oh my god! finally it's official. yep, we jumped the broom, broke a plate and stepped on a glass. for those of you who don't know us, Jen and i have practically been married for almost 7 years. now it's finally the real thing and i couldn't be happier. the wedding was amazing. i'm exceptionally pleased to know that everyone had a great time, and it has been confirmed that we sure throw a hell of a party. yeah, we had a few mishaps: the guys' limo was late, and a few people had to be cut off at the bar as per our request, but let's not focus on the negetives, no one will remember them anyway since there are so many great things about the day to concentrate on. i couldn't have had a better time, or a better woman to share it with. Jen is now a Reilly, legally. i could give more details, but i think all can be explained in only a few words. "this is the wedding that everyone is going to compare with every wedding in the future. you set the bar, and set it extremely high" ok, so it may not be a direct quote, but i know i heard these words at least 200 times that night. i know Dave said something along those lines, and a few others as well. one detail i will give you is Steve's Best Man Speech. if you didn't have the pleasure of reading/hearing it you lose, because he really did a great job. i laughed, i
almost cried, and savored every word. i was actually told by many of our guests that they loved hearing it so much that they could listen to him all night. the ceremony was spectacular, shit, me and Jen getting married? how could it not be spectacular? you just can't expect any less than that out of any event we've ever planned. it was the best day of my life and will go down in history as the most fun i've ever had (i even danced to fast-paced music!).
on to the honeymoon. see, Mom Rys, with her ever-so-generous nature, sent us to Fabulous Las Vegas. Mom, i can't thank you enough, it was an experience i'll remember forever. let's see, we left on monday morning only to arrive in Vegas even earlier in the morning. we went to our room at the Flamingo Hilton, dropped our stuff and hit the strip.
day 1: hit the Flamingo Casino. we did ok for ourselves. i played some single deck blackjack and hit some of those nasty one-armed bandits that Jen holds so dear. what can i say, they are fun to play. after this madness, we went on to Club Royal for some free comp play. the free money was cool, but you could only play certain machines, and the never payed out. however, i kicked Regis' ass not too long afterward. not literally, but on his slot machine. Jen didn't do too bad herself on some other machines, but you'd have to ask her for the details.
day 2: i've got this list in my head. Things to do Before I Die. i got to mark a couple off today. see the Hoover Dam, and see the Grand Canyon. we started out at about 6am on a tour bus. the ride wasn't bad, but i could have done without the yuppie Canadians behind us. if there's anything worse than Canadians, it's yuppie Canadians. can't stand 'em. we made a few pit stops and then reached the Hoover Dam. yet, not before being strip searched by the state cops. well, we weren't searched, but they came onto the bus which, when it comes to cops, was too close for comfort. we saw the dam reservoir, the dam workers, the dam signs, stopped on a dam parking lot for a dam photo opp. and i'll testify, it's pretty dam cool. did you know they found plans from WWII to blow it up? fuckin nazis. and on to the Grand Canyon we went. when we arrived, we had a buffet lunch, and obtained another bus driver. this dude was like a walking, well, driving encyclopedia. we stopped at 2 places for pictures, it was pretty Grand. actually, it was breathtaking. i think partly from the beauty of the place, the elevation, and Jen almost giving me a coronary by getting dangerously close to the edge, as there are no guard rails. i think everyone needs to see it up close and personal to get a real respect for it. i'm planning on going back. it really centers your chi to see such a place. oh yeah, the squirrels come right up to you, and pose for pictures, i've got a few. after te Grand Canyon, we headed back to the strip. we went back through the mountains, back over the dam, got a pic of the dam sunset. Jen got a great shot of the sunset over the desert that is getting blown up into a poster.
the evening of day 2 was fantabulaous. we got back to the room after the bus tour, and went over to Caesar's Palace. i went directly to the craps table to try and use what i leared from the gambling channel. see, they have one channel on all the tv's that pretty much shows you how to play, and maybe win at all the games in the casino. i went up to the table, and threw down $50. i placed my chips as directed by the dealer, and i hit, and hit, and hit. craps was now my new favorite game. i threw the dice for about 1.5 hours, and the pit boss actually let me keep them as a testement to my first time playing the game. as i continued with this madness, jen hit twice on slots, and found $100 in the bathroom stall. the $100 was some shit, and i'm glad she got passed the whole morality issue. i know she still feels kinda bad, but fuck it. they lose, and now some yuppie bitch is just gonna have to go without her coke for the night. well, either that or somebody's gonna get whacked because the payoff didn't go through.
day 3: we hit the Flamingo Buffet for breakfast. let me tell you, casino buffets are not nearly your usual run of the mill Hometown classic. we're talking gormet. steak, omlettes to order, and dessert bars that could rival any 5 star restaurant. except the pancakes which jen said were shitty. hard as rocks. i don't really know, since i only eat the homemade ones. then we sat by the pool for a while. i wanted to get a nice tan to come home with, but to no avail. oh well, i guess i lose this time. and more gambling. flamingo first, and then down to the MGM. on the way we saw some of the great folks peddling phone numbers for cheap companions and one night stands (whores, whores whores). ate at Fat Burger (another thing off of my life's to-do list). great food by the way. the burgers were fresh, loaded with toppings, and all that "heart attack in a bag" goodness. MGM sucked. lost my ass at the craps table, and then some slots, the employees are mostly assholes. except the drink girls, but they took forever to notice that my half shaven feeling had dissipated.
day 4: woke up and checked out. left the bags with the bellman and played a little more. unfortunately, it was time to go. hopped the plane back to Cleveland with that bittersweet feeling. i hated to leave, but i guess it's a good thing. we got comped in the giftshop, which was cool, got some kick-ass souveniers.
and so, here i am. back to the daily grind. oh well, i had a blast and i know that there will only be more good times to come. i can't wait to get back out to Vegas, and hope to go with a group of my closest companions. oh, the trouble we could cause. i can honestly say that being officially married to jen is my greatest accomplishment, and can't wait for more great accomplishments for us to share.
by the way: i'm planning on advising all of you where to find the pictures really soon, so keep your eyes peeled.
one love, reilly.
