V&T's Wedding Weekend: the 4th & final chapter!

Hey, gang. Sorry for the delay. My internet connection has been funky for the last 2 days. I think we're all fixed now.

So! Anyway! The reception was over. Next it was time for the after-after party. I love this new tradition of going to a bar with a group of friends after the reception. It's a great way to end the festivities. We descended upon Trader Vic's, a tiki bar, for our nightcaps. As you can imagine, hilarity ensued.







See that blue rose hairclip that I'm wearing? The groom made that. Yes, our Travis is a man of many talents!


Tony ordered something called a "Rum Giggle" for Holly & me to share. It came in a conch shell with the longest straws I've ever seen. I could not tell you what it tasted like, but I'm guessing it was good since we drank every last drop.

You can't see it very well, but I'm wearing a nametag that says "James". I have no earthly idea where I got that, but I remember declaring at some point that my left breast is officially named "James". Hmm. Can you believe I didn't have a hangover the next morning? Amazing!

I have no idea what Tony ordered for himself, but it was served in a SKULL! So it's gotta be bad ass, right?

Tony also made a little ... request. Just a little something he'd like to see on the ol' blog. Let me get back to you on that, Tony-Tone.




Last but not least, here's my favorite photo of the whole night.


Eventually we all finished our drinks & stumbled back to the La Quinta. George, Derek, Holly, Andy and I shared the double room "suite". I remember bits & pieces of the rest of the night. I know Holly's finger got banged up pretty badly in Andy's car door. And at some point I managed to put on my pajamas. And then Andy broke out the Mad Libs I bought at Froggies & we had a good time completing a couple (Holly, please tell me you now know what a "taint" is because, honey, I don't want to try to explain that to you again). Surrounded by ice packs & shreds of paper, we eventually fell into a deep slumber.

I was the first one to wake up in the morning, but that's just my way. I can't sleep in. It's one of my least favorite qualities about myself. It's not all bad, though. As the old saying goes, the early bird gets the waffle.

Why do they call it "table syrup"? Is it made out of tables?

Andy and I had flights in the afternoon & the Tulsa contingent had to hit the road, so before we all went our separate ways we went out for Ethiopian food. As usual, george ordered for everybody. Someday I need to learn to order Ethiopian food for myself. What's the name of that lamb stuff again? 'Cause, man alive, it's tasty!



I think we're supposed to be acting like beauty pageant contestants in this photo. Or perhaps like we're on America's Next Top Model. Smile with your eyes, ladies!



Time for one final shot ...

Then we all hugged & said our good-byes.

I have to admit that usually it's very painful for me to leave my old urban family & fly back to NC. I miss them all so very much. This time felt different, though. As I left Dallas, all I felt was joy. I can thank Veronica and Travis for that. Nothing fills a heart with hope and love like a wedding ceremony.

Thank you ALL for such a wonderful, memorable weekend. Can't wait to see you again!

V&T's Wedding Weekend: Part 3

The ceremony was short & sweet. Before we knew it, Veronica & Travis were hitched!

Mr. & Mrs. Day, accompanied by various cohorts (aka the wedding party)


The best man knows his way around a bustle. Heh heh.



I missed taking photos of the first dance because my hands were full of iced tea and fried pies. Just trust me when I say that this couple has some very impressive dance moves. They really know how to cut a rug!

They also know how to cut a cake.




Here is the best man, Andy (not that one, a different one), making a heartfelt toast. He is accompanied by our Holly, bridesmaid and luscious eye candy.


Here's the Tulsa branch of our urban family. There were 10 of us in all: George & Derek, Ed & Rhiannon, Jenny & Tony, Andy (yes, that one), Kris, Holly, & little ol' me. How great was it to see them all? Very very great.




Andy even brought Kit Kat's for all of us. Gotta love those old inside jokes.

We also made new friends! First, there is V's other bridesmaid, the fabulous Cat. It's hard to tell in this photo, but she was 9 months pregnant & already feeling some contractions. She gave birth to a little girl named Moxy less than 48 hours after the wedding ceremony.


And then there's Eddie, with whom we developed an all new inside joke involving Chick-o-sticks.




Kit Kats and Chick-o-Stick. What more could we possibly need?


English Country Dancing?!??! Why not?

So here's the story. The reception venue upstairs was packed. All of the tables were full and there were few chairs to be had, so most of the Tulsa bunch went downstairs to hang out in the bar. That's when I noticed the sign above. It pointed towards a room with a glass window in the door. When the dancers saw some of us peeking in, they invited us to join them! I was thrilled because, frankly, I've been thinking about trying out English Country Dancing for many months now. You know the formal dancing that is always featured in those Jane Austen costume drama films? That's what this is. It's complicated, but very fun.

Many thanks to Peter, my partner in the grey shirt. Without his patient guidance, I would have been lost.


