We’re here! Yay Ireland!
I’ll gloss over the travel bits. You’ve been on airplane, right? Our time on the plane was like that. We had a couple fortuitous turns: when changing planes at JFK, our next gate was directly beside the one we were let off at. Nice. The exit row coach seats we sat in on the trip to Ireland were genius. Loads of legroom AND they reclined (go me). Timo froze a little bit, but he seems to have recovered all the feeling in his feet just fine. Breezed through customs; suitcases came right out of baggage claim no problem.
When we stepped out of the airport, we were greeted with green hills, gray sky, and that kind of icy rain that smacks you right in the face and says “hey, I got your nose.” Wow, was it cold. There was snow, my friends, snow. Not that attractive kind of snow, but the wet, mushy kind that doesn’t accumulate. We have purchased our first “souvenirs”: winter hats. We’ll post some photos later of Timo & Jessica on the town; rarely have we looked so attractive.
The rest of the day passed in a blur of walking through the rain, learning the neighborhood. Tried to keep Timo awake, but he did really need a nap, poor love. He slept a bit, I unpacked and watched Friends.
More to come, with photos soon! Today we are setting off to walk the city as much as we can. On the agenda: Trinity College, Book of Kells, Guinness Storehouse, St Patrick’s Cathedral, pints.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Sunday, March 28, 2010
wedding
It's ooover; it's ooover
Strongbad says it's ooover
It's oooover; it's ooover
Everybody died 'cept me!
Except nobody died and our wedding was the best weekend EVER. Thank you SO MUCH, everyone who was able to attend and make the evening so delightful.
Here's how things went from my end:
1) I have the coolest, nicest friends/family/in-laws/co-workers in the entire world. This concept was introduced on Tuesday when my work friends threw us a cocktail party at Marc 49 in Oakland. Confirmed the next day at our respective bachelor and bachelorette parties. Reinforced throughout the week.
2) I super hate being late to stuff, but we were continually late Tues-Fri to all things. Not by much, just by enough to be annoying. On Thursday, after an amusing evening in which Danielle, Lora, Whitney, and I tried to be reallyreallyreally quiet (thinking the others were sleeping), we got up early and went to breakfast. One thing. We did one thing, and yet...we were late to nail appointments. And then late back to the apartment, which caused SUPER RUSHING AROUND to get to Sonoma. Daytime Thursday was easily the most stressful for me.
3) See #1. After arriving in Sonoma, we took over the hotel. It was delightful to know that almost everyone going into or coming out of a room at the hotel was with us. Felt a little like camp, in the best way possible. Wedding rehearsal went well. I was pretty sure our poor coordinator was going to kill us after awhile. She'd say one thing, 5 jokes would ensue, and 2 people wouldn't have been listening. Prize for the afternoon goes to this exchange:
- Robin [friend & officiant]: and then we'll end with a reading.
- Kelly [coordinator]: Will you make some kind of pronouncement or "ladies and gentlemen, Timo and Jessica" at the end?
- Robin: no, I've already done that. The reading is the last thing.
- Kelly: that's not really traditional.
- Robin: ...I know.
4) Rehearsal dinner was fantastic. Do yourself a favor. Go to Bluegrass Bar and Grill and order the brisket. Do not pass go. Do not consider other proteins. It is too good to be missed. My dad loved it (and I always measure brisket by what he taught me about barbeque) and said HIS dad would've liked it. We had truly excellent toasts from Timo's dad, my brother, and my friend Whitney. It's a crime that they're not on film, but I guess the best bits will live on in our memories.
Highlights from my brother's toast: "I met Timo in Boston, and I'm pretty sure the first thing I thought was 'wow, he's very tall'. Timo, you're still tall." and "My sister is at the top of my priority list. And Timo, now that you're joining the family, I want you to know...my sister is at the top of my priority list. [big laugh from the crowd] But that's because I put my family first. Now that you're officially becoming part of the family, you'll always be at the top too." Paraphrased a bit.
Highlights from Whitney's toast: Timo moved in and the three of us lived together for awhile. "And that was hard. But I now think I am the luckiest of all the people here. Because I got to see them, every day, at the beginning, fall in love"
That one is making me teary even typing it out.
I understand there was hanging out afterwards, but Timo and I went back to our hotel room. It seems we hadn't seen each other in days, so we drank some wine, caught up, and practiced reading our vows to each other.
5) See #1. All night long, people approached me and said "I love your friends" or "your aunt is the best" or "we had such a nice chat with your parents." Awesome.
6) Wedding day approached with little sleep under my belt. Like every night that week. I think I last slept well on Monday night. Hoping to remember how to sleep BEFORE we get to Ireland.
