Is there anyone in the whole world that wants to hear me bitch some more about this wedding?  Anyone?

I didn't think so.  On my lunch hour, I completed my registry matrix, and I calculated my per person gift estimate ($40.49).  I used an attendance factor of 80%, and an "off the registry" factor of 90%.  The p.p.g.e. makes me feel reassured about the whole thing.  It did occur to me that perhaps not every bride makes a "registry matrix", but I am who I am.  And I am both very anal retentive (about some things) and very, very cheap.  And it feels really weird to register for things that I would never buy for myself. 

I only buy things if the price has been reduced in some way.  I think it's some sort of personality disorder.  So it really took a stretch for me to register, as it is impossible to register for things on clearance (or on eBay).  I debated the most about the silver.  My mom kept telling me that "if I didn't get it for the wedding, then when would I ever get it?".  I kept looking at it and thinking that there was no detectable difference between it and stainless steel (except that silver needs to be polished), so why would I ask someone to pay four times as much for silver?  I do like the thought of having something like that, that I could hand down to my children (assuming I make it through the actual wedding ceremony and live to have kids).   

I feel really greedy to list what I want people to give me.  Leo likes to point out how unfair it is that the only things one can register for are all "girl things".  While I agree that I can appreciate a nice duvet cover or place setting more than Leo would, I feel strongly that these are things for "us" and not "me". 

There is much discussion on the wedding chat boards about people who don't buy things off of the registry.  Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't.  I guess the general opinion is that these people should be lined up and shot.  I had no idea that people found that irritating.  Sometimes, especially if you know the people well, you can buy a much better gift than something they've registered for. 

The other weird registry thing is the price points.  There is a "meat fork" in the same set of silver that I register for that is $87.95 (I registered for only the hollow-handle serving pieces, which are a lot cheaper).  Any way, if a guest was looking to spend around $90 on a wedding present, I think they'd feel weird about giving a lone meat fork even though both the guest and the recipient would know that it was not a cheap present.  I gave Leo's brother and sister in law three place settings of china (which was really expensive).  I felt kind of weird about it because it was only three place settings (even though I'd have had to sell my home to buy the full set).  I guess there's just no other event where a guest gives presents in these weird quantities.