And the freaking heat wave continues....the high today? Expected to freaking hit 100 degrees. I threw a nice little temper tantrum when I got in the car this morning and heard the forecast. !#*!#%!* That is why I left OK (partially) because I HATE the freaking heat. Arrrgh!! The big problem is that a lot of homes in CO don't have a/c because it doesn't make sense as you would only really use it about 2 weeks a year. Usually my attic fan keeps the place plenty cool but not when it gets this hot.

I have to leave the comfort of my nicely air-conditioned office in the middle of the day because like labral I have a stupid committee meeting tonight. So I have to go home, let the dogs out and set the vcr so I don't miss any TAR. I should be home to see the last 45 minutes of the show but this meeting could take forever. Because I am co-chairing the committee of this non-profit but the staff person assigned to fundraising and special events is a)new and b) freaking way to disorganized. The foundation is holding its annual bachelor auction (2nd biggest fundraiser of the year) in TWO weeks and she has us so far behind schedule. Arggh! The program...is nowhere near being put together and it should go to print by Friday at the latest. Which means that I'll probably be writing the damn thing after I watch TAR tonight.

Btw, a bachelor auction really isn't that much fun when you are happily committed to a wonderful guy. Although I did get to meet Peter Forsberg* last year due to the auction.

And to add insult to injury, I accidentally got a diet Pepsi Twist (ewww!) out of the machine instead of my beloved diet Pepsi Vanilla. *pout*

* sports name that probably only hockey fans will recognize

Geez, I sound like a cranky beeyotch! See, I told you the heat makes me bitchy! Here's hoping that an episode of TAR will fix what ails me!

I do have pictures of my dress, Hildy, along with a few other tidbits about the planning. You can check it out here:

Sureshot's Bridal Bio

I look freakishly tall in the photos, mostly because I'm standing on a box that's hidden by the skirt. And the traumatized look on my face is not helping matters. Snark away, everyone! I can take it!

ETA a very important thing - thanks for the congrats everyone! I feel all warm and fuzzy inside now.

Omigod sureshot you look amazing, even if with freakishly long legs - hee hee. I love the color of your wedding dress.

Me too--what an elegant dress! Are you having bridesmaids/women of honor? If so, what sort of garment will they be wearing?

Beautiful dress - the last wedding I was at the bride wore a similar dress and it looked gorgeous. I also love your wedding venue.

I'm ignorant when it comes to brides and weddings and such, so this question may be neive but why are you standing on the box? It is a beautiful dress and karatekate I though your wedding photos were lovely.

Oooh! sureshot those are lovely pics! The dress looks fabulous on you and I also love the venue. It all looks very elegant. See, this just proves that I love looking at wedding photos because my mood is drastically improved. Thanks for sharing!

Thanks all for your kind words! I was never a super-girly girl, but I had such an "I'm a pretty princess!" moment trying on dresses and veils and tiaras (in a good way). I felt almost like I was just play acting during the wedding.

SureShot - many congrats on the upcoming nuptials! I love all of the buttons running down the back of your dress and train (I love even more the modern miracle of hidden zippers, which I hope for your maid-of-honor's sake your dress has!!).

Omoo, I don't know for sure the reason of the box, but every bridal store seems to have them in front of their mirrors for the dress-model to stand on. I figured it was so that, no matter how short the bride, the dress would hang right and alterations could be decided upon. Also, you get a full gown view in the mirror. And, if you're the bride, why not get your own, private stage. But, come to think of it, the alterations is probably the best bet, since most tailors have boxes for the pincushion, I mean client, to stand on.

I'm new (just started posting today, though I've been lurking for a few weeks). Just a quick question - how much do you have to post to get "Loyal Viewer" or "Fanatic" after your screen name?

I have "Just Tuned In" after mine, which I presume indicates my newbie status. Is there a list anywhere which shows the acending list of "titles"? Thanks!

