Still Monday; The wedding is over, the reception hasn't begun - Trudi stood on the lawn at St. Luke's piping away until I thought she was going to keel over from hyperventilation. Just far enough away for the pipes to be muted a bit - but still within view. People remarked on the piping - seemed to enjoy it.

The Esperanza is really easy to find from St. Luke's - I only had to give directions to a few people - but they were simple with clear landmarks and the Mansion is well marked.

Parked the car and joined the young ladies and Peter outside the main door where they were waiting for the bride and groom with bubble stuff at the ready. When Hiroki arrived with his parents and Kim the call went out "Prepare Bubbles!" and they did indeed bubble the bride and groom into the Mansion.

For those of you not aware, this was not your typical wedding reception. And with apologies to those of my relatives and friends whose receptions I have attended - it was hands down, without a doubt the best wedding reception I *have* ever attended.

The Baba-Tierney wedding guests were about half the audience for a Pennsylvania Yankee Theatre Company (PYTCO) production as a benefit for the Samson Theater renovation project. So the first order of business for me was explaining to some of the wedding guests that yes, there were a lot of people here they hadn't seen at the wedding, and yes, they were suppossed to be here. Secondly, of course, was greeting those PYTCO supporters I knew - many of whom knew Kim and Peter III (and Pete, and Sue, and me) from the days when they were iinvolved with PYTCO. and various other friends, neighbors, etc. I aslo got a lot of compliments on the song I had sung at the wedding . [ *blush* - Luckily I recovered after a very weak opening phrase - I wasn't sure , despite the number of times I've sung this song over the years whether or not this particular performance was going to come off. But it did]

Got a drink - (I figured I deserved one) and sat a moment at my table (along with Pete's Uncle Tom and his wife Barbara, Janet Richards, Pete's Mom, His cousin John, Grumps and Momma, and Trudi Moon) and glanced at the program. Guffawed at the opening of the director's notes - which went something along the lines of:

"When they first came to me with this project idea I thought WHat? There is going to be a REAL bride and groom and a REAL receeption and they want us to do a play at entertainment? What kinda crazy idea.....Then I found out it was for Kim Tierney - Which explained a lot!"

Circulated some more - made more explanations to those who hadn't yet read their programs - got another drink ( celebration, right?) and then got seated when the program about to begin. It was explained that the Best man (Al!) would make a toast, followed by a blessing from Pat Hanen- then salads would be brought out and the play would begin - a pause would allow the serving of the main course, and then another later for the cutting of the cake - finishing with the final act of the play. "Marriage can be Murder"

Al's toast was great - he explained he had been present when Kim and Hiroki met - declared that it was obviously love at first sight - and complained he didn't get to talk with either of them for the next six months!!!! We toasted the bride and groom in Japanese - and it was announced that the Bride's attendent (brother Peter III) had an unscheduled toast. Peter thanked Kim for being his companion and playmate while growing up, thanked her for shaking him out of his stodgy ways on occasion - and warned Hiroki that though most people thought Kim was starting a grand adventure by moving to Japan - it was Hiroki that had better watch out! (Rabbit choked up during the toast - so did I. oaky - you had to be there - but there was a lot of emotion flowing) pat delevered her usual succint and appropriate blessing and ....

I got another drink - this time I discovered the bottle of wine on the table. convenient! Didn't have to go to the bar!

Salads were served and the play began.

Casting was (I felt) excellent - though since it was a comic murder the characters were overblown and quite over the top. A frazzled wedding planner with a short temper; the at loggerheads Father of the Bride and Mother of the Groom - the spoiled rich-gril Bride, the dunce - I mean dense minded Groom - who by the way is "involved" with the catty Maid of Honour - and my favorite character - the grooms cousin - a bratty, obnoxious drunk.

The cousin extracts money from just about everyone by various schemes - the groom and the Maid of Honour discuss various ways they can remain "together" despite his marriage - The father and mother fight...the bride whines about EVERYTHING (thank you kim for not being a bridezilla. Thank you, thank you, thank you!)

The priest is delayed - somehow the maid of honour sent her to Rochester Minnasota rather then rochester NY - but the wedding planner steps in and performs the cermony - and then , just as the groom is about to toss the garter....the lights go out, bedlam ensues - and when the lights come up...


The Mother of the Groom has been strangled with the garter! She is indeed, dead.

Intermission.

After the entre has been given a chance to be eaten the play resules - the minister (the deceased mother of the grooms identical twin sister) - also an amatuer sleuth arrives and extablish the motives for each of the other characters possibly killing dear old Mom. much speculation, backbiting and infighting. The wedding planner getting increasingly upset because he has another function coming in and Aunt Madge doesn't want to let anyone leave until the mystery of who killed my sister is solved.

Weding cake intermission
And the resultuion:

In a brilliant piece of deduction Madge eliminates each of the suspects until only Alfonso, the wedding planner is left. Alfonso heads of to a prison sentence Since Alfonso's license to marry them wasn't legal in the first place Bridezilla decides to marry the (filthy rich) cousin - the groom ditto with the maid of honour and Madge scares the pants off Daddy of the bride by suggesting they make it a triple wedding.

Pytco packs up and takes off - most of the guests likewise. Baba-tierney folk hang around longer - for a few more non-tradtional items.

Kim and Hiroki present Mom Pola with the actual bouquet Kim carried = and present Dad with the garter - both in recognition of their 60 years of marriage and as "bribes" to get them to give the new couple some marriage advice. Mom comes up with "Don't yell at the kids" (HA!) and Dad with "ALWAYS pay attention to what your wife says". then it's time to toss the (other) bouquet - at first its just the young ladies and Peter up there - the "kids" are shouting for me to join them - unh-unh..But then the ladies drag their significant others out there - after all - Dad already has the garter - so this will be a dual-gendered bouquet toss....okay - I join them - but warn them that I intend to get it.

and I do!

After my victory dance and lap around the room (you think I'm kidding? remember - I had been celebrating..].

almost everyone clears out except the "young people" - which they graciously allowed to include Paul Enos (neighbor) and myself. The partial bottles of wine are scavanged from all the tables (why let it go to waste?) and people relax a bit....Alberto (not Alfonso) goes off to change his tux so that I can return it in the am - some of the gang are out enjoying the not quite damp eveing on the veranda while Jessica and Paul get into an olive war - Paul claims to use the line "She may be hot, but I'm fire!" in order to trump Jess's six olive drink with a 12 olive drink - but jess comes back with a 13 olive collection...

Presents begin to be opened - with the arrival of the groom ....many many lovely things. I'm getting pretty tired - or maybe it was all the "celebrating" - so I collect tuxes from Alberto, Hirocki, Hiroshi , make sure I have all the pieces of mine - threaten Rabbit - I mean ask the man of Honour to make sure his is collected and in place for me to take in the morning and head out.

Drank a couple quarts of water, took 2 asperin and went to bed - for in the morning I'd be back to "real life"....

The Beginning. (can't have it be the end when it's the story of Kim and Hiroki's marriage, now can we?]