"Where To Start....."
Good golly! It's been a while since I've posted, and SOOOOOOOO much has happened.
This is going to be REALLY long, so take your time!
I'll start in order,
Al & Mini's wedding. What a blast! All the food! Lots of dancing! It was like a never ending party. Lavish to say the least, a horse all decorated for a king, and some of the most amazing music. Being a drummer, and participating as such, it was great to hear and learn the rhythms of India. I was juggling the OLA project in between the parties, which was great to be able to do and I hope it didn't distract anyone from the real reason we were there. I've just recently lost the weight I gained from all that incredible food! Congrats to you two! You were meant for each other, and I can prove it by how happy you two looked together at our wedding!
The 352nd Fighter Group reunion in Wichita, KS was absolutely monumental and spoiling. All the vets got to go for a ride in a P-51 Mustang, which they had 4 there! Got tons of pics and videos from that! Our amazing hosts, Ken & Louise Wagnon, took us to the Cessna plant to see how they manufacture their aircraft, then Mustang rides, then a tour of the Boeing aircraft hanger at McConnell AFB where they are restoring an old B-29 bomber. Boeing greeted us with red carpet and the R.O.T.C. band. Then off to a chuck wagon style dinner at the Prairie Rose ranch. (None of this is in actual 'order') Then we went to the Cosmosphere museum where our buses had a full police escort, and we were met by another band. It was great to see these surviving "heroes" get such a grand treatment. And finally, another BIG dinner party at the hotel. The only disaster was that my father, who missed the last reunion because of cancer treatment, lost his luggage with ALL the wonderful memorabilia. It never showed up, and ASA still to this day hasn't found it.
The band is well under way on the recording of our debut cd. It's sounding GREAT!!!! More about it on "My Space.com" to be added soon. I actually set a record for myself in the studio, completing the drum tracks for 7 songs, including 2 that I hadn't "officially" made drum parts for. So when you hear "Thank You" and "Something Green", I made those parts as the "tape" was rolling. And we did it in 8 hrs. including 5-10 minute breaks between takes, and lunch. I didn't notice how sore my hands were until the next day!
The wedding shower. Lindsay was given the royal treatment with friends, family, and a ton of gifts and activities. Check Supergoober's blogs for the skinny. I was given the honor to help Duckie shop for a good r/c airplane.... he, he, he..... I got one too!!!!! Yep, you guessed it, a P-51!! What else!!!
Our great friends Keith & Yvette through a dinner party where Karmakeys made us her lab rats for one of the most incredible dinners we've EVER had!!! You go girlfriend!! While there, I got to see what may become my first motorcycle. A 1976 Yamaha RD-400. This has been met with much debate by friends and family as I do seem to be rather "accident-prone". We'll see, I've got plenty of time. It will be restored over the winter, and I will take LOTS of riding classes in the spring before I put my ass on the road! And hopefully not literally!!
Hmmm, what else.... I know there was something big that happened recently. Uhhhh, hmmmm. Wait.... no. It wasn't my hair cut. OH YEAH!!!!!
I'M OFFICIALLY LINDSAY'S HUSBAND!!!!!!!! WE'RE MARRIED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
In what has to be the most magical, and by far the GREATEST weekend of my life, (only an actual weekend visit to Heaven might come close, but I seriously doubt it) we gathered in the beautiful town of Fredericksburg, VA with family and friends for a flawless ceremony. Gold and orange and red woodlands surrounded us beneath a clear and sunny sky, in temperatures that hovered in the mid 70's. I still feel the theme of this event was not the wedding itself necessarily, but more a celebration of all the people in our lives who make us who we are, coming together and having a great time getting to know one another better. I couldn't imagine any kind of life without the folks we have around us. If there ever was a true definition for "family", ALL of you are it.
So, Nov. 4th, 2005 my parents and brother and I hop into a white rental van at 6:20am and start our journey to Fredericksburg, VA. Since I really didn't get to bed till very late I should be tired as hell, but I guess knowing what this trip was for got the adrenaline pumping, and I'm wide awake. This trip reminds me of my childhood, Mom & Dad, my brother and I, snacks, and pillows for the wary, except I'm driving, Keith's up front, and the parents are in the back sleeping. It just struck me as an odd blend of familiarity and change. We make it about 2 and a half to 3 hours, before I have to swap out the driving duties. I guess the adrenaline rush wore off and lack of sleep was taking over. Caught a good 2 hour nap though. The weather was amazing! Couldn't ask for a better day to travel. The only doors to get through now would be traffic, and any possible mechanical problems. The van had a pull to the right, indicating either a low tire or alignment needed. I was hoping that we didn't have a slow leak that would become a flat.... at the worst possible moment! We were lucky though, and after about 10 hours we arrived in Fredericksburg around 4:30pm. With the rehearsal not being until 6pm, we had time to check-in at the hotel and relax a minute.
