showrecentposts({"version":"1.0","encoding":"UTF-8","feed":{"xmlns":"http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom","xmlns$openSearch":"http://a9.com/-/spec/opensearchrss/1.0/","xmlns$georss":"http://www.georss.org/georss","id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4641595659258679475"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-11-09T18:48:43.196-05:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Countdown to June 20, 2009"},"subtitle":{"type":"html","$t":"Frazzled ramblings, thoughts and daydreams, decision-making, and everything related to long-distance wedding planning"},"link":[{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#feed","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://countdowntojune202009.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4641595659258679475/posts/default?alt\u003djson-in-script\u0026orderby\u003dpublished"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://countdowntojune202009.blogspot.com/"},{"rel":"hub","href":"http://pubsubhubbub.appspot.com/"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Celle"},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/03163082454277730364"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"}}],"generator":{"version":"7.00","uri":"http://www.blogger.com","$t":"Blogger"},"openSearch$totalResults":{"$t":"15"},"openSearch$startIndex":{"$t":"1"},"openSearch$itemsPerPage":{"$t":"25"},"entry":[{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4641595659258679475.post-7628064322484073547"},"published":{"$t":"2009-04-26T22:08:00.004-04:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-04-26T22:26:31.141-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"wedding ring"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"update"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"schedule"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"At Rey's Request..."},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"...I am updating our blog. :D\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eWhen we got engaged almost two years ago, Rey and I thought about the best month/day to get married.  After weighing the pros and cons, and consulting significant people (our families, our friends, and the ISO), we have decided to set the wedding on June 20, 2009.  We thought we would have plenty of time to plan our wedding, book our suppliers, and get everything ready for the big event.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eLooking at our wedding countdown, we have less than two months to go, and while we're reviewing things in my head (the necessary elements of our \"dream\" wedding, the things we had to bring to Manila, the things we have to order before we leave, the seminars we need to attend, etc.), I realize that while most things are in place, we did not plan for, uh, eventualities that are part of our lives.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eRey is busy with work, and with traveling back and forth to New York (where I am currently), and I am busy with school.  Yes, things are winding down, and I'm finishing up the last of my school requirements, but it's not too late to screw things up.  Making sure I don't drop the ball at the homestretch takes as much effort as it does to run with it in the first place, if not more so.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eHaving said that, our families have been blessings in their support and understanding, and their willingness to help us with wedding details.  My parents have been really patient, and my sister, doubly so.  Rey has been the most (the ultimate) patient guy. :)  Jody, our wedding coordinator, has also been heaven-sent.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eAs I am still in the process of running with the ball to homestretch, I will be updating the blog as often as time permits.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eOn the upside:  we have gotten our wedding bands sized.  They had to make mine smaller (since it came in the standard size 7), and they had to have Rey's enlarged.  Lol. :p\u003cdiv class\u003d\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' src\u003d'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4641595659258679475-7628064322484073547?l\u003dcountdowntojune202009.blogspot.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://countdowntojune202009.blogspot.com/feeds/7628064322484073547/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID\u003d4641595659258679475\u0026postID\u003d7628064322484073547","title":"2 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4641595659258679475/posts/default/7628064322484073547"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4641595659258679475/posts/default/7628064322484073547"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://countdowntojune202009.blogspot.com/2009/04/at-reys-request.html","title":"At Rey's Request..."}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Celle"},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/03163082454277730364"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$extendedProperty":{"xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","name":"OpenSocialUserId","value":"01940449999374233081"}}],"thr$total":{"xmlns$thr":"http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0","$t":"2"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4641595659258679475.post-7601229448324986027"},"published":{"$t":"2008-12-06T19:25:00.002-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2008-12-06T19:27:50.736-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"update"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Sorry!"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"The bride-to-be is currently drowning in datasets for data analyses (plural).  We will update the blog and the companion wedsite by next week.  Thanks for your patience, and please check back soon! :)\u003cdiv class\u003d\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' src\u003d'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4641595659258679475-7601229448324986027?l\u003dcountdowntojune202009.blogspot.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://countdowntojune202009.blogspot.com/feeds/7601229448324986027/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID\u003d4641595659258679475\u0026postID\u003d7601229448324986027","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4641595659258679475/posts/default/7601229448324986027"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4641595659258679475/posts/default/7601229448324986027"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://countdowntojune202009.blogspot.com/2008/12/sorry.html","title":"Sorry!"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Celle"},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/03163082454277730364"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$extendedProperty":{"xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","name":"OpenSocialUserId","value":"01940449999374233081"}}],"thr$total":{"xmlns$thr":"http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0","$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4641595659258679475.post-942762375985681912"},"published":{"$t":"2008-08-24T16:41:00.008-04:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2008-08-24T16:59:28.557-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"mac OS"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"blog"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"pet peeve"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Mac and Me"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"Lesson number one (and lesson learned the hard way):  Never blog when you're in a bad mood.