Wedding Weekend

I have said it before and I'll say it again: my friends make the most beautiful brides.

AG tied the knot over the weekend, and barring one 20-minute long best man speech at the rehearsal, I think everything went according to plan.

The rehearsal dinner could have been a reception itself, it was beautifully done by the groom's family. His friends were rife with funny stories about him from army and West Point days- New York, Korea, Germany, Iraq... and Ft. Worth, where he grew up. My friends have been quick with the age-related jokes since AG started dating him (he is, after all, 6+ years older than all of us) and I think the toasts showed that they have lived a lot more of life than we have. The groom's father gave a toast welcoming everyone, thanking them for coming in for the wedding and recognizing all the men in the room who have fought to protect our country and our freedoms. I/everyone may have teared up a bit.

The best man's speech at the rehearsal dinner, as I alluded to, was a whopping 20 minutes long. 20. Minutes. They should have served popcorn and dimmed the lights. It was a three-part monologue that incorporated a cuban-inspired fedora, America's founding fathers and even AG's aunt, the matchmaker.

Saturday morning we returned from the bridal luncheon to the cottage where all the girls in the wedding were staying, and startled a bird that had somehow invited his way into our cottage. MK's first question was "what kind of bird is it?" I think I responded with "WHO CARES?!"

MK and I were the first ones inside, followed minutes later by SR, KR and AV, so we we gave them the FYI about the visitor when they walked in. KR threw it a piece of banana bread and watched it carefully for a reaction, thinking it was possibly dead, since who in the world would pass up banana bread? Meanwhile SR found a maintenance worker, we'll call her Helga, who came in to the cottage, got the bird riled up, causing it to fly around the living area and threatened to attack one of us.

Pandemonium ensued.

KR had skirted into one of the bedrooms and watched as the rest of us, paralyzed by fear, screamed like 14-year-olds at a Jonas Brothers concert while Helga chased down the bird. It landed on the fireplace and she picked it up with her bare hands, pretended to throw it at SR and cackled before carrying it outside. All in a days' work. We were all out of breath and once heart rates slowed down we laughed to the point of tears. One of the biggest concerns immediately following was whether or not the bowl of peanut M&Ms had been compromised by the flight of the bird. We made the executive decision that they were fine, and carried on with the hours of "getting ready" that are built into wedding weekends.

If technology ever comes back into my life in full-force, you'll get to see my cute pink dress and stylish up-do worn that evening. I warned that it would probably start falling the second that it started getting "a little bit louder now" during "Shout", but it held up surprisingly well.

Getting to the church, KR and MK took off running from my car in bridesmaids dresses and heels, not wanting to risk extra exposure in the 106 degree heat and yelling "every man for himself!" on their way into the church.

He and she said "I do" at 7 p.m., AG became AS, rings were exchanged and dinner and dancing ensued.

My parents were in attendance at this blessed event- I had about four minutes of non-whirlwind to sit and chat with them at the reception, and while walking them out through the foyer to the valet, stopped dead in my tracks when I heard an Usher song start playing, did an about-face and flocked back to the dance floor with my friends. The DJ was great, and my friends and I hardly sat down the entire night. Correction: we sat down long enough to eat what we garnered from the mashed potato bar.

I typically forget to bring a bathing suit but remembered this of all weekends, and as fate would have it, the cottage we stayed in was right next to the adjoining country club's pool. I was all for a post-midnight dip, so at around 1 a.m. AV, ND and I headed out to the pool.

We floated and chatted- conversations after weddings are always interesting- and I made the observation that AG became the first of our friends to meet and marry someone post-college. I was actually wrong, because KB did it too, but most all couple friends of mine who got together in college are either married, engaged or broke up around graduation. I know two more college couples getting married this fall, but after those two weddings we might actually be seeing a lull in matrimonial activity for a while.

The morning after the wedding I found a trail of clothes, starting with my ruffly pink dress, ending in my heels and making a detour to the bathroom to find my bathing suit. They may not have shot glasses at wedding receptions, but when did that ever stop my friends from doing anything?

Don't answer that.

We were watching TV Sunday morning, eating cinnamon rolls, strawberries, M&M's and Oreos (there was fruit, lay off), and as luck would have it, we heard another bird coming down the chimney. My friends recoiled at the noise and I moved the grate in front of the fireplace so that it was flush against the opening. Sure enough, an bird identical to the one from Saturday dropped down into the fireplace, which was quickly renamed the petting zoo, and watched him for a while until he escaped and had to be ushered outside with paper plates by KR's sister.

Birds don't eat cinnamon rolls either, in case you were wondering.

My wish for you
Is that this life becomes
All that you want it to
Your dreams stay big
Your worries stay small
You never need to carry more than you can hold.
And while you're out there getting where you getting to
I hope you know somebody love you
And wants the same things to
Yeah this, is my wish...
-Rascal Flatts, "My Wish"

It's That Time Again

My friends AG and SR will be getting married a month apart from each other this summer.

AG gets married tomorrow; SR in August.

For something as difficult as working full-time and planning your own wedding seems to be on its own, they have also been busy planning parties for and helping each other.

