As far as parties go, it was a pretty lame one. It was just guys. We sat around and played video games. And most of the time, I was downloading music on my computer. From the fervor (or lack of) of this party, you wouldn’t guess that I was getting married the next day. No strip clubs for my bachelor party; I think the most skin we saw was Princess Peach’s ankle.
I wasn’t downloading music because I was bored of my party mates. With our families at least an hour and a half away, our wedding was mainly a do-it-yourself affair. Cool Mum, known as Cool Fiancée back then (I guess I can call her Laura for these purposes), planned it all during our 3-month engagement in the midst of her senior year at the University of Florida. My role in the wedding: DJ (and groom). We were particular about the songs played during our reception, so instead of hiring a DJ who might play that were on our banned list (Electric Slide, I’m looking at you), we decided to set up my band’s sound system and play a series of CDs chock full of our faves. This was before MP3 players blasted onto the scene.
The wedding would be at an old brick-laden Methodist church in downtown Gainesville. We didn’t attend the church, but our church’s building was a warehouse lined with felt banners proclaiming the names of God, and Laura wanted something more traditional. The Methodist church was exactly that: wooden pews, towering stained glass windows, and a long center aisle from back to front, where she would begin a single lady and end up a cool wife. continued…
Cool Mum hopes to stay as cool as Cool Great-Grandma
The big day is approaching. Unfortunately. I’m at the waddling stage of pregnancy and our budget is limited. I face two options.
1. Accept the reality of being older and go (by myself) to all of the NYC places that I’ll never visit if I keep waiting for another interested person to come along. That would mean spending a day at the Tenement Museum (Cool Dad asks, “Why go there? We have first-hand experience living in one.”), the WTC visitor center, and the Museum of the City of New York.
2. Deny the reality of being older by doing something only a person in their 20’s would be likely to do. I haven’t quite figured that part out yet. This option could be fun, but also sad and uncool due to the rather large belly and limited physical capabilities.
A long time ago, back in Florida, Cool Dad turned 30 to the tune of Dark Latin Groove and 30 of his closest friends in a reserved restaurant with dance floor. He even had a “30 Years of Eric” tribute, with one dance song from each year of his life. I don’t like the spotlight, so I’m not wishing for that kind of thing, but so far my plans seem pretty lackluster, don’t you think?
So…what did you do or what do you plan to do to celebrate your 30th birthday?
Leading up to Christmas, I was feeling that my storytelling reserve was empty. It must have been all of those overlong, self-obsessed New York Story posts that I churned out. So during some free time during Christmas break, I stumbled upon this revolutionary new practice that would improve my vocabulary, fuel my imagination, and teach me from masters of the written word: reading.
I have rarely read for recreation. I read the Lord of the Rings series and a few books like it because, despite my looks, I am a big nerd. People usually mistake me for a small nerd, me being 5′5 and all.
I picked up some good deals at a used bookstore and Amazon. Since Christmas, I’ve read
- Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman
- The Eyes of the Dragon by Stephen King
- American Gods by Neil Gaiman
- The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon
- The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
- Stardust by Neil Gaiman
I spend at least an hour on the subway round-trip everyday; I have plenty of reading time. After looking for the strong points within each storyteller, I’ve felt refreshed when it comes to my own writing. Now I just need to put down some of these page-turners and start writing!
What kind of books or which authors do you like to read?
Cool Dad: On August 29, 2008, we boarded a plane in Orlando, FL with two suitcases, two backpacks, a car seat, and the idea of turning our lives upside down. We landed in Philadelphia, took an hour-long train ride that seemed three times as long, and arrived in New York City.
We’ve told our story on this blog and will continue to tell it as it happens. If you want to catch up, here’s how we left nearly everything we had and everyone we loved in Florida for the unknown challenges of NYC: Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3. Part 4 to come.
Cool Mum: Within the first few weeks in NYC, I was already dreaming of staying here longer than our original one-year plan would allow. I fell in love. Dirt, dog poop, smoke, and all. I came here mainly to take away all I could from the city – life experiences and photo opportunities – and now I am more and more inspired to give, to reach out, to seek God here. Thank you, God, for this opportunity and for putting the desire in our hearts to move here!
CD: We’d like to give you an anniversary gift. Here is a slideshow of Year 1 of the Cool NYC Adventure, set to the song that we’ve listened to the most over the last 365 days: ‘Life in Technicolor ii’ by Coldplay.
CM: I told Cool Dad that I wanted “Dare You to Move” by Switchfoot to be the theme song for the slideshow. My clever and humorous-to-me idea was rejected. But still, I do dare you to move to that place that God puts in your heart, whether it is a new friendship, a new city, or a new country.
CD: We hope that the second year will be even more fun – for both you and us. Thanks for being cool and sticking around. Turns your lights low and your volume high…
[RSS readers: link to embedded video on YouTube]
It's the eternal struggle: A husband left at home trying to keep the place clean. I really want to win this round. photo: Svadilfari
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