Mr. and Mrs. Andrew and Lisa Rosenberg

A first and a last. First time in 400 posts I haven't titled it with song lyrics. Last time to post as a single man. For in 12.5 hours I will tie the knot. Can't wait. It's been a great week full of work and fun. Tomorrow it shall end with a bang! It's wedding time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"There's a golden ring and I want you to have it"

It's now after midnight, thus tomorrow I shall marry the love of my life: Lisa Ann Rogers. When we were in high school, not too long after we'd been dating I suppose, we used to sit on the porch in the country where Lisa's childhood home was and talk and laugh. We'd light torches and at times wonder if we'd be doing the same thing when we were 80. Perhaps, if we live long enough we'll have that chance. We'll be sitting on our balcony in Novi talking and laughing come July 3.

While we've been counting down the months then days for a very long time, we've finally made it to hours. Right now we've got 39 hours to go. There's quite a great deal that goes into wedding planning. Lisa said today that the whole idea of weddings is a terrible idea. I wonder if she's right...I guess we'll find out what we think soon enough. It's just sad that both of us can't wait to be away in California. It's all so stressful. Moving and marrying at the same time doesn't help. Keep that in mind folks. So with 39 hours to go, I guess I might as well do a typical Berg schedule.

12 - 4AM: Packing
4 -10:30AM: Sleeping
10:30AM-12: Preparing for the Day and Details
12 - 4PM: Whatever Life Throws My Way (Wedding Packing or Honeymoon Details)
4 - 7: Rehearsal Time
7 - 9: Rehearsal Dinner Time
9-1AM: ? ? ? ?
1AM-11AM: Sleep and ? ? ? (Brunch with Guys? Golf?)
11AM - 3: Dress Pictures, etc.
3:30AM: My Wedding

Perhaps I'll squeeze in one more post, perhaps not. Just no this. When I say, "I'm excited," it's 100% true. I can't wait to marry Lisa. Through the good and the bad, the laughter and the tears, births and deaths, whatever life throws our way, I'm so excited to have Lisa as my wife - a lovely woman of faith who is passionate and supportive, who knows how to laugh and how to love. It could only be her. Since 15 til 98. Only You

"He sings the songs that remind him of the good times"

Tonight was the Rosenberg Bachelor party and as Parliament said, "It's the best Bachelor Party I've ever been to....but I've only been to one." It was an awesome time at a pool hall in the Castleton area. We had a smashing time playing some pool and playing some super shot, which I scored the high of 60 on.

I honestly had a very very fun time. Thanks to Jason and Ricker for planning the shindig and getting 15 guys to show up on account of me getting hitched. It was a heck of a lot of fun. The ride home with Ricker, Felder and Ron Joss behind the wheel was perhaps the highlight as it was very very fun and funny.

Thanks to Kat & Phil for making sure I was home safe and sound and Lisa had her car for the dentist! Thank you to all my friends for making my Bachelor party such a fun fun time. Love you guys. Here's to many more bachelor parties in the future.
"z y x w v u t s r q p o n m l k j i h g f e d c b a."

"Lord of all creation"

It was a busy / great day in Bergland. Lisa and I spent our last "single" Tuesday night together with a quick trip to good old Alexandria for some Dortee's Ice Cream and a visit to the cemetary and a drive by Lisa's old house. It was sad and fun and we talked of days gone by.

The rest of the day was spent wedding planning. Busy busy busy. Lisa's working her tale off. She's quite the workaholic on projecty types of things and this wedding is just the fit.

Lisa also had a car accident today, which was not good timing. A fender bender, but enough damage, that the car needed to be taken in and checked out and what not. So now we have to be a bit flexible this week... Everything will be allright.

I'm very excited!

"All I needed for another day"

One weekday down. Four to go. Something tells me this week will fly by in a fashion that few have in my life up to this point. Hard to believe so many things are upon us. Within a 16 day span, I will embark on the "3 Most Stressful things in Life." Getting a new job / moving / getting married, not in that order. Fortunately, I'm a relatively unstressed guy. However, sometimes when it hits, it hits. I don't think it will hit this time.

The wedding will be awesome on Saturday.

Moving will be super-exciting.

Work. Well that should be exciting also. Not super-exciting, but exciting.

It was sad to be packing up my childhood room today. I've really only lived here for my life until now, save four years at college, but it's still my old house. Every now and then I find myself reaching to put my dirty clothes where I put them growing up. Anyway, my shelves now look different for the first time in a very long time. I'll be cleaning out under my bed here in another day or so. That should be an adventure. I'm all grown up, I suppose. Maybe I'll have to throw away my comics and video games?! Not yet. The time is not right.