They grew up in the same suburban town, went to elementary, middle and high school together, both went to Texas A&M and were in the same sorority (with me), and both relocated to Dallas after graduation. They have lived together over the past few months, in an apartment that, the last time I visited, was full of wedding magazines, Lean Cuisine meals, had an elliptical machine in the middle of the living area and a copy of the book The Act of Marriage sitting haphazardly on a coffee table. I've never read it, though obviously I gather what it is about and can laugh and get goobed-out NOW, but apparently it is required reading for Christian couples. Just maybe not something you want your guests flipping through over coffee.

For all of the similarities they have from being friends so many years, their weddings will still take place in our hometown, but at different venues, with different guests and different styles that come with the personality of each bride.

At their dual bachelorette party, we joked with AG that it was also her "going away" party. She's only moving to Ft. Worth, which in all actuality is about 45 minutes from Dallas, it just feels far.

There is a picture of AG and I from the fourth grade, which is the team photo of our Boys & Girls Club basketball team, which I think we would both burn if it didn't have so much sentimental value. I would safely bet that it was the first picture of hundreds we ever took together.

I remember hearing about WS, her fiance, when they started dating. They didn't know each other at all and basically dated as friends, in the beginning. While visiting me in New York only a few months into the relationship, I recall her vaguely asking KR, AV and I how many drinks was appropriate to have on a first date. We all responded with probably one, on a first date, and she nodded, then came back with: "so three beers was too many?"

I have countless stories of her. Countless. I am so happy for her because she deserves every good thing that has come her way.

It's both strange and wonderful that today is here. Strange that we spent roadtrips to and from Destin, Florida making predictions on the sort of men each other would marry and the qualities they would possess. I would give anything to find that list. Wonderful that regardless of anything she put on paper, she found the real life version.

Happy wedding, dear friend.

Today I met the boy I'm gonna marry

The boy whose life and dreams and love I wanna share...

-Darlene Love, "(Today I Met) The Boy I'm Gonna Marry"

Enjoying As Of Late

When you get accustomed to doing something, it becomes part of your routine, and before you know it you've developed a full-blown habit.

After my two weeks with Lack of Internet, I have found that I am really a habitual blogger. And I like it. I like that I set aside time and energy to get my thoughts together and form them into something people read. I have never been the best at keeping a journal, but for some reason blogging has some quality that has kept me going for nearly two years and two blogs now.

This isn't a farewell, by the way. I'm not going anywhere!

The following are excerpts from books, movies, or things I have come across that have inspired me, made me laugh, think or otherwise impacted me in the past week:

I remember receiving a letter from the American publisher Harper Collins that said that: "reading The Alchemist was like getting up at dawn and seeing the sun rise while the rest of the world still slept." I went outside, looked up at the sky, and thought to myself: "So, the book is going to be published in English!" At the same time, I was struggling to establish myself as a writer and to follow my path despite all the voices telling me it was impossible.
-Introduction to The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho

^ Side-note: One of my old professors taught me to always read introductions, dedication pages and the like, instead of skipping over them to get to page one. So much is explained or can be inferred from these pages.

You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence.
-Acts 2:28

The next morning I awaken to the sight of Zoe in her lavender polka-dot nightgown, standing on her tiptoes with her nose and palms pressed against my bedroom window. I study her earnest profile and the way a patch of her hair is spiked with static electricity.
I finally break her concentration and say, "What's so interesting out there, Zoe?"
She turns, runs over to the bed, and says, "It's snowing, Aunt Claudia!"
"Really?" I say.
"Yeah! Come look," she says.
I follow her over to the window, remembering how thrilling snowfalls were as a child. Now snow simply signals inconvenience, particularly in a city that quickly turns into a dirty, slushy, slow-moving mess. But I forget all of this as I look outside with my niece. I even feel a twinge of disappointment when I see only a few scattered flurries and no accumulation on the ground.
"It doesn't look like it's going to stick," I say. "Just your standard November tease."
...
"If it sticks, can we go sledding in the park?" Zoe asks.
"Sure," I say, as I think of how emotions seem so magnified when you're a child. Joy is more all-encompassing, disappointments more crushing, hope more palpable.
-Baby Proof, by Emily Giffen

Rebecca: (thinking to herself) Rebecca, you just got a credit card bill of $900, you do not need a scarf.
Mannequin: Then again, who needs a scarf? Wrap some old jeans around your neck, that'll keep you warm. That's what your mother would do.
Rebecca: You're right! She would!
Mannequin: The point about this scarf is that it would become part of a definition of your- of your psyche. Do you see what I mean?
Rebecca: No no no I do, keep talking!
Mannequin: I would make your eyes look bigger.
Rebecca: It would make my haircut look more expensive.
Mannequin: You would wear it with everything.
Rebecca: It would be an investment.
Mannequin: You would walk into that Allette interview confident...
Rebecca: Confident!
Mannequin: And poised...
Rebecca: Poised!
Mannequin: The Girl in the Green Scarf.
-Confessions of a Shopaholic, the movie

In summer, the song sings itself.
-William Carlos Williams

Here's the Deal

We are still experiencing some technical difficulties over here. I sucked it up and sat through a Genius Bar session Saturday morning, bought a new computer battery and went on my merry way, thinking all of the problems in my world were solved.

