handmade by jennifer: we partied like it was 1999 (long)

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Monday, August 07, 2006

we partied like it was 1999 (long)

Saturday was a busy day!

Yannick and I drove downtown and met my mom there to go see a jeweler friend of Yannick's family. He (Barry) is the man who custom-made my engagement ring, and we needed to meet with him to have a wedding band designed to wear with it. My mom met us there because she wanted to pick out a chain to wear with a pendant at the wedding, but she took her own car so she could leave before us as she had to drive up north to pick my sister up from camp so she could attend my bachelorette party that night, and my grandmother's unveiling the next day. We picked the band (plain, simple, no stones) and I had some earrings ordered to match a necklace I will be wearing at the wedding. The necklace is unique and it is impossible to find earrings to go with it! We did a bit of shopping at the Baie downtown since it was right at the corner, then headed to Decor Decarie so I could browse Winners for a shirt of the bachelorette, since I am currently unenamoured of my wardrobe. I bought 2 black tops and 1 brown one, and figured I'd decide later.

Yannick dropped me off at home then had to go work for a bit, so I went tanning and did a 30min workout video, then showered and did my nails so they'd be pretty for the evening (I'm such a girl!). The dinner was scheduled for 8pm at Baton Rouge and my sister was going to pick me up, so I got myself dressed and ready for around 7:30. I should have known better, as she picked me up around 8:45...apparently she needs 3 hrs to shower and do her hair (dry it, straighten it then curl it- don't ask- she's 18). We finally got there and there were 20 or so members of my family and friends snacking on hors d'oeuvres and having a jolly old time. There was an empty chair for me right in the middle...with balloons tied to it.

First they made me put on a plastic sash that said "Bride to Be" and a white veil on a hairband. Then 2 of my cousins gave me a little gift package that I had to open in front of everyone. The note said they were items to be used with Yannick or alone, and it was the "alone" part that made me nervous about opening it in public!

The first item in the package was a clear box with fake rosepetals to be sprinkled on the bed or bath. That's really sweet. Next was what appeared to be a glow-stick (like they use at raves- the kind you "crack" in half and then it glows neon colors for 8-10 hrs) in hot pink with a cord to wear it around the neck. A closer inspection revealed it was shaped like a part of the male anatomy. The femur, yeah, that's it, the femur. So Brigitte, Yannick's sister, grabs the "femur", cracks it, and hangs it around my neck. The shirt I was wearing had a very low v-neck, so people had fun all night tucking the femur into my shirt, both downwards and pointing upwards. It glowed a really, really hot pink.

The next item in the box was fun for the whole table. Remember those little foam animals that you could put in water and they would grow, and take them out and they'd shrink? Well, package #2 was a little femur, red and around 1" long. We asked the waiter for a pitcher of water, but after placing it in we read the packaging further and saw it would take 12 hrs to grow to its full 5" long. But it was entertaining anyways.

The last item was a soap-on-a-rope, shaped like- you guessed it- a femur. That one stayed in the box (although Yannick opened it on Sunday and it too is hot pink).

We had a fun dinner and after dinner the "young'uns" came back to my mom's house (the "oldies" weren't invited). My mom, ever the hostess, even in absentia, had decorated the basement with hot pink and black streamers, and had signs up proclaiming "Frisky Business". Yes, my bachelorette party had a theme name. There was wine and veggies with dip and chips and sodas all left out for us. When we got back to the house everyone started changing into clothes they'd brought...and suddenly there appears a bag of my clothes that Yannick had dropped off. We had to wear comfy pants and heels- we would be learning the art of erotic dance!

My cousin Stacey is a fitness instructor and teaches many classes, including erotic dance. For the next hour she put us through our paces as we got intimate with the wall, the floor, and each other (not like that, dirty mind!). As the bachelorette herself, I had the priviledge of doing a few solo numbers which my sister gleefully caught on camera. It was hot in the basement, but it was fun and I think everyone had a good time. At that point my mom had set out party favors for everyone, and then most of us headed out to the bars to dance for a bit.

