The Wedding; Part II

So as I mentioned before I was out in Montana last weekend for a wedding. There were about seven of us from both the SC and Pittsburgh that went out and we were all staying together so it was like a mini vacation under the guise of a wedding. I arrived on Friday afternoon and met up with Jared who had just come off a four day bender in Vegas, while the rest of the crew would be touching down at BZN around eleven o’clock that night. The wedding wasn’t until Sunday so we would have plenty of time to hang out and get acclimated to the area before the big event; or at least that was the plan.

Saturday’s agenda included a cookout for all the out-of-town guests, which was just about everyone and our little east coast crew was in charge of bringing drinks. We started the morning with a shopping spree and got what we felt was a sufficient amount of beer, soda, water, and assorted juices for the crowd. We procured more than enough to put a hurting on the suspension of the mini-van the seven of us were traveling in (or at least planned to travel in). As we were getting ready to depart, the van decided it didn’t want to start. Fortunately Brian’s parents were there (since they live there) and we were able to make a vehicle swap that allowed all seven passengers and four coolers full of assorted drinks to safely find the venue.

The next morning (Sunday) we were “recruited” (and I use the term loosely) to set up all the chairs in the alpine meadow where the ceremony was to be held. I was given a general idea of what was to happen the night before but no real strategy was established so we were on our own to determine the best location and set for the seventy plus chairs that would (hopefully) accommodate the guests. Everything must have been satisfactory because nothing was changed when we returned later for the actual wedding.

At this point I’ll skip ahead because let’s face it; a wedding is a wedding is a wedding. It was a very touching ceremony with tears and laughs and a backdrop that couldn’t be beat. The reception followed which was great as well. That brings us to Monday when there was a plan for a nice little hike that turned into a full-on scramble to the top of the peaks. At this point I think it’s important to note that I was woefully ill prepared for any kind of hike as the only shoes I had with me were my Pumas. While these would have been the perfect footwear for going out on the town, they were not ideally suited for a seven mile hike through the high mountains of Montana.

Following the hike (and a short soak in the hot tub) we proceeded to make our way to a classic Montana steakhouse in one of the many sleepy little towns. At said establishment, we embarked on a full out voracious festival of meat, soup, salad, bread, potatoes, beer, coffees, and desserts. When it was all said and done we had eaten almost half a cow. We then sluggishly made our way back to the house for some additional soak time and beers. After all, it was a vacation.

Tuesday morning and I got into an argument at about four thirty. I was upset that I was seeing him and he just wanted me gone. We reached a mutual agreement and I was at the airport and on my way back to the SC. I somehow managed to drag myself into work on Wednesday, but it wasn’t easy. In the end, everyone had a grand time (or at least seemed to) except for our uninvited guest, Jared’s neck. I guess it goes without saying but congratulations Nate and Ali. Thanks for a great time in Montana.