Cats 貓 gatos 猫 mačke

Buddy

My camera has been full of pretty kitties recently, so I thought I'd share a few of my favorites on here.

Moo

Tortuga

Yoshimi
Roo

Alvin

Bread

the big day

Jul. 13th, 2004 | 08:43 pm

mood: jubilant

The wedding was perfect. Everyone was relaxed, laughing and having a great time. My parents even shared a hug at the end of the day, which is something I didn't think I would ever be able to see in my life. It was nice to see that our love and our day could help heal so many old wounds and make so many people happy.

The only mishap was that our tuxes were all the wrong sizes even after two fittings. NEVER go to the Tux Shoppe in Ballard. The Ring Bearers coat was too big and his shirt was too small, the very young usher’s little pants went up to his knees and Jon’s coat had arms that were down to his knees and his jacket was built for a man the size of a 7 foot tall four hundred pound football player. Luckily his mom is a whiz with a stapler and a steam iron. You would never know by looking at the photos that he had about a gazillion staples under his tux.

We DID get our money back.

Margot did a great job being our minister and didn’t miss a beat. There was not a dry eye in the house by the time Jon got through his vows to Darian. Maybe I will post our vows at some point.

Melissa looked SO beautiful in her amazing red dress. That lady is just a tall dark goddess!

The party at the Sunset afterwards was great. Matt was an amazing music director. He wrote the BEST song that made everyone laugh. Hopefully we can persuade him to post the words.

My friend Sandy started the eve with some country songs. Gavin Gus played some of my favorites from back in the Tube Top Days, the Caps rocked the house, and then Sean Nelson joined them on stage during the mustache rock fest. I didn’t think Jon was ever going to stop soloing! Heehee… It was fun to watch everyone have so much fun.

Jon got up and dedicated When the Lights go up to me and sang it to a quiet room. It was a real tearjerker.

Everyone played memorably and the evening ended in a crazy jam session that was beautiful by the amount of fun all of those guys looked like they were having. It was a happy day from beginning to end. Those don’t happen often so I am really feeling blessed that it happened on our day.

I am sure Amie will post some photos at some point; I would if I had the capabilities.

Thank you all for your congrats and well wishes, love to you all!

Mrs.Auer

We did it!

Jul. 12th, 2004 | 09:23 pm

mood: Happy in love

Too tired to go into it now, but it was perfect!

The Ceremony Script

7/11/2004
The wedding of Jon Auer & Michelle Price
At 3:30 we walked down the isle to In My Life by The Beatles.

Margot:
Good evening, and welcome to the ceremony that will unite Jon and Michelle in marriage.
We gather here today to celebrate their union, and to honor their commitment
to not just gazing at one another, but to looking outward together in the sa

Save Now

me direction.

Today Jon and Michelle proclaim their love to the world, and we rejoice with and for them.
In marriage, we give ourselves freely and generously into the hands of the one we love, and in doing so, each of us receives the love and trust of the other as our most precious gift. But even as that gift is shared by two people who are in love, it also touches the friends and family members who in various ways support and contribute to the relationship.
All of you are Jon and Michelle’s community, and each of you has played some part in bringing them to this moment. This is why gathering as a community is such an important part of a wedding ceremony. Because Jon and Michelle are now taking a new form as a married couple, and in this form, they become part of their community in a new way.

Jon and Michelle, we are here to remember and rejoice with you
and to recount with one another that it is love that guides us on our path,
and to celebrate as you begin this journey together
It is in this spirit that you have come here to today to exchange these vows.

VOWS
Michelle, repeat after me:
I Michelle take you Jon to be my Husband /
I promise above all else to live in truth with you/
and to communicate fully and fearlessly/
I give you my hand and my heart /
as a sanctuary of warmth and peace/
and pledge my love, devotion, faith and honor
as I join my life to yours.

Jon, repeat after me:
I Jon take you Michelle to be my wife /
I promise above all else to live in truth with you/
and to communicate fully and fearlessly/
I give you my hand and my heart /
as a sanctuary of warmth and peace/
and pledge my love, devotion, faith and honor
as I join my life to yours.
I also promise to be a patient, loving father to Darian caring for her and providing for her as my own. I promise to be her strength and her emotional support, loving her with all my heart forever.

Margot to Darian: As a symbol of the two families joined as one today, a special gift will now be presented to you. As you receive your token of family unity, always remember the love that has brought all of you together and that will guide you and nurture you in the years ahead.