Since I had so much fun, George decided to try it out, too.



This group was so nice! They invited us to stay & keep dancing with them, but we had to get back to the reception. If I lived in Dallas I'd definitely look them up. They were really great.

The reception continued. We drank more wine & beer, ate more cake, listened to more live music, and laughed much. Tim called so that he could congratulate "The V-Dog". We watched V's parents perform some amazing moves on the dance floor (now I see where she gets it!). As V&T left the building, we didn't have any rice to throw, so instead we performed the wave. Or at least we tried to perform the wave, but ... well ... did I mention there was free booze? Yeah.

The party wasn't over, though. Next stop: Trader Vic's!

V&T's Wedding Weekend: Part 2

Saturday, September 27. The big day finally arrived.

Shortly before 11am, V and Travis stopped by the La Quinta to pick up me, Holly, and george. We headed off to the venue to set it up for the night's festivities.

The Sons of Hermann Hall (or "Home" depending on which sign you read).




The ceremony & reception took place in the main performance space on the 2nd level. On the ground floor there is a bar & various other rooms. It's a really fabulous building & was the perfect spot for V & T's wedding.

The color scheme for the wedding was blue & orange. When V first told me this, I thought she'd lost her ever-lovin' mind. Then I saw the venue & it all became clear. Perfect choice, V.

Centerpiece! Notice that george is off in the background (to the left), ignoring the centerpieces with all her might. Because that's what she does. She's a chronic centerpiece-ignorer. You need to learn to confront the centerpieces directly, george. It's the only way to overcome this problem.

The favors were custom-made matchbooks. Very cute.



"Are we done yet? Do we need another blue tablecloth? How should I wear my hair tonight?" So many questions, one weary-yet-excited bride.


The next thing you know, 6 hours had passed & it was time for V&T to tie the knot.

Pre-ceremony:






I didn't take as many photos as I might have liked (I didn't take any at all during the ceremony). I preferred to experience those things rather than document them; That's what professional photographers are for. So if you want to see pics of the ceremony, you'll need to go to the website of V&T's photographer. I'll post a link when I get my grubby mits on it.

Next up: Party time!

V&T's wedding weekend: Part 1

Hello, gang! After a long hiatus, I'm back! And I have oodles of photos to share with you all (although not quite as many as I would have liked). As I may or may not have mentioned before, my dance card was pretty full for the month of September. First my parents and my brother, Ray, came to NC to visit us for a bit. Then I traveled to Dallas to attend Travis & Veronica's wedding. It's been an absolute blast & I'd love to share some of the details with you in photographic form.

First of all, I'm going to throw chronology out the window & focus on pics from this past weekend & the big wedding celebration. Today's batch of photos are from Friday, the 26th of September ... AKA Veronica's last day as a swingin' single gal. I was spoiled on that day because I got to spend a lot of private one-on-one girl time with the Woman of the Hour. We went to a fabulous Elvis-themed Mexican restaurant called Chuy's, where I was so stunned by the fabulously tacky scenery that I forgot to take any photos! So now all of you will have to go there & experience the fabulosity for yourselves. It's worth it. Trust me.

Next we walked & shopped. 'Cause that's what girls do best, right?

Outside "Wild About Harry's" hot dog emporium. I could make a very tacky joke here, but I'll leave that up to your own imaginations.

And if that's not classy enough for y'all ...




I loved Froggies, the shop where we found these glasses. Imagine Lulu Faboo, only bigger. I refuse to disclose how much money I spent there.


V wasn't the only one craving wieners that day.

I love that "Do Not Climb On Me" sign. There's something hilariously sad about it.

The rest of the afternoon was spent with Holly & george, wandering around Target's lingerie department, wondering if adhesive bras actually work or if they're just a bunch of malarkey. Then it was time for the rehearsal dinner at Maggiano's! Sadly, I have few photos from the dinner (I feel self-conscious about taking photos of other people), but the two I got are awful cute.



Aaaaaaaaw! What an adorable couple!

Preppin' for Fam

Hey gang. Sorry to be MIA for so long. There isn't much to report ... except that my parents and my brother, Ray, will arrive here in just a few days! Wee!!! Unfortunately, I have a ton of things to do in preparation for their arrival (boo!) but it's all worth it to have them around (yay!).

I've been rather distracted over the last few weeks (first the sickness, then the political conventions) so I haven't done as much research as I would have liked in preparation for my family's arrival. Here's what I've got so far. I'm going to post the links here because I'm having a heck of a time organizing my favorites in Firefox. If anyone can give me some tips on organizing bookmarks in Firefox, I'd appreciate it.

