Summer 2014, day 56; Vacation, day 10
July 19 had been circled on many calendars among many people. This was my father's and his fiancee's wedding day, and we had planned our vacation accordingly.
The day didn't disappoint.
After breakfast, many of us worked feverishly to set up the house for the reception, which was going to be a sort of block party more than anything formal. A couple hours later, everything was mostly set so that after the ceremony downtown, we could come back to the house and begin the festivities. Fourteen people were staying in the house, and we all needed showers, so the clear things up a little, I took the boys to SuperDawg for lunch. I was lucky to still get some hot water for my shower later; Lori and Ben, not so much. Finally, we made it out of the house toward downtown.
Ugh, traffic on the Kennedy was a mess. We arrived exactly at 4 p.m., though the ceremony didn't start until 45 minutes later. The day was gorgeous, and the view overlooking Lake Michigan and the Art Institute was amazing. The ceremony itself was wonderful. My father and new stepmother were so happy to be getting married, and the event itself was joyous.
We stayed another half-hour after the ceremony and dined on some appetizers and had another drink. I told the boys they could drink as much soda as they wanted tonight, with the warning of how when I was 10, I drank so much soda at a wedding that I had the most bizarre nightmares after I went to sleep (and 33 years later, I still remember those bad dreams -- too weird to quite describe, but they are etched in my memory). Eventually, we drove back home and didn't hit as much traffic as we did on our way down.
The block party was a lot of fun, too. Ben danced for much of the night, and played cornhole when he wasn't dancing or eating. I got to talk with some of my father's friends whom I hadn't seen in a long time. I also was asked to give a toast -- I had a day to prepare, but I was still nervous nonetheless. The bugs weren't too bad, and the boys actually decided to go to sleep at a reasonable hour (about 10 p.m.). This day will be a happy vacation memory as well as a good family memory.
The day didn't disappoint.
After breakfast, many of us worked feverishly to set up the house for the reception, which was going to be a sort of block party more than anything formal. A couple hours later, everything was mostly set so that after the ceremony downtown, we could come back to the house and begin the festivities. Fourteen people were staying in the house, and we all needed showers, so the clear things up a little, I took the boys to SuperDawg for lunch. I was lucky to still get some hot water for my shower later; Lori and Ben, not so much. Finally, we made it out of the house toward downtown.
We stayed another half-hour after the ceremony and dined on some appetizers and had another drink. I told the boys they could drink as much soda as they wanted tonight, with the warning of how when I was 10, I drank so much soda at a wedding that I had the most bizarre nightmares after I went to sleep (and 33 years later, I still remember those bad dreams -- too weird to quite describe, but they are etched in my memory). Eventually, we drove back home and didn't hit as much traffic as we did on our way down.
The block party was a lot of fun, too. Ben danced for much of the night, and played cornhole when he wasn't dancing or eating. I got to talk with some of my father's friends whom I hadn't seen in a long time. I also was asked to give a toast -- I had a day to prepare, but I was still nervous nonetheless. The bugs weren't too bad, and the boys actually decided to go to sleep at a reasonable hour (about 10 p.m.). This day will be a happy vacation memory as well as a good family memory.
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