For the past few days, my wedding planning has reached a fever pitch. I think it's finally hit me that the wedding is only about 3 MONTHS away- how crazy is that??? It's been this distant thing for so long that it's taking awhile to sink in that it's not that far off.
Now, thankfully, most of the big stuff was out of the way already. We had the venue, the caterer, the baker, the DJ, the florist, and everything for the ceremony. All we had left at this point was the attire for the men, the DIY projects I've signed up for, the invites, and accomodations/transportation. I am happy to report that after a few days of very intense planning and crafting, I have knocked everything but the attire off the list! I picked a hotel out of the 20+ that I ended up calling, and I'm happy we were able to find something that works perfectly. Bonus- the hotel was able to give us a fantastic deal on a shuttle, meaning that taking care of the hotel also ended up taking care of the transportation. Woot! Side note- for any Toledo brides-to-be, the Country Inn & Suites in Rossford (where we booked rooms) is just a wonderful deal.
I also took care of the majority of the remaining DIY projects. I was able to finish the cocktail table floral arrangements, the aisle decorations, and a big awesome slightly blinged floral monogram piece for our entryway. Hey, I needed a little bit of sparkle for the wedding! And as of last night, I have invites! I was able to meet up with my Aunt Mary, who is a wedding stationery, and picked out some lovely and unique laser cut wedding invites. I'm so excited to see how they look in our colors.
My one and only teensy concern after all this is: wow, we have a ton of DIY stuff that we have to set up at the venue! One of the things that I love, love, love about the Zoo is that they have an on-site coordinator who will help with setting stuff up, but I'm kind of worried that we may have exceeded an unspoken limit on the amount of stuff that they'll handle. Fingers crossed that I'm still ok. Then again, I could always just make someone from the bridal party do it for me. It can be my one and only "I am the briiiiiiide! DO STUFF FOR ME!" moment. :-P
Friday, February 25, 2011
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Delightful Belgian brew time
This evening, I got talked into attending a Belgian beer tasting on campus and I'm awfully glad that I was talked into it! I had heard of the BGSU beer tastings before, but I'd never gone to one. Apparently, each session features a different type of beer (winter brews, hop heavy brews, etc.) and this evening's selection was Belgian beers. We sampled small glasses of six different types of Belgian brews- three pale/blonde ales (my favorite was called Delirium Tremens- voted best beer in the world in 1998, apparently), a cherry beer called Kasteel Rouge (an oddly interesting beer/wine/cough syrup/soda hybrid- sounds awful, but it worked), and two darker ales.
Now normally I don't care for medium to dark ales at all, but one of them- Corsendank- was surprisingly good. It had a very light, smooth finish and none of the weird aftertaste that I normally dislike in darker ales. The other one, well, it was weird. That's not a very descriptive term, I know, but it's the best I could come up with. And in fact, that's what I kept saying as I forced my way through drinking about half of it- "Eww, this is WEIRD!" after each sip.
It was fun to try something new and maybe now I can be a bit more daring in my selections when I'm out for the evening.
Now normally I don't care for medium to dark ales at all, but one of them- Corsendank- was surprisingly good. It had a very light, smooth finish and none of the weird aftertaste that I normally dislike in darker ales. The other one, well, it was weird. That's not a very descriptive term, I know, but it's the best I could come up with. And in fact, that's what I kept saying as I forced my way through drinking about half of it- "Eww, this is WEIRD!" after each sip.
It was fun to try something new and maybe now I can be a bit more daring in my selections when I'm out for the evening.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Unremembered wedding dress
This past weekend, Mike and I went up to my parents' place to visit because a family member from out of town was visiting. While up there visiting, I went and picked up my wedding gown!
I had gotten a call in January from the Wedding Bell, the store where I purchased the gown, letting me know that it was in, but I just hadn't had a chance to go in and see it.
The funny and scary part of it was that I actually couldn't even remember what the gown looked like. The picture on the designer's website was so washed out and crappy that you could barely make out any details and I'd forgotten to take a photo on the day bought it, so I was in the dark. I remember it was off white and I remembered the general silhouette, but that was about it. So, trying it on in the store was a pretty big deal for me- I had no idea what I was getting. But, I'm pleased to say that the dress is lovely!
I had gotten a call in January from the Wedding Bell, the store where I purchased the gown, letting me know that it was in, but I just hadn't had a chance to go in and see it.
The funny and scary part of it was that I actually couldn't even remember what the gown looked like. The picture on the designer's website was so washed out and crappy that you could barely make out any details and I'd forgotten to take a photo on the day bought it, so I was in the dark. I remember it was off white and I remembered the general silhouette, but that was about it. So, trying it on in the store was a pretty big deal for me- I had no idea what I was getting. But, I'm pleased to say that the dress is lovely!
