06/02/03 -- Packing up and moving out

   It's crunch time around the Bachmann/Kurachi household these days as we are packing (actually, Akiko is napping right now) for our trip out west. Seattle is calling our names, so sweetly, and we are pulled toward it as if in a dream.... Ha ha okay, I don't have time for this nonsense! You all know the e-mail address, most of you know the phone number. Drop us a line if you want the new mailing address. Hopefully I'll be up-and-running again soon on the information superhighway so we can get honeymoon stories and photos out to you guys. Keep in touch!

05/19/03 -- The day after

   I'm probably not REALLY writing this entry the day after my own wedding, but can you be sure? Needless to say, Akiko and I had the best time at our wedding, and it meant so much to have everyone there sharing it with us. I felt a little weird being on the spot so often, but that's what the champagne was for! Many people mentioned to me that there are very few occasions during a lifetime where you can call together so many of your friends and family members (the other biggie is your funeral -- doh!), and I thought about that a lot leading up to the wedding. During the reception I tried to get around to everyone, and I know I failed miserably, so I hope everyone knows how happy Akiko and I were that you all were there. We don't plan on ever getting married again, so we sprung for tons of photos, and saved away so many memories to cherish forever and ever. Yesterday was a day not to be topped in either of our lives for quite a while. I can say that with much certainty and sincerity.

05/09/03 -- Freedom... slipping... away...

   Egad! We're nine days out now, and I can feel the noose tightening around my neck... I mean, I can feel the warm and fuzzy manacles of wedded bliss encircling my wrists.... Rather, I hear the dreaded tick-tock of my bachelor life slipping away.... Oh hi dear! Yes, dear! Let me just finish this journal entry, and then I'll rub your feet! I know, isn't it exciting? I can hardly wait!

05/01/03 -- May arrives

   Here we are in May. Spring is here, it is raining, the buds are on the trees, and life hurtles onward at a maddening speed. For myself, work will finish up soon. I'm struggling to get three days a week in, while balancing with the random nagging wedding details and a few other projects. Lots of loose ends left, but we'll get them figured out. At least we pretty much know who is coming, where they are staying, what time they arrive, etc. I'm sure the event itself will go quickly, and probably the honeymoon too, but it will all be worth it to have our friends there, enjoying the moment with us. I hope coming back to reality doesn't hurt too much!

03/23/03 -- Going to Seattle!

   Well it's been a hectic weekend. Thursday the 20th was "Match Day" for Akiko, and we found out she's matched with the Ob/Gyn residency at the University of Washington, her first choice! The rest of the weekend was a blur, partying and such. My job hunt hasn't gotten off to the most rousing start. Just a few small steps so far... Now I'll really be feeling the pressure. We've got to find a place to live and move too! Wedding plans are just PART of the excitement now! Yikes!

02/27/03 -- Invitations and such

   Invitations are starting to go out. I've been working on those helpful little inserts that contain all the directions and hotel information. Of course, really I just want people to look at the website! As I get all that information arranged, you'll start to see it popping up on the site too. A pretty map of Ann Arbor and Saline just went up on the Wellers' page, and one of downtown Ann Arbor just went up on the Travellers page...

01/31/03 -- Getting closer...

   Yikes! Haven't added a journal entry in a while! Better get one in before January expires on us. We are at less than four months now, which is scary, but if you say it like "Still nearly a third of a year left," then it doesn't sound so bad. Just ordered the invitations, which is a load off of Akiko's mind. We should touch base with the florist soon, and then the rest of it is reception details I think. Oh, and I have been lame about getting tuxedos for myself and the groomsmen. But Akiko is done with medical school interviews and we are coasting toward the finish line.

12/16/02 -- Holiday rush

   Trying to get some things done before we head out on our winter vacation on Friday. We saw our engagement photos tonight, and they looked really nice. Hopefully we'll get one or two up on this site soon. Also, started booking some hotels for friends we know are coming (e-mail Akiko or myself if you need help with arrangements!), as well as cleared up some details with Northwest Airlines regarding discounts for wedding guests. Also, the honeymoon is planned and booked! Good to get these things out of the way so I don't have to stress so much!

12/03/02 -- Congrats Joey!

