Et Blah

Matt Drove Me to the Bus Station

Well, Kids back in the real world, I took the Greyhound home and

Boston May 19th

found that I will get a small pillow for my back and neck. I did OK at work even though I was an hr late due to being up late and writing my blog about the wedding. I got up at 8am Sunday and 12 hrs later I was home. We spent over an hour in Manhattan trying to get to the Port Authority bus Terminal. We got a 6pm bus to Philly and I was at a meeting around 8:20 pm. It was just packed with humans

looking for a better life for themselves and their boyfriends (to be or not to be? That is the question!) In other words there were a lot of young folks there at this Sunday night meeting. Included is a man who
calls himself by a nickname with a college name as his first name. I just do not seem to get that but hey

look at this T-Shirt man. Its a tool with a phallic look to it. Myself I would not be caught dead with a shirt that says. "I am a douchebag" and need to affirm my manhood.
Well, I admit this is sounding like a stupid resentment over  dudes I do not even know. He may be the coolest dude but I just now need to leave this alone!! Well, I am sweating like crazy and need to

Some Men Need This

Tired

shower. I just went on Facebook and made communications with Portland Maine. Its still there and Matt's friends are alive and well after the wedding and the reception that was held.

Matt and Tanya Get Married!!

Saturday May 18th. It was time for Matt and Tanya to get married.

Matt Signing the Ketubah

It was planned and now was the time.I never been to a Jewish wedding before. The wedding was very nice. It was a traditional Jewish marriage with the wedding canopy of silken cloth above the bride and groom.

This is called the Chuppah. This is symbolic of the new home the couple will make. I will let a better authority called the Jewish Wedding Glossary describe it for you:

The Chuppah, or wedding canopy, is a covering, often cloth, held aloft on four poles. The Chuppah is symbolic of the first roof the bride and groom share together, representing their new home. That there are no walls in this new home, encourages the couple to follow in the ways of Abraham and Sarah, whose tent was always open to guests.

I was one of the 2 witness to sign the  Ketubah (literally the marriage contract). Cindy and I signed the Ketubah just before  wedding

the ceremony. That was really very solemn and I was touched that I was chosen to sign it. Here is a description from the Jewish Wedding Glossary:

Traditionally spells out the husband’s obligation to his wife, everything from sustaining her with basic necessities to honoring and cherishing her. Additionally, the traditional Ketubah discusses how the husband must support his wife during their lives together

The ceremony was direct and to the point with the Cantor reading in Hebrew and English. I was up on Seven Circles I have heard about this but had never seen it before. It was nice to see Tanya circle around Matt. Again, I will turn to the Jewish Wedding Glossary for the symbolism of this tradition.

Where the Wedding Took Place 

the platform with Cindy and her daughter as well as Matt's younger son. One of the unique parts of the wedding is where the bide circles the groom 7 times. This is called the Seven Circles 

The custom of the bride circling the groom seven times is rich with symbolism. The following is a sampling of the meaningful interpretations that have been ascribed to this custom :
1) This parallels the seven days of creation, and symbolizes the fact that the bride and groom are about to create their own “new world” together.
2) Seven circles correspond to the seven times in the Torah where it is written “…and when a man takes a wife.”
3) When Joshua led the Children of Israel in the battle for the city of Jericho, he was instructed to circle the city seven times, resulting in the walls of the city crumbling. As two people enter into marriage, they face the challenge of breaking down the “walls” that may exist between them.

Witness Signature

 Last but NOT least there is The Breaking of the Glass. This is in my mind that the marriage is How Stuff Works. Its a pretty good description of what I witnessed at the wedding.

Tanya and her Father.

official and the celebration for the couple begins.  Here is a good description from a site called

Matt and Sons!

After the groom places a ring on the finger of his bride, he stomps on a glass wrapped in a napkin or cloth.breaking the glass is extremely symbolic. It echoes the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem and reminds the newlyweds and all the guests of the commandment in Psalms 137:6 to "set Jerusalem above my highest joy," even in the happiest of times

There were about 40 people there. When Matt stomped on the glass the assembled exclaimed MAZEL TOV! That was way fun! Here is the meaning of Mazel Tov!

Congratulations!!! :)

It's a blessing and congratulatory statement that essentially means good luck. It can be given at any time, but most non-Jews are familiar with its role in weddings.

