VAYQUISHON, Y'ALL.

After hundreds of performances, whether on or off-stage, the time had finally come for a vacation.  I packed my bags, waved goodbye to my coworkers in Kansas City, and boarded the longest possible flight to New York ever.  I took the company bus to the airport at 9:30am, even though my flight wasn't until 3pm.  I figured it made sense to take a free ride since the airport was more than a half-hour from the hotel.  The Starbucks sandwiches were surrounded by flies (one even had a deceased fly under the wrapper), so I walked down to some mini-market to buy a hummus sandwich for the flight.  We flew to Tampa, paused to change some passengers, then flew to Islip - so the flight was going to be over seven hours long.  Dinner was necessary.

On board, I thankfully had a lovely set of airline attendants with senses of humor.  It helped keep my sanity from slipping through my fingers.  Normally, I don't have trouble with travel days; even if we have a transfer, I keep my cool and pass the time by napping or reading.  I couldn't seem to get a groove on this flight, though... I was completely anxious, and I felt like the day would never end.  When we landed in Tampa, I unwrapped my hummus sandwich only to find that it had NO HUMMUS.  I'm sure you can see where this is going.  Bad day.  Crappy travel.  This vacation better be awesome.

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I had a number of errands to run before the big wedding weekend in Montauk.  I needed hairspray.  I needed a paddle mirror.  I needed hot rollers:

I didn't realize how much I needed my belated birthday present from mom and dad!

A speaker that connects through bluetooth and has ridiculous sound quality?  Travel size?  This is perfection.

Also perfection: my city trip with Momma Huston!  I needed to practice my wedding hairdo, and we were hoping to see a couple of shows while using the rest of Mom's BRGuest Bucks.  (That's right.)

Lo and behold, the first of my good karma events: I won the lottery for NEWSIES!!!  Thank you universe!

After winning our tickets, we walked over to Naturalizer to see if they had the shoes I'd been looking at online for weeks.  Not only were they in stock, they had a pair in my size.  Bought em, and wore em right out the door.

Next, we headed over to Ruby Foo's for sushi and socializing.  I got to see a bunch of my old friends, including my brother, Ndaga!

Mom posed with the "cutlery:"

And we devoured our lunch.  Sushi, man... so good:

Back on 41st street, we  quickly found our seats and waited for the show to begin.  NEWSIES was joyful - full of glorious singing and outrageous dancing.  Those kids are giving you 110% at every show, and they are being led by a beast of a performer.  Jeremy is a rockstar.  Go see this show.

Afterward, the line outside the stage door was madness.  Luckily, Brendon had already left and headed to a local eatery so I got to congratulate him there.

After the show, Mom and I headed to Starbucks to kill time while we waited to hear if we'd be able to see Prospect Theatre Company's new show, NYMPH ERRANT.   As we received the good news that we'd be placed in the front row at 7:30pm, three different people that I know from three completely separate walks of life all walked into the Starbucks on 43rd and 9th.  Jen Cooperman (old friend extraordinaire), Peter Dagger (Syracuse Grad), and Krystle Armstrong (Meg to my Jo in Seattle some years ago).  Here's Krystle holding the business card for her business venture, Cardio Tap Class:

If you need to work on those buns, you better call this girl.  She will kick your ass.

We headed over to Playwrights Horizons to see NYMPH ERRANT, which happened to be starring a handful of people I know (plus a few gents in the band).  The show was adorable.  The perfect summer outing.  I highly recommend it, especially if you're a fan of Cole Porter!

After saying our hellos and goodbyes in quick succession, it was time to leave the Big Apple and head back to Long Island:

I didn't get to see nearly as many people as I'd hoped:

And taking my hair down was hilarious:

But the next day held so much promise!  We were getting up early to visit some old friends at USDAN center for the Arts -  a summer camp I attended for three years.  I stopped in at the repertory theatre to say hello to Tom Wallace and Annie Pasqua (below), and I had a little Q&A with the campers about what its like to be on tour and to be an actor in New York.  I still feel a little strange answering questions and talking about my life as though I know a thing or two -  I feel like I'm new to the game and my advice is to be taken with a grain of salt.  Then I step back and think about how I would have felt at fourteen years old, dreaming and scheming of being a professional actor, and having the opportunity to talk with someone who was quite literally living my dreams.  I would have been totally jazzed.

Here I am with Annie, my dear friend:

And MISTER INCORVAIA!!  My high school drama/english teacher who was basically kickass in every possible way.

As I've said before, I have no idea who reads this blog, but if any of you attended Huntington HS during Mr. Incorvaia's reign, you know he was fantastic.  We did classic shows, studied awesome books, and he kept us on our toes.  Its been wonderful catching up with him over the years, and this time was no different.

