Single Status

Summer is quickly fading and I am realizing that I don't have much time left as a single person. Obviously I have been dating for nearly the last year and things have been rather hectic. Now I am trying to squeeze in time for myself. I did go to a race this past weekend with my dad and that was fun. We went to a small "hick" track outside of Sidney named Shady Bowl. Nothing spectacular, just a 3/8 of a mile concrete track but those cars do get up to some serious speeds. I think the fastest average is 92 miles an hour. That's bookin' on that small of a track! Dad tends to root for the same guy, number 5 Chad Poole although I don't think I've ever seen him win a race in the last couple years we have been going. But Dad is nothing if not loyal. Yet again I am reminded of how awesome my family is. I suppose you could not say we are the closest family on the planet emotionally, but we have so much fun doing things together, especially on vacation. We have had a family vacation every year for quite a while now. I don't think we would know what to do if we didn't go somewhere together.

As the wedding day draws near, I am trying to push that anxious feeling away. There seems like so much to still pay for and to do. I am working on the invitations this weekend. Apparently I miscalculated and 125 invitations is not enough. Now it appears I have to go out and buy the "do it yourself" type invitations at WalMart and hope no one decides to compare invitations. Oops! But I refuse to pay another $60 for 25 more invitations like the ones that I have now. That seems a little extraordinary if you ask me. Besides, it's paper for crying out loud!!

I think every girl probably dreams more about her wedding day than any other day of her life. It seems unreal that I am about to experience my own "dream day." My mom is working feverously hard on the decorations and two of the bridesmaids gowns. She has thrown herself into the wedding planning almost as if it was her own all over again and I don't mind at all. She's been there and knows what to expect and plan for. I am what you might call clueless. I basically know what I want but making everything happen is a huge job. My cousins and aunt and uncle on my mother's side have accepted the job of planning the music. I have picked out at least two songs I would like to have sung and the singers are practicing (or so I've been told.) Jason is especially enamored with singing a solo to me so he is also practicing. He has a lot more guts than I do that is for sure. I am afraid my knees would knock louder than I could sing on that day, but bravo! for him.

If anyone has suggestions/advice for me, please have at it. I have one friend who has told me several times that she has Tylenol 3 for me to use the last couple nights before the wedding. I am fully prepared to pop some of them because I know my body and my brain just seems to go into overdrive sometimes at the most unfortunate times, like 2300 hours. Other close married friends have also given me some much needed and helpful advice. So feel free to give your own plug of wisdom (including you, Dad!).

Oh yes, that is me! I was in Richardson, Texas on a business trip last October. One of those wonderful deals where you sit for a few hours and listen to other people ask questions of the experts and generally don't get to the "meat" of the actual business trip. Nonetheless, the owner of the software company that our jail uses is, of course, rather wealthy. But he has a great care-free type attitude and is very generous. As you can see, I am sitting in the front of his 1976 bi-plane. The little space behind me is where he was sitting. That red colored thing on my back is the parachute...just in case. All I need is a red scarf, right? Apparently the software company owner is also an extreme sportsman. He showed us some ESPN spots that he was featured in and I was quite impressed. Impressed enough to let him take me upstairs and do some loops. Let me just tell ya, it makes roller coasters feel like bone-jarring disc-displacing torture. We did some upside down stuff and it was wonderfully smooth and comfortable. He was able to take me up just after the sun said good-bye and it was absolutely beautiful. We did several dives and straight up in the air stunts and I was incredibly glad I had accepted the challenge.