at work.
...your wedding is in three months and you still haven't booked a DJ or even thought about flowers and centerpieces.
...you get a song stuck in your head and it will not get out.
...you wonder if Selena Gomez is actually an over-sized child or what? (I'm not convinced we're the same species)
...you love going to breweries, even though you don't drink. It must be the tours or something.
Or maybe all of this is just me. That's okay, too.
If this past weekend were a dessert, it'd be a heaping scoop of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream topped with whipped cream, a cherry, and sprinkles. That should accurately convey how good it was. Thanks to Wheat's crazy schedule with the Pacers and Fever, he gets a few Fridays off and we took full advantage of our long weekend together. We kicked it off right on Thursday when we decided on a whim to check out the weekly rooftop party at Regions Tower. It happened to be Casino Night, so we listened to live music and enjoyed the gorgeous view while playing some roulette. Fortunately, we were playing with fake money, so it didn't hurt quite as bad when we lost $1,000.
On Friday, Wheat delivered on planning a fun, active date by leading us on an awesome scavenger hunt through the city. After printing the clues provided by Urban Quest, we embarked on a two-hour adventure that took us to various monuments downtown in order to collect clues and solve puzzles. It was a scorching hot day, so I didn't complain when we stopped halfway for lunch at The Old Spaghetti Factory with a couple good friends from grad school. However, with just one clue remaining in our scavenger hunt, we suddenly found ourselves in the middle of a torrential thunderstorm. Despite our best efforts at finding shelter, we got completely drenched and slogged our way back home to the sound of cracking thunder.
If asked to describe my perfect summer day, I wouldn't hesitate to point to Saturday. Jenn arrived in the early afternoon and the three of us indulged in a delicious brunch at Mesh. My short rib grilled cheese, which I would hardly classify as brunch, was sandwich perfection. We followed our meal with a couple hours at the pool before heading over to Klipsch for a special evening with Dave Matthews Band.
In full disclosure, this was my 21st DMB concert and they just keep getting better. We staked out a spot on the lawn, bought some concessions, and prepared for an incredible two-set show. The acoustic set featured Dave in all his singer-songwriter glory, but the electric set that followed absolutely brought the house down. I danced, sang, played air saxophone and violin, and soaked in every second. The forecast called for rain, but it somehow missed us. We could, however, see constant flashes of lightning in the distance. That, paired with all the glow sticks and cell phone lights, made for a visual experience that almost rivaled the music. Here was the setlist:
Rye Whiskey
Spoon
Bartender
One Sweet World
Satellite
Tripping Billies
Recently
Raven
What Would You Say
Stay (Wasting Time)
#41
Don't Drink the Water
Be Yourself
Burning Down the House - Talking Heads cover
Lying in the Hands of God
Save Me
Granny
Virginia in the Rain
Crush
Belly Belly Nice
Louisiana Bayou
Jimi Thing
So Much to Say
Anyone Seen the Bridge
Too Much (fake)
Ants Marching (fake)
Halloween
As if the night could get any better, Jenn bought me a gorgeous pink rose and we somehow beat the traffic out in record time. Sunday, Jenn and I went to the gym for a bit before completely negating our hard work with Yats for lunch. I regret nothing. We talked all things wedding for a bit before she headed home and Wheat and I promptly fell asleep. Upon waking up, I decided to check something else off my Summer Bucket List and went for dinner at Indy's famous vintage drive-in, Mug 'n Bun. With the exception of the delicious corn nuggets, the greasy food was just okay, but the retro charm and old-school car-side service made up for that.
With what I always call "the best day of summer" (the day Jenn and I see DMB) behind me, I'm already starting to look forward to fall. I'd like to say I simply can't wait to hear wedding bells, but in complete honesty, I just don't think I can handle any more of these 90ยบ days. We've finally entered the dog days, friends.
Ever since my mom's cancer diagnosis last year, I've revised my attitude on so many things. I've re-evaluated much of my life and decided to focus on what means the most to me. I've completely revamped my reaction to unfortunate situations, ones that used to send me into dramatic meltdown mode - Oh, I popped a tire. It's not the end of the world. I didn't get the job? Bummer, but it's okay. I know it sounds cliche, but ultimately, I realized that nothing is promised and the best I can do is embrace every day, every conversation, every dance, every meal, every hug like it might be my last.
Recently, I read the story of a remarkable woman, Heather Von St. James, who was diagnosed with mesothelioma, a rare, aggressive cancer caused by exposure to asbestos, at the age of 36, just three months after giving birth to her daughter. Despite the grim reality of the disease and the fact that most patients don't live 15 months beyond diagnosis, Heather forged ahead with the support of her doctors and husband, Cameron. After intense treatment, which included the removal of her left lung, Heather made a complete recovery from her dire diagnosis. Nine years later, she works to spread hope to patients and raise awareness about mesothelioma and asbestos exposure.