After camp, Mom and I finished our errands and met up with Daddy and Tim for dinner at the new La Piazza on route 110.  Tim is one of my favorite people on this longish island I call home, especially when he's in seersucker pants ordering fried zucchini for the table:

There are images of us looking for Patti LuPone in the hedge bushes somewhere.  Seriously, that's how we roll.

After dinner, I had a mad rush to meet Ivy at Timmy's Tattoo in downtown Huntington.  Luckily, Jesse was still working on the lettering for Ivy's latest, so I wasn't too late.  I was hoping she'd get a professor owl:

But she went with her original idea.  Here's some action shots:

And the finished product:

We walked (well, I walked and Ivy gimped a little) over to get Italian Ices, and Ivy informed me that she'd succeeded in getting a teaching position!  Someone buy that girl something nice, she deserves it.
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At last, it was time to pop in the car and make the arduous drive out to Montauk for Jess and Don's wedding.  For those who've never had the pleasure: driving to the end of Long Island is wonderful while you're on the highways, but once you turn onto that single-lane stretch that goes from Southhampton all the way through, you might as well put the car in park.  Miles and miles of cars stretched out and waiting for someone to move an inch.  Its torture.  I ended up being late to the rehearsal dinner.

Along the way I snapped a picture of the Memory Motel - famous for the Rolling Stone's 1976 song, I stayed there as a sophomore in High School when I was invited to after-Prom with all my senior friends.  It was a fun weekend, but I'd probably never stay there again.  Yeesh.

I picked up my date, the incomparable Mick Bleyer, at the Montauk train station, and we rushed to the hotel to change and run to the rehearsal dinner.  The bride and groom not withstanding, I think we were the best dressed.  I mean, come ON.  A seersucker suit with shorts?  That's an epic win.

I call this picture, "AMURICA."

This is what really good friends look like:

On the menu, our options included a lobster roll, a burger, and a "stripped" bass:

Mick demonstrates the plating:

Cheryl, one of the other bridesmaids (and now one of my favorite people on the planet), enjoyed the ribs option:

While Mick and I enjoyed ourselves:

After dinner, Jess's parents arranged a champagne gathering at their condo on the beach.  Mick and Mike helped Cheryl and I pick up the pastries and fruit platters.  They really are superheroes:

Calvin Klein-ing for my mother:

View from the deck of the condo:

Well, we helped open it, we might as well help finish it!

Neighboring condos.  Oddly shaped:

Non-drinker that I am, I filled my water with fruit so I could feel a part of the celebration.  Upon seeing this, every other woman at the party started adding berries to her beverage.  Trendy:

Note Cheryl's berry addition:

Also at the party was my high school sweetheart and long-time friend, Henry:

Its always a treat to see him and his family.  Reminds me of being young and slightly more carefree.

As it grew dark, a few of us decided to kick off our shoes and walk in the sand.  Have a look:

I really only enjoy the ocean at night.  No pesky UV rays attacking me.

Jump shots don't work in the dark:

I love, love, love this:

Mick chatting with Jess's brother, Dan:

Lovebirds, Mike and Cheryl:

Walking back to our car, we couldn't help noticing the name of the local bar:

Really?  I mean, really?
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The big day had arrived, and I had been forewarned:

Cheryl and I showered, piled our bags into the car, and headed for Gurney's Inn and the Bridal Suite for the remainder of the morning.  I had plans to do my own hair and makeup, and I was worried about the humidity I'd be dealing with.

Photographers came and took shots of us all in our new, plush robes (our gifts from Jess), and then we all started getting dressed and primed for the big event:

I loved how Jess's dress was mirrored slightly by her mother's:

Love this:

Wedding ladies' shoes:

Cheryl and I got a little silly with my camera:

Here's a shot of my full outfit.  Many thanks to all the people who helped make this come together!

Another gorgeous shot of Jess.  Note the lariat necklace dangling between her shoulder blades:

Cheryl didn't realize I was shooting:

Maid of Honor, Jen, with bridesmaid, Kate:

More fun with Cheryl:

Seriously, I love this person:

While I was busy in the bridal suite, Mick was out on the beach with my camera documenting as much as he could.  Jess and Don provided flip flops for their guests in the sand:

Gurney's dressed up the runner with beach grass:

I like to call this photo, "Noni's Affair:"

The band setting up:

Bride's eye view:

We begin!

Dan had double duty, escorting his mother as well as a bridesmaid.  Look how lovely Mrs. Buettner is:

Here comes Don and his parents:

Mike took advantage of the free flip flops:

Cheryl:

Me, looking a little austere:

Kate and Dan:

Best Man and Maid of Honor:

A great shot of all the bridesmaids together.  It took a long time, but the dresses finally came together!  I'm so glad I found mine in Houston when I did:

Technically, I'm supposed to be next to Cheryl.  When we got to the platform, it was two feet shorter than we'd expected it to be.  The priest looked at me and said, "You need to step off."  I looked at Cheryl, who had stepped down and was now trying to balance as her three-and-a-half-inch pumps began filling with sand, and said, "Not a f*cking chance."  Luckily for me, Kate was wearing wedges, and she quickly sidestepped next to Cheryl and off the platform.  Yes, I'm a priss.  Yes, I know it.  But have you seen the shoes I was wearing?  I would have fallen over, PLUS I had to give a speech later in the ceremony.  What was I supposed to do?  Take off my shoes while Jess walked down the aisle?  I don't think so, champ.