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eLesson number two:  Never blog when you're in a bad mood and use a new computer with an operating system that you've only used once or twice in your life, like Mac OS.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003ca onblur\u003d\"try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}\" href\u003d\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UvBxasNsHX0/SLHKlxtQABI/AAAAAAAAADA/iMUxgI3hM-A/s1600-h/index_hero20080429.png\"\u003e\u003cimg style\u003d\"margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;\" src\u003d\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UvBxasNsHX0/SLHKlxtQABI/AAAAAAAAADA/iMUxgI3hM-A/s320/index_hero20080429.png\" alt\u003d\"\" id\u003d\"BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238190591955697682\" border\u003d\"0\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e(Photo from \u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.apple.com/imac/\"\u003eApple\u003c/a\u003e website)\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eThe result of not learning these lessons soon enough is inadvertently deleting posts that you have no way of getting back.  Case in point:  I've deleted my July 15th post -- \"Guess Who Want an iPhone\".  Grrr.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eSo, now I'm back to using a PC.  But my bad mood still hasn't improved, unfortunately.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eRight now, I'm blaming it on too much coffee.   I've had a Colossal Arctic Mocha this morning, and several cups of Diet Pepsi at lunch time.   That's too much caffeine, even for someone who can drink 2-liters of Coke/Pepsi (and their diet varieties) in one day.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eI'm pretty sure there's no scientific evidence linking caffeine and bad mood (and if I'm honest enough, I'll lay the blame at the feet of the people responsible, but I don't want to start bashing people on the Internet).\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eI'd rather bash them in my head. :p\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e(This post actually should be in my personal blog, but I have to explain why \"Guess Who Wants an iPhone\" was deleted.)\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e(Because Rey still wants an iPhone.)\u003cdiv class\u003d\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' src\u003d'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4641595659258679475-942762375985681912?l\u003dcountdowntojune202009.blogspot.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://countdowntojune202009.blogspot.com/feeds/942762375985681912/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID\u003d4641595659258679475\u0026postID\u003d942762375985681912","title":"1 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4641595659258679475/posts/default/942762375985681912"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4641595659258679475/posts/default/942762375985681912"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://countdowntojune202009.blogspot.com/2008/08/mac-and-me.html","title":"Mac and Me"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Celle"},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/03163082454277730364"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$extendedProperty":{"xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","name":"OpenSocialUserId","value":"01940449999374233081"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UvBxasNsHX0/SLHKlxtQABI/AAAAAAAAADA/iMUxgI3hM-A/s72-c/index_hero20080429.png","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"xmlns$thr":"http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0","$t":"1"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4641595659258679475.post-6178127954745416282"},"published":{"$t":"2008-06-22T19:00:00.003-04:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2008-06-22T19:04:04.460-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"vendors' checklist"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Ooops!"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"I forgot to add the following to our list of people we've already booked:\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cul\u003e\u003cli\u003eThe emcee -- the one and THE ONLY.  We wouldn't settle for anything less (how's that for \u003cspan style\u003d\"font-style: italic;\"\u003ebawi\u003c/span\u003e?)\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003eAnd of course, \u003cspan style\u003d\"font-weight: bold;\"\u003eTHE WEDDING COORDINATOR\u003c/span\u003e :p\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/ul\u003e\u003cdiv class\u003d\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' src\u003d'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4641595659258679475-6178127954745416282?l\u003dcountdowntojune202009.blogspot.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://countdowntojune202009.blogspot.com/feeds/6178127954745416282/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID\u003d4641595659258679475\u0026postID\u003d6178127954745416282","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4641595659258679475/posts/default/6178127954745416282"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4641595659258679475/posts/default/6178127954745416282"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://countdowntojune202009.blogspot.com/2008/06/ooops.html","title":"Ooops!"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Celle"},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/03163082454277730364"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$extendedProperty":{"xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","name":"OpenSocialUserId","value":"01940449999374233081"}}],"thr$total":{"xmlns$thr":"http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0","$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4641595659258679475.post-5928430811743450032"},"published":{"$t":"2008-06-22T02:07:00.004-04:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2008-06-22T02:16:10.086-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"vendors' checklist"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Check...Check...Check!"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"And now, for a list of what we have accomplished for the wedding so far.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eOur wedding is less than a year away (363 days to go, as of posting time), and we have reserved/booked the following:\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003col\u003e\u003cli\u003eThe church\u003cbr /\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003eThe reception venue\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003eThe caterer\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003eThe photographer\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003eThe videographer\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003eThe cake-maker\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/ol\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eWe are in the process of talking to:\u003cbr /\u003e\u003col\u003e\u003cli\u003eThe designer for the wedding gown\u003cbr /\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003eThe designer for the entourage gowns\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003eThe designer for Rey's \u003cspan style\u003d\"font-style: italic;\"\u003ebarong\u003c/span\u003e \u003cspan style\u003d\"font-style: italic;\"\u003eTagalog\u003c/span\u003e - he is very specific with what he wants, but he doesn't have an actual picture to show the designer (Note to self:  Remind Rey to look for a \u003cspan style\u003d\"font-style: italic;\"\u003ebarong Tagalog\u003c/span\u003e photo he likes).