12/21/2006
12/20/2006
Where was this article last year?
Brides may need help with post-wedding blues
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Everything about Brian and Christina Behrend's late summer wedding was picture perfect - from the bright Texas sun to the emotional vows that symbolized a storybook romance.
The Dallas couple - she's an account manager for an e-mail provider, he's a professional Web developer - met six years ago and, as their online diaries say, it was truly love at first sight.
So when the Sept. 2 wedding was over and the honeymoon bags unpacked, Christina headed back to work and was a bit unnerved when her life as a new bride was marked by a case of the blues.
"Our apartment was a mess - there was no motivation to clean. Our bank accounts were empty. The high from the adrenaline of planning a wedding for over a year was completely down. So moving into this new low was quite depressing, particularly when you return home with nothing to do except continue on with work and everyday activities," she said.
The Behrends are not alone. Wedding planners, psychologists and other experts say a post-wedding letdown is perfectly normal, even common.
Carley Roney, co-founder and editor-in-chief of the online wedding site theknot.com, said weddings are often the high point in someone's life, particularly young brides.
"There's a certain high to having such an increased sense of purpose," Roney said. The wedding "is filled with all the things that are sort of so celebrity: my guest list, what dress should I wear, how can I spend this $10,000 budget? It's very glamorous.
"You build and, all of a sudden, it is over. Period. Full stop," she said. "The glamour is over. You become another person - sort of on the normal list."
Marg Stark, a San Diego author whose book "What No One Tells the Bride" offers women a realistic guide to the sometimes rough waters of walking down the aisle, said newlyweds often find themselves isolated.
Single girlfriends may not understand, and no new bride wants to sound like something is wrong with her marriage, she said.
"So you're cut off from the friends who used to keep you sane. And your anxiety is doubled, thinking that you're the only bride out there who isn't basking in bliss," Stark said.
Susan Padrino, a psychiatry instructor at University Hospitals of Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, said there aren't many scholarly studies on the topic but psychiatrists and psychologists are seeing more patients with emotional wedding hangovers.
In many cases, the stress of marriage and wedding planning sparks underlying depression, which should be treated right away, she said.
"You could speculate that today's emphasis on the wedding as the 'best and most expensive day of your life' would put even more stress onto the bride and groom," she said. "Unreasonable expectations about what the wedding day will mean could also contribute to a significant letdown feeling."
The Internet, where wedding postpartum discussions abound, and more realistic portrayals of marriage in the media have helped. But Roney and Stark say the idea of being depressed just after getting married is still somewhat taboo, mostly because people are afraid to talk honestly about the sometimes bad feelings associated with getting married.
"As long as there are women fogged over by tulle in their wedding fantasies, there will be newlyweds who have turbulent adjustments after the perfect wedding is over," Stark said. "I do think society sets women up with a lot of impossible, overblown expectations."
Many wedding planners say they have begun counseling clients about the possible post-wedding blues from the minute they start putting together the ceremony. They recommend a budget the couple can truly afford without dipping into credit cards; enough time to plan without rushing, which could add stress; and postponing the honeymoon to allow time to recover financially and emotionally from the wedding.
Loree Tillman, a wedding designer from Escondido, Calif., said newlyweds often end up missing the fellowship of family and friends that a wedding brings.
"I have had brides say, 'OK, now what? What do I do now?'" Tillman said. "What I tell every bride after their wedding day is, plan another party! Large and/or small - family reunion, barbecue, holiday party. This helps carry those wonderful feelings that brides and grooms had on their wedding day."
As for the Behrends, they have started a weekly date night and work out together at the gym as a way to focus on their marriage now that the wedding is over.
Christina said she hopes their Web log, which details their experience, will help other newlyweds.
"Hopefully, once we've settled into this new phase we can finally start building our relationship and lives together," she said.
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Everything about Brian and Christina Behrend's late summer wedding was picture perfect - from the bright Texas sun to the emotional vows that symbolized a storybook romance.
The Dallas couple - she's an account manager for an e-mail provider, he's a professional Web developer - met six years ago and, as their online diaries say, it was truly love at first sight.
So when the Sept. 2 wedding was over and the honeymoon bags unpacked, Christina headed back to work and was a bit unnerved when her life as a new bride was marked by a case of the blues.
"Our apartment was a mess - there was no motivation to clean. Our bank accounts were empty. The high from the adrenaline of planning a wedding for over a year was completely down. So moving into this new low was quite depressing, particularly when you return home with nothing to do except continue on with work and everyday activities," she said.
The Behrends are not alone. Wedding planners, psychologists and other experts say a post-wedding letdown is perfectly normal, even common.
Carley Roney, co-founder and editor-in-chief of the online wedding site theknot.com, said weddings are often the high point in someone's life, particularly young brides.
"There's a certain high to having such an increased sense of purpose," Roney said. The wedding "is filled with all the things that are sort of so celebrity: my guest list, what dress should I wear, how can I spend this $10,000 budget? It's very glamorous.
"You build and, all of a sudden, it is over. Period. Full stop," she said. "The glamour is over. You become another person - sort of on the normal list."
Marg Stark, a San Diego author whose book "What No One Tells the Bride" offers women a realistic guide to the sometimes rough waters of walking down the aisle, said newlyweds often find themselves isolated.
Single girlfriends may not understand, and no new bride wants to sound like something is wrong with her marriage, she said.
"So you're cut off from the friends who used to keep you sane. And your anxiety is doubled, thinking that you're the only bride out there who isn't basking in bliss," Stark said.
Susan Padrino, a psychiatry instructor at University Hospitals of Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, said there aren't many scholarly studies on the topic but psychiatrists and psychologists are seeing more patients with emotional wedding hangovers.
In many cases, the stress of marriage and wedding planning sparks underlying depression, which should be treated right away, she said.
"You could speculate that today's emphasis on the wedding as the 'best and most expensive day of your life' would put even more stress onto the bride and groom," she said. "Unreasonable expectations about what the wedding day will mean could also contribute to a significant letdown feeling."
The Internet, where wedding postpartum discussions abound, and more realistic portrayals of marriage in the media have helped. But Roney and Stark say the idea of being depressed just after getting married is still somewhat taboo, mostly because people are afraid to talk honestly about the sometimes bad feelings associated with getting married.
"As long as there are women fogged over by tulle in their wedding fantasies, there will be newlyweds who have turbulent adjustments after the perfect wedding is over," Stark said. "I do think society sets women up with a lot of impossible, overblown expectations."
Many wedding planners say they have begun counseling clients about the possible post-wedding blues from the minute they start putting together the ceremony. They recommend a budget the couple can truly afford without dipping into credit cards; enough time to plan without rushing, which could add stress; and postponing the honeymoon to allow time to recover financially and emotionally from the wedding.
Loree Tillman, a wedding designer from Escondido, Calif., said newlyweds often end up missing the fellowship of family and friends that a wedding brings.
"I have had brides say, 'OK, now what? What do I do now?'" Tillman said. "What I tell every bride after their wedding day is, plan another party! Large and/or small - family reunion, barbecue, holiday party. This helps carry those wonderful feelings that brides and grooms had on their wedding day."
As for the Behrends, they have started a weekly date night and work out together at the gym as a way to focus on their marriage now that the wedding is over.
Christina said she hopes their Web log, which details their experience, will help other newlyweds.
"Hopefully, once we've settled into this new phase we can finally start building our relationship and lives together," she said.
12/11/2006
366 Days Down
And I can't believe it!
Trevor and I celebrated our one-year anniversary on Saturday. We decided to go to dinner at V. Mertz
stay at Embassy Suites on the Old Market. When we checked into the hotel and found our room, we realized we were upgraded to the Presidential Suite. Presidential Suite as in my dad really wanted that room for the wedding last year and they wouldn't give it to him. We opened the door and were in awe, and did what we had to do: call our friends to have them come down to the hotel and party with us. Like Trevor said, "we could not have had that room and not called anyone." It was a super fun night! The only problem is we were planning on staying at an Embassy Suites every year on our anniversary...but Saturday night might have set our expectations a little too high :-). 
Trevor and I celebrated our one-year anniversary on Saturday. We decided to go to dinner at V. Mertz
stay at Embassy Suites on the Old Market. When we checked into the hotel and found our room, we realized we were upgraded to the Presidential Suite. Presidential Suite as in my dad really wanted that room for the wedding last year and they wouldn't give it to him. We opened the door and were in awe, and did what we had to do: call our friends to have them come down to the hotel and party with us. Like Trevor said, "we could not have had that room and not called anyone." It was a super fun night! The only problem is we were planning on staying at an Embassy Suites every year on our anniversary...but Saturday night might have set our expectations a little too high :-). 
