Wednesday, September 9, 2015

Here's to the newlyweds Mr. Carl & Mrs. Jordan Ruf!

Here’s to Mr. Carl & Mrs. Jordan Ruf. Here’s to providing me the opportunity to come down to the Dayton area for the first time since my graduation. Here’s for allowing me the pleasure of seeing Nick, Cassie, Laura, Sam, Scott, Paul, Br. Brandon, Ed, David Devlin, Noey, Bryan, Andrew Eckrich, Dan Danis, & Maureen Kelly. Here’s for the time spent eating at Potbelly again, attending a Dayton Dragons victory, eating at Saxby’s for the first time, & walking the beloved UD campus again. Here’s to Carl for living with me for one & half years, for being a part of one of my greatest nights in my UD career, for inviting me to accompany him to Columbus for spring break Sophomore year, & for introducing me to Canes. Here’s to Old Man Ruf, a nickname I bestowed upon Carl, for remaining friends with me throughout my UD career, & for inviting me to his wedding. Here’s to Jordan, who like Erin Anderson, I never met before. Here’s to the first time seeing the bride occur as she walked down the aisle. Here’s to her graciousness in meeting me, her attendance at the same school as that of John Luke Robertson, & her fondness of country as evidenced by the music played during dinner & select dances. Here’s to the newlyweds.

Here’s to Mr. Carl & Mrs. Jordan Ruf. Here’s to the wedding location. Here’s to the venue fitting the description of what I imagined a country wedding to be. Here’s to an outdoor wedding, which can be picturesque but as I also saw, challenging. Here’s to having a pond on location, possibly a spot for Christians & rednecks’ baptisms. Here’s to having a wedding reception in a barn, with a second story that served as the changing room for the men & groom in the wedding party. Here’s to having a buffet of a dinner, one that Alex Meyers thoroughly enjoyed himself. Here’s to being an outdoor wedding, one of which heat caused major sweating & the removal of my jacket for dancing. Here’s to the newlyweds.

Here’s to Mr. Carl & Mrs. Jordan Ruf. Here’s to the wedding ceremony. Here’s to the groomsmen praying before the ceremony began, one of which must have invoked personal touch that calmed the groom & provided him a sense of peace. Here’s to the bridesmaids looking beautiful, the groomsmen appearing handsome, the bride being the prettiest of them all. Here’s to faith, although I wish the preacher had read the scripture prior to his sermon on it. Here’s to the commitment of love, though I felt the preacher should’ve included a personal touch to the bride & groom. Here’s to the reading of the vows, which when Carl read, his sound system ceased to work only to allow us the pleasure of Jordan reading hers. Here’s to the proclamation of man & wife. Here’s to the newlyweds.

Here’s to Mr. Carl & Mrs. Jordan Ruf. Here’s to the dinner. Here’s to receiving a complimentary glass, like a mason jar. Here’s to the entrance of a bridesmaid & groomsman with their own choreographed dance. Here’s to the speech Mr. Josefczyk gave where he expressed his love for his daughter. Here’s to the prayer Carl gave; fitting a ceremony filled with faith began with a prayer led by the groom. Here’s to those whom I caught up with, from Alex & Sara Meyers to Greg & Jen to Ryan Saul to Tim Skillen to Bill Timmer, not forgetting the brother of the bride, Adam Josefczyk. Here’s to filling myself with food more so than drink, something I failed to do the previous weekend. Here’s to the newlyweds.

