Bridal Party 101: Nolen Deibert, Brides-Man Extrodinaire

Three for Three people...this may just last :-)
So I don't know about you, but whenever I go to a wedding I tend to wonder about the bridal party. Who are they? Where did they come from? Why in the world would they agree to wear matching outfits all day? I intend to shed some light on these important questions by profiling all of our attendants over the coming months.

He's quite excited...about everything!

The inaugural profile is of the most unique member of our bridal party, the Brides-Man. I'm generally not one to buck tradition, but the entire wedding situation didn't feel right without one of my best friends and biggest supporters standing up there with me. While JP is also good friends with Nolen, over the years he has become one of my nearest and dearest, despite the fact that he's been living half a world away in Asia for the past two and a half years. Will some people be like WTH is a dude doing on the brides side...possibly. Do we care...not in the slightest.

A Shot from the Early Years demonstrates we don't care about appearing normal at all

Nolen and I met in the infamous Regan Hall in August of 2004 when we both started college at CUA. We bonded one weekend when we were among the few students who chose not to go on the Freshman Retreat. History was made that weekend and we were pretty much inseparable for the next four years or so (minus summer and when Nolen studied abroad in Belgium). We braved USG, the Honors Environmental Science track, Pryz food, and finally entering the real world together during our time at CUA. Nolen was one of the brave souls that made a go of it in DC for the first year after college, but in order to gain valuable international experience so he can be an important diplomat someday, he moved to Korea and then China in early 2010. LUCKY FOR ME, he's headed back to the good old US of A for a couple of years to go to grad school...and help me pull this wedding off!

All three of us are INAPPROPRIATELY VERY close

So for your enjoyment...here are Nolen's answers to the best probing questions I could muster:

Interests: Filling out surveys about myself, Moving around Asia, Speaking Chinese at inappropriate moments to people who don't understand me

Favorite color: Light Urple (JW: It is very possible he meant purple...I chose to keep it like this for artistic reasons)

Note: This is definitely NOT warm milk with a little honey in Nolen's cup

When did you first know you'd have to show up at our wedding: Wait, I actually have to show up? This is going to be problematic...

Favorite Cocktail to get you in the Party Mood: A nice glass of warm milk with a little honey in it. (JW: This is absolute crap and he will pay for the answer he gave here...)

This sums up JP and Nolen's relationship fairly well

What is your favorite wedding movie/pop culture wedding moment: The marriage of the Sea Captain to his wooden mermaid on The Simpsons. (Or if we're getting sentimental, when gay marriage was legalized in DC)

Is there a song you can't wait to shake your grove thang to at the reception: Well, it's not MY grove thang that will be shaking (JW: doubtful...), but I am SERIOUSLY excited for Baby Got Back. Jill knows why...

This has got to be the only normal, attractive shot of us taken...EVER

If you could skip any normal wedding tradition...what would it be: Ugh the dollar shot dance or whatever. And the chicken dance. Oh and if you write your own vows I WILL LEAVE SO HELP ME

Chicken or Fish: Chicken, but only if it has been killed by being drowned in the ocean. SEA DEATHS FOR ALL THE CHICKEN.

The Dynamic Duo is more awkward awesome than pretty much anyone else

Any last thoughts you'd like the public to know: So since the rest of this has been fairly ridiculous, let's get real for a minute here. Jill and JP have been like mom and dad to me for the last couple of years. I've been traipsing all over the world, but it's been pretty excellent to know that Jill would be there for my 3am/3pm drunk chats, or that JP would be there for my "OH CRAP WHAT AM I DOING WITH MY LIFE" crises. So when they asked me to be in their wedding, it was a no-brainer. I'm so happy that they are making this commitment to each other, and so proud to be part of it. Congrats, Jill and JP!

MY BIG, FAT, SHAMELESS PLUG

What up Internet? I posted last week...I'm posting again this week...its a beautiful thing so far (let's ignore the timestamp and the fact that I'm CLEARLY writing this at work on my mid-afternoon procrastination break...count your blessings eh?). I was going to write a post about a new (weird) dimension of JP's relationship with our cat Dean, but in light of some recent events in a dear friend's life, I've decided to go with this entry instead. Skip ahead about 3 paragraphs if you just want to come to the point of all this!

If you know me at all, you know that I'm on a pretty much endless quest to lose weight/tone up/not be a fat slob. Though I've always been a near perfect representation of the stunning German brick-house physique, at one point I KNOW that I was able to wear clothes in the single digit size range. At one point in my life my mid-section could have been described as "petite" and the term "thunder thighs" applied to me in a minimal way. Then I was dumped by a high school boyfriend, ate my feelings, went to college, discovered the many joys of alcohol, and generally dove head first down the slippery slope of lazy 20somethinghood. I have been off and on weight watchers more times than I care to remember, made countless resolutions (and attempts!) to hit the gym regularly, and generally vow each month that THIS is the month I'm going to get in shape. Sob sob sob, cry me a river, I'm such a fatty, PLEASE LOVE ME ANYWAYS...I clearly use humor (poorly) as a defense mechanism to deal.

So the other day I'm waddling through the Target plus-size section armed with a candy bar and Styrofoam cup of gravy (Did she actually do this? Do she really drink gravy? Dear God must she really buy plus sized clothes?? Is this two truths and a lie?...well I'm not going to tell you because I think its funnier that way!!!), it hit me that I'm preparing to marry someone with serious political aspirations, meaning that at some point in my adult life I may be expected to look presentable on camera or meet important people. This thought scared me so much I dropped my beverage/gravy all over a rack of stretch pants! I said to myself, "Jill, not only are you awkward as all hell, but you're kind of a pudgy tomboy too!!! It's time to PULL IT TOGETHER WOMAN...and probably time to stop talking to yourself in the midst of Target!"

After being kicked out of Target, (for real? is she lying?) I went straight home and registered for the first (flattest) 5K race in the District I could find. I know what you're thinking,
"Jill, do you even know how long a 5k is?"
"Jill, do you know that you're expected to RUN?"
"Jill, why do you continue to make rash decisions without thinking them through at all?"
My answer to all of your skeptical questions is YES (3.1 Miles), YES (I'm training ALMOST regularly), and I have no idea, but I'm giving it a go anyways! I may end up looking like a total tool, but maybe I'll actually start to get in shape after 7 years of putting it off. Maybe as a result someday, I won't totally disgust important person that JP's job requires us to dine with. Maybe my asthma will eat up my lungs by mile two...who knows?? It will be quite the adventure though...


HERE'S THE IMPORTANT PART!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'll be running in the Race For Hope 5k on May 1st, in downtown Washington DC. The Race for Hope is a big fundraiser for the National Brain Tumor Society, and in addition to getting my butt in shape for this, I'm trying to raise a small amount of money for them. If you can find it in your heart (wallet) to donate a little to my cause, I'd be eternally grateful. To do so, please go to my personal page http://www.braintumorcommunity.org/goto/jillianwarne and follow the instructions there. Seriously...even if its like a dollar every bit helps. Thanks for all the support everyone!!!

Tune in next week when I describe how JP, the cat, and tuna fish all combine to make my life a little more ridiculous...

Love,
Jill