Update Season VIII - "Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My!"

[Joe Biden 2020]

I just got dressed for the evening's festivities.  I will be leaving in 20 minutes to fill my gas tank up and open the church up by 1500.  The wedding party should arrive between 1530-1600 and go into their separate rooms to start changing.  They want to arrive in such a way that the bride and groom do not see each other until she walks down the aisle at roughly 1805.  The guests will start arriving and will be seated starting at 1700.  The wedding ceremony should be over by 1840 and the reception should begin around 1900.  I'm hoping to get everybody to start cleaning up by 2200 so we can put the church back together ready for Sunday Morning Worship.  Like I said, it will be definitely after 2300 before I get home, probably closer to 0000.

[Joe Biden 2020]

Bushie needs to get drunk and bang a bridesmaid and tell us about it. We need more entertainment here.

I have this feeling it'll be a dry wedding tonight that he's attending. I couldn't imagine anything worse.

This being a church, there will be no alcohol at the reception.

Most churches have alcohol in the service.

Not this one.  We are a very conservative and very traditional church, so no alcohol allowed on church grounds at any time.

That's neither 'very conservative' nor 'very traditional'.

The wine, along with the cracker, is the most critical part of the traditional service, isn't it? How can Bushie be unaware of this?

We're not having communion today.  Just the regular wedding ceremony.  We do have communion quite regularly, though, maybe once every other month.  We use grape juice instead of real wine.

[Joe Biden 2020]

Wow, several posts with Inks in the hot seat.  I can't say that I'm too disappointed by it!  Haha, Inks, you're a good friend.  Much of what you say flies in one ear and out the other, but even though I defend myself, I know deep down you only want the best for me.  Same goes with the rest of you.  Sometimes, it is very hard to take, but you are a good friend, Inks.  I feel blessed every day I come onto the forum.  Again, the criticism is hard to take, and sometimes I try to rebut, but I know you all only want the best for me.  That's why I play along on occasion and come back with some admittedly weak humorous zingers.

[Joe Biden 2020]

Anyway, the wedding is over and the bride and groom are off on their weekend honeymoon.  They're just staying at a hotel in Oklahoma City, I think for the weekend and taking a trip later.

As for my first time, I did not stutter at all, my voice was clear and confident and loud enough to project without a mic (we don't have lapel mics in our church), although my hands were shaking due to the nervousness.  The entire ceremony only lasted 20 minutes and the reception was over by 2030.  Everyone has told me I did a great job, but what was most important, the bride was happy.  That's all that matters!  The second thing that matters is the groom was happy.  The third thing that matters is the bride's father was happy!

[Joe Biden 2020]

Bushie needs to get drunk and bang a bridesmaid and tell us about it. We need more entertainment here.

I have this feeling it'll be a dry wedding tonight that he's attending. I couldn't imagine anything worse.

This being a church, there will be no alcohol at the reception.

Most churches have alcohol in the service.

Not this one.  We are a very conservative and very traditional church, so no alcohol allowed on church grounds at any time.

That's neither 'very conservative' nor 'very traditional'.

It's certainly not traditional in any respect, but I would associate it with being very politically conservative.

Touché.

Anyway, the wedding is over and the bride and groom are off on their weekend honeymoon.  They're just staying at a hotel in Oklahoma City, I think for the weekend and taking a trip later.

Do you know where they're going for their trip?

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If three things ranked in descending order matter, why is the first of them 'all that matters'?

Does it matter whether or not the bride's mother or the groom's parents were happy? If not, why not?

Of course the rest of the family matters, but the most important is the bride and groom as it is THEIR wedding, not their families.  Plus, usually, the wedding is more focused on the bride than the groom, although both are equal.  I put the bride's father as third because this is his little girl he's giving away.  The rest of the family would be fourth encompassing the bride's mother, groom's parents, both sets of grandparents, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, children, cousins, etc.

[Joe Biden 2020]

Plus, have you heard the saying "if Momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy?"  In this instance the bride is Momma.  If the boss isn't happy, nobody else matters!

[Joe Biden 2020]

Now that Saturday is over, I still have a busy Sunday, as well!  First off, I have church in the morning from 1000-1230, then a birthday party for my cousin's son (my Pastor Cousin's nephew) from 1300-1630.  After the birthday party, I have a dinner with my Kenya team at 1730 at a restaurant in Oklahoma City.  I will go ahead and get this out there, that I won't be too worried about a diet tomorrow evening.  I won't go hog wild, but I'm going to enjoy myself and I will get a diet soda if available, if not iced tea.  I should be home by 2000.

[Joe Biden 2020]

Plus, have you heard the saying "if Momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy?"  In this instance the bride is Momma.  If the boss isn't happy, nobody else matters!

Well, yeah, if the bride is unhappy, it doesn't matter if everybody else is over the moon; I entirely agree with that. But saying that if the bride is happy that's all that matters is...

