SATURDAY (Wichita trip for Peter's wedding)
2317: we got to the hotel around 9:30. Kelly's friend Lindsay arrived around the same time we did, and as we we were entering, we saw Joe and the girls playing with the scooter rentals. They accompanied us in, where we got situated for breakfast. Julie had eggs, while I had berry-filled pancakes and sausage. We got caught up on everybody's current events, and once everyone was finished eating, we went up to their hotel room to exchange gifts. The girls were very pleased with their letter-coded packages: "A" contained a Barbie play set, "B" had various Play-Doh containers and kits, while "C" got Bluey-themed lip balm, a play set, and a stuffed toy. They all had a good time playing with things while I fell asleep on the bed. (Julie encouraged the girls to wake me up by slapping my torso whenever they heard me snore. She's such a fun aunt.)
As we moved into the afternoon, we drove back to the house to get ready for my cousin's wedding, but first we went by Matt and Jess's place to turn over the Philly-themed ornaments we'd forgotten to give them the previous night. While we were there, the dog licked my face far more than anyone was comfortable with. We only stayed long enough for Julie to tour the improvements in the basement, and then we continued back to Richard and Glen's. My suit turned out to have a stain on the shoulder and a loose front button, so I'll have to have it dry-cleaned after we get back, and I can reinforce the button's stitching.
The drive into Newton was uneventful, but it was a little confusing to realize that the address we'd been given didn't quite match reality. We still arrived with time to spare, so we got to catch up a little bit with my cousins John and a Molly before being seated.
The ceremony for Peter and Rachel moved at a good clip. It would have been nice if Darrell and Karen could have made it, but health issues prevented them from flying from New Zealand. They had a live stream on the church's YouTube page, apparently, so they were with us remotely. Between the quote from Ocarina of Time in the program and the speedy dispensation of sand when filling up their vase (together with La Vie en Rose on violin and guitar), it was a memorable and genuine ceremony.
After the ceremony ended, we entered the community hall for a light meal. (A sort of build-your-own-appetizer-sandwich deal; I liked the meats on offer.) We had various toasts from friends and family, and I took the opportunity to speak for some of the Love family members who couldn't be there, like Derek and Brian. I mentioned how nice it had been to reconnect with Peter as an adult, especially during our video chats and in Animal Crossing during the pandemic, and I said I felt gratified to see them begin their lives together. Afterwards, Julie told me that Peter looked really happy that I'd stood up to speak, which made me glad.
The evening continued with cake, and dancing, and a table full of sweets, though I felt like most of my attention was going to my nieces, who were a lot more conversational this year than they had been on previous occasions. By the end of the night, the two elder sisters were having me chase them around the tables, though they didn't seem to mind that I chose a stately pace at which to pursue them. I was able to take a little time away from the girls to participate in a discussion with my cousin John and my brother-in-law Joe, plus a bit more catching up with everybody.
Once the bride and groom departed and the cleanup was finished, Julie and I made our way back into town. We were astonished to discover that it wasn't even 8 PM yet, so we went by Shlotzky's for pizzas. We arrived just as the dining room was closing, so we had to pick them up in the drive thru and bring them back to the house. We spent some time going over our activities so far with Richard while we caught up with our interests on our phones. Before we went to bed, I was able to get mostly packed up, so we should be able to get out tomorrow with a minimum of fuss.
Thursday: spent pretty much the entire day in a semi-conscious fugue state, interrupted by moments in which I needed to address my congestion. At one point, I could tell that I wasn't awake, yet I remained aware that my state of dehydration had made my lips fragile, and I accidentally lacerated them with my teeth, which caused me to wake up bleeding. I spent a bunch of time trying to rehydrate and consume calories. I was able to do some laundry, but otherwise I wasn't much good to the world today. For better or for worse, I managed to play through the entirety of The Case of the Golden Idol plus its DLC in a single sitting.
This was a Wednesday and the last day of work before my four-day weekend. I got as many of my follow-ups taken care of as I could. Julie wasn't feeling great so we just did our own thing during dinner.
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Saturday: the cryptic update Julie posted to facebook today indicates we're checked in at Barron's Bar & Grill on the southeast corner of Pawnee & Oliver. We were dining with Ron, Richard, and Glen. Her caption reads "Two down, one to go," and I'm unsure to what she's referring. There were no comments on this entry.
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I received that Prison Architect game for some reason, so I tried it for a couple of hours. This feels more conceptually gross even than something like The Castle Doctrine, which at least comes across like a criticism of the mindset it portrays.
Steam:
Sid Meier's Civilization V - Indoctrinated!
Friday: it seems like Mom invited the inlaws from both of her kids' spouses to Child Start for a Christmas party, I think? Otherwise I don't recognize where these photos were taken, but it's nice to see the ten of us in good health. It seems unlikely that this actually took place today, but this is when she posted the photo, so. Nice to see Frank enjoying the present bags. This was the year Gary & Carol got everybody the illuminated vests for nighttime visibility.
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