Thanks Sureshot26 - I'm finally "in the know"

Yes, karatekate, the buttons are strictly decorative. I could never put my best friend/maid of honor through the torture of having to button them all! Sprained fingers do not a happy maid make.

Hildy, I'm not sure what my maid of honor will wear. I think she's planning on a blue formal dress she already owns, which I'm sure looks lovely on her. She's flying from Boston to Chicago to be in the wedding, and with the travel expenses I didn't want to add the cost of a dress on top of it. I'm just so excited to see her again that she could wear a paper sack for all I care. We haven't managed to get together since XMas '02 and I miss her a lot.

I'm glad to see that so many people think the venue is cool. The house is actually only a few blocks from our apartment, so I get to walk by it often when I'm out with the dog. I can't help humming "I'm getting married!" whenever I walk by. If you want to read a little more about the house and its history, you can check it out here.

In more TAR-related news, the fiance is not too happy with me at the moment. He's currently rotating through ob/gyn at the hospital, so he has to get there at 5:30am, which means he can't stay up late enough to watch it. He asked, "Can't you just wait until tomorrow to watch it?", to which I replied, "Honey, I'll never be able to catch up on the episode thread if I do that! And if I don't read them all, I can't post! I'm sorry honey, but I just can't wait." He's not happy about my TWoP-induced selfishness, but tough. I have an agenda, people!

And Puck, all your questions will be answered here. Welcome to our little club - we're glad to have you!

Sureshot I have a similar problem. Got to up by 6:00 and I know that I don't function without sleep. But if I tape it, I'll be so behind and won't even be able to check the boards until after I watch it, lest I inadvertanly read something that gives the ending away. Wens. night is already full with unbreakable commitments. Oh, the agony! (At least I'm fortunate that this is the biggest issue I have right now)

As long as you've got your priorities straight, Sureshot. #1. TAR and then everything else.

I love the style and colour of the invites. They look very modern, yet elegant as well.

Welcome Puck. Jump right into the TWoP community. We don't bite, unless you don't follow the FAQs, which Sureshot pointed you to.

I'm ending a sentence with a preposition (that's what they're called, right? It's been awhile since I've taken English.) and I don't care.

So on the visit home last week, we were concerned about my dad's ongoing circulation problems. He's really not strong enough to handle another bypass, and yet his toe was hurting him. So the cardiologist put him on another drug and took x-rays just to be sure. Today Dad gets a call from the cardiologist. His toe is not hurting because of poor circulation. It is hurting because it is broken.

On the one hand, I'm glad he doesn't have a circulation problem. On the other hand, I think it's sad that he's so accustomed to associating pain with poor circulation that he has been walking around on a broken toe. (And how did he break it, anyway?)

beautiful dress, sureshot!

I have a wierd question for all you brides, wives and brides-to-be....its wierd because I feel like, as a girl, this info should be hardwired onto my brain, but its not!!!

My boyfriend and I are talking about getting married (shocker!), when he asks me to marry him, what hand does the engagement ring go on? I know it goes on the opposite hand of the wedding ring (right?). and, which is more appropriate - getting teary and sniffiling a bit? or outright balling my eyes out? how about wailing like a baby?

Any of those would be fine. Just try to avoid hysterical laughter.

Does anyone have any experience with free picture hosting websites? What I'm trying to do is put a bunch of pictures on a personal webpage, but my school only gives you 1-5MB of space, which is rather limiting. Basically all I want is a main page with 'album' links (such as X-mas, or TARcon), which open to thumbnails of the what's in the albums etc...What I'm trying to avoid is having my friends have to sign-up for anything (like in ofoto or Shutterfly).

The problem I'm having though, is that I'm a complete fricking moron when it comes to this kind of thing. So any help would be greatly appreciated. Also, I use Adobe Photo Album 2.0 to manage my photo's, and one of the options is creating a web gallery (or a 3D gallery) that can then be put on the web. The problem is that once created, I have no idea how to put them on a website. Would the free hosting sites be able to do this, or would I need my own website to put these up on.