Fun After the Wedding

They have some nice friends and the people were nice to me.  It Siouxie and the Banshees in the synagogue that's pretty funky. In my case finding myself dancing to their song "Kiss Them for Me" with a nice

Stepping Lively

was interesting  to listen to the likes of New Order and

Having fun with Patricia

woman having fun while negative thoughts of WXPN playing this son TO DEATH. Also being fired from a volunteer position with the station. Geez.. hearing Michela Majoun still makes me gag! Umm... resentment much? So, enough about my issues back to the wedding!

Reception!!

It was a nice fun wedding and the first one I have been in YEARS! Its the first time I have seen Matt since he was last married in the year 2000!!

 I put up photos on Facebook that I hope folks will like. I was bummed that I had to leave early in the morning yesterday at 8 am. Matt dropped  me off on his way to work to work. The ride home

The DJ

was not bad since I got to sleep and well that is a new entry for this blogger. Good luck Matt and Tanya, I will see you in NYC later this Summer!!

"Steane"r and her Son

Prelude to a Wedding!

Matt and I at His Job.

This is the blog entry about this weekend just before the wedding of Matt Strobel and Tanya Kelly which is today at 8 PM

Matt and Tanya

I've landed in Portland Maine at the Portland Maine Greyhound bus terminal. Its located on St. John Street and some other intersection. It is at least 15° colder  than in Philly I am really glad  I brought my warm clothes and not my shorts!! I must say the bus trip was long and kind of miserable because I was ill. I had to blow my nose all the time and 2 out of the 3  Read more here.)  At least the last bus wasn't packed!! I had all this room in the bus  and it was just cool man.

Goth Night

buses were PACKED!! On the bus from New York to Boston, I was the LAST person on the bus and the driver left 6 minutes EARLY.(

Tanya and her friend Cindy are picked me up and we grabbed a bite to eat and coffee at a coffee place in town.  Cindy drove us though downtown and then we met up with Matt who was working. He was in the middle of mowing the church lawn.  the adventure begins hope you get some coffee
Joke of the day-

Thai Tea!

and some food    I am for now in the land of lobsters.

What is the difference b/t a hillbilly wedding and a hillbilly funeral?

One less drunk at the funeral.

OK. The bride and groom are getting last minute stuff for the wedding. I am in the Jewish ceremony. We had a fun nite at this

nightclub's Goth night. It was not hard-core so I could mix in a bit. I did do some dancing around like a white man can do. Some of the folks had some funny costumes..eh clothes on! One woman was dressed

in a 50's country outfit doing the Rockabilly look and some dude had HUGE  aviator

Wadsworth Statue in Downtown Portland

goggles on and hitting on various women including the Rockabilly woman. I was the old dude at this gig. My friend could not believe I had fun there w/o drinking. I just said it was practice! 

Arnold Palmer Iced Tea!

We all crashed at 2:30 and I slept in till 11:30 this morning. If I get this blog done I am going to walk to downtown Portland or I might nap for awhile. You know what?? I did NEITHER! Ha!!! Ha!! I am listening to the Beatles, lying on a couch, charging my phone and computer. I am writing this blog as well. Of course I am checking out the email and the Facebook. It is a cool sunny day in Yarmouth Maine today. 

How are you this weekend in Philadelphia?  You know something. It's pretty chilly here this early afternoon. It's already 4 Pm and Matt and Tanya are

The synagogue

My Blogging Station

going to be back in 20 minutes.  Its been a long time since I have been to a wedding. In 1994 I went to 5 weddings including my very own. Boy life has changed. I mean I was at Matt's first wedding back in the year 2000 and now they expect 40-50 people there and all (except a few of us) are friends that Tanya and Matt know in Maine. Well got to fly now and shower cause they are going to running around and showering and getting wedding nerves.

Fun and On the Bus

/Cruising Down Market St.

I Left My Scripts Here!

Its Thursday May 16th Now lets see. I worked welfare and it was mellow. I used my earphones to good effect and tuned out. I do however think my Supervisor is a wearing of my hyper self.

I then went to group and it was LARGE. I got to share and it was good. I was a we bit disturbed when a young woman seemed to cut me off. Then again she just continued where I left off. I also made another a bit nervous but I just went my way on the 21 bus.

This wedding trip to Portland ME should be a trip W/the Luggage. HA..

