Better Together
Joshua and I are officially Mr. and Mrs.!!! Our wedding on October 25th couldn’t have been more perfect.
That morning, I hopped out of bed like it was Christmas. I went to the kitchen to make some coffee for my non-morning-person sister who will still grumbling in bed. But when I hit the brew button on my coffee machine nothing happened. I hit it several more times, checked the position of the coffee pot, the filter and the water before deciding it had died. This was going to be a long day, and I wasn’t going through it without my caffeine, so I threw on a jacket and went to Chick-fill-a.
Returning triumphant with two cups of coffee, I woke up my sister, and we started getting ready. After throwing all my stuff in the car, and making a quick stop by the mall to pick up some important accessories, we were off to the Visual Arts Center. Hurray!
The Festival of Nations had Harrison Avenue blocked off from 6th Street. We had been warned that the festival would be going on at the same time as the wedding, so I was prepared to walk a good ways. Fortunately, Rona and I were able to find a decent parking spot. It was a good thing we had eaten lunch before going to the VAC because as soon as we stepped out of the car we were assaulted with the aroma of food from different countries, mostly Asian. Mmmm, Chinese food. Some members of the wedding party couldn’t resist the temptation and walked over to grab some food before pictures.
Rona and I dashed up the stairs to a classroom where my mom was still putting together floral arrangements. I swear my mom should quit her nurse job and just be a florist. She’s absolutely amazing. All day people kept asking me who did the flowers. They were shocked to find out my mom had done all the work, mostly by herself.
My mom hadn’t been in the room when my sister was getting ready for her wedding last year. It only made sense to get ready in the classroom, so she could be a part of the whole process this time. Mary Nail, aka Mary Murder, was kind enough to do my hair and makeup. I told her I wanted to look like a 1940s movie star. I think she nailed it, no pun intended.
There were a few minor inconveniences that day. Due to some miscommunication, the dance floor was late, and my bridesmaid Meg hadn’t been able to find any orange accessories. I had told the ladies to get a black cocktail dress and something orange. Johanna found a necklace and earrings, Rona had a sash, but Meg was unsuccessful in her search. I told her she could use a flower I had originally bought to wear in my hair, but we couldn’t make it work for her. In the end, all the girls decided to wear Gerber daisies in their hair. The end effect was cute and whimsical, perfectly fitting with the fall festival theme, or as Meg put it, my not-Halloween-themed wedding.
Since the wedding was in the late afternoon and the lightning in the VAC was a tad dark, our photographer, Desiree Gardner, said it would be best to knock out the majority of the photos before the ceremony. Joshua, his groomsmen, my bride’s maids, our parents, siblings and I all walked down a side street where the Old Towne Antique Mall is located. It was a little warm and the sun was in our eyes, but it was worth it to nab some fantastic photos. Of course, my baby sister, Abby, was a challenge. During Rona’s wedding, Abby decided to go for a dramatic look. In other words, she didn’t smile in a single photo. Desiree and I took Abby aside to loosen her up by making silly faces. The plan worked perfectly! I have photos of all of us actually smiling.
The day had gone fairly smooth. I wasn’t nervous at all, that is, until the music started playing and it was time to walk down the aisle. I suppose I wasn’t nervous, as much as I was anxious to get down to Joshua. As the bride’s maids started walking down, I kept telling myself I wasn’t going to cry, but them the song I had chosen to walk down to, “All You Need is Love,” began playing and I started choking up. One of the managers for the VAC was standing next to me and saw the tears starting to well up in my eyes.
“Don’t cry,” she told me. “Just smile.”
Easier said than done. I latched onto my dad’s arm and tried to suck it up as we started down the aisle, but then I saw how many people were there and I started tearing up again. The derby girls, past and present, were there. Tuquyen, Jessica Foster, Jessi Chapin, Bree, Megan, Amy and Taylor were there. Family members and a bunch of friends had also made it. I was a little shocked. I really hadn’t expected so many people to be there for Joshua and me.
Finally, Dad and I made it down the aisle. There are a series of pictures from Desiree where I look very serious. That was me trying desperately not to start sobbing.
My pastor, Scarlett Harrington, officiated the wedding. It really meant a lot for her to marry us because I’ve known her since I was a little Eenie. Joshua and I had decided to mix the traditional vows with our own. Josh had really stressed out over them. He kept saying he didn’t know what to write. In the end, he wrote something inspired by the first Hellboy movie. He said he could promise me two things: one, he would always look this good, and two, he would always love me.
My vows reflected something we used to say when we first started dating. We would say I love you forever, or at least until next Tuesday. I have now promised to love him for a forever of Tuesdays.
When Pastor Scarlett pronounced us man and wife I wanted to explode. It was official! I’m a Van Lierop-Edenfield. Did you really think I would drop such an awesome last name?
The rest of the night was spent dancing and eating and a little drinking. Joshua’s friend and groomsman, Zach, made me tear up again when he toasted us. He recited part of the Bouncing Soul’s song “True Believers.”
We live our life in our own way,
Never really listened to what they say,
The kind of faith that doesn’t fade away.
We are the true believers.
Still not sure why that made me cry, but it did.
There was much dancing that night. Jessi and her friend Heather Clements swing danced to the first song, “White Wedding” by Billy Idol. It isn’t a punk rock wedding till White Wedding plays. My new mother-in-law and I danced together. Tuquyen had her police scanner to her ear while dancing, so we said she was doing the scanner dance. “Thriller” came on and of course, everyone was doing their best Michael Jackson impression.
All in all, it was a wonderful night. Joshua and I couldn’t have hoped for a more perfect wedding, and we’re glad so many of our friends and family were there to share it with us.
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28 Days
Saturday marked 28 days left till my wedding. How did I spend it? Skating in two roller derby bouts, promoting my station and impressing bikers. That’s what Eenie Meanie does on weekends.
This weekend Thunder Beach brought bikers rumbling into Panama City Beach. The Panama City Roller Girls had made an agreement with the lovely people at Rockit Lanes in the Edgewater Shopping Plaza to put on several demonstrations during the weekend. We had an open practice Thursday night, a bout Friday night and two bouts Saturday. Well, technically, we had 1 1/4 bouts Saturday. I’ll explain.
I wasn’t there Thursday or Friday because I had to work, but I was able to skate in the Saturday games. Since this would be my last chance to really skate till after my wedding, I wanted to participate as much as possible.
The first game was at 3 p.m. Girls from the Beach Brawl Sk8r Dolls and Birmingham teams came to skate with us. We split into two teams: Devils with Blue Dresses and Blood Bath and Beyond (quite possibly the best name for a team EVER!!!). I was on Blood Bath and Beyond.
Since we were essentially reintroducing roller derby to a bunch of bikers with short attention spans, the team decided to reduce our games from three 20 minute periods to three 15 minute periods.
Coach Dangerous Dan was in charge of BB&B. He decided we should play just for fun. PCRD has a bout against Jacksonville next weekend, so none of us really wanted to kill ourselves. Dixie Thrash from Birmingham (Tragic City Roller Girls) was out with a knee injury, so she coached Devils with Blue Dresses. Dixie is a consummate competitor. That girl knows how to have fun, but she also knows how to win. There’s no taking it easy in a game for Dixie. She organized the girls on her team, created line-ups, gave girls pointers on who to target, she was going to rock our world.
During the first game, Phoenix Rising hurt her ankle and knee on the same leg. Ima Biter rushed in off the center of the track to her derby wife’s side. Phoenix was in no condition to skate for a while, so Ima put on her jersey and skated a few jams until Phoenix rose (yes, this was meant to be funny) off the bench.
Roxie Ramjett from Tragic City threw out her shoulder as well. Like a true derby girl, she stayed to cheer us on for the rest of the night.
DBD ended up slaying us by almost 50 points, but BB&B was determined to bring it back that night.
After the first game, all the girls went back to the dressing room to scarf down some snacks and water and rest up for the next game. The roller girls from Greater Jacksonville showed up to skate with us in the evening game. I had never met any of them before, but they seemed cool enough. Spade even fixed on of my skates that had been giving me trouble.
Two hours before the next game was to start, a bunch of the girls went out into the parking lot to pass out flyers. We met some cool people, some not-so cool people and some scantily-clad people. One group of bikers wanted to take a picture with me, Slam Duncan and Crime Scene. The woman who was taking our picture asked, “So how old are you girls?” We exchanged confused glances then admitted we are 27, 32 and 43. She was shocked.
There was a great deal of excitement over the last game of the night. Both teams came out strong. Phoenix gave the crowd a sample of her legendary hard hits. Time after time she sent the opposing jammer into the benches. You would think after the first time, they would have learned to pass her on the inside instead of the outside.
Slammy jammed for DBD several times that night. Once, when she was coming through the pack, Spade from Greater Jacksonviller Roller Derby was the last girl from BB&B to pass. Spade was coming in for a hit when Slammy jumped back at the last minute. Spade was knocked a little off balance, but mostly she was just miffed that she missed Slammy. She came off the track asking me if I had seen it happen. I just shrugged my shoulders and told her that Slammy does that sometimes.
Everyone was having a great time, despite a few injuries. At one point, Dropkick Murphy skated off the track after a jam, and in a quiet voice said, “Um, my leg is bleeding.” We turned around to see, not a little scratch, but a gash bubbling blood down her leg. It seemed as if the entire team rushed over with first aid kits, wipes and paper towels. I think Murphy was a little embarrassed to have so many fussing over her, but she’s one of our best skaters. We were concerned.
The game ended on an anti-climactic note when Lucy Lunatic from Jacksonville thought she had broken her nose. All the girls from Jacksonville left before the bout was over, so we had to call an end to the evening’s festivities.
The girls from Birmingham and Okaloosa/Ft. Walton stuck around for a few drinks and to watch a recap of the last game. Even if it ended oddly, it was a fun way to spend my last day on skates before October 25th.
Also, I would like to take this opportunity to issue a challenge. Stephen Gunter told me he would come to one of the games to show some support for his favorite derby queens and never showed. So I am challenging the News 13 Sports Department to a tag-team race against me and one of my girls. Do you guys accept?
Update:
Stephen Gunter and Chris Marchand have accepted my challenge. Slam Duncan and I will beat them sometime after high school football season ends. It’ll give Stephen a chance to learn how to skate.
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Nice Day for a Fit Wedding
With two months left till the wedding, I’ve been busting my booty to get in shape. I’m not stressed about shedding pounds or getting unbelievable abs. I just want to look good.
I bought a book called Bridal Bootcamp by Cynthia Conde. It’s amazing! It gives you a great plan for food and daily workouts. It even splits the workouts into gym and home sessions. I do not have a gym membership, so I’ve been doing everything at my house. So far so good. I can’t really tell if I’m losing weight, but I feel better.
My roller derby coach has been helping, too. Coach Dan has been running us through these crazy drills: skating from one end of the rink to the other, squats, crunches, pushups, something called the board. It’s painful, but it’s roller derby. I’m used to a little discomfort. I know the point is to increase our endurance, but let me tell you, it’s also increasing my self confidence. Now I can’t wait to slip into that white dress on October 25th.
A few weekends ago, I went to visit family in Blountstown. Several people told me I looked skinny; not good, not toned, skinny. It was weird. I guess everything’s coming together. Hurray!
P.S. This isn’t me.
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About Me
I'm a fourth generation Floridian. I have degrees from Chipola Junior College (when it was still a junior college) and the University of West Florida. When I was at UWF, I lived off of exit 13. Back in Panama City, I began working at News 13 on November 13th, 2006. Thirteen has proved to be my lucky number. Last year, I joined the Panama City Roller Derby League. When I'm not providing the Panhandle with the latest news, I'm tearing up the track with over 20 other roller girls, two of which are also News 13 employees. I'm sure I drive everyone at work insane with all my talk of derby. But hey, that's how I roll.
Recent Entries:
- I’m Going to Read Like Its 2009
- Our First Christmas
- New Traditions and New Paint
- Better Together
- 28 Days
- Nice Day for a Fit Wedding
- Seek and Ye Shall Find
- Do Not Panic! Or at Least Panic in your Predesignated Subgroups!
- This is my Cat Post
- Help Me Get Married!!!
- Star Search
- Zen and the Art of Wedding Planning
- Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori
- Here’s to Health and Lots of Tea
- Ch-ch-ch-changes
Other News13 Blogs:
- The Casual Historian - Larche Hardy
- Derby Girl - Enocha Van Lierop
- The Newby - Jessi Chapin
- Gainesville, Georgia's All American Girl - Tuquyen Mach