   Engagement must be contagious, because Joey, one of my groomsmen, just got "affianced" over Thanksgiving break! Congratulations to him and Elina! Elina, like my soon-to-be-sugar-mama Akiko, will be a doctor, but of the astrophysicist type. Joey might have to retire at 45, instead of 35, like I plan to... Who will be next to catch the fever!?

11/30/02 -- Tick tick tick...

   Not much new since the last entry. I've noted that we're less than six months until the big date. That sounds like a long time, but I'm getting nervous. Not really about marriage, per se, but more about the wedding details. We may have a judge booked to officiate now, which is good, but we don't have the music details worked out yet, and we've been stymied regarding hotel accomodations for out-of-town guests. I was having mild nightmares last night about things just not getting done... Yikes!

10/26/02 -- Honeymoon fun

   I am finally starting to get honeymoon plans figured out. Akiko and I have decided to go to Alberta, Canada. I know, it's not tropical, but I've always wanted to stay at the Banff Springs Hotel, the so-called "Castle of the Rockies". It would be romantic, secluded, cozy -- we aren't really the sun and beach types anyway. Still pondering a package where we stay at two of the other grand hotels up there, at Lake Louise and Jasper, plus maybe a stay in Edmonton. All in all, we're pretty excited, and maybe I'll even get to play 18 holes on the championship Banff Springs course... Akiko can drive the cart!

09/30/02 -- Photographer picked

   Alright, things are slowly falling into place! We've decided on a photographer for the wedding, or rather, a pair of them: Leslie and Donald Adiska from A Pair of Photographers. We really liked their work, especially how they can cover the whole wedding and get not only the usual formal shots, but also find those candid "photojournalistic" shots that will really help us to remember our wedding best! Let's see, in other news, I am falling apart with Akiko in Japan for her away rotation! Come back soon Sweetie! I think this must be proof that it's time I got married....

09/05/02 -- New server

   Not sure if this interests anyone but me and Joey, but the website, previously hosted on my beautiful G4, has moved today to a dedicated server hosted by OCHosting. Tired of dynamic IP addresses and limited capacity for zippy webserving, Joey and I decided to plunk money down to lease a little Linux webserver with eight IPs. To celebrate, when my chekmate.net domain switches over to the new server, you'll be treated to three new pages on this site, which is how I can call this a valid journal entry....

07/31/02 -- The Proposal

   Well, we haven't been doing many preparations lately, but we need some journal entries, so I figured people might want to know how I proposed. It's a little embarrassing, but Akiko was in medical school and I was visiting in September, 2001 before my last semester at MIT. Her parents were in Japan for business, so we were all alone, and for some reason I just got all giddy with emotion. Akiko was simply sitting on a couch, and I knelt beside her, said something undoubtedly cheesy, and proposed. I think she was sort of in shock, because she didn't say yes for several hours, and then only after a long walk with a seriously involved conversation. I mean, there wasn't even a ring yet, plus we didn't tell her parents for a couple more months, but that was it! I'd always kind of imagined that my proposal would involve something more grand, something with a little more spectacle, but in the end, I just couldn't help myself!

06/23/02 -- A bachelor party

   Just got back from a weekend bachelor party up in northern Michigan for a former co-worker, Chris Heathcock. There was golf, camping, river tubing, and plenty of booze. We were told, however, the strippers had to cancel, which is of course significant in parallel to my future bachelor party, because I don't think the missus is too keen on the idea. And I'm totally fine with that.... Don't you believe me? Anyway, I think it was for the best (missing out on the strippers), because other than booze, also in great abundance were MOSQUITOS!

05/26/02 -- Up and running...

   Well, what's the most important thing about planning for a wedding? Obviously, getting the website up and running! I think I have most of the framework done for the site and tonight I just created a set of journal entry screens so Akiko and I can simply type into a web form each day and the journal pages can pull directly from the database. It's nice running my own server sometimes.

05/19/02 -- A visit to Wellers'

   We visited Wellers' again today, and this time I brought my digital camera for some pictures, which I posted under "364 Days and Counting..." on my photography page. I'll probably post them on this site soon as well. Yvonne and Rachel got their first glimpses of the wedding location, and it turned out to be a beautiful day. I hope it's as nice next year!

03/04/02 -- Flowers booked!

   Put the deposit down at Tommy Thompson Flowers for Akiko. She can breathe a sigh of relief now; her favorite florist is booked. I don't know how many times we've driven down Main Street and she's sighed "Tommy Thompson Flowers..."