Liz, Jon and I met at Marvimon downtown, well, after I got completely lost, called them three times from the side of the road. No fun to show up all tangled up, and late - also, it was cold and I wasn't layered enough. Despite this, the conversation/process was useful, though as is the norm, took a while to gel. From the get go, Miguel was inviting and informative; he owns Marvimon and the Smog Shoppe, as well as conceiving and heading up the Wooley Pocket company.

I’m sure our budget won’t be able to bear the cost of either of his event spaces, but they are incredibly seductive and aesthetically right on target. I am in awe of the consideration and originality of every detail - its a bit of an embarrassingly pleasing hipster paradise. Also, he has really perfected the flow of a good event: how to park people/seat them/feed them/keep them entertained, let alone fitting in the ceremony itself. I think I've got the entertainment part covered though - it will be dynamic and all the elements will be re-thought, and presented differently than any movie or real-time marriage.

I did think the talk should have been more about Miguel's artistic contribution to the project than the workings of the space, but we got there in the end with a bit of verbal nudging. It took a little while for him to remember signing up for this (it was a year ago when he did so), but after I went over the list of artists and their role in the ceremony, the inception of the idea, and why I chose Liz and Jon (not necessarily in that order), he seemed to understand and was more excited/interested. His is to be the artist in charge of the presentation/concept of the food and has done many unique visionary art projects involving gatherings, food and/or drink.

Overall the experience helped me immensely, since sometimes when you repeat why you are doing something out loud in front of others, it helps you to remember why you are doing it.

Click here for the website

I drove to Jon and Liz's place, where I was greeted and kidnly offered potato pancakes. We ate, chatted and then gradually delved deeply into the details and lists of priorities to address regarding the wedding.

I had a spreadsheet listing the artists and the fees they requested for their contributions/art works. Added up it reached $37,900. This is quite impossible being that their entire budget at this point is $10,000 real dollars and $10,000 I will raise (positive thinking) to match their dollars. To resolve this I must ask each artist if they would consider lowering their fee considerably, which is painful since I want the artists to be happy with what they receive for their work.

The following made my mind happy in one way, and overwhelmed in another.

Jon had three immaculately meticulously thought-out typed pages in preparation for the meeting.
The first was split into three topics
1. A list of possible venues to research for donation of their space, and other venues.
2. The criteria of details needed for a venue, such as number of guests, catering, alcohol, parking, indoor/outdoor space, and curfew issues (we want to be able to stay and dance). 3. Suggestions and thoughts from one of their organized friends who had gone through this process re: what to ask, what you need etc.

The second one was a list of possible Saturdays starting with May, notated with holiday black-outs and dates of certain guests they knew couldn't attend, as well as a chart of temperatures for the months May-November 2011. There was also a list of full moon dates.

The third was an agenda of vital topics, like budget, date considerations, flowers, food, and what about honeymoon, rings and the dress? My head was spinning. I am personally attracted to charts, lists of things to do, and prioritization, but I spent the rest of the day and evening emailing and perusing ideas via google to try to wrap my head around all the details that had been raised. The word drowning comes to mind.

I sure have a lot to be thankful for right now. Regarding this undertaking specifically, its quite a list: family, friends, the contributing artists, Tif Sigfrids, Rose Apodaca, the newly appointed couple, supporters of the project who are promising to help in different ways. Its all quite magical if I can risk sounding mushy.

Cheer's to you all! I wish we were all here:

No I can focus all the stored momentum onto a real couple now. These forces have been gathering in luke warm storage for a year while the search was on.I've already begun venue outreach, artist negotiations and talk of setting the date. It looks like it will be 6-8 months from now. I'll give Jon and Liz a couple days to rest and eat turkey...or tofurkey.

I sure have a lot to be thankful for right now. Regarding this undertaking specifically, its quite a list: family, friends, the contributing artists, Tif Sigfrids, Rose Apodaca, the newly appointed couple, supporters of the project who are promising to help in different ways. I wish we were all here:

More details to come, but heavens to betsy, I’m elated. I suppose I should tell you the couple's identity: Jon XXXXXXXXX and Elizabeth XXXXXXX; they are now the cog for Get Hubbied's wheel. They came over to my place tonight and we played verbal tennis about many of the particulars. I am sure they are going to be interesting to work with and to make big memories with.

Thanks to my cousin Tyler, I have been exposed to this incredible webpage. I'm in shock, flabberghasted, my mind is reeling, I'm deeply amused, disturbed and all sorts of other things regarding discovery of this section of the online Huffington Post called: Divorce.

click here

They don't even have a marriage section...what is wrong with this picture? Its quite striking the way the tabs are listed at the top of the page: Living / Health / Divorce / Arts / Books / Religion.

Read through this Wikipedia entry. The founder of the company believes that "certain characteristics can predict compatibility, and lead to more satisfying relationships". It doesn't focus on shared interests, instead the "members complete a proprietary questionnaire that purports to determine characteristics, beliefs, values, emotional health and skills". It was discouraging that same-sex connections weren't possible. But with all the computer dating out there, this one has a distinctly different approach. Anyone have any experience with this?

click here

George is a muse in all senses of the word, an accomplished photographer, filmmaker and scholar, and lover of wine and conversation in the afternoons. I've been honored to have time in his company beyond this interview. In this current candid portrait, he is brutally honest in his rejection of the idea of marriage, though there are moments that leak a certain tiny hope that the whole thing: long lasting love/marriage, could be possible and mutually rewarding, though he admits it is a miraculous feat.

“The idea of marriage is kind of…I wouldn't go so far as to say repulsive, but I'd say it was, not interesting to me because there are just too many examples of horrific marriages. Why would you want to do that. Its like going to war or something. Why would you want to go someplace where people are trying to kill you. Maybe that's not such a good idea.”

"People get married and then they're are happy and then they are miserable and then they are happy again, so it's this flux. It's not a stable thing that happens.. and when you are not married what you experience is being by yourself a lot. The married men I know are dying to spend some time alone and the single men are dying to find something, someone to spend time with on these lonely long evenings."

There's a greater terror than being alone, and that's the terror of being with somebody who's driving you absolutely insane. I'm old enough now that I can balance out these two terrors and see them before me…and there's no question that (comparably) the terror of being alone is a picnic.”