\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003eThe florist/event stylist\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003eThe printer for the invitation\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003eThe choir -- if only they would answer Jody's calls and text messages, and my e-mails\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/ol\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eLess than a year to go!\u003cdiv class\u003d\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' src\u003d'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4641595659258679475-5928430811743450032?l\u003dcountdowntojune202009.blogspot.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://countdowntojune202009.blogspot.com/feeds/5928430811743450032/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID\u003d4641595659258679475\u0026postID\u003d5928430811743450032","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4641595659258679475/posts/default/5928430811743450032"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4641595659258679475/posts/default/5928430811743450032"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://countdowntojune202009.blogspot.com/2008/06/checkcheckcheck.html","title":"Check...Check...Check!"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Celle"},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/03163082454277730364"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$extendedProperty":{"xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","name":"OpenSocialUserId","value":"01940449999374233081"}}],"thr$total":{"xmlns$thr":"http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0","$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4641595659258679475.post-2315905032531524305"},"published":{"$t":"2008-05-31T01:23:00.005-04:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2008-05-31T01:37:38.602-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"theme"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"color palette"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"four seasons"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Finally, the Theme"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"Rey and I really try to do things in order...really, we do.  But some things just work out the way they do, and we end up booking most of everything else, but no theme for the wedding.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eActually, we had a \"concept\" in mind from the very start.  We agreed on a \"Four Seasons\" theme for the wedding.  Our thoughts were:\u003cbr /\u003e\u003col\u003e\u003cli\u003eWe met in Canada, where there are four seasons.\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003eWe had our major milestones in each of the four seasons (we met in early \u003cspan style\u003d\"color: rgb(51, 204, 0);\"\u003espring\u003c/span\u003e, became a couple in the \u003cspan style\u003d\"color: rgb(153, 51, 0);\"\u003efall,\u003c/span\u003e got engaged in the \u003cspan style\u003d\"color: rgb(51, 102, 255);\"\u003ewinter\u003c/span\u003e, and will be getting married in the \u003cspan style\u003d\"color: rgb(255, 204, 0);\"\u003esummer\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003eWe look forward to growing in love and friendship as husband and wife throughout the rest of the \u003cspan style\u003d\"color: rgb(51, 102, 255);\"\u003ewinters,\u003c/span\u003e \u003cspan style\u003d\"color: rgb(51, 204, 0);\"\u003esprings,\u003c/span\u003e \u003cspan style\u003d\"color: rgb(255, 204, 0);\"\u003esummers,\u003c/span\u003e and \u003cspan style\u003d\"color: rgb(153, 51, 0);\"\u003efalls\u003c/span\u003e of our lives.\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/ol\u003eWe just couldn't agree on the colors. :p \u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eAfter three trips to the hardware, looking at paint samples, collecting mounds of paint samples to choose our colors, buying fabric swatches at the fabric store to \"see\" the colors, and discussing, discussing, discussing, we finally decided on these colors. \u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003ePresenting, our color palette:\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003ca onblur\u003d\"try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}\" href\u003d\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UvBxasNsHX0/SEDjm7r-xEI/AAAAAAAAAC4/i1EtbHxmJK4/s1600-h/paper+color+palette2.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg style\u003d\"margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;\" src\u003d\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UvBxasNsHX0/SEDjm7r-xEI/AAAAAAAAAC4/i1EtbHxmJK4/s320/paper+color+palette2.jpg\" alt\u003d\"\" id\u003d\"BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5206411427236987970\" border\u003d\"0\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003cdiv class\u003d\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' src\u003d'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4641595659258679475-2315905032531524305?l\u003dcountdowntojune202009.blogspot.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://countdowntojune202009.blogspot.com/feeds/2315905032531524305/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID\u003d4641595659258679475\u0026postID\u003d2315905032531524305","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4641595659258679475/posts/default/2315905032531524305"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4641595659258679475/posts/default/2315905032531524305"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://countdowntojune202009.blogspot.com/2008/05/finally-theme.html","title":"Finally, the Theme"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Celle"},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/03163082454277730364"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$extendedProperty":{"xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","name":"OpenSocialUserId","value":"01940449999374233081"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UvBxasNsHX0/SEDjm7r-xEI/AAAAAAAAAC4/i1EtbHxmJK4/s72-c/paper+color+palette2.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"xmlns$thr":"http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0","$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4641595659258679475.post-4604670462808201150"},"published":{"$t":"2008-05-15T23:55:00.004-04:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2008-05-21T19:49:01.459-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"blue leaf"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"reception"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Turning Over a Blue Leaf"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"It has been a while.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eSince then, we have booked a reception venue.  I'm very happy to say that \u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.theblueleaf.com.ph/\"\u003eBlue Leaf Events Pavilion\u003c/a\u003e will be hosting our wedding reception.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003ca onblur\u003d\"try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}\" href\u003d\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UvBxasNsHX0/SC0HwsJ3zWI/AAAAAAAAACw/P7tkjU79w4A/s1600-h/theblueleaf.