First off, Linz and her parents did a FANTASTIC job on locations. The hotel was wonderful, with all of our friends and family right there. And just about everything you could possibly need was within walking distance. Their month's of hard work and planning was an obvious success, as everyone seemed to be in good spirits, and ready to have a great time. I was happy to finally introduce my awesome friends to my folks, who have heard lots about them from Linz and myself. I think it really made my parents feel better about us being so far from them, knowing we are surrounded by the greatest bunch of people you could ever want.
It was getting closer to 6pm, and rehearsal time felt like waiting to play a show. I was getting anxious and ready to get it under way. The waiting always sucks! You know you got a job to do, you're ready to do it, and you have to wait around and occupy your time with something to keep you from bursting. Keith and I chatted about my new r/c plane, and then Fausto came by and we were all looking at r/c planes on his lap-top. Now that we got a good discussion going, it's time. We get everyone rounded up and drive off to the church. The weather is still perfect, and I think everyone in the van was hoping it stayed that way for the rest of the weekend. After navigating the winding, hilly road course to the church, we have arrived! I missed the driveway and had to turn the convoy around, "Oops! Sorry folks!" All's well now, and we park to walk over. I haven't seen Linz in 4 days, and we were both like long lost friends as we got to see each other again. Man is she beautiful!!!! Everyone was laughing and having a good time, I'm sure it was an effort to ignore the nervousness, at least it was for Linz and me. Seeing the Brides maids with their shower favors, hats and crowns and various silliness was amusing. They all looked great!! Father Jeffrey, being the ever laid-back gentleman, made us all very comfortable and ready to make this go as smooth as possible. Of course my groomsmen were cutting up, and it was hard not to bust out laughing!! I did a good job, I thought, of not letting them cause me to crack-up. Instead, it was my wife-to-be that got us all when we were repeating the vows.
(Father Jeffery)- "To have and to hold..."
(Linz)- "To have and to hold..."
(F.J.)- "In sickness, and in health..."
(Linz)- "In sickness, and in health..."
(F.J.)- "For richer, or for poorer..."
(Linz)- "For poorer, let's face it!"
Ahhh, my cute little smart ass!
Kelly and Lucy did a phenomenal job with their readings!! Of course Connie did a wonderful job, she is always great at readings and speeches. Father Jeffery commented to me later that he was really impressed with our wedding party, as most wedding parties goof off too much and when it comes time to get it right, they screw up. Not our gang, we're pro's!!
When we did the first run-through, and Linz and I did our exit, we got outside and just smiled at each other. We knew it was going to be great. I was more concerned with whether or not I would remember my moves, like where to stand, when to turn, when to kneel, all the hand holding and swapping.... it would be o.k.
Well, that went good. Now it was time to have dinner with the wedding party, and do some terrible bowling. Even at dinner, I remember feeling weird about being the center of attention. Linz handles that stuff very well. I was a bit uncomfortable, because in situations where I am the center of attention it usually involves me being behind a drum set. And even then, I'm only part of the attraction. The food was great, and everyone was laughing and having a good time. Lindsay's friend Laurie came in from Japan. I thought, "gee, that's a long drive...." After lots of hugs and thanks, we were off to test our bowling abilities. On our lane, I'll just sum it up as, I still suck and the old man still has the touch. He smoked our ass's, and I can assure you that he actually plays even better than that! Some of us hung around a while longer playing air-hockey and drinking beer. Chaz and I had a heck of a game going! From time to time it would hit me that we were here for Lindsay's and mine's wedding, though really it felt like one of those great parties where we were all just hanging out together, having a good time.
Back to the hotel for some sleep, which was only made easy by the fact that we had just driven for 10 hours, and I had just consumed 2 glasses of wine and about 4 and a half beers. Oddly, I didn't feel drunk at all, and the buzz I had 30 minutes was gone. That's a good thing!
The next morning we enjoyed a wonderful free breakfast at the hotel with eggs, pancakes, sausage, potatoes, fruit, and tons of options. I took Mom and Penny and Roby to Wally World to get some last minute items. Then we got the groomsmen together and over to the reception hall to get the tables and chairs in place. I swear these folks watch NASCAR. It looked like a pit crew in there. Within 40 minutes we were done and eating pizza, then the decorators came in and put their magic on the room. As far as I witnessed, it seemed to go very smoothly. I'm sure there had to have been some drama or problems that our wonderful friends and family conquered, but nothing was made aware to me, except a little confusion over how to handle the tables where the dance floor would be. That was easily managed though, and the boys were off to get ourselves looking like the "Rat Pack" in our tuxes. As much as I hate wearing any kind of suit, this thing was actually very comfortable, and I felt like we were at the Oscars! Yeah, we looked good man!
