Okay, we have to say a big thanks to Ryan, one of the greatest people in the world you will ever meet because even when we lost faith in the blog, he reminded us of what it exists and so, here is a holla to my ladiez who will flank me on the big day looking awesome and helping me stay sane (I hope). I do think I put that in their contract.... so here it goes. I apologize for the photos that also have me in them, as ladies tend to go to the restroom together, we also tend to take photos together.
So here goes:
The gorgeous lady to my left in this photo from Adios Soltera, the historic bachelorette party in Spain we took in May, is the sophisticated, gorgeous and amazing maid-of-honor Sarah Liza Hornung. In addition to knowing more than any average human being would need to know about paper and the printing process (see previous post), she has managed to put up with me since 1999 when we met in the largest dorm at our school, Thurston, 4th floor. She has helped me accept my love of shoes and beautiful things and is my favorite and most dangerous shopping buddy. She is a fantastic kitchen companion as we invent crazy new dishes and revamp tranditional dishes. Greek yogurt can replace mayo, I swear! She has made available her childhood home in Haddam, CT for "summering..." New York City summers are unbearable! She is an amazing confidante and our friendship continues to grow with each passing year. If I told you all the things we do together...dance, dine, yoga, knit, this post would be very long but needless to say, I don't know where I would be without her.
To the right of me is the ever inspiring Lisa Roche. Lisa actually began as David's friend but we eventually stopped waiting for him to make plans for us and just became really close friends. Lisa is my inspiration and hope and constantly reminds me to never give up on wanting to change this world and that life really is a journey. She seeks meaning in everything she does and we can spend hours on just one meal together. I'm hoping that in the next year I will be visiting her outside the country! I am so glad that I met her here in New York and know we will meet wherever our journies take us.
Next we have Vanessa (here with her man Mark) who is coming from the beautiful green lands of Ireland to be part of this special day. Vanessa actually introduced me to Sarah Liza and we, too, have been friends since freshman year of college. When Vanessa moved to New York it was a blessing. She introduced me to Masala Bhangra and we eventually moved in together to the very famous Hotel Ainslie. She is an amazingly talented artist and since moving to Ireland has started her own sweets business, which is totally incredible. She also introduced me to the Red Lion Inn, which has a great pour of Guinness and an amazing burger. Vanessa and I go way back and I'm so excited that she too will be celebrating her happy day next year! So congratulate her when you see her cutting up a rug at the reception. Three cheers for the Arsenal baby! I still wear my Arsenal knee socks from the fateful Halloween during the winter...
And now we go way back...all the way to 1995, when in the cafeteria of Our Lady of Lourdes High School, in the older ghetto building in the City of Poughkeepsie, one Leslie Weller asked me to join the soccer team. Awkward and a bit overweight, I reluctantly said yes and the rest is history..our history. She will always be my BUB (banged-up-buddy). We sang the entire Alainis Morisette CD Jagged Little Pill while looking at colleges and I've spent too many sleep overs at her house I can't keep track. She is funny and charming, and just, lovely. Her voice rocks the house and she and I were always the first on the dance floor. Leslie is my friend who after years of sporadic contact, when we reconnect it is as if we never skipped a beat. In the past few years we have seen each other more and I hope that trend continues because I love me a Philly cheesesteak! Onions and whiz please! All that's left for us is to do a Mardi Gras together but I dunno..I dunno if NOLA can handle it. Love you Les!
And last but certainly not least, is the very awesome soon-to-be-cousin-in-law Emily Grossman. Little did I know that David's uncle lived in the same town as me! Emily hangs out at the same mall as I did and drives on the same roads and lives walking distance from where my childhood home was. She played on the tennis team like I did and it's as if we live parallel lives. So go Po'town. This fall she is off to Hunter College and will be burning down the City with us (we hope). We're so proud of our cousin...sniff sniff.
So that's the lady crew and we rock the house so watch out men, because we don't go to parties, we make the parties :)
The gorgeous lady to my left in this photo from Adios Soltera, the historic bachelorette party in Spain we took in May, is the sophisticated, gorgeous and amazing maid-of-honor Sarah Liza Hornung. In addition to knowing more than any average human being would need to know about paper and the printing process (see previous post), she has managed to put up with me since 1999 when we met in the largest dorm at our school, Thurston, 4th floor. She has helped me accept my love of shoes and beautiful things and is my favorite and most dangerous shopping buddy. She is a fantastic kitchen companion as we invent crazy new dishes and revamp tranditional dishes. Greek yogurt can replace mayo, I swear! She has made available her childhood home in Haddam, CT for "summering..." New York City summers are unbearable! She is an amazing confidante and our friendship continues to grow with each passing year. If I told you all the things we do together...dance, dine, yoga, knit, this post would be very long but needless to say, I don't know where I would be without her.
ose miserable environs is hard to decipher, but I imagine it had something to do with his having an indomitable will and the influence of friends like me. Dylan rose through the ranks of the movie business, starting out as a lowly concession stand attendant, moving on to house management and finally into acquisitions and distribution where he resides today as an important figure among important figures. One of my most successful friends, Dylan gives me hope that living your dreams is truly possible. Some of my deepest friendships were created in Dylan's garage one fateful summer, when all we did was hang out, listen to music and enjoy being young. While our lives have surely changed dramatically since those days, I feel secure knowing that our friendship will never change
entual friendship on the horizon at that early point, Ryan was part of the gang that gathered in Dylan's garage in high school, and, over time, he came to be an incredibly important influence on many aspects of my life. I revere him for his taste in music as well as his taste in people. After that summer, Ryan joined me at FSU for my second year of college. This is where Ryan and I truly bonded, struggling to get through the minutiae of a life lived in a sleepy college town in north Florida. I escaped to New York and Ryan finished his degree. Ever since, we have lived apart but have worked at keeping our friendship as alive and fresh as it was then, with great success. Hopefully we'll find ourselves living permanently in the same town again one day…
and his love of all humanity. Andy enjoys playing guitar, teaching guitar, watching people play guitar and guitaring guitar. I'm thrilled to have such a true individual standing beside me on my day of days. When I look over at Andy, I'll think of all the wonderful times we've had in the past, from smashing his hand in the door of James Wiseman's minivan (I know it hurt but it looked wicked, like something out of a horror flick) to the time spent pulling apart a pawn shop guitar with a scalloped fretboard for no better reason than someone else had paid for it and it seemed like fun (even though the thing never worked right after that), and then I'll smile happily at the thought of all the great experiences yet to come. Why am I so blessed with such gifted and generous friends? Perhaps this is a question best left unanswered, but feel free to ponder it while imagining the sweet strums of an Andy Harrington-played guitar.
ie. It's always scary becoming part of a new family, but with Arnie, it's been easy. He's inspired me to pursue new paths and strengthened my love for the woman I will spend the rest of my life with. He is one of the most talented people I know, in his own way, and it's been a treat to see him recently take a position at Town restaurant as Sous-chef. Also, he looks a lot like Data from The Goonies.
David and I have blocked off rooms for you throughout the Poughkeepsie area. Here are the details for all of them:
