The Nerd and The Tourist

Interrupting my Hawaii posts for Halloween!

For Halloween this year we dressed up as Takashi, the nerd, and a Hawaiian tourist. Dallas’s costume was part of a group. Todd, Brian and Adam all dressed as the nerds in their Lambda Lambda Lambda sweaters. Fun costumes, people were asking to take their photos with the nerds and saying “Lambda Lambda Lambda!” as they walked by.

We started off at Todd and Adam’s house and then went over to Mac’s for just one drink. Then someone decided to go downtown, which was pretty crazy. We were at Mercer 113 for a bit and then went to Tavern on Rush.

Birthday Barbecue

For my birthday we had a barbecue. Everyone ate too much and drank too much and had a great time!


Richard pretending to photobomb Dallas, Killian and Ed.


Jill visiting with Liz while Dallas tried to get Fiona.


Raiden is just a few months younger than Fiona. They’re both so big compared to when I last saw each of them!


Feedburners reuinite! Chris, Paul, Lisa, Kate, Rachelle. Alden shouldn’t be so late or he misses out on photo ops like this!


Dallas grilled up a ton of kalbi. We thought we had way too much but people were fighting for the last rib! We also made about five pounds of slow cooked pork with Dallas’s famous blue cheese coleslaw.


Richard and Ed stealing ribs fresh off the grill!


Kate and Brett.


Dinner!


Dylan and Quinn making forts on the couch.


Could Fiona’s eyes be bluer? Just like her mom.


Chris and Lisa brought this Achatz Handmade Pie. Grant Achatz did not make this pie, but his cousin did.


This was the crumb-topped Michigan 4-berry pie, their signature pie. They use locally grown tart cherries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries. It was so delicious. Chris said pie is a family tradition. He and Lisa also gifted me a pretty pair of earrings that I wore to work on Monday. They are so nice and thoughtful friends.


Ed (chef/owner of The Baked Escape) also brought some delicious desserts – white chocolate raspberry swirl cheesecake and caramel pumpkin pound cake!


And here is Ed making Rory cry.


Killian gave me Easy Feet! I don’t know if he’s implying I’m too old to bend over and wash properly or if I have super nasty toes! According to the infomercial, “it’s like a carwash for your feet!”


Me with Andy and Katie.


And Alden!


And Trent and Loden!


Trent was digging around in the cupboard for shot glasses and I busted out laughing when I saw he was using a votive for a shot glass!!! Gotta do what you gotta do!


Loden, Kelly, Brett, Rachelle.


Time for bed!!! (Thanks, Damian for the wine and this Askinosie chocolate bar!)

Brian and Sara’s Wedding Reception


Mariachi played during the cocktail hour.


Cocktail hour aperitivo: Chips, salsa, and guacamole.


Adam and Andy


Brett and Kelly with coconut drinks.


Brett and her coconut!


Even Dallas had one.


I noticed that the wedding photographer was taking shots of the wedding party on the pier at sunset. Beautiful!


Trevor and all his friends! Just kidding! He stepped away to smoke and take in the sunset.


Soon, everyone joined to watch the sun set.


The dinner setting was gorgeous during the sunset.


Table #5, Couple #1: Kate and Trevor


Table #5, Couple #2: Mitch and Emily


Table #5, Couple #3: Dallas and Rachelle


Table #5, Couple #4: Damian and Vanessa


The photo slideshow that friends put together. The photo showing is of ziplining in Hawaii on our wedding trip!


Surprise! Guy on stilts with a live marionette puppet!


We followed them down to the beach.


Fire dance!


Brian and Sara’s first dance as a married couple.


Everyone rushing the dancefloor!


Brian busting out some Michael Jackson moves. He also did his signature move, the worm.


“…. now I had…. the time of my life… ” (Josh and Kelly)


“…. I put my hands up, they’re playing my song….. “


It’s a Party in the USA Mexico


Mike and Todd


Josh and Dallas (and their horrible dance moves).


Mike, Todd, Josh, Dallas


Kelly and Vanessa

After Brian and Sara’s wedding ceremony, we all went back up to the palapa where a mariachi band was playing. On the boat I said something like I’d hoped there would be mariachi, so I was extra excited about this! The band played for the cocktail hour, where we chowed on salsa, guacamole, chips, and many, many fruity drinks. On this trip the Miami Vice had been the most favorited fruity drink, but during the cocktail hour the favorite was definitely the drink in the freshly chopped coconut!

For dinner we headed up to the upper palapa. Dallas and I were at Table #5 with Damian, Vanessa, Trevor, Kate, Mitch and Emily. We had been hanging around with all these guys for the whole vacation, so it was a fun table to sit at. Adam gave a really nice (and funny) speech during dinner and Brian’s brother Mike poignantly stood up to say that he wished their mother could be there with them that day.

Next, some friends put together a surprise slide show with photos of Brian and Sara throughout the years. At first everyone paused dinner just to watch the show and take a trip down memory lane with Brian and Sara, but it soon became apparant that this thing would go on forever, so dinner resumed. (I helped edit a lot of the photos, so I know there were over 500, which would auto-play for something like 40 minutes.)

At the end of dinner everyone was surprised when an elaborately dressed guy on stilts came in and was controlling a life-sized, real-live-person marionette puppet. This grand entrance was punctuated by the two guys following, who were playing a slide trombone and a drum! They moved all around the dinner space and then all the guests followed them to the beach where they performed a fire dancing show. Extra impressive, since it was a very windy day!

Next up, Sara and Brian had their first dance. After that everyone basically rushed the dance floor and it was nonstop til the end of the night! People danced their butts off! Especially to Brian’s favorite Miley Cyrus song! 🙂 What a fun wedding! Thanks to Brian and Sara for inviting us to be a part of it!

Brian and Sara’s Wedding Ceremony


Waiting for the boat at the Mocambo Restaurant.


Our ride, the Caribbean Princess.


View of isla from the ferry.


Larry, Josh, Brett, Todd and Marty boarding the boat.


Us.


“I’m on a boat!”


Andy couldn’t resist the pole!


Arriving at Zama.


The seating cards were inserted into limes. Neat idea!


The menu – Tixin-Xic Fish, Carne Asada, Potatoes au Gratin, Steamed Vegetables.


Emily & Mitch


Christine, me, Vanessa


Damian & Vanessa


Josh, Lynda, and Trevor getting drinks.


Kilmer & Jess were in our row for the ceremony.


Vanessa & Lynda were in front of us.


Us


Larry


Brian and Officiant Josh.


Todd, Danielle, Nate


Adam & Chloe


Mike & Carrie


Sara & her parents


Sara & her parents


Sara & her parents


Sara & her mom


Josh did a great time conducting the ceremony.


Danielle, Chloe, Carrie


The Rings


The Kiss


Married!

Sara and Brian were married at the Zama Beach Club, which is a gorgeous venue located on the shores of the secluded Sac Bajo area of Isla Mujeres. To get to Zama, all of the wedding guests took a short walk from our hotel, Ixchel Beach Hotel, to the Magana Dock, which is next to the Mocambo Restaurant. While many of the ladies preferred to be in the enclosed lower level of the boat so they didn’t mess their hair up, I thought the open upper deck was the place to be. The ride was really fun and very beautiful. Even if I did have to watch Andy pole dance (not so beautiful).

Upon arrival at Zama, we all walked down a long pier to get to the beach club. There was a big open palapa with a bar and a marble dance floor, a smaller palapa where we’d be having dinner, and seating set up on the beach for the ceremony. There was a bit of time (15 or 20 minutes) before the ceremony was to start, so of course, everyone got drinks… which we still had while being seated and watching the ceremony. If you know any of these people, this is not odd!

The guys were all dressed in casual suits with tropical flowers on their lapels and the girls all had gorgeous, long, plum-colored dresses. Sara looked beautiful, of course, in her long, strapless gown, carrying flowers whose colors coordinated with the girl’s dresses. Josh was the wedding officiant and conducted a very heartfelt ceremony that included both Mayan traditions and personal touches that you’d only know if you were friends with Brian and Sara. Very nice.

La Adelita Tequileria, Isla Mujeres


La Adelita Tequileria


I heard they have over 100 different tequilas.


Larry & Kelly & the gang.


Scorpion shots.


Big Trev & Brett’s Trevor


Big Trev, Aaron, Brett’s Trevor


Big Trev


Trevor x 2 + Aaron


Mike ate his scorpion.


Kelly didn’t, but drank the shot.


Lynda was the only girl to eat her scorpion.


Dallas only posed with the scorpion.

All day Trevor (who will be referred to as Brett’s Trevor) had been talking about this shot he had at La Adelita Tequileria. The bartenders take live scorpions and put them into a bottle of tequila. This, of course, kills them, but not before they release some venom? Something like that. You eat the scorpion and then take the shot of tequila. Supposedly this is supposed to have an aphrodisiac effect. All day long we heard about how he’d done this the night before. All day long he tried to get people to have a try at it with him again that night. Most people were not interested, but Trevor (who will be referred to as Big Trev), was IN. I don’t know if he was really interested in the shots or if the convincing had something to do with the face that both the Trevors found out their birthday was the same day, the very next day! In the end, more people did the shot than I’d have imagined. Dallas and I did not! Although Dallas did play with a dead scorpion for a long time, putting it in his pocket and scaring other girls with it.