Time to get to the church for pictures before the big event. What a drive! Just as we had hoped, the weather was amazing. Hardly a cloud in the sky, sunny and warm, and the trees looked like they had come for the wedding too, all dressed up in the colors of Fall with gold, red and orange everywhere around us. It was absolutely perfect! We arrived on time and got ourselves ready for pictures as the decorators finished the final touches. I walked into the church where the photographer was waiting. We chatted for a minute, then the door opened. He quickly asked, "Have you two had a moment together before we get started?" I replied no that we hadn't. "Well don't turn around yet!" He rushed everyone out, then said, "O.K., you can turn around now." This moment will forever be etched in my memory as I turned to face the door. There she was. With a brilliant light coming through the doorway, a Princess emerged holding bouquet of beautiful flowers. She was more spectacular than any princess I've ever seen, eyes sparkling above a nervous smile, and a tiara adorning her head like the halo of an angel. For as long as I live there will never be a more beautiful sight than my Bride walking towards me. We stood there in the realization of what we were here for. This was it, the BIG day. We held hands and talked for a bit about the amazing weekend we were having. Lindsay asked me if I recognized the tiara she was wearing, and I replied that it was oddly familiar, but I couldn't remember where I had seen it. "It's the one your Mother wore for her wedding." That to me was the coolest thing ever, I mean how appropriate could that be, my Mother's maiden name was Smith, and here we were at yet another Smith/Rinehart wedding. We exchanged gifts, and then were summoned to the front lawn for pictures while we still had Sun left. Our photographer did a good job at keeping everyone relaxed and having fun, which made me confident that our pictures should turn out really well. As there was plenty of time left, we did just about every imaginable combination for pictures. The wedding party was just stunning in their tuxes and dresses, looking like a red carpet event was about to happen. Yeah, I know, there was, but I mean WOW!! Look at everyone! For a day that will only happen once in our life time, this was just the most amazing sight to see! A dream was coming true right before our eyes. The pictures were winding down, and so was time. Places people.
I made my way to the back room of the church where Father Jeffery and my brother, (the best man) were waiting. I remember thinking about the term "best man" and how understating that was for my brother. "Greatest Man" was more of what I thought of him. He's always been there for us, and we owe him so much. I think he was more nervous than I was. I kept thinking how strange it was that I wasn't nervous, seriously, it felt just like getting ready to go on stage. But I also remembered that my best shows were the ones where my friends were there, and this time it was friends AND family.
Well, the groomsmen are done with the seating and are now coming into the back room. In a minute I would make my way out to the alter. We all looked at each other, smiled and shook hands. This was it. Father Jeffery opened the door and I made my way out. Just as Lindsay had planned, it was dark with only candles and very dim lighting reflecting off the faces of family and friends before me. Still, I wasn't nervous. What the hell? I thought I'd be shaking and sweating. You know, like those "funniest home movies" of weddings where the groom passes out, or something silly. Nope, calm as a sleeping kitten. It's actually a good thing, because people kept telling us how it would all be a blur, and done before we knew it. It's all actually very vivid in our minds, as if it were yesterday. I've even still got glitter confetti in my Jeep to prove it! (But that's later.) The groomsmen followed behind me, and we took our places. The doors opened and the brides maids came down the isle in a parade of glamour. Each looking absolutely gorgeous. I remember Allison and I giving each other a wink and a smile, acknowledging that the day was finally here.
A brief silence, then the choir launched into Ave Maria. The bride is coming. The door opens and my Princess, in locked arms with her Father, makes her journey to the alter. What a sight!!!!! She is absolutely stunning!! All the hard work and preparation she's put into making this day perfect has paid off. For this to be the only time in our lives that this will happen, it couldn't possibly be any more perfect. Here we are!
Father Jeffery's sermon couldn't have been any more appropriate either. It spoke of the importance of friends, the strength of family, and the need of support that goes with each. Never taking anyone for granted. If there was ever a group of humans to have done these deeds, and accomplish this mission, they were all present in this room. And I've never felt prouder in my life than I did at this moment, knowing that we were in the company of greatness. And there were still others that couldn't be here.... my what an army of beautiful souls we have in this world.
