Saint Valentine's Day and beyond

What a wonderful time it has been the last few days, even though my kids are out of State. 

Going back to Wednesday, Kate and I met her friend Andrea Simmons at Barnes and Noble to discuss the possibility of her being our wedding photographer.  Andrea and her sister own http://www.adornphotos.com/ and do a bang up job with their picture taking!  Needless to say she was hired and now we have the hall reserved and the photographer! 

Everything is coming along very well on the nuptials front!  What’s the honeymoon you ask, well right now it’s the Shenandoah Valley National Park and a bit of the Nation’s Capital with the National Zoo and the Smithsonian Museums!!!!!!

Thursday was Valentine’s Day, the biggest Hallmark Holiday there is!  I’ll save you the rant but needless to say I told Kate I would give her 1 real Valentine’s Day as she has never had one, but that is it!  No more this point going forward.

My gift to her was a pearl bracelet to match the pearl necklace I got her for Christmas and this one was also strung by her best friend Erin and features the custom horseshoe and yolk clasp like her necklace does.   You can see them on my fancy lady in the photo below!

I made reservations to the Liberal Cup, good thing too it was packed, as we went there on our first date back on May 27, 2012.  We decided that every year on May 27^th we would go to the Cup and I think weather permitting walk the Arboretum in Augusta. 

Kate tried to get the chicken special but they were all so she got the Veggie Burger and I got my standard Bangers and Smash, so good!  Kate had a couple Long Island’s and I had my a Tarbox Cream Stout & State Budget Red Ale, and we got desert of the red velvet cake and cream cheese frosting!  We were both very pleased with you meals. 

We ended the evening at home watching Notting Hill; I really wanted to watch Serendipity starring John Cusack after I saw on Facebook her cousin Jesse was watching it.  

Friday we finally made it to Bangor and Bagel Central for the best Bagels that I have ever had!  I can say this is true as I have tried several different variety of Bagels from store bought ones, to Dunkin Donuts, Tim Horton’s, Panera bread, and Bagel Mainea and they all pale in comparison to Bagel Central. 

My favorite is the Whole Wheat Everything followed by the Herb.  Kate is a fan of the Onion, Herb, and Everything as well.  I did get an Apple Cinnamon and a Blueberry to try them buy I prefer the savory over the sweet bagels.  We also discovered to go earlier in the morning, we got there just after noon time and they were picked over pretty well, but we were happy with what we got.  I also got bagels for Mom and Gram-Gram and Kate got bagels for two other people as well. 

We hit two bridal dress shops in the Bangor area, Kate was very pleased with Henry’s as the lady there was extra helpful, I did not see her in any of the dresses that she tried on, I waited in the car or the reception area.  She wants to go back with a gaggle of girls and make a day of it! 

We also went to TJ Maxx and Burlington Coat Factory, I was looking for pants and no luck finding them, Kate found some sweaters and a skirt.  We had dinner at Dysarts before rolling home.

Friday night we went to Kate’s cousin’s Jesse’s house for a social gathering that included several people I didn’t know and some folks I did know in Emma & Caleb, Nikki & Justin, and Justin’s brother Rickle.  We had a great time enjoying some good beer, and not twisted tea crap, games and each other’s company.   I look forward for the opportunity to do it again!  As you can tell, we are all very serious people;

 I was going to include Saturday in this blog, but it has gone on so long that I will leave Saturday for a blog of it’s own.  

Here’s a sweet tune we rocked out to on the ride home from Bangor!

Later readers!

The Engagement Blog

The name of the blog really says it all!  On Monday evening I asked my beloved to be my wife and she said yes.  I mean why wouldn’t she say yes, I’m quite the catch!  Ok, ok she is too!  Truth be told I think we are both fortunate to have found each other.

So on Monday I proposed and by end of day Tuesday we had told our parents and posted it on Facebook where she won the “likes” contest, currently she is at 45 likes to my lowly 25 likes.   She also has more comments and more wall posts, thanks “friends”.

We picked a date!  It’s funny because Kate signed up for a contest a couple weeks back for a free wedding gown and it required the wedding date so she arbitrarily picked September 14^th, which then turned out to be a Saturday.  So we decided, that day works and boom!  The biggest decision was made.

The planning stages have continued rolling along nicely including ordering the Save the Dates on Wednesday and booking the reception hall on Friday, The Gardiner Sportsmen’s Club. 

Best man (John Spier) and Made of Honor (Erin Gove) are on board, which is the only wedding party that we are having except for Addison as the flower girl and Canaan who insists on being called the ring bearer.  When we told the kids they were very excited.  The only thing that disappointed Canaan was that we were getting married sooner. 

All other aspects are coming along nicely as well! 

In other news, we there really isn’t any so here’s a song

Later readers!

Michael

Bloggin' Ain't Easy!!

I’m still struggling trying to find that new routine.  It’s starting to get back there but the overtime is monkey wrenching me every time.  It’s important to establish a better eating pattern and add working out to it.  It will be easier when the weather gets nicer so I can get back on the rail trail. 

On the eating side of things Kate and I have been taking turns cooking for each other.  I usually cook on the nights that I have the kids, she on the weekend that I work and every other Tuesday we usually at Mama Mueller’s.  The other nights vary depending on my overtime or whatever is happening. 

Sunday Kate roasted a chicken that was the best tasting chicken I have ever had in my entire life.  I usually don’t make sweeping life statements like this because, seriously, even though I’m only 33 years old I’ve eaten a lot of chicken and who knows, maybe the best chicken I ever had was when I was 5, but like I remember that.  This chicken was so good though; that I think qualifies for this sweeping declaration!  It was a Martha Stewart recipe and I can’t say enough good about it.  So juicy and tender and delicious!

Today I scored 105 points with the worn QUIN on Words With Friends against Kate.   The Q was on a triple letter and the N on a triple word.  YE-AH!!

I haven’t been to wrestling since January and I’m having withdrawals.  There have been shows but because of work, finances, or other I haven’t been able to go or take Canaan.  However on March 1^st IWE is coming to Fairfield with Bushwhacker Luke and Rene Dupree.  Kate is going to watch Addison and have some girl time and I am going to take Canaan!  He hasn’t been since August keeps asking me when we are going again.  

Speaking of wrestling some great DVD’s coming out this year from WWE in The Best of WCW Monday Nitro Vol 2, ECW Unreleased Vol 2, A history of MidSouth Wrestling, and The History of the WWE.  It’s the feds 50’s anniversary this year starting as WWWF in 1963.  Also today the announced that Bruno Sammartino has finally agreed to be entered into the WWE Hall of Fame this year, which takes place at MSG and part of the deal is Bruno being interviewed for upcoming DVD’s and a DVD on him. FINALLY!

In non-WWE wrestling DVD news there are two coming out I’m looking forward to, Barbed Wire City an ECW documentary that looks great so far and on G.L.O.W the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling.

 

I’m more than half way through a great book called Centennial by James A Michener.  It’s Kate’s favorite book and I figured I could read it once.  The first 119 pages of this 1038 page historical fiction novel are excruciatingly boring!  After that though, it picks up and it’s wicked good!  

Back on January 26^th Kate and I went to her Aunts 60^th Birthday party at the Sportman’s club in Gardiner.  Such a great time!!  Caleb and Johnny both sang original songs, Mama Mueller sang on in honor of Tricia to the tune of “My Favorite Things”.  I finally meet more of Kate’s friends and family who all seem very nice, especially the Browns.  I see future film discussions with Justin.

Here’s a great song by the Lumineer’s

Later Readers