The Things I'll Remember Musing

When I look back over this past weekend, when I remember the day that my best friend got married, the things I'll remember won't necessarily be the thing that went wrong. Irritating as it was, the cake was minor in the whole weekend.

The things I'll remember:

Spending the Thursday before -- the "whole damn day," as Geoff so eloquently worded it -- in Casper with Kristie while she got her nails done, seeing her try on her wedding dress for the last time before the Big Day, and the gorgeous, gorgeous day that we had for driving between Laramie and Casper.

Setting up the reception hall, cutting my fingers on the mirrors that we were trying to de-frame for centerpieces, shattering one mirror, and being in awe at what it took to get the reception room ready for Saturday.

Seeing so many people, so many generations of family gathered together for beef fajitas as we all got ready for the next day.

Watching Geoff spray his flannel shirt with his cologne the night before the wedding -- this is the shirt that Kristie wore while she was having her hair done before the wedding. It was sweet ...

Being with Kristie in the earliest hours of her wedding day, filing my nails when she rolled over and I got to tell her that it was, officially, her wedding day. She mumbled something about going back to sleep ... and then she went back to sleep.

Having breakfast with her grandpa the next morning, and discussing his grandmother and the appropriate age for marriage over waffles at the Best Western in Laramie.

Getting our hair done -- Kristie and the four attendants -- being the only people in the salon, laughing and having a good time ... and then going to Subway for lunch, just Kristie and I, in button-down shirts and shorts/jeans, with our hair fit for a royal affair, Kristie's veil flapping and following us everywhere, and the girl who was working at Subway that day flipping out (I'm serious), so excited that she got to make Kristie's sandwich on her wedding day.

Sitting on the floor of my apartment, stuffing sub sandwiches in our mouths pretty quickly, because we had to get to the church in time to help set up the flowers and candles and get dressed for pictures.

Running around in the Yellow Dress, setting up candles, delivering things and people, searching for things and people, feeling pretty and girly.

Watching the girl who's been the sister I never had get helped into her wedding dress by her mother.

Wondering if I would a) trip while walking up the aisle, b) forget to pause at the bottom of the stairs, or c) forget to not lock my knees, resulting in an embarrassing fainting episode. I'm happy to report that none of the above happened.

Trying to bustle Kristie's dress while standing on the sidewalk outside The Library while cars drove by on Grand Avenue, honking their horns ... all while trying to avoid having to tell Kristie about her wedding cake.

One of the flower girls, who had apparently gotten tired of her undies and had therefore gotten rid of them, who ran around the reception with her dress held over her head, showing off everything to everyone.

The next morning, when I slept through the infamously cancelled and re-scheduled breakfast (I'm a terrible person, I know), and getting a frantic phone call from Kristie, because her pearls were in a box in my car. (For the record, there were about 20 boxes in my car ... it was fun looking for those pearls ...)

Having/getting to go on a last-minute road trip with Kristie through Sybille Canyon to catch up with her mother, who had her checkbook, credit cards, ID, etc. in her car ... and on the way, we ran over the biggest rattlesnake I've ever seen. Eeek! There were thunderstorms surrounding the Laramie Valley with lightning flashing all around, purplish gray-black clouds all around, and vibrant green covering the ground. And it was a last opportunity to be with my friend during the biggest weekend of her life before she headed off to Part I of her honeymoon.

Those are the things I'll remember, the memories we'll share over cups of coffee when we get together on holidays, perhaps when we're watching our own and each others' children get married decades from now ... these are the things in life that are sweet, that are worth holding on to, that are worth cherishing. This is the good life.