How Many Days Left???!!!!!

Take a look at the countdown timer above and you'll see the reason for the exclamation points. In fact, we're good. We're set. I'm pulling out hair in clumps, but it's a good look on me.

Last weekend we visited Rochester for final meetings, discussions, and generally buying up everything that wasn't nailed down. Here are some highlights.



I don't understand what went wrong when we visited the Little Bakery. We discussed the cake, the decorations, the delivery time, and then, no samples. See if I ever get married again.



Chi Wah! Her hair styling kung fu is very strong! Don't believe me?



To be fair, that's Ashley behind TWIL. Right before Chi Wah, her boss, gave her a prolonged, impromptu lesson. I missed most of it. I was "buying beer" for the "wedding reception." Wink, wink.

And then, what about the shower that Laurelyn's colleagues hosted for her? Here are some pictures up to the time before the stripper arrived.

Wishes for the Ceremony

When you get the most important people in your life together, the place is full of good wishes.

We are making that idea tangible in our ceremony, but we want to ask you to participate, too, if you’d like. At the wedding, we’re going to stand before a backdrop made up of small flags strung between trees. We’d like to have your wishes written on them.

Some of you have already written one or two of these.

We borrowed the idea from the Buddhist tradition of printing prayers on flags. When the wind stirs, according to the Buddhists, the wind prays the prayers. At our wedding, your wishes will wash over us as the breeze passes our flags.

We’ll also ask some of you to invoke those wishes for us during the ceremony. They’re emblematic of the way you - the community of people that loves us - uphold us with hope and friendship.

For those of you who grew up in Episcopal churches, you may also recognize a similarity between the wishes of the community and the multiple blessings pronounced as the penultimate step of holy day liturgies. This moment always stirred me. It culminates the ceremony and points the way to tomorrow. It calls on God to act, and on worshipers to appropriate the mystery they've participated in. And because the words are crafted to rise like a musical crescendo, the moment of stillness after the last blessing rings with hopefulness. That's why I wanted to emulate that moment in our ceremony.

If you choose to write a wish for our wedding backdrop...

You can email us your wishes and we’ll transcribe them.

Or,

If you’re attending the rehearsal dinner, we will have paper and pens there for you to write your wish.

Or,

If you arrive early at the ceremony, you will have an opportunity to write a wish for us there. Of course, we’ll need a little time to hang them up. (Latecomers' wishes may not all be hung on the backdrop. This is purely a practical matter, you understand, given the limits of time and space.)

We want to give everyone the opportunity to write a wish, but this is request and an offer, not requirement. We just don’t want you to be left out.

Our Enthisiasts' Guide to Rochester: Lets SHOP!

Rochester Public Market
Open weekdays from 6:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

LL says – One of the best public markets I have been to. I have been to others in Boston, Cleveland, Washington DC.. And Seattle may be the only one that could better it.

John says, “It really is a fine market. Stop and see Juan of Juan and Maria’s Empanada. Love them and their little pastry pockets.”

Parkleigh

LL says – Great store down on Park Ave. with a little bit of everything.

John says, “It is a cute store with some original merchandise and a find selection of chocolates. L. loves this place for what it is and what it was when she was younger.”

Park Ave. Shopping Information

LL says – Tree-lined streets parallel with the grand mansions on East Ave. It’s a great place to walk around after a visit to the nearby Eastman House. Shopping and food options are almost all good.

John says, “It’s the village street that’s most like our neighborhood in Somerville and the experience no planned community can quite bottle. Don’t be misled though. It’s small and the experience brief.”

The Eastview Mall

LL says – Best selection of stores in Rochester including the people who bring you the magic of crystal (okay, Swarovski, my employer).

John says, “Sure, I’ve been here, but what about
2 Vine? What about Abbotts? What about the Museum of Play!”

The Marketplace Mall

LL says – Not bad but no J.Crew. You can sub in EMS and DSW for other options available.

John says, “Museum of Play, Museum of Play, Museum of Play! Fine! I will wait in the car!”

And Rochester has its own wiki: RocWiki. See what locals say you should do, buy, and eat.

Our Enthisiasts' Guide to Rochester: Lets GO!

The Strong Museum of Play

LL says – Never been myself but I hear it is fun. They have a butterfly-shaped (architecturally) room that is filled with many varieties of live butterflies.

John says, “Makes you wonder. Exhibits of games and toys from childhood? No, that can’t be it. Please, please, please, please can we go?!!!!!!”

The Eastman House and Museum

Exhibit going on the week of the wedding - Ansel Adams: Celebration of Genius

LL says - The best photography museum I have visited. Eastman was revolutionary.

John says, “Everyone from the region visited during high school. You didn’t appreciate it and you know it. You don’t have any excuse not to go again. And you’ll see movies here that are not showing anywhere else.”

Memorial Art Gallery

LL says – MAG is the fine art museum in Rochester. Been there many times.

John says, “I have to get out of the house more.”

Rochester Museum and Science Center

LL says – The planetarium is playing a rocket film and an under the sea film that are beamed over their round theater screen the week of the wedding. Pre-Imax baby!

