I have a love/hate relationship with this gentle Southern town. It all began back in 1999, when I was a freshman in college. Wow. TEN YEARS AGO. Le sigh…

Anywho, I met Meg – now affectionately known as Love. And since embarking on our friendship, I have also embarked on many a journey to the great and wondrous land (haha- wondrous) of Louisiana.

Back in May, I had a visit I will never forget. It was the perfect Cajun day, flying a Cesna, drinking on the lake in Coushatta, and closing the night with a massive crawfish boil. It doesn’t get much more cliche than that. Until we drive home to find my car has been smashed into smithereens by a dumb@$$ 17 yr old who had “dropped his phone and bent down to pick it up” – the result being $7K worth of damage to my 9 month old brand new vehicle. Um, yeah. I was a wee bit irritated. It only got better when I found out I had to leave my car there for a month to be repaired (yes, it took a month) and drive around in a crappy Chevy Aveo that probably weighed a total of 35lbs. Damn the system, and damn being helpless!

But let’s sweep that story aside, shall we? My return just 2 weeks ago was for a merry and joyous event – the wedding of Love. Being a bridesmaid is always a dangerous job: battling Bridezillas, fixing last minute problems, easing the minds of frantic wedding party participants….but being in Love’s wedding was a breeze. I shouldn’t have been surprised. She is uber laid back, and thus, so was her attitude about her wedding. By not being Crazy Anal Shrieking Bride, fun was allowed to step in and take over.

Not even an older man collapsing at the wedding from a presumed heart attack could dampen our spirits. The ambulance came and wheeled him away on a stretcher, and the music fired up again. By a band that coincidentally were lawyers and judges by day, musicians by night. Only in Louisiana…

The wedding wrapped up early. The newlyweds were ready to get to their suite after all. So we headed on down to the – let me finish – casino. Yay! Party all the time, party all the time, party all the time!*

Cheers Love. May your wedding be filled with laughter and contentment and peace.

Love, Love

*song lyrics courtesy of Eddie Murphy