US Trip: Day 3

In the morning, B went off to do work at the coffeehouse. I slept in, then got a pedicure (at least my toes could look cute even if my hair was in a sad state) and bought 3 pairs of jeans since I didn't have any that fit/were cute, including my first pair of skinny jeans. I also bought B some dress shoes for the wedding since his only pair turned out to have big holes in both toes (yet he had been wearing them anyway: he is so indifferent to appearances it's remarkable).

Then I picked him up at the coffeehouse and we got dressed, leaving at 3:30 pm (the wedding was at 5 in Palo Alto again). We were right on time and enjoyed the ceremony for the most part. I embarrassed myself by laughing when instructed to "join hands in a fellowship of love and pray to Jesus" (partly in surprise as they are not religious, but I guess her family is). So awful: it is awkward sometimes being a third-generation atheist with no religious background/experience whatsoever.

Next were a reception line, cocktails and appetizers while pictures were being taken, and then the reception: full seated steak dinner, open bar, table service, a DJ, and dancing. Very traditional (though she didn't throw her bouquet), and very unlike my wedding. But they are pretty traditional/conventional so it was appropriate. I did not dance (both B and I hate dancing), but had a great time hanging out with all my old friends.

We shut down the wedding at midnight, and then repaired with the bride and groom to someone else's suite for two more hours, where we ate donuts, drank champagne and wine remnants and reminisced about our youth. Several embarrassing stories about the groom were told, including the time he got arrested with two friends for stealing hood ornaments while drunk. Of the three involved, he was the only one ordered to mandatory AA meetings because due to his honest and naive nature, he answered "No" to the question, "Is this your first time drinking?" So silly. (His father gave him a fifth of Scotch to celebrate his completion of the meetings, just to complete the silliness.) Finally the bride and groom left for the Westin (and on Tuesday, Barcelona and Madrid: I'm so excited for them!), and B and I drove home fueled by donut sugar power.

We arrived at 3:15 am to an incensed little R. She went to sleep well, but woke up in the middle of the night and upon discovering that I was not there, freaked out. When I arrived, she clung to me with all her might and tried to eat my face. I spent the next 1-2 hours feeding, snuggling, and consoling her, and convincing her that it was a good idea to go back to sleep. Finally she calmed down and I went to bed.