| Part One: | The Rapids Sure are Grand |
|
Grand Rapids, Michigan,
is a lovely construction zone set off by a fair-sized Midwestern city.
I was there to see one of my friends become joined in the mats of
bondrimony to one of David Librik's friends. (actually, David knew
them both, but I had not met the bride until I got there. and I know
you care.) So, David and I reasoned, since we'd both be attending the
same very small wedding, we might as well hang out together. The
families, in fact, decided to make us roommates at the hotel! After a Friday where I hung around at the best non-rehearsal-dinner ever and where David sat in Chicago rush-hour traffic, we finally met up at the hotel about 11:30pm. We were both zonked, but we ordered a pizza (him - cheese, me - supreme, and my toppings kept intruding on his half). We sat up talking about music and all you lovely Fegs [well, not all of you], generally exhibiting that we're each as whatever-we-are in real life as we are on the Net. He talked about NMH, I recommended some Pere Ubu, we talked about live Robyn tapes, I asked David's opinion on the post-Moss Robyn songs (none of which I've heard yet), and we generally were lucid for as long as we could manage, after which we kept talking for a while. Then we knocked off, about 1am, to rest up for a busy following day. |
|
L-R; Dolph, Dave
David decided that, before the 4pm wedding, he wanted to go see Grand Rapids. I neglected to inform him that the city was going to be totally gridlocked by a grand prix race through downtown all day. Oops. I had a lot on my mind -- I had been selected as the Designated Defacer Of The Newlywed Getaway Car, and the requisite scheming took most of my concentration. Eventually, though, David did make it to the site of the wedding, a county park in Jenison (a southwestern suburb of GR). By that time, most of the setup had occurred, so after we both made sure that the bride and groom were not freaking out too badly, we just sort of hung loose until the lovely outdoor wedding (only slightly hampered by the only half-hour of rain I encountered all weekend) commenced. Soon afterward, we went to the local Meijer store and grabbed the necessary implements for proper automobile desecration. David's assistance in selecting the finest materials was invaluable, and he's also one heck of a balloon blower. The resulting sculpture-on-wheels has the groom just *itching* to get back at me someday... Once we'd finished, we joined the reception party. There was a rockin' little three-piece band (with the groom's uncle on drums) who seemed to know every song released between 1950 and 1975. It was certainly the first time I'd ever heard "Folsom Prison Blues" at a wedding. But they were great -- I hope I can have that much fun playing music when I'm 60. I kept wanting to request "Do The Chisel," but I never quite worked up to it. We had a fantastic time, even after facing our handiwork upon their vehicle, the bride and groom still let us go to dinner with them after the ceremony. Here's a traveler's tip: be wary of the staff at AmeriHost Inns. Their hiring requirements, at least in the greater (or lesser) Grand Rapids area, must consist of "Has a pulse? Check. Is totally unable to keep a wedding party's needs straight, even with months of advance warning? Check." David and I ended up sleeping in the groom's little brother's room after the wedding. I took the air mattress, partly out of guilt for not alerting David to the consequences of trying to "see Grand Rapids," and partly because sometimes I like sleeping in things that aren't beds. The following morning, I had enough presence of mind to think "Fegfoto...", and we posed for the lovely portrait above. I've got the bouquet, David's got the toast. ("Toast!") David is good people. If you ever visit Champaign-Urbana, IL: 1) God help you. 2) Go see David! |