It all worked out in the end.  Many thanks to Kate for being a straightup badass.

Here we have the ring bearer:

Watching the processional:

Flower girls:

And finally, the lady of the hour:

Stunning:

 Proud parents:

A good shot of the back of Jess's gown:

It was an emotional day.  It was also very hot and sunny.  All of these things lead to wiping my eyes:

How adorable were these parasols?

Wedding party, complete:

Groomsmen:

Mick:

Mick trying to survive the stifling heat:

Giving a reading for my lovely friends:

Here's what I read:

"It is said by the philosopher, Aristophanes, that:

Once upon a time, people were not born separate from each other; they were born entwined, kinda coupled with each other in a wonderfully intimate ball with eight limbs; four on top and four on the bottom. You didn't have to walk if you didn't want to. You could roll. And roll we did! We rolled backwards and we rolled forwards achieving fantastic speeds that gave us a kind of courage. That courage swelled to pride. The pride became arrogance. Then we decided we were greater than the gods. We tried to roll up to heaven and take over. 

The Gods, alarmed struck back. Zeus in his fury hurled down lightning bolts striking everyone into perfect halves. So all of a sudden, couples who had been warm, and tight, and wedged together, were now detached, and alone, and lost, losing the will to live. The gods, seeing what they had done, worried that humans might not survive. After all, they needed humans to give sacrifices and pay attention to them. So they decided on a few repairs. Instead of heads facing backwards they would rotate our heads to face forwards. They pulled our skin taught and knotted right here atthe belly button.  And most important, they left a memory. It was a longing for that original other half of ourselves who used to make us whole. That longing is still so deep in all of us that it has been the lot of humans ever since to travel the world looking for our other half. When one of us meets the other, we recognize each other right away. We are lost in an amazement of love, friendship, and intimacy. We won't get out of each other's sight, even for a moment. These are people who pass their whole lives together , and yet, even if you asked them they could not explain what it is they desire of each other. They Just Do."

Coming up to the big finish!!

Hooray!!!!

Yes, you better get in there for a second smooch!

Love the veil in the ocean breeze:

Since I'd been such a tool, I offered a hand to my ladies sinking off the platform:

After we made our exit, we waited on the beach for the guests to leave before taking formal pictures.  Once those were completed, I met Mick, Mike, and Henry at the cocktail hour:

She's a thief:

Posing to send a quick picture to Momma Huston:

Cheryl and Mike:

Everything was fine and dandy at first:

But things cooled down as Mike turned his full attention to the lovely Cheryl:

Can't decide which shot I like better!

Ah, well.  Who dares stand in the way of true love?

Next up, bridal party entrances and the reception!  Here's a few shots of the room:

Here we come!  Starting with Jess's parents:

Then Don's:

Then the Bridal Party:

Entering in reverse:

These girls were so sweet and adorable.  This photograph screams  "Redrum."  Its unfortunate.

There they are!

Couple's first dance:

Dancing with the parents:

Jess's father gave a terrific speech:

Apparently Don has a thing for Apple Jacks.  Can't say that I blame him:

Mike and Don:

My seatmate, Al.  We look pretty MAD MEN in this shot:

The Pining Shot:

The eight-piece indie rock band:

Let the wild rumpus start!

After the wedding, I grabbed my stuff from the bridal suite, threw on a pair of shorts, and headed for the beach and the after-party bonfire:

We stayed there for hours, walking on the beach, singing while Calvin played the guitar... when we were kicked off the beach, Mick and I continued our adventures by taking over the grand piano in the bar area and playing as many showtunes as I could remember from freshman piano class.  At the end of it all, this picture happened (and I am so glad it did):

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It was a beautiful wedding that lasted until well after 1am.  Which is why we looked like THIS getting up for a 10am brunch at the Buettner condo:

Others arrived in festive spirits.  And staches:

I was sad the weekend was ending, but so happy to have spent time with such wonderful people:

Drinks, put together by Mick and yours truly:

And by that, I mean I popped open the champagne and poured in the juice:

The spread (amazing quiche):

The company:

The beautiful vaulted ceiling:

Jess, the newly married woman:

Decor on the door:

I'm sad the week is over.  It was a tease to spend such a short amount of time with some of my favorite people, but at least I know I'll be home in September for an extended catch-up session.  So long, Montauk and all other parts of New York!  

On to Washington DC!