Familiar Panera, Unfamiliar Virginia. (wedding business, but not my wedding business)

New Blog for the new mac(!) I'm in Fredericksburg, VA. It's a gaudy sort of town. I got in on Wednesday afternoon, after 900 miles, a Cardinals game in Cincinnati, and 4 1/2 hours of sleep in a church parking lot on the Ohio/West Virginia border. It was an alright drive, beautiful at times. When I got here, I finally got to meet Gretchen, the bride. She's lovely. She and Mike are great together. I've always known Mike to be kind of like a stage act. Like, he's been up on stage, being funny, doing stupid things, flying off the handle. He's every bit a performer, from his embellished stories to his athleticism to his quick and clever sarcasm. But, he's always been a one-man band. Like, no one could ever keep up with him. Anyone who's had the pleasure to know Michael can only sit by and watch the shenanigans, but never compliment them, never be a part of it all. Until now. Now, he's got a side-kick. She's perfect for him. Sitting watching them interact on Wednesday, I saw a dynamic and interaction that I had never seen before. She keeps up with him. Even more so, she is a perfect compliment to his act. Michael's no longer on stage by himself, he's got a Laurel to his Hardy, a David Spade to his Chris Farley. It's perfect. I'm so excited for them, and can't wait to celebrate this freaking marriage. It's beautiful. And, I've been having so much fun hanging out with the guys up here. Like, "Mondo, you've been missing out so much by avoiding intimate social interaction with dudes over the last few years" kind of fun. I've been loving it, and am a bit sad that it all has to end tomorrow. But, then it's on to the next adventure, the next social dynamic, the next life. But, more on that later...