July 11 – “Full”

Now this was a full 24 hours.  My 39th high school reunion was scheduled for 6 to 10 pm last night at Mario's.  I was also scheduled to do a destination wedding at the San Luis Hotel at 7.  Not impossible.  The plan was to go to the reunion, then the wedding, then back to the reunion.  Piece of cake.   Until I got on the seawall.  It was a typical Summer Saturday night on Galveston Island.  Tourists everywhere.  Cars clogging intersections.  Sitting at street lights two times.  There was no way I could get all the way to Mario's on 6th Street and back to the San Luis in time to do the pre-wedding photos they asked me to pose for.  So when I got to the hotel, I just pulled in.  Luckily I had a novel I had been reading, so I wouldn't be completely bored.  The Testament by John Grisham.  So far pretty good.  Some mega-rich guy changes his will at the last minute, leaves it all to an illegitimate daughter no one knows about, then jumps out the window.  This one has possibilities.    So first the wedding.  I found a comfortable chair in the lobby and settled in to read.  The minutes ticked by and the seven o'clock start time was getting closer and closer.  Still no contact from the photographer or whoever had the license or even the wedding coordinator.  Right at seven people started showing up.  Guests.  Wedding party.  Coordinator.  And finally photographer.  But he didn't mention the shots he asked me to be there early for.  So we didn't do them.  Oh, well.  The young guy who was assigned to escort the grandparents and parents (all were escorted by the same guy) got there and started his job.  But he wasn't supposed to start yet.  And then the bride's Mom showed up and found out.  She made him go get the grandmother he had already seated and bring her back.  About the time they got to the door she told him to go on and seat her, so they turned right around.  What a start.  The wedding itself went fairly smoothly.  Except that it was hot.  And humid.  Galveston in July.  We were all dripping with sweat.  And then the bride started down the aisle.  We lost one of the photographers.  He had to go inside and cool off before he had a stroke.  And they had added several traditions to the ceremony that they wanted explained – sand ceremony, jumping the broom, father's blessing.  It lasted a long time.  By the time we finished I was literally drenched.  My suit was dripping wet.  But everyone was happy.   Being the incredibly intelligent and experienced destination pastor that I am, I had a hunch that it would get hot.  So I actually packed a bag with some shorts and a t-shirt to change into before the reunion.  Good thing.  I was feeling kind of sick and dizzy as I changed.  I also hadn't eaten.  Remember I planned to do that at Mario's before I even went to the wedding.  But in my survival kit I had some peppermint candy (the kind that melts like sugar in your mouth) and gum.  I savored it as I drove down the seawall.    I got to Mario's around 8:10.  Still plenty of time to see people and eat.  I went in and asked where the reunion was.  And they said, "Oh, we had someone else ask that same thing earlier.  That's at the other Mario's over on 61st street.  Now understand something here.  Follow the numbers.  The wedding was at a hotel on 53rd street.  The Mario's I was standing in was on around 6th street.  And now I had to go back to 61st street.  I was eight block away when I left the hotel.    I made the drive back to the other Mario's, at least happy that I was not the only one who messed up on the location.  I was told that virtually everyone was still there, so I had a chance to chat with some old friends as well as some people I knew back in school but not all that well.  We had something in common, though.  We all remembered certain teachers, like Mr. Jeter and Mrs. Marchand, or drama productions (who could forget The House at Pooh Corner?  It was good to see Roo again, and she remembered me as Tigger).  We all looked forward to doing it again next year (the reunion, not the play).    Now that would have been enough to head home and go to sleep on.  But I still had one more thing to do.  Actually I did go home, and I did go to sleep.  But I set my alarm for 2:15 a.m.  The teenagers from Seaside were leaving for camp in North Carolina, and I wanted to see them off.  Half of them met at Seaside at two.  That group then drove to Dickinson to meet up with the rest of the group, have a donut at Shipley's, and get on the road.  This is the first year in a long time that Chris and I haven't gone to camp, but with the uncertainty surrounding her Mom we decided we better stick around this time.  So it was bittersweet to see the excitement in their eyes and to enjoy the goodbye hugs as they loaded up.  They promised to send me emails and text messages every day so I could keep up and even write my usual song about the trip.  We'll see how they do.   Psalms 44:8 says, "In God we make our boast all day long, and we will praise your name forever."   Father, this has been a long day.  And I didn't even tell half of it.  Through it all I praise you.  Amen.