Whirlwinds and Vows

AND...breathe.

August is here. Holy crap, when did THAT happen? July was a whirlwind month for me, probably the busiest month I've ever had in my life.

It all started with a trip to The Cabin for the annual Canada Day weekend shindig...although this year it was more of a pre-wedding shindig.

I brought a boy as my date to said cabin shindig. A boy that I thought I liked a lot. Once again...wrong. He said something about a good friend of mine within hours of us arriving, and just like that, it was over for me. You don't diss my friends, especially not to my face. Especially when you've already said it once before and I specifically asked you NOT to repeat it ever again. Drunk or not, it's no excuse. Any respect I may have had for you? Instantly non-existent. Yes, just like that.

Needless to say, I spent the weekend ignoring him, and yes, I know that it was not the most mature choice, but I did not want to cause a scene and/or drama, so being civil to him but avoiding him at all costs was my method of dealing.

Also, before you say I'm a bitch for bringing him with me and consequently ignoring him, he had a mutual friend there as well, and he also got a free long weekend at a cabin on the lake, complete with wakeboarding and sunshine. Not so bad if you ask me.

Moving along, the week that I returned from the cabin was the commencement of the Stampede (aka DrunkFest 2007). Ten days of boozing and dancing and ogling cute cowboys. Throw in the fact that i was single, and let's just say that a good time was had. A really good time. I attended more than a few breakfasts and lunches, all with free-flowing booze. My industry is a fantastic one to be in when Stampede rolls around. I got to spend time with good friends, sweating to death in smelly beer tents, two-stepping with drunken tourists and locals alike. Factor in that each night was capped off with fireworks displays, and all in all you've got a kick ass ten days. My liver, however, slightly disagrees.

With Stampede done and over with, the wedding preparation was in full force. Best thing of it was...I got a killer cold. Less than two weeks before the wedding. ColdFx, echinacea, Vitamin C...they all became my best friends. I must have looked like the biggest pill popper around, setting alarms to remind me to take my immune system boosters at all hours of the day. In the end, the cold was banished in time, and all last minute details were taken care of. Dresses altered, nails painted, cameras charged, my slideshow completed and gone over with a fine tooth comb. We were good to go.

With the finishing touches complete, we embarked on pre-wedding dinners to celebrate birthdays of out-of-town guests, rehearsals, rehearsal dinners...and then the big day was upon us. It went by in such a blur. Just like that, two years of prep was over in a flash, and one of my dearest friends was married to the man of her dreams. The day was magical...a stunning bride, a handsome groom, a pretty spiffy bridal party, and a beautiful venue...topped off with a fireworks display that a dear friend had planned and kept secret for the rest of us. One of the groomsmen said that even he, a big, burly guy, was reduced to soundtrack love songs playing in his head as the entire crowd oohed and aahed at the sparkles above.

The party lasted until the wee hours of the morning, with even the bride and groom among the last guests to leave. We danced and laughed and surprisingly, didn't drink too much. This turned out to be a good thing, as some of the bridesmaids had to be up early the next morning to help prep for the gift opening. Another fantastic day, with nearly half of the wedding guests stopping by at some point or another throughout the day. We reminisced over photo albums that people had brought with them (by the way, who the F manages to print off pictures and put them in an freaking album from the wedding that happened the DAY BEFORE? I will never be one of those people, but I secretly envy them for their put togetherness) and shared stories of guests who had indulged a wee bit more than the rest of us.

All in all, July was a pretty fantastic month. I'm sad that the wedding is over and that there is not really a big event for all of us to look forward to now. Yet, at the same time, I am looking forward to having some much needed relaxation and time for myself and my family. I plan on enjoying this last month of summer, right down to the very last drop of sunshine.