Jon gives Darian the necklace

RINGS
For thousands of years lovers have exchanged rings as a token of their vows.
These simple gold bands are not of great value in themselves,
but are made precious by our wearing of them.
Your rings say that even in your uniqueness you have chosen to be bound together.
Let these rings also be a sign that love has substance as well as soul,
a present as well as a past, and that, despite its occasional sorrows,
love is a circle of happiness, wonder, and delight.

Jon, take Michelle's ring and put it on her finger, and repeat after me:
Just as this circle is without end, my love for you is eternal/
Just as it is made of indestructible substance/
my commitment to you will never fail/
With this ring I take you to be my trusted confidante, best friend,
and partner for life.

Michelle, take Jon's ring and put it on his finger, and repeat after me:
Just as this circle is without end, my love for you is eternal/
Just as it is made of indestructible substance/
my commitment to you will never fail/
With this ring I take you to be my trusted confidante, best friend,
and partner for life.

Jon and Michelle, although I'm officiating here today,
it is not truly in my power to sanctify, legitimize or bless your relationship in any way, because the two of you have already done that in your hearts.
So, by joining hands right now and looking into each other's eyes,
let it be known that you are joined, body and soul in this lifetime,
and that this bond is sacred and eternal.

And now that you have stood before me and exchanged these rings and these vows, and have agreed to be married according to the laws of the state of Washington, it gives me gives me great pleasure to pronounce that you are Husband and Wife.
You may kiss your bride.

I now present to you Mr and Mrs Auer

last moments...

Jul. 11th, 2004 | 08:30 am

This is my last entry as a single woman. I am getting married today. I have been awake for a few hours, I always get up early, and today it was especially hard to sleep in
The sun is shining, the house is quiet and I have already ran all over and finished up all of my last minute shopping.

Since this is my last post as a single person, I feel as though I should be saying something profound, but really nothing profound comes to me right now. I am like a kid waking up at 5 AM and trying to wait patiently for Christmas morning.
When I met Jon nearly nine years ago, I told all of my friends that he was the person that I was going to marry some day. Their response, “Um, that is great Michelle, but don’t you think the fact that he is already married might be a problem?”
Not pretty but true.
I can’t say I always held the fort pining away and waiting until the moment we were finally together, that would not be true at all. We lived our lives, enjoyed ourselves and eventually what was right and true came into being. Sure there was a little pining (OK a lot) but that didn’t stop me from living. I did some pretty amazing things between the time we met the first time and the time we were finally together and I had the chance to get to know some pretty amazing people, so I would not have traded that in for anything. (Well, there may be a few people I would like to trade in, but watcha gonna do? I was young… sue me!)

I’m getting my hair done in about 45 minutes, and my make up after that, I am going to wrestle with some sort of “airbrush nylons in a can” not a fake tan, but it is supposed to be leg make up. The bridal shop folks swear by it. (Oy! The things we do to look lovely. But there is no WAY I was going to expose my virgin skin to the sun. I grew up in AK, the one advantage is almost zero sun damage, meaning almost thirty and not a single eye wrinkle)

My parents were good last night; they even shared a few laughs. They are not going to be adding one another to their Christmas lists or anything, but I think they will be fine today. My dad showed up in a huge furry purple hat. It looks like something a cartoon pimp would wear. That was pretty funny. He is an odd cat. He is a nice looking man for someone his age, he seems younger than all of the folks even though he isn’t. He is just well preserved.


Oh, my mom and my step dad just arrived, I guess it is time to get this thing started. Wish me luck!

Loves
xom

The countdown...

Jul. 10th, 2004 | 08:49 am

So um, I am getting married tomorrow. In 31 hours to be exact. How weird is that?
I know, people get married every day, but I don’t! So for me this is a little odd.

Yesterday at 6:30 PM I walked out of my office for the last time. Kissed my computer and cube farm goodbye.
I now officially work from home, yet another exciting and slightly frightening change in my world.

And lastly 30 is right around the corner, August 4th to be exact, which I will be celebrating by getting on a plane and flying to Spain.

Tonight we have set up and rehearsal and my parents have their first face off in 15 years. We are having a big old Pizza party while setting up. I decided that would be the best, least stressful way to go.

Summery:
I am in love.
I will only be Miss Price for a few more hours.
I have a great new job.
I am about to kiss my twenties goodbye and embrace my thirty-something years.
Oh and right after that my beautiful daughter enters her “preteen” years officially….

