Just Married

The secret is out! Perry and I got married at Niagara Falls, NY last week. We had an awesome time, but we’re also glad to be back home. We drove up last Sunday, hammered out the details on Monday, and got hitched Tuesday evening. And of course, we did plenty of sightseeing here, there, and in between.

There was no music playing. No bridal party to keep in line. No throwing of the bouquet. No guests to gawk at me. No aisle to walk down or place for me to hide until the big moment. We had no choice but to ride together to the ceremony site. So, instead, Perry got ready before me and went down to the hotel lobby. I came down by myself in the elevator later. And his reaction was everything I hoped it would be. I had been nervous that he was expecting a white gown and other fanciness. But he was grinning ear to ear and lavished me with compliments.

We picked a site by the upper rapids because it was more private than other locations near the falls. The ceremony was about 15 minutes long and that was it: we were husband and wife! Afterwards, we took more pictures and headed to Terrapin Point, the closest site to the Horseshoe Falls from the American side, for some more shots. Luckily, we also had the photographer take some pictures with our camera so we can print copies. I ordered our official album this morning.

After the ceremony, we had some time before our dinner reservation so we went back to the hotel and opened our bottle of Niagara wine from Huber Winery we brought with us. Can you believe we couldn't find a single solitary wine glass in any gift shop in Niagara Falls? Plenty of mugs and shot glasses, but no wine glasses. We ended up borrowing a couple from the hotel bar. We also had our first dance at this point, thanks to the mp3 player on my phone: "Love Song” by Tesla.

Pretty soon, it was time to eat, so we headed over to the Red Coach Inn where we had delicious entrees, more wine, and dessert. A couple even bought us a round of drinks to celebrate the occasion. After dinner, we headed back to the upper rapids one more time and enjoyed the sunset. My original plan was to go back to the falls but by this time, my shoes were killing me. But damn, they looked good!

Let's see, what else happened? We visited several more attractions: Old Fort Niagara, Cuyahoga Falls, Ferrante Winery, Debonne Winery, Eddie Bauer outlets, and the Cincinnati Zoo. We headed back to southern Indiana Friday evening and found out Hank, Mom and Dad's pony, had died. Literally, just before we got there. We also came home to storm damage from the high winds on Monday. We lost part of a tree, again, our yard swing was in a different position, and several more limbs and branches had fallen in the yard. So it was back to reality in a hurry for us on Saturday, but at least we had two days to sort everything out. Sunday was definitely the nicer day. It was so flippin' hot Friday and Saturday.

I hope that's enough details for everyone. We just thought keeping the date and location a secret would make the moment that much more special and memorable. And it did.

"Love is all around you. Love is knockin' outside your door. Waitin' for you is this love made just for two. Keep an open heart and you'll find love again, I know." --Love Song by Tesla

Ooh La La

This past weekend, we headed up to Richmond for my friend Fish's wedding. I got to catch up with some old friends, drink some beer (thanks Jen!) and eat hot dogs. Afterward, we played Putt Putt and ate a late night breakfast at IHOP. It was a long day for us since we got up at 6am, spent a lot of time on the road, and crashed around midnight.

On the way home Sunday, we had three goals in mind: Eddie Bauer, Huber Winery, and Indian-Celina Lakes. Two out of three ain't bad! We got some snazzy clothes from the outlet and bought some good wine in Starlight. But by the time we got into Perry County, we were too tired to explore the lakes so we picked up the dogs from Mom's and headed home.

That's all I have for now. We're heading to another wedding this weekend but this time it's local. I will say that I've had a few meltdowns lately and been stressed out. But I'm coming out of it and fully looking forward to the week ahead. Even though I haven't made it through this one yet. A girl can dream about Friday, can't she?

Better Late Than Never

I've been keeping busy but haven't found time to blog about it. I can't remember what I did the weekend before last, but they're all about the same nowadays. A lot of work and and a little bit of play. Saturday, Mom and Dad came over to help us with a house project. While we were on the back patio, I looked through the garage, which was open, and this man was walking toward me. I thought, who the hell is that and why is he walking through my garage? Is he a neighbor I don't know? He peeked his head out on the patio and asked where Martin was. Then it dawned on me. He's looking for the old owners. So we explain that we've lived there almost a year and he was shocked that Martin had been gone that long. He wanted to show him his new car. Mom goes, "Well, we'll look at it!" We talked to him for about 15 minutes. Turns out his daughter has a campsite at Rocky Point. Small world, huh?

Pmo and I treated ourselves to dinner and a movie Saturday night. Olive Garden and "Night at the Museum 2." We tried some really good wine at OG called Moscato. We thought about buying some but it's not like the cheap wine we tend to purchase! I liked the movie but I thought the first one was better. I enjoyed the new characters and revisiting the old ones though. Sunday, I read my newspaper and began mulching in the afternoon. We grilled out for dinner then just relaxed until the weekend came to a close.

The week before, I did get two very important things done. I caught up with some friends I hadn't really talked to in awhile. One on the phone and one in person at lunch. It's amazing how much better you feel once you've done that. And it doesn't take long to do. You just gotta make time.

This weekend, my friend Fish is getting married so we're traveling to Centreville, IN for the big bash. Pmo's co-worker gets married the weekend after that. Lots of loose ends to tie up before vacation. Time is flying by.