10/30/2006
Hola
Hey everyone! Since I haven't blogged in nearly five months, I'm sure you all thought I fell off the face of the earth or was eaten by the mouse in our house. You'll be happy to know I'm alive and well and our house is mouse-free (so I've been told). Most importantly, I'm getting back into the blog groove. Nothing much to know at this time, other than a little life lesson I've learned while being a wife:
When you are baking and wearing an apron, remove it before you to the bathroom. Aprons tie in the back and it's easy to forget about those ties. Sadly, I realized this the hard way.
When you are baking and wearing an apron, remove it before you to the bathroom. Aprons tie in the back and it's easy to forget about those ties. Sadly, I realized this the hard way.
5/30/2006
5/05/2006
Garage Sale
This fall I am walking in the 2006 Chicago Breast Cancer 3-Day. The Breast Cancer 3-Day is a three day, 60-miles walk benefiting the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation and the National Philanthropic Trust Breast Cancer Fund. Each walker is required to raise $2,200 to participate.
I’m walking with three friends: Shannon, Lizzie and Michelle. As part of our fundraising efforts we are holding a garage sale. The sale started yesterday and ends tomorrow. Profits at this point are minimal, but hopefully tomorrow’s “Everything Must Go” sale will help.
I have to just take this opportunity to thank Trevor and the other girls’ husbands, Josh and Brian, for everything they have done for this garage sale. I’ll be candid. Garage sales are pains in the asses. We stored crap in our garage and storage room for five months, waiting for this weekend. Shannon and Lizzie dedicated all day yesterday, I took today off from work and Michelle’s dedicating her entire Saturday to man the Sale. But the best part is how supportive the boys have been. We spent five hours Tuesday hauling, pricing and merchandising the items, and the fellas were with us the entire time. They’ve came over before to help us prepare for the day, and after work to move the unsold items from the driveway back to the garage.
This is one of those crazy ideas we had and our hubbys have been so encouraging and helpful. We’re very fortunate to have such great support during our Breast Cancer 3-Day journey. Thank you.
I’m walking with three friends: Shannon, Lizzie and Michelle. As part of our fundraising efforts we are holding a garage sale. The sale started yesterday and ends tomorrow. Profits at this point are minimal, but hopefully tomorrow’s “Everything Must Go” sale will help.
I have to just take this opportunity to thank Trevor and the other girls’ husbands, Josh and Brian, for everything they have done for this garage sale. I’ll be candid. Garage sales are pains in the asses. We stored crap in our garage and storage room for five months, waiting for this weekend. Shannon and Lizzie dedicated all day yesterday, I took today off from work and Michelle’s dedicating her entire Saturday to man the Sale. But the best part is how supportive the boys have been. We spent five hours Tuesday hauling, pricing and merchandising the items, and the fellas were with us the entire time. They’ve came over before to help us prepare for the day, and after work to move the unsold items from the driveway back to the garage.
This is one of those crazy ideas we had and our hubbys have been so encouraging and helpful. We’re very fortunate to have such great support during our Breast Cancer 3-Day journey. Thank you.
5/02/2006
Quirks
I had to create a bio for work today. Part of it included listing “Fun Facts” about ourselves. I was in a hurry and quickly sent an email to Trevor to help me out.
From: Wendy Fitch
Sent: Tuesday, May 02, 2006 3:09 PM
To: Trevor.Fitch
Subject: Help
So I have to put together a bio like the attached. I need you to help me be funny.
- What are fun things about me?
- What should I call the fun section? What about Wendy? WTF? (Better not).
Trevor’s reply was the best.
From: Trevor.Fitch
Sent: Tuesday, May 02, 2006 3:26 PM
To: Wendy Fitch
Subject: RE: Help
Lets see…..
Your love of puns is bewildering. That’s right, bewildering.
You got your picture taken in front of a donkey wearing a shirt and hat.
You’ve been in a French Canadian wedding and done the 2 kiss cheek thing. With a man and a woman.
Your mom has a cremated dog in an urn which is currently sporting a two piece swimsuit.
You make fantastic chicken parmesan
You make horrible pasta salad
You’ve been on the today show
You somehow got over a slightly uncomfortable (for the rest of us) obsession with Jessica Simpson. We’re still waiting on Nick Lashay (sp?)
You are a horrible singer but you never give up.
If a bird walked up to you carrying the bottom of someone’s shoes, your ass would be grass.
In the last 30 days you have lied on the floor in the garage and cried.
Your mom has worn your wedding dress more recently than you have.
You routinely wake up your husband by talking in your sleep. Sometimes you wake him up by laughing hysterically. In your sleep.
And then he sent a second email.
You really don’t (even though you swear you do) understand the concept of sea level.
Math makes you nauseous. (and I quote)
One time you threw a temper tantrum in the Target toy aisle. You were 24 years old, I believe.
You have good taste in paint colors.
You have more clothes than anyone I have ever seen.
Your love of the color pink, no matter how much I ridicule you for it, actually impresses me.
You never whine. Happy Opposite Day.
You keep our house clean. No matter how much I try to stop you.
That’s all I got. I’m going to try to leave soon. Bill has a table we can borrow, but I think it’s covered in beer. I told him it would be a last resort
Trevor loves my quirks and I love his. I do whine. I do pick my nose. I do shout at the top of my lungs when my favorite song is on. When you find someone that you can do these things with, and that they for the most part, enjoy, consider yourself very lucky.
From: Wendy Fitch
Sent: Tuesday, May 02, 2006 3:09 PM
To: Trevor.Fitch
Subject: Help
So I have to put together a bio like the attached. I need you to help me be funny.
- What are fun things about me?
- What should I call the fun section? What about Wendy? WTF? (Better not).
Trevor’s reply was the best.
From: Trevor.Fitch
Sent: Tuesday, May 02, 2006 3:26 PM
To: Wendy Fitch
Subject: RE: Help
Lets see…..
Your love of puns is bewildering. That’s right, bewildering.
You got your picture taken in front of a donkey wearing a shirt and hat.
You’ve been in a French Canadian wedding and done the 2 kiss cheek thing. With a man and a woman.
Your mom has a cremated dog in an urn which is currently sporting a two piece swimsuit.
You make fantastic chicken parmesan
You make horrible pasta salad
You’ve been on the today show
You somehow got over a slightly uncomfortable (for the rest of us) obsession with Jessica Simpson. We’re still waiting on Nick Lashay (sp?)
You are a horrible singer but you never give up.
If a bird walked up to you carrying the bottom of someone’s shoes, your ass would be grass.
In the last 30 days you have lied on the floor in the garage and cried.
Your mom has worn your wedding dress more recently than you have.
You routinely wake up your husband by talking in your sleep. Sometimes you wake him up by laughing hysterically. In your sleep.
And then he sent a second email.
You really don’t (even though you swear you do) understand the concept of sea level.
Math makes you nauseous. (and I quote)
One time you threw a temper tantrum in the Target toy aisle. You were 24 years old, I believe.
You have good taste in paint colors.
You have more clothes than anyone I have ever seen.
Your love of the color pink, no matter how much I ridicule you for it, actually impresses me.
You never whine. Happy Opposite Day.
You keep our house clean. No matter how much I try to stop you.
That’s all I got. I’m going to try to leave soon. Bill has a table we can borrow, but I think it’s covered in beer. I told him it would be a last resort
Trevor loves my quirks and I love his. I do whine. I do pick my nose. I do shout at the top of my lungs when my favorite song is on. When you find someone that you can do these things with, and that they for the most part, enjoy, consider yourself very lucky.
4/30/2006
Happy (Early) May Day
We regressed back about 18 years today and surprised our friends and family with May Day baskets. We had an absolute blast delivering the goodies. I don’t think Trevor ever did May Day baskets as a kid or something; when I told him you get to ring the doorbell and run away he giggled like a little boy. Seeing him sneak up to the front porches, push the bell and sprint back to the car was hilarious. I wish I had had my video camera. It sounds silly that we spent our Sunday driving all over Omaha, but it was worth it. So much, in fact, someone institutionalizes a June Day soon. I can’t wait to do that again.
4/14/2006
Omaha in the News
We won't have kids for a long time, let alone school-aged kids. However, this recent bill passed by the legislature doesn't just impact students, their parents, teachers, faculty, etc. It affects everyone in Omaha. We are now living in a city that has forgotten all the civil rights this country fought for many years ago; a city that has decided to separate school children by their race. What lesson is that teaching?
