Prepping For Troyssie’s Wedding

This time last week I was in Pennsylvania at Jessie’s childhood home checking off the final to-dos and counting down the hours to Jessie and Troy’s wedding.

I road-tripped up with the happy couple and their pup Dexter, leaving my beloved behind to finish ticking and tying his audit (I don’t know accounting things, but I assume that’s what he was doing). Troy and Dex shared the back seat.

IMG_0528

IMG_0530

IMG_0531Our first order of business, according to the three-page check-list the bride was clutching, was to assemble the welcome bags for out-of-town guests’ hotel rooms. In the midst of the operation, however, Jessie’s dad alerted us to a herd of feral mini horses with a bunch of foals down the road. Jessie wasn’t impressed, but I begged enough and off we went to visit the baby horses.

IMG_0536

IMG_0534

IMG_0535

Back at the ranch, we packed up the groom and the welcome bags and headed a few towns over where the wedding was taking place to run some errands (lunch, tuxes, etc.) and drop some things — and Troy — off at the hotel.

IMG_0537

IMG_0540

When Jessie and I returned to her parents’ house, we played with the dogs, went out to dinner, and played with the dogs some more before attempting to get a good night’s sleep (which Jessie failed to get, despite my best efforts not to snore).

Friday morning it was time for nails with Troy’s sisters, nieces and nephew, followed by lunch, reception set-up, ceremony rehearsal, and a beautiful rehearsal dinner.

IMG_0557

IMG_0553

IMG_0563

IMG_0562

Jessie was calm and beautiful all day Saturday. We got our hair and make-up done in the bridal suite, Jessie ate chicken fingers, I cried when her mom and I zipped her into her gown and again when I put her veil on … and again when her dad came in for the first time.

And when we got to the church nice and early as the incredibly organized bride had planned, I had time to go double check a few things in the reception space leftover from the first double-check. I ran across a field barefoot in my bridesmaid dress and glamorous hair and make-up, the sheep in the churchyard baa-ed at me, and it was worth it. After tidying a few details I got to scurry back and share pictures with the anxious (in a good way) bride.

IMG_0567

IMG_0565

And she was happy.

IMG_0571

Before I started my walk down the aisle, I turned to Jessie and told her that I love her. The joy between her and her dad in that moment right before the wedding was incredibly sweet.

Jessie and Troy’s ceremony was beautiful, and I was so happy for them that I did the gator later that night at their reception.

 

 

I’ll upload actual pictures from my actual camera sometime soon. Probably.

Photodump: An Hour on Foot in Rosslyn

On Sunday we had exactly one free hour before our weekend with Hugh’s sister (visiting from New Orleans) was over, so we meandered through our neighborhood, marveled at the intricate yarnbombs, popped into the Artisphere and soaked up the [chilly] spring sunshine.

We also wandered into the super creepy parking garage where Bob Woodward met with Watergate informant Deep Throat. Hugh and I have walked past this garage a million times, but I’ve never gone in because as I said — it’s creepy. And the specific parking spot where they met is on the furthest underground level in the creepiest, darkest corner.

IMG_2162

IMG_2166

IMG_2167

Dexter’s [Wedding] Laboratory

Jessie’s wedding is only a week away now, so we spent some time in the wedding lab (as Hugh called it during my prep for our wedding) putting some finishing touches on things like programs and welcome letters.

Dexter supervised.

IMG_2138

IMG_2139

IMG_2140

IMG_2141

When things are centered and adding up correctly, and to-do lists get checked off, Jessie smiles.

IMG_2144

PS – remember Dexter’s Laboratory??

You Know I Like My Chicken Fried

Sometimes the world outside is not fun. It’s sad and unnerving and scary and you want to IMG_0471e hug everyone and hide under the table at the same time.

And sometimes it makes you crave the simple things.

Kickball in the neighborhood streets, frisbee in the backyard of your college apartment, a glass of wine with girlfriends, Dad’s pancakes on a Saturday morning.

Sometimes it makes you crave the fried things, like chicken and potatoes. And sometimes you remember that you’re an adult who tries to make healthy choices and you put the deep fryer away. But even though you’ve stepped away from the peanut oil, you’re still certain that chicken tenders are it — they’re all that will restore your will to take on the world another day.

So you fake it.

You salt&pepper some chicken, dunk it in egg wash, dredge it in cornflakes and cayenne, and then even though your hand really wants to drop those tenders into bubbling oil, you instead put them on a sheet pan and bake ‘em.

And since you’ve put away the fryer, you roast some potatoes with olive oil and rosemary instead of making French fries to dip in sriracha mayo.

IMG_0473e

And because you’ve heard about ‘nutrients’ and ‘vegetables’ being ‘beneficial’ before, you sneak in a side salad.

IMG_0472e

But you add cheese to the salad.

Because chicken tenders are still the only thing that will restore your will to take on the world another day, but cheese. Cheese rights all wrongs and heals all wounds and makes you skinny.