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Weddings

The best thing about weddings - apart from the symbolism of it all of course - is that you get to see old friends and their beloved family. For one day we can all agree that the world does not revolve around us, what we do and what we want. We convene and become witness to perhaps the single most recognized and celebrated ceremony in all and any culture. Plus you get to dress up. And perhaps the best part of this latest wedding I was invited to, is that it was being held in beautiful Lake Arrowhead (Near Big Bear Lake). Normally people dislike these somewhat remote locations for weddings for the obvious reasons. I mean who likes to drive a couple of hours each way to attend a wedding? Momentous as they are... Not to mention the almost always unpleasantness of staying in Motels if one chose not to drive the day of. For me though, not only did I look forward to seeing old friends and the wedding itself, I was super excited about driving my Roadster in the humongous sweeping Canyons of the San Bernardino Mountains....

The fun actually started way before I even reached the Canyons. Just past La Tuna Canyon Road East Bound on the 210 Freeway, some schmuck in a terribly beautiful Cherry Red Ferrari F-430 Scuderia (or one of my dream cars... fuckin' schmuck) somehow decided to pick on me. Anyone familiar with the term "Rice Fly By"? (It's like Asian ricer Talk) Well if you don't it means passing someone on the freeway as fast and as loud as your vehicle can muster (Note: this is best done with an after market exhaust system). And if you haven't heard a Scuderia at Full Song before, well it's pretty damn impressive. It sounds kind of like a series of tiny sonic boom crescendos. Prat! Prat! Prat! Prat! Prat! Anyhow, as impressive as the Ferrari's Fly By was, I was more intrigued as to why the SOB did it. I mean let's talk sheer numbers here real quick for the sake of comparison... That particular model cost over 250K, while mine a relatively modest 36K (when brand new). To put it in perspective, the Scuderia's Carbon Fiber Break Rotors alone cost almost half what my car is worth. So why on God's Green Earth did he do it? Coz' he can? Ass!

The way I see it there was only one way to handle such bad Sports Car behavior- to get him back! I mean a Ferrari showing up a Honda? A little ostentatious don't ya think? My car after all ain't no slouch, my exhaust is probably just as loud at wide open throttle (just not as delicious sounding as the Scuderia's). And so I get along side at 75 mph rev-match and drop it into 3rd gear RPM's spiking all the way up to 9000, much to his astonishment........ I think I startled him too because upon fly by he jerked back a bit ahahah. Of course I had my fun once in the Canyons. In fact I deliberately didn't drink much at the reception just so I could have more fun on the way back :)

The wedding itself? Well it was chaotic in a Romantic Comedy kind of way and it was probably the single most unorganized wedding I have ever attended. First off it ran an hour late because no one seemed to know exactly which Marina at the Lake the wedding was being held. And oh get this- they didn't bother rehearsing. To them it's apparently passe'. How cool are they? And when it seemed like the ill-fated ceremony was all set to go, the Brides car pulled up in front of the Marina while the groom was having a smoke there ahahhaha! And oh they didn't bother with a proper photographer either. Hysterically and rather ironically the Groom himself got the Photographer so drunk that he'd fallen off one of the stairs and broke two ribs. Yikes! Oh the Bartender? Well he was a no show... Kind of gives new meaning to the term Open Bar right? Right coz' it was Open to all to make your own drinks...

In all honesty though, in spite of all of the weddings flaws and imperfections, it all seemed, well, perfect in some way. No one seemed bothered by the fact that no one seemed to know what was up. And despite of all the remarkably dopey setbacks before and during the ceremonies, the mood remained relaxed and upbeat. In fact it all seemed to inexplicably add to the momentous and joyous atmosphere that all weddings should have. It was sort of a beautiful ad lib. I commend their chaos and surprisingly cool improvisations...

Of course the location itself (apart from the weddings symbolism, lest we forget) was the star of the show. I don't think any kind of mishap or chaos could have dampened the spirits of that wildly cool Wedding because that Marina was far too charming, too beautiful, too accommodating, too neo-classical, and far too cool. And perhaps the people themselves, the people who somehow conscientiously decided against a rehearsal, a makeshift photographer, an unavailing Bartender, are far too cool to screw-up something that is far too easy to screw up...

I must admit, when I'll think back about this wedding, it couldn't be all that went wrong that will have touched me. It will have been how truly beautiful Alyse was, how Butch held him mom as he wept during the Mother and Son dance, the symbolism and sanctity of marriage, that unforgettable location, and last but not the least - that fantastic canyon drive in my car with the top down............

Posted by: Marc Gabay
Saturday, May 15, 2010