I was very proud to move back to Omaha a few months ago, and now I'm just shaking my head.
Omaha school district to split along racial lines
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) -- In a move decried by some as state-sponsored segregation, the Legislature voted Thursday to divide the Omaha school system into three districts -- one mostly black, one predominantly white and one largely Hispanic.
Supporters said the plan would give minorities control over their own school board and ensure that their children are not shortchanged in favor of white youngsters.
Republican Gov. Dave Heineman signed the measure into law.
Omaha Sen. Pat Bourne decried the bill, saying, "We will go down in history as one of the first states in 20 years to set race relations back."
"History will not, and should not, judge us kindly," said Sen. Gwen Howard of Omaha.
Attorney General Jon Bruning sent a letter to one of the measure's opponents saying that the bill could be in violation of the Constitution's equal-protection clause and that lawsuits almost certainly will be filed.
But its backers said that at the very least, its passage will force policymakers to negotiate seriously about the future of schools in the Omaha area.
The breakup would not occur until July 2008, leaving time for lawmakers to come up with another idea.
"There is no intent to create segregation," said Omaha Sen. Ernie Chambers, the Legislature's only black senator and a longtime critic of the school system.
He argued that the district is already segregated, because it no longer buses students for integration and instead requires them to attend their neighborhood school.
Chambers said the schools attended largely by minorities lack the resources and quality teachers provided others in the district. He said the black students he represents in north Omaha would receive a better education if they had more control over their district.
Coming from Chambers, the argument was especially persuasive to the rest of the Legislature, which voted three times this week in favor of the bill before it won final passage on the last day of the session.
Omaha Public Schools Superintendent John Mackiel said the law is unconstitutional and will not stand.
"There simply has never been an anti-city school victory anywhere in this nation," Mackiel said. "This law will be no exception."
The 45,000-student Omaha school system is 46 percent white, 31 percent black, 20 percent Hispanic, and 3 percent Asian or American Indian.
Boundaries for the newly created districts would be drawn using current high school attendance areas. That would result in four possible scenarios; in every scenario, two districts would end up with a majority of students who are racial minorities.
Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
I was very proud to move back to Omaha a few months ago, and now I'm just shaking my head.
Omaha school district to split along racial lines
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) -- In a move decried by some as state-sponsored segregation, the Legislature voted Thursday to divide the Omaha school system into three districts -- one mostly black, one predominantly white and one largely Hispanic.
Supporters said the plan would give minorities control over their own school board and ensure that their children are not shortchanged in favor of white youngsters.
Republican Gov. Dave Heineman signed the measure into law.
Omaha Sen. Pat Bourne decried the bill, saying, "We will go down in history as one of the first states in 20 years to set race relations back."
"History will not, and should not, judge us kindly," said Sen. Gwen Howard of Omaha.
Attorney General Jon Bruning sent a letter to one of the measure's opponents saying that the bill could be in violation of the Constitution's equal-protection clause and that lawsuits almost certainly will be filed.
But its backers said that at the very least, its passage will force policymakers to negotiate seriously about the future of schools in the Omaha area.
The breakup would not occur until July 2008, leaving time for lawmakers to come up with another idea.
"There is no intent to create segregation," said Omaha Sen. Ernie Chambers, the Legislature's only black senator and a longtime critic of the school system.
He argued that the district is already segregated, because it no longer buses students for integration and instead requires them to attend their neighborhood school.
Chambers said the schools attended largely by minorities lack the resources and quality teachers provided others in the district. He said the black students he represents in north Omaha would receive a better education if they had more control over their district.
Coming from Chambers, the argument was especially persuasive to the rest of the Legislature, which voted three times this week in favor of the bill before it won final passage on the last day of the session.
Omaha Public Schools Superintendent John Mackiel said the law is unconstitutional and will not stand.
"There simply has never been an anti-city school victory anywhere in this nation," Mackiel said. "This law will be no exception."
The 45,000-student Omaha school system is 46 percent white, 31 percent black, 20 percent Hispanic, and 3 percent Asian or American Indian.
Boundaries for the newly created districts would be drawn using current high school attendance areas. That would result in four possible scenarios; in every scenario, two districts would end up with a majority of students who are racial minorities.
Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
4/10/2006
A Paint in the Ass
I cried tonight. Not because I got bad news. Not because I stubbed my toe very hard. Because I have been painting our freaking laundry room for a week now and it still looks like shit.
Seriously. It all started last Friday (March 31) when I was driving to Kansas City at 0-six-hundred. Those drives are dangerous. During those drives I’ll do anything to stay awake and that normally means lots of brainstorming. “What new hobby should I pick up this week?” “What other fundraisers can I do to raise money for the 3-Day?” “What should we name our kids?” (I do this drive a lot. I get desperate). That said, March 31 I decided we were repainting our laundry room. The color swatch had been taped to the wall for months; it’s not like it was completely out of the Ruby Red.
Sunday, April 2 Michelle and I ventured to the Home Depot. (Don’t ask where Trevor was. I’ll just say he was home and it involved a mixer, vanilla, chocolate chips and a 350-degree oven.) I purchased the paint and shelves to replace the existing ones. By the time I got home, it was pretty late in the day and all I had time to do is tape.
Painting started this week. Saturday was step one. Primer. I should mention I got the primer for free from our friends, Josh and Shannon. I took the primer and probably should have made sure it matched our paint, worked with our paint, etc. But they offered a gift and I accepted. Thank you, Hites. Yesterday was coat 1. Turned out blotchy. I’m thinking it will look fab after coat two. That came tonight. If you want to know the outcome, you should have seen the tears streaming down my face while I was lying in the garage. Yes. My home improvement project made me cry. I just don’t understand how I can suck so bad! It’s PAINT! You learn how to paint with your fingers when you are one. It’s not supposed to be that hard.
Moral is: I’m no Picasso or Van Gough or kindergartener apparently, although I do have a mess on my hands but it’s called the laundry room. Pretty soon the red paint is going to be black from so many coats. But I’m going to give it one more whirl. If any of you are more painting-inclined than I am, I’d love thoughts/feedback on how to get an even red paint.
120 days of marital bliss...
...and no wedding video.
Today Trevor and I celebrate our four-month anniversary. We have big plans – he’s at the bar and I’m about to put another coat of paint on our laundry room :-).
I’ll tell you a little something we won’t be doing to celebrate our 120 day anniversary: watch our wedding video! Can you believe we STILL have not received it? Today, friend and co-worker April called them. She, my “personal attendant,” called for me because I am busy (maybe out of town? Not 100% sure what she said) and need the video by this weekend when my family is in town for Easter. Basically Don told April they covered a Bar Mitzvah sometime between now and our wedding, and the boy committed suicide after his event. He said, “it makes it hard to be creative.” April told him everything I want to and would have. Thanks again for calling, April!
Now, I am not being insensitive at all. I’m just being realistic from a business perspective. Omaha Wedding Video cashed a check worth a lot of money. They signed a contract that said they would deliver the final video within two months of the event. As they left our wedding (early) they said we’d have it in January.
At this point, I just want our the memories we paid them to capture and the pictures they still have from our photo montage. Once I do, I’ll offer brides-to-be and anyone looking for a videographer my opinions.
I’m curious…what would you all do if you were in our shoes?
Today Trevor and I celebrate our four-month anniversary. We have big plans – he’s at the bar and I’m about to put another coat of paint on our laundry room :-).
I’ll tell you a little something we won’t be doing to celebrate our 120 day anniversary: watch our wedding video! Can you believe we STILL have not received it? Today, friend and co-worker April called them. She, my “personal attendant,” called for me because I am busy (maybe out of town? Not 100% sure what she said) and need the video by this weekend when my family is in town for Easter. Basically Don told April they covered a Bar Mitzvah sometime between now and our wedding, and the boy committed suicide after his event. He said, “it makes it hard to be creative.” April told him everything I want to and would have. Thanks again for calling, April!
Now, I am not being insensitive at all. I’m just being realistic from a business perspective. Omaha Wedding Video cashed a check worth a lot of money. They signed a contract that said they would deliver the final video within two months of the event. As they left our wedding (early) they said we’d have it in January.
At this point, I just want our the memories we paid them to capture and the pictures they still have from our photo montage. Once I do, I’ll offer brides-to-be and anyone looking for a videographer my opinions.
I’m curious…what would you all do if you were in our shoes?
