Well, I've Gone And Done It Now...

My launch into the waters of marital bliss came yesterday afternoon at about 4:25 p.m. So far, so good. Much intense preparation went into the operation, as this was a self-catered affair. It was great to have most of my family in attendance. For those who weren't able to make it, we missed your presence but we understand that exigencies exist. There are gobs of photos out there and I will post some as soon as I have some that are in reasonable working order.

In the meantime, I want to thank everyone who attended and made it possible, including Ann Urse (without none of this would have been possible); her swell kids Anthony and Nikki; Ron and Debbie Odette and Roger and Sharon Evens (without whom my bride would have not been possible); my parents Hershel and Virginia Hicok (without whom I would not have been possible); TJ the DJ, who played a fantastic set of music for our dancing entertainment; Andrea Wallace Pahl, who made the ladies look beautiful; her mom Susan, who officiated at the ceremony (and did a great job); Reuben Peterson (who did all kinds of stuff, including producing a great set of photos within 24 hours of the event); Barbie Valdez (who brought great flowers that she grew and great cake that she baked); Montel O'Connor (the matron of honor); our ace lifeguards Mckenzie Coy and Cally O'Hagan; our crack bartenders Carol Weidman and Monique Churchill; Stan Fawcett (who graciously provided most excellent shrimp); Keven Evens and Mike O' Hagan, who gave heartfelt and kind toasts; and of course, my sweetie, Chelsea Hicok. Welcome to the family, girl! Of course, thanks go out to everyone who graced us with their presence and love at the wedding and made it all such fun.

We are getting ready to sail across Lake Michigan in a few days, where we will go to attend the party for Eric and Sara Jung, the other pair of Napaskiak newlyweds this summer. They were kind enough to attend our gathering, and it was a lot of fun to get the crowd applauding for Eric as the coach of our state championship basketball team.

Now that the weding is done, it will be time to begin preparation for our return to Alaksa in a few weeks. But first, it will be time for the annual Traverse City Film Festival, which takes place next week. We have our tickets, and I cannot wait to see what surprises will be in store!