Dawn's Digression.
Friday, October 17, 2003
More About My Vacation
Saturday
Saturday morning we got up and met Patti, Helen, and Mom for breakfast. Needless to say, I didn't have much of an appetite. I choked down a couple of bites, but then I was completely done. After breakfast, Mom and I went to get my hair done. I didn't realize until I got to the beauty shop that I had forgotten my veil. SO, I had to call Michele back at the inn and she had Helen drive 40 minutes round trip to drop off my veil. I felt so bad. (Have I mentioned how truly wonderful Patti and Helen have been?) The lady that was doing my mom's hair jacked it up. Then she had to go because she had a football game to attend. The lady that was doing my hair ended up doing Mom's too. But it took 2 hours. We thought it would take about an hour. I had projected we would be back at the inn by 11am. It was a 20 minute drive to the inn from the beauty shop. The ceremony was to take place at 12:30. At 11:15 we were still at the beauty shop. 11:20. 11:25. I'm sitting over at the nail station taking really deep breaths, my arms crossed on the table, and my head nested in my arms. We didn't get back to the inn until 11:50. 11:50. I still had to go to my room and get some stuff and take it back to my mom's room where I got ready. I had a card to give Michele. I had 40 minutes to get ready. Sounds like plenty of time, I guess, but with the walking around, distributing flowers, etc, that is NO time. None. I swear I was jeans to dress and makeup in less than 30 minutes. Oh, and that also included "Oh my God! Hi Ruby!" time. Ruby arrived while I was getting my hair done. And could I just say she looked like a million bucks? I haven't seen her that dressed up in... um.... 10 years, maybe? At any rate, Mom, Ruby, and I were in Mom's room while I was getting ready. That was pretty much a perfect scenario for me. I can't think of a better way to get ready than with my mom and best friend. It just doesn't get better than that. Patti and Helen took care of setting up the cake, getting out the flowers and champagne glasses, etc etc. They were a HUGE help.
When I walked out of the inn, and down the little steps to the parking lot, everyone was gasping and telling me how beautiful I looked. Unfortunately, they looked a little shocked to being saying that. ;) Everyone besides Michele, Ken (the innkeeper and officiant), and I went ahead to the ceremony spot. Everything was surreal to me. I felt like it wasn't happening to me, but to some person in my body. If that makes any sense.
The ceremony was nice, even though Ken stumbled through our Corinthians quote and even though the photographer's camera needed new batteries in the middle. I remember looking at Michele out there, her eyes full of tears, and her eyes bluer than ever. She looked so happy. You know those looks you get from people that you never forget? That was one of them for me. No matter what happens with us, I will always have that look in my memory, and nothing can take it away. (Well, except old age and disease, but I don't want to talk about that.)
Immediately following the ceremony, we took additional photos with the photographer and pretended to cut the cake. Then we all went to change clothes for our afternoon cruise on Lake Champlain. Patti & Helen had left a bottle of Champaign in our room during the ceremony, and Michele and I opened that, and I slammed 2 glasses. Stupid. Stupid, I say. I felt SO sick. My head was hurting and I wanted to go to sleep. Ruby was driving, and she stopped at a convenience store and bought us all chips and soda (Yay, Ruby!) When we got to the dock we found out the cruise was cancelled due to high winds. That sucked. So, we're all standing on the dock with nothing to do. We walked around for a few minutes, Ruby and I got a hot dog, then we drove back to the inn. What a waste of time! Then I hung out with Ruby in her room until dinner. Yes, I left my wife in our 'Hideaway' and went to watch TV with Ruby. So? It was Michele's idea, actually.
We ate dinner at the inn, and then Mom, Michele, Ruby, and I hung out in the Hideaway. Patti and Helen were beat and went to their room to rest. We just sat in the room and talked for a couple of hours. At some point I remembered Michele and I had bought Mom a bottle of Reisling, so we opened that, and Mom drank almost the whole bottle. My mom doesn't drink, ya'll. She started telling us all kinds of jokes. Bad jokes. I keep meaning to type one of them out for you. I'll have to do that one day. Then, when Mom started feeling a bit tipsy, I drove her back to the inn. Ruby came back to our room and talked with Michele and I while we sat in the hot tub (Ruby doesn't like hot tubs) until about 11:30. Then we all went to bed.
Ruby wrote Michele and I a wedding poem. I haven't decided whether or not to post it here. It was so sweet, though, ya'll. She read it to us and everything.