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Papers lead to Facebook
I think I have paper-related ADD. Every time I start working on a paper, I find myself distracted by every little thing- I can't focus. Facebook seems to be the worst distractor for me. I start working and all of a sudden I need to know what is going on with everyone. Even people I don't really know. And apparently, I also become convinced that everyone's lives will change drastically within 2 minute intervals because that seems to be the maximum amount of time I can last before I need to check Facebook again. Thing is, I don't even really like Facebook anymore. Once again, they went and jacked it all up for no good reason. But man, is it ever a good time waster! This is a curse that I fear I shall battle for the rest of my days.
Friday, February 4, 2011
Doggy rescue
I like to extoll the virtues of being a doggy foster mom, so I was kind of surprised when I realized that, to the best of my recall, I've never blogged about it. So here it comes!
The decision to foster was awhile in coming as both of us (Mike especially) were concerned about what would be involved. Me, with my tunnel vision, well I pretty much just saw DOGGGGGG!!!! But, we finally made the decision after talking to the director of a great foster group. We met her at an adoption event at a local pet store and she really relieved a lot of our concerns. Both of us worried about the time/financial commitment, the responsibility, the actual process, and other stuff but finally just decided that the joy and satisfaction of being able to help a dog in need would probably outweigh any frustration or annoyances.
Mike and I took in our first foster dog, an abused cocker spaniel/poodle mix named Barney, a few years ago. Although we'd both owned dogs in the past, this was different- Barney wasn't the typical playful dog. He was terrified of men and would cower against me whenever Mike entered a room or stood up. He didn't know how to play with a toy and acted as if he'd never seen a treat in his life (which honestly, he probably hadn't). He was reserved, nervous, but the sweetest and gentlest little guy ever. He found a permanent home after just a few weeks with us and although it was tough to see him go, I felt SO glad to know that we'd been the "middle man" in his transition.
On that note, the most common thing that I hear from people when I suggest they foster is "Oh, but I could never give up the dog afterwards". Having given up three foster dogs (we fostered a pair of black lab puppies after Barney and ended up keeping our fourth foster, Fiona, permanently), I can say that it is tough, but you can't look at it as "giving up" the dog. You're giving that dog a new and better life than it would have otherwise known. Plus, you're opening a place in your home for another dog in need! There are so many dogs in need- the foster agency we worked with gets daily requests, sometimes multiples per day- and once you realize all the good you can do, it becomes much, much easier.
The other reason that people give for not wanting to foster is that they think it'll be too much work or cost too much. I can only speak about the agency through which we fostered, but I can say that there was no hardship whatsoever. The foster group provided a huge bag of food, a leash and collar, a toy, and a crate for each dog and in the case of the puppies, a play pen. On top of that, they brought the dogs to us and also transported the dogs to/from all adoption events, vet appointment, etc. We only had to provide love, treats, and shelter.
Additionally, if you have concerns about the type of dog you'd like to foster, these will always be taken into account by a reputable foster agency. You will always get to choose whether or not to take a dog (you're not forced to take a dog just because you're on the foster list), and you can let the agency know if you have size restrictions (i.e.- our apartment complex limited to <40lbs), temperament restrictions, don't feel comfortable with special needs dogs, etc.
Overall, fostering is just one of the most fun and rewarding experiences out there. And if you're not a dog person, there are rescues for all different kinds of animals that would absolutely love to have you sign up to foster- cat rescues, bird rescues, horse rescues, etc.
Finally, if you're not able to provide a temporary home, consider doing transport. In the last few weeks, Mike and I have been lucky enough to serve on two different "rescue trains"- groups of volunteers who sign up to drive dogs from point A to point B in different shifts. A few hours of your time can help get a dog, cat, or other animal into a shelter or rescue that will help it find a home. Your local animal shelter, vet's office, or rescue can probably hook you up with rescue train coordinators or if you're around the Midwest, I can pass along contact info.
Wiley, the catahoula leopard puppy, who was the past weekend's rescue transport charge. He was SO CUTE.
The decision to foster was awhile in coming as both of us (Mike especially) were concerned about what would be involved. Me, with my tunnel vision, well I pretty much just saw DOGGGGGG!!!! But, we finally made the decision after talking to the director of a great foster group. We met her at an adoption event at a local pet store and she really relieved a lot of our concerns. Both of us worried about the time/financial commitment, the responsibility, the actual process, and other stuff but finally just decided that the joy and satisfaction of being able to help a dog in need would probably outweigh any frustration or annoyances.
Mike and I took in our first foster dog, an abused cocker spaniel/poodle mix named Barney, a few years ago. Although we'd both owned dogs in the past, this was different- Barney wasn't the typical playful dog. He was terrified of men and would cower against me whenever Mike entered a room or stood up. He didn't know how to play with a toy and acted as if he'd never seen a treat in his life (which honestly, he probably hadn't). He was reserved, nervous, but the sweetest and gentlest little guy ever. He found a permanent home after just a few weeks with us and although it was tough to see him go, I felt SO glad to know that we'd been the "middle man" in his transition.