John says, “Pink Floyd laser light shows. No comment necessary.”

Casa Larga winery

LL says – Wine tasting anyone?

John says, “Literally, ‘house of extra large.’ I’ll pass.”

High Falls Downtown

For walking tour information for the high falls area, see: http://www.cityofrochester.gov/index.cfm?id=648

LL says – When I was a teen I climbed under a fence, into an abandoned building and down a drainage pipe and saw the falls from below. They’re nice from above too!

John says, “She’s really lived, this little woman of mine.”

Seabreeze Amusement Park

LL says - The Jack Rabbit is the third oldest operating roller coaster in the country. (It’s old school…made of wood.)

John says, “She said ‘wood’. Heh, heh, heh.”

Mount Hope Cemetery

LL says - You can take a tour or just stroll through
on your own. Mt. Hope Cemetery is one of the most remarkable Victorian cemeteries in America.

John says, “Also here. Another place I haven’t been. I can wait. I feel pretty good; recovering nicely. Getting better all the time.”

Seneca Park Zoo

LL says – Lions, tigers and bears, oh my!

John says, “Oh dear.”

The Little Theater

LL says – Only independent Movie theater in Rochester. They serve brownies and pastries that can you can bring into the theater.

John says, “See a movie and help keep this kind of operation open. ‘You don’t know what you got ‘til it’s gone…’.”

Our Enthusiast's Guide to Rochester: Let's EAT

This is the first in a series of things to do, see, and eat in Rochester. TWIL is the enthusiast. I am the arriviste (read "jaded"). You be the judge.

Best “ice cream”: Abbots Frozen Custard – Chocolate almond frozen custard is the crowd favorite.

TWIL says, "Creamy, yummy, better than ice cream."

John says, “Why haven’t I been there?”

Best original burger: Don’s Original. The fries and dogs are delicious, too.

TWIL says, "The fries are greasy and salty and perfect. The charred Zweigle’s dogs couldn’t be better."

John says, “Reminds me of the first fast food burger I had in Auburn at Carrol’s Drive In. But better.”

Lunch on Park Ave: Hogan’s Hideaway (next to Parkleigh)

TWIL says, "Soup and salad in a crunchy atmosphere."

John says, “Do your imitation of Col. Klink. They love that.”

Best Pizza: Pontillo’s

TWIL says, "What can I say... I love it. They do something with the cheese…"

John say, “…Unspeakable things. Yeah, it’s good, traditional pizza, but I don’t know what the hubbub is about.”

Best Pancakes: Perkin’s. Like an IHOP, but better.

TWIL says, "Been eating these since I was a tyke…Ahhh, the silver dollars."

John says, “Breakfast? You have to be awake for that, don’t you?”

Best Italian: Veneto Wood Fired Pizza & Pasta (318 East Avenue, Rochester, NY 14604, 585- 454-5444)

TWIL says, "This is one of my bro’s favorites. You get atmosphere but the cheese is nothing like Pontillo’s."

John says, “Now this is some good pizza. She doesn’t know flavor. Cheese maybe, but flavor?”

Best Bakery: The Little Bakery

LL says, "The cake is great and even I like the frosting."

John says, “All their baked goods are above average, but it was the buttercream frosting that sold me on their wedding cake.”

Best Elegant Restaurant: 2 Vine Restaurant. A mix of delicious foods - gourmet, fresh ingredients.

LL says, "Very nice, almost like we’re in Boston."

John says, “I notice that we haven’t been here either. I suspect there’s an old flame still burning in the kitchen.”

Best Grocery Store: Wegman’s

LL says, "There’s no place like Weggies… There’s no place like Weggies… There’s no place like Weggies! This is what I miss most from Rochester…well, my family then Wegman’s, I guess. Everything about it is delicious. The bread, the “Swiss chocolate chunk” cookies…I am speechless."

John says, “Please. If it weren’t for Wegman's people would not leave their homes all winter. It is a great grocery store. But I repeat, a grocery store.”

Best BBQ: Dinosaur BBQ

LL says, "Not quite Blue Ribbon, our local fave, but the best in upstate."

John says, “Ditto. But as my friend Tim correctly says, 'It isn't a meal if it doesn't squeal.'”

Best Steak Place: Scotch and Sirloin

LL says, "A Danielson favorite. Wear stretchy pants!"

John says, “You might as well. Everyone else does.”

Next time...Fun (close by), edifying (if not the Grand European Tour), and big (keep your expectations in check) things to do.

Play it as it lays

No, not that kind of golf.

For those of you who signed up, you can look forward to 18 holes in Walworth at Greystone Golf Club (click the title of this post to see the course site).

I salute you, but hold fast to the opinion that golf is a good walk spoiled.

According to the club's site, this is a Scottish style course, brought to you by the people who's national celebratory meal is a stuffed sheep stomach. Expect to be tormented by the pot bunkers and other hazards - blue-faced, kilted greenskeepers springing out of sandtraps and rushing at you with niblicks swinging to preserve the pride of William Wallace.

In fact, the course looks like this.