Never mind. I knew more or less what you meant. What I'm more concerned with is the emphasis you're placing on the bride's father, which I think is a lot more questionable than that which you're placing on the bride. The other family members at any wedding are giving their little girl and/or boy away as well. (If you construct the wedding as the formation of a new family. If you construct it as the fusion of two existing families, nobody's giving anybody away in the same sense, although obviously there are still reasons for mixed emotions.)

I've never heard that saying before, actually. I like it. I won't adopt it because it doesn't fit into my speech patterns, but I like it.

To be honest, the bride's father emphasis was exclusive to this wedding.  The bride's mother is not in her life, any more.  I can't remember if its from divorce or death.  The groom's parents, who were both there, should probably be put into the same level as the bride's father, with the grandparents and the rest of the family after that.  The bride's father just stuck out to me as I've known him for a long time as well and he told me personally as everybody was leaving the reception "Thank you!  If my baby is happy, I'm happy!".  It wasn't elevating him over the groom's parents, but he just stuck out to me more than the groom's parents.

[Joe Biden 2020]

I also found out the groom's side of the family are Seminole-Creek Indian.  Which, according to the groom's father, is a close relative of the Potawatomi, which is my tribe.

This makes sense as if you look at a county map, Pottawatomie County is the county right next door to Seminole County on the west.  Pott county as it's also called, is right next to Oklahoma County on the SE side of OK County.

[Joe Biden 2020]

I'll respond to everyone later, as I'm late for church, but as of this morning, I lost 1.8 lbs since yesterday, 11.2 lbs total, for a weight of 263.8!!

[Joe Biden 2020]

Inks, read my last post in this thread.  11 lbs is not water weight.

[Joe Biden 2020]

I am telling the truth.  Yes, I am eating right at 1500 kcal a day.  I'm not eating healthier, just eating less.

[Joe Biden 2020]

Good evening, folks!  I am home from a good dinner with my Kenya team.  I didn't eat particularly healthy, so I will likely gain just a bit in the morning.  Oh well, gotta shake it off and get back to it tomorrow.  I had a cheeseburger with a few fries, Diet Dr Pepper, and a big scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream for dessert.  That's probably 1500-1800 calories.  Oh well.  I did pretty good the few days before that, and I'll get back to the diet tomorrow.  It's just a one day fluke.  No sweat.

[Joe Biden 2020]

I am getting excited to go to Kenya.  I leave in 10 days and 13 hours.  The morning of June 20, the flight leaves at 10:40, so we are all meeting at the Airport by 7:40, however, since Dad has to be at work by 6:45, I will be at the Airport by 6:15-6:30.

[Joe Biden 2020]

Good Monday Morning!  With the bad diet day I had yesterday, I did gain 2 pounds back, but that's okay, nothing I can do about it now.  I'm getting back on the diet today and will have those two pounds gone in no time plus some.

[Joe Biden 2020]

I don't know if I'll be able to post here or not.  We'll see.

[Joe Biden 2020]

I do have some good news.  The counselor at Metro Tech called just now and my spot has opened up for the CAD-Mechanical Program and I will start Monday, August 5, 2013 at 07:40!

[Joe Biden 2020]

Grumps and Duke,

I know when I get back in 22 days from now, I will want to move to Kenya right away.  The trick will be to wade through the emotions and continue on with the plans that I have made before going to Kenya, which are to go to school for CAD-Mechanical and move to Fort Worth afterwards.  Thankfully, I will have my parents here, who are all in for the schooling, to bring me back to reality.  The worst thing that can happen is the Peace Corps idea may be revived, but I'm planning to stick with the Fort Worth plan!  The notion that the Maisha Volunteer Homes won't be available until at least late 2017 or 2018, will quickly bring me back to reality.

[Joe Biden 2020]

BK, nice promo!

[Joe Biden 2020]

". I still have work to do in Oklahoma for a little while longer, but the way I'm seeing it now, I could be an "American-African" within the next 15-24 months."

I'm cracking up on the train right now (as I sit next to someone I once thought was Flyers).

Yeah, 15-24 months obviously didn't happen.

[Joe Biden 2020]

Tomorrow, I've got a few errands I need to run in town, but it shouldn't take that long.  I anticipate being gone 2 to 2 1/2 hours at the most.  I've got to pay a bill, run by my house, and grab a suitcase.

[Joe Biden 2020]

Bushie, what did you eat today!

3 slices of bacon, 2 scrambled eggs, no toast for breakfast
no lunch
2 soft tacos for supper.

[Joe Biden 2020]

Pretty clear Bushie never gets any fiber in his diet ever. I bet if he ate some broccoli, he could lose several pounds just from pushing out the clogged remains of countless hamburgers.

You are telling that to someone who cannot stand broccoli.

[Joe Biden 2020]

They have Chinese in Oklahoma.  I don't touch the stuff, but they do have Chinese food.

[Joe Biden 2020]

In 9 days from now, I will be about to start my journey to the Republic of Kenya.  I will get the last of what I need today, such as a small fan and bug spray.  I will pack by the end of this week.