There Will Be Chickens
Have I mentioned that The Viewpoint Inn (the location of our wedding) has chickens? They have their own chicken house at the back of the Inn. We were assured that these particular chickens, who have names, are not used in the kitchen.
The Dreaded Diet
I've been on a diet since January 1st of this year. So far I've gained 1.5 pounds (as seen in the graph above). It's time for a new approach. I'm thinking that a tad bit of exercise might help, but then who has the time or motivation for that? Not I. I will just have to eat less and quit snacking. I wrote a cool Rails app and everything to track my weight loss (which has become weight gain). My new approach starts today.
A Visit to the Viewpoint Inn
We went back to the Viewpoint Inn today to take care of some wedding business. As luck would have it, today was a beautiful, mostly clear day. As luck would not have it, we didn't bring a real camera. As luck would have it, my cell phone has a camera on it. I took a handful of photos and added them to flickr.
This is my favorite photo from today's trip. It's their chicken coop!
Wedding Update
There's not a whole lot to report since my last update, but here goes. Bren (and her friends) has started looking at wedding dresses. Apparently she has found at least a couple that she really likes. I have no idea what they look like, as I'm following the traditional superstition rules. Meanwhile, I'm still working away on the reception music play list. The location (Viewpoint Inn) has changed what I had in mind for the music. I'm readjusting to fit the mood of the Inn. This weekend, we plan to put together a detailed task list and timeline in order to keep us on track. It's amazing how many magazines and online publications offer up free wedding task lists. We'll be consolidating all of those into one list that matches our needs.
I think this is super cool. I'd never do it, but you have to admire this guy for doing it.
Save the Date…
We were seriously considering the Abernathy Center after our visit today. But, we had also scheduled an appointment at the Viewpoint Inn, located in the Columbia River Gorge, near the Vista House. As we wound our way up the road, the rain changed into snow. As many of you know, I get very excited about snow. I jokingly quipped to Bren that this was a sign that we had found our wedding site. Well, within a few minutes of touring the Inn, we were both awestruck. The place is amazing! It's a reflection of both our tastes. After touring The Viewpoint Inn, the Abernathy Center was clearly the wrong choice for our wedding. We booked it immediately. So, our wedding date is set - Sunday, September 7th. That's 09/07/08. Be there or be square. I will be updating the wedding website with googles of information in the next day or two. We are excited!
Wedding Update
Location
We'll be looking at two potential wedding locations this weekend. Our preference is for an outdoor ceremony, so that's where we are starting. First, we'll be looking at the Abernathy Center in Oregon City. We like the photos we've seen. There are lots of gardens and gazebos and we would have the reception outdoors under a large tent. Second, we'll be looking at Viewpoint Inn in Corbett. This place is really nice and upscale, and has a fabulous view. I feel pretty good about both of these places. It may be hard to choose in the long run.
Music
I've been listening and re-listening to music for the past couple of weeks, trying to decide what to play at our reception. This task has not been easy, as most of what I like would not be appropriate for a wedding reception. Sure, it's my wedding, etc., but really, my choices would not sit well with a civilized group of people. I'm torn. Should I just scrap the idea of playing my favorites and put on classical music? Or should I just pick my favorites that are somewhat acceptable to the masses? It's not in my nature to appeal to the masses...
Web Site
Some of you have seen the web site and participated in the interactive pages. I have been getting positive feedback so far. I wonder if anyone realizes that I totally stole the layout and graphics from someone else's web site? As a reminder, I am not a web designer, I am a programmer. Therefore, I had no choice but to steal. Once we have selected a date for the wedding, I will update all of the location and date specific pages and announce the URL to everyone we know.