Saturday

Last weekend, I through an 80-hour party, that basically started at 6:00 pm on Thursday, September 13 and lasted to the wee hours of the morning on Monday, September 17. At the middle of this range was the main event, a giant, elaborately planned, expensive, tits-ass party on Saturday evening. I had lost some sleep the night before "worrying" about things that could go wrong, so I slept a little past the 7:00 am wake-up time I had hoped for myself.

I had asked anyone who wanted to hike to get to my hotel at around 8:30. Those who knew the trailhead were directed to simply head there and be there by 9:00 am. At the hotel were some family and friends, Peel, the thills, Steve, Lori, Danward, Edward, Katie, Carolee, Willis, myself. It was rediculous herding cats in the middle of the street between two hotels at 8:30 am and still I missed people who were in their rooms, complaining later that they missed it, when it was very difficult to miss. Herding cats. It was great to arrive at the trailhead and sort out the beer situation. Shiz, Chuck, Jimbo are at the trailhead waiting. We started hiking and soon I wanted a beer.

On the hike we saw a magnificent hawk with prey in hand. This might have been the elder Dawson re-incarnated and checking in on my status. My status is good, elder Dawson. If that was you, then you are looking good. It must be fun to fly and sustain life of the tender raw meat of small animals.

At the turnaround point, we waited and waited and waited for the older women. I grew convinced that they had turned around already. It's a turnaround point for some but for others it is the merely the beginning of the scrambling to the summit. We who were not to turn around began the trickier part of the ascent and I summit first, with my steady pace that most can not match. My beer arrives on the shoulders of the shiz soon enough and everyone in our party joins on this peak. After a few minutes we look down to see the older women. They had reached the turnaround point. We yelled at them to turn back. they stood there, dumb. We could not call them, or we could call them but they did not understand our instruction. Our instruction was simple, "turn back." One tried to climb up and got "stuck", unable to ascend further and unable to safely descend. Eventually they did turn back, only to later, repeatedly, "regret" not making it. You can not or should not regret your experience, I want to tell them. You should enjoy all of god's gifts and enjoy what you DO have.

After this great hike, we descend. Joy abounds and happiness is all around us. I had three beers so my happiness was acute and focused. We drive back towards the hotel and I get myself to breakfast with some cousins.

After breakfast, I simply wait for the hours to pass. I talk with folks who traveled to Durango for the first time for this great party. I eventually get dressed and we drive to the venue. The alcohol arrives at the same time that we do and I help to unload it. Everything seems to be going exactly as planned. Right at 5:00 pm, the guests begin to arrive, on time, looking good, and I have a signature cocktail and enjoy visiting. My mother and her fiancee present me with an extraordinary gift: a great desk built for me by my father when I was not yet old enough to need a desk. As a child I always had that desk in every room I would stay in. Many things from my childhood were defined by their flux, but that desk was constant. She placed on the desk framed pictures and the like and it was a very touching gift. They had done some work to restore it and the desk looks great. Soon I will replace this desk I write on now with my father's desk.

At 5:30 we begin the ceremony. The guests find their seats. There are not enough seats; someone counted wrong. Soon, there are enough seats. We did not script or plan or practice this part. The men line up on the left; this is not correct, this is not on purpose, but is perfect because that is how we lined up when Carolyn and I first got married on December 31, 2011. I chose to wear no shoes to be "grounded" and connected to the great creator when I marry my bride. I bounce down the aisle with a giant smile, delighted at all the faces I see. My uncle Gary says "Dustin" as I pass and I wink at him. It is a good gesture and makes the trip even better. Soon, the bridesmaids are coming, and they look very nice, especially my sister. Following them were the flower girls and dawson in a wagon as ringbearer. However, no one had given him the ring and he didn't think to ask where the ring was, since his role had never been explained to him since he is only 10 months old. We see that there is no ring and so I tell Jimbo "go find the rings" and he does and nobody notices his absence in this beautiful and funny moment.

The bride comes down the aisle next, throwing me smiles reserved for moments like this, smiles that her face does not usually display. Tears of joy stream down my face and I feel the wind and the sun. She arrives and I admire her beauty and this dress that she hid from my sight for 7 months. The sun shines directly on her and she tries to hide in my shadow but I do not let her. The sun is lighting her beautifully and I am lost in her eyes and can hardly here Jim the officiant speak. His words are touching and clever and appropriate and it is a great service with a mixture of traditional and non-traditional words about marriage. I greatly enjoy the sight in front of me and I turn to look at the smiling faces seated before us as well.

Next are our vows, and I speak mine deliberately so that they are heard and understood by all those present. Mine are somewhat traditional and I promise a home filled with love. Hers are last, so that she may adjust if needed based on mine. They are written in her email and are printed on computer paper and are folded and tucked into her dress and I smile as she pulls them out from her dress. They are clever and wonderful to hear. She promises, among other things, to "fix my whiskey when it gets all fucked up" which is an inside joke as well as a promise as well as the first time anyone in the audience had heard the f-bomb dropped during a marriage ceremony. I fully enjoy her words and when they are done, we are pronounced husband and wife (again) and we kiss and life works out in the end.

Following the service we do photos for nearly an hour, which is good but also a shame since all I wanted to do was see all my people. The wedding planners bring us appetizers and I carry my whiskey around as we shoot photos. Sam the photographer is a good friend of mine and I trusted him to make great photos and I know he did.

After the photos is a mix of eating and drinking and dancing and toasting, and after Jim and Shane toasted me and Shelly toasted Carolyn I took the mike and thanked all the people who were there for being such great people in my life. It lasted 10 minutes, my toast, but it was fun to deliver and the crowd was touched and honored. I forgot a few people but I won't let that be a problem of mine.

After toasts the dancing would start and that was fun. The photobooth was a total hit and virtually everyone showed up in a picture or two. At this point I think Sloane, odd, Foster, and Erin Polen are the only people who missed it but likely there are others. Herr might have missed out as well. There was good participation, though. Rinda and Dave Buck did not make it in either. I considered the photo booth mandatory and this is one of the few times in my life that I will hold a grudge against these people.

I had purchased two large vases at Goodwill in the days leading up to this party for so that my uncle Gary could have a signature drink of his own. These vases had been stored in a closet rather than placed at his table. I mentiouned this to him and he said "ah don't worry about it" but that was something I was very excited to share with him. So, I found the vases and brought them to Gary. His eyes lit up and he immediately changed into the gary I had hoped for. He walked directly to the bar and ordered, in the first, curved vase, a mixture of all whiskeys available, and in the square vase, a mixture of rum, gin, vodka, and even tequila? Maybe not tequila. The whiskey glass was curved and as large as your face, so when you drank from it you really experienced the essence of whiskey. Uncle John, Uncle Gary, and myself took plenty of pulls from the whiskey bouquet and I took some from the "other liquor" bouquet as well. At one point the whiskey mixture went in my mouth and came out my nose and it was a great moment. The party continued as long as it could and we played a "last song" referencing the pursuit of happiness, which I feel is quite appropriate. The goal is never to acheive some final end state that is all good and happy, the goal is to always want more and always pursue what you want. To retire would be to give up the pursuit. The pursuit IS the happiness. This song was a hit and we were among gods in heaven as we danced and the night event came to an end. It was a great party and I believe the gods and those who are not with us approved.