Monday, October 27, 2008

Higgins & Roche Wedding

This past Saturday was the wedding of Paul Roche and Kelli Higgins in Skaneateles, NY. It was a perfect day, sunny and brisk. The ceremony was held at St. Mary's of the Lake and the reception was at the Skaneateles Country Club.

Paul and Kelli actually met at my Pimps and Hos Party in June 2005. Oh, how far we have come.
Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Roche! Enjoy your honeymoon in Arizona.

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Couple Time

Ahh. The holiday weekend is over and it was a great one! Michael and I got a lot done and had tons of fun too. Friday night we rented a DVD and ordered a pizza. We watched M. Knight Shyamalan's "The Happening". I would describe this movie as an apocalyptic thriller, borderline horror film. IMBD states, "It's a paranoid thriller about a family on the run from a natural crisis that presents a large-scale threat to humanity." We both really liked it. I knew it affected me when I had a nightmare about it Sunday night. Freaky.

Saturday morning I slept in. It was glorious. Then I went outside and took photographs of the dogs frolicking in the backyard. Check it out: The top dog is Shadow. The middle dog is Tyson. The bottom dog is Daisy.

Saturday afternoon, Mike and I went to a 50th Birthday/Housewarming party at Mike's Accountant's house in Round Top. Mike and the company he works for helped build her brand new dream house. This party was extravagant! It was catered by Mod Gourmet Cafe in Catskill. There was a chocolate fountain, a pumpkin-painting table, luminaries lining the long driveway, open bar, a huge heated tent, and flower arrangements in big pumpkins. I even indulged in the "Bouncy Bounce". We were some of the last guests to leave (who can blame us?). One the way home we spontaneously decided to stop at the Blackthorne Resort for a beer. Well, of course we had to go to the Massacre Mansion while we were there. The Massacre Mansion is the on-site haunted house that the Blackthorne Resort hosts every year [since 1997]. This was my fifth straight year attending. My group of friends used to go to the Massacre Mansion and the Blackthorne Resort during our Annual Fall Camping Trips (in the three years we went to North South Lake in Haines Falls, NY). Although we don't go as a group anymore, I've been able to attend since I now live 10 minutes away. "Michael the Irish Bartender" was there and all three of us downed an "Irish Car Bomb" [for old time's sake].

On Sunday, Mike and I arose early (much to my hangover's dismay) and drove to East Rutherford, NJ for the 1:00 PM New York Jets football game. We arrived several hours early and tailgated in the parking lot. Mike successfully negotiated with a T-shirt vendor in the parking lot: a tie-dye T-shirt of Brett Favre (for me) for a sausage sandwich, a beer, and $7. This was my first Jets game. Mike was giddy with excitement at seeing his favorite NFL team. The New York Jets beat the Cincinnati Bengals, 26-14. Yay! Check out the progress on the new stadium.

Monday was a packed day of household chores and errands. Mike and I went to East Berne and Greenville and drove through Westerlo too. The foliage was at its best. I gave Tyson a trim and bath in the afternoon. I also drove up to the Windham area to get water from a mountain spring. I brought home 9 gallons. I took a relaxing bubble bath. Then I drew a bath for Mike and he did the same. As we ate an omelet dinner, we started to watch the New York Giants game. After some police presence on our street regarding our neighbors, we went to bed.

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Caterer Interview

Yesterday I met for the first time with a potential caterer. I brought my Mom with me and we drove to the caterer's office/facility in Albany. Although we had to wait almost 15 minutes past our appointment time, we were offered (and gladly accepted) cold drinks (apple juice and diet soda). I had prepared a list of questions based on online guidance and personal preferences and concerns. Our planner, Kathy, was polite, knowledgeable, and patient. This catering company has done many weddings at the Pruyn House before and Kathy was very familiar with the layout and grounds. She had many good ideas and advice for us. For the purpose of Kathy preparing us a detailed proposal, my Mom and I picked-out specific menu items and food selections. This caterer, if hired, would be able to take care of the tent rental, linens, dining supplies, and even the cake. To check out Classé Catering, click here.

Now I am waiting for them to prepare our proposal and e-mail it to me. I'm prepared for a high price. My parent(s) and I plan on meeting with a few more caterers to fully research our options.

My old apartment-mate, Nicole, married her long-time boyfriend, Pat, two weekends ago here in the Capital District. From the photos I've seen (and I've seen hundreds!), it looks like it was a beautiful day and lovely event. Check out Nicole's blog for photos and info.

I love Nicole's choice of hydrangeas, roses, and seeded eucalyptus.