Once again any help would be greatly appreciated, and if you don't feel like wasting forum space on this, feel free to email me.

Oh, and if the free one's suck I would be willing to pay a little bit of cash, but honestly I'm not looking for anything fancy, just a way to easily share photos with friends that doesn't require them to sign-up for anything

labral, I wear my engagement ring on my left hand which is traditional, although in Europe it's more common for brides-to-be to wear it on the right hand. After I'm married, I'll wear both rings together on my left hand, but I've seen a lot of different choices there, including e-ring on right and wedding band on left, wedding only, e-ring only, e-ring and wedding soldered together.... So the answer is... do whatever the hell you want. Screw Emily Post and all her little minions of destruction.

As for the right response, don't do what I did, which is get indignant as he's proposing, ask if he's kidding, and then babble and cry for five minutes before saying yes.

True story: my fiance proposed to me during a game of Scrabble (aww). I'm sitting there the whole game wondering why it's so damn hard. At one point I had nothing but consonants, and I was practically tearing my hair out in frustration. Finally, he makes his move - he plays "Will you marry me" down one side of the board with the pieces that he's been pocketing the whole game. Yes, I do believe I'm a nominee for the new Kami & Karli Total Lack of Awareness of the Obvious Award. However, he started from the middle, so I didn't get what was happening at first. He starts making all these words going across that aren't words, and I of course am protesting loudly, "That's not a word!!!" Finally it's all out there on the table, and I ask if he's messing with me, although the swift appearance of the ring box quickly dispelled me of that notion. I blubbered, I babbled, I almost smacked him for cheating. And then I said yes. And the first one to know was our dog, who is delighted to know that his parents won't be living in sin for much longer.

ETA: piperdown, you might check out the TWoP Pixel Challenge over in the TV Potluck forum. There's a stickied post about image hosting over there that should help you.

Sureshot, that's one of the best proposal stories I've ever heard! Congratulations.

Happy TARsday, everyone.

Congrats to our brides!! EEEEEEE!

And Sureshot, that is the cutest proposal story. I'm all verklempt.

I've seen a lot of people wear their wedding ring and their engagement ring on the ring finger of the left hand, always with the engagement ring on top. I think it's because the wedding ring is supposed to be closer to the heart. I don't know where that comes from though.

I wore my engagement ring on my wedding ring finger before the engagement -- mind you, Pel proposed without a ring in sight, then I picked out my favorite design during my lunch break (without him around), we agreed on the style, and then it was custom-made. So it was a while before I had a ring to show off.

Pello proposed with a card trick, actually. Some girlfriends and I drove out to Colorado, picked him up from his dorm, then grabbed a hotel room for a weekend of skiing. He says he wants to show me a new card trick he just learned. I say something like, "It's frickin' 2am -- only ONE trick!" So he goes through the hocus pocus, gets the cards into four face-down piles, and tells me to think of the cards I most want to see, then turn over the top of each pile. He'd rigged the deck to say "Marry Me Muffin Head." I shrieked and attacked him. After about 5 minutes, he asked, "So, this means yes?" I confirmed my answer.

DariaG Sorry to hear about your dad, but glad he's ok. I have arthritis, and when you have a chronic condition, whether it's arthritis, poor circulation, diabetes, whatever, there's a tendency to associate every ache and pain and problem with it. It's like a defense mechanism - if I worried about every little thing (and not so little thing) I wouldn't be able to function... but it does get hard figuring out what's 'the usual' and what requires attention.

On top of that, most doctors are idiots and don't take the time to figure out what's really going on. Prescribing drugs is easier. I could have saved a stockpile of opiates, or worse case gotten totally addicted, if I accepted all the prescriptions offered to me, before anyone properly diagnosed my problem. I got offered drugs left and right, it was pathetic. Fortunately, I refused to take painkillers when no one could tell me what my problem was. (Well, I used herb... not addictive and far less harmful on the body than opiates...)

