Today was the big day for Heather & Justin. It was also a sad day. Bittersweet for Ruth, for today would have been her and Lyle’s 40th wedding anniversary. But, I’m getting ahead of myself, because before all of that, we had to make the trip to Saratoga Springs.

We were up early, like 6:30 or so, I think. Not wanting to forget something potentially important, I put everything I owned into a small Target bag, got my camera, and climbed into the back of Ruth’s Toyota. Sarah drove because I only had a vague notion of where we were going. We followed Larry and Valerie in their Mustang convertible, and Carol and Martin in their new BMW. We were a small parade of Connecticut vehicles winding our way through Massachusetts and NW past Albany, New York to Saratoga Springs … I already said that, didn’t I?

The trip went fairly quickly for me because I read my book on the iPad the entire way except for a couple of times when I was asked what the next exit was and which way to turn. Sarah did that because I had the GPS running on the iPad just for backup and they wanted confirmation that Larry and Valerie were doing it right. Easy trip.

When we got to the last exit, the GPS took us the wrong direction so we were about a mile off on the location of the hotel. I reset the stupid thing and we found it no problem the 2nd time. It’s a Comfort Inn. We got here pretty early because we had all the flowers for the wedding, and Ruth needed to get her portable steamer here to undo the wrinkles in the lady’s dresses. Once we got our stuff into the room, about 11:00 am, all the women disappeared so I just sat in the lobby waiting to see what was going to happen. Turns out, there wasn’t a lot going on in the lobby, and it was time to be hungry so I went to a Five Guys with Martin and we got hamburgers which we brought back to eat in the lobby. We also got a grilled chicken thing for Sarah. She wanted something healthy. Probably because she’s a nurse.

Time passed, I ate a few cookies at the registration desk, then people started filtering in to the lobby. I went outside and talked to some of the younger guests, and wedding party members, and explained how bad it is for them to smoke, which they already knew, then went back to the lobby. I initially thought is was going to be a pretty boring wait to tell the truth, but that was OK. Then new faces started showing up. I struck up a conversation with an older lady, with a crutch, to get the story on all the tattoos she was displaying. I’ve learned that every tattoo has meaning for those who get them. That’s true, mostly. Some folks get tattoos and don’t know it until the next morning when they take a shower and discover the new, and sometimes inappropriate, graphics adorning their previously unadorned bodies. How fun would that be?

Anyway. I got to visit with people I didn’t know and had cookies. Sometimes it just doesn’t get any better than that. I did participate in the evolution to move some cars to the Knights of Columbus lodge, about eleventy miles away, so we wouldn’t have to car pool back to the hotel. That’s because all the wedding girls road from the hotel in a Lincoln Navigator limo. I followed them in the Toyota. All by myself. Alone.

Pictures in hotel lobby, heading for the limo …

Arianna

Sarah with Arianna and Jeffrey David

Heather – the bride

Once we got to the lodge, things moved quickly. All the girls got inside and some guy, lined us all up in the lobby in the order we would enter. I was the only guy there who got to do it twice … once to deliver Ruth to her table, then again so Cheryl would have something to hang on to so she wouldn’t fall down in her new high heels. She held on real tight. I, of course, was dressed totally inappropriately because all the other guys were in suits, or a tuxes. Me? I wore jeans, my cowboy boots, my string tie, and a festive, light brown sport coat. It was the same outfit I wore on the plane to get here, and the same one I wore to the wake, and the funeral. Though it’s getting to be a bit gamey, no one seemed to mind. Cheryl even gave me my very own flower for my lapel. Nifty. It had a magnet to hold it in place, but I didn’t discover that until after the wedding when I was playing with it.

Once I delivered Cheryl to her table I sat down. Thankfully, Sarah was taking pictures with my camera so captured everyone entering the room. It was a gala affair and I was happy Sarah took the initiative to do that. Here’s what I looked like with Cheryl on my arm …

It was a nice ceremony. Very simple and elegant, conducted by a gentleman with very long hair. Once the vows were exchanged, the party began. First, it was a buffet dinner with light, soft background music provided by a real DJ parked in the corner. After the wedding party went to get their food, it was a buffet, the DJ started calling table numbers. We were at table 6, however, and didn’t want to wait, so we crashed the line. It was warranted, however, because Ruth needed to eat … me too … it had been a while since either of us had eaten anything (lobby cookies excluded) and we were getting weak. No one seemed to mind. The DJ even quit calling numbers and just turned everyone loose. It was chaos as everyone raced to get in line before everything was gone.

The food was very good … Italian. I only ate one plate full and quit. Diane would be proud of me. Then I sat there and watched all the young people dance until they got all sweaty. They were having a real good time. I got all sweaty just watching them. I realize that can be “taken” many ways, depending on the way your mind bends. Anyway, watching wore me right out. Little Arianna and Jeffrey David, the bridesmaid’s, Laura’s, children, who were the ring bearer and flower girl, were running and sliding across the floor having a good time. It was fun to watch and, again, made me sweaty just thinking about all that energy being expended without any evidence. Arianna (4) started with a white floor length dress but polished a great deal of the floor when she discovered she could take off running then drop to her knees and slide to a stop. Jeffrey was doing his six-year-old version of break dancing. It was exhausting.

Finally it was time for the cake, which was made out of lemon, red velvet, and chocolate cupcakes. Very cool. The only time I’ve seen that done before is by Jennifer, my favorite daughter, when she makes birthday cakes for the kidlets. Really a nice way to do large cakes. I ate two lemon ones.

Then the party started getting louder, and louder, interspersed with soft quiet music for slow dancing. During one of those moments, Cheryl came over and asked me to dance with her. We were the only ones on the floor for the entire song so it was pretty special for me. These kids (Larry, Carol, Cheryl, Susan, Heather, Laura, Sarah), and their husbands (Allen, Martin) and wife (Valerie), have all made me feel special the entire time I’ve been here. Kinda makes me want to plan another trip east in the not too distant future. I know Diane would love it.

Soon the music volume rose to the level determined by scientists to be that at which folks older than 58 were forced to leave the area. It’s like those high pitched devices used to keep rats out of your basement, or those whistles you put on your bumper so the deer know where to look before they get hit. So, we bid adieu to the bride and groom and headed back to the hotel. It was time. We were tired.

Here are a few random pictures. I don’t have any idea which ones they are because in the blog it just a bunch of HTML coding that I only kinda understand.

Dr. Allen Gouse, the Dad

Sarah and Susan

Bridesmaids

Thanks to all who are following this journey. I appreciate your comments.