The fall off 2002 (2)

The wedding...

That plane ride was fun, there is something about been on a plane that I just love. Besides, it was pretty much empty so we had like all the plane for us. I don't know why they do it, or if they make some money when they do it. There must be some logistics reason that really does make sense, but I recall that there were only about 10 passengers on this large plane, and that left Abby and I the half back for us. We could be silly, sleep on several sits, whatever... It was a fun ride, she was happy about being back home and I was just happy too... A bit nervous, but happy. (Nervous because my 6th sense knew what was going to happen in that wedding).

Once on the airport "J" picked us up, he is a huge lovely man, one of those guys that could act like Santa and you would really believe in him again. He used to be Abby's Dad... Or something like that. She has a weird family story, at some point her parents split up. Her father got married again sometime later, and so did her mother. Then her mother split up again, this second marriage left "J" with the status of something like Abby's former step father... Whatever, they still had a great relationship, he was into the whole wedding thing, and he was the one who picked us up.

[Thinking twice about it, probably it's not a weird family story... Probably it is actually quite normal nowadays... The concept of "family" seems to belong more and more to the realms for fairy as time passes].

I don't really know if the sleeping arrangements were settled at the moment, at this time I was used to being on either house, her mom's or her dad's. I felt comfortable in both. Either way I was sure they both liked me... He he he. What I know is that some nights I was in one place, and some others in the other... As usual.

Things get a bit fuzzy here... Memory... Damn... Ok, the next bunch of events DID happen, although they probably did in some other order... He he he.

I believe we went to have dinner somewhere with the whole bunch... Yes!, that's what happened. God bless ice cream, how could I forget?. There was this huge ice cream bar with several flavors and toppings, yummy... it was like an ice cream buffet!. We saw everyone over there, they were indeed very glad to see us all. With us traveling all the way from Mexico and all we got extra attention. I think that's when I did meet one of Chuck's friends, a guy who lives in Alaska and has great stories... He he he. (Chuck is the guy who, at the time, was going to marry Abby's sister... Now he is her husband... I am almost sure that's still the status... He he).

During this whole time Abby was busy doing bride's maids stuff, getting the dress fitted, doing this and that. I don't know. Of course that felt me somehow alone, which was terribly fine. I enjoy my solitude, and even more if I get to use that time walking and thinking in some foreign land. There is something about being "somewhere else" that makes me more conscious of who I am... Either way, I remember being walking around downtown Chicago by my self during one of this days, and having the time of my life.

I had to be extra careful in order to avoid getting lost... I had a map and all... I don't do good with maps, but this one had cool drawings here and there... He he he. I remember there was a huge rain at some point, and with the Chicago wind that left me completely wet in the whole front, yet entirely dry in the back... Really!... It was like the rain was horizontal, and just attacking the front side of my body. Of course I was amused. Probably the best thing that happened during that rain was that I bumped into a small great bookstore... Wow... The smell of paper, books all over the place. I was in paradise...

The day went on like that, eventually it was time to meet Abby's brother, and since he was the only chance for me to get back into civilization I couldn't afford loosing him. Now I know!... He was pretty cool all the time, and I got to spend a lot of time with him. Since Abby was busy doing her girls thing, he agreed to move me around and entertain me a bit. He he he. He really is fun to be around.

On the evening James and I had dinner with "J"... Wow... That guy, "J", has quite some money... The dinner showed it. Even the place, everything... Since we were greeted as we walked in, the hostess, the waitress... THE FOOD!!!... Those were some good steaks. Man, the prices... argh... Good thing he was paying. I blame "J" for my love for red wine, up until that time I didn't like it at all... He managed to make it all good for me. During that dinner he gave me a full class about wines, how to tell them apart, how to taste them, etc, etc, etc. I was amused by the whole thing... And all of a sudden, wine made sense and it's taste was good.

The wine tasting didn't end on the dinner though, because after that great food we went to "J"s house and had some sort of Bachelor party for chuck. Only a few guys were there, no girls or strippers whatsoever though... He he he. After all, chuck was a Pastor and he lived up to that. The party consisted of tasting a bunch of great wines, (I am talking about 500 USD bottles of wine), smoking cigars (I learnt how to do that too), and sharing stories. (There were some great stories told... Listening to older guys talking always amuses me... I think I was something close to an amusing decoration that night... Didn't share much, yet I was amusing because they had to teach me to smoke and all that, and it was funny when I coughed... He he he).

That night I learnt that smoking a cigar while drinking wine is orgasmic... The cigar will open your taste buds, and thus the taste of the wine is enhanced... yum... I learnt too that if while hunting you bump into a grizzly bear the safest strategy is praying... That hunting a caribou can feed a family for months... And some other "manly" stuff like that.

I don't know where I spent that night... Probably Abby's dad, or mom... Either way, I fell asleep somewhere... And no, I wasn't drunk.

I think the reception happened the day after... I don't get receptions, and I probably never will... It's like an excuse to waste more money... Like a "pre-party"... And rehearsals!!... These guys rehearse their weddings!!... How?... Most of them end up in divorce anyway... Why would you rehearse?... Go with the flow I tell you...

Either way... The reception happened... Meet more of Abby's family... argh... Actually, meet the whole bunch... Damn, I was nervous...

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Just in case you are wondering, YES... I had to skip classes for this whole thing... And YES, I was doing really bad on them... -sigh-