It is like waking up after being asleep for far too long.

Last night I had the strangest dream....

Jul. 8th, 2004 | 08:34 am

mood: oogy

I had the strangest dream last night. I had to sit in the living room after getting ready for work and take a moment to shake the dream.

In my dream I was going to my car in a parking garage where someone had parked far too close to me and sort of wedged my car in. As I went around the car to suss out the situation and try to figure out how I was going to get out I noticed an envelope with my name tucked under the wiper blade of the other car.
There was nothing in the envelope, but there was a letter to me scrawled on the other side. It had a letter written by someone I know telling me congratulations on the upcoming wedding and that they were very happy for me.
Then it said something like:
"I left this note for you because there is something I need you to know before you get married. I... and then they scribbled out whatever it was that was written. I was trying to make it out, but could only get bits and pieces like "more than you know" and the like.

Then at the bottom it read:
Thank you for reading this far, it means a lot.
Love- a man who just found out he was going to be a father and is scared to bits.

The whole thing really gave me the heebie jeebies. I know as I write it, on paper it doesn't sound freaky, but it really seemed that way to me when I first woke up.

In other news, I made 80 wedding favors last eve, went at got my brows waxed and cleaned the apartment. Only 3 more days, only 2 more days of this job!

Times they are a changin'

Memories of my friend, Gib

Jul. 6th, 2004 | 10:03 am

mood: contemplative

His wife asked us to write something about him today. This is what I wrote:


It is hard to sum up a person in a few words. You can only say who they were to you and your own perception of who they were as a whole. It is interesting seeing so many perspectives on one man.
When someone leaves this world and everyone starts sharing their stories, more pieces of this ever-evolving puzzle that is human spirit begins to emerge. The only things we have left of someone after they leave us are our memories. These memories have a limitless value. The stories and memories are the fingerprints we leave behind.
When I think of Gib, I think of a very kind man whom I not only had the pleasure to work with but someone who I also considered a friend.
He had a very fatherly quality about him. He would check in on me and he always remembered everything I told him about the goings on in my life. He was quick with good advice but never intrusive. He had so much love for his own kids that I think it spilled over onto any other young people who came into his life. The kindest thing he ever said to me was that he would have been very proud to have a daughter like me. That may have been one of the nicest compliments I have ever received.
He spoke so much and so highly about his wife Rebeca I felt as though I knew her even though we never met. It was obvious how much he was in love with her. His care and concern was not only touching, it was inspiring!
The last time we spoke, he told me to never forget just how important family is. To not let my child grow up without spending loads of time with her and to always let the people that I love, know just how much I love them. In retrospect, I think he may have known that that conversation might be the last I ever had with him, so his words carry even more weight. It was the push I needed to leave my job and follow my dream of writing and working from home and being with my family. I only wish he were here to call up and share the exciting news with. I know he would be proud and supportive, as is his way.
If I had to choose a single memory of him, I think I would choose when we went to dinner while at a trade show in Utah a couple of years back. We had just finished a huge meal and he kept saying he could not eat another bite he was far too full. Then the waiter brought us the dessert menu.
Gib ordered a piece of caramel covered cheesecake. When it arrived at the table it must have been the size of his head.
He said, “Oh no, that is so big, I could never eat it.” And then took to the task of consuming the entire thing!
Afterward, he leaned back in his chair with a huge grin and patted his now certainly full stomach and laughed, “You know, sometimes you just have to treat yourself, it is the only way to enjoy your life!”
To me that story sums up Gib O’Neill. To me he was a person that learned along the way just how important it is to allow yourself to completely enjoy the simple pleasures in life and not to take the unimportant things too seriously.
To always leave room for dessert.

As Seen On TV

In honor of Darian's favorite TV infomercial personality, the late Mr Billy Mays, I'm doing a quick rundown of my As Seen On TV experiences.

Things I've purchased that I saw on TV first:

Caruso Molecular Hairsetter: The first time I saw this infomercial I was about 18 years old. It had an actress from Days of Our lives doing the selling. It looked so easy and uncomplicated that I had to buy one, thus making it my very first purchase from TV.
I'm happy to say it worked better than I ever would have imagined and now, almost 20 years from my first purchase, I've owned 3 and use it at least 5 times per week.
They are getting harder and harder to find, and they are very different looking than the hot pink odd shaped version that I bought off the TV, but it is basically the same. If there ever comes a time where I can't replace it when the motor dies, I will be screwed in the hair department. I've seriously considered buying 10 just to have a lifetime back stock.
Rating: Does it do what it claims? Yes, Yes, a thousand times YES!

