My Best Friends Wedding

On Saturday, two of my best friends finally tied the knot after dating for 11 years. Needless to say, it was a very long weekend. It's strange to think I met both of them almost 11 years ago when we all worked together at a crappy movie theater back home. That's actually where they met, too. I guess it's hard to imagine being friends with people long enough to be included in their wedding. I was a maid of honor last year in another best friend's wedding. Even though you may live in other cities and may not see each other as often as you'd like, it's nice to know you still can have a strong bond with long distance friends. There's something sacred about the friends you make growing up because they knew you before you knew yourself. You have a different history with them than you do with the people you see on a weekly basis. I'm really happy for them. I wish them luck on their European honeymoon.

I drove to Ohio Friday morning and got there with enough time to literally get ready for the wedding rehearsal. The rehearsal didn't last long and we had a nice dinner at a seafood restaurant. For the most part, it was a casual night with about 30 or so people. A lot of people from New York and other cities flew in for the event. There were a lot of people who had gone to my high school and college who came, too. The next day was the big day and we took pictures before the ceremony meaning the bride and groom broke tradition in seeing each other before they walked down the aisle. Saturday happened to be one of the hottest days on record. Who would've thought it'd be 90 degrees in October? The conditions made it very uncomfortable for everyone especially since the wedding was outside. I wore a black groomsperson dress while the bridesmaids wore raspberry colored dresses. The strangest part about the ceremony was at the end when the wedding party walked out together. I had to link arms with a bridesmaid. The whole thing felt very, um, gay. Other than that, the ceremony went well and everyone including me teared up a little. Then it was time to party. Luckily the reception was held in the same place at the wedding. Most of the young people attending were either married or in a relationship so I was one of the few singletons. It didn't bother me too much to be there alone, but it did make think a lot about relationships in general. I observed a few couples and kept thinking how or why certain people end up together. Judging by looks, I sort of felt some couples seemed mismatched, but I'm sure their personalities click or they wouldn't have fallen in love in the first place. People make it seem like it's quite easy to find your soulmate, but I'm still skeptical. It's harder than it seems. You just never know who you'll end up with. The best part about the weekend was free food and liquor. The open bar at the wedding definitely enhanced the evening. After all the traditional events, there was a lot of dancing to good ol' 80s music. By this point, everyone was nice and intoxicated. After they kicked us out of the banquet hall, a few of us hung out at the hotel where a lot of out-of-towners were staying. After I got home, I had clocked in a 12 hour day of wedding festivities. I'm glad I was a part of the wedding, but it's such a time commitment and I sunk a lot of money into a dress I will probably never wear again. I hope none of my other friends get married anytime soon. It was good to see people from my past, people who I can trace my lineage back to over a decade. A lot sure had happened since I met some of those folks.

Thursday night was an interesting evening. I went to a concert and there was hardly anyone there even though the band playing, Voxtrot, was supposedly a popular act. My friend and I got into the after party consisting of free beer and pizza. I had free beer earlier in the evening, too. I had a pretty good night and was feeling sorta giddy about it, then of course the disappointment set in the next day. My friend can make me feel absolutely great then literally within a 24 hour period simply crush me. This has happened a couple of other times so it should've been expected. I wish my friend could be more consistent because our mutual admiration is pretty obvious. But, I have to sorta deal with it and be patient and put some faith that'll eventually turn out the way I want it to. Patience isn't my strong suite.

So, I'm back in Chicago and probably won't be traveling until Thanksgiving. I really think I've been cursed travelwise. Everytime I attempt or do leave the city, some sort of delay automatically occurs. Going to NY: 3 hour delay. Coming back to Ohio tonight: road closures resulting in an hour and half delay. What the hell? I'm never leaving the city limits again. I feel like I'm taking on too much. It's getting to the point where I commit to doing things (like going to shows) then have to decline attending. If I could have any superpower, it'd be the ability to be in three places at once so I could appease everyone and get things done. That and the power to teleport. I just have to be honest with myself with what is doable in my life. Wanting and doing are two different things. This week I'm supposed to go to two more shows which I will definitely be attending, and doing various writing assignments. I'm going to try to diet as well because I really need to get into shape. I just really want to relax and watch movies and listen to music and not have to feel obligated to anything or anyone. But, I don't see that happening anytime soon.