Yeah, I said Machu Picchu.

Saturday in Pittsburgh dawned beautiful; the day before the wedding was splendid in all its sunshine, cool breezes, and golden leaves.



The bride's family gathered in the lobby of the hotel to take advantage of its continental breakfast; we stood around each other, chatting, laughing, exchanging "how are yous," and chomping on muffins and bagels and drinking endless cups of hot tea and coffee. Some of us hadn't seen my sister-in-law's family since, well, since their wedding -- a lot of years ago.

*giggles*

The groom planned a day outing for the guys in the wedding weekend plans -- some kind of hike in the woods [vague] accompanied by Frisbee golf [more vague]. They gathered in the hotel parking lot and finagled how to move that many people from the hotel to the outskirts of Pittsburgh in a couple of rentals and one home town vehicle.

I followed them out to take the photo, but it's all I have from whatever it was that they did ---- Paul's girlfriend, Angie, tagged along to keep 'em all in check, plus, she can play a mean Frisbee.


The ladies congregated at the groom's house to put finishing touches on the decorations for the rehearsal dinner --- but since it was pretty much under control, my sister, the maid of honor [my niece], and I decided to do what was also needed to be done that day --- a trip to downtown Pittsburgh's REI to pick up sleeping bag liners, a gift from the bride's parents, for the honeymoon to Machu Picchu.

Machu Picchu?

Huh? Where? Really? Honeymoon?

Yep, that's what I said -- the bride and groom are both avid hikers, and this was their honeymoon destination.

Personally, no thermostat? No Harriett. It's a rule. I like room service, cabana boys, and showers and not necessarily in that order. :)

*shrugs*

Sleeping bag? Have they seen the snakes from South America in the "S" volume of the World Book Encyclopedia?

*runs and hides*

We three set out in my Volvo, with the Georgia tag --[ in case we needed to make crazy turns or change lanes with no warning], and through the "right lane closed, merge left" nonsense of Pittsburgh traffic, and armed with my niece's GPS, to find REI in downtown Pittsburgh.

The trip took us three hours.

*groans*

By the time we returned, the other ladies already had put the finishing touches on the decorations for the rehearsal dinner.

*wipes brow*

Done.

Check.

Sleeping bag liners handed off to Nora, the bride, we returned to the hotel to change for dinner. We caravaned over to the church for a lovely dinner, given by the Hinch family for a whole lot of people. Tribes, clans, herds, and packs --- we filled up the fellowship hall with the laughter and joy for the upcoming nuptials of Nora and Byran. We also ate some pretty fine Italian fare.

:)

David: " That's Bryan's last laugh before... [singing Queen's] Another one bites the dust."

The bride's tribe.....

Nora and Bryan...

aren't they adorable?