With Your Eyes Open

This past weekend was Joe and Tiffany's wedding. Most of you probably know that Joe was my best friend growing up, since first grade (we didn't have kindergarten together). Over the years, we grew closer, apart, and then closer again as middle and high school wound up and we found ourselves with a lot of common ground. We've got the kind of friendship that, as he wrote in my senior yearbook, "it would be a crime against humanity if we didn't keep in touch" (or something to that effect). I've tried my best to do just that, though it naturally isn't always easy to make work and school vacation schedules match. At any rate, It was, an honor to be included as one of his groomsmen for this grand occasion. From the Friday night rehearsal, the following cookout at Yatesville lake complete with bocce ball and a twist on the old standard beanbag toss called "cornhole," to the daylong festivities and ceremony surrounding the Saturday wedding, it was almost like I had never left West Virginia at all. The three of us groomsmen kept Joe's nerves at bay until he could finally see Tiffany walk down the aisle, which we accomplished by playing a makeshift game of cornhole with floral styrofoam and cardboard stands in the back room of the church.

Amanda and Mary, the other half of the high-school quartet and Joe's cousins, were also there, and I was grateful for the chance to catch up with them, albeit briefly in between the various groomsman duties at the reception. I met many members of Joe's family that I never had before, which is always cool, and I got to know his cousin Andy, the best man, a little better. I talked with his brother Jon a bit about engineering stuff. Even though I've always kind've felt like an adopted son hanging out at Joe's, it was cool meeting the rest of the family.

One other highlight of the ceremony was when one of Joe's co-workers from one of the local TV news stations arrived in a news van and offered to tape the wedding using one of the pro cameras. Saying "if we're going to do this, we're going to do this right," he then proceeded to mic up Tim, the minister, so the audio would come through on the tape. There are perks to working at a TV station, I see now.

Looking back on the weekend, it still seems really weird that Joe is married, but it was obvious that the bride and groom were deeply in love with each other, so I know that they'll be just fine. Joe, thanks again for having me in your wedding - it was an honor. And Tiffany, I look forward to getting to know you better - hopefully you won't have to work the next time I'm in town!

It's wild to look back and think that the four of us went from this:

To this:

...in about seven years.

(Check out the rest of the pics, too.)