"Mawwiage. Mawwiage is what bwings us togevah today"

So I have to say that I had an absolutely fabulous time at the wedding of Michael Bohne and Jennie Cooper. It was great to see Mike so happy and relieved to finally have this momentous day come. Jennie looked radiant.

When I arrived in Detroit Thursday night, my family met me and we had dinner with my grandmother and my Aunt Mary, and also Gracie. Gracie's growing up really fast, she's already very smart (you can't believe how tempted I was to say "wicked smart" there, maybe I've spent to much time in New England), and it was fun to see her interact with my dad, who has always been really great with my young cousins.

The car I drove at home, the convertible, is similar to a lot of cars in that it often has problems getting started in very hot weather. Weather like we had this weekend in Michigan. While I didn't have any major problems, one of the reasons for that was that I ran the heater in the car to keep the heat in the engine down. Well, as you might imagine, because of this, and because it was a clear, if extraordinarily hot day on Saturday, I drove to the wedding with the top down, hoping to counteract the heater being on. It didn't work. While the car's heat was dissipated, the heat all around me, and especially above me, was still there, and I felt like I was slowly baking. Still, it was well worth it after I began to see friends at the wedding.

The first people I looked for (after realizing that I had remembered the wedding starting a half hour before it actually did), were the member's of the groom's party, who were in the church. It was great to see John for the first time since graduation, giving all of the crazy things he's had going around him, and it was also nice to see Bobby and Mike Huff. But the man I really came to see was Michael Joseph. There were some problems at commencement and I actually was not able to see Mike afterwards, so this was the first time I'd seen Mike since he was in the Workshops. He looked great (as you're supposed to in a tuxedo, I'll have all sorts of pictures coming the next couple of days.) an certainly did seem ready to start his new life. We talked for a while, and I also talked with John. Luckily for me, just as the groomsmen were going outside to take their pictures, Mr. Andy Groggel arrived, virtually on cue. We talked a little more (after having seen each other the day before after he finished work and I had gotten lunch with Steph.) and generally just waited for other Albion folks to arrive. As they did, especially members of the Euphonics, e talked and eventually took our seats. As a brief note I thought I should mention something funny that then occurred. Mike, it seems, had wanted to ask Andy to carry in the crucifix (it was a Catholic wedding after all) at the front of the wedding party. But he hadn't yet, so Bobby ended up doing it moments before the ceremony. Mike, Bobby said, thought that Andy was an atheist, and that he might take offense, or perhaps, that steam or smoke might rise from the crucifix as Andy touched it. It didn't. In fact the whole ceremony was beautiful. As it ended, and the bride and groom dismissed the guests, I hugged Jennie and Mike and wished them luck.

While kibbitzing in the hall afterwards, I also got to talk with Chelsey Wagemaker and Katie Aumann, who had arrived later because of bad traffic on 75. WE talked for a while about the drama of the last few weeks and how it seemed to be resolving itself. While the dram wasn't quite 2002-2003 level, it certainly was interesting. I also got to see one of Albion's cutest couples ever, Chelsea Sadler and Mike Kopec, as well as seeing that D-Rob and Huff seem to have gotten back together.

The reception was tres fun (I slipped into Rhea Morlan speak for a second). I sat with Andy, Chelsey and Katie, and then several members of the Euphonics who arrived later. The open bar certainly seemed to loosen up a lot of people, though my classic bar orders of coke and water remained true to form. I must say though, for future reference, that tonic water, whether by itself or with lime, is totally gross.

I danced with several people, including Katie, Sarah Gebhardt, and the Chelse (y,a)'s and sang along with all of the songs the very lounge-y band played, which was a whole lot of fun. I also got to talk more with John, Chelsey, Andy, Chelsea, Katie and the other people who came, and was especially grateful to get to really hang out with a lot of the incredible new Euphonics for the first time. The Euphonics performed "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" with the solo by the very happy groom. They also didn't do the idiotic garter ceremony, which I was very thankful for, as well as for now chicken-dance or polkas.

John and I talked further after retiring to the hotel, where I stayed wit the aforementioned Ms. Wagemaker and Ms. Aumann, and Mr. Groggel. We watched the Will Ferrell SNL and talked about various things and got caught up. I ended up sleeping on the cushions of the chair and pullout coach at the foot of the king-size bed, which actually provided a fine night's sleep.

The next day I went back to the House, where we enjoyed a very early dinner of some fine Delmonico steaks and homemade French Fries and then packed up for the return trip. While my bags were heavy with laundry and some other things I was bringing from home (namely the food processor we found at a garage sale Saturday morning and my new Albion sweatshirt) we made it to the airport and got through without much hassle. Lucky for me, aster a very tiring weekend, I was the only one seated in my row, and unlike the last two times, I didn't get lost on the way back from the airport.

I'll catch up on other things, plus give out my stories, spread some picture love and some political thoughts, including wondering why the Cable networks seem to want us to invade Aruba, in the next few days.