Sarah has already mentioned this, but as I'm just now getting around to day 3 of the Big Weekend o' Fun™ let me begin by offering congratulations to S & D. You crazy kids! Bay 7, site of the reception, is a cool warehouse space with hardwood floors, high ceilings, and a nifty water feature at the back. We all walked up to the balcony to check out the two-story water cycling for the wall o' water. Super neato. Mary, Lisa, Jason, Sarah and I were ID'd as "townies" shortly after our arrival by a friendly family member of the bride (personally, I'd have prefered "Durham mafia" but that's an idiosyncratic preference... I'm not militant about it). Other insights from the evening: bendy pirates are a welcome addition to any event; adding raspberry juice to champagne, while not a traditional bellini, makes a damn tasty beverage; everybody really is doing the Hustle; if the music is swinging, it don't really matter what they're singing. This last, of course, is just a variant of my long standing belief that most people don't listen to the lyrics which was brought on by the positive reception at the reception of Bobby Darin's version of "Mack the Knife." Hey, it's a kickin' swingy tune about a remorseless serial murderer! Let's dance. Or, in the words of Irving Cohen: "gimme a C, a bouncy C!"
The food, of course, was spectacular. Beef on sticks. Shrimp and grits. Sweet potato praline cake with cream cheese frosting. I may lapse back into a food coma just thinking about it.
As we were leaving, the DJ was playing "Beyond the Sea."
It was a magical night.