Did some more work in the office meeting w/various folks about various things. Took Moka and the other Japan trainees to dinner, goofed off more with Lee and Charity.
Saturday early we took an Amtrak train up to Kingston, Rhode Island, then got a van up to the Courtyard Marriott. We got there just in time to catch everyone and headed off to Glen Manor for the wedding rehersal. Nikki's family got lost driving up from NY, and they finally arrived six hours after leaving the city.
Nice place by the way, right on the water. If this was the summer cottage, what was the main house like? Straight outta The Great Gatsby.
Finished rehersal so we headed back to the hotel and then off to Walgreens for some snacks and Kinkos so Andrew could check his email. While there in walks Danny and his wife (small town) so we head over to a local cafe for lunch because we're all starving. 6 people and the bill was 30 bucks. During lunch Dave's cousin from Texas calls: he's in Atlanta on his way to Boston. Uh, the wedding's in Rhode Island? So Danny's wife has to drive up to Boston to get him. Later we head to the Cheeky Monkey for pre-wedding dinner. Dave gave us groomsmen (me and Andrew and Danny) GameBoy Advance (score!) and the bridesmaids got various neat things. Danny got drunk and proceeded to explain to a shocked Nikki that the cute picture of baby David that she loves so much is actually a picture of Danny. Some were skeptical, given Danny's sense of humor, but mom will be consulted to verify the truth (I believe him.)
Back to the hotel and some fools continued drinking in the lobby but Hiroko and I crashed. We could here Amanda's laugh ringing through the night like the squeal of Flipper, and about 2:30 am somebody/thing crashed into our door, but we ignored it and it went away.
Awoke the day of, stuffed ourselves at the breakfast buffet (make your own waffles!), kicked it in the jacuzzi for a bit, and then got ready. Surprisingly, my rental tux fit just fine, and before we knew it, the wedding was underway. Saw Melissa and her man, and Binka and hers, and various other folks from days gone by.
The ceremony was short and very cool, with poetry readings and awesome vows that Nik and Dave wrote themselves (they met in a creative writing class after all), and then it was done. Many photographs by a great and hilarious photographer, and then a cake straight outta Dr. Seuss, and then more fun back at the Cheeky Monkey and presents to Nikki as it was her birthday, too.
Next morning had breakfast with Mel and Patrick, and then mama and aunt Emily joined, and before we knew it we were on the road back to Connecticut.
Mama picked up her new silver Subaru Forester, and then we stuffed ourselves on pasta and pizza and Darien Post Road Pizza before settling down to sleep in preparation for the flight back. Great flight, by the way, as the GameBoy really made the time fly by!