Not so.

Now my computer doesn't want to connect to the internet at my new house, and since I got my computer two years ago and only opted for the one year warranty (idiot), I'm screwed. I either have to buy Applecare or pay a one-time service fee. I troubleshooted my little heart out and couldn't fix it myself, which was quite bothersome.

Meanwhile, I attended a joint bachelorette party for my friends AG and SR on Saturday and I can't upload pictures to my computer because even if they were there, I'd be unable to show them to you since OH YEAH, NO INTERNET.

On the flipside, I'm reading and cooking more, since there is no mindless clicking to be had in the evening hours for now. I also contacted someone about piano lessons, then decided that my brother and I will be hanging out poolside while he teaches me to play chess this holiday weekend.

Almost forgot what it was like to have hobbies.

We are less dissatisfied when we lack many things than when we seem to lack but one thing.
-Eric Hoffer

AM in the A.M.

Of all the random things, I seem to have taken a liking to sports talk radio.

My morning commute takes 20-25 minutes, and I usually just listen to music like a normal person who insists on applying mascara at stoplights.

A few months ago I found myself scrolling through AM stations and landing on one beloved by men all over the metroplex: SportsRadio 1310 The Ticket. I enjoy sporting events, more than most girls I would say, especially football, basketball and baseball. I even watch them at home, though I'd be lying didn't admit that the first thing my roommates and I just watched on our new big screen was Confessions of a Shopaholic.

I mean, we are girls. There are pink polka-dot curtains in our kitchen and lemons in the window sill.

So anyway, the first time I listened to them, the Morning Musers on the Dunham and Miller Show were talking about where to go to find attractive women in the DFW area. For one thing, they were referring to them as "Hots" the entire time, then started listing places to see different types of women: NorthPark mall, certain specialty grocery stores, Target as opposed to Wal-Mart, etc. It was like listening to an outdoorsman give advice on deer hunting.

They always have an interesting angle on sports-happenings and cover an unrelated to sports topic like awkward things to do with your parents, serial killers and nudist colonies. They make literally any topic entertaining and I'm not one of those people who thinks everything is funny, and a few months back even accepted a challenge to play against a local high school girls basketball team.

Guys are better in general at telling stories, in my opinion, and they can make something mundane like car trouble or a family vacation and tell it in such a way that I will be laughing out loud, by myself, in my car, pre-8:30 A.M and sometimes even pre-coffee. That is no small accomplishment.

Needless to say, this station has become a fixture in my morning routine, and if you live in Dallas and have never listened to them, I would suggest giving them a trial-run. Unless you are completely averse to all sporting events and humor in general, I think you might like it.

If you nothing else, you'll still get to work with your mascara applied.

I watch a lot of baseball on the radio.
-Gerald R. Ford

Happy I'm-Not-a-Parent-Day to Me

After returning early from my work trip to New Jersey, I went by to see my parents and give my Dad a big Happy 24th Father's Day hug. It was a good hug, I assure you. Definitely worth driving home for.

So this was my dad's Father's Day gift to me...



It's a Nespresso machine which makes the best coffee known to humankind.

The culinary experience at my new house just keeps getting better and better... I came home from work last night to a Tom Collins with a twist waiting for me on the counter. I had never tried one before, but it was delicious.

You should seriously re-evaluate life if you don't live with girls who make cocktails on a Monday.

Coffee is the best thing to douse the sunrise with.
-Drew Sirtors

Weekday Toasting

A conversation from this morning that sums up last night:

BF: i am a mess!
Me: why?!
BF: hellllllllllllllloooo surprise party at a winery.
on a worknight
who does that

BF's boyfriend threw her a surprise birthday party at a winery last night. If you're wondering- yes it was his idea, yes he coordinated everything, and yes he is precious. We had two long wooden tables full of fun people sipping and talking and moving around to see everyone over the course of several hours.

There were five flights of both white and red wines, and many of us who had not gone home beforehand started feeling both tipsy and hungry around our fourth white. We practically attacked a cheese and cracker tray, and I glanced at a menu to see that for those desiring more food (me and company) there were five nearby restaurants who could deliver food within minutes. My kind of winery. Someone had legitimately thrown out the idea of a Taco Bell run, but then we spotted pizza delivery as an option and phoned in a large margherita.

Such a great decision.

I lasted through five whites and three reds and turned into a pumpkin around 10:30 when I realized that 1.) I needed to pack for my work trip to New Jersey this weekend, and 2.) how do you pack with no suitcase?

I was there long enough to enjoy my dear friends, the wine, the pizza, obviously, and to see BF's bf (ha- funny) give a thoughtful toast about how crazy he is about her and what a wonderful woman she is.

Something everyone in that room already knew, to be sure.

My only regret in life is that I did not drink more Champagne.
-John Maynard Keynes