It was REALLY hard not to just lean over and kiss Linz during the sermon, and I almost did just that but recovered well by "shooting" a kiss her way. During the exchanging of vows, it was tough to not either laugh, or cry with joy. I think the only thing that helped me was preparing myself just in case Linz pulled that "for poorer, let's face it!" thing again. I really didn't know if she would do it or not. But I also realized that this was too important to be messing around cracking jokes, so I banked that she wouldn't. And she didn't. Good girl. My ring had a little trouble going on, and it's weird what goes through your head. "Oh shit! I've gained weight!" Turns out, I was just swollen with happiness! Happy fat fingers! The photographer had told us earlier to count 1 Mississippi, 2 Miss., 3 Miss. so they could get "The Kiss" shot just right. Well, we some how misunderstood, and instead counted 1 supercalifragilisticexpialadocious...... and so on. It wasn't until somebody said, "Whoooo!!" that I realized we had gone over time. What can I say, I love the woman who is now officially my WIFE. I looked up at Father Jeffery, and he was fanning us with his sermon booklet. That was funny!! Lindsay didn't know about that until I told her that night. And down the aisle we strolled, all married and happy as could humanly be possible!!
We made our way to the receiving line at the reception hall, and there we got to meet everyone that attended. A big surprise was the mother and daughter of a family my parents had been in the Air Force with back in the sixties, paid us a visit! The only ones who knew were Linz and her Mother. My parents were VERY excited to see them, as was I. But my brother was most blown away. The daughter, Angie, was his boyhood crush for MANY years. It was awesome to see them on the dance floor later that evening. I was soooo thirsty in the receiving line that I got my brother to sneak me a beer. Ahhhh, refreshing! After meeting 136, (I think that number's close.) attendee's, it was time to eat. As we walked in everyone applauded, and I turned to Linz and said, "What'd we do?" Forgetting that this was OUR wedding. After attending so many weddings over the past 2 years, I got used to just walking in and grabbing a plate of food. It was still odd to think that this was all for us. I felt extremely spoiled, that much I can assure you! We actually had time to eat and relax. Because we didn't designate a table for the wedding party, we got to set with our friends who weren't in the wedding party. I thought that was a great idea because we weren't alienated from everyone. As folks finished eating, they would get up and someone else would set down with us. It was great to be able to talk with everyone, and personally thank them for coming.
Dolph. If you ever have a party and need someone to MC, he's the man! Everyone was coming up to me saying, "That guy d.j.-ing, he's great! Who is he?" They all loved him, he was so smooth with handling the crowds mood. Knowing just when to ease up, and when to hit em with some good old rock & roll. Of course the best part was his jokes and witty remarks to the various moments of oddity. We were summoned for a toast by my brother, who in a moment of emotion, was saved when I reminded him that we rode in P-51's! He laughed at that one. He told me before the wedding that toasts weren't his thing, and he was real nervous, but he did a wonderful job and almost put us all in tears. Dolph asked if anyone else wanted to make a toast, and before it was all over, at least 10 people made gracious speeches in our honor. Chaz was undoubtedly the most emotional. Poor guy, he couldn't finish what he was trying to say, but he didn't have to. Linz & I knew what he was saying, and we felt the same. He truly is a one-of-kind guy. I've never had so much fun with someone, I mean hell, he threw me TWO bachelor parties!!!! He's been a real blessing in our lives, and I thank God everyday for him. Love ya Chaz!
So the dancing got under way, and unless I have a ton of beer, I'm not that great on the floor. I left Linz to entertain the dance crowd while I made my way around the room to talk with the shy folk that opted to stay in their seats. I wanted to be sure that everyone knew how much it meant to have them there. I also made sure to thank the bar boy and the caterers. They did a great job of keeping up with things. We really did have an A faculty that made the night go flawless.
As the evening wore down, I noticed how accurately the drinks had been calculated. I looked in the cooler at the end of the night and all that was left was 2 bottles of wine, 5 or 6 Miller Lites, and an arm-full of sodas. It was good to see my buddy Keith Barton with a red, smiling face, indicating that he was happily drunk off his ass!! It wasn't until I got out to my Jeep that I suddenly wanted to kill someone.
The outside of my Jeep was great, with streamers and writing on the windows, cans tied to the back and all. BUT, when I opened the door, that's when I about puked. TONS, (I'm not kidding.) of glitter confetti covered the floor boards, and seats, and the back cargo area. When I cranked up the Jeep, confetti shot out of the vents as well!!! AARRRRGGGG!!!!!! Someone is going to fucking die!!!! Oh well. Actually, it was a great prank. Kudos to the culprit. It will forever (as that is how long it will take to rid my Jeep of it all), be a reminder of the greatest day of my life!!!!!!
As long as this entry is, it still doesn't come close to the experience itself. I mean, marrying the woman of my dreams (actually better than any woman I could've ever dreamed of.), and being able to share it all with my family. Yes, family. Because if you're my friend, you're my family. All of you. And I wouldn't want it any other way.
Oh yeah, can I just say how awesome Elizabeth looked in that killer dress?! You go girlfriend. Chaz, you better hang on to that girl, or I'll glitter confetti the fuck out of the rest of your life!!!!!!!!
