Office Monkey

Fortunately, I had married Mandrina months ago, so it wasn’t much of a surprise.

First, a pointer to Xaan’s and Nightsinger’s excellent write-ups of things I’m too lazy or preoccupied or self-centered to write up myself. Also, thanks to Jamie for deciding scandously to have a 21st birthday celebration in Vegas. Was a fantastical trip, although I could have done with more love from the gambling. Okay, I would have settled for just a little less hatred.

Second, I’ll writeup my memories, but stick them behind a cut so that my front page doesn’t suddenly grow huge again.

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I could have backed out of it, I suppose, but now I really can’t. I booked the plane tickets for our flights to the wedding site, and then from there to our honeymoon destination, and then back home. With free upgrades to first class — next time you need to book a vacation, call NWA World Perks Vacations at 1-800-800-1504, and ask for Samantha. (She was wonderful.)

So, I guess I’m stuck now. Oh well. Mandrina must not be reading over my shoulder right now, because she hasn’t yet glared at me. (I love you, honey!)

I’m getting more stressed trying to plan a honeymoon than I was planning on proposing!

Trying to find a Honeymoon location has been a hassle.

Originally, Mandrina wanted to go to Vienna, Austria. I wasn’t thrilled with that, but I came up with a wonderful compromise — three or four nights in Vienna, an overnight train to Switzerland (I want to open a Swiss Bank account!), then another train to Belgium — which is for my stomach — Gauffres, Belgian Chocolate, and Frites, baby!

Then someone realized that a March wedding would lead to a March honeymoon would lead to Vienna in March which would lead to dealing with 30 degree temperatures. Mandrina wants a warm honeymoon (“Bare shoulders!”).

So I suddenly have to deal with coming up with a new destination.

Mandrina wanted Egypt. A Nile River cruise, Pyramids, Cairo. I agreed it would be neat. Then I spoke to a friend, Egyptian parents, who advised me that it probably wouldn’t be too safe to go to Egypt. Doh.

NEXT!

Australia wasn’t too popular, nor was New Zealand. Peru (Machu Picchu!) met with similar issues — actually, the primary one was the lack of options for going to see Machu Picchu — it appears to always require a tour.

NEXT!

Casablanca was the most recent idea (our first dance is likely to be to “As Time Goes By”). Morocco isn’t necessarily unsafe (I don’t know yet), but the cost to travel from New Orleans or Atlanta (nearest two major airports) to Casablanca is rather high.

NEXT!

Nile River Cruise, train to Casablanca. Whoops. I’d have to cross Libya, which I seem to recall is a terrorism supporter. That’s not so good…

NEXT!

Um.

I don’t have a “Next” yet. Hrm…

Mandrina and I leave tomorrow AM for Florida, to go to her High School Reunion. I’m not terribly looking forward to it. I have to play nice and dress up, and be away from my cat. Okay, so it’s mostly the latter — I’m afraid he’ll get annoyed with me while we’re gone, and adjust to a completely inconvenient sleep schedule, like he did last summer when we were in Romania.

Of course, we’re also going to take the opportunity to talk to Florists, and Caterers, and maybe, if I play my cards right, bakers. Because, of course, since Mandrina will want Chick Filet (spelling?), the diet is suspended while we are in FL. So I better get me some chocolate chip cookies while I can!!!

This I don’t get, though. We’ve been to Florida three times in the last year. We’ve been to New York all of once. Admittedly, Florida is nicer much of the year than New York, but… PIZZA!!!

Which I couldn’t have on this diet, anyway, so no big loss.

So today is Wednesday, December 14th, 2005.

I have done no Christmas shopping. I have barely thought about what to buy people for the holidays. In addition, I need to finish a huge bunch of stuff at work which I’m just slightly overdue on, and I need to plan and pack for our trip back to New York for the holidays.

Including arranging for Glitch-care. My kitten is so cute! Okay, so he’s a year old, but still.

So here’s my hideously embarassing to-do list:

1. Choose Christmas gifts for cousin Jenny and Aunt Pam and Uncle Bob, and Mandrina’s family
2. Ship Christmas presents to aforementioned individuals
3. Verify that Mandrina is truly okay with not getting anything for Christmas — delayed large gift to each other on top of the trip out there should count for something!
4. Choose Christmas gifts for K, L, M, D, Luke, and Alva
5. Order anything necessary, ship direct to NY
6. Figure out who is going to be visited on LI
7. Schedule as possible events for NY trip
8. Decide what to pack
9. Panic and do laundry
10. Meet up with Jamie and provide house keys and guidance on Glitch-visitation procedures
11. Get cat food and litter
12. Finish processing video files for Manda
13. Pack
14. Pack laptop
15. Repack clothes with Mandrina
16. Give in and buy small present for Mandrina
17. Panic

There will be some work in there, too. And a hair cut. And a blood donation. And Mandrina’s in an ice show on Friday night. And we’re going sledding on Saturday. Now MIGHT be the right time to Panic.

