08/05/2003 - 8:18 AM

I didn't get an entry out before I left for Nashville, as I had been promising myself, so here's a quick update on how things are going...

Good

Doesn't get much quicker than that, does it? The trip was excellent. So great to see family I haven't seen in a couple of years, and to top it off, I got to know a couple of cousins and all that I've barely known up until now. Aaron is a blast. Got invited to the bachelor party at the last minute, and before you know what's happening, I'm paying $15 to get into a strip club that I have absolutely NO interest in. Among other highlights of the night were Aaron (the groom-to-be at that point) being dressed up in skin-tight black clothing with a pink tutu to go out, and having my first taste of pure moonshine. If there was a chance of me having strep throat (it could happen), that stuff killed it. Now I know why they call it White Lightning...felt like a bolt went through my throat and hit my stomach.

Spent some good quality time with the parental units, as well. Mom was just thrilled to have me around for the wedding, and we just laughed a lot through the weekend. We even shared a hotel room, since it was a suite with a fold-out. I spent the third night on the fold-out as well, since I told my uncle he could move over to my room and save himself a night's charge. Besides, he had rented a car, and was more than glad to drive the family around.

As for the wedding itself, it was pretty bizarre. The bride's family was more than just a touch odd, and I wasn't really sure what to make of it. I met Jackie the night I got in, and she had been drinking wine, so I chalked it up to the alcohol. Saw her the next morning, and either she was still drunk, or she's ALWAYS that wacked out. It's probably not fair of me to draw conclusions based on a stressful weekend like that (especially since her dad died a few months ago), but I just didn't get a good vibe. Her sister was a drunk mess, the brother was the epitome of the loner/geek, and the mom was kind of off. Trust me...I don't have the most normal family either, but this was just bizarre.

Most of the family left Sunday around noon, but my uncle and I hung out for an extra day, and we had a blast. Checked out the Parthenon (the only to-scale replica of the one in Athens is in Nashville...who knew?), the Country Music Hall of Fame (amazing...I could do a whole entry just describing how incredibly impressive that building is), the Tennessee state buildings (my uncle is an architecture junkie, and he loves state buildings), and the Hermitage, where Andrew Jackson lived and died. I haven't had that much culture on a vacation in years, but it was great.

The flights back were delayed, and I didn't get in to Denver until about 9:45 last night. Matt picked me up at the airport, and we went back to his place to get my car. I wanted to stay at his place last night, but I wouldn't have been able to get home, change, pack a bag and get back in a reasonable amount of time, so I stayed home. He bought me these BEAUTIFUL flowers to welcome me home...all yellow and red and orange, and they were perfect! After a little bit of making out that could have easily taken a turn toward the bed, I reluctantly went home, but didn't fall asleep until after midnight. Hopefully, I'll get some rest tonight.

What I'm Listening To: Black Eyed Peas - Where Is The Love (stupid song is stuck in my head!)

First Word That Comes To Mind: wedding

What I'm Currently Reading: