62. June 26th, 2010 Picture

Saturday was my cousin Keri's wedding in Maine.  Keri is one of my cousins on my dad's side, actually she is technically my first cousin once removed, since I am first cousins with her mom Diane.  The ceremony was in NH, but the reception was right over the border in Maine, and then the hotel was back in NH.  I am not really joking when I say that we had to call the hotel at 10pm and have the front desk guy walk us through directions, step by step, and stay on the phone with us to make sure we made it.  During the long pauses of driving, I made sure to find out if there was a bar in the hotel.  There wasn't, but thankfully there was a Margarita's literally in the parking lot.  I am pretty sure him and I are best friends for life now.  Ratty may have been shifting in his seat like 'Amy, why do you need to know his middle name?  He doesn't care that your shoes are purple.'  Whatever, it was just awkward driving down the street with him asking me 'have you passed the Rite Aid yet?'  and me going 'nope, still at the farm' for 20 minutes.


My mom drove us up to NH, or Maine, or wherever we were, because she has a firm rule that if we are ever traveling anyplace together, she must drive.  I stupidly agreed to this lifetime deal when I was 16 and didn't know any better.  The whole trip went something like this:


Me: Okay mom you are going to take exit 39.
Mom: Is it gonna be on my right or my left?
Me: Mom, most exits are on the right...
Mom: Not all of them, some are on the left.
Me: Well I've never been here before, so I assume the right.
Mom: Okay, should I get over?  Is my exit coming up?  I'm going to get over.
Me: Mom, don't get over yet!  We are only at exit 28.
Mom: Well how far is 39?
Me: How am I supposed to know?!
Mom: I'm getting over.


Ratty said that he felt like he was watching a tennis match from the back seat, just my mom going back and forth, saying a lot but not really saying anything.


The wedding was really beautiful and it was so nice to see my family.  They are a lot smaller than the Downey's and unfortunately are spread out a little bit across various states, so I don't get to see them nearly as much as I would like.  My Aunt Estelle is always giving me a hard time because I don't visit her enough.  That is why I added number 7 to my list, and really number 8 too.  My dad died when I was 11, so I don't know a lot about his family or his childhood.  I really want to learn as much as possible, so a trip to Maine, or trips, to visit my Aunt are definitely needed.  


Anyway, like I was saying, the wedding was so much fun.  My mom, Ratty and I had a great time.  The reception was fantastic and I dragged both Ratty and my mom out to the dance floor more than a few times.  I did my best to take a lot of pictures, but I was pretty much driven to fill the entire disposable camera that was at our table, so most of the good shots ended up on that, I assume.  I made sure to grab a few of me and my family, but some came out blurry because it wasn't until half way through the reception that my 'new' camera was on the slow motion setting.  What does that even mean?  I don't know, but it's annoying.  Maybe someday I'll figure out how to work this hand me down camera, just in time for me to buy a new one.  Sighhh.

{Keri and Fernando are married!}

{Me and Steph.  After some serious dancing on my part.}

{Ratty asked my mom to dance.}

{The bartenders really liked us.}

{And he has a face!!  This may be a one time thing I'm not too sure.}

{I really really like that madras.}

{Me and my cousin Kim.}

{Kim's husband Ben and their little girl Olivia.  She kinda stole the show.}

{Me and my cousin Laureen.}

{My Uncle Teddy and Aunt Estelle.}

{Me with the Mr. and Mrs. Rinaldi!}

The wedding was so much fun.  None of us wanted the party to end, by none of us I mean me, Ratty and my mom, so went to Margarita's in the hotel parking lot for some queso and chips and sangria.  I may have been a little tipsy when I shared that I had a dream the night before where my mom's landlords' dead husband was talking to me in my mom's kitchen.  Let's get Oprah on the phone, I apparently, am clairvoyant.   And that fact only comes out when nudged along by champagne, vodka, wine and sangria.