Start Spreading the News . . . Part II (a.k.a. Cara and Garry get hitched!)

Our trip to New York did have one overriding purpose -- to be there for Cara and Garry's wedding! Cara is one of Dr. J's stepsisters (the other being Ro, her identical twin, who will be getting married in November). Garry, her new husband, is from Ireland, and has that adorable accent you'd imagine he would. Their wedding weekend began with the rehearsal dinner at the Three Village Inn in Stony Brook. It was there that Dr. J and I got to see his Dad and stepmother Phyllis for the first time since our Long Island visit in November (during said visit the horrid SUV accident occurred -- I still shudder just thinking about how damn scary that was). We also got to see our nephew, 3-year-old Tyler, and his parents (Dr. J's brother and sister-in-law).

The next day we drove from John McEnroe's old house in Queens back out to Port Jefferson (where Dr. J grew up) to attend the wedding mass at Infant Jesus Church as St. Charles Hospital. The ceremony was performed by Father Vinnie, who came over from Ireland with Garry's parents just for the occasion. Father Vinnie, with his charming Irish accent, remarked during the ceremony that "I had two other weddings back in Ireland that I was asked to perform on this very same day . . . but I wasn't about to turn down an excuse to come back to New York for a visit!"

The wedding was progressing as normal until Tyler decided he had to have gum, and he had to have it now! Of course, the gum was in the car, and both of Tyler's parents were had parts in the ceremony, so Uncle-Dr. J was dispatched to get the gum. Dr. J had to haul himself over a banister at the one end of our pew in order to do so. This is an important fact to keep in mind, and it would come back to haunt us later.

With the gum retrieved, and Cara and Garry now officially married, there were 2+ hours to kill between the wedding ceremony and the reception. So I insisted that Dr. J and I swing by his favorite hometown pizza place for "a slice" (this is what New Yahkers call it, while those in 'Da Burgh tend to call them "cuts"). So off to Renzo's we drove, our stomachs grumbling and our mouths watering at the yummy food that awaited us.

Dr. J decided to leave his suit jacket in the car. So as we walked into Renzo's I noticed that he had a 6-inch rip in the back of his pants, next to the left pants pocket! Even worse, it was NOT on a seam!!! How did this happen? (Hmmm, maybe when he left church to get Tyler's must-have gum?) We decided to go ahead and have a slice while we pondered what to do next.

I calmly said aloud "I'll just sew it while we're at your Dad & Phyl's" (who were hosting people at their home in between the ceremoney and reception). I'm not sure if Dr. J was aware that the last time I had sewed was an ill-fated surfboard-pillow project in 8th-grade home ec (which has remained a longtime private joke between my Mom and I ever since). But I think my air of confidence faked him out enough to relax about the situation.

At Fred & Phyl's we found a needle and thread that matched his suit, and I proceeded to spend the next 35 minutes in an upstairs bedroom sewing this huge rip back together. In Dr. J's defense, the pants were not tight on him -- in fact he has lost weight since he bought this suit years ago. As for my sewing, let's just say that the first half of the job was touch and go, but halfway through I found my way and my stitches markedly improved! (Hey, it held for the entire night, and so long as Dr. J kept a coat on, nobody knew differently). Somehow I put a dart in his pants in the process . . . but hey, they didn't re-rip!!! [Photos available upon request -- just ask me and I'll send 'em to you.]

After a few pre-reception cocktails, we headed for Lombardi's on the Sound at the Port Jefferson Country Club. The cocktail hour, in true Long Island fashion, lasted a couple of hours, and featured so much food and booze that my family would have thought it was the reception and left satisfied! But as I have learned through previous Long Island weddings, there is even more splendor awaiting guests during the reception. And so was the case for Cara & Garry's wedding.

During a scrumptious, Italian, multiple course meal (the entree was served at 11 p.m.!), we had the opportunity to catch up with some folks from Dr. J's family we hadn't seen in a while. This included Joanie, Uncle Bob, and a rare appearence by Uncle Bob's friend Wayne!!! We had never met Wayne before, nor even seen a photo! Wayne was a very nice guy, even handsome (he reminded me of a British newscaster, with his blonde hair). Quite frankly, Dr. J and I agreed that since Uncle Bob isn't much to look at, we're not sure how he ever snagged Wayne?!?!

All in all, it was a beautiful wedding, and it didn't even begin to wind down until after 1 a.m. Cara & Garry had a beautiful day (no rain, and not too warm), an awesome priest, and great grub for the guests. WELL DONE!

Start Spreading the News . . . Part I

We survived our whirlwind long weekend in New York! There is so much to tell, I don't even know where to begin.

