Airy Persiflage: The Unexpected Things

Sunday, October 10, 2010

The Unexpected Things

I sometimes think that it's the unexpected things that make this journal fun.

For example, today was the reason why we are here in the first place, and I could tell you that the big wedding today was beautiful (which it was)

I could tell you that Jeri played beautifully (which she did)

I could tell you that the bride was gorgeous (which she was)

I could tell you that the reception was great fun (which it was)

But really, wouldn't you rather hear about the blood streaming down my face at 2 a.m., the bus crash, and the secret things I found at the Congressional Country Club? Sure you would. Let's start with the blood.

I got up in the middle of the night, as I often do, and made my way to the bathroom. On my way back, I forgot that there was a big credenza holding the TV between me and the chair and I ran smack into it. It was no "I know it's here somewhere and must be careful" kind of crack but a "the floor is empty and I'll just walk my usual pace" kind of crack. I literally saw stars and when I went back to the bathroom, there was blood dripping down my face. I got a wet washcloth and held it to my head and it was pretty gross looking, the blood having soaked through about half of it (head wounds bleed a lot). The bleeding stopped, but during breakfast with Jeri, Phil and Tom, it started bleeding again and I ran through lots of napkins and some ice cubes before it stopped.

Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, we did have a lovely breakfast at a French cafe a block from here. We have already decided what we'll order there tomorrow. And before we'd finished, Alice Nan and Joe had come in too, so we waited while they ate their own breakfasts. By the time we left, we were walking through the lunch crowd!

During our time there, Tom regaled us with tales of a girl on the plane he took to get here and her reaction to a horror movie that their seat companion was showing her.

Around 1:45, we assembled to board our buses to go to the wedding. This was a brilliant idea, having all guests stay at the same hotel and then have 2 buses to pick them up and take them to the church. With parking the way it is, I can't even imagine how we would have parked cars.

An additional wonderful thing they did was to anticipate the ~45 min. drive to get there and they made up this great travelogue of what we would be seeing along the way. Unfortunately nobody told the bus drivers and they went a different route, so we didn't see anything in the travel booklet...but it was a lovely, thoughtful thing to do. And Norm, Walt and Alice Nan regaled us with tales of places that had been important in their childhood, which we passed along the way.

And then there was the crash. About a block and a half from the church, our bus sideswiped a car while trying to negotiate a tight turn. It dragged a car a few inches forward. The driver got out to make a report and when we found out how close we were to the church, the whole bus emptied and we marched as a group to our destination. The last we saw of the bus driver, he was filling out paperwork.

(Damage to the bus)

After the wedding, there was a receiving line outside the church before we were returned to our hotel.

Because the reception line went on so long (this was an hour Baur without anybody actually saying goodbye!), by the time we got back to the hotel, we only had 30 minutes before we were to board the bus for the reception, held at the Congressional Country Club, a gorgeous setting, incorporated in 1921 with its honorary founding president, Herbert Hoover. It will soon serve as the site of the U.S. Open, for the third time.

The site is beautiful

But I was more intrigued by what they give away in the women's bathroom

The fact that the women's rest room has a telephone in it with a line to the Senate Pub,

and that they have specially shaped butter.

I loved that the cousins had such a great time visiting with each other, like old friends, despite the fact that they have only seen each other a few times in their lives.

The bride and her father had a very sweet dance, while Jeri and Phil had a more energetic one.

While Walt's cousin Bonnie had a great time dancing with her grandson, Hazen.

I liked getting to dance with both Walt and Tom

There's lots more to tell, but I don't want to bore anyone. It was a fun, lovely and loving wedding which had, at its conclusion, perhaps the largest hour Baur ever.

I felt bad that we had to rush for the bus, and I was not able to find ANY of the people in charge to tell them what a great wedding this was and marvel at how few glitches there were. I also didn't say goodbye to Tom, who is leaving tomorrow morning for South Carolina. But thanks, Ernie and Lucille for a beautifully planned event, and to Kayleen and Sean for being such a special couple.