I knew very little about mesothelioma before hearing Heather's story, but it's important to be aware of the symptoms of the disease and the dangers of asbestos, which was used in building materials through the 1970s and still is not banned in the US or Canada. In Heather's case, she was exposed to the fibers by wearing her dad's construction work jacket as a child. The cancer, which affects the lining of organs (particularly the lungs), wasn't diagnosed until she had serious trouble breathing.
Now, Heather uses her difficult story to inspire hope in other patients. As a result of her struggle, she has adopted a 'live in the moment' attitude, an 'All or Nothing' mentality that allows her to throw caution to the wind and live loudly. In honor of National All or Nothing Day on July 26, I wanted to share her story to encourage you to truly embrace your life and live with no regrets.
It's amazing how bad news can actually inspire you to become a better version of yourself, to live more authentically, and to face and share your emotions. More than anything else, my mom's cancer diagnosis has opened my eyes to the incredible life I have and makes me want to fill it with as many amazing people and memories as I can.
Everyone has something they've always wanted to do, but haven't yet out of fear or hesitation. It's not always a daring endeavor, like skydiving or jumping off the high dive. Sometimes, it's simply gathering the courage to share your feelings about something, making an overdue doctor's appointment, or telling someone how much they mean to you. Whatever it is that you've been meaning to do or accomplish, I encourage you to do it this Sunday on National All or Nothing Day.
When I created my summer bucket list a couple weeks ago, I had full intentions of taking an epic road trip - the kind with your feet on the dashboard, your dream guy in the driver's seat, an ice-cold Dr. Pepper in the cup holder, windows down, and music blasting. This weekend, most of that occurred when Wheat and I set out for New York to attend a couple friends' wedding. I had no idea how fast, furious, frustrating, and fun it would be, but I'm so glad we bit the bullet and decided to do the 18-hour round-trip trek by car, instead of by plane.
We set out after work on Friday night, drove five hours, made a pit stop at Cane's for dinner, and settled in for the night at a hotel in Beachwood, Ohio, a suburb outside of Cleveland. The next morning, we knew we had four more hours to go to get to Churchville, where the wedding was held, so we planned accordingly - left in plenty of time, stopped for lunch, and picked up doughnuts after my first trip to Krispy Kreme.
Side note: Why can't they have Krispy Kreme stores around here? I was instantly enthralled by the mini-doughnut factory. I practically shrieked watching the guy scoop the batter and push the doughnuts into the fryer oil. I may or may not have taken video of the doughnuts moving along the conveyor belt and under the constant stream of glaze. They were making strawberry junior doughnuts and the cashier became my new best friend when she offered us samples hot off the belt. I was quickly converted, put on the paper hat, and promptly bought a dozen for the trip. I regret nothing.
When we arrived in Tonawanda (a town outside of Niagara Falls), we went to check in to our hotel - still good on time for the wedding. However, the guy at the front desk claimed that we didn't have a reservation for that night, despite our email confirmation from Orbitz, and then informed us that every hotel in the area was full due to the Rolling Stones concert. Mick, you brought me such joy, then such pain. (Yes, Wheat called Orbitz to complain. No, they didn't help us. They gave us a $50 voucher for future trips and left us out to dry. We think the hotel threw out our $80 reservation when they realized they could charge $230 per room for the weekend festivities.)
After a momentary panic attack, we got ready for the wedding in a public restroom and drove the rest of the way to Churchville. The bride and groom, Erica and Dave, were two friends we made in Indy while she suffered through grad school with us. We were thrilled to share their special day with them. The wedding was absolutely gorgeous - it looked like something straight from a wedding magazine. The ceremony and reception were held in Erica's parents' backyard and I was blown away with how incredible everything looked. After parking in a field nearby and taking a hayride over to the ceremony site (how cute is that?!), we checked out the gorgeous decorations and settled in. With drinks in-hand, we staked out a spot on the hay bales for the ceremony.
The weather could not have been more perfect, the personal vows made me cry were beautiful, and Erica looked like a million bucks in her wedding dress. Dinner was delicious, the live band was great, and we loved catching up with Erica and Dave (however briefly) while also meeting some of their loved ones. As always, it was far too short, but we wish them an entire lifetime of happiness and hopefully some visits to Charlottesville in the future!