I wanted to go to Cheers for a bit for old-time's sake, as I spent most nights there in my teens/early 20s. I couldn't believe it when I walked in and it was dead! There was a crowd of teens on the terrasse, but I don't think there were 40 people inside the bar. I found someone I knew who still works there, and it turns out that an old friend had just left so I couldn't even say hi to him. We left right away and went to Bourbon Street West. We hung out there for a bit, with creepy guys coming up and trying to hit on various members of our party. There was another bachelorette there, and at one point we got pulled up on stage and had to chug a drink. That officially marked the most alcohol I've had in the last 7 years- 3 Amaretto Sours and 1 glass of white wine (the 1st A.S. was with dinner, the wine was at the house pre-erotica, and the other 2 drinks were at Bourbon). By that point it was about 2:15am and I decided to take pity on my poor friends and myself and call it a night. I really think I've grown out of the bar scene. Maybe I'd feel differently if I were single, but it really holds no interest for me any more. I even felt awkward dancing and just couldn't "get into it". I had a really fun time, but have no real desire to do it again any time soon. I think I'd prefer a "pub" type place, like an Irish pub or something more intimate. The band was good, though.

I think I was in bed by 3:15am, and trying to fall asleep when I kept wondering what light I'd left on, as the room had a glow to it that was keeping me awake. Turns out I'd left the femur on the counter and it as still glowing pink.

Sunday it was hard getting up, but we had the unveiling for my grandmother to go to for 12:30pm. The unveiling is when family and friends gather and the tombstone or headstone is revealed for the first time. Afterwards everyone went to my aunt's house for lunch. It was a sad affair, I found it really hard because Bubbie Helen is buried next to her husband, my Zaida Jack, who was my best friend, and it's hard for me to be there and see his name engraved. I was really upset with everyone who kept coming up to me to ask if I'd had a good time the night before. They didn't even wait to get back to the house, we'd no sooner than turned around when people started asking about it. I had sunglasses on and was quiet because I'd been crying, and people were asking if I was ok, meaning was I hung over from the night before. I wish they'd left me alone.

I can't post pics of my current knitting, as Thursday I'd picked up some new yarn and a pattern from Veronik and Mona at JCA and am working on another sample for them. I'm rushing because I need to finish it by the end of the month, both for their deadlines and also mine, as I will be taking a honeymoon in September. (Attention would-be burglars- there will be people living in my house so don't get any ideas, plus my neighbor is a cop so you'd have to be really stupid). I had worked on it in the car on Saturday and at the lunch on Sunday, then realized I needed to start over with a smaller needle. I started over Sunday night and worked on it in the car on the way to work today, and realized I need to start over again, with the original needle size. RRR. So tonight I will be starting over for the 3rd and hopefully last time. At least it's a beautiful yarn...although I wish it had a bit of elasticity in it. The pressure is starting to come on as I realize I have this project, a charity baby blanket, 2 pairs of socks and a shrug to do by the end of the month. Guess what? Most of that is getting dropped. The shrug is for me, and can be put off. The socks are for Yannick and can wait indefinately. My priority right now is the JCA project and then, if there is time, to finish the baby blanket. If not I will have to give it in half finished and ask them to find someone to finish it, or ask if it can wait until the end of Sept, or maybe ask (beg) my cousin to finish it up. So no knitting photos for now. I'll have to find other photos to keep the blog interesting.

posted by Jennifer Lori @ 4:26 pm

2 Comments:

At 9:32 pm, Montreal Mama said…

Hey. If I have time I may be able to do the blanket for you - BUT - I am also knitting for Mona & Veronik - and I'm leaving 3 days after you're leaving, so that doesn't leave me much time, and I still need to seam the rest and single crochet my charity blanket.. but all in due time - after I'm done school. So,
i'll let ya know if I can - if you still need me - lol! Keep me posted.
At 2:06 am, JayJay said…

I'm so jealous of your bachelorette party! (I didn't have one) It sounds like so much fun and all those "femurs" must have been a riot to watch you open!

I hope you make lots of progress on the knitting. I totally understand what you mean about having too much to do!