3/29/2006
This May be Weird
But sometimes my wedding ring smells. Anyone else's? Like it's been washed and air-dried (i.e. mildew). Or maybe dirt. Not sure. Regardless, I think it's from washing my hands a lot. I guess that's not a bad thing.
3/21/2006
One more thing...
I forgot to mention when I was looking at the wedding pictures and writing that last post the song "My Friend" by Crystal Lewis was playing on my iPod. (Don't diss my iLibrary - it was downloaded as a possibility for the wedding video.) Here are the lyrics - check out a soundbite on iTunes. Now, you tell me this won't make you want to run out right now and hug your friends.
thank you
for being my friend
for being the one on whom i depend
we’ve been a team
come rain or shine
come win or lose
what’s yours has been mine
i love you my friend
for giving to me
for being my confidant
for letting me be me
for sharing your heart
for taking a stand
i want to be like you
i love you - my friend
i’ll never forget
the secrets we kept
the stories we told
the nights we never slept
the tears that we cried
the heartaches we shared
somehow gave me hope
when it seemed no one cared
there’ve been times
i felt my life
was coming to an end
you stood by me, my friend
i thank God
for sending someone
like you to me
i’m glad we’ve got eachother
the years will pass
and times will change
but one thing will always
stay the same- we’ll always be friends
thank you
for being my friend
for being the one on whom i depend
we’ve been a team
come rain or shine
come win or lose
what’s yours has been mine
i love you my friend
for giving to me
for being my confidant
for letting me be me
for sharing your heart
for taking a stand
i want to be like you
i love you - my friend
i’ll never forget
the secrets we kept
the stories we told
the nights we never slept
the tears that we cried
the heartaches we shared
somehow gave me hope
when it seemed no one cared
there’ve been times
i felt my life
was coming to an end
you stood by me, my friend
i thank God
for sending someone
like you to me
i’m glad we’ve got eachother
the years will pass
and times will change
but one thing will always
stay the same- we’ll always be friends
I Take That Back
Since December I’ve told several people how I do not miss wedding planning. In part – that’s true. I do not miss spending my evenings tracking down people’s new addresses, stressing about whether to have white or ivory linens or if we should name our signature cocktail the Marrytini or the Merrytini.
However, as I look at our wedding photos again this evening I take that back. But I don’t miss those tangible elements. What I miss is the emotion, excitement, nerves (well, to a point) and anticipation the engagement and wedding brought – and all of the people we shared those feelings with. As much as a wedding is about the couple, it is also about their friends and family that wholly support their relationship. Neither Trevor nor I are who we are without the influence of many people, the closest of which we celebrated our engagement with on September 7, our future with at numerous showers, our friendships with at our bachelor/bachelorette parties and the day of our lives with on December 10.
Looking at this picture (and many others of us with our friends and family) makes me want to offer this one word of advice to anyone planning a wedding or who will plan a wedding future:
don’t get caught up in the nitty gritty details. The Knot.com and Martha Stewart’s Wedding Magazines will help you with those. Celebrating your wedding and the events leading to it with close family and best friends is the most important element.
In our wedding programs we thanked our guests for spending December 10 with us and said we were "fortunate to celebrate this wonderful occasion with such special people." We meant it. And that's something we'll never take back.
However, as I look at our wedding photos again this evening I take that back. But I don’t miss those tangible elements. What I miss is the emotion, excitement, nerves (well, to a point) and anticipation the engagement and wedding brought – and all of the people we shared those feelings with. As much as a wedding is about the couple, it is also about their friends and family that wholly support their relationship. Neither Trevor nor I are who we are without the influence of many people, the closest of which we celebrated our engagement with on September 7, our future with at numerous showers, our friendships with at our bachelor/bachelorette parties and the day of our lives with on December 10.
Looking at this picture (and many others of us with our friends and family) makes me want to offer this one word of advice to anyone planning a wedding or who will plan a wedding future:
don’t get caught up in the nitty gritty details. The Knot.com and Martha Stewart’s Wedding Magazines will help you with those. Celebrating your wedding and the events leading to it with close family and best friends is the most important element.
In our wedding programs we thanked our guests for spending December 10 with us and said we were "fortunate to celebrate this wonderful occasion with such special people." We meant it. And that's something we'll never take back.
3/16/2006
Photo Montage
We've officially been married for three months and six days, and still haven't received our wedding video. Some might call that a lengthy process. In the spirit of optimism, we're calling it giving the video the attention and dedication it deserves.
However, while looking at the videographer's Web site today (to see if they list their turnaround time) we noticed a portion of our photo montage is available to view. Here's the link for anyone that might not have been able to make it to the reception, or for those of you who just want to see our baby faces again.
http://www.omahaweddingvideo.com/20475_4221.asp
However, while looking at the videographer's Web site today (to see if they list their turnaround time) we noticed a portion of our photo montage is available to view. Here's the link for anyone that might not have been able to make it to the reception, or for those of you who just want to see our baby faces again.
http://www.omahaweddingvideo.com/20475_4221.asp
3/01/2006
Grammar Geek
I have to put this out there.
I like to write and I like punctuation. This blog does not reflect that.
I write everyday for work. Whenever something is going to my client, the media or anyone else I’m working with, it’s (hopefully) flawless. I review it ten times and then I usually send it to co-workers for review.
When I post to the blog, all punctuation, grammar and rules go by the wayside. It’s a journal. I don’t care that I maybe get an its and it’s messed up because I am so excited to get my thoughts down. This is a personal blog and my number one objective is to tell you what I’m (or we’re) thinking or doing. If I start going back and editing posts, the original meaning’s altered – even if it is inserting a comma there or taking out a semi-colon. There will be dangling prepositions and “We”s and “I”s because I can’t remember if I’m writing from my point of view or on behalf of both of us. The tenses will be off because I might be writing about something as if it happened today but really it was two weeks ago.
What you’re reading is real. I just wanted to put it out their.
I like to write and I like punctuation. This blog does not reflect that.
I write everyday for work. Whenever something is going to my client, the media or anyone else I’m working with, it’s (hopefully) flawless. I review it ten times and then I usually send it to co-workers for review.
When I post to the blog, all punctuation, grammar and rules go by the wayside. It’s a journal. I don’t care that I maybe get an its and it’s messed up because I am so excited to get my thoughts down. This is a personal blog and my number one objective is to tell you what I’m (or we’re) thinking or doing. If I start going back and editing posts, the original meaning’s altered – even if it is inserting a comma there or taking out a semi-colon. There will be dangling prepositions and “We”s and “I”s because I can’t remember if I’m writing from my point of view or on behalf of both of us. The tenses will be off because I might be writing about something as if it happened today but really it was two weeks ago.
What you’re reading is real. I just wanted to put it out their.
So We’ve Been MIA From the Blogosphere. Sorry.
We realize it’s been nearly two months since I’ve written. Not because there hasn’t been anything exciting to write about since our honeymoon. That’s not the case at all. Since January 23rd:
We've Written Thank Yous
Well, some anyway. We’re about halfway done. We’re making them on our own printer and we’ve ran out of ink. Those of you who are still waiting, we apologize for the delay. We loved all of our gifts. Those of you who have received your thank yous, thank you for the comments about them. We thought they were cute – glad you did too.
We Still Have Not Received Our Wedding Video
And we’re dying to see everyone cutting rug on the dance floor. Looks like I’m going to have to shoot old Omaha Wedding Video an e-mail.
We Celebrated Our First Newlywed Valentine’s Day
It was spectacular. We went to dinner with my mom and dad and their friends, Woody and Rhonda. Actually, we had a great time and took them up on the offer. They had extra reservations at Mahogany, and, well, that sounded better than the casserole we were going to make in a heart shaped dish.
Trevor got me a wallet. I knew at 8 a.m. that morning. Not because we exchanged gifts early, but because he left the receipt on the counter before he left for work. Whoops J. Yes, I did pout for a while but I learned to love the wallet and have a good Valentine’s Day (wine helped). Disclaimer: not entirely a bad day because of the receipt incident. Work sucked and I ran out of toilet paper at a very inconvenient time while home alone, if you must know. I also thought I was getting flowers when the doorbell rang, but really it was my mail from work. The FedEx arrived on Tuesday that week instead of Monday. Rotten trick.
Wendy Spent Her First Night Alone in the New House
And man did I hate it. I was supposed to be in Le Mars for work, but the trip was cancelled at the last minute. Trevor was in Kansas City (we plan our trips well) so it was Wendy flying solo. At first, I liked it. I could pick up the joint, go shopping without having to disclaim prices (just kidding, Trev) and come home from an eyebrow wax without being made fun of. But I tell you what. Our house is loud and I am convinced someone lives in the attic. And they tap dance up there. It was to the point I slept with the bedroom door locked both nights and prayed. The fact a house just down the street from where my parents used to live was robbed earlier in the week might have had something to do with these fears.
