Thanksgiving Eve

Shhhh!!!Jeff thinks I am putting clean linens in all of our bathrooms for guests. But I passed by the office and the computer was just sitting here looking all lonely and unused. Jeff just finished printing out the seating chart for the rehearsal dinner. I am wondering if I should tell him now or later that I accidentally sneezed-- the messy kind-- on the final copy we were going to use on Friday night. Yes, there is a smudge or two on the first column of names. Gross. As one of my bosses says, "bad news doesn't age well." I have to fess up: "Jeff, that smudge is actually my boogers. Sorry. Let's reprint together."

See how good I am at marriage? So ahead of the curve.

There has been nothing but highlights since yesterday. I can't even blog the amount of highlights. I will preface my highlight paragraph by saying that Monday was the most emotionally painful day I have ever experienced in my life. It was sharp and the pain and doom seemed so real. I was worried about a health issue that was later resolved very much in our favor, but on Monday I was sitting in indecision, worry and my oh so rudimentary faith. Kind of an insult to even call it faith. Man, if you could have seen how many fights I tried to pick with Jeff trying to release the emotional fireball. Luckily, he cut me a lot of slack and we took a well-timed 31 minute nap that really saved the day.

On to highlights:

Every night this week Jeff and I have had dinner by ourselves. We have better nighttime personalities and it's been very special to eat at Cafe Lula, on the couch or at the Logan Bar and Grill. It was also special because the food has been really, really good. I am so grateful we kept that as protected time for us to vent, or plan, or just take other people's inventories. Very therapeutic. We have a little notebook full of lists. Oh the lists! The Costco I and Costco II list; the Dominick's list, the rehearsal dinner list, the wedding day list, the list of all of our lists. It's beautiful. It's just so damn beautiful.

So, we have climbed and summited many interpersonal mountains this week. We went to the doctor to have my health issue resolved and let me tell you, I have a new favorite number. It's 145 and on that score, more will be revealed.

We just got a call from Gene B, a dear friend, who called just say he was thinking of us and wanted to know if we need any last minute help. His actual words were more like, "if you have a treasure chest you need me to carry, let me know." How wonderful is that? I have learned so much about how to be a good friend and a good wedding guest from the gracious and generous people who are cocooning us this week. I can't wait until another friend gets married and I can remember all the little (and big) gestures and offers and well wishes. It means so much to us.

Jeff finished our 16 foot closet. It's so amazing and our previously under-utilized 4th floor is now like a zen retreat space. Next time Jeff's snoring negatively impacts my sleep, I am going straight up there to get my chi realigned and to get some shut eye.

One of the most professionally gratifying and educational cases I have ever worked on settled today. We saw it coming and I got the message on my blackberry this afternoon. It's bittersweet to see the resolution, which means the 4-times daily calls from that client will come to a halt, but it also means that the client got a good result and I feel really happy about the work I did on the case. It is also significant because I had at least 2 business trips in the offing for that case as soon as we get back from Argentina, but with the settlement, it looks like I will actually be at my post (the couch), doing what I do best (watch Jon and Kate Plus Eight or 30 Rock).

All of my outfits for the next few days are ready to go. I have mostly packed my bag for the night before the wedding when I will do a little virginal retreat to the Drake Hotel so as not to see Jeff until the ceremony on Saturday. I am excited to be joined by my sister and Mimi so that I don't get too lonely up in that big old majestic hotel.

There is a turkey, which I think was brined (if that is a verb), in the oven as we speak. At some point I will get up from this computer and complete the Linen Task. Our cups overfloweth and I hardly know how to take all this goodness in. The best I can do is be in each moment as it comes. It seems to be working so far.

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, though we started early at my house this week. Family is arriving in full effect and the train will definitely be leaving the station once the Bridal Brigade gets moving full steam ahead. One of the things I am most grateful for is the outreach calls I got today from friends having deep feelings about the landscapes in their own yards. I felt so happy to be connected to my peeps, and not some removed, self-obsessed bride. While the truth is that I am pretty self-obsessed, and I have about 126 blog entries to prove that up, I am connected to some incredible people who shared some really beautiful and authentic feelings with me today and it's part of why these days feel so special. The people. The connections. The feelings.

It's so damn good.