Are You Feeling Lucky?

Unless you live under a rock, you realize that today is 07-07-07. So much hype is being built up about just the weddings alone. I have two different sets of couple friends that are getting married today, though not because of the numbers, but instead because this was the one day they could either get all of their families together, or simply this was the one Saturday that the church was open when they were engaged. Some friends that got married on St. Patrick's Day had the same issue. The only weekend that the church was available.

But I've experienced something similar to all of this hype firsthand. You see, on September 9, 1999 (9-9-99), I was in of all places VEGAS baby! Some other friends were getting married there, and so four of their closest friends flew out there with their significant others (which is how I ended up there) for their wedding. I was the best man's SO. I got to experience the glitz and glamour of a Vegas wedding without actually having to get married there.

The couple we were there to see was getting married the next day, 9-10-99, but we were there a day early for the festivities. There were brides everywhere! Both Jay Leno and David Letterman were roaming the casinos talking to them, and dangit if I wasn't "allowed" to go talk to either of them. As for the wedding, it was in the Treasure Island Wedding Chapel, and was stupid to me, because if you're going to get married in Vegas, Elvis should be present. And from the inside of the chapel, it looked just like any other old chapel in Hometown USA, so why even bother flying all the way out to Vegas.

As for the experience, well...it was much like any experience involving the "Trifecta" as the groom and the two co-best men called themselves. Within 8 hours of getting off the plane, my date had lost a 4 digit sum of money. The groom's brother-in-law threw up all over the tux rental dressing room. Jimmy had way too much to drink as he was getting off the plane and never stopped drinking from that point on, leading him to do an exessive amount of leaning, wobbling, and-as he put it-"praying" throughout the entire ceremony. During the reception, he knocked over the bride's grandmother, and chucked a dinner roll at the happy couple because "someone dared him to." And for your information, the hotel security at the Treasure Island Hotel and Casino are very scary looking men. I always learn a lot when Jimmy is around. But I digress...

The only real thing this day does for me is remind me that my old college roomie is turning 30 in 4 days. She wanted to be born on 7-7-77, but had to settle for 7-11-77. So I need to go get a card in the mail to her.