Winnipeg Wedding

I was in Winnipeg Jan 4th through the 8th. It was a pretty good time, but rushed and frantic. Part of this was due to having my flight bumped from 7 PM on Wed. to 6 AM on Thursday. Trust Travelocity to change a flight schedule without sending out an e-mail notification. Luckily I called to double check my departure status before heading to the airport that evening.

I went to Canada for a wedding, and skipped Christmas because of that. I explained to my family that Christmas comes every year and weddings, at least in theory, happen once in a lifetime. That is, unless you're Liz Taylor and hold them regularly. The biggest part of the hectic-ness of the trip was trying to cram in the family and friend visits around the wedding, and all within four and a half days. I managed it, but not without frustration.

The wedding was pretty good, but not without it's flaws. The ceremony was held in the main hall at the swanky downtown Winnipeg Art Gallery (pictured). It was a great venue for the event, after which we moved up to the penthouse level for the reception. The atmosphere over dinner was relaxed, the food was delicious, and I caught up with an old friend as well as met some other nice, new people. We then moved to another room for the more active festivities.

I would have thought the gallery had hosted lots of weddings before, and I’m sure this was the case, but they seemed fairly unseasoned at it. Specifically, when the DJ started playing Billy Holiday's "Strange Fruit" during the reception, we knew something was dreadfully wrong. The groom remedied that quickly, though, and people were shakin' it on the dance floor in no time.

I also had to care for a friend of mine who went a little over the top with the alcohol consumption. In a follow up e-mail to me the next day, she referred to herself as a “basket case”. I wouldn’t quite go that far, but to say that she was inebriated would be an understatement (and who could blame her – it was a wedding!). I saw her off safely in a cab before partying the rest of the night away without incident with the bride, groom, and their many friends and family. I made it home in the late hours of morning, and slept until early afternoon.

Overall, I was happy to see my good friend tied the knot with this guy. She and I have been friends for about 14 years now, and although I’ve never had a chance to get to know him so well (they started seeing each other just before I left Canada), I can tell they’re great for each other.

The rest of my trip I spent meeting up with many friends I had during university and high school, as well as relatives. Some of the people I saw I hadn't caught up with in years.

I had brunch with my family on the Saturday. Seeing the family always reminds me how much I regret not being able visit my nephews more than once a year… a definite downside to living so far away. The other downside was something new this trip, and that was seeing how much my mother’s health has deteriorated substantially over the past year. She was almost a different person, and that left me feeling helpless and mildly depressed, like there was something I should be doing to make her better, but I didn’t know what. It’s tough to watch someone’s health decline and realize that it’s out of your hands.

On the issue of health, I noticed a few friends and relatives have also put on a couple of pounds, which I guess is easy to do if you're not actively running marathons or anything. One friend has kept in shape by doing Jujutsu, although I think this also serves as an effective dual purpose of keeping her two kids in line. Two of my friends - a couple that I didn't get to see last year - had dropped a LOT of weight, and were looking healthier and happier than I had seen them in a long time. How? "A healthy diet and exercise", they said. I was very happy for their new, healthy lifestyle, which included eliminating a surplus of junk food and joining a soccer league. I’m sure we all know and can appreciate how important and difficult it is to keep that extra weight off when you’re on that slide towards the big four-oh.

I also did lunch with my best friend while I was there. He and I have been friends since grade seven. It always amazes me how, even after years living apart, and very different lifestyles, we always come back to each other with perspectives on the world that are interesting, enlightening, and respectful of each other’s differences.

Finally, I did breakfast with my parents on the Monday morning, and they drove me to the airport that afternoon. It was a good, albeit exhausting trip.