When Last We Left the Purple Chai ...

When did I post last? It feels like years ago! This has been a very long weekend, but a very good one, and this is absolutely my first chance to write, although I've been able to keep up on reading you all. Okay, here goes.

Thursday night, the rehearsal dinner. Other than this event being hosted by the groom's father, this was very pleasant. The groom's father, you may recall, is my sister's first husband and one of Satan's minions on earth. When he gave a little speech, and said how wonderful it was to watch his son grow from a boy into a man, I almost leaped out of my chair and screamed "Yeah, except for the four years you couldn't be bothered to call him on the phone ONCE!" but I was good. On the other hand, my sister's current husband and I totally bonded over our hate hate hate for this person pretending to have been a father. So that was nice. Wonderful Niece's husband got up and said a few words and he is very very funny and good with words and has excellent comic timing, so she picked herself a good one, and that was fun.

Friday. We got to the hotel a little before 3:00. (R drove, which was nice for me.) We checked into our rooms, finished dressing, and we were good to go. Pictures started at 3:30, and really, the only people who were there on time were the groom and my two girls and I. Pictures went on for an eternity, in part because this bride and groom have four sets of parents between them. Satan Dad's wife tried to pin the boutiniere on the groom and I wanted to claw her eyes out. (My sister hadn't arrived yet.)

It was raining when we left the hotel for the wedding. The Hubs arrived just in time to join us in the limo ride over there. (All the guests staying at the hotel were ferried back and forth in limos. More on that later.) We waited around until everyone arrived, including all our various cousins who came -- there are not many of them -- and then we were seated for the ceremony.

Well. You have read before that this groom is the nephew I call Good Guy. He is, and he is very well matched in his choice of bride, whom I shall now call KG. KG, who is an aide with autistic children, is this kind of person: she went to a shelter once to get a cat, and they showed her three: an adorable kitten, a beautiful adult cat, and an older cat with a lot of health issues. Guess which one she took? It's just the way she is.

Anyway, they wrote their own vows, which were absolutely special and wonderful and beautiful. They had actually been legally married that morning at the town hall, and had a friend conduct the ceremony at the public wedding. The ceremony began with him pointing out certain candles that were lit, and said that these were in memory of the couple's loved ones who couldn't be there. This was extremely touching. My parents were mentioned, of course, but also my cousin Peter who died two years ago, and whose wife had flown in to be at the wedding. We were all very moved.

It was altogether a very lovely wedding, but very lavish. It was not my taste, but it was very well done. The bride has only a brother, and her mother, whose current husband is quite wealthy, wanted the biggest, fanciest wedding she could make for her daughter. And it was. There was a nine-piece band, which I've never even seen at a wedding before. The band was excellent, but painfully loud, not just to me. Otherwise, all was good, and there were no bad words spoken between anyone. I hope I never have to see Satan Dad or his evil wife again as long as I live.

So. We didn't get back to the hotel until maybe 1:00f; the Hubs chose to drive home and not stay over, but called me when he got home so I knew he'd made it. (A lot of twisty, dark roads. For LA: it was in Piermont.) Then we got up and had a big buffet breakfast at the hotel, so, finally, time to have some conversation with my cousins where I could hear them! The Florida contingent was leaving right after breakfast to fly home, but the others were staying for one more night.

I got home to my house around 1:00 Saturday afternoon and slept until 5:00. At which point we all went back to my sister's for more family time. Which was, in a word, excellent.

Here's a crazy thing. I had offered to drive Peter's wife, as well as the Colorado cousins, to the airport today. But the Hubs had to leave this morning on a business trip to Minneapolis at the same time, so he just drove them all, then left his car in long term parking, and by now, I assume, they are all where they belong. (Well, the Hubs belongs here, but he's in Minneapolis, which I know because I spoke to him.) He was just wonderful and social and helpful this whole week. Apparently, wonders never do cease.

My tummy behaved the whole weekend. And K and I just decided not to cook tonight and to order a pizza instead. Doesn't get much better than this.

WATCHING PROJECT RUNWAY :: ENTRY #1855
READING: The Professor and the Madman by ??