Boomer's Wedding

February 6, 2006
Los Angeles, California, USA

I arrived in LA in the late afternoon on February 2nd, tired and well done in from a week of some seriously good times in Frisco. Checked into the Wilshire Grand, a freakin fabulous hotel that I felt out of place walking through with my bright yellow backpack. I couldn´t wait to get to the room and chill right out. I had dreams of a hot bath and some TV on the long bus ride down and couldn´t wait to fulfill them.

I did just that with the 4 hours I had to kill before Rob and Tim Shortill would arrive at the hotel room door fresh off a plane form the T dot! I couldn´t wait to see them! After a month on the road it´s always nice to have a taste of home. I was all comfy cozy and relaxed when I heard the knock at the door and excitedly ran to greet my friends. It was just a matter of minutes before we were down in the hotel bar having drinks and I was being introduced to the, until then, missing Shortill boy or my repertoire, John the eldest. Another Kawabi Alumni but before my time there. The boys had a head start at the airport in Toronto, and of course on the plane ride, so I had some catching up to do. I thought I was taking it easy with only 2 drinks on the evening, but apparently a normal drink at the Wilshire is the same as a double (or maybe triple) everywhere else. I wasn´t complaining though. We took it fairly easy but still managed to get nice and sauced. I think it was the discovery of the 24 hour hot tub and pool that did us in. By about 4am we found ourselves loungin´ in the hot tub and excitedly awaiting the days that lay ahead.

Boomer, sorry, Jamie, woke us up with a relatively unneccesary phone call at about 9 the next morning, much to the dismay of Rob and Tim who tied a couple more on then I had the night before, not that I was particularly happy to be woken either but I was not in as rough shape as the boys. We decided to go with it and made our way downstairs for what I´m pretty sure was the most expensive breakfast any of us had ever eaten. Didn´t do that again, but in our state that morning we were defenseless against the tourist trap. By the time breakfast was over I met John Sr. and Helen Shortill and the circle was complete. We had a much needed relaxing afternoon and got ready for the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner that evening.

Upon walking into the wedding space for the rehearsal I immediately saw Jamie standing front and centre and was so excited to see him. I can´t even tell you how long it had been. Same old Jamie. The outfit was far less bright then all the neon I was accustomed to back in my early years of camp but the man had hardly changed. It was so geat to see him and give and get a huge Boomer hug!

I would be lying if I didn´t say how nice it was to be eating like a king. I had steak two nights in a row (along with many a great drink) and couldn´t have been happier. We hit a club in Pasedena after dinner on Friday night where I had the privilege of meeting all of Jamie´s friends and watching Rob devlop a harem of ladies around him, who he vaguely remembered the next morning. Needless to say it was a fun night and only the beginning as we awoke the next morning to GAME DAY!

The wedding was great. The ceremony was beautiful and relaxed. Plenty of laughter and a lot of love emanated from the alter, where Jamie and Krista stood, and infected the crowd. After the ceremony the party began. Beautiful speeches, food and dancing along with some great conversations with friends old and new. It was a truly wonderful evening that wrapped up with a great conversation on the roof of the Los Angeles Athletic Club, catching up with Matt Horan, Razz! WHat a trip the whole evening was!

The wedding celebrations culminated with superbowl Sunday at Jamie and Krista´s place in Hermosa beach where both families were taking things much slower and just quietly enjoying the compnay of others and the game. Actually I was more into the commercials and half time show but what else is new!

We crashed in Mark and TJ´s room at the LA Athletic Club on Sunday night before grabbing Jamie´s car and heading to Vegas for yet another night of total debauchery on Monday.