The late night last night created a slow moving morning. Andy, Tabitha and Jeff did not see daylight until after 10:00 am, and then spent a slow moving and restful morning moving about the place. I wake up early, regardless of the time I go to sleep, so I puttered around the place, writing and watching a movie until things got moving. Sally and I walked down to the hot baths, touring up and down the river channel, checking out the 20 or so pools along the way. We returned about 10:00 am. Sometime in the early afternoon we walked down to the hot baths again, this time with the kids, to review the pool we had slithered into and out of last night. We walked further down the stream to see the other pools and sulfur deposits.
About 2:30 pm, we started getting ready to go to the “rehearsal dinner”. Although the wedding was off, all the guests were here. The notice that the wedding was cancelled came early enough for most to cancel their trips, but everyone had extended their stay beyond the wedding to see Italy. With no wedding to attend, we all had a 3 or 4 day block of time. Although the bride and groom are in Mannheim, Germany in the hospital, the rest of us are meeting as scheduled for the rehearsal dinner.
We arrived at the Caldwell’s house on the property about 4:30 pm and made ourselves available to help prepare for the festivities. The Wist side of the marriage had sent an email the day before stating we should all wear our “Sunday Best” clothes to the event. My best was sandals, navy zippy pants and a blue collared shirt. Sally looked beautiful in her blue dress. I busied myself helping Bob, from Durango, hang Chinese lanterns inside one of the rooms and out on the covered patio. Sally was watching Anna and Harp in the swimming pool. Andy, Jeff, Brian, Tabitha and Emily were also in the pool playing.
The party got started about 8:00 pm when appetizers were served on the patio, under the strings of Christmas lights. Wine and beer were available as well. The pizzas, 50 of them, arrived about 8:30 pm and were sliced and laid out for people to enjoy. I enjoyed talking with Mike Freeman, Jerry, Mike Harpole and other guests. But, I am not a good party attendee. I am better at making myself useful, so following Sally’s lead, I began washing dishes and bussing tables to keep a supply of clean drinking glasses, forks and plates available to the 50 or so guests.
Early on, Mike Freeman interrupted the festivities by clinking a dinner knife on a wine bottle and made an appropriate toast to Joel and Hailey. Later in the evening, Hailey’s dad also toasted the two. It would have been nice to FaceTime the toasts to them, but it was late enough and Joel is still struggling with pain control and fatigue. (Although following a weekend of being unable to keep food or pain meds down, they are controlling the pain more locally now, relieving his stomach and the pain.) All during the evening Pete Karlin took pictures of all the guests and recorded video messages for Joel and Hailey on my iPhone. By the time he was done, there was quite a pile of photos and videos. I thought it important to get them to the couple as soon as possible, but it would have to wait until morning.
I alternated between small talk with the kids and some of the guests, helping Pete with the filming, and bussing tables and dishwashing until at 1:00 am in the morning when the party began winding down.
Jeff rode with Sally and I back to our amazing rental in Bagni San Filippo while Andy and Tabitha followed. Our apartment has parking inside a gate that is opened with a remote. We asked for, and received a second set of keys, but did not get a second remote for the gate. If Andy wants to park at the apartment, he has to stay close to me. We got to bed and asleep about 2:00 am.
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