Breakfast? Check.
Hair salon? Check.
Champagne? Check, check, and check throughout the day,
Lunch in my mom's hotel room. Lora still raving about the veggie sandwiches.
Sudden discovery that it was 1:30pm and we had better get ready because we were getting picked up at 2:15. Crap. Time for more rushing around.
Side note: all day long I made vendors and perfect strangers laugh. A lot. They'd ask "how are you sleeping?" I'd say, "very poorly." "Are you nervous?" "Yes." [cue laughter] Is it funny to be honest about those questions?
Put dress on.
Photos.
Photos with Timo. Nervousness abated for awhile.
More photos.
Sitting around waiting for ceremony. We brought magazines. No one read them. Too nervous, I guess. We did manage to kill a bottle of champagne between the 6 of us.
7) Ceremony. It was 100% perfect and I loved every bit of it. I wish I hadn't accidentally indicated to people that they should sit down while Robin was talking [sorry, Robin!] but I think I will forgive myself for that. The group reading was perfect, the individual readings were perfect, and I loved Timo's vows. Win, win, win. Funny thing: the processional and recessional music was the only thing I knew specifically months and months ago. Yet I didn't hear it at all on either walk. I know it was playing, but it really didn't register. Too much to think about, I guess.
8) Reception: see #1. Everyone in my life rules. I am the luckiest.
The cocktail hour was fun, the food at dinner was amazing, and the toasts cannot be topped. At least these ARE on film. [Thanks, Will!] My dad rules. Best Man Dan gave a speech about zombie infections that had Timo and I cackling obnoxiously and tables full of people thinking "what the heck is he talking about?" Perfect. Maid of Honor Danielle drew the short straw by having to follow Dan, but still rocked it. One highlight: "unlike most, or at least many, people here, I have never known a Jess without a Timo. That's the way it should be."
Cake was amazing. Timo's cake toppers were fab. They ended up next to, rather than on, the cake so as to not get greasy, but they were still a big, big, big hit.
Then we danced danced danced and we danced danced danced.
I still didn't sleep. Perhaps tonight? One can hope. Again, I heard there was MUCH after partying, and for that, I am glad. I am also glad I wasn't there. Still, it fills me with joy to see people becoming friends, planning camping trips with folks who were near strangers a couple days previously, and trading cell numbers. Similar joy was experienced by me when I saw sections of tables with friend/family groups mixing and smiling...
- the raucous laughter, pre-salads, from Kelly/Andrew/John/Lauren/Jessica/et al.
- Bean saying "I sat next to a motorcycle guy!"
- Robin & Dennis shaking hands across tables
- hearing "I think Will might leave me for Joe"
- and a thousand other tiny, individual moments
People kept saying "don't worry what other people will think during your wedding. It's about you!" But I tell you what: I will have a good time at my wedding when I know people are enjoying themselves. By and large, they did and I had the best night ever.
Tomorrow we're off to Ireland. Ireland! Wish us luck. We'll do what we can to post about the trip and share some photos.
Strongbad says it's ooover
It's oooover; it's ooover
Everybody died 'cept me!
Except nobody died and our wedding was the best weekend EVER. Thank you SO MUCH, everyone who was able to attend and make the evening so delightful.
Here's how things went from my end:
1) I have the coolest, nicest friends/family/in-laws/co-workers in the entire world. This concept was introduced on Tuesday when my work friends threw us a cocktail party at Marc 49 in Oakland. Confirmed the next day at our respective bachelor and bachelorette parties. Reinforced throughout the week.
2) I super hate being late to stuff, but we were continually late Tues-Fri to all things. Not by much, just by enough to be annoying. On Thursday, after an amusing evening in which Danielle, Lora, Whitney, and I tried to be reallyreallyreally quiet (thinking the others were sleeping), we got up early and went to breakfast. One thing. We did one thing, and yet...we were late to nail appointments. And then late back to the apartment, which caused SUPER RUSHING AROUND to get to Sonoma. Daytime Thursday was easily the most stressful for me.
3) See #1. After arriving in Sonoma, we took over the hotel. It was delightful to know that almost everyone going into or coming out of a room at the hotel was with us. Felt a little like camp, in the best way possible. Wedding rehearsal went well. I was pretty sure our poor coordinator was going to kill us after awhile. She'd say one thing, 5 jokes would ensue, and 2 people wouldn't have been listening. Prize for the afternoon goes to this exchange:
- Robin [friend & officiant]: and then we'll end with a reading.
- Kelly [coordinator]: Will you make some kind of pronouncement or "ladies and gentlemen, Timo and Jessica" at the end?
- Robin: no, I've already done that. The reading is the last thing.
