Ketchup 4: From Rockefeller to Moomers.

DIARY

The alleged construction at Rockefeller wasn't a big deal at all. In fact, today, I don't recall if I saw any scaffolding at all. We entered at the front, and Colin and Nora had prepared a beautiful program with yellow flowers on the front. Inside, we met up with many people we knew, mostly from the Scavhunt judges or the FIST. Most of the judges, themselves, arrived, and took their seats in the row just behind us. We also saw Sam, Sky, Igor, Sam Smith, Joan, Yotam and Smirthi, and their assorted cohorts.

The ceremony itself wasn't long... it clocked in at less than an hour with a series of Bible readings, and I was actually surprised how similar it seemed to many of the Christian weddings I've attended (or perhaps I should say I was surprised how closely the Christian rituals followed the Jewish tradition, bearing in mind what was antecedent to what). Colin got very faklempt (which I can assure you, nobody predicted) and Nora looked absolutely gorgeous in a white dress with lace and beads. Between the readings, the rabbi gave suggestions on the content and conduct of a marriage... on its implications, while Colin and Nora circled each other... picked each other out. The rabbi's parting words were to the effect that "God invented marriage to make selfish people miserable." They broke the glass.

Outside, a great wind was blowing, and the setting sun was out in full force. We visited for a few minutes with our friends in front of the chapel, where I learned that Christian's sunglasses were simply simply for looking cool, then we loaded into Sam (PH)'s cop car and drove on down to the South Shore Cultural Center.

I've always seen this place from the road and wanted to get inside, but I never had a good reason to go. It's visually stunning - a former country club put together at the end of the Gilded Age, or maybe just a little bit after. The reception consisted of lamb/chicken/veggies, wine, and special beer "assembled" at Moomers ("I Would Brew Anything for Love," natch). I saw Heather D., who I haven't seen in about three years, and she caught me up on the more attractive half of the UT crowd. Jess and I walked down to the lake, and wandered in the bright white portico and around the area with inlaid mosaic tiles.

Rather than disperse the troublemakers about the party, Colin and Nora had decided to concentrate us all at one table which was a bit further from the center than the rest. A wise move: within about ten minutes we were in a heated debate about both the movie 300 and arms control legislation, which quickly moved onto a heated debate about rocking out and Detroit. For the record:

- Haven't seen 300.
- Increased arms control legislation is useful and necessary, yet probably insufficient.
- It is good to rock out.
- Detroit rocks out.

That's my opinion coming to bear.

As the evening wore on there was a loosening of collars and ties and the roucous dancing (yes, we lifted Colin and Nora in their chairs and danced in a big circle around them). Someone made a comment that the purpose of Jewish weddings was to wreck gentile health, and I was certainly winded. The deeper problem, though, was that the server's were too generous and prompt in refilling our glasses of wine. I got more than sufficiently toasty, and may have even had a couple brief "that drunk guy" moments. It's always a question of moderation vs. modulation. Nevertheless, the night was all about dancing and hanging out, and when the party finally wound up (it must have been about midnight), we helped clean a little and our designated driver, Sam PH of all people, took us back to Moomers for an after party.

At this point, Jess was quite exhausted, and while I was returning to Earth, I understood her wanting to get back. So we set out at some time around one, and got back to Hallie's, and collapsed into sleep.

END OF POST.