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg style\u003d\"margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;\" src\u003d\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UvBxasNsHX0/SC0HwsJ3zWI/AAAAAAAAACw/P7tkjU79w4A/s320/theblueleaf.jpg\" alt\u003d\"\" id\u003d\"BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5200821677750472034\" border\u003d\"0\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eWe considered several other locations, but at Fort Bonifacio, Blue Leaf was actually the no-brainer choice.  It's located in McKinley Hill Village in Fort Bonifacio, and it's relatively close to the church where the ceremony will be held.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eUnlike the church, which we booked even without seeing it (gasp!), Rey and I actually went to Blue Leaf with my parents when we went to Manila.  We took pictures (but Rey kept snapping photos with me in them, so I couldn't really post them here!).\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eLong story short, my Mom and Dad liked the place, and Rey and I liked it as well.  I liked the fact that the glass \"walls\" feel like we're bringing the outside in (if that makes any sense).\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eIt's also spacious enough that our guests should feel comfortable.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eNext on the list:  Photographer and Videographer\u003cdiv class\u003d\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' src\u003d'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4641595659258679475-4604670462808201150?l\u003dcountdowntojune202009.blogspot.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://countdowntojune202009.blogspot.com/feeds/4604670462808201150/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID\u003d4641595659258679475\u0026postID\u003d4604670462808201150","title":"2 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4641595659258679475/posts/default/4604670462808201150"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4641595659258679475/posts/default/4604670462808201150"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://countdowntojune202009.blogspot.com/2008/05/turning-over-blue-leaf.html","title":"Turning Over a Blue Leaf"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Celle"},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/03163082454277730364"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$extendedProperty":{"xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","name":"OpenSocialUserId","value":"01940449999374233081"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UvBxasNsHX0/SC0HwsJ3zWI/AAAAAAAAACw/P7tkjU79w4A/s72-c/theblueleaf.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"xmlns$thr":"http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0","$t":"2"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4641595659258679475.post-6283569661592768133"},"published":{"$t":"2008-04-07T22:36:00.003-04:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2008-04-08T17:32:08.266-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"causes"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"non-wedding"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Unrelated to Wedding Planning, but..."},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"(This is a re-post from my other blog).\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eI need your support here, friends. Please sign the and forward the \u003ca href\u003d\"http://getactive.peta.org/campaign/p2sealhuntpetition?c\u003d920f\"\u003epetition\u003c/a\u003e to stop the Canadian Seal Hunt. A lot of seals are being hunted, shot and beaten for their fur.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cdiv align\u003d\"center\"\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://getactive.peta.org/campaign/p2sealhuntpetition\"\u003e\u003cimg src\u003d\"http://64.207.144.142/movabletype/PETA2Daily/archives/buttonfinal.JPG\" border\u003d\"0\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align\u003d\"left\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align\u003d\"left\"\u003e \u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align\u003d\"left\"\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eI watched the movie clip on the \u003ca href\u003d\"http://getactive.peta.org/campaign/p2sealhuntpetition?c\u003d920f\"\u003esite\u003c/a\u003e, and ended up crying. :( \u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class\u003d\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' src\u003d'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4641595659258679475-6283569661592768133?l\u003dcountdowntojune202009.blogspot.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://countdowntojune202009.blogspot.com/feeds/6283569661592768133/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID\u003d4641595659258679475\u0026postID\u003d6283569661592768133","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4641595659258679475/posts/default/6283569661592768133"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4641595659258679475/posts/default/6283569661592768133"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://countdowntojune202009.blogspot.com/2008/04/unrelated-to-wedding-planning-but.html","title":"Unrelated to Wedding Planning, but..."}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Celle"},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/03163082454277730364"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$extendedProperty":{"xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","name":"OpenSocialUserId","value":"01940449999374233081"}}],"thr$total":{"xmlns$thr":"http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0","$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4641595659258679475.post-6603497335610177381"},"published":{"$t":"2008-04-07T01:17:00.005-04:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2008-04-08T17:34:57.857-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"calendar"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"The Bride's Calendar"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"For right now, this is what the next few weeks are going to be like:\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"font-weight: bold; color: rgb(153, 0, 0);\"\u003eApril 5\u003c/span\u003e - exam\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"font-weight: bold; color: rgb(153, 0, 0);\"\u003eApril 15\u003c/span\u003e - mid-term exam\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"font-weight: bold; color: rgb(153, 0, 0);\"\u003eApril 18\u003c/span\u003e - research proposal presentation to a panel\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"font-weight: bold; color: rgb(153, 0, 0);\"\u003eApril 21\u003c/span\u003e - project presentation (this is for a different class)\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"font-weight: bold; color: rgb(153, 0, 0);\"\u003eApril 22\u003c/span\u003e - paper presentation (this is another class)\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"font-weight: bold; color: rgb(153, 0, 0);\"\u003eApril 30 to May 3\u003c/span\u003e - exam (the biggest of my life to date)\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"font-weight: bold; color: rgb(153, 0, 0);\"\u003eMay 5\u003c/span\u003e - final exam (for the same class as the April 21 presentation)\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"font-weight: bold; color: rgb(153, 0, 0);\"\u003eMay 6\u003c/span\u003e - final paper due (for the same class as the April 22 presentation)\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"font-weight: bold; color: rgb(153, 0, 0);\"\u003eMay 8\u003c/span\u003e - final exam (different class)\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eWhere does wedding planning come in during those times?  