Statistically Speaking

This will be another boring post but I thought I'd share with you some of the statistics we've received so far. Google has provided some free tools for us to track our site viewership and earn ad revenue. I don't really have delusions of earning enough to pay for the wedding but, as I've mentioned before, every bit helps. And I really wasn't expecting much (maybe $10.00 max) but thanks to you, so far we've earned a decent amount: $49.05!

Since March 1st (when we started tracking such data), we've had about 800 visitors from seven countries and nine different states. Originally I was going to do all of these fancy spreadsheets and charts for you to peruse but I'm lazy. Instead, here's the breakdown by blog post. Eileen did say we're competitive so read the statistics as you will. If you want a basic summary, here's the formula:

Jeng > Eileen

This is not very scientific but basically I just added up the ad revenue during the week a new blog was posted.

Both mine and Eileen's first posts didn't produce any ad revenue so we can ignore those.

• $3.22 for A Useless Sunday Night Project, by Eileen (3/8/09)


• $3.08 for What's in a name? Part 1 - You say tomayto. I say tomahto., by me (3/15/09)


• $6.04 for Dilemmas Deluxe Part 1: The Reception Debate, by Eileen (3/21/09)


• $0.01 for The Greatest Love Story Ever Told, by me (4/1/09)


• $6.26 for The Slideshow of Love, by me (4/2/09)


• $2.96 for The Other Side of this So-Called Love Story, by Eileen (4/6/09)


• $21.31 for Anatomy of a Blog Post, by me (4/13/09)


• $6.17 for Dilemmas Deluxe Part 2: The Dress Drama, by Eileen (4/19/09)

I suppose you could argue that my total of $30.66 versus Eileen's $18.39 can be mostly attributed to the post where I'm begging you to click an ad but those are the statistics. In any case, at least you know your clicks are not going unnoticed. I know it's asking for a lot but if we can average the same amount until next July or so, we can get $400! Then maybe me, my parents, and grandparents can eat. Eileen currently has us on the wedding guests B-list.
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Dilemmas Deluxe Part 2: The Dress Drama

I hunt for bargains. I enjoy consignment stores. I shop at Ross, Marshalls, Loehmanns, TJ Maxx and sale sections of department stores. So as I look for wedding dresses, its difficult for me to absorb the 4 to 5-digit price tag because seriously... I could go on an awesome vacation with that cash. And is it really worth it for a dress I'll wear ONCE and very likely will spill on? Doubtful.

But I will need to wear something as I walk down the aisle. And as concerned as I am with price, I couldn't possibly wear just any wedding dress. So here I go, through the motions of the super-girly wedding dress hunt.

This Saturday, I went to the trunk sale for designer Judd Waddell at the Macy's Bridal Salon. Judd himself was there and was kind enough to pick out a dress or two for me. (He even put my hair in a quick up-do so it worked with my veil.) I had picked dresses that fit the very clear picture I had in my head. He saw my choices and then picked something completely different. Ironically enough, everyone that saw me in the dress loved it. I loved the dress too, but I did not love its price tag.

I guess its the story of my life to love something that I would not have considered at first. But I am a bargain hunter at heart so I'm going to let this particular dress go. I have plenty of time, but definitely not plenty of money. And so the search continues...
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Anatomy of a Blog Post

Apart from raising awareness of peritoneal mesothelioma every Monday (the day we aim to publish our weekly posts), one of my our goals for this site is to shamelessly produce ad revenue. Since I'm not made out of money and woman has grandiose visions of what this wedding and our life after will be, I must grovel at your ability to move that cursor and click on an ad. If I were a laser hair removal specialist from Washington, DC, I might be able to afford finer luxuries but since I'm not, here's what all the doodads and gizmos on our site do.

First, of course, are the ads. These are the ones we would appreciate you clicking. You'll typically find a Google ad at the top right of the site

as well as one at the bottom of every page.

If you were wondering why I mentioned peritoneal mesothelioma and a career path as a laser hair removal specialist in Washington, it's because supposedly these are the highest paying Google keywords. We'll see if this is true.

One of our newest features is the ability to Digg a post.

Basically by digging a post, we can potentially get more viewers. And more viewers is potentially more ad revenue. Did I say shameless? I meant it. This wedding ain't going to pay for itself with benchmark lending or Best Buy gift cards.

Here are some other highlighted elements we've added:

• We don't get any ad revenue from clicking on their link but we still encourage you to visit our wedding planner, Prestigious Planning. They're the best in the Bay Area.
  
  
  


• If you're familiar with Yelp then you'll know what "reactions" are.
  
