Internet Addict (originally published on 4/17/09)

I remember when it began, I was in college. I had gotten an e-mail account through the University and started going into internet chat rooms. I even remember who tipped me off to e-mail. It was a friend from middle school.

And since then, I have spent countless hours on Blogger, Facebook, Yelp, Yahoo Mail, Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo, MSN, NY Times and other dot coms. Has it been worth it? No. Would it have been better to call up one or more of my friends and meet them and actually talk? Yes!

Could I have read a few - or maybe very many books instead of surfing online? Yes. In fact, I am slow going these days on an Oprah book. Oprah book, that's supposed to mean something, isn't it? I should have been finished with it in one day, haha. Well, who knows what the Oprah stamp of approval means, I don't even watch her show. All I know is I saw the Oprah stamp on my copy of "She Comes Undone" by Wally Lamb. It's an intriguing book with an unusual main character and I like it.

In a way, there are cool features and tons of information online. It can become time consuming. When I was growing up, did I expect that 80% of my life would be spent behind a computer terminal? No, not at all. I should make like some of my friends who avoid Facebook and other social networking sites. To my credit, I did go out to a Happy Hour with some people I know from Yelp.com this week. I had a good time. How did we comment on the Happy Hour later? Online, of course.

Wedding Hints (Originally Posted on 7/1/2008)

My wedding will be on September 20th, 2008. It's a thrilling time planning the wedding and I look forward to the very special day.

Here's some tips that I've learned (some by my own trial and error, some through other people's experience and coaching).

1. Going to Bridal Expos and shows can be a great source for gaining vendors for the wedding. What you want to do is put down no e-mail address and mailing address - - or if required, put down a fake one. That way you will save yourself from the many, many mailings from vendors.

2. On the same token, when going to David's Bridal, if you put down your phone number on the registration form, they will call you. I say they because both David's and Men's Wearhouse called me. The economy is not in a good state right now.

3. Start early and once you have momentum going on your wedding projects, keep it going. Don't let criticism or questions bog you down. Definitely address the criticisms and questions (or if it seems a better option, ignore them, but keep the project moving. Because projects can get bogged down. I have one that I started in March with high hopes and must now move in for the kill and close on this project early this month (July!).

4. If you are unsure of a service or a vendor, ask them questions in a gentle and friendly way. If they are accommodating, you may be able to find out more about their services to the point where you feel comfortable using them. You can ask for references, as well. A lot of the vendors I have spoken to were agreeable to giving references, meeting with me and my fiance and answering questions.

5. Don't take it the wrong way/forget about it. People around the bride and groom are naturally going to ask lots of questions, have opinions - - almost everyone has an opinion, and make suggestions that are unrealistic. Most people aren't malicious; they just want to talk or try to help. Although it's hard to really follow this advice sometimes, don't take what people say the wrong way. If at all possible, try to forget about it.

6. Try to be as organized as you possibly can, and take time for grooming. Tension runs high and no one wants to go crazy over some missing brochure, invoice or sample invitation. The grooming part, it will really help in looking and feeling better during a stressful time. Recently I got a compliment on a picture that was taken for me. I was asked if someone had done my makeup. It was good to hear, especially as I had done my own application of makeup.

7. Remember, although it is a stressful time, it is a fun time too. No one else will have the wedding planning experience and the wedding that my fiance and I will have had. And for those that enjoy fine cuisine, there will be plenty of opportunity for eating, as food for the wedding, cake and hor d'oeurves are tested. It's going to be a day to remember.

Every Day I Write the Blog

(This was originally published on January 8, 2009 and is being brought back out of draft after re-visiting my blog.) Here I have attached a pretty picture, at least in my opinion, for you:

Happy New Year to you, I hope you are in good health. There seems to be a wave of colds going around with a strong cough. I know this because I have it. At first I thought it was a cough confined to one geographic area, but I have heard from a friend in a different region that he has it, too.

My only theory as to why this cold came about is the temperature (too cold for the comfort of the residents of the area) and perhaps increased pollution. I have plenty of motivations to get well soon, including a dinner invitation tomorrow night and a lunch with friends planned on Monday. So I should really concentrate on getting well. The dinner invitation is at a restaurant I never heard of before but my friend has good taste so I think it should be good. The second one is In-N-Out, a total pleasure of a hamburger place. Where else could you get so wonderfully fed for $5?

I went to Chik-Fil-A to increase my pleasure and make me forget feeling sick. This was a tasty treat. I had the regular chicken sandwich - not grilled, the one with the delicious skin, fries and cole slaw. I felt better afterward. Hmm, makes me wonder if I should repeat that for tomorrow's lunch? Or I could heat up one of the assorted cans of Campbell's chicken soup, good for colds. Pho would also be good; man that soup is good. The best Pho would be in Westminster, I am not sure if I want to be driving that long right now.

I think about subjects other than food. Recently watched a bit of the comedy "Scrubs". I was laughing, a definitely good distraction. Tomorrow: focus on getting well and not passing the cold to anyone. It's a good goal, I'm sure of it.