HA!!

Yeh, it's gonna be funky up there. I feel closer to the the bride then the groom. I have known him since 1987 but i spent the last 8 months making a new friend w the the bride. Plus I do not know anyone. I hope there are some flirty women. I think a meeting may be good!.

Well a funny thing happened on the way home for my 11pm bus to Maine.

Man!! Left  my 2 Scripts at Le Bec Fin!!

Chillin in the Sun

I just realized it as I was going to Pats for dinner. Pat saw me freaked our and thought I was drunk. Well turns out that he is meeting a friend at Ortleib's Jazz House.

 Pat was getting ready to ride his bike and I got a quick ride back to Le Bec Fin and got my stuff. I waked in the place and it was

11PM at Greyhound

like a movie set. I was just breathless!! I took a video to document this split moment in time. It's 9:34Pm and I was lucky to catch a Rt 21 bus with our a wait. I am now on 40th where a wheelchair is being strapped in. So I guess I will have 30 min to blow my nose and pack. I may have tine to have Pat's leftovers.

Sheila

I am now riding on the Greyhound bound for New York. I will eventually end up in Portland ME around 11am  EDT tomorrow, Friday May 17th. I am sitting next to a young woman who from the Dominican Republic but has lived in New York most of her life. She manages a restaurant called Pie Face. A couple owns this franchise.

Pie Face in NYC

They started in 2003 in Austria. They have 15 company owned and 60 I am told its a chain from Australia that just came to New York about a year ago. There are 4 in New York so far with a new one opening next week.

PIE FACE was SUPER! I hung w a woman named Sheila who was going to Hartford for an antiques show. We got separated since my bus was COMPLETELY full. I hop she did not miss her bus.! Almost missed my bus to Boston. Bus driver left at 3:24! 6 Min Early!!

I  bought Rush "Moving Pictures" from 1982. 

I heard it from those cool dudes. One was a drummer and he LOVED Neil Pert. A stoner album that ain't the Dead or Pink Floyd. What does FC/ Khuna sound like??

Here is the Joke of the day-

You might be a hillbilly if: the exterior of your home has plenty of decorative license plates and hubcaps. Your vehicle, sadly, has neither.

Well back to the non-joke world that I walk though.

My battery on the computer is dying and I do not have access to the plug since I am sitting in the aisle seat next to the biggest man on this bus to Boston. Its now4:32am

I AM Tired: I Want to Rest

Its NOT the Johnson Atelier!! Lets be snooty shall we??

Hello it just rained last night worked very late last night. Its Thursday I got all these

Cleo!

packages when I went back to my house it was really good. the only negative is my fridge was off so I had to jump the thing so I tossed out almost everything in the fridge but there wasn't much, fortunately. I also was invited to see an art  opening in New York on the 24th. That's going to be cool!! I have never been to an opening in New York City before  and

I Came \Back to Rain and too much Work!

I am looking forward to it. I got some coffee at Saxbys and  went to the meeting and I'm wearing my GRUMPY

Spring and I am TIRED!

CAT shirt today! Today is Thursday already busy weekend Mother's Day on Sunday and I eat going to go to Baltimore someway either Friday or Saturday and we shall see right now hungry for banana I like bananas okay checking out for now.

At Larry's Being Tired!

To the Tired Void I Venture.

Its Friday am and I just exhausted. I have decided to go to Baltimore tonight but have not EVEN reserved the hotel yet. I am just in the mood to sleep the morning away. The last 2 days of work have been grueling with too many folks to interview and a night of staying till 8:45. (Weds). Its humid everywhere I go. Group last night was real cool. Nice people attractive women and a new friend who wants to share her stories. I like this.
I am tired.....I am tired... I feel so tired I just want to stay home and lie down after work and all day Saturday. I will see how I feel after the Sunrise and when I arrive at work. I must be getting old since my libido feels like a 2 on the 10 scale and I just want to lie around and just be still for awhile. I think I made my point.

change. Have a good weekend. Next week is Maine and another red-eye 12 hr bus trip to Portland. Man the thought of that just makes me want more time off from work. I do not like being tired. This is not me. I thrive on my energy and I am not used to having to slowdown. I am in need to accept this and not fight it. Fighting it just makes me want to sleep even more then I want to already. Gee, am I making myself clear?? Oh OK. Have a good day