Friends and Weddings

During the unusual September Nor’easter we got hit with this past weekend, we attended two weddings. I don’t know how both wedding couples dealt with the stress of the storm, but both weddings were pulled off without a hitch.

Pre-wedding Events

Of course celebrating started well before the actual weddings. Heather invited Lexi, Bobby, and Jordan up to the lake.

Lexi and Heather have been roommates since their time at Endicott College playing soccer there. They didn’t hit it off at first since Lexi was too much and Heather was too no-nonsense. Both characteristics are still true of each of them, but they are coming up on 16 years of friendship.

Bobby also played soccer at Endicott. He has a sibling relationship with both Heather and Lexi meaning the three of them bicker all the time. Despite that, there is talk of marriage between Bobby and Heather if nothing better comes along.

Jordan is Lexi’s girlfriend whom we first met in 2024 in Paso Robles when she crashed our party. I didn’t mention her in that post, because she was there such a short time (overnight to our – and her – surprise), and, more importantly, I wasn’t sure how long she would be in the picture. Well, she is still in the picture (a good thing!), and this time she was actually invited.

Nicole, Brew, and Rex were also part of the pre-wedding festivities.

Of course I had them do a couple chores, like moving the wood splitter into the garage for the winter and bringing the Wave Runner out of the water.

In addition to chores, we had a ton of laughs.

My peak of the visit was a trip to the Naswa for a mudslide. Yes, I went to the Naswa, and, yes, I had a mudslide, and yes, I enjoyed it. The place was empty (except for a couple seated at a table next to us having a quiet lunch), the weather was beautiful, and the conversation was entertaining (if not intellectual.) Because the Naswa does not serve shots, Lexi talked the server into bringing us out tiny drinks. And Bobby showed us the tattoo of the Korean Jesus on his back which the couple next to us (she was Asian) found a bit alarming.

My pit – of the season, actually – was dinner. Since we didn’t get back from the Naswa until 4:30, I got the Hungarian Beef, made with a chuck roast alternative, into the oven at 5pm. We ate at 8:30, and the alternative was not a suitable alternative. Though everyone was polite about it except Dave. To hold us over until dinner, Lexi came up with one of her famous charcuterie boards using the leftovers of a pu pu platter her mother had insisted she bring from home. Or a charputerie board, as Lexi called it.

Friday’s Wedding

Derek and Molly got married on Friday. Derek is Heather’s friend from Groton Dunstable High School. He and Mike, another friend from GD, moved out to LA years ago, and the two of them became close friends with all of Heather’s friends out there, including Molly who was friends with Heather at Endicott (though she didn’t go to Endicott).

So, there were a lot of kids from both Endicott and GD at the wedding. I loved this. I loved how these connections had formed and grown. At the end of his best man speech, Mike (GD alum) called Lexi (Endicott alum) up in front of everyone to serve Fanta shots made (in)famous at Shellback out in LA.

As an aside, there is also talk of marriage between Mike and Heather if nothing better comes along.

Saturday’s Wedding

Eric and Kendall got married on Saturday. Eric is the youngest son of my friend Cheryl.

Like Lexi and Heather, Cheryl and I didn’t hit it off at first. She was too I’m-not-sure-what-the-right-word-is, and I was too no-nonsense. Both are still true, but we are 35 years in.

I actually started off as friends with her future husband at the time, Mick, when I shared an office with him at MITRE. Dave and I went to their wedding, and I was pregnant with Heather the same time Cheryl was pregnant with Matthew, their first son. Our kids went to day care together. Cheryl and I were officemates until she left to become a financial planner. (The word I’m looking for to describe Cheryl’s personality has something to do with her obsession with financial planning.)

At the wedding, Dave and I had a great time talking with Mick and his wife DeDe and catching brief moments with Cheryl because she was too excited to stay in one spot.

Both Weddings

Weddings really are celebrations, and these two were no exception. Everyone was happy. Everyone was friendly – even strangers. Everyone danced (though my dancing was limited and only at the insistence of others.) Everyone was smiling – especially the two grooms and their obviously proud moms. Which put a smile on my face.

Best wishes to Molly and Derek, to Kendall and Eric, and to all the friends out there.