Nowhere, for the time being.  I can imagine poor Jody sending me numerous e-mails that I won't be able to address right away.  Poor me, too.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eI'm so glad the wedding is in 2009; it buys us a little more time while I survive this \"crisis\" in my life.  Or else, \"HEEELLLP!!!\"\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e(\"HEEELLLP!!!\" anyway, since I'm still working on being able to get through the next several weeks).  Sigh.\u003cdiv class\u003d\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' src\u003d'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4641595659258679475-6603497335610177381?l\u003dcountdowntojune202009.blogspot.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://countdowntojune202009.blogspot.com/feeds/6603497335610177381/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID\u003d4641595659258679475\u0026postID\u003d6603497335610177381","title":"1 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4641595659258679475/posts/default/6603497335610177381"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4641595659258679475/posts/default/6603497335610177381"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://countdowntojune202009.blogspot.com/2008/04/brides-calendar.html","title":"The Bride's Calendar"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Celle"},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/03163082454277730364"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$extendedProperty":{"xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","name":"OpenSocialUserId","value":"01940449999374233081"}}],"thr$total":{"xmlns$thr":"http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0","$t":"1"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4641595659258679475.post-2976070641742438222"},"published":{"$t":"2008-03-09T23:06:00.021-04:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2008-03-10T00:28:14.643-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"magallanes church"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"church"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"st. alphonsus mary di liguori parish"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"St. Alphonsus Mary de Liguori Parish/Magallanes Church (Part 2)"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"After weeks and weeks of deliberation, Rey and I finally decided on the church where the wedding ceremony will be held.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eRey had very minimal requirements on the church: that it needs to be air-conditioned, and reasonably close to the place where the reception will be held. June is normally a rainy month in the Philippines, but with global warming throwing the seasons out of whack, we can never be too sure. June 20, 2009 could be a gorgeous, sunny day, during which our guests can be melting in their formal wear in the Philippine heat, or it could be a hot/humid/damp rainy day, during which the guests can be melting in all that humidity anyway. Rey and I want our guests, our family, and ourselves, to be comfortable, so air-conditioning in the church is pretty much non-negotiable.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eTraffic in Manila/Makati is horrible, especially during rush hour, and Rey and I experienced it first-hand when we were there. So for everyone's convenience, we wanted the church to be within a half-an-hour drive (at most) from the reception.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eMy requirements for the church are well within reason, too:\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e1. That it must be picturesque/photogenic - because all Rey and I will be able to look back on when we're old and gray are the memories, and the wedding pictures.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eSt. Alphonsus Mary de Liguori/Magallanes Church actually burned down last September 2004, and most of the original church was destroyed by the fire.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UvBxasNsHX0/R9IxeEYBh4I/AAAAAAAAABg/X9H2vf6zS6s/s1600-h/Magallanes+Church+before+2.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg id\u003d\"BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5175253314442463106\" style\u003d\"DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center\" alt\u003d\"\" src\u003d\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UvBxasNsHX0/R9IxeEYBh4I/AAAAAAAAABg/X9H2vf6zS6s/s400/Magallanes+Church+before+2.jpg\" border\u003d\"0\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UvBxasNsHX0/R9IxT0YBh3I/AAAAAAAAABY/Tr-pf9i88Qo/s1600-h/Magallanes+Church+before+1.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg id\u003d\"BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5175253138348803954\" style\u003d\"DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center\" alt\u003d\"\" src\u003d\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UvBxasNsHX0/R9IxT0YBh3I/AAAAAAAAABY/Tr-pf9i88Qo/s320/Magallanes+Church+before+1.jpg\" border\u003d\"0\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://dominicgaliciaarchitects.blogspot.com/\"\u003eDominic Galicia Architects\u003c/a\u003e drafted the design for the new church, and the results are absolutely breath-taking. I fell in love with the church as soon as I saw the pictures (one of the down-sides of long-distance wedding planning). The following photos are taken from Dominic Galicia's blog.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UvBxasNsHX0/R9Svb0YBh6I/AAAAAAAAABw/V7x8RIoj9uQ/s1600-h/magallanes+church+dominic+galicia+1.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg id\u003d\"BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5175954764206278562\" style\u003d\"DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center\" alt\u003d\"\" src\u003d\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UvBxasNsHX0/R9Svb0YBh6I/AAAAAAAAABw/V7x8RIoj9uQ/s320/magallanes+church+dominic+galicia+1.jpg\" border\u003d\"0\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003eAnd this is how the church looks at night:\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UvBxasNsHX0/R9SvwEYBh7I/AAAAAAAAAB4/ZSwuOL1QhHk/s1600-h/magallanes+church+dominic+galicia+2.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg id\u003d\"BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5175955112098629554\" style\u003d\"DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center\" alt\u003d\"\" src\u003d\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UvBxasNsHX0/R9SvwEYBh7I/AAAAAAAAAB4/ZSwuOL1QhHk/s320/magallanes+church+dominic+galicia+2.jpg\" border\u003d\"0\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eMore photos of the church, and his other works, can be found \u003ca href\u003d\"http://dominicgaliciaarchitects.blogspot.com/\"\u003ehere\u003c/a\u003e. \u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003eAnd this is how the church interior looks like (thanks to \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"color:#990000;\"\u003eYoshie Arellano\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e).\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UvBxasNsHX0/R9S0SUYBh9I/AAAAAAAAACI/rS8c_DJ2o5M/s1600-h/magallanes+church+6.