This is going to be REALLY long, so take your time!
I'll start in order,
Al & Mini's wedding. What a blast! All the food! Lots of dancing! It was like a never ending party. Lavish to say the least, a horse all decorated for a king, and some of the most amazing music. Being a drummer, and participating as such, it was great to hear and learn the rhythms of India. I was juggling the OLA project in between the parties, which was great to be able to do and I hope it didn't distract anyone from the real reason we were there. I've just recently lost the weight I gained from all that incredible food! Congrats to you two! You were meant for each other, and I can prove it by how happy you two looked together at our wedding!
The 352nd Fighter Group reunion in Wichita, KS was absolutely monumental and spoiling. All the vets got to go for a ride in a P-51 Mustang, which they had 4 there! Got tons of pics and videos from that! Our amazing hosts, Ken & Louise Wagnon, took us to the Cessna plant to see how they manufacture their aircraft, then Mustang rides, then a tour of the Boeing aircraft hanger at McConnell AFB where they are restoring an old B-29 bomber. Boeing greeted us with red carpet and the R.O.T.C. band. Then off to a chuck wagon style dinner at the Prairie Rose ranch. (None of this is in actual 'order') Then we went to the Cosmosphere museum where our buses had a full police escort, and we were met by another band. It was great to see these surviving "heroes" get such a grand treatment. And finally, another BIG dinner party at the hotel. The only disaster was that my father, who missed the last reunion because of cancer treatment, lost his luggage with ALL the wonderful memorabilia. It never showed up, and ASA still to this day hasn't found it.
The band is well under way on the recording of our debut cd. It's sounding GREAT!!!! More about it on "My Space.com" to be added soon. I actually set a record for myself in the studio, completing the drum tracks for 7 songs, including 2 that I hadn't "officially" made drum parts for. So when you hear "Thank You" and "Something Green", I made those parts as the "tape" was rolling. And we did it in 8 hrs. including 5-10 minute breaks between takes, and lunch. I didn't notice how sore my hands were until the next day!
The wedding shower. Lindsay was given the royal treatment with friends, family, and a ton of gifts and activities. Check Supergoober's blogs for the skinny. I was given the honor to help Duckie shop for a good r/c airplane.... he, he, he..... I got one too!!!!! Yep, you guessed it, a P-51!! What else!!!
Our great friends Keith & Yvette through a dinner party where Karmakeys made us her lab rats for one of the most incredible dinners we've EVER had!!! You go girlfriend!! While there, I got to see what may become my first motorcycle. A 1976 Yamaha RD-400. This has been met with much debate by friends and family as I do seem to be rather "accident-prone". We'll see, I've got plenty of time. It will be restored over the winter, and I will take LOTS of riding classes in the spring before I put my ass on the road! And hopefully not literally!!
Hmmm, what else.... I know there was something big that happened recently. Uhhhh, hmmmm. Wait.... no. It wasn't my hair cut. OH YEAH!!!!!
I'M OFFICIALLY LINDSAY'S HUSBAND!!!!!!!! WE'RE MARRIED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
In what has to be the most magical, and by far the GREATEST weekend of my life, (only an actual weekend visit to Heaven might come close, but I seriously doubt it) we gathered in the beautiful town of Fredericksburg, VA with family and friends for a flawless ceremony. Gold and orange and red woodlands surrounded us beneath a clear and sunny sky, in temperatures that hovered in the mid 70's. I still feel the theme of this event was not the wedding itself necessarily, but more a celebration of all the people in our lives who make us who we are, coming together and having a great time getting to know one another better. I couldn't imagine any kind of life without the folks we have around us. If there ever was a true definition for "family", ALL of you are it.
So, Nov. 4th, 2005 my parents and brother and I hop into a white rental van at 6:20am and start our journey to Fredericksburg, VA. Since I really didn't get to bed till very late I should be tired as hell, but I guess knowing what this trip was for got the adrenaline pumping, and I'm wide awake. This trip reminds me of my childhood, Mom & Dad, my brother and I, snacks, and pillows for the wary, except I'm driving, Keith's up front, and the parents are in the back sleeping. It just struck me as an odd blend of familiarity and change. We make it about 2 and a half to 3 hours, before I have to swap out the driving duties. I guess the adrenaline rush wore off and lack of sleep was taking over. Caught a good 2 hour nap though. The weather was amazing! Couldn't ask for a better day to travel. The only doors to get through now would be traffic, and any possible mechanical problems. The van had a pull to the right, indicating either a low tire or alignment needed. I was hoping that we didn't have a slow leak that would become a flat.... at the worst possible moment! We were lucky though, and after about 10 hours we arrived in Fredericksburg around 4:30pm. With the rehearsal not being until 6pm, we had time to check-in at the hotel and relax a minute.