We spent most of the cocktail hour on the phone trying to find a hotel and, sure enough, there were no vacancies within 90 miles. I had already bought tickets for the Maid of the Mist at Niagara Falls for the next day, so we didn't want to drive too far beyond it or I'd have to eat the cost of the tickets. We seriously contemplated sleeping in the car before I did what I always do when trouble strikes - call my dad. Halfway through the reception, he called to let us know that a hotel in Buffalo had a couple vacancies, but wouldn't let us make a reservation - the rooms were first-come, first-serve. So, we sadly packed it in early, made the hour drive back to Buffalo, and tracked down the hotel...if you can call it that.
It was certainly better than nothing, but Wheat paid $50 more than he was supposed to at our original hotel for a room with no air conditioning, a recliner chair with stains on it, cigarette burns on the comforter and sheets, and a lamp with no lamp shade. It also looked like it hadn't been properly cleaned in months, but we were relieved to find something in the area. We did our best to laugh it off and called it an early night.
The next morning, we woke up early and headed to Niagara Falls for some quick fun before the drive home. Wheat had never been to the falls before (and my previous experience wasn't the best, either), so it was fun to explore with him. We didn't have much time, so we scoped out the incredible view from above before heading down to the Niagara River for the Maid of the Mist boat ride. We put on our attractive blue ponchos, channeled our inner Jim and Pam, staked out a spot on the railing of the top deck, and got absolutely soaked by the mist from the falls. It was exactly the stress release that we needed after the chaos the day before.
After the ride, we climbed up a little higher to admire the falls from a different angle and enjoyed a beautiful rainbow in the mist. Unfortunately, I didn't bring my passport, so the Canadian view was out of the question, but we absolutely loved the American side and vowed to return someday. With one last look at the falls, we packed up and made our way back to Indy. We made one quick stop at the Mansfield Reformatory because I've always wanted to see it (it's where they filmed The Shawshank Redemption), but there was a concert going on, so I only got a rainy glimpse from the road.
I think that just calls for another, hopefully less stressful, road trip in the future...
Am I the only one that enjoys road trips? Have you ever had travel plans fall through at the last minute?
For Wheat's birthday this year, I did exactly what any red-blooded, American girl would do on their fiance's birthday: Go straight for his heart and offer him food. Last year, I took him to Rick's Cafe Boatyard for a nice belated birthday dinner on the lake, but this year, I upped the ante and took him to Eagle's Nest at the Hyatt Regency.
Eagle's Nest is Indy's only revolving restaurant, so I made reservations for a sunset spin on one of the highest rooftops in the city. Although the day was overcast, the view was still impressive and we had a blast pointing out our apartment complex, the Capitol building, the canal, and other notable landmarks in the city. It took our entire dining experience (slightly over an hour) to make one complete revolution and we left a bit before the sun went down.
Although dinner itself was delicious, the highlight of the meal was honestly the appetizer we chose - braised short rib gnocchi with chives, shallots, and creme fraiche. We practically licked the sauce off the plate when it was finished and I'm still dreaming about it. For the main course, I chose the grilled center cut filet with potato and artichoke gratin, broiled pearl onions, and marrow butter. Wheat opted with the herb crusted prime rib, garlic and horseradish fries, and pickled onion salad. Needless to say, we were both happy with our choices.
We closed our meal with a lemon meringue bomb with brandied cherries and phyllo dough, which is a fancy way of saying lemon pudding with cherries. Coupled with some hand-holding, it was the perfect end to our mid-week date night.
It's a rare occasion for us to dress up and go somewhere fancy. We're more of a frozen-pizza-and-Bachelorette-on-the-couch kind of couple, but I must admit - it was nice to celebrate my favorite guy in the way he deserves.
Everyone has questions that seemingly evade answer. Existential inquiries that cause them to doubt their place and role in the universe. Bothersome, insomnia-inducing questions that keep them up at night. Quandaries that boggle the mind and challenge their faith, world view, and perspective. Here are a few of mine:
- Do fish drink? If so, where do they pee?
- Do color blind people find eating Starbursts fun or frustrating?
- Have the characters in The Walking Dead not seen a zombie movie before?
- Why do waiters always suggest root beer as an alternative when they don't have Dr. Pepper?
- Is it possible to eat too much guacamole? If so, what is the threshold?
- Do dentists hate going to the dentist, too?
- Why do I find Shia LaBeouf so attractive?
- Does anyone actually prefer vanilla frosties over chocolate?
- Is Donald Trump for real?
- Are we sure that Mick Jagger isn't actually Harry Styles' father?
When the 4th of July coincides with the weekend, everyone should build in at least two days to catch up with reality and get back into the swing of things, right? This lucky dog had Friday and Monday off, but I'm still struggling with the back-to-work grind. I blame it on my concert and visitor hangover...or Bill Cosby's confession or the child pornography raid on Jared Fogle's house. Regardless, things were nicer on Friday. Let's go back to that.