On that note, the most common thing that I hear from people when I suggest they foster is "Oh, but I could never give up the dog afterwards". Having given up three foster dogs (we fostered a pair of black lab puppies after Barney and ended up keeping our fourth foster, Fiona, permanently), I can say that it is tough, but you can't look at it as "giving up" the dog. You're giving that dog a new and better life than it would have otherwise known. Plus, you're opening a place in your home for another dog in need! There are so many dogs in need- the foster agency we worked with gets daily requests, sometimes multiples per day- and once you realize all the good you can do, it becomes much, much easier.
The other reason that people give for not wanting to foster is that they think it'll be too much work or cost too much. I can only speak about the agency through which we fostered, but I can say that there was no hardship whatsoever. The foster group provided a huge bag of food, a leash and collar, a toy, and a crate for each dog and in the case of the puppies, a play pen. On top of that, they brought the dogs to us and also transported the dogs to/from all adoption events, vet appointment, etc. We only had to provide love, treats, and shelter.
Additionally, if you have concerns about the type of dog you'd like to foster, these will always be taken into account by a reputable foster agency. You will always get to choose whether or not to take a dog (you're not forced to take a dog just because you're on the foster list), and you can let the agency know if you have size restrictions (i.e.- our apartment complex limited to <40lbs), temperament restrictions, don't feel comfortable with special needs dogs, etc.
Overall, fostering is just one of the most fun and rewarding experiences out there. And if you're not a dog person, there are rescues for all different kinds of animals that would absolutely love to have you sign up to foster- cat rescues, bird rescues, horse rescues, etc.
Finally, if you're not able to provide a temporary home, consider doing transport. In the last few weeks, Mike and I have been lucky enough to serve on two different "rescue trains"- groups of volunteers who sign up to drive dogs from point A to point B in different shifts. A few hours of your time can help get a dog, cat, or other animal into a shelter or rescue that will help it find a home. Your local animal shelter, vet's office, or rescue can probably hook you up with rescue train coordinators or if you're around the Midwest, I can pass along contact info.
Wiley, the catahoula leopard puppy, who was the past weekend's rescue transport charge. He was SO CUTE.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Damned if you do...
Every semester of teaching, I relearn the same lesson: your students will always be pissed at you for something. I consider myself a fairly positive and understanding prof- I try to help students as much as possible and design my courses in a way that I think fosters learning with limited stress. But inevitably, someone gets angry at me about something. This semester, with my 101 class at least, it seems that "something" is going to be my make-up policy.
I've found in the past that exams seem to cause an awfully dramatic rise in illnesses, car troubles, and deaths of extended family members (most often it's grandmas). Call me cynical, but I just don't believe that many people legitimately have to miss. Because of this trend, I've started instituting a make-up policy where I require documentation (doctor's note, etc.) It's in the syllabus, I remind students about it before the exam, and yet today, I've got a student who is all angry at me because I told him/her (s)he could only miss the exam for illness if (s)he provided a note from a doctor. I do actually believe him/her, as (s)he has seemed like an honest student so far, but I can't change the policy for one student. I tried explaining that, but it doesn't seem to make a difference.
So, as usual, I'm damned if I do and damned if I don't. If I apply the policy uniformly, then I'm considered unfair and insensitive, but if I bend the rules, then I get stuck with a rash of students who take advantage of my generosity. Oh, the joys of teaching!
I've found in the past that exams seem to cause an awfully dramatic rise in illnesses, car troubles, and deaths of extended family members (most often it's grandmas). Call me cynical, but I just don't believe that many people legitimately have to miss. Because of this trend, I've started instituting a make-up policy where I require documentation (doctor's note, etc.) It's in the syllabus, I remind students about it before the exam, and yet today, I've got a student who is all angry at me because I told him/her (s)he could only miss the exam for illness if (s)he provided a note from a doctor. I do actually believe him/her, as (s)he has seemed like an honest student so far, but I can't change the policy for one student. I tried explaining that, but it doesn't seem to make a difference.
So, as usual, I'm damned if I do and damned if I don't. If I apply the policy uniformly, then I'm considered unfair and insensitive, but if I bend the rules, then I get stuck with a rash of students who take advantage of my generosity. Oh, the joys of teaching!
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Twice the schools
As of last week, I'm officially a multi-class instructor! I've taught my own class each semester since last fall, but always one at a time. This semester, I bowed to the power of the mighty dollar and took on teaching at Owens Community College in addition to my course at BGSU. So, now I'm teaching both 101 and introductory statistics. Thus far, it's not bad! In fact, I'm loving teaching 101. I know a lot of people find it to be a drag, but I like the fact that it's a new and different topic each week or each day. If there's a chapter about which I'm not super excited (i.e.- the parts of the brain), I know that I just have to make it through 1 class period and it's over. Not a bad state of things! Plus, on a non-class note, Owens actually has a faculty/staff locker room, so working out there is much more enjoyable. Plus, it's pretty spiffy to be actual faculty rather than just a grad instructor.
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