First off, Linz and her parents did a FANTASTIC job on locations. The hotel was wonderful, with all of our friends and family right there. And just about everything you could possibly need was within walking distance. Their month's of hard work and planning was an obvious success, as everyone seemed to be in good spirits, and ready to have a great time. I was happy to finally introduce my awesome friends to my folks, who have heard lots about them from Linz and myself. I think it really made my parents feel better about us being so far from them, knowing we are surrounded by the greatest bunch of people you could ever want.
It was getting closer to 6pm, and rehearsal time felt like waiting to play a show. I was getting anxious and ready to get it under way. The waiting always sucks! You know you got a job to do, you're ready to do it, and you have to wait around and occupy your time with something to keep you from bursting. Keith and I chatted about my new r/c plane, and then Fausto came by and we were all looking at r/c planes on his lap-top. Now that we got a good discussion going, it's time. We get everyone rounded up and drive off to the church. The weather is still perfect, and I think everyone in the van was hoping it stayed that way for the rest of the weekend. After navigating the winding, hilly road course to the church, we have arrived! I missed the driveway and had to turn the convoy around, "Oops! Sorry folks!" All's well now, and we park to walk over. I haven't seen Linz in 4 days, and we were both like long lost friends as we got to see each other again. Man is she beautiful!!!! Everyone was laughing and having a good time, I'm sure it was an effort to ignore the nervousness, at least it was for Linz and me. Seeing the Brides maids with their shower favors, hats and crowns and various silliness was amusing. They all looked great!! Father Jeffrey, being the ever laid-back gentleman, made us all very comfortable and ready to make this go as smooth as possible. Of course my groomsmen were cutting up, and it was hard not to bust out laughing!! I did a good job, I thought, of not letting them cause me to crack-up. Instead, it was my wife-to-be that got us all when we were repeating the vows.
(Father Jeffery)- "To have and to hold..."
(Linz)- "To have and to hold..."
(F.J.)- "In sickness, and in health..."
(Linz)- "In sickness, and in health..."
(F.J.)- "For richer, or for poorer..."
(Linz)- "For poorer, let's face it!"
Ahhh, my cute little smart ass!
Kelly and Lucy did a phenomenal job with their readings!! Of course Connie did a wonderful job, she is always great at readings and speeches. Father Jeffery commented to me later that he was really impressed with our wedding party, as most wedding parties goof off too much and when it comes time to get it right, they screw up. Not our gang, we're pro's!!
When we did the first run-through, and Linz and I did our exit, we got outside and just smiled at each other. We knew it was going to be great. I was more concerned with whether or not I would remember my moves, like where to stand, when to turn, when to kneel, all the hand holding and swapping.... it would be o.k.
Well, that went good. Now it was time to have dinner with the wedding party, and do some terrible bowling. Even at dinner, I remember feeling weird about being the center of attention. Linz handles that stuff very well. I was a bit uncomfortable, because in situations where I am the center of attention it usually involves me being behind a drum set. And even then, I'm only part of the attraction. The food was great, and everyone was laughing and having a good time. Lindsay's friend Laurie came in from Japan. I thought, "gee, that's a long drive...." After lots of hugs and thanks, we were off to test our bowling abilities. On our lane, I'll just sum it up as, I still suck and the old man still has the touch. He smoked our ass's, and I can assure you that he actually plays even better than that! Some of us hung around a while longer playing air-hockey and drinking beer. Chaz and I had a heck of a game going! From time to time it would hit me that we were here for Lindsay's and mine's wedding, though really it felt like one of those great parties where we were all just hanging out together, having a good time.
Back to the hotel for some sleep, which was only made easy by the fact that we had just driven for 10 hours, and I had just consumed 2 glasses of wine and about 4 and a half beers. Oddly, I didn't feel drunk at all, and the buzz I had 30 minutes was gone. That's a good thing!
The next morning we enjoyed a wonderful free breakfast at the hotel with eggs, pancakes, sausage, potatoes, fruit, and tons of options. I took Mom and Penny and Roby to Wally World to get some last minute items. Then we got the groomsmen together and over to the reception hall to get the tables and chairs in place. I swear these folks watch NASCAR. It looked like a pit crew in there. Within 40 minutes we were done and eating pizza, then the decorators came in and put their magic on the room. As far as I witnessed, it seemed to go very smoothly. I'm sure there had to have been some drama or problems that our wonderful friends and family conquered, but nothing was made aware to me, except a little confusion over how to handle the tables where the dance floor would be. That was easily managed though, and the boys were off to get ourselves looking like the "Rat Pack" in our tuxes. As much as I hate wearing any kind of suit, this thing was actually very comfortable, and I felt like we were at the Oscars! Yeah, we looked good man!