Here’s to Mr. Carl & Mrs. Jordan Ruf. Here’s to dancing. Here’s to the first dance between the man & wife. Here’s to the song chosen being unknown by Alex Meyers & I, thankfully Shazam told us it was by Phil Wickham. Here’s to the father-daughter dance. Here’s to the song chosen being the beautiful “My Wish” by Rascal Flatts. Here’s to the mother-son dance. Here’s to the song chosen sung by Kenny Loggins, though no Dad, it’s not “Footloose.” Here’s to Delilah on 93.9 WLIT starting at 7 pm every night. Here’s to eating dinner, doing homework, & acquiring a plethora of knowledge about love songs. Here’s to dancing, even though I have two left feet mind you. Here’s to the smile that crosses my face when I flashback to that great night I previously mentioned. Here’s to Halloween Sophomore year when I attended & left a party. Here’s to Carl’s response, “I’m dancin’,” upon my text asking, “Where are you?” Here’s to those elevator doors opening to the Campus South basement. Here’s to my reaction upon seeing Carl dancing his heart out & my thought became if he can do it, so can I, dressed as Darth Vader & all. Here’s to dancing the night away as a floor, not a worry in the world or a care at all about how late the time became. Here’s to dancing in the basement to our relocation on the sixth floor, continuing the fun of the evening. Here’s to the music played at the wedding. Here’s to everything from “Shut Up & Dance” to “Cupid Shuffle” to “Shake It,” music that invited everyone to dance, even if they denied the former residents of Campus South 6B the pleasure of hearing “Kiss from A Rose” by Seal. Here’s to laughing while dancing with Alex & Sara Meyers, Greg & Jen, Carl, & Mrs. Ruf, the mother of Carl, & Carl’s wife Jordan. Here’s to the farewell dance as we wished Carl & Jordan off. Here’s to “Wanted” by Hunter Hayes. Here’s to my admission of my good singing abilities’ locations. Here’s to church where God loves your voice because He gave it to you, my head because I’m a legend there, & in the shower because of great acoustics. Here’s to the departure of Carl & Jordan as everyone spread out holding their candles wishing them off into the night. Here’s to the newlyweds.

Here’s to Mr. Carl & Mrs. Jordan Ruf. Here’s to the celebration. Here’s to Mark Ruf, the best man & Carl’s younger brother. Here’s to the greatest first name, as evidenced by the awesomeness of yours truly & the cool Mark Ruf. Here’s to Eva Ruf, Carl’s sweet younger sister. Here’s to the Mark Kristl fan club, created during that spring break when at some point I referred to the Ruf siblings & subsequently the whole Ruf family as the Mark Kristl fan club. Here’s to the brief conversation I had with Eva, which culminated in a picture with the beautiful lady. Here’s to the toast the Marks enjoyed followed by a picture of the handsome men. Here’s to the rejoicing of love for the second weekend in a row. Here’s to the newlyweds Mr. Carl & Mrs. Jordan Ruf. Congratulations!

Saturday, September 5, 2015

I root for Baylor

For the first time this season, Baylor lost. While I am a Michigan fan, I root for Baylor. Today their playoff hopes went up in smoke. This is a shame, & I am here to tell you why. Not too long ago, Baylor was one of the worst programs in college football. Nobody wanted to play Baylor & coaches worried about their jobs there. I remember quite a few years ago, Baylor fans stormed the field when they won their first conference game in years. Then two individuals came along that forever changed the face of the program. Coach Art Briles & Robert Griffin III.

When Briles came to Baylor, so did RG3. While they made minimal progress, their first two years together, it was their third that launched Baylor into the emotional spotlight. Baylor’s fast-paced offense designed by Briles & RG3 at the controls made Baylor a fun team to watch. Yet their defense remained a nightmare. Nevertheless, because of their accomplishments & success in turning a cupcake program around, Baylor reaped the benefits. The 2011 Heisman Trophy was awarded to Robert Griffin III. Having taken Baylor as far as he could, RG3 declared for the NFL Draft. The following season Baylor was in transition to build on the success begun by RG3. QB Nick Florence performed admirably, but due to a faulty defense, Baylor’s continued success remained in neutral. That season ended on a high note though as they won the Holiday Bowl. Last season Bryce Petty took over at QB & Baylor began the season flying high on all cylinders. Until they met Oklahoma St. Who, as Sam Titus continually pointed out, destroyed Baylor? Baylor completed its season though it ended with a huge upset loss to UCF. This season Baylor played a weak non-conference schedule & college football playoff committee members criticize them for it. In a thriller, Baylor overcame a 58-37 deficit halfway through the 4th quarter & defeated TCU 61-58. Sadly, Baylor lost to West Virginia. In retrospect, the loss does not look good as West Virginia is simply an average team. Baylor did crush Oklahoma on the road though.

