Father of the Bride Archives

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Under the Dome will be closed on Sunday for repairs.

No, not us. (We're usually closed on Sundays anyway.)

The state Capitol will be closed to visitors on Sunday for some maintenance. State officials say a new transformer will be installed, and power must be shut off while the work is underway.

The Capitol is expected to be open for business again on Monday.

At the altar, getting ready to kiss Hilary and sit down.

Courtesy of Bruce McCarthy 

Courtesy of Bruce McCarthy 

courtesy of Bruce McCarthy 

The pictures of the wedding and the reception are located at http://pro-pix.smugmug.com. Bruce McCarthy took a lot of terrific photos. Click on "Weddings" and then "Hilary & Travis."

I walked my daughter down the aisle several hours ago and boy those rental shoes are hurting my feet.

That's the line I said I'd write when I wrote my column for the paper a couple of weeks ago.

And it fits. Although I am now sitting at my kitchen table in bare feet. But they do hurt.

It is a few minutes past 11 p.m. on Saturday night. My daughter started the day Hilary Barkin and ends it Hilary Holtzhauser.

Here are some highlights:

* I got the willies walking down the aisle with Hilary. But I delivered my one line "Her mother and I" and got seated without incident.

* Reception was, by consensus, a good party. Everyone seemed to have a blast.

* I caught the bouquet the first time Hilary threw it. Sailed right over the bridesmaids. The second time she abandoned the heater and threw the slow overhand curve with better results.

* Our bridal party swing dance routine went off well. My fears were unfounded.

* Hilary and I danced to "My Girl."

We have a brunch for family tomorrow at our house. Sunday afternoon, the tux has to be back at Crabtree. Our kitchen is filled with flowers.

That is all I can muster right now. I am tired. I am older. I am done.

It was in the high 90s. The rehearsal dinner was at Hilary's house, outdoors. Travis' family got a big tent, and had fans going. We had a pig, courtesy of Buddy, the Holtzhauser's next door neighbor, he of the Pig Cooker 5000 that I described last Thanksgiving.

My Uncle Richard and Shirley made it up from Florida. Their presence put me of mind of my rehearsal dinner in 1979, when they came down with my parents from Massachusetts to Southwest Virginia.

I am composing my toast. Hilary and the bridesmaids are at the church, having their hair done. In a few minutes, I will lay out my tux. Then I will review the index card that has the dance steps on it.

Yesterday, driving between the tux store at Crabtree and the Rack Room at White Oak (where I bought some Timberlands), I visualized walking down the aisle and got a little verklempt. I am well-known for not getting verklempt.

The lesson is that emotion have their own agenda, beyond your control.

I am taking a vacation day today to attend to a variety of chores. 

I just mowed the yard. It is 99 degrees out.

I am drenched.

I have to go to Crabtree Valley Mall to pick up my tux. George has already pick up his, the woman at the store told me.

Katherine has run over to Hilary's house with some essentials. I have to get the oil changed in her car.

The rehearsal is around 6:30 at the church, and the rehearsal dinner is at 7:30 at Hilary's.

My sister got in last night from Rochester, and her children and their spouses are coming in today.

27 hours until the wedding.  

In the Westerns, two sentries are standing guard at Fort Apache, and one says: "Quiet out there tonight." And the other one says, "Yeah. Too quiet."  A moment later, an arrow comes flying in, and chaos ensues.

So it is quiet. But that means nothing.

On an unrelated subject, my sister is driving in today from Rochester, N.Y. with my brother-in-law. They spent the night in Richmond.  She was emailing me all the way down from her iPhone, which is way cooler than my first generation Blackberry. How come I can't have an iPhone? Margie has an iPhone. 

Today I have about a jillion things to get finished, including my Saturday column and an in-basket that is overflowing. I'm taking tomorrow off, with my major chores to pick up tuxes and go over the lawn one more time, although it doesn't really look like it needs it, but might by Sunday's brunch if I don't cut it, and we don't want the grass to look high when the out-of-town guests come over because I don't want anyone should talk. There will be other assignments, I'm certain.

I may forget to do this in the next couple of days, so I wanted to make sure and thank those of you who have been reading this since last fall.  This has been an educational experience for me and I hope it has been a pleasant diversion for you.