Okay, this is going to be completely a vent. And I'm mad enough that I don't care if I gross anyone out. You have been warned... So we'll start with a question. Would you buy a house or rent an apt without a functioning toilet? Meaning one you could not use? What if there were no houses or apts or any type of living space in your vicinity that had any working toilets. You would be forced to buy a house or rent an apt without a toilet. Effectively this is what we had to do as far as Drew was concerned. He cannot get on our toilet due to where it is positioned in our bathroom. But many other bathrooms he could not get through the doorway or into the shower so this was the best we could do. So now another question. If you had no toilet to use you would have to find an alternative piece of equipment, no? That is called a commode (yes, I went there). This is a fact of life. Because Drew also cannot get into our shower without his chair (which would rust if he did so) he also needs a shower bench. There are medical companies that make shower bench/commodes. As the only alternative, this is what he has to use. The one he was using before his surgery broke. It was old. So he requested a new one through the home care service (Sutter) who in turn made the order with the medical supply company they work with, Apria. That was probably a month ago. They sent two commodes that would fit a child of 10 at the largest (yes, twice!) and neither was a shower bench. Now that the proper thing has been ordered, the insurance (Aetna) won't cover it! They don't cover commodes that are benches despite the fact that as a paraplegic the non-bench kind are impossible to transfer onto because they all have non-dropping arms! So basically, because he's disabled, his insurance won't let him use the toilet... ah, our health care. Can't live without 'em, can't kill 'em... and the alternative to the alternative is really not good. But, of course, ADA laws prevent discrimination against the disabled. Please note my sarcasm. I am literally livid!

She's ba-a-ck... (with her dogs) and she's in town the day before the wedding! Of course... but she's also going to be in Sac on Sept 15th so maybe I give myself an early b-day present then. Fortunately, the obsession is shared in a less maniacal way by Drew and his sister so I'd have ppl to go with me. Although Drew's said why not wait til she's in Cupertino (closer by) in December? Hello, too far off.

So we're busy counting RSVPs and trying to make placecards print out in the right direction. We bought these printable placecard pages at Target that have a downloadable template... that prints them upside down. It's their own brand, with it's own website for these specific cards and they print them the wrong way. Or we're just stupid and can't do it right. But we'll get the magic to happen! Perhaps the reason I like Kathy Griffin so much is that she feels as a D-list celebrity the way I do as a bride. That I'm at the bottom rung of the wedding industry tower. I'm a San Francisco Bay Area bride on an Arkansas budget. I'm Hannah Brandt, D-list Bride ;) Drew is always bailing me out when I try to do some fancy Photoshop involved thing on my own to save funds the way her husband bailed her out by selling her DVDs himself in the lobby at one of her performances. Currently, I have a hair-brained scheme to copy our cool, abstract design from our invites onto more things ourselves so we won't pay to have them letterpressed again. So far, it's not working. Kind of like her auction to buy a wknd with her on eBay to benefit charity. The top 40 bidders bailed on her taking the winnings for charity down from $28,000 to like $6000... ah, the D list...

Her agent doesn't call her back, my bridesmaids don't call me back. I know, everyone's busy but... when you have to find out your best friend from high school's shoe size through her mom (who checks her e-mail more often than her daughter!) that makes me feel like Kathy when the chick from the OC gave Kathy her publicist's number for a Toys for Tots event. "I get it, don't call you at home." I have no coordinator or stylist as my future brother in law called it! When your future brother in law in Sacramento expects you to have a "stylist" and you can't afford one that feels like a wedding D list moment. She has a beautiful home she can't afford to furnish. I have a beautiful church I can't afford to decorate (although it really doesn't need it so I got lucky). Her family supports her career but thinks she's pursuing things all wrong. Everyone's an expert on careers and weddings. She calls numbers at Bingo nights and enters her dogs in fashion shows to get $ to furnish her house or publicity, I comb theknot.com for coupons, free advice and emotional support from strangers... It just strikes me as funny, esp since many girls want to feel like a princess or a celebrity as a bride anyway. I never thought of it that way, so living on the Wedding D list feels natural. And like Kathy, I actually like it better that way. But it is amusing when you look around you to see girls who have these lavish affairs while you're cobbling your own shoes (not really).

But the biggest headache is that Drew's equipment STILL hasn't come! No wheelchair, no bench, no transfer board. If it wasn't such important stuff, it would be a great farce. Due to the fact he has no new chair, his heal has been dragging on the ground and caused a wound. He was being really careful not to let his foot touch the ground (which happens because the chair never fit him quite right). The pedals don't hold his feet right. Before he was bed-ridden he was always checking his heel but I think he forgot about it in the excitement of finally getting out of bed. To be constantly aware of every little thing your body does is just a pain and a chore. We're taking care of it and hopefully, it will heal soon.

D-list updates and etc to come...

I had my bachelorette party on Friday night. Top left, Marisol and I at the pre-party at my friend Kemmeo's house. We managed to get in a couple of glasses of wine before heading to Yoshi's

(and sparkling pomegranate juice for the ones w/buns in the oven). The cookies I got from my future sister in law, Amy's best friend, Kathleen (she's like part of the family). I already ate the groom ;) Next photo Marisol, Keisha, me, Laurel and Roselyn (B & N friend). I definitely recommend dinner there even if you wouldn't be interested in a show. The restaurant is separate and has great food and atmosphere. I had the salmon terriyaki and a pomegranate margarita. Last photo we all are at Yoshi's before the Bill Frisell show, back row left to right: Kathleen, Amy (Drew's sister), Robyn (my friend from UCSB), Kemmeo, front row, Anna (Drew's cousin), Nicole (Drew's "cousin"), Anita, Laurel (my Matron of Honor), me, Keisha, and Marisol. The band was cool, a lil country, blues and rock. The lead guitarist was very talented. Like a white Jimi Hendrix (almost!) Not enough jazz element for me but hey, a reason to go back and see someone else! ;) Some of the girls could only be there for the fabulous dinner at Yoshi's, so we took a picture before they left.

Tonight Drew and I went on our first real date in over a year. Not kidding! Found this excellent Mexican place just down the street from us (not the one by the Meat Market, more of a sit down restaurant). They had very yummy sopapillas (cinnamon fry bread). I really am all about food ;) Drew kept calling them soda pillows... They also had a video golf arcade game I had to tear him away from... We have been working on our ceremony programs and wording, getting things to have the right meaning for us. We met with our minister last week which went well. Drew even got his own planner/agenda to keep track of all the dates (his idea!). Tomorrow we go get the marriage license! Less than two months to go!