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Can I get an Amen?
Jun. 30th, 2010 05:57 pmGoing to my cousin's wedding was initially a mixed bag for me. It would be nice to see her, but I was also looking at a long drive by myself. As the date grew closer, I tried to focus on the positive factors: road trips are inherently cool, I'd be heading to Cape May so near the beach, and it's an extra chance to hang out with my parents and relatives who i normally see once a year.
Things I learned on the way down: 5 Hour Energy really does work fast and keep you focused on the drink, as long as you only drink one of them. 287 is DEATH anytime near rush hour. 101.9 is a great alternative station you can get most of the way through New Jersey. Classic rock station really love their AC/DC in Jersey.
I was really looking forward to a drink after my seven and a half hour drive. Unfortunately, my parents stopped at a family restaurant for dinner, so I settled for ice cream. We got back to the hotel and settled in, where I discovered that my mother was a snorer of Wagnerian proportions. My father, God bless him, can sleep through it if he falls asleep first. I could not. I watched several episodes of True Blood deep into the morning, before exhaustion finally claimed me around 5:30.
Four hours of sleep later and I was up, somehow. My cousin had bagels and fruit delivered to our room, along with a bottle of win and some hard lemonades. We dressed up, despite the heat, and drove down to the ceremony. It was outside in a gazebo (we didn't attack it). All the decorations were made by the bride and groom, and looked lovely. The bridesmaids were dressed in pale green, and my aunts commented on how nice they were (apparently wedding outfits are very hit or miss with the ladies). There ceremony was performed by an old Baptist minister friend of my cousin's. He was very forgetful, in fact missing the entire ring presentation, but his voice had that timber and cadence you see in the movies, and he managed to get all the white people singing. That's a miracle in itself.
The reception was quite lavish, and also mostly DIY: they hired people to a pig roast and set up a tent, but all the appetizers and the like were handled by the family, along with decorations, getting friends to DJ, make the cake. Decorations from the ceremony were used as centerpieces, and it all worked nicely. I stayed for about three hours, but had to get on the road to attend a party with a date.
Things I learned on the drive back: getting off the garden state parkway too early will ADD time to your journal, not shorten it. Police officers can be helpful even when they are trying to make you admit things you didn't do, getting the check engine light on in your car when you're still three hours from home doesn't nothing for your nerves. I made it to the party, but my date did not. The party was a good time, I think under other circumstances I could have had a bad time, but extreme exhaustion and a few drinks go a long way towards letting bad thoughts slide. Pull ups are also therapeutic that way.
Things I learned on the way down: 5 Hour Energy really does work fast and keep you focused on the drink, as long as you only drink one of them. 287 is DEATH anytime near rush hour. 101.9 is a great alternative station you can get most of the way through New Jersey. Classic rock station really love their AC/DC in Jersey.
I was really looking forward to a drink after my seven and a half hour drive. Unfortunately, my parents stopped at a family restaurant for dinner, so I settled for ice cream. We got back to the hotel and settled in, where I discovered that my mother was a snorer of Wagnerian proportions. My father, God bless him, can sleep through it if he falls asleep first. I could not. I watched several episodes of True Blood deep into the morning, before exhaustion finally claimed me around 5:30.
Four hours of sleep later and I was up, somehow. My cousin had bagels and fruit delivered to our room, along with a bottle of win and some hard lemonades. We dressed up, despite the heat, and drove down to the ceremony. It was outside in a gazebo (we didn't attack it). All the decorations were made by the bride and groom, and looked lovely. The bridesmaids were dressed in pale green, and my aunts commented on how nice they were (apparently wedding outfits are very hit or miss with the ladies). There ceremony was performed by an old Baptist minister friend of my cousin's. He was very forgetful, in fact missing the entire ring presentation, but his voice had that timber and cadence you see in the movies, and he managed to get all the white people singing. That's a miracle in itself.
The reception was quite lavish, and also mostly DIY: they hired people to a pig roast and set up a tent, but all the appetizers and the like were handled by the family, along with decorations, getting friends to DJ, make the cake. Decorations from the ceremony were used as centerpieces, and it all worked nicely. I stayed for about three hours, but had to get on the road to attend a party with a date.
Things I learned on the drive back: getting off the garden state parkway too early will ADD time to your journal, not shorten it. Police officers can be helpful even when they are trying to make you admit things you didn't do, getting the check engine light on in your car when you're still three hours from home doesn't nothing for your nerves. I made it to the party, but my date did not. The party was a good time, I think under other circumstances I could have had a bad time, but extreme exhaustion and a few drinks go a long way towards letting bad thoughts slide. Pull ups are also therapeutic that way.
