Friendship is a funny thing. We all have “friends”, but I think most agree that there are varying degrees or even classifications of friendship. There is the almost obligatory “best friend” label, acquaintance, pen pal, internet friendship, casual relationship, roommate, etc, etc. When a “friend” gets married, depending on the classification this friend falls into, it typically elicits one of the following visceral reactions:
1.) Oh great, another wedding…What am I going to wear this time and what kind of gift is appropriate so I don’t get singled out as a bad gift giver.
2.) Awesome! Should be a great time. How can I show how much I care about this person and their big day?
I can say with confidence that my buddy John Plotica falls into my “best friends” category. When he first told me he had plans to propose to Raina, I asked him one question. Are you ready? He promptly said, Yes. To which I responded with a swift slap across his right cheek with the outside of my hand. A bitch slap, if you will. I asked the question again, to which he responded with an emphatic, Yes. I then chuckled and gave him a warm congratulatory hug. Actually, I may have over embellished a bit with the slap across the face. OK, OK, that part didn’t happen at all. But most of the conversation did happen, and the look in his eyes said it all. He was ready. However, I did debate with him as to “how” exactly he was going to propose to Raina. More on that in a moment. continue reading »
Our annual camping excursion was full of promise this year. Food, drink, fire and banter are always fun but we had some particularly ambitious plans for our weekend. More specifically, we wanted to construct a one of a kind outdoor hot-tub to go along with the generally frigid Vermont climate. That’s right, I said outdoor hot-tub. I know, I know…Doesn’t make much sense but it was a silly idea that quickly morphed into a technological challenge for my nerdy friends. Just to prove how serious we were about the idea, take a looks at this schematic for the hot-tub design: Click here to download This sophisticated roadmap was crafted by the brilliance of my buddy Manny Silva, who is an engineer (no surprise) by trade. Plans were in place…Excitement was in the air.
Our mood quickly changed as we battled rain through Connecticut and Massachusetts. The forecast called for rain. Rain which would hit Vermont early Saturday morning. The weather was crisp and dry when we arrived on Friday night and there was this false sense of confidence that the weather may just hold. But we all knew what was coming…We were dealt another blow when Manny arrived late Friday night. One of the first phrases out of his mouth was “I couldn’t get my generator to work”. The generator was a key component to our hot-tub design and just wouldn’t work without it. We remained positive as there was a chance we might pick up a generator locally the following day. Friday night was comprised of setting up our tents, collecting firewood and getting the campsite situated. Weather was great and the company was awesome. continue reading »
