Down the aisle

The rehearsal dinner was awesome. Fried catfish and fried cornbread. Good old fashioned home cooking that really make me wonder why I don't have it more often. I made it a point not to overeat. I got to a good level of full. We all sat around talking for a couple hours before we actually got to the rehearsing. Then, a couple more hours of sitting around talking. A lot of people didn't yet know about Candy and I, and I felt no urge to tell them.

I went to Target this morning to get Colleen and Britt's wedding gift, along with wrapping paper and a dress shirt for myself. This was my first time actually wrapping a present in about 12 years, and I did an okay job. I got them a coffee maker and filters. The coffee maker was easy to wrap, however the filters were probably never meant to ever be on a bridal registry, much less gift wrapped. It was tricky, but I managed.

It was an interesting wedding. Not in the ceremony itself, but the people around me. Of the people I actually knew, about half were in awe of my ability to show up for my ex-fiancee's wedding. I kept having to tell them that that was over four years ago. I don't see her as my ex anymore. She is my friend, and one of my best friends. Her [new] husband also happens to be a great guy whom I'm proud to becoming great friends with.

For years, those of us in the "group" have been pretty protective of Colleen. We've seen a lot of guys come her way, with a LOT of red flags being raised. When Britt came along, he stymied our whole screening process. Very quickly he had us assured. Some things, no matter how many different ways you question it, just make perfect sense.

Those people at the wedding that knew about Candy and I were trying to play matchmaker. Forgiving the fact that it is WAY too soon for me to even be thinking about another woman...the women that were potential suitorettes had certain obstacles. One that I've always kind of liked is not the kind of girl I should try to pursue right after a breakup. She's too sweet of a girl to burden with my hang-ups at this particular juncture. The other, the one that caught the bouquet, is also a sweet girl, and has some of the same abstract wants and desires out of life as I do, but that does not even come close to eclipsing the fact that we have nothing else in common. Opposites my attract, but when it comes to chemistry, that only makes everything neutral.

To compound things, I got the garter. I didn't catch it, so much as I got it by default. Apparently I was the only single man at this wedding, so Britt just chucked it at me. This was my third garter. I got two more weddings over the next month and a half...I may get a fourth or a fifth.

I have a great bunch of friends. I love them and they love me. I can't imagine my life without them. Tonight was a good night, and it was great to spend time with them, but I did feel rather alone. Not lonely, just alone.

Here's a picture of the happy couple.