“We’re goin’ to the chapel and we’re gonna get mar-r-r-i-e-d…”  So it was to be for Gracie and Sweet Pablo.  Yours truly was still feeling pretty much like shit – as referenced in the last post – and I wish it was a hangover because then I would have a reason to feel that way.  I woke up on the 13th, knowing it was my sweet Kayanna’s 12th birthday and sent out a few phone calls and a text message to Gracie asking what the plan was.  She replied to meet at the taxi stand at the front of the MGM at noon or the courthouse at 12:30. 

I managed to do some website work and had a bit of time to spare and went to the old digs and visited with my son, complaining that I felt like shit and it was coming in waves and my body hurt, especially my one and only, faithful kidney.  I didn’t feel like going anywhere, let alone a wedding and then a poker tournament.  What to do?  What to do?  No, I didn’t flip a coin.  My boy cooked and we had breakfast.  I decided the wedding was a must.  I left the old digs at 11:30, debating on the MGM or the courthouse, shit…I’m like a retard sometimes trying to figure out what course of action to take.  I ended up heading South on the freeway instead of heading downtown.  That was the decision maker.  I parked at the Tropicana parking lot and walked across Trop to the MGM and found Falstaff, his wife, and his sister, all waiting by the taxi stand.  El Perfecto!  No wondering/searching/wandering WTF…they were right there.

We gabbed for a few minutes and Alcanthang appeared and told us we had to start loading, they (meaning valet, etc.,) wanted the bus out of there.  Off we went to the bus.  I was thinking bus…you are thinking bus?  It was quite the set-up.  A bus limo with a bathroom in the back, custom this, custom that, party me up kids, I wanna ride in that!  As I walked to the bus with Al, he explained that when he first hired the driver, he told him to pick us up at the MGM, take us to the courthouse, and then deliver us to the Venetian.  The bus driver asked him which ‘whorehouse’ we wanted to go to.  LMAO.  The bus driver is none other than Brett Gall – driving for 24-7Limousines – and I took his picture for the Blogger album but unfortunately it came out like crap.  Sorry on the photo Brett, if you have one you’d like to send me, I’ll include it here. To hire Brett, call 702-616-6000 or 888-254-LIMO.

As we waited for the other bloggers to arrive, I sat in the bus with a coupla blogging buddies and Brett and gabbed.  I immediately referenced the fact that I have a motion sickness issue.  Brett handled that by telling me I could ride up front with him.  I did, but I sat in the back until the flood started to appear from the MGM…long enough to see a case of Southern Comfort and watch Al pour it straight into a champagne glass for Gracie and Pablo – which they graciously accepted.  OMG!  Just the smell of it made me feel ill.  (I can’t stand hard liquor but if it’s your poison, clank the glass and go for it).

Jason Kirk was playing a poker tournament and carried his computer with him onto the bus, continuing to play.  I believe he busted out!  Change 100 didn’t make the wedding for the same reason, she was playing the same poker tournament.  Grubby did make the wedding but he got there after it was over…too damn funny!  But back to the fabulous BUS and getting ready to hit the road.  These are a few shots I took of  the crowd as I sat in the front seat peering through the window divider.

We were getting prodded to leave the MGM parking area and picked up a few more bloggers just as we were ready to depart.  Brett got us to the courthouse and the wind almost took off with our belongings and hair, it was brutal, as we got off the bus to be greeted by the ‘wedding mafia’.  I found this to be completely and totally hysterical.  Two gents that looked like they stepped straight out of the 20’s and should be carrying violin cases, accosted almost everyone that left the courthouse looking like they held a wedding license.  The two gents almost ran over everyone in our group, starting with the bride and groom to be and then infiltrating the rest of the group.  They were trying to get all of us to go to their wedding chapel of choice for the vows.  Someone in our group told them we were going just down the street to a civil authority for the services.  They deigned to show us the way, talking all the while.  I knew where we were going and sort of pulled ahead of the pack and the two gents kept pace with me, never stopping, “You have a big group.  There will not be enough room for all of you to watch the wedding.”

Me, “Are you guys the teamsters of weddings in Las Vegas?”

*Hysterical laughter from all three of us*

“Yes, he’s Joe Pesci!” as one waves at the shorter one of the two.

“We are the wedding mafia!”

I found them to be quite delightful.  They were bubbling and chatty, helpful by walking us down to where we wanted to go, and they never missed a beat in explaining that our group was too big and that the area for the services would not hold us all and if we wanted to all be in attendance when vows were exchanged that they could take us to their place – which was only five blocks away – for the sum of $50, they would take care of everything.  Guys, you are a real trip!  Going to the wedding was completely enhanced by getting to share a few moments of life with you.

When we got to the Civil Marriage Commissioner’s office, we were greeted by a security guard that barely looked up as he asked if we had a license.  I pointed somewhere back in the crowd of around 20-25 people and said, “They do.”  He waved us on.  Before we hit the door to that building I laughing told everyone that if they had a gun to get rid of it because we would have to go through security.  Shit!  That guy looked like he was chasing nightmares through the penny slots at the Plaza, trying to get his $1 investment back, the night before and could care less if we had enough weaponry to take down the downtown area.  I found this to be quite amusing as we approached the door to the commissioner’s office:

Kind of comforting.  Makes one wonder if they are threatened with robbery very often.

We filed on in, and some of us drifted into the actual area the ceremony was meant to be performed in while Gracie and Sweet Pablo went through the formalities with the Commissioner.  Like this is really it, Kids!

As we hung around in the ‘wedding chapel’ I took a few shots of my blogging brethern.

Back out front for a minute to capture Gracie and Sweet Pablo with their spunky little officiator.

I love pictures in a mirror – don’t you?

The commissioner told us all we could gather back out in the security area and there would be plenty of room for us.  We did, only catch was to stay away from the automatic door that opened off the street.  UMNHHHH!  So here we are, some with tears in their eyes before it was all over.

Everyone knew that Al was supposed to/wanted to officiate at the wedding and he didn’t receive his authorization in time.  Instead he read to Gracie and Sweet Pablo between the commissioners officiating statements/acts.  Unfortunately I was such a dumb butt that I wasn’t sure my camera was on record so I turned it off to look at it and restarted it, that’s why this youtube segment of Al is in two sections…just go with it, ok?

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XqKXqBDnxg[/youtube]

The rest of Al’s presentation:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RM8n_7Jsuo[/youtube]

And the Grand Finale!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLxXi6weOi4[/youtube]

As everyone milled around and I went by Gracie and Sweet Pablo, they both had tears, I had a big roll of kleenex tissues in my pocket and handed them off to Pablo.  Hey…never go to a wedding thinking you won’t sniffle, you just might.

Say hello to Mr. and Mrs.

“I do,” is the beginning.  There is more to this blogger tale but I’m not into it right now.  You’ll have to check back for more.

*Sorry I didn’t get the little commissioner with her eyes open – flash does that ya’know?  She was fun.*