- Kelly: that's not really traditional.
- Robin: ...I know.
4) Rehearsal dinner was fantastic. Do yourself a favor. Go to Bluegrass Bar and Grill and order the brisket. Do not pass go. Do not consider other proteins. It is too good to be missed. My dad loved it (and I always measure brisket by what he taught me about barbeque) and said HIS dad would've liked it. We had truly excellent toasts from Timo's dad, my brother, and my friend Whitney. It's a crime that they're not on film, but I guess the best bits will live on in our memories.
Highlights from my brother's toast: "I met Timo in Boston, and I'm pretty sure the first thing I thought was 'wow, he's very tall'. Timo, you're still tall." and "My sister is at the top of my priority list. And Timo, now that you're joining the family, I want you to know...my sister is at the top of my priority list. [big laugh from the crowd] But that's because I put my family first. Now that you're officially becoming part of the family, you'll always be at the top too." Paraphrased a bit.
Highlights from Whitney's toast: Timo moved in and the three of us lived together for awhile. "And that was hard. But I now think I am the luckiest of all the people here. Because I got to see them, every day, at the beginning, fall in love"
That one is making me teary even typing it out.
I understand there was hanging out afterwards, but Timo and I went back to our hotel room. It seems we hadn't seen each other in days, so we drank some wine, caught up, and practiced reading our vows to each other.
5) See #1. All night long, people approached me and said "I love your friends" or "your aunt is the best" or "we had such a nice chat with your parents." Awesome.
6) Wedding day approached with little sleep under my belt. Like every night that week. I think I last slept well on Monday night. Hoping to remember how to sleep BEFORE we get to Ireland.
Breakfast? Check.
Hair salon? Check.
Champagne? Check, check, and check throughout the day,
Lunch in my mom's hotel room. Lora still raving about the veggie sandwiches.
Sudden discovery that it was 1:30pm and we had better get ready because we were getting picked up at 2:15. Crap. Time for more rushing around.
Side note: all day long I made vendors and perfect strangers laugh. A lot. They'd ask "how are you sleeping?" I'd say, "very poorly." "Are you nervous?" "Yes." [cue laughter] Is it funny to be honest about those questions?
Put dress on.
Photos.
Photos with Timo. Nervousness abated for awhile.
More photos.
Sitting around waiting for ceremony. We brought magazines. No one read them. Too nervous, I guess. We did manage to kill a bottle of champagne between the 6 of us.
7) Ceremony. It was 100% perfect and I loved every bit of it. I wish I hadn't accidentally indicated to people that they should sit down while Robin was talking [sorry, Robin!] but I think I will forgive myself for that. The group reading was perfect, the individual readings were perfect, and I loved Timo's vows. Win, win, win. Funny thing: the processional and recessional music was the only thing I knew specifically months and months ago. Yet I didn't hear it at all on either walk. I know it was playing, but it really didn't register. Too much to think about, I guess.
8) Reception: see #1. Everyone in my life rules. I am the luckiest.
The cocktail hour was fun, the food at dinner was amazing, and the toasts cannot be topped. At least these ARE on film. [Thanks, Will!] My dad rules. Best Man Dan gave a speech about zombie infections that had Timo and I cackling obnoxiously and tables full of people thinking "what the heck is he talking about?" Perfect. Maid of Honor Danielle drew the short straw by having to follow Dan, but still rocked it. One highlight: "unlike most, or at least many, people here, I have never known a Jess without a Timo. That's the way it should be."
Cake was amazing. Timo's cake toppers were fab. They ended up next to, rather than on, the cake so as to not get greasy, but they were still a big, big, big hit.
Then we danced danced danced and we danced danced danced.
I still didn't sleep. Perhaps tonight? One can hope. Again, I heard there was MUCH after partying, and for that, I am glad. I am also glad I wasn't there. Still, it fills me with joy to see people becoming friends, planning camping trips with folks who were near strangers a couple days previously, and trading cell numbers. Similar joy was experienced by me when I saw sections of tables with friend/family groups mixing and smiling...
- the raucous laughter, pre-salads, from Kelly/Andrew/John/Lauren/Jessica/et al.
- Bean saying "I sat next to a motorcycle guy!"
- Robin & Dennis shaking hands across tables
- hearing "I think Will might leave me for Joe"
- and a thousand other tiny, individual moments
People kept saying "don't worry what other people will think during your wedding. It's about you!" But I tell you what: I will have a good time at my wedding when I know people are enjoying themselves. By and large, they did and I had the best night ever.
Tomorrow we're off to Ireland. Ireland! Wish us luck. We'll do what we can to post about the trip and share some photos.
