Friggin' hot
I suppose I had this theory that living in the North would give me an excuse to not have an air conditioner in my home. My theory has been proven to be woefully misguided. Sigh.
I didn't care much last night anyway, I was way too exhausted. Mike and I went to Colorado Springs over the weekend to attend one of his college friends' weddings (this is the second or third to get married, and it's freaking me out). First, I want to say as a Texan I'm not supposed to like Colorado at all...but I loved it. I wasn't thrilled that it only took about fifteen seconds to get a sunburn (I suppose because everything's at about 6000 feet instead of sea level, which is what I'm used to), but it was so pretty I didn't care that my nose was peeling right before my eyes.
The first day we got there was the rehearsal picnic up on a mountain at some state park there. Absolutely brilliant idea, by the way, instead of trying to rent an entire restaurant just to hold your bridal entourage. I'm totally stealing it if Mike ever proposes. The weather was fabulous; we played volleyball and ate Mexican food and went hiking and I could not have been more thrilled to actually be outside doing physical things and feeling healthy. I haven't felt that good (physically) in a long time...since I moved from the farm, I guess.
Day two was the wedding itself, a lovely Catholic affair complete with Mass and communion and all that good stuff. I'm not a religious girl, but I was raised Catholic as a child and I can at least appreciate the beauty in a well-conducted ceremony. The only problem I have is when they say, "The Lord be with you," and the congregation is supposed to repeat, "and also with you." I always, without fail, think, "May the Force be with you...and also with you." Mike got irritated because he thought I was making fun of their religion in their own church--which I most assuredly was not, especially considering it was how I was raised in the first place.
I don't know why, but the way he communicated his irritation made me feel like he was disappointed in me, whether it was rational or not, and I actually began to cry. What kind of a wimpy-ass girl am I that I cry when someone rebukes me for something I'm not even doing?! I think it was more because I've never seen him be disappointed in me and it stung, but I didn't deserve it! I should have been pissed. Sigh.
At any rate, after the wedding was The Most Raucus Reception Of All Time. I'm totally serious. There was a 73-year-old grandmother there dancing to Baby Got Back. I literally would have died if she knew the words (which I assume she didn't, since she wasn't singing them like the rest of the loons). It was nice, if exceedingly traditional. There was the prerequisite Chicken Dance, at least one Conga line, a zillion speeches accompanied by sips of champagne (which I don't like), tossing of garters and bouquets and the like...exactly what you'd expect a wedding to be, I suppose. Which isn't to say it wasn't lovely and I didn't enjoy myself, but I don't want mine to be that traditional. And I'm concerned Mike does.
Not concerned, really...it wouldn't crush me if we had it that way, but I'd rather do something a little different. Vows on the top of a mountain, or by a waterfall, or in a castle (wouldn't that be cool), or in a little cottage or something that isn't a church. Unless it's a gorgeous, thousand-year-old Scottish church in the middle of bleedin' nowhere and Mike's in a kilt. Wonder if I can get him to go for that. I don't want there to be people who come up to congratulate us and I have no idea who they are (which happened to this couple over the weekend). I don't want anyone to ever, ever play Baby Got Back at my reception. I definitely don't want a reception in a hotel or anywhere else even remotely as cheesy. I like the gathering at the park idea, or someone's back yard, and I want there to be a zillion options for people who don't enjoy dancing (because I'm sorry, but not everyone does), like playing games or what have you.
Okay, I'm thinking about my nonexistent wedding way too much. Sigh. Back to work.