ENGAGED!

Last WI: 224.8/At Home: 223.8

SATURDAY

Well it's been a crazy couple weeks! Last weekend Erik & I, along with 6 other friends went to Tunica, MS for a casino/poker weekend. I had a lot of fun and did really well, though didn't make the big money. I played in a $550 tournament on Friday night that won me a $7500 seat in the "big" tournament on Sunday. In that tournament I got 38th out of 180. Unfortunately, they only paid out to 18th place. But, considering I was playing with mostly pros, I did very well and was very pleased with myself. That said, it would have been nice to cash as 18th paid $12K and 1st paid $450K. Oh well, there's always next year.

We got home on Monday, and then on Wednesday night Erik proposed!!! It was so funny. Turns out he picked up the ring the thursday before on the way to Tunica and had planned to do it in Tunica. He even scheduled a fancy dinner for us, that we ended up missing since we misunderstood the closing time of the restaurant. So, since he couldn't do it last weekend, he decided to do it at the location of our first date - Chaps. He totally surprised me, which is something I didn't think he could do knowing that it was coming sometime in the next few months. Anyway, I came by after work, we played poker with all our friends, and turns out I did really well that night. He had planned on doing it when I went out of the poker tournament, but I ended up getting 3rd. So he did it as we were paying our tab. Course by this time, the place was pretty empty, but that's ok, it was very sweet. He totally shocked me. Dana, his closest friend, was there running the poker show and knew it was coming, but other than that he kept it a total secret. So funny and sweet. I'm so happy.

So above is a very blurry picture of the ring taken from my camera phone. I still need to sit down and upload a nice one with my digital camera.

So Thursday I did very little at work, even though I am SWAMPED. I billed two hours, then Holly came up and we had lunch and looked at bride magazines and talked about locations the rest of the day. I think she's more excited than me! Course she just finished her wedding, so she's probably in withdrawal. Of course Thursday night I got an email on my blackberry saying EMERGENCY EMERGENCY the next 8 days will be hell and we need everyone to work major hours to get a project done by 2/1. So, after 24 hours of wedding talk and excitement, I've had to put it aside and work my butt off. I billed 14 hours yesterday and am sitting at work now (taking a much needed brain break). I expect to bill at least 10, hopefully 12 or 13 hours today. Tomorrow I'm taking a short break to go to church and look at a few houses that we'd scheduled with the realtor, then going to try to bill at least 6 hours. Monday - Friday look like 12-14 hours days. Then hopefully next weekend I can veg, and enjoy being a bride!

As for the wedding, there still lots to think about as far as a date, but we're talking about August/September, possibly labor day weekend if we can find a location we like that isn't booked. Who knows - can't think about it for 6 more days.

So that's me excitement! WOO HOO. Finally I'm a bride. At least for 7 or so months! :-)

Oh - and now I think I FINALLY got the motivation to do what I need to WW-wise. Since Erik proposed, I've been diligently tracking my points and making good choices. No exercise, as work has limited that, but after this emergency passes, I expect to get back to that too. I'm giving myself 2 months to lose as much as I can before I start looking at wedding dresses. I'm EXCITED!