I will see you in far off places

Since it has been about 6 months the statute of limitations has run out for all the criminal mischief Sarah and I did on our honeymoon in St. Lucia.

The honeymoon sweeeet. Not too shabby.This was part of the beach (obsv) that was right outside when we woke up each day.......yeah EACH day, it never moved!!!

Popping the cork on our complimentary champagne.

Delicious cuisine

We had cocktails at the resort's English Pub our second night.
This was on the table, for fish & chips I presume. Someone, I won't say who, remarked "What's seven-ten sauce???"

Some folks we met from Chicago, and Foxboro, Mass. and Long Island or Queens or something.

Such a fancy gentle with the pinky out.

So St. Lucia's primary export is bananas and they were all over the place in these blue bags that protect them from bugs. Interesting huh? Isn't that why you come to beldreydays? To learn stuff?

This was the place where we went ziplining. Sorry, no pics of us wearing harnesses and helmets. I know that is disappointing.

Probably my favorite picture from the whole week. My new bride going to town on a giant hotdog while wearing a 'Shaft' t-shirt. So classy, so very very classy.

Gator made of bread at Armando's, which was the fancy-schmancy Italian restaurant.

poledancing during our sunset catamaran ride.
Mick Jagger has a house somewhere on St. Lucia and I guess Oprah used to as well. I wonder if they ever hung out?
BOATDRINKS!!
Kremer busting a move with some of the staff.

crab

We saw one of the ships they used in those Johnny Depp pirate movies, but I don't remember if this was it. Anyways, AAaarrrgggggggggh.

These are the famous Pitons which St. Lucia is famous for. They are awesome looking in real life (also in better pictures...feel free to do a google image search).
They are also the namesake of the local beer.

We did an island tour thing and they took us to this sulfur springs live volcano thing. Pretty cool. Smelled real strongly of eggs though.

This was a waterfall in the middle of a botanical garden.

so ripped
SJ about to get pounded by some waves.

I tried some impromptu rock climbing during our walk back from dinner one night.....didn't get very far.

One of the staff dudes was dancing to a reggae band with a bottle on his head. Now THAT is a marketable skill.

You may think that I don't care

'cause I've been a rover here and ev'rywhere

So, it's been about 127 days since my last post. Wannafightaboutit?

Let's see, since the last post I got married, honeymooned, banged out the fall travel season at work, saw some movies, read some books, and finally got the camera fixed so I can get back on the Beldreydays 1 post every 70ish days schedule.

About 16 of us went out to Butterfly in the West Loop(?) for the annual Black Wednesday get together. Pretty sweet restaurant. It's BYOB so our bill wasn't ridiculous.
It was also Dav'e birthday. He was in week 3 or 4 of one of the most atrocious, yet intriguing bouts with facial hair I have witnessed in a while.

Scott and I compare plaid shirts at Twisted Spoke where we had after dinner drinks. Pretty cool bar, but the special was 1/2 price on all whiskey which led to a crazy night.

Too close?

Adam and Aimee

photobombing Dave

Headed back to the street of dreams to hang out at Doc's and Zam's.

That brick wall back there? Yeah, that's foreshadowing what we were about to hit.

2 people 2 bald 2 B 4 forgotten.

/yearbook'd

GDF and T were in the mix

After Thanksgiving AA, Fran, Memo and I trekked up to Minneaplois aka "the Minny Apple" to watch the Bears Vikes game. In another bit of foreshadowing this deer was a harbinger of what was to come for furry animals (Bears, not Fran).

DoubleA offered to buy all Fran's drinks if he wore this hat to the bar. No dice.

This is how true intellectuals get fired up for a professional football game. This is not a staged photo either. These two actually played a whole game of chess while Fran and I got fired up the old fashioned way.

Also on the scene: "Concrete" Pete (2nd from left) and.......
...his dad, who has some pretty nice Bears jeans. I know the picture is sideways, I forgot to rotate it #SAND

Aaron on the other hand sportted this early 90's Starter jacket. One thing we noticed was that tons, and I mean TONS (these are generally not small folks) of people wore leather Vikings jackets. Interesting phenomenon. Far be it for me to question anyone's fandom, but if I was going to spend $300 on a leather jacket I don't know if purple would be my first choice.

Not bad seats. I was excited to see that we were sitting in front of another group of Bear fans for about 5 minutes until I realized they were obnoxious idiots.

Memo got his face painted in the parking lot. Don't let that little girl's brave front fool you....she was terrified. She actually switched seats with her mom not long after we arrived.

AA and I went to go get nachos or something and these lovely ladies were in the concourse. I encouraged him to take adavantage of the photo op. I wanted to photoshop that random dude out of the picture, but yet again, I don't own or know how to use photoshop, so there he stays.

Toward the end of the game (which was a debacle) they actually ran out of Bud Lite, so we started drinking "Premium." I wouldn't swear by it, but it tasted ok at the time.

Most people would wash off their face back at the hotel before going out to dinner. Not Memo.

The drive home was an adventure too. We had to pull over a few times so the Vikings fan could relieve his stomache of some excess content. During one such stop a Minnesota state trooper pulled behind us. "Little too much to drink last night, eh?" he quipped. Memo was sitting in the back seat with his face STILL painted which made it even better. Curiously, as we drove away, the trooper stepped to the side to take a long look at what was deposited. Folks are weird up there maaaaahn.

Remember me in the C-A-D-I double L we ride

Down the ave and the AC's high

Bachelor party extravaganza started @ Arlington Park. We had a blast, but I lost every single bet I made. Never bet the #8 horse I guess. I swear one of those #8s was a polka dotted donkey. Oh well.....