"Looking from a window above. It's like a story of love."

The Countdown is on! One week from today I'll have a new wife. Amazing! After 91 months or 2,776 days of dating we'll be married!

Today was the wedding of Collin Trent and Anna Helvering. It was quite a party. Collin and I were very good friends for the first 10 years or so of our lives. Three distinct and special memories I have of Collin. One: The two of us both loved New Kids on the Block and attended one of their concerts together at Verizon Wireless, which was Deer Creek at the time. I also think I traded him my Donnie pin for his Joey. Two: The guy hit me in the eye with a baseball bat on accident, which caused me to need stitches, which my Dad put in. It was a painful experience. Finally: If I remember correctly, Collin taught me how to swing a bit when I was maybe four. I was wearing brown shorts at the time that I didn't like. So today he got married and next week I'll get married. We were supposed to be born on the same da, but he actually arrived one week (exactly) prior to me.

So today, Lisa and I opened a wonderful gift from one Eileen before going matress shopping. We found a nice King Size, which should be wonderfully comfortable. Shh...we registered for mostly Queen size stuff, so keep that under wraps. Anyway, then we went to the wedding, before hanging out with some of the best people around for a nice relaxing couple of hours at the Sharp Farm.

In short, the day was mostly splendid.

Artists, albums and songs I've been listening to recently:

Sufjan Stevens - Michigan (Romulus, Flint)
Jenny Lewis - Rabit Fur Coat (Happy)
Joshua Radin - We Were Here (These Photographs, Only You, Sundrenched World)

"If I could take you up in paradise up above"

We got approved...so this is the layout of our new apartment:

"French films about us"

The last 30 min. have been very productive. I sent 4 e-mails that I've needed to send all week. I don't know what the hold-up was.

Tonight Mr. Ricky and I went out for a fancy bite to eat and to an Indie film in Indy. Hadn't seen much of Ricker so that was very good to catch up.

Similarly, I haven't seen much of Philip lately. He graciously accompanied me to pick up some boxes for moving and then we watched some Exo Squad.

In short, it was a great evening of catching up with unfortunately seldom seen friends who I'm going to see a lot of next week, but very little afterwards.

"This could be the very minute I'm aware I'm alive"

Used to be on Tuesday nights, as you know Lisa and I would watch Scrubs, eat pizza and then I'd do homework all night at her house, usually not returning home until 1 or 2. Tonight was a Tuesday night and we watched Curb Your Enthusiasm instead ofScrubs and ate pizza. I suppose next January when Scrubs returns will do more of the same. The thing that's different is there's no homework. Life seems simpler without homework. Like there's not always something hanging over your head.

I sent in my acceptance letter today. Overnighted it actually. I'm very happy to have received this opportunity. Sounds like an Oscar acceptance speech, but it's true. I'm very excited about this job. It will be a great place and way to start a career.

So on June 24, Lisa and I will head off into the sunset. We'll be home for a day or two after the honeymoon then move to Novi. Once there we'll have a week to settle in and become acclimated to our apartment before I start work.

"And when the bride groom comes"

Can't wait to get married. It's going to rock. 11 Days. Unbelievable!

"From the Renaissance. It's a great idea!"

Lisa Ann and I will be moving to Novi, Michigan on July 2, 2006. It's a super nice little place about 25 miles Northwest of Detroit. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Novi,_Michigan

Check it out if you care. It's an "affluent" community. I'll be working in the Rennaissance Center in downtown Detroit for Mercer Human Resource Consulting where I will be a Communications Analyst.

See the big buildings right next to the river? That's the Renaissance Center. I think I will be working in one of the smaller buildings just below the bigger ones. Still one of the round ones. This is a picture of downtown Detroit.

If you care, basically most who work in Detroit leave town and live elsewhere. That will be Lisa and I as well. While the median income in Detroit is roughly $35,000, the median income in Novi is roughly $71,000. Thus Detroit gets a bad rep, because all the money is leaving. Still they are working to revitalize the downtown. Towards the left side of the picture (across the river) is Canada.

Here's something: Lisa and I made it home in 3 hours and 45 minutes including a gas stop on Saturday night. Basically the same as Chicago at that point!