On Friday, my dear friends, TJ and Tasha, came to visit and, as per the usual, she came bearing gifts. So, we stocked our fridge with s'mores cookies and lemon bars before heading to Mass Ave for dinner. The wait for Bru Burger was remarkably short, so we took advantage of the situation and feasted on the world's most delicious burgers. Mark my words. After dinner, we took a stroll on the canal, listened to the gondoliers sing, watched YouTube videos of lip sync battles, and laughed like old times.
The next afternoon, TJ and Tasha checked into a hotel with his family as we all prepared for the epic Rolling Stones concert at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. There's no better way to celebrate American independence than with the greatest living British band, right? I'll take this opportunity to tell you that I've always loved the Stones and had been counting down the days until the show. We arrived in time to hear the tail end of Saints of Valory's set and searched for a bit before finally finding TJ and Tasha's crew and setting up camp.
Rascal Flatts opened for the Stones and I was amazed by how many of their songs I knew. Many people were upset with a country-pop band doing the opening honors, but I actually enjoyed the juxtaposition in music. Everyone, even country stars, can appreciate the Stones and even Mick Jagger himself channels a little country sound in some of their songs. Plus, we were in Indiana at a speedway. You do the math. Here was their setlist:
Stand
Me and My Gang
What Hurts the Most (with snippets of Hozier's "Take Me to Church")
Love You Out Loud
Why Wait
Bless the Broken Road
Fast Cars and Freedom
Summer Nights
Rewind
My Wish
Banjo
Life is a Highway
IMS had never hosted a concert outside of race day before, so some aspects of the venue left something to be desired. First, there were over 50,000 people in attendance and we paid for the cheap, bronze section tickets. Since the speedway is flat, this prevented us from seeing the performers on the stage and forced us to watch the entire show on the three large screens overhead - think musical festival set-up. Also, our blankets were laid out on gravel (instead of the nearby grassy viewing hills), which made our seating arrangements rather unsatisfactory (see what I did there?). We may not have gotten what we wanted, but we definitely got what we needed when the Stones finally came out.
Guys, I was in absolute music heaven, despite my incessant fear of an ISIS attack. From the second the announcer said, "Ladies and gentleman, the Rolling Stones" to the final bow, I was singing and dancing and inhaling way too much second-hand smoke. It was so incredible to hear some of my favorite songs of all-time live and I was absolutely blown away by the amount of energy those guys still exude. Harry Styles' dad Mick Jagger will be 72 in a couple weeks, but he still dances and sings exactly like he did in the '60s. Keith Richards was also charismatic while on lead vocals, but took a nasty spill while jogging down the runway. Fortunately, he kept playing and laughed it off.
They infused plenty of local humor into the show and, at one point, Mick announced that Ronnie Wood was the winner and handed him a jug of milk to chug like the winner of the Indy 500. The best joke, however, was when Mick said he wanted to bring Tom Brady out to help on a song, but found the idea "a bit deflating." That drew a lot of boos from the Deflategate-sensitive crowd of Colts fans, but I found it hilarious. An additional bonus of the show being on the 4th of July was that we could see fireworks displays from all over Indy throughout the entire show. It was electrifying.
The setlist was absolutely amazing and I actually cried when they launched into "Wild Horses." I would have loved to hear "Beast of Burden" or "Paint it Black," but with a setlist like this, I really can't complain:
Jumpin' Jack Flash
It's Only Rock 'n Roll (But I Like It)
Let's Spend the Night Together
Tumbling Dice
Out of Control
Let it Bleed (by audience request) -- I mentioned country vibes and you can definitely hear them on this song
Wild Horses
Bitch
Honky Tonk Women
Before They Make Me Run - Keith Richards on vocals
Happy - Keith Richards on vocals
Midnight Rambler
Miss You
Gimme Shelter
Start Me Up
Sympathy for the Devil
Brown Sugar
You Can't Always Get What You Want (with the Butler University choir)
(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction
As if that wasn't enough, a 19-minute fireworks display started while the band took their final bow. The perfect end to a perfect 4th of July. Of course, the real end was waiting in standstill traffic for an hour and a half as we tried to leave the Speedway, but nothing could bring me down after a show like that.
Sunday was spent registering at Target (which probably deserves a post of its own) and I filled my personal day on Monday with some poolside reading, a stroll through the Indianapolis Arts Garden, and a matinee of Magic Mike XXL. God bless America. Also, they reference my beloved school, Miami University, in the movie and I almost shrieked in the theater. Pains of going to movies alone, I suppose.
By the time I'm finally running on all cylinders this week, it'll be time for another weekend. Not that I'm complaining. Hope you had a wonderful holiday filled with fireworks, sunshine, apple pie, pool time, and lots of family and friends!