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg id\u003d\"BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5175960098555660242\" style\u003d\"DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center\" alt\u003d\"\" src\u003d\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UvBxasNsHX0/R9S0SUYBh9I/AAAAAAAAACI/rS8c_DJ2o5M/s320/magallanes+church+6.jpg\" border\u003d\"0\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UvBxasNsHX0/R9S0sEYBh-I/AAAAAAAAACQ/AOW-HY6IyVM/s1600-h/magallanes+church+8.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg id\u003d\"BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5175960540937291746\" style\u003d\"DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center\" alt\u003d\"\" src\u003d\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UvBxasNsHX0/R9S0sEYBh-I/AAAAAAAAACQ/AOW-HY6IyVM/s320/magallanes+church+8.jpg\" border\u003d\"0\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UvBxasNsHX0/R9S1S0YBh_I/AAAAAAAAACY/fV9YUtpmX-8/s1600-h/magallanes+church+7.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg id\u003d\"BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5175961206657222642\" style\u003d\"DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center\" alt\u003d\"\" src\u003d\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UvBxasNsHX0/R9S1S0YBh_I/AAAAAAAAACY/fV9YUtpmX-8/s320/magallanes+church+7.jpg\" border\u003d\"0\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UvBxasNsHX0/R9S1v0YBiAI/AAAAAAAAACg/BnIwR5FkjQk/s1600-h/magallanes+church+12.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg id\u003d\"BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5175961704873428994\" style\u003d\"DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center\" alt\u003d\"\" src\u003d\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UvBxasNsHX0/R9S1v0YBiAI/AAAAAAAAACg/BnIwR5FkjQk/s320/magallanes+church+12.jpg\" border\u003d\"0\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e2. That it has people who are easy enough to talk to and deal with -- granted, our coordinator, Jody Liwanag, will be going most of the talking -- and who won't make unreasonable requirements from Rey and I, understand that we are both based overseas, and can't just take off and remain in vacation for an indefinite period of time, and who would allow us the flexibility to make our wedding ceremony special and memorable.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cem\u003eKuya\u003c/em\u003e Gilbert, from what I've heard about him, seems easy enough to deal with.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eThe church does not have its own florist, or a list of accredited florists, so we will have to find one ourselves. It also does not provide a choir for the ceremony, so that is something that we will have to take care of, as well. But, it does provide a church to officiate the ceremony, so Jody, Rey, or I won't have to scour the yellow pages for one. :p\u003cdiv class\u003d\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' src\u003d'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4641595659258679475-2976070641742438222?l\u003dcountdowntojune202009.blogspot.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://countdowntojune202009.blogspot.com/feeds/2976070641742438222/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID\u003d4641595659258679475\u0026postID\u003d2976070641742438222","title":"8 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4641595659258679475/posts/default/2976070641742438222"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4641595659258679475/posts/default/2976070641742438222"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://countdowntojune202009.blogspot.com/2008/03/st-alphonsus-mary-de-liguori.html","title":"St. Alphonsus Mary de Liguori Parish/Magallanes Church (Part 2)"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Celle"},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/03163082454277730364"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$extendedProperty":{"xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","name":"OpenSocialUserId","value":"01940449999374233081"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UvBxasNsHX0/R9IxeEYBh4I/AAAAAAAAABg/X9H2vf6zS6s/s72-c/Magallanes+Church+before+2.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"xmlns$thr":"http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0","$t":"8"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4641595659258679475.post-8746422205566593903"},"published":{"$t":"2008-02-26T02:02:00.005-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2008-03-02T23:46:56.590-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"engagement ring"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"If You're Engaged, Where's You're Ring?"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"People I just met are surprised to know I am engaged, because :\u003cbr /\u003e1. they say I look like I'm 12 years old (okay, 13, if they want to be generous), and,\u003cbr /\u003e2. they don't see my ring on my finger.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eRey gave me a beautiful emerald-cut engagement ring when he proposed, which I hardly ever get to wear. The nature of my profession (and my compulsion to change gloves two or three times per patient) plus my dabblings at the research lab, predispose the ring to damage if I wear it everyday. I found that the glove material got caught on the ring everytime I de-gloved, and I lived in perpetual fear that one carcinogenic chemical or the other would come in contact with my ring and ruin it forever. The other alternative of taking the ring off, and then putting it back on after I'm done working, is a pretty big hassle, not to mention asking for trouble when I misplace the ring altogether.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eRey understands (and told me the ring is mine to do as I see fit). Besides, it saves him the trouble of having to look for the ring if I don't wear it often. Case in point: This winter, on one of the rare days that I WAS wearing it, it got caught in my winter gloves while I was taking them off, falling from my finger and dropping to the ground, which was covered in ice. We both nearly had a heart attack, but Rey found it on the ground (by his car's left rear tire, thank God). Did I mention that he was trying to parallel park (and I was standing outside the car) when this happened? Picture me screaming, \"Stop, STOOOP!!! I DROPPED THE RING!!!!!!!!!\"\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eGulp.\u003cdiv class\u003d\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' src\u003d'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4641595659258679475-8746422205566593903?l\u003dcountdowntojune202009.blogspot.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://countdowntojune202009.blogspot.com/feeds/8746422205566593903/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID\u003d4641595659258679475\u0026postID\u003d8746422205566593903","title":"2 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4641595659258679475/posts/default/8746422205566593903"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4641595659258679475/posts/default/8746422205566593903"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://countdowntojune202009.blogspot.com/2008/02/if-youre-engaged-wheres-youre-ring.html","title":"If You're Engaged, Where's You're Ring?"