Intro
Cameron Crowe fans will understand the wording of the title of this post. I’m placing bets that Luke will get it first. Thank you, Luke, for keeping the dream alive.
Wednesday
Last Wednesday evening I took off with Jason for Naperville. What’s in Naperville you ask? His wedding. We had great conversation on the way up. He told me he loved me, I told him that I was sorry, but I just didn’t feel that way; he said he was marrying Jill to cover up his feeling for me, and then called Jill, “David” one evening at her parent’s house (that last bit is true).
We discussed the current state of affairs in the Christian world, agreeing that a Christian subculture should not exist. I mentioned additional grievances I had against the modern day church, further cementing my argument as to why I do not go. We made rather good time in our travel, though we would have made even better time if it was not due to a detour. iPhone (yes, iPhone, not “My iPhone.” iPhone is an entity. Do NOT piss iPhone off) helped us out and was a great companion for this trip.
We get up to Jill’s parent’s house where I am introduced to her mother and father, two of the kindest and most hospitable people that I have ever met. They allowed Jason and I to stay in their basement for two nights, which saved us money as we didn’t have to get a hotel room. Wednesday was a relaxed day of meeting Jill’s family and getting to know them.
Thursday
Jason and I get up at 9 AM. We have some coffee, and Jason proceeds to jump rope. Jill’s father and I discuss cycling in which he further piques my interest in the sport. Jason and I then leave for Starbucks as we needed a place with Wi-Fi.
We get to Starbucks, I order a skim latte, or a non-fat latte as they call it, and we have a seat. Sure enough, they have Wi-Fi. Sure enough, it’s AT&T only, and not T-Mobile. T-Mobile said that they had made an agreement with AT&T to grandfather in current T-Mobile customers, however I could not log on at all. One of the employees was kind enough to call around to find us a Starbucks that still had T-Mobile, and after doing some offline work, we head to another Starbucks.
Ah! Internet at last… at least for Jason. Only one person can be signed in at a time under a given account. If I had a crossover cable on me, I could have logged in on one computer and shared the connection via the crossover cable. Alas, I did not have one. I really didn’t need it as I could check my email on my phone, so I cranked away on a site that Brett and I have been working on.
The Rehearsal
Jason leaves, goes out to his car to make a phone call, and a while later come dashing in saying, “I lost track of the time. We have to go!” We zip off to Jill’s parent’s where I learn that the rehearsal is a dress rehearsal. I had absolutely no idea. All that I have are the t-shirt and jeans that I am wearing. I really don’t mind being the odd man out, though. I see it as an opportunity to be a trailblazer, a trendsetter, or at least that’s what I tell myself to make myself feel better.
As it turns out, Jill’s father is about the same size as me, and finds clothes for me in no time. The day is saved! I ride over to the rehearsal with Jill’s father, mother, and friend Joanna. We have a quick rehearsal that Jason’s brother, mother, and crew are an hour late to due to a misunderstanding, and off we go for dinner.
Dinner
We pull up to a country themed restaurant where we sit in a secluded room, enjoying each others company. I couldn’t have anything on the menu due to my diet, so at the request of John and Cole, I ordered a dish for them to share. It was a lovely time, and I greatly thank Jason’s father for the occasion.
Finally we head back to Jill’s parents. This time I rode with Jason and Jill. I had brought a cooler of food with me that I prepared so that I could stick to my conditioning diet, and fortunately had left it in the car. I quelled my hunger by munching on some food as Jill and Jason made a quick stop at a nearby Wal-Mart. We get back to the house where Jason and I workout before bed.
And there was peace and rest on the second day.
Friday
The big day. Jason and I get up and begin looking for a hair salon so that we can get last minute hair cuts. We get a bit lost, but finally come upon two salons. One was too expensive and the other was closed. We decide on a salon titled, “The Ginger Root.” We set an appointment, jet over to the hotel that Jason’s family was staying at, pickup John, and head back to the salon. Two very nice women cut our hair, though I just got mine trimmed as I am growing it out. We drop John off and head to the church, quickly getting dressed only to find that Rock’s tux is way too big. However, Jill’s mom can sew and her and another lady save the day.
An Old Friend
In the dressing room, a long-time friend of my parents walks in and says, “Which one of you is Fendley.” I look at him, and say, “Fendley?” He responds, “Are your mother and father Dennis and Linda?” I say, “Yes,” and he proceeds to ask me if I remember him. I sure do. I grew up in the church that he and his wife are still pastors of to this day. In fact, My dad used to teach there.
He says, “Where do you go to church?” I tell him that I do not go to church. “Could I talk you into coming back?” he says. I told him that I am a big fan of George Barna’s, “Revolution,” and that I read through it quickly. He made a comment that Barna was a bit out there and asked if I believe it 100%, to which I replied that I do. He told me that he was going to try to get me to come back. I told him that he is more than welcome to try.
He asks what I’ve been doing and I tell him that I own a company currently doing film and web development. He said that he’s been interested in hiring a company to do high-quality, professional video on occasion, and would love to talk sometime. I give him my cards, but little does he know that my benefactor, and long-time friend, co-founded his church, and was driven from it for political reasons in years past. We all head out to take pictures, some serious, some fun, and head back inside for the wedding.
The Wedding
The wedding was short, sweet, and beautiful — perfect. Jason’s brother John cried a bit when it came to the vows, which were quite lovely. Jason and Jill escape in their limo, returning later to take their photos together. I meet up with the absolutely amazing Brian, where we chat about various topics, especially our shoes. I had these awesome black and turquoise shoes on that Jason and Jill had so kindly bought for all of the groomsmen.
The Reception
The reception was wonderful. I got to see some old friends, we took some more pictures, and the building we were in overlooked the Fox River. We had champagne, wine, toasts, and an open bar that I sadly couldn’t indulge in due to my conditioning project. I had the best salmon of my life with asparagus and rice. No really, it was the best salmon I’ve ever had — absolutely amazing. Perfect. I counted the day off as an indulgence day and had some cake which is absolutely forbidden from my diet, but the slices were thankfully thin. After some dancing, Josh and I took off and met Jason at his hotel to transfer some of his belongings out of his car as I would be driving it back to Champaign.
The Journey Home
After getting a bit lost, and Josh and I’s two and a half hour drive turning into a four hour drive (which would have been longer if it was not for the sincerity of a man at Dunkin’ Donuts), we finally made it home.
In reflection, I had a great time. I thank Jason, Jill, the parents, and all those involved for letting me be a part of it. May God bless and protect Jason and Jill in their travels; may they have an eternity filled with joy and happiness.
