Then we were off to get our tuxes, and to make sure they fit. I'm sure someone has already observed thusly, but tuxedoes were designed & made to force us to appreciate the normal geek outfit of t-shirt and jeans. Clasps and such are best left to women folk; I assure you. We were able to enrobe and disrobe with ample time left to enable Joe and I to jet off to the airport in Panama City (quaint and charming, it could fit in a single departure gate at Newark) and to shoot the breeze a while whilst awaiting the arrival of my beloved. Once we had her, we met up again with Joe's family at his apartment, then disbanded to find our hotel with Joe as our guide. When he saw the view from our room, his jaw dropped. We had quite a nice view over the bay. I do recommend the Days Inn Bayside to anyone visiting Joe & Katy (I also recommend visiting Joe and Katy); they wrote us notes each day, wishing us some novel form of happiness. And it worked! Sometimes it's the little things.
Next was the rehearsal, which was fun, because the Maid of Honor was in absentia and so Becca had to act en loco bridesmaidus, which meant I got to steal smootches from the (acting) Maid of Honor when no-one was looking. Katy's family showed up (at least, in part) midway through, so we got to meet them (Becca and myself; Joe and Katy had already met Katy's family, I assure you). We did the rehearsal with the bravest of faces, even though the weather for the following day forecast IMPENDING DOOM. After the rehearsal, we went for fricking amazing barbecue and Becca almost wet herself at her first taste of actual barbequed food. She was asking everyone in Katy's family for recipes, which I hope means some IMPENDING BBQ for you-know-who, wink wink.
Then we went outside to take pictures, but since we were on a bayou at sunset, the mosquitoes were rife (they followed me from the swamps of New Jersey to the swamps of the Florida panhandle). So we went back to the hotel where we and Joe's family were staying. We took some candid pictures out by the beach, where the breeze was ample enough to keep the mosquitoes away (it was rather like Aruba in that regard). Katy's two brothers hoisted her in the air, which was a really great shot. Too bad I am lousy at sharing my pictures. I do plan to get them to the bride and groom, sooner than later.
Later, we piled into Denzel (Joe's car) to pick up Katie (