Day One Hundred Seventy Five

Dear Readers,
      It is wedding day for us today.  Nope, not renewing our vows already, we are going to a wedding of a person we have watched grow up from young boy into full fledged and full grown man.  Now he enters into the next phase of his life.  A life with someone he is going to cherish and provide for and be the leader for.  I am really excited for him and happy to be celebrating this big day with him.  Getting married was quite possibly the best day of my life and I am sure Sam is going to feel the same way.
      Over the last four years or so, Raina and I have really enjoyed going to weddings.  Well, maybe not the actual wedding part, they can be pretty boring.  I am pretty sure my own wedding was pretty boring for those who weren't in it.  The reception on the other hand, can really be a blast.  The food, the music, the dancing.  We love the celebrating.  Getting on the dance floor and acting like a fool.  Wedding receptions are about the only places that I actually enjoy dancing and making myself look like an idiot.  I have no idea how to actually dance.  I figure that the more I feel like a fool, the more people actually think I kind of know what I am doing.  So I will be back to finish tonight's blog when I get back.  Time to get suited and booted.
      Man, that was some party.  What a blast we had, getting our groove on.  Again, I am not a dancer, I am just willing to act a fool to have a good time.  That was an awesome wedding.  Short, sweet, and to the point.  And plenty of dancing.  Not to mention tons of sweets, including chocolate covered strawberries.  It was at the Long Beach Museum of Art, with an awesome view of the beach.  Great weather for an outdoor wedding and reception too.  I just have to say Congratulations to Sam and Kasey.  You guys were awesome and I pray for many many blessings on you guys.  Thanks for allowing Raina and I to be a part of something this special.
      By the way, we found out the emcee was a guy who used to be in that band O-Town.  If you don't know who that is, it is basically a boy band that was created on a television show.  Pretty short lived.  We also found out that Brooke was actually a fan of these guys and she knew who he was.  She chickened out on the whole getting a picture and autograph with him.  So we took the liberty of getting his autograph for her as soon as she left.  So, next time I see her, I can giver her the signed card so she can frame it and put it up on the wall.  Maybe I should just do it for her and have it set up for her in their new place.  Don't worry Brooke, we were looking out for you.  Enjoy reading the autograph and personal note to you as you listen to your O-Town album.
      I almost forgot to mention the little bit of beard love I got today.  I actually got a compliment from one of the groomsmen, as he was walking out for the wedding.  I was sitting on the end, so all the groomsmen were walking right past me to get up front for the wedding.  The music is playing and they are walking out, and the third or fourth groomsmen down pointed to me as he is walking down and says "Nice beard man".  Yup, even while the wedding is going on, the compliments keep flowing in.  Just one of the many reasons why I do this.

This Day In History: 1996
U.S. sprinter Michael Johnson breaks a 17-year-old world 200-meter record, setting the new mark at 19.68 seconds.  Amazingly, only two months later at the Summer Olympics at Atlanta, he beat even that mark, setting the new standard at 19.32 seconds.

Born This Day: 1929
June Carter Cash - American country singer, wife of Johnny Cash.

"Good manners will open doors that the best education cannot."

-Clarence Thomas

This is the autograph and message for Brooke.  Hope she enjoys it.