We're back

We made it back from our crazy wedding weekend! We managed to make it on time to both weddings and only had a few issues along the way. Below is the play by play, but here is a little history. My friend Robyn announced about two years ago she was engaged and was planning on getting married in the San Juan Islands, at Friday Harbor on Friday, July 10. Knowing that accommodations are limited since the island is pretty small, we rented a house with a few friends way in advance and planned a weekend out of it. A few months later, my friend Allison asked me to be in her wedding on….. Saturday, July 11 in Santa Barbara. The good news is that they were both going to be on the same coast, so it should be doable, but Friday Harbor isn’t exactly easy to get to and Santa Barbara isn’t a major airport either. So, in order to try and make it to Santa Barbara in time for Allison’s 5 pm wedding, we had to get off the island really early. Ferries didn’t start until 6 and take an hour to arrive at Anacortes, which is still 2 hours north of Seattle. That would mean that the earliest flight we could get out of Seattle would be around 10:00. Since there were no direct flights from Seattle to Santa Barbara available, we would not arrive until 4, which would be cutting it too close for the wedding. It does not take me long to get ready at all, but landing at 4, and being a bridesmaid for a 5:00 wedding was a little too close for me. So, after talking to some of our friends, we found out that there was another couple that was attending Robyn’s wedding that was in the same situation as us, needing to get off the island in order to make it to another wedding. So, we decided to charter a flight (splitting the cost with them so it wasn’t so expensive). The flight would pick us up where we were staying at 5 am and drop us off at Boeing Field. From there, we would get a cab to SEATAC and be able to make a 9:00 flight. We had to go through San Francisco and would land in Santa Barbara at 3:00. Still, not much time, but good enough so we booked it and below is how it all played out.

Wednesday, July 8

7:35 am EST
Got rear ended on the way to the airport. Everyone was fine, but not how I was hoping to start this trip off. Thanks Mr. Connolly!

8:55 am EST
I am getting really anxious to start this trip. John picks up an Esquire magazine and found it to be one of the best magazines around.

9:30 am EST
Boarded flight to Denver. I asked for a pillow or blanket and was abruptly informed by a surly flight attendant that they now sell them as part of the “power pack.” She said it like “Duh, don’t you know what a power pack is” Whatever. Of course they now sell blankets on planes.

9:34 am EST
We got yelled at by another flight attendant. This time, it was because we had our bottled water (that we purchased after going through security) in the seat pocket during takeoff. Seriously? I don’t understand what the risk could be but whatever, we threw it back in our bag. This was followed by an announcement saying that it was a new FAA regulation not to have beverages in seat pockets during takeoff and landing. This must have been enacted sometime since Sunday when John last flew and had free reign to place beverage bottles there.

Indiscernible time (midflight)
Some guy is standing up talking to the guy in the row behind us about nothing, it is really annoying

3:52 pm EST
Arrived in Denver, waited to go standby on 2 earlier flights to Seattle with no luck. Thanks to Orbitz for pushing our flight back, we now have a 4 hour layover in Denver. With the exception of the surly flight attendant on the previous flight though, all the service workers from the airlines have been really helpful.

4:30 EST
Found out there is a New Belgium hub in the Denver airport, terminal B. Note to self for future layovers.

Midflight to Seattle
I can’t think of anything more annoying than having small children kick the back of your chair while you are trying to sleep on the plane.

5:30 PST
Arrive in Seattle; John’s Aunt Brenda picks us up at the airport. We go to dinner and call it a night, I am exhausted. John tried fried salmon and I had some delicious halibut with strawberry salsa.

Thursday, July 9

10:00 PST
Brenda and Fred drive us to Anacortes where we will catch the ferry to Friday Harbor. John had some amazing honey wheat pancakes for breakfast. This restaurant also had mile high lemon meringue pie with the largest mass of meringue I have ever seen.

11:45 PST
On the ferry, just spoke to my friend Courtney and her husband has a tee time for when we get off the ferry, John could not be more excited. Meanwhile I am trying to figure out where to go.

On the ferry

2:35 PST
Arrive at our rental house and find out it has an elevator in it. Awesome, we are on the third floor so I won’t have to carry my suitcase up all those stairs!

The party house!

6:30 PST
John finished golfing, Courtney and I went grocery shopping and we started prepping dinner for our friends.

7:30 PST
We have drinks, eat dinner and head to the welcome party for s’mores, yum.