After taking advantage of an ultra-cheap Southwest Airlines flight to Philly, we rented a car and drove on to Queens to stay with Dr. J's godparents, Aunt Arlene and Uncle Joey. They have a stunning, original 4-bedroom colonial home, which even has a maid's quarters and an old-fashioned bell system in each room that lets you ring for the maid (except that there is no maid at this house, hee-hee!) But this historic home is also steeped in celebrity, as it was the home of tennis ace John McEnroe (and his family) from the ages of 13 - 21. In fact, Dr. J and I slept in Johnny Mac's bedroom!!! Of course, this made us all the more randy, knowing that Johnny Mac has undoubtedly scored some hot chicks in this very bedroom! And I couldn't resist throwing in some of his classic lines -- when Dr. J tried to put the moves on me, I would exclaim "YOU CANNOT BE SERIOUS!" -- just like John McEnroe would yell at the tennis umpire and judges during a match when a call didn't go his way.

With Aunt Arlene as our tour guide we set off bright and early on a Thursday morning for the Metropolitan Museum of Art. We first traveled by train, then by subway, and finally by bus, to get there. I must take this moment to give a shout out for the subway -- it is much cleaner and safer than ever depicted on television shows or by people who just like to bitch and moan (but usually haven't ever ventured underground to try it). The Met was huge, and despite seeing lots of amazing art, we probably hardly scratched the surface of its many treasures. Thank goodness Arlene knows her way around the museum!

After lunch we went on a Circle Line Cruise around Manhattan Island. It was a very cool way to see many things, in a short amount of time, such as Ellis Island, the Statue of Liberty, and Governors Island. It was truly a blue sky kind of day, the kind meant to be out on the water! The tour guide had that wonderfully thick NY accent you crave to hear, and provided a lot of cool anecdotes that visitors just eagerly gobble up.

Following the cruise we walked down to The Footprints, a.k.a the former site of the Twin Towers. Having last been there on December 20, 2001, a strange mix of emotions was felt by Dr. J and I . . . sadness, tears, hope, and mainly anger.

We then walked around NYC seeing some of the wonderful architecture up close, before walking down to the TriBeCa neighborhood to meet up with Uncle Joey for dinner. We then had a delicious meal, with several outstanding bottles of wine, at Landmarc.

The next day, Friday, had Aunt Arlene in a historical mood. We drove to Oyster Bay and toured the home of President Teddy Roosevelt, Sagamore Hill. It was really interesting to see his beloved home, full of mounted game, as well as full animal skins on the floors of the rooms. Our guide provided some great stories about President Teddy. Though many knew him as a Rough Rider and hunter, we learned that he was also a warm and loving father, he was a much published author (he needed the money, having lost much of his inheritance on an ill-fated buffalo ranch attempt in the Dakotas), and was always trying to rid all levels of government of corruption.

After our tour, we had lunch at one of the many million diners that are everywhere on Long Island. Of course, this made Dr. J happy!

What?! It Has to Break at THIS Moment?

Ever notice how important stuff breaks at the most unfortunate moment? I'm not talking about big-ticket items, like cars, or even expensive appliances like a dishwasher or 'fridge. And I'm not even talking about the exasperation one feels when their mini-Ipod throws a tantrum.

Nope, I'm talking about the stuff you really care about -- it doesn't have to be something expensive, or critical to your health . . . just something that's important to you, and maybe important to your partner. And when it's important to both of you, and it breaks at an, uh, important moment, well, it just sucks!

And unlike a digital camera or some other techno-gizmo, there is no real recourse. I seriously doubt that there is some tech support hotline we could have called for this one. But hey, we got through it. Twelve years together makes ya bounce back like that.

Great Food, Good Wine, Fab Friends, and a Side of Chappelle

Time for the Saturday evening recap . . .

Hamster & The Weeter journeyed to our neck of the woods for an evening of carefree and selfish frivolity [cue knowing glances at our foursome's "inside joke"]. Of course, this occurred only after a morning in which all of us had slept in quite late, due to our "must be nice!" lifestyles. Yeah, take THAT, Soccer Moms and Dads!

But back to our evening at hand . . . our happy foursome enjoyed a delicious meal of Italian food at a quaint b.y.o.b. dining spot that's mere steps from our hip & trendy, urban village apartment (i.e. that means grown-ups and no toys). Having the opportunity to imbibe more than usual, and without fear of driving, all of our inhibitions and social proprieties began to fade away, as we engaged in rather frank conversation, openly mocked those that piss us off, and laughed much too loud!

Then we toddled on over to aforementioned nearby apartment to drink even more, and feast our minds on whatever VH1 had chosen to reminded us about our youth this week. Dr. J & I also christened Hamster & The Weeter with a healthy sampling of "Chappelle Show," too! We were a bit worried that it might possibly be too crude for those in the business of educating young minds, but then we saw them digging the "Wrap It Up!" sketch!

If you haven't seen this sketch, check out this link to some "Chappelle Show" video clips, and be sure to click on "Wrap It Up!"