February 2002"Ah, the blushing groom."
by Valerie Carino
...
My future-mother-in-law called on Saturday and reminded me I had a wedding to plan. It seems I'd forgotten.
We've been too busy setting up our new apartment (in the same neighborhood where they filmed the "Real World Chicago"), looking for work, learning the subway routes, buying groceries, buying more groceries, catching up with friends in town, and oh yeah, planning the wedding.
Eileen, Damien's mother, called to say she booked the band. She saw them two weeks ago at a gig over in Ireland. From the sounds of it, they're your standard Irish wedding band - with a play list from pop standards to waltzes - and they also can play in the church. The organ, I assume.
Anyway, Eileen was so excited that I remembered I had the big white day coming up, and in less than nine months to boot. With that out of the way (huge sigh of relief), here's an update on our work situations.
After a month in this windy city, we both feel better. Damien moved up here without a gig, which, looking back, was probably the boldest move he could have ever made. What were we thinking? That he could get up here during a recession and just land a lucrative job? I guess so.
God must have been smiling on us, because that is exactly how it worked out. A friend of mine put him in touch with the owner of one of the hottest Irish pubs in Chicago. They set up a meeting, and two weeks later, he hired Damien to be an assistant manager. If you've ever dated an Irishman, or known an Irishman even, you'll know that they're simple people. The kind of people who can eat meat and potatoes every night and act like it's the best meal they ever ate in their lives. The kind of people who aren't afraid to take jobs no one else would consider, because in Ireland, people don't tie their identities to a career. It's enough to be in the pub with your friends, enjoying the fact that you're together, sharing a pint. Ever since I met Damien, he has wanted to own his own pub. Maybe this could lead him there.
As for me, I'm freelancing and planning a trip to Ireland to see my best friend and Damien's family in April. While there, I'll visit the reception site, pick out flowers, meet the priest, go to the tuxedo shop and attend to all the other tasks that deserve my attention. I'm going on my own, because I'll be spending half the trip in Dublin, where my good friend, Niamh, lives. She's thinking of throwing my "hen's night" (Irish for bachelorette party) there. But that won't be until October.
Also on my list of priorities are finding two more bridesmaid's dresses (two of my girls didn't look good in the one originally picked by the girls in San Francisco), settling on the invitations, finalizing the guest list and browsing for wedding bands.
So it looks like the months ahead won't allow me to forget my wedding planning. Not that I ever did, because Damien talks about it all the time.
Ah, the blushing groom.
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