The day before...

the wedding was relaxed for the most part. Letha, Phil, Justin and I cleaned up the ceremony site a little in the afternoon (people leave trash all over the place).

We had the rehearsal at the gazebo (where the ceremony was being held) that evening and then headed to dinner at Buca Di Beppo (ummmm...yummy... :-P). It was here that Letha and I gave all of the wedding party and our parents their presents.


Letha and I also exchanged gifts that evening too. I gave her a set of sapphire jewelry and a jewelry box that she liked. She then blew me away (she's good at giving presents) by giving me a Breedlove Guitar: The Atlas Plus Edition. I have wanted to learn an instrument (I've messed around with the keyboards a couple of different times) and figured this was something that is easier to travel with. The really cool thing about this guitar is that it has a built in tuner. So thank you very much Letha.

Editor's Note: My version doesn't have the built in tuner.


After dinner some of us headed up to Noblesville to a brewpub (they brew their own) called Barley Island. Good food and my friends (Rebuilt) were playing that night. I walked thru the door just in time to hear the 2ND half of their last song, which sucks because I wanted to hear at least a couple of songs. I use to see them almost anytime they played, but hadn't seen them since I moved to Massachusetts. But we all hung out there for a couple of hours and had some fun.

Then a few of us crashed at Justin's apartment that night while we watched The Monster Squad, ahhh the good ol' times. This movie is written co-written by Shane Black (and I'm friends with Shane WHITE, coincidence...I think NOT), and was a BIG flop in the theatres. Imagine The Goonies with classic monsters (Dracula, Wolfman, The Mummy, Frankenstein's monster) in it. The movie found life on T.V. and VHS, and people begged for years (at least to me) that they release it on DVD. It was released not too long ago and I bought it (well Shane WHITE bought it for me and I paid him back).

Things I learned whilst drunk...

First, that Madden 2008 can't hold my jock strap!

So I played the first game of the Patriots season last night, after I closed the theatre. It was against the Jets, and I decided that I would just try to run the ball to set up the pass. It worked beautifully...I won the game 21-0. I think it was the first time I shut out a team EVER in Madden (Madden has ALWAYS had a way of making sure the other team ALWAYS scores somehow, usually within the last 2 minutes of each half - my friend Mark and I call them Madden NASTIES). By the time the game ended I realized I had 3 beers in me already (I was a little tipsy). Then I saved my franchise (in case I lost, then I could blame it on the alcohol) and played the Chargers. I was so worried about losing this game (mind you I was already half way thru my 4th beer at kick off) that I called Justin Rachal to express my concern for LaDainian Tomlinson (who is THE best running back in the NFL).

Man, I guess I was silly to worry...somehow while I was finishing my 4th and 5th beer (which were AMAZING, I'll explain in a second...) I DESTROYED them 42-7. I abandoned the running concept with this team, and played like the Indianapolis Colts. I threw for 400+ yards and 4 TDs with Tom Brady, caught 2 interceptions and returned them for TDs, 1 TD catch for 80 something yards, 1 TD catch for 60 something yards, and gave up 1 sack. LT had one run for 80 yards, which was one of the Madden NASTIES.

Second, so while I was drinking my Sam Adams: Summer Ale, I had let it sit too long...so it had gotten warmer than I like my beer. This is when I had the idea of dropping a couple of FROZEN grapes in to help it cool down again. Now I know what you're thinking FROZEN GRAPES????? These things are amazing (to my own fault I have only tried this with white seedless grapes, but those are the only grapes I like), they taste like popsicles, and they're good for you (well better for you than REAL popsicles anyway). Everyone reading this should try them, if you haven't already, and then post a comment on here about how GREAT they are...then maybe eventually we can get the whole world to try them. :-)

So back to the beer with the FROZEN grapes in them (I swear, my parents could have gotten me diagnosed with ADHD when I was a child). This beer had gone from good to AWESOME for me. WARNING!!!! Be careful when you put them in a full bottle as the grape juice interacts with the beer, it tends to foam up. I now drink until the beer level is below the neck of the bottle before dropping in the grapes (2-4 depending on my mood). The best part is...after you finish the beer the grapes drop down the neck (and fairly easy to get out) and then eat these WONDERFUL tasting grapes soaked with beer. hhhhhmmmmmmmm...I think I have to buy some more grapes on the way home tonight.

Anyone up for some XBoxing?