After a discussion on Baylor’s recent improvements, I further inform you about my fondness for Baylor. I like their head coach Art Briles. An ESPN article about him is one of the greatest pieces of writing I have ever read. Inspirational, informative, & fortitude are three adjectives I use to describe the article. Recently, Briles wrote a book called Beating Goliath. I now own it. Briles also does not view Baylor as a stepping-stone. When asked how Baylor compares to Oklahoma, he said something along the lines of, “It’s no longer us trying to beat Oklahoma. It’s Oklahoma trying to beat us.” Profound & true. Baylor has arrived.

Another reason I support Baylor is the way they funded their brand new football stadium. While they probably could play football without it, the university did not cut funding from other programs when it paid for the football stadium. Out of all ways to pay for a football stadium, that is probably the best. Lastly, I root for Baylor because many college football fans do not. Baylor comes from the Big 12, a Power 5 conference, yet respect is not fully given. Baylor is not the traditional powerhouse of Texas or Oklahoma. Nor is Baylor in the SEC, arguably the best conference. Art Briles is not viewed as a coaching mastermind such as Nick Saban, Bob Stoops, Mark Dantonio, & Jimbo Fisher. Baylor’s stadium is not associated with the big name stadiums of The Big House, Death Valley, Tuscaloosa, & Eugene. Because of all these reasons, I root for Baylor.

Wednesday, September 2, 2015

Congratulations Mr. Dan & Mrs. Erin Anderson!

For the first time since July 7, 2007, I attended a wedding. Actually, this was a first for me in many ways. To begin, this was my first wedding I attended by myself. Moreover, this was my first wedding since I turned 21. Although I probably attended one before, this was the first wedding I remember that I attended where the ceremony occurred in a Catholic Church. Whose wedding did I attend? The wedding of one of my best friends who I have known for 8-9 years, Dan Anderson. While I posted pictures on FB & wrote captions for them, I thought it beneficial to write about the wedding. Before anything else though, I want to reiterate one point though. Congratulations Dan & Erin Anderson.

Friday, August 7, I flew from Chicago to San Diego. After being picked up by Dan’s parents, I arrived at the group hotel. After checking in, I ate lunch with Dan & several of his Notre Dame (ND) friends. Fast forward to that evening where the Boyles, the family of his wife, hosted everyone at their home for dinner & conversation. Traditionally, the wedding rehearsal dinner consists of the wedding party, but seeing as how numerous people traveled to San Diego for the wedding, the Boyles invited everyone to attend the dinner. Upon our arrival, one of Dan’s friends, Mary Catherine, said she did not know many people outside of the ND group. I responded telling her, “Other than Dan, his brothers, parents, & Reid Steinbach, I don’t know anybody else. I’ve never even met the bride!” As a result, a running joke between Mary Catherine, Dan’s friend David, & I became one of those two asking me how many people I knew. I thoroughly enjoyed myself that evening though. I did implore Dan to introduce me to Erin, which he finally did. I will state this several times I am sure but I want to give a shout out to Dan’s ND friends. It was their first time together since several of them graduated in May 2013, & while they could have easily caught up on each other’s lives, they included me in the conversation, albeit I did not necessarily add much initially. While I met her father, I do not know the occupations of Erin’s parents, but I promise you their property was pretty. Several goats, I believe a horse, a pool, the house being located on a hill, a great way to begin a tremendous weekend.

