Good people

My good buddy Case tied the knot a couple weekends ago in Lincoln. As I was leaving Iowa City for Lincoln Friday afternoon, I received a call from Case...

C: "Hey Derek, how's it going?"
D: "Great, I just hit the road."
C: "Be an usher in my wedding."
D: "OK....uh....do I need a tux or something?"
C: "A black suit, white shirt. We will have a tie for you."
D: "OK, I'll turn around a go back to get my suit."
C: "Great, see you soon."

Turns out that one of Case's ushers' wife was expecting to have a baby the weekend of the wedding, and he couldn't make it. So I was honored to fill the role. Fortunately I was only about 10 minutes outside of Iowa City, and was able to turn around and get the suit.

The wedding was great - very beautiful and autumn-elegant. As to be expected, the music (both at the ceremony and at the reception) was phenomenal: Matt Banta, the Maranville family country band (straight from the ranches of eastern Colorado), Casting Pearls and other bandmates past and present. I danced like a fool all night long - probably one of the best nights of my life. It was great to reconnect with some long lost friends, be in Lincoln again (The Mill - need I say more?), and see a beautiful couple celebrate such a special day surrounded by people they love. Kind of cheesy, I know. But in my old age, I am learning to appreciate wedding ceremonies more and more. It's probably because it is one of the very few times in life when you get to have an entire group of friends together in the same place again - something that is becoming very rare as all of our post-college lives continue onward.

Here's a toast to Case and Lindsay - many happy years, you guys deserve it.














One mountain a year, Case, that's all I ask. One mountain a year.