Smooth Away: On the infomercial for this product you see happy women exclaiming how they never have to shave again while using some sort of pink sanding device to painlessly remove their hair. Since shaving is not my favorite pastime, but I hate leg hair on me more, I thought I'd give this a try. It does work, the hair is eventually removed, EVENTUALLY being the operative word here.
I found it taking about 6xs as long to "Shave my legs" with this as it does with my lady Bic, and it is painless at first. About 5 minutes after I was done non-shaving with this device my skin started to burn. In trying to removed the hair, I basically gave myself a form of rug burn. Imagine how it feels after the first night of heavy making out with a guy with stubble. (Ladies, I KNOW you know what I'm talking about) that is how it feels. I only tried it on my legs, poor D started with her pits and could not put her arms down for the rest of the night.
Rating: Does it do what it claims? Yes, it removes hair
Painlessly or easily? Epic FAIL!

The Ultimate Chopper: A friend gave this to me as a gag gift after I told her about my obsession with infomercial products. They should re-name this product: The ultimate food masher. I would love to get a lengthy description, but mine broke the second time I tried to use it. The first time I managed to smash a tomato and to partially obliterate an onion the rest had to be knife cut.
Rating: The box was more interesting and useful than what was inside it.

Loud N Clear: It is a personal sound amplifier. On the commercial it shows a woman trying to watch TV while her husband is snoring away, I was sold. Does it amplify sound? Oh yes, it does. Could you hear someone from across the room quietly whispering about you? No. Not at all. In fact, if you turn it up loud enough to where you might be able to hear, and you are standing still enough to where nothing is rustling around the amp, you might be able to, but you are risking hearing loss the first time someone coughs nearby. Oh, it also has the charming habit of feeding back in your ear.
Rating: Sure, it amplifies sound, EVERY sound, if you don't mind risking hearing loss this is for you!

The Ped Egg: This "egg" claims to remove all of the dead nasty skin on your broke ass feet. It looks a lot like a Parmesan cheese grater, I'm not entirely convinced it is not. It works though, almost too well, and it comes in black "For Men". I bought one for Jon and he loves it too. Just don't rub until you hit blood, because you will!
Rating: Fun for the whole family!

Bare Minerals: Since the first time I used this stuff I've been in love. I've thrown out all of my other makeup and cringe at the thought of using liquid foundation ever again. Five years ago I would not leave the house without caking some sort of liquid foundation on. My skin was a mess and I was spending way too much on prescriptions and expensive bases to keep it clear. Since the first time I used Bare Minerals, I have not been to a doctor about my skin, and I have not even thought about using liquid foundation. It is just as amazing as they make it sound on TV. I've even converted several of my friends. My skin breaths and it doesn't break out anymore now that I'm not clogging it up with foundations. I can't say enough good stuff about it. It is certainly a desert island item. (That is if I cared what I looked like on said island)
Rating: Why would anyone ever use anything else?

check list

Jul. 4th, 2004 | 10:08 am
mood: awake

Things I need to buy before next weekend:

1. Plates
2. Forks
3. Champagne Glasses
4. Mother's Orchids
5. Ivory Table Covering
6. Pie server
7. Napkins
8. Fortune cookies
9. 2 Guest Books (1 for ceremony site and one for reception site)
10. 10 rolls of Joy Cam Film for Guest book
11. Address book to keep on guest book table
12. Gift for my friend Margot who is being the officiant
13. Flower Girl gift
14. Ring Bearer gift
15. New Dress socks for Jon
16. Gift for fathers
17. Cases of soda

That is all we need and then we are ready.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Harry Potter was great last eve. The best part: Darian and I were sitting through the previews and a someone started down our row. When he got closer I realized it was Jon. He knew we were going but he has been too busy at the studio so I thought we would not see him at all yesterday. He took a cab down at the last minute and got there just in time to see the movie with us. It was a totally sweet surprise!

In honor of 5 years...

Next weekend is our 5th wedding anniversary and 14 years from the day we met. I've decided to post my journal entries from 5 years ago for the next week, in real time, in honor of the big day! I hope you enjoy my little trip down memory lane!