Saturday August 8 was the day of the wedding. Many years ago Mom, Stephanie, & I flew to Las Vegas for the First Communion of a couple of our cousins. The church in Las Vegas was newer but still beautiful. The church in San Diego reminded me of that Las Vegas church. While the San Diego church I believe was older, it still was beautiful, with many windows & doors to show the abundant sunshine. While I failed to take pictures of the church, rest assured it was beautiful.

The ceremony was so appropriate. I tell people it was 95% focused & the other 5% laid back. For instance, the gospel chosen was where Jesus fed the 5,000. When he began his homily, the priest (who did a tremendous job fyi) asked Dan why he & Erin chose that gospel. Dan responded with a fabulous answer, to which I leaned over & jokingly told the woman, Laura, sitting next to me, “If he wasn’t getting married, he’d make one hell of a priest,” to which she laughed. The priest then asked Erin why she chose the gospel & she said, more or less, what he said. The priest asked Dan & Erin another question & their responses were the same. Dan answered the question & Erin said what he said. Later, as they prepared for the vows, the priest asked Dan & Erin a series of questions such as does you want to marry (insert name), will you raise your children Catholic, will you love one another for the rest of your lives, etc. As he was asking Erin one of the questions, not even completing the question, she said I do, to which the congregation laughed, & amused, the priest turned around & said, “Excited she is.” As they said their vows, which they repeated after the priest said them, they ended with in the name of the Father, Son, & Holy Spirit, but the three names were split apart. Erin decided to unite them all & when the priest said, “In the name of the Father,” she said, “In the name of the Father, Son, & Holy Spirit.” I saw the priest smile, possibly thinking that works, moving on. Nevertheless, Dan Anderson & Erin Boyle were married.

After the ceremony, there were countless pictures, though I took part in only the group shots. We waited for the picture taking to finish, & upon their completion, Mr. & Mrs. Hennessey, Dan’s maternal grandparents, I, Mary Catherine, & David drove to the wedding reception. Behind us were the newlyweds in a nice fancy old car. Mr. Hennessey proceeded to floor the car & then let off the gas, causing the newlyweds’ vehicle to slow down & then honk the horn, to which everyone in my vehicle laughed. Mr. Hennessey repeated the process; the newlyweds honked the horn at us, & we died of laughter, all the way until we hit the expressway. Everyone in our car roared with laughter, I do not know what the newlyweds thought.

The drive to the wedding reception was beautiful. For all you Midwestern folks, you know how when you drive on Lake Shore Drive you are driving alongside Lake Michigan? Well, this was similar, except instead of Lake Michigan the body of water we drove alongside of was the Pacific Ocean. While we arrived at the wedding reception location, the Darlington House, the wedding party traveled nearby to the beach for more photos. Therefore, David, Mary Catherine, & I grabbed some hors d'oeuvres. Three maĆ®tre d’s came by together at one time. The first walked by with hors d’oeuvres, the second walked by with a tray for guests to put their empty hors d’oeuvres’ utensils, wine glasses, etc., & the third walked by with glasses of wine. Being California, the wine was a plenty, & the sangria tasted delicious, so much so by the end of the night I drank enough to feel very good. Meanwhile, there was a man playing a guitar, singing everything from “Stand by Me” to John Mayer songs. He eventually became the mc of the evening & subsequently a cool DJ. Dinner was then served.

When I found what table I was sitting at, I grabbed a glass of wine & proceeded to the table. What ensued most likely is one of the most embarrassing moments of my life. As I sat down, the woman to my right said to me, “Hi, how have you been since high school?” “Good thanks,” I replied, & then added, “Do you know where I went to high school?” She calmly said, “Marian Catholic,” to which I remarked, “Yes, I suppose you knew that I was a high school friend of Dan & Dan attended Marian.” “Well there’s that, & the fact that you & I went to high school together, cause I was in Dan’s class & you graduated with my sister.” At this point, my thought process went from huh to oh crap. Racking my brain as fast as possible, I asked, “I’m sorry but what is your last name?” “O’Shea,” & which I finally admitted, “I’m sorry, but I don’t remember you at all!” Embarrassment mind you raced through my head, & quickly I became the reason for laughter from the rest of the people seated at my table. Unable to remember this woman, & not exactly overjoyed the laughter at my expense, I quickly hustled off for another glass of sangria. To this day, I do not remember her nor her sister, even after consulting my yearbook & FB asking a friend whom I graduated with whom I remembered. If this woman attends my five year reunion this year, my embarrassment level will rise, & I am left to wonder whom I cannot recognize nor remember.

