First Post by Ryan

Hi, doing my first post ever on a blog now. Don't have much to say other then I am excited to go and excited to have a couple of weeks off of work.

We are taking the Amtrak train to the windy city bright and early on Thursday to catch our plane, should be fun.

Blog education

I learned something new today about blogging! I originally set up this blog with an email address I figured Ryan and I could share, thinking we'd just have to write our names at the end of each post to specify who had written it. But apparently we can post separately, with our own names, linked to our own email addresses. I'm not sure how that will work for Ryan, since he uses yahoo and not gmail (and blogspot is in cahoots with gmail and google), but we'll figure it out. I'm curious as to whether this links to my other blog...

Anyhow, I really don't have anything interesting to say today. I just thought I should write something. :)

My grandpa McGuire sent me this video today, and while I'm not sure it's real, I find it hilarious:

http://video.telegraph.co.uk/services/player/bcpid1137883380?bctid=17075685001

Unfortunately I forgot to take a video this weekend with our new video camera! Oops!

Have a great day! :)

"What's in a name?...

...that which we call a rose

By any other name would smell as sweet..."

Well. I'm not sure quoting a Shakespearan tragedy about two "star-crossed lovers" is the proper way to start a blog in the countdown to my marriage, but I couldn't think of any better titles for this post. Hopefully this isn't bad luck...

I'm not quite sure why I picked this line from JRR Tolkein's prophetic poem in The Lord of the Rings for out blog title (oh, yes, our blog. did I forget to mention that I will be sharing this blog with Sweet Ryan? well, more on that later. I ought to tell him first). I'm certainly not one of those weird LOTR fans who has read the books multiple times or insisted upon dressing like Gandalf or Frodo for the movie premieres (Harry Potter is a whole 'nother story), but I do appreciate the themes of adventure, friendship, loyalty and love that give the story depth.

The wikipedia explanation of the poem, All that is gold does not glitter is somewhat unrelated to my favorite line of the poem, and the inspiration for the title of our blog : "Not all those who wander are lost." I could probably make a lovely analogy to the crazy paths that life takes us down on the way to finding our destination, or our calling, or love. I could speak on how we often feel lost, or like we're wandering along a road that has no end and no cool rest stops along the way... and I think that would accurately describe the appeal of Tolkein's words (though that is perhaps not how he intended them). But... I'll refrain from trying to put words to the philosophical confusion now rolling around in my head and get on with this post! :)

Here is the entire poem, as reproduced by (and hyperlinked to) wikipedia.

All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.
From the ashes a fire shall be woken,
A light from the shadows shall spring;
Renewed shall be blade that was broken,
The crownless again shall be king.

The purpose of our blog (again, must remember to tell Ryan) is not to discuss JRR Tolkien or my very strong desire to wear my Harry Potter costume to our 31 October wedding (see picture... my little-big brother and I), but to give frequent updates as we travel to Scotland next week and as we start our life together.* Ryan's parents, Kari and Jim, very generously gave us a video camera for our engagement. We can connect it to our laptops and up(down?)load videos with the touch of a touch-screen button! It is such an awesome gift, and Kari had the great idea that we could share Scotland with them using the video camera and a (this) blog. The only videos I've taken so far are of Ryan waving at the camera. I will try to get him to do something a little more blog-worthy this weekend and upload it as a test video.

If you've made it this far, thank you for listening to my rambling! :) I will try to include more pictures and less words in the future! :)

~meg

*This is NOT a wedding blog. If I start rambling on about the pros and cons of burgandy versus white napkins, or taking a poll on whether we should hire circus animals to entertain our guests while we take wedding photos, kindly leave me mean, nasty messages in the "comments" field!