Weddings, Parties, Bar mitzvahs, Anything

Well, the jet lag thang is slowly wearing off. I was in lovely Manchester England for Natalie and Elliott Chevin's wedding! The weekend started off on an ominous note. I got to the airport at like 5:30pm for my 7:30pm flight. When I get to the check in counter, the heavily Eastern European woman goes something to the effect of: "Dasvedana bubbeleh, your flight is delayed til 10pm" Oy vey.

After 3 Jack and Diet cokes, and reading many pages of a Detective Harry Bosch novel by Michael Connelly, I finally boarded the flight at like 11:48PM. It really sucked. I took 2 non prescription sleeping pills (just wanted to spell that out in case my father reads this), drank a bottle of non prescription red wine, and fell asleep the entire flight. THAT part rocked!

I am neglect in reporting that Vick could not come. The $ and cents of me missing work as a contractor, and not getting paid, the plane tickets, and kennelling Fred and Lulu would have made it like a $1,400 venture. Just too much of an expenditure sadly.

Our great friends, Mr. Arsenal, Rob DaCosta and his lovely girlfriend Amanda Hyams (she's a chemist, you know!) picked me up at the airport. I was one tired, unshaven mess!! We caught up and made up for lost time on the ride to the humble burg of Prestwich. Rob and 'Manda dropped me off at the home of septuagenarian hipsters (and neighbors of Michael and Helen Lewis) Murray and Margaret Fink. Ironically, 7 years ago, a slightly slimmer, single, less sane version of this punk rock blogger had stayed w/ the Finks for Abigail Lewis (now Yaffe) wedding.

While I caught up w/ M&M Fink, I mananged to grab a shower, and shave ( not w/ M&M in attendance!). The lovely Helen Morris called, and off we went for a walk around Manchester.... and no, we did not find out what Mike Joyce and Andy Rourke have been up to in the 20 years since the Smiths broke up!!

Finally I got to see Nat and Elliott that night. It was awesome to catch up w/ them. SO great to see Michael and Helen, Nat's parents. I really feel close to them, and consider them family. Natalie really is like a sister to me, the BEST friend anyone could ask for! I totally would have flown to the farthest distance from America to attend this event. I can't tell you how many highs and lows we both have gone thru together (although sometimes I have not always been immediate w/ my return phone calls when she needed me, and I greatly regret that) . I actually got to talk more w/ Elliott as well, and found him to be a really good guy. I feel we really bonded on this trip.

What can I say about the wedding? Hopefully I will have some scanned photos on here once Rob D. or 'Manda H. sends me some. It was a rocking event. Aside from the Shul being overly warm, as the Hilton Suite was.. it was a lovely ceremony, really emotional .. .and the party just ROCKED. I even got a shout out during the thank you bit from Elliott! How rocking is that? I even met some new peeps, and talked to some old ones that I hadn't seen in ages. All in all, a lovely evening. Just when it started, it was sadly ending. Everyone was singing a James Taylor classic ("you've got a friend") and that was the night. It was time to say good bye!

Although I must say I missed Vicki TERRIBLY... (That's Vicki Sincoff, not Vicki the Terrible:-) . My return flight took off on Monday, on time at 9:30am , I actually landed 30 minutes early... now that almost makes up for the 6 odd hrs I waited in Newark :)

To be serious, I would have waited 70 hrs. It was just a wild wild weekend . I'm so glad that Vicki and I have friends all over , it makes the world a much smaller place.