We Almost Got a Dog
We toyed with the idea. We tried to look at PetCo just to see if we were going to fall in love with one, but they didn’t have any. PetCo: where the pets apparently don’t go.
After much consideration and hours on www.puppyfind.com we decided we don’t need a lil’ one right now. Too hard with my work from home/Kansas City schedule, plus I took a quiz on the Humane Society’s Web site and turns out after moving, moving in with a significant other, marriage and recent loss of pet, they don’t recommend getting a doggie at this time. Someday we’ll get that little Stevie Hicks. Someday.
We Had Come Good Clean Fun
Turns out we’re both getting used to each others’ tidiness. I do not like stuff sitting out. Hate it. I bought bins from Pottery Barn to eliminate the problem. In the laundry room we have a “Trevor” bin, a “Wendy” bin, and “Cleaning Supplies” bin, a “Bills” bin, a “Miscellaneous” bin and two TBD bins. So, last nig Trevor couldn’t find a few checks he needed to cash. I could hear him upstairs stomping all over the place and slamming drawers and I could feel him giving me crusties through the walls. Where were the checks? In the Trevor bin. He hates the bins. He hid his bin from me. It was a little tense last night, in a good way. By the end of the night we compromised on some organizational systems and we’re devoting this weekend to cleaning and organizing. Look out label maker. Here we come.
So, that’s it. I tried to keep the post short. I failed. Hows about I just write more often so each entry isn’t a novel. All in all, married life is fantabulous. Like I’ve been telling everyone, I don’t know why we waited for so long. I highly recommend it.
Until next time,
Mrs. Fitch
We've Written Thank Yous
Well, some anyway. We’re about halfway done. We’re making them on our own printer and we’ve ran out of ink. Those of you who are still waiting, we apologize for the delay. We loved all of our gifts. Those of you who have received your thank yous, thank you for the comments about them. We thought they were cute – glad you did too.
We Still Have Not Received Our Wedding Video
And we’re dying to see everyone cutting rug on the dance floor. Looks like I’m going to have to shoot old Omaha Wedding Video an e-mail.
We Celebrated Our First Newlywed Valentine’s Day
It was spectacular. We went to dinner with my mom and dad and their friends, Woody and Rhonda. Actually, we had a great time and took them up on the offer. They had extra reservations at Mahogany, and, well, that sounded better than the casserole we were going to make in a heart shaped dish.
Trevor got me a wallet. I knew at 8 a.m. that morning. Not because we exchanged gifts early, but because he left the receipt on the counter before he left for work. Whoops J. Yes, I did pout for a while but I learned to love the wallet and have a good Valentine’s Day (wine helped). Disclaimer: not entirely a bad day because of the receipt incident. Work sucked and I ran out of toilet paper at a very inconvenient time while home alone, if you must know. I also thought I was getting flowers when the doorbell rang, but really it was my mail from work. The FedEx arrived on Tuesday that week instead of Monday. Rotten trick.
Wendy Spent Her First Night Alone in the New House
And man did I hate it. I was supposed to be in Le Mars for work, but the trip was cancelled at the last minute. Trevor was in Kansas City (we plan our trips well) so it was Wendy flying solo. At first, I liked it. I could pick up the joint, go shopping without having to disclaim prices (just kidding, Trev) and come home from an eyebrow wax without being made fun of. But I tell you what. Our house is loud and I am convinced someone lives in the attic. And they tap dance up there. It was to the point I slept with the bedroom door locked both nights and prayed. The fact a house just down the street from where my parents used to live was robbed earlier in the week might have had something to do with these fears.
We Almost Got a Dog
We toyed with the idea. We tried to look at PetCo just to see if we were going to fall in love with one, but they didn’t have any. PetCo: where the pets apparently don’t go.
After much consideration and hours on www.puppyfind.com we decided we don’t need a lil’ one right now. Too hard with my work from home/Kansas City schedule, plus I took a quiz on the Humane Society’s Web site and turns out after moving, moving in with a significant other, marriage and recent loss of pet, they don’t recommend getting a doggie at this time. Someday we’ll get that little Stevie Hicks. Someday.
We Had Come Good Clean Fun
Turns out we’re both getting used to each others’ tidiness. I do not like stuff sitting out. Hate it. I bought bins from Pottery Barn to eliminate the problem. In the laundry room we have a “Trevor” bin, a “Wendy” bin, and “Cleaning Supplies” bin, a “Bills” bin, a “Miscellaneous” bin and two TBD bins. So, last nig Trevor couldn’t find a few checks he needed to cash. I could hear him upstairs stomping all over the place and slamming drawers and I could feel him giving me crusties through the walls. Where were the checks? In the Trevor bin. He hates the bins. He hid his bin from me. It was a little tense last night, in a good way. By the end of the night we compromised on some organizational systems and we’re devoting this weekend to cleaning and organizing. Look out label maker. Here we come.
So, that’s it. I tried to keep the post short. I failed. Hows about I just write more often so each entry isn’t a novel. All in all, married life is fantabulous. Like I’ve been telling everyone, I don’t know why we waited for so long. I highly recommend it.
Until next time,
Mrs. Fitch
1/23/2006
Honeymoon 2K6
Michelle Seger put it best. “the first day back from paradise is the hardest!!” We’ve always known she was a smart cookie, but she proved it once again in her e-mail this morning. We returned home to cold (although not as cold as we expected) Omaha last night after a wonderful seven day cruise to the Mexican Riveria. Each day offered something fun and memorable:
Sunday, Jan. 15
After standing in many embarkation lines and the thrilling lifeboat drill, the Carnival Pride departed the Port of Long Beach for a two-day journey to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. We suddenly found ourselves surrounded by waiters carrying festive glasses adorned with cherries, oranges and umbrellas. Of course we had to sample the goodness and thus started our passion for the “Drink of the Day.” Our first evening aboard we dined in the Normandie dining room and enjoyed the band The Bestsellers in Butterflies Lounge. They were a great band and they even played “Unchained Melody” – of course we had to dance to it.
Monday, Jan. 16
We hit the pool and bar bright and early. The “Drink of the Day” was the Yellow Bird and it was good! Too bad we can’t remember what was in it. After too many hours in the sun and probably too many Yellow Birds, we decided to participate in the game of Bingo taking place in the Taj Mahal. Good thing we did – Wendy won $300! Monday night was the Captain’s Gala, which was a formal event. We got all duded up and attended the party, and made sure to get our money out of the free appetizers and cocktails. Too many Fuzzy Navels and Crab Rangoons later, we were too full for dinner. Well, really we went to the dining room and noticed another couple was seated at our table and we didn’t feel like dining with others so we bailed. We never did meet them! It’s probably a good thing we skipped dinner, though, otherwise we would have never found “our bar” or the Perfect Game Sports Bar as it’s affectionately known. Once we saw the “buy four Bud Lights, get one free” sign on the bar, it was like the mother ship calling us home.
Tuesday, Jan. 17
See Monday, January 16th. Add whale/dolphin sightings near the coast of Cabo.
Wednesday, Jan 18
Hellllooooo stable ground! After 48-hours of being on a ship, standing on unmoving land feels nice. Upon arrival at Puerto Vallarta (PV), we were asked by 1,233 Mexicans if we wanted a necklace, 576 if we wanted sunglasses and only 57 if Wendy wanted her hair braided. Don’t worry – the offers for dreads increased while we were on the beach in Mazatlan. And don’t worry. What’s one of the first things we see when we venture from the marina? Wal-Mart. And we sure did go in and check it out.
We did one of the coolest things in PV – a canopy tour. Raise your hand if you’ve ever done a canopy tour. We highly recommend it, and if you do it in PV, do it with Vallarta Adventures. Granted the hour long back-of-the-truck ride was a near-death experience, but the guides responsible for our lives when we were dangling by wires 90-feet above the ground were top-notch. One’s name was even Geronimo. How could you not trust a canopy tour guide named Geronimo? For those of you who don’t know what a canopy tour is, basically you go from tree platform to tree platform via a zip lines. You’re hooked by big carabineers (you know, those things we used for key chains in college). There were also two hanging bridges built into treetops, a “Tarzan Swing,” and a 50-foot vertical rappel. It was the only way down! We wish we had pictures from the excursion but because you’re on 3x3 platforms high in the air with tons of gear and gloves on, cameras weren’t allowed and we didn’t feel like buying their video for 58,000 pesos.
