ADAM AND GRETE'S WEDDING DAY

++ TO THE AIRPORT. Yeah, I’m 3 hours early.
Side trip with Jeff to Wendy’s for a last supper.
The obligatory Peach Rings. I don’t even really want them.
3 hours of catch up sleep.
Rain? In Orange County? Really Orange County? Really?
Hertz Mazda 3.
Gulfstream as Ryan, Megan, Doug, Laurie, and Adam are leaving.
Ok then, 7 steps back to the car and follow Adam to the hotel.
Rain. Not just rain, but downpour rain. As in they gave us another room so we wouldn’t have to go out in the rain, rain.
Hotel bar. Key Lime Martinis and Gin and Tonics.
Ordered room service for the first time ever. Tasty 2:00am room service pizza.
Moving two cars from the Valet Parking Lot to the Self-Park Parking Lot.
How the .. do you start Adam’s fancy fancy car. Oh, you have to press down on the brake? Ok, I’m clearly not fancy enough to drive this thing.
Stop by the front desk on the way back in. Pay for half of the room. Shh. Finger to the lips.
In bed. Wake up at 4:30. Turn off the television.
It’s really 10am already? “You can change the station. I couldn’t find a football game I cared about.”
Still looks cloudy outside.
Check out. “Wow, that’s a lot cheaper than I thought it’d be. About half. Weird.” “Yeah Adam. Weird.” (Shh. Hehe.)
Back to his place to pick up the suit he forgot. (Texting Grete to make sure she’s out of the apartment.)
French Dip with au jus which needs more salt at Oceans 33.
Pick up Ryan and Megan at their hotel.
It’s the Purath family. They all still look the same. .. with the addition of Andy and Kelly’s two kids.
To the Surf and Sand Resort.
Ooo. Valet parking. Down the line, Lamborghini, Lotus, H2, Lexus, the ‘cheap car’ BMW, …and my Mazda 3. How out of place am I?
9^th floor Top of the Surf with an amazing ocean view. My it’s loud. Are those earplugs on the night stand?
Back to the car to move the beer from the trunk to the room for the ‘Bigert/Purath After Party.’
Jason shows up in the two seater Inifiniti. Move the $5000 speakers to the reception room. One of them is DOA. Ha.
3:30 and Adam is still in shorts and a T-shirt trying to get the speaker to work. Wedding starts at 4:00…
To the room. 3:40. Adam starts to get dressed.
3:50 we’re supposed to be downstairs. Adam is almost done getting dressed. They can’t start without him, right?
“Is it hot in here or is it just me? I feel like I could puke from my toes down.” Silence. Laughter. “It’s Go-time Adam.”
To the beach. An aisle made from flower petals. 20 feet from the ocean. Ryan’s acoustical guitar Canon in D.
Sunny. The sound of the ocean.
30 bare feet friends and family gather around closer. ‘Somewhere over the Rainbow’ drowned out by the crashing waves.
Adam handsome in his linen suit. Grete beautiful in her wedding dress. The minister in her white robe. The ocean in the background.
Everyone takes four steps closer to the hotel as high tide makes it’s debut.
“I do.”
“I do.”
“You may now kiss the bride.”
Photos. With the Bride and Groom. With the Bride and Groom and the baby. With the family. With the other family. With both families. With friends. With Everyone.
Back upstairs to change from sandals to actual shoes.
To the reception. Appetizers and more gin and tonics. Less Key Lime Martinis. Phase 1 music
The dinner table. A UCLA Professor. A computer programmer for a condom manufacturer/distributor to the UN. A theatrical makeup artist. A carpenter for the (Lincoln’s) Ford Theater. An airline pilot. An industrial engineer for Elmer’s Glue. The token architect. A regional manager for a Top 100 company. A fireman. How cool is that table? (Phase 2 music.)
Dinner talk over anti-pasta, seafood ravioli, and beef tenderloin. Did you know there are 95 different sizes of condoms? I didn’t either. Nor do I care.
Shots of Patrón. More gin and tonics.
Enter phase 3 music. Wait, it sounds just like phase 1 and 2.
Cigars and Patrón margaritinas. Yeah, that’s spelled right. It’s a shaken margarita by John the bartender.
10:30 PM. Bigert Purath/Purath After Party in room 298. Rose petals on the floor and bed with sultry music. Good thing all their friends are here.
Ryan and Drew are talking about babies and marriage. I think I’m in the wrong conversation. Wait, they are the only people here I know. Guess I’ll stay and contribute nothing to the conversation. Water. Water. Water. Water.
1:00 AM. Yeah, it’s time to leave. Wait for the valet guy. Wait some more. 15 minute drive to my hotel.
2:00 AM check in. 2:03 AM bedtime.
Lunch and margaritas at Las Brisas in Laguna Beach with Ryan, Megan, Jason, Adam, and Grete..
Need to feed the meter more money. Congratulations. See you hopefully sooner than later.
Walk the shops at Laguna Beach for 5 hours. Looking for a present. Feed the meter again. Postcards.
Oh, I forgot to give Adam and Grete their wedding card. Guess I’ll have to mail it when I get back home.
To the airport. I vaguely know my way around Orange County now. Map? I don’t need no stinkin’ map. Wait, yes I do.
Check-in. “Is this flight full?” “Yes.” “Ok, thanks.” McDonalds and sitting and waiting. Reading the news on my phone.
“Alaska flight 497 to Seattle leaving at 8:20 has been changed from gate 10 to gate 8.” Shuffle shuffle shuffle.
8:17 PM. Board plane. Window seat 27a. 8:20 PM. Zzzz. Zzzzzz.
Seattle! “Jeff, we landed.” “Ok, I’ll head out now and meet you outside in a bit.” “Thank you.”
Home sweet home. Yes, it feels like home now.
Unexpected house-warming present from Jeff and Betsy on the couch. It’s perfect.
What a beautiful wedding. What a perfect weekend.
Thank you for letting me be a part of your special day.
Congratulations Adam and Grete! ++