A wedding! A wedding!

Hooray for a wedding!

I'm at that time of life when I don't get invited to weddings much anymore.  The people my age tend to be married already or unlikely to get married by now, and if they do get married, the weddings are low-key, small affairs.  We don't have children, so no weddings that way, including weddings of their friends.  I am trying to recall the last time I attended a wedding, and I am struggling.  Maybe Justin and Troy in about 2021?  And before that?  I'm blanking.

Two friends did get married last week, however.  Chris and Allister, a lovely couple for several years, are now husbands.  Congratulations to them!  I'm so delighted.

Chris,

you may recall, is one of our online happy hour members.  I've known him since we met on the gay swim team in Montreal in 1998.  Half a lifetime ago.  Chris invited the whole happy hour gang, and all of us showed up (except for Conrad who couldn't come at the last minute under doctor's orders).  There were other folks I knew there as well:  Bruno (who was the wedding planner) and Doug,

Giuseppe and Brian.

As you can tell from our outfits, we were asked to be the flowers at their celebration. 

I think we did a great job, as did the other guests.  A lot of bold colours and prints and fantastic outfits on them.  Outdo us - that was another directive Chris gave us, and we tried.  But come on:  look at that straight-from-the-runway ensemble Chris was wearing at the reception that followed. 

No outdoing that!  Allister is not similarly inclined to fashion, happily letting Chris shine while looking handsome in an open-weave shirt.

The wedding took place on a late summer Friday afternoon on the lawn at Hart House at Deer Lake in Burnaby.  Cocktails followed, and then we made our way to our tables, named for movies that had significance to the couple.  Van, Marie, and I were at Damaged Lives, which made us chuckle. 

Chris and Allister had left a handwritten card for each of us at our setting, which was touching. 

The drinks flowed, my steelhead was tasty,

and we finished the meal, contented, and ready for the dancing.  I didn't dance much - we were enjoying conversations - but I did get out on the floor for a little bit.  By 10:30, though, Van and I were ready to head back into the city to our hotel.

Congratulations again to the happy couple!  When we're through Vancouver later this fall with Conrad, the three of us will take them out so that Conrad can celebrate their marriage as well. 

work trip to Chicago

Continuing the speed catching-up on things here.  I'm falling behind as I do more things and the things I have done are getting further and further back in time.  So, let's not parse out the August trip to Chicago

to too great an extent.  Instead, let's lump some things together.

There was my long-awaited oyster dinner date with Sara. 

We had a good time at The Publican, and I promise that we said nice things about everyone else.  We also had charcuterie

and tomatoes

and awesome bread

and Sancerre. 

There was also a brunch the next day with Sara

where I enjoyed some breakfast tacos.

There were meetings wherein I tried to look pretty enough

and contribute well.  There were colleagues at these meetings, like Cindy and Sam

and Kathy

and Steven

and others.

There were morning walks in the city, usually with others, once by myself.

 

There was time for a drink with a local friend, Doug,

at Billy Sunday, an amaro daiquiri

for me and a break from library stuff.

There were cosmos for me and Sara

and Steven

plus a drink for Peter

in the United Club.  Oh, and time enough for me to get some Garrett's

to bring home for Van.

All in all, a productive and enjoyable work trip.  I should have one more jaunt to Chicago this year, and I can't wait!