That evening we downed two Strawberry Margarita yards and dined on not-very-authentic Mexican food at Carlos O’Brians in downtown PV. The location was actually wonderful. We had a table that overlooked the beach and we were there just in time for sunset.
Thursday, Jan 19
Hola Mazatlan! Not going to lie – we were scared of Mazatlan at first. Maybe it’s the guys with huge machine guns there to greet you. Maybe it’s the signs on the stores that say “Sale Today. Amoxicillin. No prescription needed.” We’re not sure. But Mazatlan did end up being wonderful. After another horrific ride (we’ve come to the conclusion there’s no driver’s ed in Mexico), we arrived at the El Cid resort to redeem a free beach/pool pass we received at the port. We started off at the beach, but were offered too many necklaces, henna tattoos and other illegal substances, so we wandered to the pool. It was a gorgeous day and we were able to get a lot of sun. After a disgusting $40 lunch at the resort (kind of took away the glamour of the FREE beach/pool pass) we walked along the beach for hours. Before retuning to the ship, we indulged in a few Coronas to the sound of a Mariachi band, sitting next to whom we believe to be the Mexican Mafia.
Friday, Jan. 20
We were a little disappointed because the booze cruise we signed up for was cancelled. Maybe the 9 a.m. start time didn’t appeal to others. Who knows? We tried to sign up for a Whale Watching excursion but it was sold out by the time we registered. Therefore, we decided to make our own adventure in Cabo. We arrived in the harbor via tender around 8:15 a.m. and walked around, looking at all of the yachts and dodging the natives holding enormous Iguanas. We started our day in Cabo shopping. Wendy was looking for cowboy boots. We never found then, but what we did find was Cabo Wabo. Cabo Wabo is a bar/restaurant/club owned by Sammy Hagar. They had good food (highly recommend the Lobster tacos) and even better Waboritas. One of those and you’re good to go! We relaxed at Cabo Wabo for a bit and then ventured to The Nowhere Bar. Wendy was VERY adamant about going to The Nowhere Bar. In the Us Weekly issue the week before we left for the cruise, Wendy read that Lance Armstrong was spotted at The Nowhere Bar in Cabo. “Every celebrity must go to The Nowhere Bar,” Wendy thought. Wendy thought wrong. We didn’t find a single celeb there (or anywhere else on our trip) but what we did find was our waiter, David. For some reason, he and Trevor really hit it off. After ordering a few rounds of Coronas and margs, David whispered in Trevor’s ear, “for you only…” (dramatic pause – we were a little nervous what was for Trevor only), “two-for-one happy hour.” No joke: next time we ordered a round he brought two Coronas and two margs. Wendy speculates David was attracted to Trevor’s Spanish. About round three, Trevor yells, “Senior, Senior. Uno Mas, Por Favor.” It was hilarious. The Nowhere Bar rocked and we bough t-shirts. The only souvenirs we bought. We left The Nowhere Bar around 2 – the last tender left at 3:30 p.m. and we wanted to allow plenty of time to stumble back. When we realized we had plenty of time, we stopped in one last Cabo-an bar – Captain Tony’s. What seemed like one Dos Equis later, it was 3:30 and we were headed back to the Carnival Pride. Needless to say, we took a nap when we got back on board, slept through our 8:15 p.m. dinner time, woke up to fight through a piece of pizza and went back to sleep. Cabo kicked our Wabo, but it was our favorite stop.
Wendy and Trevor in Cabo San Lucas
Saturday, Jan. 21
Too cold to lay out atop the ship, although we tried. We weren’t getting tans through the beach towels though, so we decided to attend the debarkation talk they highly recommended we sit-in on. An informative and “uplifting” hour later, we were wandering around wondering what to do. We did what seemed natural: we bought stogies. Yep, we bonded over a cigar. We had a really fun time (Note: we do not condone tobacco use but as you do not inhale cigars, partook in this activity just this once). Our last evening we bought a few buckets of beer and listened in on the horrible karaoke in the Starry Nights lounge.
Sunday, Jan. 22
We arrived in Home-aha late Sunday evening and thank Trevor’s parents for picking us up. When we finally made it to our home we were greeted by flowers and a stocked fridge, freezer and cupboards courtesy of Wendy’s mom and dad. Omaha might be colder than Mexico, but you all made the welcome home very warm.
Quote of the Trip:
"I’m never drinking a beer again.”
- Trevor Fitch while holding a frozen fruity drink
Hilariously Gross Story of the Trip:
In PV, Carlos & Charlie’s had a booth set-up right by the security point to get back on the boat. The booth had a donkey wearing a sombrero and serape and you could get your picture taken with it for a tip. When we first got off the boat we noticed the man working the booth was feeding the donkey something by mouth with a syringe/baby medicine dispenser thing. When we walked by again they were adamant about us getting our picture with the donkey. We sat down, they threw sombreros on our heads and as the guy started taking our picture, when we noticed a bottle of Kaopectate sitting by us. Then we noticed the donkey pooping and pooping and the other guy starting to wipe the poop up with a paper towel. It was all making sense. Trevor’s face in the picture is priceless!
We had so much fun and have so many fun pictures to share. Let us know if you are interested in seeing more photos – we tried to documents the highlights of the trip with either the digital camera or movie camera.
Sunday, Jan. 15
After standing in many embarkation lines and the thrilling lifeboat drill, the Carnival Pride departed the Port of Long Beach for a two-day journey to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. We suddenly found ourselves surrounded by waiters carrying festive glasses adorned with cherries, oranges and umbrellas. Of course we had to sample the goodness and thus started our passion for the “Drink of the Day.” Our first evening aboard we dined in the Normandie dining room and enjoyed the band The Bestsellers in Butterflies Lounge. They were a great band and they even played “Unchained Melody” – of course we had to dance to it.
Monday, Jan. 16
We hit the pool and bar bright and early. The “Drink of the Day” was the Yellow Bird and it was good! Too bad we can’t remember what was in it. After too many hours in the sun and probably too many Yellow Birds, we decided to participate in the game of Bingo taking place in the Taj Mahal. Good thing we did – Wendy won $300! Monday night was the Captain’s Gala, which was a formal event. We got all duded up and attended the party, and made sure to get our money out of the free appetizers and cocktails. Too many Fuzzy Navels and Crab Rangoons later, we were too full for dinner. Well, really we went to the dining room and noticed another couple was seated at our table and we didn’t feel like dining with others so we bailed. We never did meet them! It’s probably a good thing we skipped dinner, though, otherwise we would have never found “our bar” or the Perfect Game Sports Bar as it’s affectionately known. Once we saw the “buy four Bud Lights, get one free” sign on the bar, it was like the mother ship calling us home.
Tuesday, Jan. 17
See Monday, January 16th. Add whale/dolphin sightings near the coast of Cabo.
Wednesday, Jan 18
Hellllooooo stable ground! After 48-hours of being on a ship, standing on unmoving land feels nice. Upon arrival at Puerto Vallarta (PV), we were asked by 1,233 Mexicans if we wanted a necklace, 576 if we wanted sunglasses and only 57 if Wendy wanted her hair braided. Don’t worry – the offers for dreads increased while we were on the beach in Mazatlan. And don’t worry. What’s one of the first things we see when we venture from the marina? Wal-Mart. And we sure did go in and check it out.
We did one of the coolest things in PV – a canopy tour. Raise your hand if you’ve ever done a canopy tour. We highly recommend it, and if you do it in PV, do it with Vallarta Adventures. Granted the hour long back-of-the-truck ride was a near-death experience, but the guides responsible for our lives when we were dangling by wires 90-feet above the ground were top-notch. One’s name was even Geronimo. How could you not trust a canopy tour guide named Geronimo? For those of you who don’t know what a canopy tour is, basically you go from tree platform to tree platform via a zip lines. You’re hooked by big carabineers (you know, those things we used for key chains in college). There were also two hanging bridges built into treetops, a “Tarzan Swing,” and a 50-foot vertical rappel. It was the only way down! We wish we had pictures from the excursion but because you’re on 3x3 platforms high in the air with tons of gear and gloves on, cameras weren’t allowed and we didn’t feel like buying their video for 58,000 pesos.
That evening we downed two Strawberry Margarita yards and dined on not-very-authentic Mexican food at Carlos O’Brians in downtown PV. The location was actually wonderful. We had a table that overlooked the beach and we were there just in time for sunset.