Anyway, maybe tmi. Just babbling until work ends and I can go home and watch the race! And I don't have proposal stories or baby stories... neither is my thang.

The way I've always heard it is that when you get the engagement ring it goes on your left ring finger. The day of your wedding it goes on your right ring finger or is left off so that your wedding ring can go on your left ring finger. Then, after you're married, your wedding ring always stays on your left ring finger and your engagement ring is either placed on top of it so they make a set (they can even be sautered together) or your engagement ring is taken off completely. Of course I don't think anyone will throw rocks at you or anything for breaking these rules.

And yes the box is for alterations and so that you are elevated to a level of importance. My cousin is getting married and when I was being fitted for my bridesmaids dress my mom kept telling me to stand on the box because it really does make you feel pretty and special.

Hee to the proposal SureShot. I would've probably smacked him for cheating after I got over the initial shock and joy too.

I just got engaged less than 2 months ago and I pretty stared blankly until he roused me with "I'm not kidding you know". :) I'm also wearing my ring on the left hand.

I'm not a big girly-girl either, but I have to say after trying on dresses this week-end, that I could do the dress up thing all day!

Congrats karatekate and sureshot!

One of my best friends is getting married (she asked me to be Maid of Honor in the Grocery Store..where I work..And I cried) anyway, When Her Fiancee and I went to Pick out the ring (apparently a tradition...I don't know if its family or if it something everyone does) and I saw a couple of really cool ring sets that had the engagment ring very simple, and the wedding band was slightly v shaped , to allow the engagment ring to sit flush with it. It was really cool. Sorry, I was just thinking about them when you guys were talking about which finger...yeah...

Happy TARSday!
(and Marry Waiting-all-week-for-Miss-Alli's-recap)

Yeah, I went into hysterical giggles when Mr. Ex proposed to me. Then I got the giggles at the ceremony too, when I was reciting the vows. It was awful.

Sureshot, your venue reminds me of where we got married, Fairlane House in Dearborn -- Henry Ford's gorgeous Arts-and-Crafts house. We went around all day pretending it was our house. Too fun. And people still, 5 years later, tell me that it was the most memorable wedding they've been too. I don't know if that was the house or the hysterical bride, though.

You're telling us you got married in a Ford Fairlane?

I won't ask about the honeymoon...

ay yi yi.

I guess that joke had to be said.

Anyways, congradulations Kate - everyone looked so happy in your pics. My best friend is getting married in a month, so although single, I've been somewhat immersed in wedding plans...

Anyway, is there going to be a chat tonight? If so, can someone give me the name or invite me? Thx.

My mom lost her wedding and engagement rings many years ago, and just recently my dad got her new ones for their 25th anniversary. She has a set that nests together, and she wears them on her left ring finger.

Sorry to change the subject, but someone posted in the episode threads about the lack of guidebooks this season and I didn't see a response. But this isn't really about the episode, so...

Was one of the rule changes to ban guidebooks? I seem to remember that from way back when.

Nothing was ever completely clearly stated, but Bert did say something in an interview about "no maps", and how that was going to force a great deal more interactions with the locals. Since the dog-walkers got a map with a marked route, it does kind of seem like the "no maps" thing is really "no maps except the ones production supplies." If that's the case, then guidebooks are probably out, too, since most of them, especially the good ones, have area maps.

Wow, Rabrab. You're up late!

I was sort of wondering about the whole guide books/maps thing myself, given that there really aren't any official rules posted anywhere. Guess the possible unreliablity of having to obtain information from strangers makes for better television. Or so Evita Peron would have us believe.

Ooooooh, JenEx, how cool! I've been to Fairlane House, and it is exquisite. What a fabulous place for a wedding. My brother's getting married (in Madison Heights) in August. If they didn't already have the arrangements set, I would have suggested this. Well, okay, maybe not. He does work for Daimler-Chrysler, so that might not have been appropriate. But my sister had her reception (20-some years ago) at Meadowbrook Hall (the old Dodge estate) in Rochester. Very cool!