And that was my wedding day.
Saturday morning we got up and met Patti, Helen, and Mom for breakfast. Needless to say, I didn't have much of an appetite. I choked down a couple of bites, but then I was completely done. After breakfast, Mom and I went to get my hair done. I didn't realize until I got to the beauty shop that I had forgotten my veil. SO, I had to call Michele back at the inn and she had Helen drive 40 minutes round trip to drop off my veil. I felt so bad. (Have I mentioned how truly wonderful Patti and Helen have been?) The lady that was doing my mom's hair jacked it up. Then she had to go because she had a football game to attend. The lady that was doing my hair ended up doing Mom's too. But it took 2 hours. We thought it would take about an hour. I had projected we would be back at the inn by 11am. It was a 20 minute drive to the inn from the beauty shop. The ceremony was to take place at 12:30. At 11:15 we were still at the beauty shop. 11:20. 11:25. I'm sitting over at the nail station taking really deep breaths, my arms crossed on the table, and my head nested in my arms. We didn't get back to the inn until 11:50. 11:50. I still had to go to my room and get some stuff and take it back to my mom's room where I got ready. I had a card to give Michele. I had 40 minutes to get ready. Sounds like plenty of time, I guess, but with the walking around, distributing flowers, etc, that is NO time. None. I swear I was jeans to dress and makeup in less than 30 minutes. Oh, and that also included "Oh my God! Hi Ruby!" time. Ruby arrived while I was getting my hair done. And could I just say she looked like a million bucks? I haven't seen her that dressed up in... um.... 10 years, maybe? At any rate, Mom, Ruby, and I were in Mom's room while I was getting ready. That was pretty much a perfect scenario for me. I can't think of a better way to get ready than with my mom and best friend. It just doesn't get better than that. Patti and Helen took care of setting up the cake, getting out the flowers and champagne glasses, etc etc. They were a HUGE help.
When I walked out of the inn, and down the little steps to the parking lot, everyone was gasping and telling me how beautiful I looked. Unfortunately, they looked a little shocked to being saying that. ;) Everyone besides Michele, Ken (the innkeeper and officiant), and I went ahead to the ceremony spot. Everything was surreal to me. I felt like it wasn't happening to me, but to some person in my body. If that makes any sense.
The ceremony was nice, even though Ken stumbled through our Corinthians quote and even though the photographer's camera needed new batteries in the middle. I remember looking at Michele out there, her eyes full of tears, and her eyes bluer than ever. She looked so happy. You know those looks you get from people that you never forget? That was one of them for me. No matter what happens with us, I will always have that look in my memory, and nothing can take it away. (Well, except old age and disease, but I don't want to talk about that.)
Immediately following the ceremony, we took additional photos with the photographer and pretended to cut the cake. Then we all went to change clothes for our afternoon cruise on Lake Champlain. Patti & Helen had left a bottle of Champaign in our room during the ceremony, and Michele and I opened that, and I slammed 2 glasses. Stupid. Stupid, I say. I felt SO sick. My head was hurting and I wanted to go to sleep. Ruby was driving, and she stopped at a convenience store and bought us all chips and soda (Yay, Ruby!) When we got to the dock we found out the cruise was cancelled due to high winds. That sucked. So, we're all standing on the dock with nothing to do. We walked around for a few minutes, Ruby and I got a hot dog, then we drove back to the inn. What a waste of time! Then I hung out with Ruby in her room until dinner. Yes, I left my wife in our 'Hideaway' and went to watch TV with Ruby. So? It was Michele's idea, actually.
We ate dinner at the inn, and then Mom, Michele, Ruby, and I hung out in the Hideaway. Patti and Helen were beat and went to their room to rest. We just sat in the room and talked for a couple of hours. At some point I remembered Michele and I had bought Mom a bottle of Reisling, so we opened that, and Mom drank almost the whole bottle. My mom doesn't drink, ya'll. She started telling us all kinds of jokes. Bad jokes. I keep meaning to type one of them out for you. I'll have to do that one day. Then, when Mom started feeling a bit tipsy, I drove her back to the inn. Ruby came back to our room and talked with Michele and I while we sat in the hot tub (Ruby doesn't like hot tubs) until about 11:30. Then we all went to bed.
Ruby wrote Michele and I a wedding poem. I haven't decided whether or not to post it here. It was so sweet, though, ya'll. She read it to us and everything.
And that was my wedding day.
Dawn, 2:32 PM
