Weddingbee Blog

We all show up on the blog as wedding planners and brides (once and current), so let’s get to the rest of me in six bullet points or less.

While we’re getting all personal: Today is our four-year dating anniversary (we think) and two-year engagement-versary (sure about this one). In 2008, he got me a pink rose plant (“Love Plant”) that still lives in our garden. In 2009, he got me an engagement ring and asked me to marry him. In 2010, in the thick of our wedding prep, we loosened the clamp on our wedding savings and splurged on a French dinner. At work, he got me a smaller Love Plant 2 from Trader Joe’s. Today, we’re splurging on another dinner and being thankful for where we are today, together. Lots of love, Mister <3.

I am Filipino and Indian.

People often ask about this one. My mom is from Quezon City in the metro Manila area, and my dad is from Guyana in South America. His grandparents immigrated from India to Guyana.

Bummed they don’t dress like this anymore. After going back and forth for a while, I think I settled into looking like both of them (Personal pic circa 1980).

Pic by Ashley Forrette.

I am a spreadsheet budgeter.

I have a serious fear about running out of money now, when I’m old, and everywhere in between. I mentioned that a bit in the After “I Do” installment on money management. What if one of us needs a kidney? That copay is probably more than $20.

Now that I rubbed off on my hubs, we have a shared spreadsheet of budget projections — including dinners out, groceries, presents, cash withdrawals, all that. We fill in the actual spending every few days or so, then we re-estimate how much we’ll have by month’s end, the next month’s end, etc., in checking and savings. We still manage to go over on food and drink, but at least we can see where we’ve been bad (See: food and drink). I just need to know that we are still saving money.

This makes us sound like the mayor and vice mayor of Squaresville, but I swear we’re a good time.

I can’t swim, exactly.

I can float on my tum, and less well on my back. I swim a lot better (for 10 feet at a time) with my head underwater and making like a frog. But that graceful Olympic swimmer style? With the head turning? Nope, unless madly flapping appendages are part of the technique. Needless to say, I get tired really quickly and the idea of distance swimming makes me laugh. A triathlon would be fun someday, but not anytime soon.

So, I get nervous around open water, unless I have a floaty vest on and am holding beer. Swimming properly has been a constant item on my life to-do list. But I live in a chilly place and visit swim-worthy weather a handful of times a year, so it doesn’t really come up.

I always wanted to fiddle with words for a living.

Short of a little phase when I wanted to be a vet, that is. I was always loved reading and writing, and I always hated ‘rithmetic. In college, I enjoyed editing people’s papers. Now, I do lots of writing, plenty of reading (by way of editing), and no ‘rithmetic for a living. When you know, you know, I guess. Hence the tat.

Pic by Ashley Forrette.

I take pictures with my mouth open. A lot.

At a bar in Sonoma with Bridesmaid AM (2011, pic by Right Angle Images).

Graceful wine enthusiast in Roma (2010, personal pic).

In a photo booth at a neighborhood bar (2009, personal pic).

Tulum (2009, personal pic).

With homemade alfajores by Bridesmaid JB. (2008, personal pic).

You get the idea.

I’ve never had a pang of baby fever.

Several people have described the feeling to me: like a wistful ache and a strong sense that something is missing or lacking. It sounds very real and overwhelming.

But, yeah. I haven’t gotten it.

Some have accused us of being yuppie baby-haters, but we enjoy (other people’s) kids a lot. Aunt T’s screaming game — which is exactly what it sounds like — garners rave reviews from the 5-and-under set. Seeing our nephews in Texas is one of my holiday highlights, and I’m excited to see what and who they’ll become. But I more often see giraffes, dolphins, sloths, (holla, creature bees!), kittens, or puppies I want to take home and buy blankets for. Cute Overload is my crack.

(Personal nephew pics.)

I don’t foresee getting it anytime soon, either. I’d lament the loss of independence, disposable income, and goals not reached, which would be a great disservice to my husband and gene pool.

Also, though having older parents worked out OK, I am strongly against going this path myself. On a related note, my parents require more of our time and effort these days, so I cannot imagine throwing babies into this scenario. With my guy at almost-38, the window is closing pretty quickly.

So, there you have it. I’ll pe more into non-bridal stuff with my bee story next.