In the morning I went to Target and bought myself a snazzy new outfit. When I tried it on and looked at myself in the dressing-room mirror, I actually exclaimed, "I look like a real person!"
From Target I went to World Market with the express purpose of buying three things: a bottle of wine, a wine bag, and some matching wrapping paper. The bottle of wine was easy to find, although on the way to the register I found another bottle that looked even better, so I switched 'em (the one I ended up buying had "Fuego" in the name and the label was all covered in photographed flames—very cool). Much to my shock, though, World Market had no wine bags! I hadn't even though about looking for them when I was at Chez Targét, because I figured I was going to World Market and they were bound to have 'em there. Whoops!
I went to the store at noon and grabbed Carrie and Jen, and the three of us went to Taco Del Mar for lunch. It was the one where Nyki works, but unfortunately she wasn't working right then (the girl behind the counter also really wished she were there, because she needed an extra hand). I had a couple of fish tacos, which are so good and gloopy there.
After taking Jen & Carrie back to the store I struck out in seach of a wine bag and matching wrapping paper. I completely struck out at Big Lots. But then I hit the dollar store near the Safeway on 6th (west of Pearl), and lucked out there. I found this really cool red-and-black, shiny wine gift bag, so I bought some shiny red wrapping paper to go with it. The gift bag had black velvety handles, and when I got home I discovered to my delight that we had some matching black velvety ribbon in with our wrapping paper! I did a professional wrapping job and bundled it up in the black velvet ribbon and they matched perfectly.
All day, whenever I was home, I was continuing to make the CDs for the wedding. Just cranking them out one after the other. Finally I was done with them at almost 3:00. I was s'posed to bring them to the Slovenian Hall (the reception space). Right before I was about to leave, Carrie called me to tell me that Iwe were also s'posed to pick up this big, awkward sound system from the store and bring that to the Hall (nobody told us we were s'posed to do this until just about right before Carrie called me to tell me we were s'posed to do this—not the best planning on that part). So I bundled the CDs into the car and drove to the store, where Carrie helped me lift the awkward sound system into the backseat. She climbed in the car and I drove her to the Bartell's so she could buy makeup and some other stuff. Leaving her there, I continued on to the Hall where I unloaded the CDs and the sound system. As I was leaving Cat & Heather showed up, so I also helped them carry in some clothes. I then excused myself, saying, "I have to go now; I abandonded Carrie at the Bartell's."
I swung back and picked her up. We went home and got all prettified. I had to swing back to the Bartell's to buy some shoe inserts for Carrie's too-large shoes.
Then at 5:00 we went down to the waterfront park to be somehow involved in pictures, only to discover that nobody was actually there except for Travis and Chris Gouker. Weird. Melissa wasn't answering her phone, so we called Brandy, who said they were all up the road a bit at the park on the other side of the Silver Cloud Inn. Except that the way Brandy speaks it sounded like she was saying "Solar Cloud End," which was very confusing to me, but Carrie got it. Unfortunately Carrie's shoes ended up being so uncomfortable that she wouldn't be able to walk the distance, so I ran back to the car and got her comfortable shoes for her. We met up with everybody in time for Carrie to be involved in a picture, so it all worked out okay. Just would have been nice if we had been told where we were actually to go, instead of being told to go to the wrong place. Ah, well.
The whole procession of the wedding party walked back to the park where the wedding was taking place (except for Heather and Cat and Melissa, who slipped into the Silver Cloud Inn's bathroom). I staked out my place next to the red carpet, and as guests arrived I even handed out some programs here and there.
Eventually the wedding started, and guess who was the first person to walk down the aisle? None other than my very own Carrie! Carrie, Brandy, and some other girls were "flower girls," who came down one at a time and added a flower to the big arch in the middle of the ceremony area. After the flower girls were the bridesmaids, Melissa and Cat, and then the mothers escorted by the groomsmen, and then finally Heather and Jim.
The ceremony was pretty short, and very cute because CJ of Gateway to India was the officiant. At one point they had to pause for half a minute because a GIGANTIC jet flew directly overhead. It was very funny, everybody looking up and all.
After the wedding Geoff and Brandy got in our car and we drove the two blocks to the Slovenian Hall for the reception. It was a pretty standard wedding reception. Geoff MC'd it. It had a very glitchy powepoint slide show that kept on popping up a blank blue screen, and then Chris would have to press a button on the GIGANTIC laptop to have it keep going.
Dinner was buffet-style. There were several types of pastas, but I loaded up on so many olives that I couldn't finish my pasta. There was also carrot cake, which is one of my favoritest cakes of them all. Eventually some minimal dancing happened, but by that time the only people left were the Bead Factory family, the Lovejoys, and the Weiths (except for Jason, who had to be at school or something; Zoe was there, though).
After all that I went with Carrie, Jen, and Carly to The Spar for some beer (I only had one, 'cause I was driving later). Christine and Lawrence came and joined us, and we finally got to meet Jen's significant other, Pete. He seems a very cool guy, so Jen has my permission to continue the relationship (lucky thing, that is).
After a couple hours of that, we drove Carly back to her car and headed home ourselves.
Here are some of the photos that I took of the event. Partake and Enjoy!