After dinner, some of the wedding traditions began. First, Mr. Boyle gave a speech, the maid of honor gave a speech where frankly, she told Dan he finally gained sisters as he has three brothers, Erin finally gained some brothers as she only has sisters, & the maid of honor loves them all. Fortunately, Dan’s best man, his brother Matt, gave a speech that emitted laughter but at the same point presented a moral on how terrific Dan is & how Matt is glad Dan found someone so loving as Erin. Dan gave a speech, terrific as usual, & Erin did what we on More to Life called filling the gaps. When two people hold hands, there are no gaps among those hands, as the two fill in each other’s gaps, weaknesses. From the time I spent with both Dan & Erin, they do that to each other. This truly means they balance each other, they love each other, & they will work together as a team, or one. While I am no expert on relationships, I believe that will sustain them for a loving lifelong marriage. Now the dances began. The only complaint, & it is not major, is the songs only played for a minute or so, except for the dance between Dan & his mother. After that, the dancing for all guests began. I admit I normally have two left feet when it comes to dancing, & I do, but I think the consumption of sangria provided me the courage to dance. Because I believe I danced to the vast majority of the songs. I requested “Cupid Shuffle” because that has an actual dance associated with it, & I know it all too well. Everything from “Uptown Funk” to “Twist & Shout” were played, with everyone from Mrs. Anderson, Dan’s friends, the newlyweds, & people young & old, male & female, dancing at some point or another. Again, while I am no expert, I feel as though the music is successfully chosen when it results in everybody dancing sometime during the reception. Additionally, when I was not dancing, I chowed down on two pieces of dessert & sangria. The weather the whole time, even for the ceremony, was heavenly. Not a cloud in the sky, no mosquitos, not too hot but not too cold, with a breeze coming just when you started to heavily sweat from dancing &/or enjoying yourself.

I did get a chance to talk to Erin & Dan separately but briefly. To Erin I told her she is marrying one of my best friends, a person I have known for 9-10 years, & I wish her all the best & hopefully good memories with her. To Dan, I told him congratulations, I look forward to many more years of good friendship with him. As the wedding reception ended, they ended it with two songs. First, an Irish chant that I did not know the words to but gladly swayed next to Mary Catherine & David. Next, I stepped back & listened as they sang the ND fight song, something of which I have no desire to learn. As everyone prepared to send the newlyweds off, Mary Catherine grabbed one of the decorative flowers & placed it in her hair. If you are on FB, check out the photos from the wedding, & two of them are of the flower in her hair. She looked lovely by the way. I am so glad her & David welcomed me that weekend, otherwise it could have been a weekend of celebration for Dan & Erin but slightly awkward for me knowing few people. Back to the reception, we wished the newlyweds good night, & the celebration concluded.

I could go into detail about Sunday but the basic description for Sunday is I felt below average, I said goodbye to the Andersons & Dan’s ND friends, & I flew home safely. To wrap up this writing, I want to reiterate how the weekend was NOT about me. It was the celebration of the marriage of two people in love, one of them one of my best friends. Nevertheless, the weekend was a joyous occasion, full of laughter, dancing, sangria, & love. To which I conclude this writing with this phrase, “Congratulations Dan & Erin, I had an outstanding time at the celebration, I was honored & thankful to be able to attend, & I look forward to the memories I will share with the two of you.”