Waterfalls!
Photos of NC Waterfalls: http://www.pbase.com/waterfallrich/north_carolina_waterfalls&page=all
Visit NC Waterfalls: http://www.visitwaterfalls.com/
Sliding Rock: http://www.ncwaterfalls.com/sliding_rock1.htm

Stuff for Mom
Wrightsville Beach: http://www.visitwrightsville.com/
Carolina Beach: http://www.carolinabeachgetaway.com/
The Cotton Exchange (across from the battleship): http://www.shopcottonexchange.com/

Stuff for Dad
Bennett Place in Durham (Civil War history): http://www.nchistoricsites.org/bennett/
Battleship North Carolina in Wilmington (WWII history): http://www.battleshipnc.com/index.html

Stuff for Ray
Busch Gardens: http://www.4adventure.com/BGW/default.aspx
Kings Dominion: http://www.kingsdominion.com/

Oh, The Places We'll Go ... or not
Durham Visitors Center: http://www.durham-nc.com/
Raleigh Visitors Center: http://www.visitraleigh.com/
Chapel Hill Visitors Center: http://www.visitchapelhill.org/
Lake Lure: http://www.lake-lure.com/
Biltmore Estate: http://www.biltmore.com/
Duke Gardens in Durham: http://www.hr.duke.edu/dukegardens/
Pullen Park in Raleigh: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pullen_Park
State Farmers Market (and restaurants!): http://www.ncfarmfresh.com/FarmMarketDisplay.asp?FarmID=1529

Mmmmm ... TV ...

You know what sucks? Summer colds. You know what also sucks? Killer period cramps. Experiencing them both in the same week is ultra sucky. And yet, this week was somehow extraordinarily tolerable. For that, I thank television.

As you may have noticed, the summer Olympics have been airing on TV for the past 2 weeks. I have always loooooved the Olympics. It is my crack. An addiction that rears its ugly head every 2 years. I don't give a rat's ass about most sports, but when the Olympics come around, it seems that nothing else in my life matters. I cannot explain it. The summer Olympics are especially bad because there are so many more categories of competition. It can be a major time suck. So this year I was going to try to resist. I didn't even watch the opening ceremonies (Tim and I went out for cake instead). My will power did not last for long, though. The siren song of men's gymnastics pulled me in and, dammit all, I got hooked. Again. I watched for hours and hours and got so emotionally involved that I actually made myself sick to my stomach with worry. Tim is not as interested in the Olympics, but he politely watched with me during our evening meals. We rooted for a Cuban runner together. And we noticed that volleyball players are the most affectionate people on the face of the earth (Seriously. If you're ever feeling lonely, just join a volleyball team. Group hugs every 2 minutes at the very least). Luckily, the Olympics are ending this weekend & my addiction will fade away for another 2 years.

But the Olympics are not enough for me. Oh no. I have additional televised addictions, too.

1. Mad Men
Smart, subtle, slick, & sadistic. Soooooo good. My cable system has all of the old episodes available to watch for free on an On Demand channel. I watched the entire first season in 2 days & I eagerly anticipate each new episode. It's sick. It's wrong. It's fabulous.

2. Project Runway
The gang this season is a bit meh, but I'm hooked anyway. At least Tim Gunn has been marvelous. "You tell her you've been to a different rodeo!" Thanks, Mr. Gunn! I'll do that!

3. Gene Kelley movies
Turner Classic Movies aired a Gene Kelley movie marathon the other day. I watched 6 of his movies. In a row. He was a pretty crap singer, but he made dancing look masculine & powerful. Love!

And last but certainly not least ...
4. Gilmore Girls
Do not call me between 5-6pm eastern time on weekdays. Just don't. If you do, I probably won't answer the phone. That's because I'm watching Gilmore Girls. Back when the show originally aired my brother, Ray, told me over and over and over again about it and how I should really really try watching Gilmore Girls sometime. I didn't pay attention to him then. Well, I'm paying attention now ... as is my mother. We call each other every few days and gossip about this show as if we were two old biddies discussing General Hospital. "What's the deal with Jess? And why wasn't Chris at Rory's graduation? And can I please punch Taylor? Pleeeease?" The moment when Lorelai sang "Wind Beneath my Wings" to an appalled Rory is one of the best moments in TV history. Warning: they talk FAST & the number of pop culture references are overwhelming, but that's half the fun.

8/8/88

George was picking on me the other day because it seems like half of the posts on my blog pertain to the anniversary of something or other. She says she's waiting for me to write a post on the anniversary of the day I started using that new brand of dental floss or something equally ridiculous. So georgie-porgie, this thread is at least kinda-sorta for you.

I don't know if any of you noticed it, but today's date was 8/8/08. What's special about this date is that I can remember what I was doing exactly 20 years ago today. I was on a picnic with my mom and some close friends of our family - Judy & her children, Tiffany and Brian. These 3 people had lived with my family during those crazy days in the early '80s when as many as 12 people lived under my parents' roof at one time. Twelve people! In 4 bedrooms! How we kept from killing one another is a mystery, but this just goes to show that my parents earned their nominations for sainthood long before they even hit 40 years old.

