That's
Tom and Melanie. Tom spent a long time arranging the priorities
in his life, and this wedding was his crowning moment, at long last
happy, at long last a success. Diane was ecstatic! She had
already started buying gifts over the summer--bubbles, ring bearer
pillow, veil, garter, cake-server, and on and on and on.
She quickly enlisted me in the project, writing the invitations on my
computer, then taking a picture of the bride, to be framed with a
scrolled copy of her wedding vows as a surprise for Tom, buying wedding
gifts, and hosting the rehearsal dinner, which turned out to
be nearly as elaborate as the wedding itself.
Our son, Freddy, was asked to usher; my friend, Gary, was asked to preside at the taking of vows (which would be legally done the day before at the court); Diane was asked to be wedding coordinator (something about which she knew nothing except that she remembered Martin Short in Father of the Bride) and seamstress for the wedding gown; and I, as Tom's stepfather, was given the honor of giving away the bride.
Of course, I somehow ended up doing more than our original plan.
The evening before the rehearsal dinner, Gary showed up at my house and asked what he was supposed to say at the wedding. He had printed out something that resembled a Catholic service, but had learned that Tom and Melanie wanted a strictly secular service. "What should I say?" Gary asked. We spent must of the night on my computer, researching, writing, and rewriting the service, feeling very much like Rob Lowe and Richard Schiff trying to write speeches for the President in The West Wing.
Meanwhile, I had printed out twenty pages of tasks for Diane as wedding coordinator, most of which fell to me. Tom's brother, Kevin, the Best Man, was gong to DJ the wedding, so I made several CD's of standard wedding music for the adults to dance to, as Kevin's expertise was mainly in Techno Rock. I also had to prepare the video camera, digital camera, see that everybody had bubbles to blow at the bride and groom, decide which usher was partnered with which bridesmaid, figure out when they would pose for pictures, how they would be introduced at the wedding, and drive the bride to the restaurant.
And while I was working on all this, I got an e-mail saying my new job as a film study guide writer was over. The business had required federal funding which had been cut back, due to George Bush's extravagant spending. Another reason for me to hate George Bush! The company owed me several thousand dollars, which they eventually paid, but, after the money Diane had spent on the wedding, I was broke again.
On the morning of the wedding, confusion reigned. I ushered the girls into the rest room and Melanie had a problem with the dress. I ran for Diane to take care of it. Once she got into the girls' room, she sent me nack out to the car for her sewing kit. Next, we set things up on the deck where the wedding was to take place. I gave Kevin's assistant DJ the appropriate music and asked everyone to step outside. It was very warm out there, and getting hotter by the minute.
Just as I was about to cue the music before the guests fried out there in the heat on the deck, I was told to wait. Tom's father had gone out to buy cigarettes, and we couldn't start without him. People were outside, wilting in the heat, along with their corsages and boutonnieres, not to mention a few older, overweight relatives who looked as though they might have coronaries out there.
Time passed. A few people grabbed chairs when they started to see yellow spots before their eyes.
Finally, we started the ceremony.
I took a deep breath, offered Melanie my arm, and away we went. Surprisingly, everything went off perfectly, without a hitch. Gary did a great job with the service, although he did look a little like one of the Men in Black during the ceremony:
Our son, Freddy, was asked to usher; my friend, Gary, was asked to preside at the taking of vows (which would be legally done the day before at the court); Diane was asked to be wedding coordinator (something about which she knew nothing except that she remembered Martin Short in Father of the Bride) and seamstress for the wedding gown; and I, as Tom's stepfather, was given the honor of giving away the bride.
Of course, I somehow ended up doing more than our original plan.
The evening before the rehearsal dinner, Gary showed up at my house and asked what he was supposed to say at the wedding. He had printed out something that resembled a Catholic service, but had learned that Tom and Melanie wanted a strictly secular service. "What should I say?" Gary asked. We spent must of the night on my computer, researching, writing, and rewriting the service, feeling very much like Rob Lowe and Richard Schiff trying to write speeches for the President in The West Wing.
Meanwhile, I had printed out twenty pages of tasks for Diane as wedding coordinator, most of which fell to me. Tom's brother, Kevin, the Best Man, was gong to DJ the wedding, so I made several CD's of standard wedding music for the adults to dance to, as Kevin's expertise was mainly in Techno Rock. I also had to prepare the video camera, digital camera, see that everybody had bubbles to blow at the bride and groom, decide which usher was partnered with which bridesmaid, figure out when they would pose for pictures, how they would be introduced at the wedding, and drive the bride to the restaurant.
