A Wedding Day in New York

So Nora and I both had business to conduct yesterday in New York, with two different organizations -- nice that they were willing to modify their schedules so that we only had to make a single trip.  But today's a day off in the Big Apple (a phrase that marks me as a hopeless rube, I know), so we're doing two different versions of wedding planning.  I'm taking my family diamond to a lab for testing.  And... Estelle and Nora are going shopping for wedding dresses!!!  The traditional mother-daughter bonding event, as shown on every reality TV wedding show ever made.  And likely with similar amounts of sturm und drang.

First, they'll be off to a small dressmaker up in the 60s (there, does that help my NYC cred?), and then an appointment with Saks.  Yikes!  I'm staying as far away from that as possible.  After my trip to the lab, I'm going over to Amsterdam Billiards for the afternoon.  I stopped in for a beer after my haircut on Wednesday, and saw Darren Appleton (member of the European Mosconi Cup team and 2010 World Player of the Year), Tony Robles (house pro at Amsterdam, and touring professional player) and Jennifer Barretta (touring professional player, and the heir to the Jeannette Lee glamour girl position on the tour).  Pretty high company.

Last night at dinner, we had two friends giving us wedding advice.  Among which:

• Nora's mom should walk Nora down the aisle
• Nora's brother should walk Nora's mom down the aisle
• There shouldn't be an aisle

Thanks, guys.

Speaking of weddings and Amsterdam Billiards, I've thought of another possible movie to act as our theme:  The Hustler.  You can choose to dress as the aging monarch (Jackie Gleason), the young upstart (Paul Newman), the damaged woman with the heart of gold (Janet Leigh), or the face of evil (George C. Scott).  Maybe I'll use the afternoon to shop for a pinky ring and a diamond stick pin.