Time to get to the church for pictures before the big event. What a drive! Just as we had hoped, the weather was amazing. Hardly a cloud in the sky, sunny and warm, and the trees looked like they had come for the wedding too, all dressed up in the colors of Fall with gold, red and orange everywhere around us. It was absolutely perfect! We arrived on time and got ourselves ready for pictures as the decorators finished the final touches. I walked into the church where the photographer was waiting. We chatted for a minute, then the door opened. He quickly asked, "Have you two had a moment together before we get started?" I replied no that we hadn't. "Well don't turn around yet!" He rushed everyone out, then said, "O.K., you can turn around now." This moment will forever be etched in my memory as I turned to face the door. There she was. With a brilliant light coming through the doorway, a Princess emerged holding bouquet of beautiful flowers. She was more spectacular than any princess I've ever seen, eyes sparkling above a nervous smile, and a tiara adorning her head like the halo of an angel. For as long as I live there will never be a more beautiful sight than my Bride walking towards me. We stood there in the realization of what we were here for. This was it, the BIG day. We held hands and talked for a bit about the amazing weekend we were having. Lindsay asked me if I recognized the tiara she was wearing, and I replied that it was oddly familiar, but I couldn't remember where I had seen it. "It's the one your Mother wore for her wedding." That to me was the coolest thing ever, I mean how appropriate could that be, my Mother's maiden name was Smith, and here we were at yet another Smith/Rinehart wedding. We exchanged gifts, and then were summoned to the front lawn for pictures while we still had Sun left. Our photographer did a good job at keeping everyone relaxed and having fun, which made me confident that our pictures should turn out really well. As there was plenty of time left, we did just about every imaginable combination for pictures. The wedding party was just stunning in their tuxes and dresses, looking like a red carpet event was about to happen. Yeah, I know, there was, but I mean WOW!! Look at everyone! For a day that will only happen once in our life time, this was just the most amazing sight to see! A dream was coming true right before our eyes. The pictures were winding down, and so was time. Places people.
I made my way to the back room of the church where Father Jeffery and my brother, (the best man) were waiting. I remember thinking about the term "best man" and how understating that was for my brother. "Greatest Man" was more of what I thought of him. He's always been there for us, and we owe him so much. I think he was more nervous than I was. I kept thinking how strange it was that I wasn't nervous, seriously, it felt just like getting ready to go on stage. But I also remembered that my best shows were the ones where my friends were there, and this time it was friends AND family.
Well, the groomsmen are done with the seating and are now coming into the back room. In a minute I would make my way out to the alter. We all looked at each other, smiled and shook hands. This was it. Father Jeffery opened the door and I made my way out. Just as Lindsay had planned, it was dark with only candles and very dim lighting reflecting off the faces of family and friends before me. Still, I wasn't nervous. What the hell? I thought I'd be shaking and sweating. You know, like those "funniest home movies" of weddings where the groom passes out, or something silly. Nope, calm as a sleeping kitten. It's actually a good thing, because people kept telling us how it would all be a blur, and done before we knew it. It's all actually very vivid in our minds, as if it were yesterday. I've even still got glitter confetti in my Jeep to prove it! (But that's later.) The groomsmen followed behind me, and we took our places. The doors opened and the brides maids came down the isle in a parade of glamour. Each looking absolutely gorgeous. I remember Allison and I giving each other a wink and a smile, acknowledging that the day was finally here.
A brief silence, then the choir launched into Ave Maria. The bride is coming. The door opens and my Princess, in locked arms with her Father, makes her journey to the alter. What a sight!!!!! She is absolutely stunning!! All the hard work and preparation she's put into making this day perfect has paid off. For this to be the only time in our lives that this will happen, it couldn't possibly be any more perfect. Here we are!
Father Jeffery's sermon couldn't have been any more appropriate either. It spoke of the importance of friends, the strength of family, and the need of support that goes with each. Never taking anyone for granted. If there was ever a group of humans to have done these deeds, and accomplish this mission, they were all present in this room. And I've never felt prouder in my life than I did at this moment, knowing that we were in the company of greatness. And there were still others that couldn't be here.... my what an army of beautiful souls we have in this world.