I love the Scrabble engagement story. Jon Stewart proposed to his wife with the help of the editor of the NY Times crossword puzzle. I wish I had saved that puzzle, but at the time I didn't know it was about him, I just thought the puzzle maker was doing the asking in print.

My alma mater actually provides a very pretty locale for a wedding. People have them there all the time. If I felt like dragging my friends and family to NY, I'd definetly consider it, especially since I'd get a nice discount. Plus, in keeping in line with the car theme, the administrative building is the old Chrysler Mansion.

I LOVE the Scrabble proposal! Something tells me that BF is just not that creative so I just better lower the expectations right about...now.

I was told when I got married that after the wedding you wear both rings on your left ring finger, with the engagement ring on the outside, acting as sort of a ring guard for your wedding ring. Of course, I wear mine backwards because my engagement ring is slightly too large and I've never bothered getting it sized. Then again, if I gain as much weight in the next 10 years of marriage as I did in the first, it should fit properly eventually.

If you do one of those, though, you want to make sure the wedding band works okay on its own, not just in conjunction with the engagement ring, in case the engagement ring gets flushed down the toilet by a clever toddler. (My mom's original wedding band had a little hook for the engagement ring. She wears a replacement plain band now.)

don't they call those 'wraps'? I like those. I'm not sure if I want to have a say in the ring or not. potential Mr. labral mentioned last night that he has to figure out how to talk to my dad who lives 8 hours away and potential mr. labral never gets a weekend off....even when he's not working and the clinic is closed, there are always patients that need to be checked on (he's a vet) or medicated so he has to run out to the clinic.

anywhoooooo on other note, have I mentioned how much I hate the gynie? just had my first check in almost 10 years (yes, I know, you don't need to nag me anymore) and it was as horrible as I remember! but its done and I'm ok!

Not to change from such a nice subject of engagements and weddings, but since you guys have read my many many posts about my cat Smokey, I thought I'd tell you what happened. Smokey died this morning - I was getting ready for work, I stopped to play with him a couple of seconds, he started gasping and just died. Right now I'm sort of in state of shock I think. But, it was very quick, he didn't suffer and he was with me at the end.

Oh, M. Darcy, I'm so sorry. I know how very hard it is to lose a treasured pet, especially so suddenly. There are so many animal lovers around here on the MM that I know you'll be in all of our thoughts.

It was nice, though, that Smokey became famous as the Prozac Cat on Jeopardy. I adored the look Alex Trebek gave you after that story.

I'm so sorry, M.Darcy. It's so hard to lose anything beloved to you, be it animal or human.

M.Darcy you have my sympathies. I feel like I know Smokey from your stories and it's so sad and shocking.

That's very sad -- I'm sorry. At least you were playing with him at the end. Take care....

My sympathies as well, M.Darcy. What a heartbreak.

M.Darcy This website may be helpful for you:
http://www.rainbowbridge.com/
I went there after a beloved pet died, it's a nice comfort.

How very sad M. Darcy. When my cat died a few years ago (while in the custody of my folks), my dad had to take me out and get me completely drunk before he told me. But half a bottle of wine probably didn't help the crying in the middle of Smith & Wollensky's steakhouse.

I'm jealous. Mine is about $700 I think, for 8 hours though, get all 5x7, 5 8x10, two giganto shots. No negs though - which I really want. He's charging $35 a roll for me to buy them (I think) so I fully intend to buy them so I can have fun photoshoping the heck out of them!

ETA:

Sorry for your loss! My post came at a bad time :(

Big *hugs* from another pet person, M. Darcy. Horrible as it must have been, I'm so glad you were there for Smokey at just the right time. I have to think that must have helped him a bit. Hang in there.

I am so, so sorry to hear that, M. Darcy. I hope you have someone there to give you as many hugs as you need.

My condolences M.Darcy - how sad to lose a part of the family.

I'm so sorry, M. Darcy.