  
  
  They're an anonymous and easy way to leave some input and you can click on all three if you want.


• Every so often we also have polls. Every one we've had so far can be anonymous and we may use the responses in some form in the future so it's more fun if our reader(s) respond.


• If you want to keep up with updates there are various ways. I've never tried any of the options but feel free to test them out.
  
  


• Woman found these wedding stats stuff so she wanted to add it. Clicking on these don't produce ad revenue but some of them are interesting.
  
  


• And lastly, each post also has a "comments" section which are not anonymous but woman gets butt-hurt if no one leaves anything.

We are planning to change the look and feel in the near future but for the most part, the elements I've mentioned will likely remain in some form. I'm sorry it was a rather boring blog so if you feel ripped off and want a refund, unfortunately there's no blog equivalent of a Wisconsin lemon law for you to pursue. At least it's not peritoneal mesothelioma.
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The Other Side of This So-Called Love Story (Eileen's Real Version)

Jeng always dodges the "How did you meet?" question with his whimsical tale of a midget-throwing competition. (He has a very vivid imagination.) I don’t blame him. Our actual story isn’t the sweeping romance one might expect.

In September 1997 at Valley Fair Mall, I met Jeng along with Rich, JJ, Chris and Brian. Our inseparable group of friends was born and life as I knew it changed forever.

My initial impression of Jeng was an awkward, shy guy and I knew right away that I had zero inkling of romantic interest. Meanwhile, his troublemaker friends did the best they could to bring us together... however uncomfortable and annoyed it made us feel. They made it known to me that Jeng was interested and employed all sorts of tactics to sell him to me. I could not be sold.

For the next 7 years, Jeng and I played this cruel game. He went to great lengths for me while I continued to shut him down. I was adamant that my first impression was true -- we were never meant to be together. (It is true. I was a dog of the female variety.) Eventually someone pointed out that my passionate avoidance of him was going to come back to bite me. When I moved back to California from New York, it did.

We got together in 2004 and for the next 4 years, we became the couple all our friends had known we would be. I couldn’t deny the truth and on lucky 8/8/08 after a surprise-filled day of helicopter riding, fine dining and a private violin and guitar serenade in Union Square, he proposed and I said, “Really?” Haha. First impressions, first reactions... I’m not very good at either.



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The Slideshow of Love (Jeng's Real Version)

So yes, I know my previous rendition was pretty stupid. I think the imagery of her flying through the air amuses me more than what really transpired. To say Eileen was stubborn and I was persistent is an understatement. I’ve never been good (or perhaps even comfortable) at telling our story because of its checkered past but this is what it’s always boiled down to:


(click the image to view the slideshow)

• Two of our best friends introduced us in our younger years.


• I started out interested. She did not share this interest. Instead, she wanted friendship.


• She moved off to fancy-pants New York but still for some reason kept me as a friend.


• I made a couple of valiant efforts at various points in time but she was -- for lack of a better word -- a dog of the female variety. But she still kept me as a friend.


• I despised her for awhile then she moved back and for some reason she still kept me as a friend.


• Then she finally expressed the feelings she forced herself to suppress all these years; that she kept me as a friend because she was madly in love with me and not really a lesbian as I was starting to suspect.


• Craziness ensued.


• I proposed.


• We’re now planning our wedding.

This concludes our presentation.



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The Greatest Love Story Ever Told

The room pulsed with anticipation. Smoke wafted in a thick haze but at the end of the bar her face beamed like a lighthouse guiding seafarers through the murky waters of a foggy night. While revelers focused on the main stage I made way to the vacant area near her. I placed my drink on the weathered oak bar scattered with drops of libation spilled in careless haste.

“Can I offer you one?” I asked.

“I was more interested in tonight’s event,” she brushed off.

Interesting, I thought. “My name is Jeremy. Let me show you,” I said.

I took her reluctant hand and led her through the crowd. We arrived at the front of the stage where my eyes were unable to hide surprise as she penned her name -- "Eileen" -- and mine on the list of participants. Her smile quelled my apprehension until the time came for us to entertain the raucous crowd.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” I asked.

“It’s what I came for,” she was now determined.

This woman is crazy, I thought. “Ok,” I said.

I slipped my fingers near the small of her back, through the belt that completed the impeccable outfit that graciously followed the contours of her slight body. I placed my other hand near her shoulders and gripped her shirt. Her wink assured me of her readiness. And so it was...


















Love at first throw.



Note: No offense to the vertically-challenged is intended.

P.S. Feel free to help fund our wedding by visiting one of our ad sponsors.



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