They did however, have a great spread and open bar......which was nice.

Back to the hotel after our all-inclusive package expired to hammer down some Miller products. One of our party stayed behind at the track because he is a shameless degenerate gambler.

*cough* THAD *cough* sorry I must've had something in my throat there.

Calm before the storm. We were watching a replay of the 1998 NBA Finals game 6 Bulls vs. Jazz. Everyone was glued to the set like it was happening live.
Wouldn't be a party without the King!!!

Every heard of the "beer pong" game? Apparently it's all the rage. Guh

party favors

Al and Dan approve wholeheartedly

likewise Alan and Dean

Ballin!!!!!! Dan set this whole deal up and did one helluva job. Thanks again Dan.

Last time these guys were all in the same car it was a paddywagon.
Plenty of coolers and awesome music. Including the themesong from Knightrider which was a favorite of mine.

First stop was Murphy's. One of the finest establishments in Rolling Ghettos. Awesome staff and all the regulars were happy to have us.

I'm already feeling it. With Chad and Andy, who was the big winner @ the track.

What's everyone looking at?

Nevermind. Shots!!

Wes, getting ready to double up.

Dan and Butters in happier times. They are arch enemies nowadays.

Yokes? Absolutely.

Dukes of Hazard theme song.

Back in the white whale to hit the next place.

Little John is brand loyal.

I was wearing my heart on my sleeve at this place. Apparently our waitress didn't like that I was walking around saying "This place sucks." They can't all be HomeBase I guess.

June found time to share his drink with Al. Nice of him.

Dan and Joey discussing what to do next. We went to one other place and things quickly fell apart. Fortunately, we all made it out alive and the night was a success besides Steve's eye and whichever maid had to clean the tub in Scott's room. Wokka wokka.

These old bones they move slow

But so sure of their footsteps

As I trip on the floor

And lightly touch down

Steve was the MVP of the bachelor party. He has a commitment to physical comedy unlike anyone since John Ritter fell all over the set of "Three's Company."

more to come........

And the whole town's waitin' just to hear me yell

Went to a charity boxing match last week with Vicky, LJ, Stef, and Fran. The event usually raises about $200K Didn't really get any shots of people boxing because we were in back most of the time.

This was Marty selecting the winner of the Ring Girl competition. I got the impression most of these girls usually wear less at work.
Marty was one of the MCs for the event. He is quite the accomplished actor, you may have seen him in those Johnny Depp Pirate movies.

A few of the fighters dropped out at the last minutes so they filled time by having the ring girls fight in sumo outfits.

Then some rappers took the stage. Don't remember their names, but to answer your question: Yes they wore their sunglasses indoors all night. Why wouldn't they?!?

John riding a golden horse

We got to clown around with the belts from the fights that got cancelled.
Good times.

The "Street of Dreams" was shut down this weekend for FP Summerfest. I was relaxing on the roof watching the setup.

Last minute rewiring in front of Louie's

Kremer is officially on vacation now.

They were using a bulldozer to collect the trash.
We were hanging out on the roof after our softball game triumph.

(Sarah and I both grounded out in our 1 at bat each.....because we're awesome)
We had our wedding shower the next day at the P's house in Maywood.
The party was a big hit. My folks really know how to host. It started getting a little chilly so Pops gave everyone a Bronco sweatshirt to wear.
Time for gifts.
Kremer is excited for some Crainium
Uncle June gave us some great stuff. Like this lovely monkey throw rug.
.....and some draino. Last time he showered at our place the water was apparently 6 inches deep.
Time to bore some holes in stuff maaaaaahn
There were lots of pictures so I tried to keep things fresh by varying my expression.
Dan, Steph, and her folks gave us the grill we were really hoping for. If I was Mel Kiper, I would say that the rest of the summer has "tremendous upside potential."
Some of the Maywood folks gave us (me) a bottle of Jameson 12 year. Nice.
We had some people over to our place after the shower broke up.
....then headed over to the Doctor's Office.
I think Double A was going in for the "Prom Pose" but Rachel wasn't having it.
JP and Steve w/ his reflective jacket.
Jaime was there for a wedding after-party, pretending she didn't want her picture taken.
Then it was time to dance, dance, dance to the sweet sounds of whatever band was there.

???????

Always good to see the Cielos
Steve and I got a picture with the frontman from the aforementioned band

This guy was outside "resting" up against a lightpole.
Did we go to "HomeBase"? Of course!
Sweet Jeebus they look happy. AA's soul patch is growing a soul patch of it's own.

thanks for coming everyone!

Oh so while you're growing old

under the gun, gun, gun

and I believed them all

Went to see Yeah Yeah Yeahs the other night @ the AragonWe had seen George Strait a few nights earlier. Karen O and George have very divergent styles.
Also went to Kerri's graduation from Trinity.

Congrats Kerri!
Kremer and Fred recently ran in and 8.5K in the sand dunes of Gary, IN.

Kremer had the pre-race jitters

Plotting the course. Fred doesn't go in for the high-tech running gear as you can see.

aaaaand they're off!!!

I hung out with Momma P and Sofia while they were running.

Fast Freddy finishes first.

You might not be able to tell from this picture, but the guy on the left looks EXACTLY like Larry David. I was trying to get a good picture of him on the sly, but this was the best I could do.

pre-taaay pre-taaay good.

Kremer charges toward the finish line with the picturesque Gary steel mills in the background.

aaaaand done.

Fred enjoying a post-race Guinness, just like the pros do it.

I'm draftin 'em outta high school straight into the pros