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Celle"},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/03163082454277730364"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$extendedProperty":{"xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","name":"OpenSocialUserId","value":"01940449999374233081"}}],"thr$total":{"xmlns$thr":"http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0","$t":"2"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4641595659258679475.post-3458946285226045791"},"published":{"$t":"2008-02-13T01:10:00.003-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2008-02-23T18:30:58.751-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"quiz"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"facebook"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"wedding date"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"When Will You Get Married?"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003cdiv\u003eThis is one of the cool applications/quizzes that I found in \u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.facebook.com/\"\u003eFacebook\u003c/a\u003e.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eIt will ask you a series of questions about yourself, and use that information to predict when you will get married. I found this a few days after we've set the date, and I did the quiz for fun. I was curious to see how accurate it was.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eThe result:\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003ca onblur\u003d\"try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}\" href\u003d\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UvBxasNsHX0/R7KI02_VuoI/AAAAAAAAAAw/GfwsLi4tzhY/s1600-h/when.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg style\u003d\"margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;\" src\u003d\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UvBxasNsHX0/R7KI02_VuoI/AAAAAAAAAAw/GfwsLi4tzhY/s320/when.jpg\" alt\u003d\"\" id\u003d\"BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5166342164243135106\" border\u003d\"0\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e \u003c/div\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e \u003c/div\u003eIt was off by a couple of months, but it's okay.  It was close enough for me.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e \u003c/div\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UvBxasNsHX0/R66yLG_VumI/AAAAAAAAAAc/8eauI5pIkOE/s1600-h/when.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UvBxasNsHX0/R66yLG_VumI/AAAAAAAAAAc/8eauI5pIkOE/s1600-h/when.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UvBxasNsHX0/R66yLG_VumI/AAAAAAAAAAc/8eauI5pIkOE/s1600-h/when.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UvBxasNsHX0/R66yLG_VumI/AAAAAAAAAAc/8eauI5pIkOE/s1600-h/when.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UvBxasNsHX0/R66yLG_VumI/AAAAAAAAAAc/8eauI5pIkOE/s1600-h/when.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UvBxasNsHX0/R66yLG_VumI/AAAAAAAAAAc/8eauI5pIkOE/s1600-h/when.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UvBxasNsHX0/R66yLG_VumI/AAAAAAAAAAc/8eauI5pIkOE/s1600-h/when.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UvBxasNsHX0/R66yLG_VumI/AAAAAAAAAAc/8eauI5pIkOE/s1600-h/when.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UvBxasNsHX0/R66yLG_VumI/AAAAAAAAAAc/8eauI5pIkOE/s1600-h/when.jpg\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class\u003d\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' src\u003d'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4641595659258679475-3458946285226045791?l\u003dcountdowntojune202009.blogspot.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://countdowntojune202009.blogspot.com/feeds/3458946285226045791/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID\u003d4641595659258679475\u0026postID\u003d3458946285226045791","title":"2 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4641595659258679475/posts/default/3458946285226045791"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4641595659258679475/posts/default/3458946285226045791"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://countdowntojune202009.blogspot.com/2008/02/when-will-you-get-married_13.html","title":"When Will You Get Married?"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Celle"},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/03163082454277730364"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$extendedProperty":{"xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","name":"OpenSocialUserId","value":"01940449999374233081"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UvBxasNsHX0/R7KI02_VuoI/AAAAAAAAAAw/GfwsLi4tzhY/s72-c/when.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"xmlns$thr":"http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0","$t":"2"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4641595659258679475.post-2184869700630247572"},"published":{"$t":"2008-02-10T17:30:00.002-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2008-02-19T23:24:55.975-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"magallanes church"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"church"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"st. alphonsus mary di liguori parish"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Magallanes Church (St. Alphonsus Mary di Liguori Parish)"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"Most likely the church:\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cp align\u003d\"center\"\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://ph.pagenation.com/mnl/Magallanes%20Church_121.0217_14.5307.map\" target\u003d\"pn\"\u003e\u003cimg src\u003d\"http://gis.pagenation.com/maps/draw.cgi?map\u003d/map.dat/ph.mnl.map\u0026amp;mode\u003dreference\u0026amp;imgext\u003d120.9992+14.5082+121.0442+14.5532\u0026amp;img.x\u003d200\u0026amp;img.y\u003d200\" border\u003d\"1\" /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003csmall\u003eClick here to view map\u003cbr /\u003eMagallanes Church\u003c/small\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cdiv class\u003d\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' src\u003d'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4641595659258679475-2184869700630247572?l\u003dcountdowntojune202009.blogspot.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://countdowntojune202009.blogspot.com/feeds/2184869700630247572/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID\u003d4641595659258679475\u0026postID\u003d2184869700630247572","title":"1 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4641595659258679475/posts/default/2184869700630247572"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4641595659258679475/posts/default/2184869700630247572"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://countdowntojune202009.blogspot.com/2008/02/magallanes-church-st-alphonsus-mary-di.html","title":"Magallanes Church (St. Alphonsus Mary di Liguori Parish)"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Celle"},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/03163082454277730364"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$extendedProperty":{"xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","name":"OpenSocialUserId","value":"01940449999374233081"}}],"thr$total":{"xmlns$thr":"http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0","$t":"1"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4641595659258679475.post-5280484918004898207"},"published":{"$t":"2008-02-10T03:30:00.000-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2008-02-10T17:50:45.651-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"wedding date"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Getting to June 20th"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"Setting the date to June 20, 2009 was a huge decision in itself. Rey and I were set on an April or May wedding. I've been signing my posts at \u003ca href\u003d\"http://weddingsatwork.com/\"\u003eWeddings-at-Work\u003c/a\u003e with April/May 2009 as the target wedding date. We really wanted May, because it won't be too hot for people who are flying in from Canada, and still have nice summer weather (to visit Bora). Thanks to my quirky schedule, we had to pick a date in June.