Lawfully wedded Wards

I’m sitting outside a Midas in Redlands, CA, on a beautiful Sunday afternoon. AAA has once again come to my rescue, replacing a flat tire with the spare this morning. On the day after a “party like a rock star” wedding and two hours of sleep, car issues are the last thing in the world that I want to deal with – so I am grateful for my recent upgrade to AAA Plus. And how cool is it that they have Wi-Fi? I love America.

I have been in southern California this past week, first visiting my dear friend Muggs Shoop in Burbank, and then migrating east to Redlands for the beautiful Christina’s wedding. And what an amazing occasion it was…

Christina and I went to junior high together in Montrose, CO, but she moved away in 9th grade. We wrote letters through high school, but faded apart in college. She graduated from UC Irvine and then went to law school at Boston College, while I was busy doing my thing in Seattle. However, in a fortuitous turn of events, we reconnected via MySpace last year – I am such an advocate of the internet. After taking the Bar, she came to visit me in Seattle in August, and we picked up right where we left off. I knew that I had to make her wedding a part of The Big Trip.

Christina and her now-husband Dan live in Boston, and so the wedding was an awesome cocktail of east and west coast folks. Not knowing anyone other than the bride and her family, I boldly inserted myself into the mix, and wound up meeting an entire crew of amazingly fun people.

With the stunning bride:

My new soul sisters, Fong and Chloe:

Steak? AND salmon? I’ve died and gone to Redlands.

After all of the amazing food at this wedding, today officially begins a new diet. Because this?

Was thoroughly consumed.