"And all at once the crowd begins to sing"

Looks as though Lisa and I are headed to Detroit tomorrow afternoon to scope out the possibilities. This is to avoid a 6:00a.m. rise and drive on Thursday. Let's definately plan on hanging out Saturday, everyone? Hopefully Friday too!

Some Concerts I've been to:

• Better Than Ezra - 4x
• Ray LaMontagne - 2x
• Dave Matthews Band - 5x (I think)
• The Fray - 1x
• Mat Kearney - 1x
• Live - 1x
• Collective Soul - 1x
• Lifehouse - 2x
• Matchbox 20 - 1x
• Everclear - 1x
• Pearl Jam - 1x
• Sugar Ray - 1x
• Gin Blossoms - 1x
• Jem - 1x
• The Cranberries - 1x
• Coldplay - 2x
• New Kids on the Block - 1x
• Duncan Sheik - 1x

That's not to mention the Christian bands, which is dozens since I've been to several festivals: Jars of Clay 2x, Newsboys 2x, Supertones 2x, Michael W. Smith 2x, P.O.D. 1x (at which I crowd surfed), the list could go on and on - Audio Adrenaline, a couple of times...

I'm very tired and have a long drive tomorrow so peace!

"You know, the place where you used to live"

Less than 24 hours from now, I'll have been to a concert with three wonderful ladies. The Fray: One of Lisa's Top 3 Favorite Bands. Should be a fun time. I'm looking forward to it. I can't believe it's June 6. One month from now I'll be working at my 50 hour a week job, beginning what I hope will not become a mundane life....but instead an exceptional life. I'll be married. I'll be living in another city, another state for the first time in my life. I'll be looking for a new church. I'll really no longer be an I'll, but instead a We'll.

So it's a constant state of change. Gone are the days of staying up all night playing Halo. Gone are the days of doing homework. Instead I'll go watch 24 for a couple of hours and work on thank-you notes at home.

Will anything really change at all besides the surroundings and people?

"He said to only look up"

Things that have kept me busy the past three days:

• My joint birthday celebration with my cousin Alex in Cincinnati Friday
• My cousin Alex's Graduation open house in Cincinnati Saturday
• My wedding shower with friends and family all day Sunday
• Seeing "The Break-Up" yesterday evening with several friends

Things that will keep me busy the next three weeks:

• Finishing up work with AMG
• Packing up my stuff to move
• Visiting Detroit this Thursday and Friday (7 & 8)
• Finding an Apartment in Detroit or Chicago (11-15)
• Moving to Detroit or Chicago (15-20)
• Hanging out with friends on random dates over the next couple of weeks
• Having a bachelor party
• Having a rehearsal dinner (23)
• Getting married! (24)

Until we get to San Diego it's going to be crazy!

"Most of what I remember"

Today is my 23rd Birthday. Soon I'll be 30, which is only a stone's throw from 40. I've already received an awesome birthday present. A brand spankin new 30gig Black Ipod!!!! This was from my very generous fiance Miss Lisa Ann! The thing is sweet, and I'm enjoying it quite a bit.

Lisa and I went to a Joshua Radin / Mat Kearny concert this evening at Birdy's, which was okay. I was mainly going to see Joshua, but he only played 4 songs and the crowd was really loud during that, but I did get to shake his hand and get an autograph so that was nice.

Well it sounds as though I'll be getting an offer letter in the mail sometime very soon from Mercer so that is cool. It'll be a good starting salary and they're giving us some relocation money so that will be very helpful.

Everything's going pretty well. Time to spend a bit of my birthday saying goodnight to Lisa and maybe watching an episode of 24 before drifting to sleep with the aid of my Ipod!

"Muster every ounce of confidence I have"

Jared Breneman and David Smith are two friends of mine who also recently graduated from college. These two gentlemen, who I was glad to hang out with this evening are using their degrees in different ways. David has an eBay store Edge2Sell, where he is selling stuff on behalf of other people and taking a nice chunk of the sale price. Jared is mowing lawns. The former could spend a typical "work" day answering 10 phone calls and replying to 15 e-mails. The latter spends a typical work day getting up very early, driving an hour down the pike and mowing lawns all day, oftentimes picking up business on the fly by mowing lawns for anyone who asks. Both of these guys can make more than enough money at what they do. I find it interesting.

There are 8,766 hours in a year. Over the next year I will probably be working about 2,600 of those for my employer. That averages down to 52 hours per week. That sounds like plenty. The key to being happy at work is loving what you do. I think enjoying the company of your coworkers is key also. Let's hope Lisa and I both land in places where those two things are true.