A Wedding

I'm baaaack! I've been MIA for the past ten days preparing for, flying to, and participating in my brothers wedding. My family is all in New England, so it's a long haul for me. But it was totally worth it!

My brother got married to an absolutely wonderful woman who I am proud to call my sister-in-law. They've been together for about three years, and he proposed on New Years Eve. He meant to propose right at midnight when the ball dropped in New York and everyone was celebrating and kissing, but he couldn't make it that long. He ended up proposing at about ten in the morning.

If you take away anything from that, you probably can imagine that he was a disaster before the wedding. He told us that he felt like a four year old, there was no past, and no future, only the current thing he was working on. It was like, "ok, it's time to eat dinner. Ok. Dinner is over, now it's time to go home." We couldn't even talk about the wedding details around him or he got flustered. His best man was our brother Matt, and his two groomsman were her brother, and his best friend from childhood. They were in charge of making sure he got there in one piece, in his suit, on time, and sober. I was a bridesmaid, along with her brothers girlfriend, and one of her best friends.

Being a bridesmaid was a definitely an interesting experience. It was about 100 degrees out with 100% humidity outside, but inside the barn was at least 110. Dressing the bride consisted of holding fans, dabbing her back and face, and trying to keep her calm. We put a big fan right under the skirt of her dress and had a small fan that we pointed at her neck and shoulders. It was strange, I have never been a bridesmaid before. It was a little haywire. There was a frantic search for a safety pin, scissors, and one of the bouquets went missing. And then all of the sudden, it was time.

The ceremony itself was short, and that was a blessing since we were all kind of waiting for someone to pass out. Everyone was crying, and my brother was practicing some serious yoga breathing to get through his vows, after which he mouthed the word "brutal" several times. All in all, it was beautiful and they got through it.

So there is our new complete family! I love Melinda and I'm so happy for my brother. It was such a beautiful day despite the heat, and our families seemed the mesh well and there was no drama.

The reception was one huge party. Dancing and eating and drinking. Right when it was getting unbearably hot, my mom produced a whole ton of squirt guns and the fighting ensued! And wielding the biggest squirt gun of all was my new sister, armed and dangerous, even in a wedding dress.

"Don't you dare shove that cake in my face!"

And here is my favorite picture of them. It was right after the ceremony, right before they walked down the aisle together, and it looks like the first breath they have taken in a week. 

I am so proud of my brother, and so happy for him. I am excited for them, and I can't wait to watch them build a life together.

Fatherly Advice: Athlete's Foot

Growing up the youngest is tough. Growing up the youngest and the only girl is worse. I played rough and tumble with my brothers the best that I could, watching Batman and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and playing with legos, but in the end I was still wearing a dress. There were things my brothers and I just couldn't see eye to eye on until we were practically adults.

My parents are saints. I should probably start with that. After all, they kept us all alive this far, despite our best efforts. To this day they are an emblem of unconditional love and support. My mom tells me I have access to the best bank of all, the bank of M&P, Mom and Pop, when it comes to school expenses and doctor visits and vet appointments.

When I was young, my dad established Daddy Daughter Day. Every Saturday morning, I would get up early and my dad and I would drive thirty minutes to the closest YMCA where I would go to a swim class and he would use the gym. Afterwards, we would usually get some breakfast at McDonald's (therefore negating all that good healthy exercise) and head home for Saturday morning cartoons with my brothers and wait for my mom to get home from work. I have many fond memories of Daddy Daughter Day, and it was a special time that was just for me, not something I had to share with my brothers.

One of the biggest things I took away from these days at the Y was a fear of athlete's foot. I can't say that it is truly a fear, but more of a point of personal hygiene and gym etiquette that my dad felt was important. To this day, my bare feet do not touch the ground in a communal style bathroom/locker room. When I went away to college (however briefly), I brought shower shoes. It puzzles me that no one else appears to have this information at LA Fitness, which only reinforces my shower shoe habit.

Nearly every time we would go into our respective locker rooms, he would remind me to keep my shoes on because I didn't want to get athlete's foot. Now, as an adult, this little reminder still sounds off in my head when I enter the gym. I guess what I'm trying to say is "Dad, I was listening."

And he's a pretty smart guy. I have never had athlete's foot.

Meet Maggie

I would like everyone to meet the reason I am a cat lady. This is Maggie!

I was always fairly indifferent to cats growing up. We always seemed to have one or two in the house along with a dog and a dozen chickens. The cats were there in the background, came and went as they pleased, and occasionally wanted to snuggle.

Right before I moved out of my parents house, my brother brought over a rescued kitten, no bigger than your fist. He was a gorgeous black and white kitten with big blue eyes, even if he was a little skittish around people.

When I moved out, I missed Tux, missed having that little fur ball curled up on my shoulder. A few months later, I adopted Maggie from a friend who found her in a dumpster behind her house. And I fell in love.

She was loving and snuggly and funny right off the bat. She learned how to use the litter box after only one accident and began to develop bizarre but adorable habits such as playing fetch and watching tv.

From that day on, I have been a cat lady. She is dedicated to me, as loyal and territorial as any dog I have ever known. She never ceases to make me laugh with her newest hiding places and she greets me at the door everyday when I get home from work. I could never ask for a better pet, and I probably never will. Possibly the only drawback to having the best cat on the planet (scientific fact btw) is that there is a large possibility that I will never want to have another cat again. Maggie is my fur-child, and I can't even imagine getting lucky enough to have another pet like her.

P.S. You should know that her full name is Minerva McGonagall. Maggie is just a nickname ;)