Shower me with your love

It figures. My Saturday at work had left me worn out and annoyed. I had a long day filing several stories, capped off by a review of the Depeche Mode concert where several *large* people blocked my view, I sliced my leg on a rusty chair, and a drunk girl threw up in the row in front of me.

I had better nights. The last thing I felt like doing was going to my cousin's graduation party.

Or, I should say, what I thought was my cousin's graduation party.

My mom called me early to make sure I was up. She, of course, had to listen to me rant about my craptastic night, and how my leg was bloody and gross and I didn't feel that great, and all the things a neurotic mother who has been meticulously planning your wedding shower for 10 months does not want to hear the morning of said wedding shower.

Poor woman.

So I got myself together, and threw on one of my cuter outfits. I barely even looked at the invitation. I thought it said 12:30, but it said 12. So instead of being 10 minutes late, I was more like 40.

I'm one hell of a guest of honor.

But at least I was surprised. I opened the door next to a sign that said "Lauren's graduation party," and saw a pile of wedding gifts and a wishing well, and no cousin Lauren.

Crap.

Yeah, and this was way more overwhelming then I ever thought it would be.

Sadly, I was so nervous, because I wasn't prepared, that much of the day is a blur. Not really sure what happened. Got some presents, opened them, Bridesmaid Kim Q wrote them on a list, and I ate some stuff. Food was good, I recall.

My mom totally got me. Annoying and very cool at the same time. I'm a reporter. I like knowing things. My mom is awesome.

Also awesome, Bridesmaid Liz (who is no longer an "official" bridesmaid but is a bridesmaid through and through in my book) and Momma Spurs created beautiful invitations for my wedding. Momma Spurs even crafted special wine labels for bottles of reisling my dad made just for me. I was really touched. I know, this part isn't very funny, but that's because I really was very touched. Blown away, actually.

The surprises kept coming. Apparently, lie after lie was told to me to keep me confused. Ed went to a fake baseball game (really out to dinner with his mom's sisters, who flew in to surprise me), other cousins planned parties that weren't really happening. Liz and my mom worked together so much, that it was my mother who was on the phone when Liz was taking her pregnancy test. When I called my mother with the news, she had to pretend to be surprised.

Somehow, I remeained clueless. Not sure if that is good or bad.

Really annoying part: Me, camera girl (Rebecca's father-in-law actually calls me that), always with a camera on my shoulder, was too overwhelmed to take pictures.

My mother, the original camera woman, was too overwhelmed to take pictures.

Bridesmaid Nichole managed to get a few decent shots. Then her little cousin accidentally deleted them at her birthday party. Gone.

LT brought her fancy new camera, planning to take video of the event. The camera died.

Thankfully, a few good non-bridesmaid friends and relatives took some pictures.

The downside -- 90 percent of the photos I have been sent are of me. Opening presents.

This gets old. Even for me. And I love pictures of me. I could stare at myself all day.

So, of the 50 or so total photos I have, I have literally a handful of good images from the day. That is a hard pill for a photo obsessed person to swallow. But, everything else was wonderful, and I really can't complain.

And, I got lots of leftover bottles of wine.

Now, to tackle this pile of presents.