Monday was really a single event with a day leading up to it. For Jenelle that meant an early morning haircut..."want to get rid of wedding length hair before the honeymoon." Then waterskiing (a few short passes for my weary and rusty body) and a tour of renovations at the club, followed by a few hours' respite for Jenelle and I. It had become clear after lunch that we simply were not going to survive 10 more hours, so we used two of them to recharge in the guest bedroom while preparations swirled around us. We lent a hand when we were able and - with help from family and friends again - all was in place when guests started arriving for a party in our honor. There was a very hip, contemporary cake and a piano player; friends new and old were there to greet and congratulate us. I found myself surprised at the changes in some acquaintances and surprised at how others had remained the same. I found lots to talk about with lots of people, each of whom, it seemed, wondered about a slightly different aspect of our lives. Ira had a suggestion for a honeymoon must-see, Sam and Elinor asked about our experiences in Sarasota and we had a very deep (if brief) conversation about the problems of gentrification in the new south. A toast preceeded cake and, as if suddenly, everyone was gone. We spent some time with Mom & Dad and opened (more) gifts, but didn't last much longer than the guests.

In the morning we said goodbyes to Bill & Sharon, packed the Jimmy to the very gills, and headed south to Ann Arbor and Belleville. Along the way we stopped at the Lake Michigan beach along US-2, as we had nearly three years earlier, for a jubilant dip in the lake that is so much a part of us, then drove over Mighty Mac with sailboats below and Jill and Rog on the island, and south.

posted at 7:13 PM - comments