After Jimmy and Ellen’s wedding ceremony on the afternoon of Saturday, May 1, 2010, the party moved on to the Renaissance Long Beach Hotel for the reception. While Jimmy and Ellen were off getting some pictures taken with the wedding party, everyone settled in to tastefully decorated banquet room. There were plenty of great hors d’oeuvres and even better, an open bar with plenty of wine. We had a nice big table with Bob, Kathy, John & Melinda, Lois & Cassidy, Rick & Patty, and Erin & me.
John & Janet Duff, Earl & Denise Kress, Rick & Patty Greene – all looking dapper as can be
Erin and I quickly found the red cabernet
The wedding party made their entrance after about an hour and Jimmy and Ellen danced the traditional first dance. A fabulous buffet was served, and complemented the flowing wine quite nicely. David gave a great and funny Best Man toast, where he made sure that everyone in Ellen’s family were calling him by the right name. The cutting of the cake was kind and gentle – with no real smashing in the face so to speak. The crowd got pretty loosened up and there were plenty on the dance floor; some – like Bob Duncan – more than others.
Lucky to be seated twixt such beauties as Cassidy and Erin
Ellen and Jimmy’s first dance as husband and wife. The lessons paid off.
The cutting of the cake
John Duff photographs the proceedings. Now if I could only get ahold of his picture of Bob Duncan on the dance floor. Oh Janee!!
Reversed synchronized cake stuffing
Proud parents of the groom, Kris and Big Jimmy
David delivers the toast. Ellen and Jimmy appear to be amused.
Jimmy shares a dance with his Mom
Erin in her new dress was the perfect date for the gala affair
It was a great party overall. In a way in felt like a Sons of the Desert convention banquet with so many of our friends from the club present. Only we all looked much nicer and the food was better. Erin got the chance to meet many of my friends, and all of them thought the world of her.
A gathering of the Sons. This was roughly 10% of the number of folks who would be at the upcoming convention in Sacramento.
Jimmy and Ellen share a quiet moment with Stan Laurel’s daughter Lois
With Lois
I almost look like a Laurel
David and I discuss the joys of text messaging
Jimmy and I send each other messages
Erin and I have lots to say to each other via text
Bob shows his feelings about text messaging
I think Our Wife was an underrated film…
Jimmy surrounded by John, David, Earl, the other John, me, and Bob
I’m tired and ready to go back to our hotel
See you in Sacramento, Cas!
Bob and Erin commemorate their meeting with a photo
After the reception, Bob drove Erin and me to the Hacienda Hotel in El Segundo, a nice place near the airport. He dropped us off and we checked in and waited for Erin’s sister Kerry to arrive. This gave Erin a third and final time of the trip to spend with her before we left. She brought along a bottle of vodka, which added to the wine lead to a fun and interesting night. Or perhaps I should say talent show…
Kerry, a fine actress, did a recital from The Vagina Monologues and sang a few numbers like 99 Luftballoons. I did a solo of Morrissey’s Friday Mourning. Erin sang and participated in some ‘team yoga’ – which offered some freakish counter-balancing. And we ate Twizzlers in a most remarkable way. Needless to say, it was very difficult to rouse Erin to action on Sunday morning.
Kerry delivers a vagina monologue
A might fine yoga demonstration
Despite the way it looks, I am actually not sitting on anything
Kerry gets her turn on Brad’s Thighs of Fun
It’s so simple that even a girl can do it
Hey! Any idea where those Twizzlers have been?
I had a dreadfully early flight to catch at 7:10am and Erin had one that was about a half hour earlier. Finally I did get her to rise and shine and we caught the shuttle to the airport. Since her flight was earlier than mine, she was waiting for me at our mutual layover when I arrived in Dallas at 12:15pm (losing two hours). We had some lunch at the Tequileria restaurant in the airport for some salmon quesadillas. Together we caught the 1:55 flight to Dayton. She would be coming back to my house to stay with me for the following week. We had a good time on the flight, working the crossword puzzle in the in-flight magazine.
We got into Dayton at 5:10pm, losing the final hour. Dad picked us up and we headed back to his place to get my car. There had been no mishaps this time with him ramming his truck into my door. In fact, he had gotten my brakes repaired for me. Erin and I headed out, hungry for Bob Evans, and ready for another week of adventures together…
Continue with 2010…
Return to the beginning of the L.A. trip here…
Can I be next in line on Brad’s Thighs of Fun?
Chris
August 31st, 2010
Wish I’d been at Jimmy’s wedding! Congratulations to him and Ellen.
Randy Skretvedt
August 31st, 2010