The girls

8:00 PST
We decide to host an after party at our house, which would of course call for flip cup. We start scouting the bbq for a table we can “borrow” for the night.

8:05 PST
We find the table, now we have to figure out how to get this table to our house. Enter caterer with golf cart.

8:10 PST
Harlan and Eric decide to take the golf cart and haul the table up to our house, caterer is pissed. Everyone at the party thinks it’s hysterical

Caterer chasing after golf cart

9:00 PST
I am freezing and we all decide to head back to the house for an a few drinks at our fire pit on the balcony overlooking the harbor.

10:30 PST
Flip cup game is in full effect, the table never made it in, instead we use the dining room table in the bar, oops.
The rest of the night we played drinking games and had fun

Friday, July 10

9:00 PST
Our house is a mess and I have to vomit, except the toilet on the third floor where we are sleeping is clogged up. The toilets on the second floor are attached to the bedrooms so that won’t work, so I have to go to the first floor. Make it barely in time. Woke up Eric (sorry).

9:30 PST
I get sick again. At first I thought it was the drinking, but I did not drink much, hmmm.

10:30 PST
Everyone wants to go to brunch, and although I am not hungry at all, I decide a little fresh air might do me good.

10:40 PST
Find a cute place on the harbor for brunch, order some food.

10:45 PST
I have to vomit, fast where is the bathroom, don’t know, I turn around and vomit off the pier in front of everyone trying to enjoy their breakfasts and the view. Realize I also hit my legs and flip flops, time to go back home. Don’t worry, I am wearing my Chanel sunglasses so at least I was a classy puker.

11:00- 4:00 PST
I got sick pretty much every half hour and cannot keep anything down. Pedialyte, saltines, Gatorade, water… nothing works. Decide that I must have food poisoning. Fortunately, my friend Vesna is there and she is a PA, able to write me a script for some anti-nauseous meds that will hopefully get me through the wedding.

5:00 PST
Robyn’s wedding starts and is a gorgeous ceremony and reception. I manage to make it without any incidents although I am feeling really weak after not eating all day.



9:00 PST
John and I head back to the house, I am exhausted and still not feeling too great, plus we have a 5:00 am flight tomorrow

Saturday, July 11

4:30 AM PST
Wake up and make our way to the plane

Our 5 passenger plane

5:00 PST
Our pilot looks like he is about 16, really nice guy though

5:10 PST
Gorgeous flight, amazing sunrise, I am feeling much better. PS found out the pilot was 22.


10:30 PST
Our standby luck has finally come around, we were able to catch an earlier flight to San Francisco and are now on standby for an earlier flight to Santa Barbara… that would mean a 1:00 arrival… keeping fingers crossed

11:30 PST
We got on the earlier flight to Santa Barbara, woo hoo! This means I will hopefully be able to take a shower before the ceremony

1:10 PST
Arrived in Santa Barbara, now the rental car is taking forever since we arrived early

1:50 PST
Made it to the hotel, found out check-in is not until 3:00, but after I told our story, the manager quickly made a room available.

2:00 PST
John grabs In-N-Out since it is right across the street from the hotel. He forgets to mention that we needed it “to-go” so we now have a nice red tray in the hotel room

3:00 PST
Made it to the church, even before the bride! I can’t believe it all worked out, I am here, ecstatic, and can’t wait to get the fun started

11:00 PST
Had a wonderful time at the wedding, saw some old friends, and really believe all the travel troubles were absolutely worth it.

Sunday, July 12

4:30 PST
Another early morning, this time to catch flight to Denver

10:30 MST
Land in Denver, must run to make connection to Kansas City- starving since we have not been able to eat yet

12:40 CST
Land in Kansas City. Decide to name the airport Kansas Shitty because it sucks. You have to go through security at every gate entrance, such a pain. We really wanted Mexican food because of some recipe for Chipotle taco’s in John’s Esquire magazine, but in order to get to the terminal where “La Taquirea” is located, you have to catch a bus. Not a train like a most airports which run every 5 min or so, an actual bus, “the red bus” to be exact. It runs every FIFTEEN minutes. I mean, this is an airport people, time is precious. So, we decided against that adventure and settled for something called “The Homerun Café”

3:40 CST
Take off and bound for Charlotte, can’t wait to be home!

6:40 EST
Back in Charlotte, now on the way home. We would be going to pick up Morgan, except since the back end of my car is smashed in, we can’t fit her crate. Awesome. Good thing we have such great friends that can fit it in their car and offer to bring her home for us.

We made it, next wedding is August 29!