Everybody loves a wedding.

This weekend was a chock full of fun:

Friday I did Speed Lower workout because we were leaving town saturday.

Squats:
8x3@225. I lost my stopwatch so the rest was walk over to the clock, rest 30 sec, walk back to the rack.

Speed Pulls:
7x1@315 rest walk 20 ft to a bench and back.

abs.

We went out for sushi, and went to our favorite place for books, coffee and pie.
Saturday: I did some actual cardio..
10x1 min on 30 sec off. elliptical.

Then showered, packed and hopped in a car with my in-laws and headed down to Portland. On the way down we stopped at Fry's. I bought a Grahame Parsons double album (GP and Grevious Angel), and a Chris Ledoux anthology. Once in P-land, we stopped at Powell's book store which has to be experienced. I bought 3 books, two that I will review.. sometime, and a very cool Rugby picture book. From there we went to an excellent Cuban restaurant (Oba). We had some great food, I talked to my wife's cousin's S.O.s and generally had a good time.

Saturday, was the wedding. The cousin in question is a little eccentric, and I have heard plenty of stories about her, and knowing some exceptionally strange folks myself, I was prepared for.. a lot (of what I'm not sure, but a lot of it). It really wasn't all that odd. There was a bride, and groom and minister, a wedding party, cake and tears, and happiness. It was a wedding. Sure all the groom's men (and one woman) were armed with swords. There were several references to Dungeons and Dragons (a game that I'll admit to playing in my youth, and on a handful of occasions during the summer in college ) at least one reference to Star Trek, and none of it was contrived, which was the best part.

Coming from a large extended family I have been to weddings all over the united states. I have been to crappy ones all over the place. The worst weddings where you learn nothing about the people involved from being there. They put nothing of themselves into the ceremony or the reception, they have a generic hall, play generic songs, and do all the generic traditions. Or worse, they contrive some "funkyness" into the wedding, it's forced and awkward, and everyone shrugs and moves on. This wedding, nothing was contrived, the ceremony and reception was a reflection of who they are, the two people were obviously in love, and meant every word of their vows. That to me is a good wedding.