Well I've been fairly busy with things lately but I have made a lot of progress. I finally got my wedding dress, I'm so excited!! And Jack and I took our engagement pictures yesterday. We're still having trouble with a reception site though. Not very many places are willing to let us bring in our own food and there is one place but we need a catering license. Jack's sister-in-law Aimee has connections through her sister who is the head caterer at Mountainland Applied Technology and teaches a catering school on the premises. However, she doesn't have an off-site caterer's license and so apparently it's not good enough. Which is slightly discouraging because I really thought it would all work out. We won't give up though.
On a happier note, I've lost about 17 pounds and I feel great. I'm fairly happy with my weight now and feel comfortable and healthy enough at this point, but I'm still shooting to lose about 5 more if possible.
Living with Elizabeth has proven to be a very nice experience. Jack and I joined her and her friends for a vegan dinner one night and we both had a really great time. I actually enjoy the company and having my own room!! Having roommates was fun, but it's nice to have my own space, with a door, and a closet, and my own bathroom.
I finally finished my math class which was a relief. The final was quite a traumatic experience. The final was at 5-6:40 pm and I had an appointment scheduled with a florist for 7:30 (plenty of time right?) Well I got to the final and began taking the test. I thought the first page was particularly difficult and there was one question I was just having an awful time with. By 7:15 I had finished the rest of the test except for that one question. By 7:30 I was the only person still there. I had an answer which I knew I devised correctly, but I kept checking it and it wasn't working. Finally, with tears in my eyes, my teacher asked to see my paper. She looked at the question I was struggling with looked up at me and said, "this is right! Go home!" I just started crying. It was certaintly quite an experience. She continued to go through the first page and telling me they were all right. With relief and anxiety, I thanked her and left already late for my appointment. That is not an experience I hope to have again.
I guess the wedding planning is causing me some stress but I must admit, the fact that I don't have a job right now is nice. I don't have to worry about scheduling, etc., I can just get some rest, do the planning, and relax.
I am still looking for a job though because not having money is also a stressor.

So anyway, that's what's been going on over here. I start the next semester on the 22nd of August, which I'm not much looking forward to but it will be nice to finish school as quickly as possible.

I made a wedding website for Jack and I in case any of you are interested: Here.
Let me know what you think, it's still a work in progress though.

Much love,

April

this one's for grandma

I posted this on my own blog here but I wasn't sure that you (or anyone else) would ever come across it so I'm reposting it here.
I thought you would appreciate the majesty, since you are the biggest Garfield fan I know. I came across this picture in a magazine just over a year ago and recently found these exact same sweaters on Ebay. I will post pictures of Max and I wearing them as soon as I can.

Soy menso y gOne FIsHinG... aND i gOts mE a wHopP3r!!!

Well not that I am as photogenic as some of the members of the family, I figured I might as well put something up that has some "eye candy" to it. Yes to ease your minds and hearts, she is Mexican, and she is my #1 fan. Although I must say that is not an entirely bad photograph of me, there are noticeable family traits I wish that hadn't been passed down to me. If I look a bit tired to you guys, I was, and very slightly inebriated.

I think I'm jumping ahead of myself and not giving a proper introduction here... excuse me. The lovely lady next to me is Elena, she appeared in the picture being of sound body and mind and also was not paid too much to pose with me. I first laid eyes upon her in Oct. of 2005, while applying to work at one of the most corrupt enterprises in the world; Office Max. I wouldn't say it was love at first sight, but seeing her there would really make the day's go by more quickly. After getting the run around at the store for about two months, I was finally hired at the pay rate of a drunken monkey in Dec. of that same year. Working my tail off, no pun intended, I proceeded to prove my worth and gain more hours and the trust of my managers and coworkers.

June, 6 months down the road, and I finally have the testicular fortitude to ask her out for dinner. Unknowingly to me, she thought that I was a homosexual and would be a nice friend to go shopping with!! Different sides of the tracks doesn't even compare to what we are. Since coming to America 10 years ago, she has befriended many people of her like culture. In other words, a white guy that wasn't Catholic, Spanish speaking, and straight was extreme foreign territory. So I did what any guy would do in my shoes, I took her to a Mexican restaurant.

Then I spent the next 6 months just spending time with her, getting to know how her mind works, what part of Mexico she came from (Durango) and doing anything else that would show interest in a heterosexual way. She quickly became my best friend and someone that I couldn't wait to spend time with, even if it was doing nothing at all, it was time well spent. Sometime around Christmas, I started to get a feeling that there was a real emotional connection coming to pass. Being the fool that I am, I asked her if she felt something towards me, and she looked at me straight in the eyes and said, "I feel I can get a green card out of you." !!?!?!?! Are all that came to mind at that moment. When I realized that she was joking and my heart wasn't really shattered into a thousand and one pieces, she told me that her parents are going to be really confused. Not understanding what she meant by that, I asked and all she replied was that their heads are going to spin because she wanted to give us a shot.

2007 came with a bang, I think, I was stuck on the phone trying to dial her New Years night for 40 minutes into the new year, while attempting to stay laid on the grass because the world was spinning way too fast for me to jump up and down and light fireworks and kiss my very manly woman friend. At least that's what I told her (sorry Liberty) there was no way I was ushering in the New year with a woman that as Ms. Swan would put it, "She looka like-a man!"

Sorry, sorry I got a little sidetracked... where was I? Well I'm not sure what to say at this point. There's so much love and great stories that I could be writing a whole book on this year alone. I can say that I met her parents in May, and her mother really likes me. Dad I can't really tell, their lack of English skills and his apparent lack of body language has kept me guessing. I can say that Luz (Elena) is the favourite daughter! So out of four girls, I pick daddy's little querida!! Oh dios mio. What really melted mom's heart in my favour was when I went to the wildly packed as hell Mexican neighbourhood in San Jose to pick up a pastel de tres leches. That would be a 3 milk cake to you peoples that don't watch Univision. That was late June, so we've just been spending almost every available moment together... scary, and to think I've actually considered proposing! We shall see, I think that after... oh that's her calling, gotta run bye.

I'll keep you all updated, much love and what not.

Mucho Amor
Auf Wiedersehen mit vielen Liebe,
Jeremy

Slummin' in Style

Lost in a sea of thought
I suppose I'll just write myself around these pictures and let you guys take in the breathtaking beauty yourselves. A few pictures of the beach which should bring envy to the hearts of those fortunate enough to have eyesight good enough to see the details of the tiny pictures, and yet also have the hindsight to know that it's not a good idea to move to California. Following pictures underneath these texty teasing tasty treats of literary genius, are two pictures of Carmel/Pebble beach. It was such a lovely day, I'm just so glad that I got to spend it with a person of such merit.

Two Pictures at Santa Cruz

Picture above and below these words of wisdom are the all too familiar Santa Cruz beach boardwalk. Taken during the Eddie Money concert (rOcK'N 80's!), not sure who took them now, but as you can clearly see, it's a moot point. I can now say with much pride that I have two tickets to paradise.