Thursday, Jan 19
Hola Mazatlan! Not going to lie – we were scared of Mazatlan at first. Maybe it’s the guys with huge machine guns there to greet you. Maybe it’s the signs on the stores that say “Sale Today. Amoxicillin. No prescription needed.” We’re not sure. But Mazatlan did end up being wonderful. After another horrific ride (we’ve come to the conclusion there’s no driver’s ed in Mexico), we arrived at the El Cid resort to redeem a free beach/pool pass we received at the port. We started off at the beach, but were offered too many necklaces, henna tattoos and other illegal substances, so we wandered to the pool. It was a gorgeous day and we were able to get a lot of sun. After a disgusting $40 lunch at the resort (kind of took away the glamour of the FREE beach/pool pass) we walked along the beach for hours. Before retuning to the ship, we indulged in a few Coronas to the sound of a Mariachi band, sitting next to whom we believe to be the Mexican Mafia.
Friday, Jan. 20
We were a little disappointed because the booze cruise we signed up for was cancelled. Maybe the 9 a.m. start time didn’t appeal to others. Who knows? We tried to sign up for a Whale Watching excursion but it was sold out by the time we registered. Therefore, we decided to make our own adventure in Cabo. We arrived in the harbor via tender around 8:15 a.m. and walked around, looking at all of the yachts and dodging the natives holding enormous Iguanas. We started our day in Cabo shopping. Wendy was looking for cowboy boots. We never found then, but what we did find was Cabo Wabo. Cabo Wabo is a bar/restaurant/club owned by Sammy Hagar. They had good food (highly recommend the Lobster tacos) and even better Waboritas. One of those and you’re good to go! We relaxed at Cabo Wabo for a bit and then ventured to The Nowhere Bar. Wendy was VERY adamant about going to The Nowhere Bar. In the Us Weekly issue the week before we left for the cruise, Wendy read that Lance Armstrong was spotted at The Nowhere Bar in Cabo. “Every celebrity must go to The Nowhere Bar,” Wendy thought. Wendy thought wrong. We didn’t find a single celeb there (or anywhere else on our trip) but what we did find was our waiter, David. For some reason, he and Trevor really hit it off. After ordering a few rounds of Coronas and margs, David whispered in Trevor’s ear, “for you only…” (dramatic pause – we were a little nervous what was for Trevor only), “two-for-one happy hour.” No joke: next time we ordered a round he brought two Coronas and two margs. Wendy speculates David was attracted to Trevor’s Spanish. About round three, Trevor yells, “Senior, Senior. Uno Mas, Por Favor.” It was hilarious. The Nowhere Bar rocked and we bough t-shirts. The only souvenirs we bought. We left The Nowhere Bar around 2 – the last tender left at 3:30 p.m. and we wanted to allow plenty of time to stumble back. When we realized we had plenty of time, we stopped in one last Cabo-an bar – Captain Tony’s. What seemed like one Dos Equis later, it was 3:30 and we were headed back to the Carnival Pride. Needless to say, we took a nap when we got back on board, slept through our 8:15 p.m. dinner time, woke up to fight through a piece of pizza and went back to sleep. Cabo kicked our Wabo, but it was our favorite stop.
Wendy and Trevor in Cabo San Lucas
Saturday, Jan. 21
Too cold to lay out atop the ship, although we tried. We weren’t getting tans through the beach towels though, so we decided to attend the debarkation talk they highly recommended we sit-in on. An informative and “uplifting” hour later, we were wandering around wondering what to do. We did what seemed natural: we bought stogies. Yep, we bonded over a cigar. We had a really fun time (Note: we do not condone tobacco use but as you do not inhale cigars, partook in this activity just this once). Our last evening we bought a few buckets of beer and listened in on the horrible karaoke in the Starry Nights lounge.
Sunday, Jan. 22
We arrived in Home-aha late Sunday evening and thank Trevor’s parents for picking us up. When we finally made it to our home we were greeted by flowers and a stocked fridge, freezer and cupboards courtesy of Wendy’s mom and dad. Omaha might be colder than Mexico, but you all made the welcome home very warm.
Quote of the Trip:
"I’m never drinking a beer again.”
- Trevor Fitch while holding a frozen fruity drink
Hilariously Gross Story of the Trip:
In PV, Carlos & Charlie’s had a booth set-up right by the security point to get back on the boat. The booth had a donkey wearing a sombrero and serape and you could get your picture taken with it for a tip. When we first got off the boat we noticed the man working the booth was feeding the donkey something by mouth with a syringe/baby medicine dispenser thing. When we walked by again they were adamant about us getting our picture with the donkey. We sat down, they threw sombreros on our heads and as the guy started taking our picture, when we noticed a bottle of Kaopectate sitting by us. Then we noticed the donkey pooping and pooping and the other guy starting to wipe the poop up with a paper towel. It was all making sense. Trevor’s face in the picture is priceless!
We had so much fun and have so many fun pictures to share. Let us know if you are interested in seeing more photos – we tried to documents the highlights of the trip with either the digital camera or movie camera.
1/09/2006
From the Fitch's Kitchen
There I was, standing over a lump of frozen ground turkey simmering in a Pam-covered skillet on the stove. “I am a disgrace to my mother,” was all I could say while my husband kept looking at me saying “I’mmmm soooooo huuuuunnngggry.” He could have, and would have, cooked, but I really wanted to. I found a Turkey Burrito recipe in a low-fat Betty Crocker cookbook that I really wanted to try. I’m glad I tried it – it was good and Trevor liked it. Plus it was fast. Prep time, Betty estimated, was about 10 minutes and cook time, about seven. The recipe probably took me about 30 minutes total. Not bad for a first timer.
Tonight’s Turkey Burritos taught me a lot. First, I realized I am not a graceful cook quite yet. When I discovered the turkey was frozen (not my fault by the way – I put it in the fridge to thaw before I went to work this morning) I chopped at it with a spatula for minutes. When that didn’t work, I got out the largest knife we had and chopped it into turkey chunks. It eventually thawed, but it took some time.
I also remembered I am a panicky cook. Once that timer starts buzzing at me, I start get overwhelmed. If the oven timer and microwave timer go off at the same time, I go bonkers. If it's an evening we have company over and two timers are beeping at me and everyone's hungry, I freak. Tonight I stood at the stove for about two minutes with the microwave timer going off and didn’t do anything about it. The timer was probably four inches from my head. I never did anything about the microwave timer. Trevor did. I was busy (chopping up the frozen turkey).
I also realized you have to have confidence in what you cook. That sounds really stupid, but I kind of mean it. Maybe daring is more like it. Trevor’s said before he doesn’t really like ground turkey in tacos and stuff. But I moved forward with the recipe anyway. When he said he was STARVING and I told him I was making turkey burritos, I was seriously thinking, “thank goodness there’s a CPK pizza in the freezer.” He didn’t say anything about it bring ground turkey and really enjoyed it. Things might have turned out differently, but that’s okay. You have to try a recipe to know whether or not it’ll be on the kitchen table again, right?
There’s two things I think of when I cook. The first: my mom makes this broccoli cheese stuffing casserole (I think that’s what’s in it) that’s just awesome. When I was in college a few years ago I called my mom for the recipe. I remember her telling me that was one of the first things she made after she and my dad got married and my dad HATED it! The random ingredient goodness ended up being at our house several times a month because we all fell in love with it when she experimented with the recipe years later. The second funny story was very recent. I have no idea what we were talking about or where we were, but before the wedding my mom, dad and I were chatting. All of a sudden my dad said, “you know, when we were first married your mom couldn’t cook either.” My mom and I were both insulted.
Thanks for indulging me in this very long post!
~Wendy
Picture from our first dinner party: December 17, 2005
Tonight’s Turkey Burritos taught me a lot. First, I realized I am not a graceful cook quite yet. When I discovered the turkey was frozen (not my fault by the way – I put it in the fridge to thaw before I went to work this morning) I chopped at it with a spatula for minutes. When that didn’t work, I got out the largest knife we had and chopped it into turkey chunks. It eventually thawed, but it took some time.
I also remembered I am a panicky cook. Once that timer starts buzzing at me, I start get overwhelmed. If the oven timer and microwave timer go off at the same time, I go bonkers. If it's an evening we have company over and two timers are beeping at me and everyone's hungry, I freak. Tonight I stood at the stove for about two minutes with the microwave timer going off and didn’t do anything about it. The timer was probably four inches from my head. I never did anything about the microwave timer. Trevor did. I was busy (chopping up the frozen turkey).