And while I was working on all this, I got an e-mail saying my new job as a film study guide writer was over. The business had required federal funding which had been cut back, due to George Bush's extravagant spending. Another reason for me to hate George Bush! The company owed me several thousand dollars, which they eventually paid, but, after the money Diane had spent on the wedding, I was broke again.
On the morning of the wedding, confusion reigned. I ushered the girls into the rest room and Melanie had a problem with the dress. I ran for Diane to take care of it. Once she got into the girls' room, she sent me nack out to the car for her sewing kit. Next, we set things up on the deck where the wedding was to take place. I gave Kevin's assistant DJ the appropriate music and asked everyone to step outside. It was very warm out there, and getting hotter by the minute.
Just as I was about to cue the music before the guests fried out there in the heat on the deck, I was told to wait. Tom's father had gone out to buy cigarettes, and we couldn't start without him. People were outside, wilting in the heat, along with their corsages and boutonnieres, not to mention a few older, overweight relatives who looked as though they might have coronaries out there.
Time passed. A few people grabbed chairs when they started to see yellow spots before their eyes.
Finally, we started the ceremony.
I took a deep breath, offered Melanie my arm, and away we went. Surprisingly, everything went off perfectly, without a hitch. Gary did a great job with the service, although he did look a little like one of the Men in Black during the ceremony:
And
I looked like an FBI man about to frisk the
wedding party for drugs:
Kevin made a wonderful, moving speech, and everybody
had a wonderful time celebrating the marriage. Diane and I were very proud of all the brothers that
day:
And Kevin invited me to drink all I wanted on his
bar tab. Thanks, Kevin. I needed that!
Soon we were back to the cat shows. Houston was a long trip with no real problems. Rocinante ran fine. Houston was an International Show, the largest of the year, and the Expo Center was huge! We were able to drive the camper right into the showhall and park at our booth. The other venders were quite friendly, one of whom said to us, in a friendly way, "Congratulations! You're driving the most beatup, hillbilly camper in the whole show!"
"Thank you very much," I said, not exactly sure how to take her remark.
You can imagine my feelings about an hour later, when somebody's pickup truck overheated, sending a spray of hot antifreeze across a corner of the hall, thankfully nowhere near the vendors. Ha! I thought. NOW who has the most beatup, hillbilly vehicle in the show?
Rocinante may have liked that title, though, because as we packed her up on Sunday evening, she blew a gasket in her lower sanitary pipe, leaving a trail of green, stinking, sewer water on the floor behind her. Needless to say, we left in a hurry, after sprinkling some cat liter on the fetid pool.
Houston had been a very big show. We met venders we had known from shows during our summer trip. Vendor spaces cost $500 a spot, five times the cost of most shows. We also had to drive about a thousand miles to get there.
Soon we were back to the cat shows. Houston was a long trip with no real problems. Rocinante ran fine. Houston was an International Show, the largest of the year, and the Expo Center was huge! We were able to drive the camper right into the showhall and park at our booth. The other venders were quite friendly, one of whom said to us, in a friendly way, "Congratulations! You're driving the most beatup, hillbilly camper in the whole show!"
"Thank you very much," I said, not exactly sure how to take her remark.
You can imagine my feelings about an hour later, when somebody's pickup truck overheated, sending a spray of hot antifreeze across a corner of the hall, thankfully nowhere near the vendors. Ha! I thought. NOW who has the most beatup, hillbilly vehicle in the show?
Rocinante may have liked that title, though, because as we packed her up on Sunday evening, she blew a gasket in her lower sanitary pipe, leaving a trail of green, stinking, sewer water on the floor behind her. Needless to say, we left in a hurry, after sprinkling some cat liter on the fetid pool.
Houston had been a very big show. We met venders we had known from shows during our summer trip. Vendor spaces cost $500 a spot, five times the cost of most shows. We also had to drive about a thousand miles to get there.
But
I learned a lot from the experience. For this show only, we had
purchased a beautiful framed stained glass wall hanging.
This woman had to pay an additional entry fee for
the cat show, and get a friend to drive her, in order to save the
parking fee, just to purchase that picture from us!
I understood at that moment, how things would have to change, if we were ever going to do well at this business. We would have to invest more money, all we can. We had to have at least two tables at every show, more if possible, and more top quality, high end merchandise. We had to take the chance and make ourselves bigger if we were going to succeed.
We decided to get committed!
Chapter 23
This woman had to pay an additional entry fee for
the cat show, and get a friend to drive her, in order to save the
parking fee, just to purchase that picture from us! I understood at that moment, how things would have to change, if we were ever going to do well at this business. We would have to invest more money, all we can. We had to have at least two tables at every show, more if possible, and more top quality, high end merchandise. We had to take the chance and make ourselves bigger if we were going to succeed.
We decided to get committed!
Chapter 23