Scene 1, Day 1

The Big M- “Damn, you’re pink!” 

Me: (Having not noticed at all until he says something) “Ahhhhhh!”

Scene 2, Day 1

Chicklet’s Mom- “Ohmygod!  You are soooooooo burnt!”

Me -”I know”

Chicklet’s Mom- “That has to really hurt!”

Me: “It does”

Chicklet’s Mom- “Seriously, you are soooooooo red!”

Me: “I know”

Scene 3, Day 1

The Big M- (snickering) “We thought you wanted lobster for dinner”

EF- (distracted)-”What?”

The Big M- (Points to me) “You know, Lobster”

EF- “Oh”

Scene 4, Day 1

Brat: (Rubbing aloe on my shoulders) “Trying to fly into the face of the sun?”

Me: (Near tears) “My wings (-sniff-) melted”

Brat: (With true sincerity) “Sorry Icarus, I should have warned you ’bout that”

Man, do I have cheesy titles or what?  I really need to work on that. 

So the wedding was great, fabulous fun and I got all weepy.  Not just because of the romance, mainly because of the wind.  It was June, in Iowa, next to a lake.  Seriously, I don’t think it was that cold in April!  It was something like 45 degrees with 30mph winds.  The sand was everywhere, in my hair, ears, eyes – thus the tears.

Unsurprisingly enough, SS looked amazing, as always.  She’d look perfect in a garbage bag.  The wedding was just as lovely, with punked out groomsmen and a ringbearer with a seven inch mohawk.  My Mother would have hated it. 

Mom-repelling-ness aside, we all had a blast.  The frosty temperatures and white trash town did nothing to diminish the fact that one of my best friends in all the world just married her soulmate.  That dump truck of alcohol helped as well. 

The bachlorette party was hilarious, 3/4s of the people were late, so we got to the bars long after we intended to, and so drank like fish to get as drunk as possible.  Thanks to the $1 you call its that wasn’t hard.  The bride herself got so trashed with all the shots she puked for hours.  The rest of us weren’t too bad, but we all kept TALKING WAY TOO LOUD and not realizing it.  I ran into a number of old friends and aquaintences, many of whom hadn’t seen me in over year and instead of the usual “what have you been up to” conversation, I yelled and hugged a lot.  I’m sure those people are looking forwrd to seeing me again.

I did get a nice welling up of longing for the days when I was in college.  I miss it a lot more than I thought I would.  I really think if nothing comes along in a bout a year or so I’m going to move back, and get a Masters in something.

Anyway, after the bachlorette party was the rehersal dinner, which thankfully I didn’t have to go to.  Thus I got to stay in my hotel room and chill out, which was tons of fun.  I can not explain to you the thrill of being 100% alone after have to live  with, dodge, accomidate etc. other people for so long.  The only person I could live with and truely feel at peace was the Roommate, and she’s gone off and got engaged.  So I’m on the search again.  Somehow I don’t think I’ll get as lucky again.

Gods, do I ramble or what?

Moving on, the day of the wedding was full of cold weather and worries about rain.  It was June in Iowa so naturally the temperature and weather predictions changed hourly.  It ended up about 45 degrees with a bitter wind rolling off the lake and, magically, no rain.  Thank the wedding gods it was a super short ceremony.  We all bundled up and headed to a tiny white trash town where we danced and drank and danced some more.  Then we went back to the hotel and drank some more.  Except for the Bride and Groom of course, they came to the hotel for a much better reason than alcohol.

It was a great weekend, I really did need the break.  I didn’t get to watch as much baseball as I wanted, but then again I never do.  I will be posting more on baseball and a few new books I’ve read later.  As for now, it’s back to the grind!

I am so in love with Naked juices and smoothies. I’m sipping a Red Machine with a look of utter glee on my face. I’m being good and loving it! If you haven’t tried it, save up (it’s expensive) or treat yourself, it’s bliss.

commercial over

Vacation to the middle of BFE for fun, drinking and general wedding merriment. And thanks be to the wedding gods for not making me a bridesmaid!

I need the break, I’ve been working my butt off at my miserable go nowhere jobs and trying to decide what to do with my loser life (I fear I may be becoming slightly self pitying). So I think a few days of no worries will do me good. Maybe I’ll even get around to writing those reviews I keep talking about and never doing. (hahaha)

Reading: Swords and Sorceress II

Watching: My life disenegrate into emo-madness

Listening : “My Favorite State of Mind” by Josh Gracin- I seriously can not get enough of this song!

With the newest increase in his salary, Kirk Ferentz has become one of the highest paid head coaches in college football. Raising his annual pay to $2.84 million along with a $1.4 million (his old salary) payment upfront. Not only does that put him in with the likes of Bob Stoops and Mac Brown, it also puts him above Jim Tressel. Anything that puts Iowa above Ohio State in anyway makes me a very happy girl.

Now, a lot of talk is swirling in this state about whether or not Kirk (hereafter referred to as the Black and Gold God or BGG) is worth that kind of money.

Anyone questioning that had better review their loyalties.

The man is worth more than his weight in gold- literally. The price of gold per ounce $638.00US * 16 oz * 180 (rough guess of BGG’s weight, as it was no where to be found on the web)= $1,837,440 Is he worth his own weight plus a million? Oh hell yes!

Take the numbers for example, three seasons in the Top Ten, two Big Ten Championships, 4 straight bowl games, 40+ drafted or signed NFL players and a whole host of awards- including AP Coach of the Year and the Heisman runner- up in 2002.

Then again, look past the numbers. The BGG is a bigger celebrity than Ashton Kutcher in Iowa City. Nearly everyone there worships him as I do. He’s creating a brand new legacy while still staying faithful to the Great Fry era of spirit, determination and full bodied love of the game. He reminds us all of the neighbor we’d love to have, the one who mows your grass without being asked when you’re on vacation, who has well-behaved kids and dogs who adored him rather than fear him and who is always willing to show up at your backyard party with a six pack and smile. He isn’t fake, he isn’t trying, he just is.

He never comes off as a hard ass, an idiot or a freak who believes football is the only thing that matters. He obviously cares about the reputation of the school, the love of his fans and the lives of the players he touches. He asks for respect and gives it freely, he is approachable, intelligent and humble. He deserves every bit of attention and every accolade but never lets it get to him. And he is very, very good at what he does.

It’s no wonder the NFL is scrambling to pull him into their ranks. There is no fear of a Spurrier-esque crumble because they see what the people of Iowa City, and the state as a whole, have seen since December 2nd, 1998 (and even before, when he assisted The Great Fry), the quiet, average looking Superman that molds talent into skill, crafts parts into a whole and makes an entire state bleed Black and Gold when they thought all was lost.

Maybe now that he holds court with some of the best college coaches in the all important status symbol of salary, he will be seen by all for what he is, the greatest coach in college football.

The BGG is more than a worthy successor to the Great Fry, he’s exactly the kind coach Iowa needs to keep them winning, growing and becoming the unstoppable force I know they can be. And they can do it without the drama, cheating and ridiculousness of Some Other Schools.

So is Kirk Ferentz worth his weight in gold?

No, he’s worth his weight in Black and Gold.

(Okay, that last line is cheese-erific, somebody help me come up with something better please)