But back to 1988. Judy had finished her nursing degree a couple years before & moved away with the kids, but they were still family & we liked to visit with them. We had gathered together at a park on that day in August to enjoy some of the final days of summer before we kids had to return to school. During the picnic someone commented on the date: 8/8/88. That's a lot of 8s! We wondered when those numbers would come together again in such a mystical way. Someone mentioned that it would be 100 years, of course, but then someone else pointed out that it was only 20 years until 8/8/08 came around. We sat, munching on sandwiches under an overcast sky, wondering what we'd all be doing in 20 years time.

And now here it is. Two decades later. I'm a proper adult now. House. Husband. Cat. I can't remember what I expected of myself back then. I suspect that I thought I'd have a child by now. Maybe a job in publishing. Certainly I wouldn't be a housewife married to an English guy who makes video games. That seems far too far fetched for even my childhood imagination.

But the thing that surprised me most ... and I hope you'll forgive me if I get serious for a bit here, but ... the thing that surprises me most is that Judy is gone. She passed away about 2 years after that picnic. She had cervical cancer. She was the first loved one I'd even known who had died. It was a very painful time & I hope you'll forgive me if I don't go into the details here. Suffice it to say that Judy was a great lady who loved my family very much. If she were here today I'm sure she'd be very happy and proud of us. I think she'd also tell my mom that she should practice her guitar more often. I can almost hear them singing along together in the kitchen.

It's astonishing what can happen in 20 years, isn't it? The painful times & the good times, too. The days when you thought you'd literally die from heartache. Then the days when you laughed so hard you couldn't breathe. So much has happened. It seems that even when I thought I knew exactly where I was going, fate grabbed me & pushed me in a different direction. So forgive me if I don't speculate on my own future. I prefer to just sit back and enjoy the ride. Besides, if history is anything to go by, the future is far better than anything I could come up with on my own.

Talent

In the last couple of weeks, I have been reminded how lucky I am to have so many intelligent, talented people in my life.

For example, there's Tim. In the last week, he has used his magical computing skills to get me back in the saddle. First he tried to revive Hamilton, but it didn't work out so well. But he didn't give up! He tuned into his inner MacGyver & cobbled together a working PC for me. He took some parts that we had lying around the house as well as a few pieces from his own PC (which we replaced with upgrades) and he built a computer for me. It didn't cost us much, either, which is always an enormous plus in my book. FrankenPuter still has a few glitches (I can't get the memory card reader to work), but all in all I am thrilled and impressed and quite happy.

The other talented person in my life who has impressed me lately is my mother. I believe I've mentioned that my mom is a nurse in an ER, but she's more than just that. She is a song writer and a musician and a painter and a designer and seamstress and - more than anything else - a student. Mom loves to learn things. That's one of the reasons why she went back to school and earned her associates degree in Spanish this spring (yay mom!).

About 6 years or so ago, Mom decided she wanted to learn how to make things with stained glass, so she took some lessons. She has made a number of items over the years including a stained glass window that is in my home. The things she likes to make most, though, are kaleidoscopes. She especially enjoys customizing her kaleidoscopes to reflect the personality of a person or to capture the memories of a special day. That brings us to the next label that identifies my mom: entrepreneur. My mother has started a company to sell her bespoke creations. The company is called Keepsake Kaleidoscopes. Recently she has been in the process of getting the details of the business off the ground. She has already filled a few orders & has others in line, so to keep the word spreading she is building a website and designing a brochure. That means she had to have photos made of her kaleidoscopes. Luckily for all of you out there, I can share some of those photos with you now. Enjoy!

By the by, talented person #3 is my brother Mike who, with the help of one of his friends, took these great photos for Mom.




These first 2 photos are of a kaleidoscope Mom made to honor a young man who passed away unexpectedly. The young man loved the beach and the boy scouts, so she used a shell and one of his scouting pins. The pressed flowers are from his memorial service.




I like the way Mom incorporates flowers in her work. She made a similar kaleidoscope to these for my Aunt Fay featuring flowers from her own garden.



Last but not least, the wedding kaleidoscope. I wish you could see the details of this one a little better. Mom made a similar kaleidoscope for me and Tim for our wedding. It has pieces of glass featuring the colors of our day - the blue of the sky, the pink and purple of the flowers - and a red piece of glass in the shape of a heart. There's also a piece of our wedding invitation, a bit of ribbon from our gift bags, and some pressed rose petals from my bouquet. It's a really special keepsake of the day ... hence, the name of Mom's company.

I'll be sure to add the Keepsake Kaleidoscope website to my list of links when it's finally operational. Can't wait to see it!

Update (9/29/08): Mom's website is up & running & it is beautiful! Check it out here: keepsakekaleidoscopes.com