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eSince we had to pick one at random, I wanted to consult a feng shui expert to make sure we pick an auspicious date to get married. Then we decided not to, and so we were deciding on one of the Saturdays in June: \u003cspan style\u003d\"color:#ff0000;\"\u003e6th, 13th, 20th, 27th\u003c/span\u003e. \u003cspan style\u003d\"color:#ff0000;\"\u003e\u003cu\u003eJune 6th\u003c/u\u003e\u003c/span\u003e conflicts with another event, \u003cspan style\u003d\"color:#ff0000;\"\u003e\u003cu\u003eJune 27th\u003c/u\u003e\u003c/span\u003e is a little too late. \u003cspan style\u003d\"color:#ff0000;\"\u003e\u003cu\u003eJune 13th\u003c/u\u003e\u003c/span\u003e -- I told Rey I wasn't really looking forward to celebrating our 6th (or 7th) year anniversary on Friday the 13th. So June 20 was our only choice.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eNo, wait a minute...we can have it on the \u003cspan style\u003d\"color:#ff0000;\"\u003e\u003cu\u003e18th\u003c/u\u003e\u003c/span\u003e (which would be really the perfect date for us, except that it falls on a Thursday). At this point, Rey was pretty much resigned: \u003cem\u003e\"It's up to you, hon.\"\u003c/em\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eAnd my Mom and our coordinator, Jody (both voices of reason) were advising us that a weekend wedding is much more convenient for everyone involved.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eIn the end, we settled on \u003cspan style\u003d\"color:#ff0000;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cu\u003eJune 20th\u003c/u\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/span\u003e. Finally.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e(Chinese New Year's Resolution: We promise to be more decisive in the future. Really.)\u003cdiv class\u003d\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' src\u003d'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4641595659258679475-5280484918004898207?l\u003dcountdowntojune202009.blogspot.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://countdowntojune202009.blogspot.com/feeds/5280484918004898207/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID\u003d4641595659258679475\u0026postID\u003d5280484918004898207","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4641595659258679475/posts/default/5280484918004898207"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4641595659258679475/posts/default/5280484918004898207"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://countdowntojune202009.blogspot.com/2008/02/getting-to-june-20th.html","title":"Getting to June 20th"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Celle"},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/03163082454277730364"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$extendedProperty":{"xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","name":"OpenSocialUserId","value":"01940449999374233081"}}],"thr$total":{"xmlns$thr":"http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0","$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4641595659258679475.post-8492932666574541900"},"published":{"$t":"2008-02-09T01:07:00.000-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2008-02-10T23:45:37.357-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"engagement story"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Uh, Actually..."},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"...the countdown should have started almost one year ago. Rey proposed in February 2007. I was really surprised, touched, and speechless. It was totally unexpected, and very, very sweet. :)\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eI came from a conference in Chicago, and I was coming home to an upcoming midterm examination that week when I received a call from Rey. I was immediately worried, because he was calling at an odd hour of the day (odd for him), but I told myself he was just confused by the time difference (Chicago is one hour later than New York and Toronto time). He told me he was going to New York, and that he will pick me up from the airport.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eHu-whaaat? That was my reaction exactly. I was happy to see him (we hardly get to see each other in the winter, so this was an unexpected surprise), but I also had Fundamentals of Oral Epidemiology waiting for me at home, and a debate on childhood obesity later that week. To this day, I don't know why I did it, but I asked him if he could delay his visit for two days, just enough time for me to finish the Epi midterms (I figured I could wing the debate, or cram for it later...:p).\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eLong story short, he came to visit right after I finished the midterm, and we were happy to be hanging out with each other again.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eThe next day, when I got home from school, dead-tired and grumpy, all ready to pass out, when Rey surprised me with his proposal. I was happy, scared, happy, surprised...but all I could think of at that moment was it felt very right and very, very natural. Rey told me later he was worried that I would say no (the thought never crossed my mind, though). I will save the story of how he ACTUALLY proposed for the wedding (I don't want to spoil the story for the guests, although some of them may have heard us tell them about it before).\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eInstead of preparing for the debate, we ended up going to dinner at Black and Blue. Later that night, we called my parents to tell them the news.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eAnd the next day, Foni (one of my classmates, who is from Greece), saw the ring and went: \u003cblockquote\u003e\u003c/blockquote\u003e\u003cblockquote\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\"Celle? Are you engaged?!?\"\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/blockquote\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eAnd the rest is history.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e(P. S. The class debate went well. I got a good grade in that class.)\u003cdiv class\u003d\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' src\u003d'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4641595659258679475-8492932666574541900?l\u003dcountdowntojune202009.blogspot.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://countdowntojune202009.blogspot.com/feeds/8492932666574541900/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID\u003d4641595659258679475\u0026postID\u003d8492932666574541900","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4641595659258679475/posts/default/8492932666574541900"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4641595659258679475/posts/default/8492932666574541900"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://countdowntojune202009.blogspot.com/2008/02/uh-actually.html","title":"Uh, Actually..."}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Celle"},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/03163082454277730364"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$extendedProperty":{"xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","name":"OpenSocialUserId","value":"01940449999374233081"}}],"thr$total":{"xmlns$thr":"http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0","$t":"0"}}]}});