Me Fat...

...So we got Wii Fit!

 

I have to say, I was a Wii Fit doubter. Then B hooked it up and I played guinea pig and realized it's fun!! It certainly beats just sitting on the couch and doing NOTHING. I'm not banking on either of us going to Muscle Man contests after some time with this thing, but it's movement that we normally don't get that we could use. And it's fun!

 

We can do yoga!

We can do strength exercises!

 

We can play balance games (like "head butting" soccer balls from all sides) !!

I think Wii Fit will really help a lot of otherwise sedentary Americans get active and moving. It doesn't feel like dreaded exercise but I did find it to be a workout! After about 20 minutes of Wii Fit, I felt a little winded and I definitely broke a sweat. The more games I do, the more advanced levels I unlock. And best of all, if I skip a few days, it scolds me and tracks my stats (weight and BMI) so I know that it's working and I don't want to get nagged even by a game console, so I'd prefer to just work out and see progress.

Maybe this is the trick to keeping off newlywed weight!

We WOOD do it again, too!

B and I made our very first big purchase as husband and wife: we ripped out the carpet and put in wood floors. Well, kind of.

The same beige carpet had been in B's condo since he moved in but before I came in and womanized the place, B and his old roommate didn't exactly take THE best care of the carpet that covered the whole downstairs (except for the entryway, powder room and kitchen) and it was pretty unappealing by the time I moved in. For the past year, I've done everything I could to diminish the eyesore that the carpet was in some areas. Rugs covered stains that wouldn't come out. Furniture stylized the otherwise monocolored room. Still, though, the place screamed 1980s.

I'd wanted to rip it out and put in flooring for a while and was constantly told "after the wedding, dear. After the wedding." Well, guess what, the wedding is over and I wanted that damn carpet OUT!

So last Friday, workers came to install our new laminate flooring and at the end of the day, our downstairs got such a nice facelift. And, rumor has it, the sound of little (fur)baby feet pitter-pattering on the floor will be music to my ears.

We're both super happy with the result and I think you'd agree it makes such a difference! Yay for new flooring to make a home less homely and more homey!

BEFORE:

AFTER:

A&B-Fest

So, one of the 2 videos that was shown at the rehearsal dinner was a slideshow that my mom and BFF Nivek put together. From what I understand, the surprise presentation was a labor of love. My mom tore my computer apart searching for photos and Kevin arranged the photos to the music. Some of the pics land on specific lyrics perfectly -- it's very clever! Everyone enjoyed it and B and I were touched.

We finally got it online, but because it's such a gigantic file, we had to take the quality way down. Oh well, it gets the point across even if we A&B-Fest is more like a Pixel-Fest.

Now you can see it too!

Rehearsing for the Big Show

Earlier in the day, before dinner at Cisco's, the whole "cast" gathered for rehearsal where the big event would have its "opening night," and, consequently, its "closing night" the next day.

We all met with Bridget, the "director" who assembled us into our "places." She lined up the "supporting players" and told them when to do their routine (walk) and how to hold their prop (bouquet).

There was a serious discussion between the producers, the leading man and the director about what to happen if the theater ghost (fucking RAIN) made an appearance on opening night. The team worked out a plan that entailed moving the cocktail hour inside so that if the ceremony needed to be moved, it would be one less problem. As the leading lady, I was so nervous to even KNOW about this discussion and possibility. I prayed to theater gods for good weather, begging them to please let the show take place outside on the terrace steps.

It was difficult to carry on with the rehearsal and the rest of the day knowing that there could be a possibility of an indoor show, but with the help of my cast and director, I managed to smile and let loose. Kinda.

All in all, the rehearsal was fun and it gave us a chance to work out any kinks, ask questions and have a good feel for what the big show would feel like.

 

The show's associate producer and the leading lady's mother

The cast, lined up and ready to go.

The leading lady hopes she doesn't mess up her routine or forget her places.

Director Bridget counts out 5, 6, 7, 8 while the leading lady and her parents/associate producers take her to her 2nd mark.

Associate producer "dad" makes smart-ass remarks to keep himself from crying and associate producer "mom" fights back tears already. This is method acting at its finest.

The leading lady giggles offstage as she stands next to her co-star who dutifully pays attention.

After the rehearsal, the female cast enjoyed some pampering! After some manicures and pedicures, we were ready for opening night the next day!

Mawwaige

"Mawwaige. Mawwaige is what bwings us togetwer today.
Mawwaige, that bwessed awangment, that dweam within a dweam."

 

No, I didn't marry Wesley, but it wouldn't be inconthievable to say that I am more in love today than I've ever been. And that's because I married B!

On May 25, we finally got hitched and it was truly the happiest day of my life.

But let me back up. There was a lot that happened before.

First, our amazing friends Jordana and Chris produced, edited, and created magic for our last minute "casting package"-type video that we played at our rehearsal dinner for about 45 of our family and friends.

Here it is!

It was a hit! So was the whole rehearsal dinner! Our parents created - along with the help of BFF Nivek - this fantastic slideshow that categorized all of the photos B and I have taken over the years together. We learned that we do a lot of eating, a lot of theater, a lot of traveling and a lot of things with family and friends. It was super cool and I think that all of our guests enjoyed the self-promoting entertainment.

It was just so nice to have all of our out-of-town guests and bridal party in one place to party and kick off the wedding weekend.

When we arrived at Cisco's and I started to see all of our people gathering together, the wedding finally started to feel so real and I got this rush of excitement and energy that I hadn't felt before. I'd been so consumed with details, that I never really took the time to think about US; to think about WHY all of these people chose to spend their weekends in Ventura County. And I melted. It was the start of many happy tears to come.

Not to mention, we all looked pretty hot!

The groom with his bride!

 

With Annie, the best maid of honor/makeup artist/friend ev-er.

Brian, the best Best Man ev-er!

My fabulous 17-year-old cousin Rachel sang one of my favorite songs, "Overjoyed" by Stevie Wonder - it was beautiful!

And Alison, my new sister-in-law sang "L-O-V-E" accompanied by her and Bryan's dad on the guitar! Sounded cool!!

My bridesmaids are totally cute with their personalized bags and overall good looks. We had so much fun all weekend!!

B had a pretty good lookin' bunch of guys, too. We loved how well everyone got along!

 

The Bride and Groom with their almost-in-laws!

The music, the pictures, the videos, the yummy food: our rehearsal dinner couldn't have been more perfect! The only thing that could possibly go wrong the rest of the weekend would be rain... and since we moved the rehearsal dinner inside from the patio at the last minute, we were hoping that that would be our only change for the whole weekend, and fortunately it was. We left Cisco's around 10 p.m. right after B and I said our goodnights and kissed for the last time as single people in love. Eeeeeeeeeek!

More recap to come...

Starting Over

Hello, Blog! How are you? Things are a little different. Allow me to introduce myself:

My name is Ali and since the last time we were in each other's company, I was single, pasty white and 24. Now, I am married, tan -- Hawaiian-style, and 25.

The married thing happened on May 25th. I will elaborate on that more later.

The tan progressed over 10 days after during our spectacular honeymoon adventure. I will recap sometime in the near future.

And the quarter-life event is, well, today. I will report on the big ol' birthday soon.

Just wanted to say hello, dust you off and let you know that these are happy days.