It was REALLY hard not to just lean over and kiss Linz during the sermon, and I almost did just that but recovered well by "shooting" a kiss her way. During the exchanging of vows, it was tough to not either laugh, or cry with joy. I think the only thing that helped me was preparing myself just in case Linz pulled that "for poorer, let's face it!" thing again. I really didn't know if she would do it or not. But I also realized that this was too important to be messing around cracking jokes, so I banked that she wouldn't. And she didn't. Good girl. My ring had a little trouble going on, and it's weird what goes through your head. "Oh shit! I've gained weight!" Turns out, I was just swollen with happiness! Happy fat fingers! The photographer had told us earlier to count 1 Mississippi, 2 Miss., 3 Miss. so they could get "The Kiss" shot just right. Well, we some how misunderstood, and instead counted 1 supercalifragilisticexpialadocious...... and so on. It wasn't until somebody said, "Whoooo!!" that I realized we had gone over time. What can I say, I love the woman who is now officially my WIFE. I looked up at Father Jeffery, and he was fanning us with his sermon booklet. That was funny!! Lindsay didn't know about that until I told her that night. And down the aisle we strolled, all married and happy as could humanly be possible!!
We made our way to the receiving line at the reception hall, and there we got to meet everyone that attended. A big surprise was the mother and daughter of a family my parents had been in the Air Force with back in the sixties, paid us a visit! The only ones who knew were Linz and her Mother. My parents were VERY excited to see them, as was I. But my brother was most blown away. The daughter, Angie, was his boyhood crush for MANY years. It was awesome to see them on the dance floor later that evening. I was soooo thirsty in the receiving line that I got my brother to sneak me a beer. Ahhhh, refreshing! After meeting 136, (I think that number's close.) attendee's, it was time to eat. As we walked in everyone applauded, and I turned to Linz and said, "What'd we do?" Forgetting that this was OUR wedding. After attending so many weddings over the past 2 years, I got used to just walking in and grabbing a plate of food. It was still odd to think that this was all for us. I felt extremely spoiled, that much I can assure you! We actually had time to eat and relax. Because we didn't designate a table for the wedding party, we got to set with our friends who weren't in the wedding party. I thought that was a great idea because we weren't alienated from everyone. As folks finished eating, they would get up and someone else would set down with us. It was great to be able to talk with everyone, and personally thank them for coming.
Dolph. If you ever have a party and need someone to MC, he's the man! Everyone was coming up to me saying, "That guy d.j.-ing, he's great! Who is he?" They all loved him, he was so smooth with handling the crowds mood. Knowing just when to ease up, and when to hit em with some good old rock & roll. Of course the best part was his jokes and witty remarks to the various moments of oddity. We were summoned for a toast by my brother, who in a moment of emotion, was saved when I reminded him that we rode in P-51's! He laughed at that one. He told me before the wedding that toasts weren't his thing, and he was real nervous, but he did a wonderful job and almost put us all in tears. Dolph asked if anyone else wanted to make a toast, and before it was all over, at least 10 people made gracious speeches in our honor. Chaz was undoubtedly the most emotional. Poor guy, he couldn't finish what he was trying to say, but he didn't have to. Linz & I knew what he was saying, and we felt the same. He truly is a one-of-kind guy. I've never had so much fun with someone, I mean hell, he threw me TWO bachelor parties!!!! He's been a real blessing in our lives, and I thank God everyday for him. Love ya Chaz!
So the dancing got under way, and unless I have a ton of beer, I'm not that great on the floor. I left Linz to entertain the dance crowd while I made my way around the room to talk with the shy folk that opted to stay in their seats. I wanted to be sure that everyone knew how much it meant to have them there. I also made sure to thank the bar boy and the caterers. They did a great job of keeping up with things. We really did have an A faculty that made the night go flawless.
As the evening wore down, I noticed how accurately the drinks had been calculated. I looked in the cooler at the end of the night and all that was left was 2 bottles of wine, 5 or 6 Miller Lites, and an arm-full of sodas. It was good to see my buddy Keith Barton with a red, smiling face, indicating that he was happily drunk off his ass!! It wasn't until I got out to my Jeep that I suddenly wanted to kill someone.
The outside of my Jeep was great, with streamers and writing on the windows, cans tied to the back and all. BUT, when I opened the door, that's when I about puked. TONS, (I'm not kidding.) of glitter confetti covered the floor boards, and seats, and the back cargo area. When I cranked up the Jeep, confetti shot out of the vents as well!!! AARRRRGGGG!!!!!! Someone is going to fucking die!!!! Oh well. Actually, it was a great prank. Kudos to the culprit. It will forever (as that is how long it will take to rid my Jeep of it all), be a reminder of the greatest day of my life!!!!!!
As long as this entry is, it still doesn't come close to the experience itself. I mean, marrying the woman of my dreams (actually better than any woman I could've ever dreamed of.), and being able to share it all with my family. Yes, family. Because if you're my friend, you're my family. All of you. And I wouldn't want it any other way.
Oh yeah, can I just say how awesome Elizabeth looked in that killer dress?! You go girlfriend. Chaz, you better hang on to that girl, or I'll glitter confetti the fuck out of the rest of your life!!!!!!!!