I also realized you have to have confidence in what you cook. That sounds really stupid, but I kind of mean it. Maybe daring is more like it. Trevor’s said before he doesn’t really like ground turkey in tacos and stuff. But I moved forward with the recipe anyway. When he said he was STARVING and I told him I was making turkey burritos, I was seriously thinking, “thank goodness there’s a CPK pizza in the freezer.” He didn’t say anything about it bring ground turkey and really enjoyed it. Things might have turned out differently, but that’s okay. You have to try a recipe to know whether or not it’ll be on the kitchen table again, right?
There’s two things I think of when I cook. The first: my mom makes this broccoli cheese stuffing casserole (I think that’s what’s in it) that’s just awesome. When I was in college a few years ago I called my mom for the recipe. I remember her telling me that was one of the first things she made after she and my dad got married and my dad HATED it! The random ingredient goodness ended up being at our house several times a month because we all fell in love with it when she experimented with the recipe years later. The second funny story was very recent. I have no idea what we were talking about or where we were, but before the wedding my mom, dad and I were chatting. All of a sudden my dad said, “you know, when we were first married your mom couldn’t cook either.” My mom and I were both insulted.
Thanks for indulging me in this very long post!
~Wendy
Picture from our first dinner party: December 17, 2005
1/02/2006
Happy Newlywed Year
Sorry it’s been so long since we have written. The past few weeks have been absolutely crazy! We had full intentions of recapping every single detail about the wedding on the blog and it hasn't yet happened. We apologize and anticipate more posts as we remember details and fun stories we want to share.
Trevor and Wendy Fitch's first dance to "Unchained Melody"
Basically the day can be summed up in one word: magnificent. There were definitely some nerves about an hour before the ceremony. Wendy was so nervous right before she had to sit down in front of a fan, take her gloves off and play Taboo to get her mind off of the processional. The nerves subsided as the doors to the sanctuary opened and everything went very well (meaning no passing out or puking by either the bride or groom). When we walked into the reception, the Embassy Suites ballroom looked the way we thought it would. Everyone seemed to have a great time and we definitely consider it the best day of our lives. As you can imagine, everything about the day was perfect but there are SO many little details from the day we want to document so they are never forgotten. Hopefully our Top Ten Unforgettable Things About Our Wedding list will help:
10. Flower Girl Mackenzie told her mom, “today is the best day of her life,” and when Mackenzie’s brother and Ring Bearer, Jack, replied with “it’s the worst of mine.” Hilarious.
9. The personal attendants had to cut Wendy’s petticoat because it was too long and Wendy said, “make sure my mom does not see this.”
8. At the rehearsal the bridesmaids all showed up in red stretch gloves. Wendy’s nightmare came true! (Read the “They’re Baaaack” post). Then, Mackenzie showed up to the salon Saturday morning in red stretch gloves because she wanted to be like the big girls.
7. Piano Man. Twice.
6. Wendy’s mom is really anal about stickers. Hates them. She soaked the 40 red champagne flutes purchased for the head table for hours to get the stickers off. When we cut the cake and did our champagne toast there were stickers left on our flutes. I knew my mom would have passed out if she knew she forgot them!
5. About 10 minutes before it was time for Wendy to walk down the aisle, Ronnie pulled her aside and presented her with a Borsheim’s box. Inside was a beautiful diamond bracelet. She cried, he cried and behind them stood personal attendants Shannon, Lizzie and Denise, also crying.
4. We had a little hiccup with the music a few weeks before the wedding in that the church said they would not be able to have a piano and the singers would have to sing to an organ. We dealt with that for weeks and assumed Sun Dee and April would be singing to an organ. When we were standing at the altar, Sun Dee starts to sing to a piano and Trevor leans over and says, “where the hell did the piano come from?”
3. Standing at the altar was awesome. It was so surreal and a feeling we hope we never forget.
2. Trevor was mic’d for the video during the ceremony. While the bridesmaids were walking down the aisle, his heart was beating harder than it ever had been before, to the point that Trevor started to wonder if something was wrong with him. We are hopeful that the sound of his heart beating full throttle is on the video. The “WHAM-WHAM-WHAM” sound should provide a great soundtrack to the wedding.
1. The way we felt the entire day was absolutely amazing.
Since the wedding, we’ve been busy moving into our new home and getting it ready for the New Years party we hosted. Last week we painted three rooms and did many other projects around the house. We also celebrated Christmas as Newlyweds with each other and our families, and unfortunately we had a tragedy a few days before Christmas when the Hicks’ dog of 15 years, Lindsey, was put to sleep. It kind of put a damper on the excitement of the wedding and the holiday festivities but know it was a good decision. Now we’re starting to think about our honeymoon. We’re heading to LA on January 15th and are going on a 7-day cruise to Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan and Puerta Vallarta. Hopefully you’ll hear from us again before our departure, but otherwise look for a post when we return. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all and those of you who celebrated our wedding weekend with us, thank you so much for everything. We were glad so many wonderful people could make it (not including the wedding crashers we had) and are fortunate to have such great friend and family.
Trevor and Wendy Fitch's first dance to "Unchained Melody"
Basically the day can be summed up in one word: magnificent. There were definitely some nerves about an hour before the ceremony. Wendy was so nervous right before she had to sit down in front of a fan, take her gloves off and play Taboo to get her mind off of the processional. The nerves subsided as the doors to the sanctuary opened and everything went very well (meaning no passing out or puking by either the bride or groom). When we walked into the reception, the Embassy Suites ballroom looked the way we thought it would. Everyone seemed to have a great time and we definitely consider it the best day of our lives. As you can imagine, everything about the day was perfect but there are SO many little details from the day we want to document so they are never forgotten. Hopefully our Top Ten Unforgettable Things About Our Wedding list will help:
10. Flower Girl Mackenzie told her mom, “today is the best day of her life,” and when Mackenzie’s brother and Ring Bearer, Jack, replied with “it’s the worst of mine.” Hilarious.
9. The personal attendants had to cut Wendy’s petticoat because it was too long and Wendy said, “make sure my mom does not see this.”
8. At the rehearsal the bridesmaids all showed up in red stretch gloves. Wendy’s nightmare came true! (Read the “They’re Baaaack” post). Then, Mackenzie showed up to the salon Saturday morning in red stretch gloves because she wanted to be like the big girls.
7. Piano Man. Twice.
6. Wendy’s mom is really anal about stickers. Hates them. She soaked the 40 red champagne flutes purchased for the head table for hours to get the stickers off. When we cut the cake and did our champagne toast there were stickers left on our flutes. I knew my mom would have passed out if she knew she forgot them!
5. About 10 minutes before it was time for Wendy to walk down the aisle, Ronnie pulled her aside and presented her with a Borsheim’s box. Inside was a beautiful diamond bracelet. She cried, he cried and behind them stood personal attendants Shannon, Lizzie and Denise, also crying.
4. We had a little hiccup with the music a few weeks before the wedding in that the church said they would not be able to have a piano and the singers would have to sing to an organ. We dealt with that for weeks and assumed Sun Dee and April would be singing to an organ. When we were standing at the altar, Sun Dee starts to sing to a piano and Trevor leans over and says, “where the hell did the piano come from?”
3. Standing at the altar was awesome. It was so surreal and a feeling we hope we never forget.
2. Trevor was mic’d for the video during the ceremony. While the bridesmaids were walking down the aisle, his heart was beating harder than it ever had been before, to the point that Trevor started to wonder if something was wrong with him. We are hopeful that the sound of his heart beating full throttle is on the video. The “WHAM-WHAM-WHAM” sound should provide a great soundtrack to the wedding.
1. The way we felt the entire day was absolutely amazing.
Since the wedding, we’ve been busy moving into our new home and getting it ready for the New Years party we hosted. Last week we painted three rooms and did many other projects around the house. We also celebrated Christmas as Newlyweds with each other and our families, and unfortunately we had a tragedy a few days before Christmas when the Hicks’ dog of 15 years, Lindsey, was put to sleep. It kind of put a damper on the excitement of the wedding and the holiday festivities but know it was a good decision. Now we’re starting to think about our honeymoon. We’re heading to LA on January 15th and are going on a 7-day cruise to Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan and Puerta Vallarta. Hopefully you’ll hear from us again before our departure, but otherwise look for a post when we return. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all and those of you who celebrated our wedding weekend with us, thank you so much for everything. We were glad so many wonderful people could make it (not including the wedding crashers we had) and are fortunate to have such great friend and family.
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