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SAY WHAAAAAT??!?

It can't be true!!
I'm pretty sure that Devo said that the universe would implode if he ever got married!!!

Well folks it's true...
Throughout many hard days and long nights, good times and rough spots, stress, anguish, sadness, laughter, smiles, and fun, we have managed to live and love together for more than a year now without the evils of distrust, jealousy, anger, bitterness, or discord. We're not sure how it happened, or why... call it fate, or God, or the Flying Spaghetti Monster's grand plan if you believe in such things... the point is, that it works, and it's fabulous!... We watch other couples around us; married, engaged, or just 'going out', and wonder why we have it so good... we tend not to worry about the small stuff, and attack the big stuff with careful planning from Mere, and a hefty helping of logic from myself. The key is always to look at the big picture in life... not what will 'get us by', but what will make both of us happy in the long term. We know that it doesn't matter that I may have to watch a 'chick flick' once in a while, or that Mere may have to endure hours of staring at me sitting here mumbling curses in a computerized trance while I fix someone's computer. There are always going to be differences between our likes and dislikes... that's what makes us individuals. But we know that when all is said and done, we always have each other to turn to, to curl up with on the couch during a thunderstorm, laugh cry, and be silly with, to enjoy a nice cup of coffee on a frosty morning with, but most of all, to love and support one another always.

As we began planning for this momentous occasion, we had the opportunity to reflect upon the vast array of weddings that we have been to, and been a part of, during the past year. The conclusion we came to was this: Nobody ever enjoys themselves at someone else's wedding, but the reception party afterwards is a pretty good time. Far too often, the meaning of a wedding tends to be lost in an avalanche of trivial 'stuff', and almost always turns out to be something that is almost, but not quite, exactly unlike what the couple wanted in the first place. Too much attention paid to flowers and cakes, gifts and trinkets, pomp and circumstance, and clothes you'll only wear once. An hour can seem like a lifetime as you sit in your uncomfortable suit, in a strange church or hall, with a bunch of strangers you've never met, trying to key in on the person sitting next to you for a clue about what you're supposed to do next, only to discover that they are doing the same...

People get married for all sorts of reasons... to better provide for their future or children, for social recognition, for social acceptance, even for monetary reasons, but most often they marry because they love each other. The marriage is a public statement of that love to the world. Where, when, and how it is done is relatively unimpotrant, and should be based on the desires of the couple getting married in the first place. For most loving couples that choose to get married, it is really just a formality... call it social recognition if you will. The actual 'marriage' has happend long before that point. For Mere and I, marriage is not a piece of paper that says so. It is the state of loving one another and wanting to spend the remainder of our lives together, to laugh, cry, live, and eventually grow old with each other. It is a promise to do all of these things and more for each other, every day of our lives, regardless of outside influences. For us, it is a promise that we have made to each other silently for a long time, which became an unbreakable bond as we uttered it aloud several months ago.

To that end, on Friday, August 25th, 2006, we will be married before our parents in a private ceremony. Our friends and family are cordially invited to attend one or both of our receptions to celebrate with us:

August 26 th, 2006: Pirate Party Reception
Macomb Park, Schuyler Falls, NY
3:00pm – 10:00pm

October 7 th, 2006: Finger Lakes Reception
Isaac Walton League, Branchport, NY
1pm – ?? pm