Monday, March 22, 2010
wedding week
Hey, can you believe it is wedding week already? Crazy how that snuck up!
We have Danielle, Lora, and Dan in town staying with us now. Today is a slight lull in arrivals, but starting tomorrow, we get more family/friends, and I imagine the Bay Area just filling up with people we love for our wedding. Like zombies filtering throughout the region. I mean that in the best way possible - we like zombies in this house.
There is much to do over the next couple days. Many paper projects: menu cards, seating cards, ceremony readings. Errands to run, vows to write, emails to send to the DJ. I think we have it under control though. I actually look forward to the assembly line of work coming up; it's kind of exciting to imagine a house full of people hunched over the table with various art projects. Exciting for me because I am a giant nerd, in any case.
The next wedding event is a happy hour gathering put together by my work friends on Tuesday. Until then, we'll be up for air when the paper projects are done.
Friday weather outlook positive: 65 degrees, mostly sunny.
We have Danielle, Lora, and Dan in town staying with us now. Today is a slight lull in arrivals, but starting tomorrow, we get more family/friends, and I imagine the Bay Area just filling up with people we love for our wedding. Like zombies filtering throughout the region. I mean that in the best way possible - we like zombies in this house.
There is much to do over the next couple days. Many paper projects: menu cards, seating cards, ceremony readings. Errands to run, vows to write, emails to send to the DJ. I think we have it under control though. I actually look forward to the assembly line of work coming up; it's kind of exciting to imagine a house full of people hunched over the table with various art projects. Exciting for me because I am a giant nerd, in any case.
The next wedding event is a happy hour gathering put together by my work friends on Tuesday. Until then, we'll be up for air when the paper projects are done.
Friday weather outlook positive: 65 degrees, mostly sunny.
Saturday, March 6, 2010
ireland! ireland! ireland!
Hey, did you hear that we're going to Ireland for our honeymoon? So exciting. We just finished* booking our hotel rooms for the trip, which is most of the planning we intended to do before showing up there. I'll probably spend innumerable hours between now and then reading the guide book and dreaming of places we could go.
Want to hear about it?
March 29 we fly out of SFO. Change planes at JFK. We arrive in Dublin the morning of Tues, March 30.
March 30 - April 2: Dublin. We're staying at Number 31 which is near St. Stephen's Square. It's a modernist little place in a converted Georgian townhouse, and they promise the best breakfast in Ireland. I hope we get good and spoiled right at the beginning. We're definitely thinking Guinness Factory, Trinity College, and...I'm sure about a million other things. Plus sleeping off the jet lag.
April 2 - 5: Cork. This time we're at The Imperial Hotel. "An oasis of calm," they say? Yes, please. I don't know what we're doing here besides visiting the English Market and relaxing while everyone else marks Easter weekend.
April 5-8: Galway. Final stop has us staying at The Skeffington Arms. I've been thinking about a day trip to the Aran Islands since, oh I dunno, the year 2000? Definitely doing that. Otherwise, we'll see what we see.
The night of April 8 will find us back in Dublin, and we have to come back on April 9. Can't wait for 10 days of awesome in new cities with my soon-to-be-husband.
*Okay, all except the last night of the trip. Still mulling that one over. I want to be back in Dublin so as to be closer to the aiport, but it's also the last night, so I don't want to waste it in someplace lame just so that the bus ride will be short. Thoughts?
EDIT: Okay, booked our last night. We'll be at The Central Hotel where they have a LIBRARY BAR. I have died and gone to heaven.
Want to hear about it?
March 29 we fly out of SFO. Change planes at JFK. We arrive in Dublin the morning of Tues, March 30.
March 30 - April 2: Dublin. We're staying at Number 31 which is near St. Stephen's Square. It's a modernist little place in a converted Georgian townhouse, and they promise the best breakfast in Ireland. I hope we get good and spoiled right at the beginning. We're definitely thinking Guinness Factory, Trinity College, and...I'm sure about a million other things. Plus sleeping off the jet lag.
April 2 - 5: Cork. This time we're at The Imperial Hotel. "An oasis of calm," they say? Yes, please. I don't know what we're doing here besides visiting the English Market and relaxing while everyone else marks Easter weekend.
April 5-8: Galway. Final stop has us staying at The Skeffington Arms. I've been thinking about a day trip to the Aran Islands since, oh I dunno, the year 2000? Definitely doing that. Otherwise, we'll see what we see.
The night of April 8 will find us back in Dublin, and we have to come back on April 9. Can't wait for 10 days of awesome in new cities with my soon-to-be-husband.
EDIT: Okay, booked our last night. We'll be at The Central Hotel where they have a LIBRARY BAR. I have died and gone to heaven.
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