Wedding Woes

Our wedding is this Saturday.  Oh my gosh...I can't believe it is finally here!  I started the whole planning thing in February so how did it get so close to the wire?  I was totally bridezilla last week.  There was just too much left to do and I felt like I was doing everything.  It seemed like every time I crossed something off the list, 3 new things would pop up.  Matthew helped once I started freaking out but there was only so much he could do.

On top of the normal wedding and honeymoon planning, 2 problems arose at the last minute.  First, I had 3 free nights at a Small Luxury Hotel called Echoes.  It is in the Blue Mountains about 2 hours outside of Sydney.  I had planned to visit the Blue Mountains when I went to Sydney in September 2001 but, because of September 11th, my whole trip got pushed back and I wasn't able to get a hotel.  I was really excited to be able to go out there this time, especially for free!  So, last Wednesday, the hotel emailed me and said that there was a miscommunication and they were sold out.  What?!?  I received my confirmation in February.  How could they be telling me 1 week before I left on my trip that I didn't have anywhere to stay.  The worst part is that they just emailed and said they tried to email in July but the email was returned to them.  It never occured to them to CALL ME?!?  I was so mad.  The SLH rep tried to help me out but the hotel is just flaky.  I'm glad I'm not staying there now.  Luckily, there is a nicer hotel, Lilianfels, almost next door.  Lilianfels is an Orient Express property and it is a 5 star hotel.  They gave me a great rate so we're much happier staying there.   Also, the rep from SLH felt bad so he gave me another certificate for free nights somewhere else which Matt and I will use later on.  I guess this dilemma worked out for the best.

2nd problem: I decided 2 weeks before the wedding that I absolutely hated my dress and I could not wear it on my wedding day.  I hadn't really loved it for a while but I was hoping I could fix the problems I had noticed.  I couldn't.  So, August 3rd, I started looking for another dress.  I was in Los Angeles so I called a couple of shops to see if they would sell off the rack.  Unfortunately, most dresses are really fancy and just wouldn't work for Hawaii.  I hit a few stores on the way back to San Diego and ended up at the store where I bought my original dress.  When I was first buying a wedding dress, I had narrowed it down to 2 dresses.  You already know that I hate the one I chose.  Now, I asked them if they still had the other one.  They had sold the one I tried on BUT they had the same dress in white and it had just come in so no one had even tried it on yet.  Perfect...except that it was 2 sizes smaller than I needed.   Could I fit into a size 6?  Doubtful.  I was aided by the fact that the dress has a corset and I knew that we could widen the panel in the back.  As long as I could get the thing over my head, I'd make it work...and I did.  Yes, the lace up in the back is much wider than it should be but I don't care.  It is SOOOO much better than my other dress and it makes my waist look fabulous.  That's all that matters, right?  It is when you're 42 and your waist has been missing for 2 years.

So, I've finally crossed off almost everything on my list.  There are still a few things to do once we get to Hawaii but I'm not stressed about that.  My only concern now is the weather.  All weather reports say it will rain every day EXCEPT our wedding day.  I have my fingers crossed!

Diver Down...Sort Of

I thought I'd give a quick update on the diving certification.  It's on hold for the time being.  I had a different instructor the last time and he freaked me out.  I literally thought he was trying to drown me.  I know it sounds ridiculous but, when you panic, everything becomes distorted.  Anyway, I didn't want to go back under the water with him and my original instructor was a little flaky so I ran out of time.  I have a year to finish though so I'm hoping to pick it up again when we get back.

Luckily, Poseidon Dives in Australia has what are called introductory dives.  Four students go out with an instructor.  We only have to do 2 skills...regulatory recovery (no problem) and mask clearing (usually no problem).  After those 2 skills, we get to dive down to a depth of 35 feet which is really about as deep as I'd want to go.  Certified divers, like Matt, can go to a depth of 60 feet.  To be honest, I was a little nervous about going that deep.  I've been to 25 feet already so 35 feet shouldn't be a problem. 

We bought an underwater case for my camera also so I'm hoping we get some cool pictures.  I might give it to Matt for his deep dives and then I'll use it if I snorkel.   We can do up to 3 dives but, if we decide we're too tired for the last dive, we can still snorkel.  We're doing the same thing the next day but the boat will go to 3 different locations.  I think it will be a lot of fun.  I can't wait to find Nemo!