Wednesday, June 21, 2006

the storm before the calm














Ooph. There was much packing and loading at Nicole's apartment this weekend. There was much unloading and unpacking at my apartment this week.

Somehow Nicole and I managed to see "Nacho Libre" in Tucson last Friday. We were looking down the barrel of a laborious weekend and the movie was a nice stress reliever. But I lost my sunglasses at the mall. Oh well, they was the cheap ones, N. said they looked like Bono glasses. Back to Target.

The "Nacho Libre"movie was loaded with physical humor, fart jokes, overweight jokes. It was almost embarassing to watch at points, but highly entertaining. I can't decide whether to recommend it to everyone or to no one. Jack Black is brilliant as the emotionally intense Latin. He plays an orphan/monk/cook at a Mexican orphanage who yearns for wrestling glory. His accent, mannerisms and overall performance is more than enough to make the movie worth watching. His short-sleeved turtleneck sweater alone makes the movie worth watching.

We picked up Nicole's pa at the airport after the movie. Jim Carriere is very easy-going, genial and patient, and he wears a cowboy hat and cowboy boots. He's spending the week with us and the three us are crowded with all those boxes, but things are going very smoothly and we're having a good time. But the apartment has been warm, we're surrounded by boxes, eating too much carbs.

The drive from Arizona was mildly nerve-wracking, but we made it. Good old Jason helped us unload furniture on Monday evening - eternal thanks to you my friend.

We're fetching Nicole's matron-of-honor, Ericka, from the airport tomorrow (Thursday). She's spending the night with San Diego relatives, then Friday morning we're all driving up to L.A. for wedding preparations and rehearsal. Rehearsal - I haven't even started practicing.

Nevertheless impatient. Want to do the wedding and split for the honeymoon. I feel like Martin Sheen stuck waiting for his mission in his Saigon hotel room. Not getting enough sleep this week, need to go to the gym tonight. If I was in my ordinary state of mind I'd be concerned over the money that people are spending on wedding presents.

But ultimately I can't let myself feel guilty if someone decides to buy me a ceramic jug shaped like a chicken-head just because it's on my wedding registry. I can't be wasting my emotions, I've got bigger fish to fry.

Thursday, June 15, 2006

great metal bird



Tomorrow morning, round about 8 a.m., I'll be heading yonder to Arizona, returning in a U-Haul on Sunday, and Nicole will be a resident of Southern California.

Nicole's still struggling to pack, I'm still struggling to make room for her. But at least I went to Blockbuster last night and got her dad a card for the local video outlet. He can relax for a week in La Jolla watching flicks and eating oven bake biscuits while Nicole and I labor to work out last minute details and get used to the new living environment.

"For tonight, is the night, when two become one." I love that song, what ever happened to Four Non Blondes?

Wednesday, June 14, 2006

the young and the restless












Ryan and Kourtney (the young people) and I (the restless) went to the Princess Pub last night to engage in libations in honor of my upcoming nuptials. Someone told me once that it's called the Princess Pub in honor of Princess Diana, but when it opened she was still alive and had only been a princess for two years.

Don't they look like nice people? Would you believe that they are the King and Queen of mockumentary, cracking wise about everyone and everything? I hate to think what they say even about me when I'm not around, they're ruthless, they would make fun of a flea! See where I stepped away from the table to take their picture? While I was gone I overheard Ryan say, "Only mental freaks wear striped shirts on Tuesdays, don't you think?" and Kourtney said "Yes."

But it was so kind of them to buy me food and drink. They are so good to me. Why do they keep me around? For laughs? Your guess is as good as mine, but we will appreciate them for as long as they allow us. Thank you for your warmth and wit and for being my fashion icons, o ye nobles.

the bold and the beautiful












Nicole split for Arizona one last time Saturday night, see you Friday darlin'.

Afterwards I met John and Jason back at the apartment and we went to Shakespeares. I remember somebody took some pictures, but I've not seen them.

And darn it, when we brought Mexican food to the Grotto afterwards I forgot my camera. Favorite moment of the evening, while were there a lone jeep drove down through the darkness into the grotto - I picked up a log and started beating the earth with it in a threatening manner - when the jeep, now curious, drew closer, I retreated back into the tree line.

Sunday John and I ate brunch at Harry's (have I mentioned that I'm a flapjacks-o-holic?) then went to the Ken Cinema one last time before the wedding. Watched "Clean", Maggie Cheung stars as a heroin addict, features Nick Nolte who manages not to go bananas at any point.

Friday, June 09, 2006

A New Cocktail


The other day N. bought some Tropicana lemonade and for some reason I combined it with some Baileys Irish Cream. We’d gotten the Baileys to put it on ice cream, turns out it’s not that terrific.

Anyway I combined some lemonade and Baileys Irish Cream. N. didn’t try it, but she named this drink a “sour shillelagh”. I liked the Irish reference and thought I'd call it a sour potato, but the name Sour Shillelagh stuck.

Here is the recipe:

One part Baileys Irish Cream
Two or three parts Tropicana Lemonade

If you drink it, it tastes kind of like an Orange Julius, but lemon-flavored instead of orange. And, like Baileys Irish Cream on ice cream, it’s not that terrific. But at least I invented a new cocktail.

Monday, June 05, 2006

still engaged











For the first time in my life I'm still engaged less than three weeks before my wedding. I'm so happy!

Nicole's plane arrived safely Saturday. This weekend we watched Netflix "Bubba Ho-Tep" and "The Name of the Rose".

She's visiting for a week before she and her dad arrive on June 18 when she will move in permanently. Her dad isn't moving in permanently, he is just staying until the wedding because he is driving Nicole's U-Haul full of possessions from Arizona. But Thank God Nicole's dad and I get along so well, I always have a jolly good time when I fly out to Illinois to visit him.

Tomorrow, or Wednesday, Jim and I are going to get fitted for out wedding tuxedos. And Nicole said that she would play my Dark Tower game with me tonight. I haven't had this much fun since 1986.

Friday, June 02, 2006

3 weeks to go



Tomorrow my wedding will be three weeks away - do you think I haven't felt nervousness? I have felt nervousness.

For instance, yesterday N. drove to Tucson for a dentist appointment. In my heart I gave her a fifty-fifty chance of returning home alive. The desert is a dangerous place.

I tried to call her but got no answer on her cell phone. She tried to call when she got home but got a phone company message saying that my phone was disconnected. I was sure she had passed away, gone up to Heaven.

We did eventually connect, but this paranoia is for the buzzards.

To make matters worse, she's flying out here on an airplane tomorrow, and she's a notorious white knuckle passenger even under normal circumstances. Say a prayer that she gets here in one piece. Pray that she doesn't will the plane to take a nose dive through telekinetic panic.

If she and I can make it past this weekend alive, still engaged, and not otherwise mutilated, torn or spindled, then I will relax.