So far I know I’m going to see the following people in NY. If you read this and aren’t on the list, don’t be offended! I’m going to deliberately leave off certain individuals just so you can’t feel too bad! But email me so I remember, just in case.

• Al
• Mishu
• Gabe
• Rachel
• Jenn, oh, wait, she abandoned me…
• TA
• Brian
• Mike P.
• Tommy C.’s crew

You know, that isn’t as scary as I expected. Admittedly, you take out Christmas Eve and Christmas, maybe New Year’s Eve or Day… and then factor in family I’ve not seen for over a year and Mandrina’s obsession with NY… it could get busy. It will get busy. Mandrina and I will have to talk about taking a “rest day.” So that maybe, just maybe, I can SLEEP.

So I haven’t posted in a few days. I’ve been busy with loads of exciting things. I have some pictures, which I’ll put up eventually. In the meantime, however, here’s the summary:

• 17 hours spent at the Opera. What, might you ask, would require anyone to sit through SEVENTEEN HOURS of Opera? And not just Opera, but GERMAN Opera. Because you haven’t experienced real life until you’ve sat and watched a bunch of fat opera singers sing the same thing fifteen different times in slightly tones of voice. Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelungen. Because Mandrina REALLY wanted to see it. She owes me BIGGGG.
• Guy’s Night / Jamie’s Jonathan’s 21st Birthday – I’m sorry, I can’t comment on this. Aside from saying that Godiva Chocolate Liquor, Creme de Cocoa, and Cherry Brandy work really well. And Bacardi 151 doesn’t work very well for someone who’s never drank before…
• VJ Day Celebration. In Vancouver, Washington, where Mandrina and I had gone for my birthday — which made my birthday feel slightly less special, but I guess that just means Mandrina will have to make it up to me for my next birthday… But it was interesting, a bunch of World War II veterans and equipment. Mandrina drooled over the planes, some of which still fly. But the highlight was a visit to the only remaining PT Boat in the world that still floats. As Mandrina’s grandfather served on a PT Boat in World War II, we were allowed below decks as VIPs, where Mandrina got hit on by an 85-year-old man. “If we had a girl like you on the boat, we never would have stopped fighting!” Which is true. I’d bomb several foreign nations for her.
• Game night! Abigail hosted a game night — wherein I discovered I should not be allowed to provide clues in Taboo. Mandrina fortunately won Scattegories, so I didn’t have to have her upset on the way home — she might be a wee bit overcompetitive.

That would be about all. Work, but who cares about that?

So last week Mandrina moved out of her apartment. I, of course, assisted… way more than I was originally supposed to, but I’m sure she’ll thank me later. *waits* Okay, way later…

While she’s leaving, I insist on checking her mail, which she hasn’t bothered to even glance at since, well… end of June we went to Romania, and before that she was on a business trip… so since the middle of June. I steal her keys, and go through her mail standing in the foyer of her apartment complex. Junk mail, junk mail, Seattle City Power and Light bill, Seattle City Power and Light bill for Ricardo Mendendez, Seattle City Power and Light disconnection warning for Ricardo Mendendez, another Seattle City Power and Light bill for Mandrina, an invitation to Miss A. R. + Guest… which I handed to Mandrina as I finish going through the rest of the mail.

“OH MY GOD! My father’s getting married!”

I then come across a letter addressed in the same handwriting to Ms. A. R., which I hand to her. It’s the letter sent four days before the wedding invitation that was intended to tell Mandrina about her father’s new girlfriend… who he started seeing over Easter. Yes, this Easter.

So the invitation was sent out six weeks before the wedding, but Mandrina had just not checked her mail. Her father’s note mentioned “wonderful boyfriend Andrew,” which is all he’s ever heard of me. And next weekend, Mandrina and I are flying back to her home town to attend her father’s wedding. We’re going to be staying at her mother’s house…

Yes, my life is just a little odd.

I didn’t get to go to that one, though.

Mandrina’s employer’s local managers picnic was yesterday (I’m sure it had a more clever title). I was invited (at the last minute) to go, so I took a half day and went to Lincoln Park in West Seattle. Pretty-ish park, too large to have to walk around… Oh. Wait, we did walk around… ’cause we didn’t know what picnic ground they were at.

Turns out, they were at the first picnic stand we went to — we just didn’t see anyone Mandrina recognized, so we proceeded to walk ALL AROUND the park. Beautiful day out, fortunately, but still.

I, of course, was not allowed to bring my camera, so there are no embarassing photos. Mandrina didn’t process that “picnic” meant “potentially dirty” — so her outfit was not entirely suited (flip-flops were cute, but in dirt-covered paths white flip-flops are a bad idea). I got a black balloon sword — which is now in my office at work. I played half an inning of softball — at short stop. Guess how underrepresented that team was at that moment…

I also go to drive around for a half hour racing to find a softball bat because no one had brought one, and then hurry to work to find out I had to make a presentation in an hour…

I should have gone to the Teddy Bear picnic.