Longs Peak Hike/Climb Adventure

“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing. To keep our faces toward change and behave like free spirits in the presence of fate is strength undefeatable.” -Helen Keller

Background 

 My brother Abram is getting married this October to his fiancée Ashley. For his bachelor party, instead of the usual customary spectacle, he decided he wanted to hike Longs Peak in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. I agreed to this long ago, but didn't really do much research until the date started to approach.  I had just assumed it was a nice scenic stroll through the outdoors of Colorado.  I was mostly wrong, it was a lot more than that, it was a challenging hike and climb that would really test my endurance and determination.  Here is an overview of what the hike entails: 14ers Route of Longs Peak

The hike is about 7.5 miles each way (15 miles total) and goes from about 9,405 ft at the trail head to 14,295 ft (about a mile up) at the summit.  It doesn't sound like a lot of distance, but it is time consuming, especially for a novice.

Here is a model of the mountain that was in the Ranger's office that gives you an idea of what the mountain looks like.  You can see the trail starting at the top left and the peak right in the front is what you climb.

This is a topographic map of the trail we took:

Photos from the trip

I tried to take as many photos as I could on the trip and here are a few of them: Flickr Longs Peak Photos. They came out a lot better than I expected and am glad we were able to capture those memories.  There are also some photos on my Facebook Album.

The Preparation

I was surprised to read in the description that it was more of a climb than a hike, so it became apparent that I had a lot of preparing to do, especially considering that I had never been on a hike before in my life.  I was never much of an outdoors person, something I attributed to my allergies.  I've been having a good year allergy wise and luckily, I had been running a lot more often and had just finished my first 5K and was working on moving on to my first 10K on the way to my half marathon goal.

I started doing a lot research online and doing a lot of practice hikes on the weekends with friends that really pushed my limits. I bought some hiking supplies, like a camelbak backpack, hiking shoes, a headlamp, and even hiking poles. I really enjoyed the process of preparing and like the feeling of having a goal that I'm working towards.  Sometimes I worry I might get too narrow sighted in the process, but that is how I do things. By the time the hike came along, I felt as prepared as I could be, but knew I was getting into something more challenging than I had ever experienced.

The Adventure Begins

It was Wednesday, August 8, 2012, and the trip to Denver, CO was set to begin. The group of close friends Abram assembled for this trip included Norbert, Cory and Todd. They took off from Austin on a road trip in his new Xterra for Denver at 3am on Wednesday and I joined them that night since I chose to fly to Denver instead so I could get in an extra day of work.

Arrival in Denver, Colorado and the Campsite

Wednesday night, I got into Denver late and took a shuttle to meet everyone at their hotel. We all got a good night's sleep and then headed really early to the Roosevelt National Park campsite at around 6am to try to find a place to camp out. When we got to the campsite, we had to find an open site in a first come first serve setup, which lucky for us, there was only one spot open and we got it right before another group.


I had never been camping in my life, not counting that time I was 6 years old and set up a tent in the backyard, which I stayed in for a few hours before coming inside to sleep in my bed.  Everyone started setting up and I helped in what ways I could as they put up the two tents that Abram brought.

I was ecstatic to find that the campsite had a restroom, the one thing that kept me from being interested in camping to begin with.  Camping was more fun than I expected and I do see myself trying it again. We didn't have any cell phone reception which matched well with Abram's "Unplug, Run, and Hike" project that was also the inspiration for this hike.

The Day Before the Hike

It was early in the day on Thursday and after setting the campsite up and getting in trouble for hanging our big Texas flag on a nearby tree, we had the rest of the day to fill. The plan was to go to bed by 8pm and wake up at 2am that night so we could leave at 3am for the Longs Peak hike which was estimated to take anywhere from 12-15 hours. These times were recommended in many guides and seemed like the best approach.

The park was absolutely beautiful and made me proud that our government has preserved such places for the public. 



The group decided to go on a short hike spanning the first 2.25 mile part of the trail so that we could be aware of what the forest portion of the trail looked like since we would be going through it in the dark of night. I thought a rest day was in order and didn't think doing any hiking was a good idea, but I went along because I too was itching to do something and everyone was really excited to enjoy the outdoors. It was also hard to argue with the idea of trying to acclimate to the higher altitude so that we could be better prepared. The decision didn't affect the hike the next day for anyone, but probably did for me a bit.

Here is a photo the Cory took of us out in the forest on our practice hike:

The forest was exactly the way you would imagine a forest in a fairytale with brooks and high dark green trees. I was told to watch out for bears and that my defense plan of curling up in a ball was not a good one.  We hiked a total of 4.5 miles that day, which is in itself still quite a hike in my book, but we all felt great. We took in the nature and it was a really nice experience that made me appreciate Colorado more.  I really understand why people move to live there.

After returning from the short hike, we found a local general store and stocked up on welcomed, but over priced water and supplies. Everyone then went to a nearby lake to hang out while I took a nap in the tent.  When they returned to the campsite, we all prepared our hiking backpacks for the next morning, hung out, started a fire and the guys cooked some burgers that we picked up.  They didn't cook well, so we ended up making a burger/onion/chips mashup that actually tasted good as a sandwich. It went by many names from campburger helper to campfire helper, but it did the trick.

Good laughs were had by all and then we all hit the sack at about 8pm to rest up for our big hike that night. It was my first time sleeping in a tent.  I wished I had a blindfold and used a shirt to cover my eyes and ended up sleeping well.

 Long Story Short - We Made It!

The story of the hike on Longs Peak is long one, full of twists, turns, good deeds, triumphs, adversity, laughs, and multiple dangerous situations for beginners. But I will skip to the important part as a preface. Abram's goal of summiting Longs Peak was accomplished by everyone one of us and we all stood atop the mountain triumphantly, worn down and tired, but proud. It was an awesome experience that I will never forget, but more on this later.

My Fears and Anxieties

Back to the play by play though.  The longest hike I had been on while I was practicing was my first one with Abram and my cousin Rino a bit over a month ago.  It was 16 miles in the Greenbelt in Austin and it took us about 7 hours to complete.  By the end, I could not walk, was cramping and wondered if I had twice that amount of time in me. (The mileage would be the same, but it really isn't comparable since no real climbing was done.) I had a feeling that I would be fine endurance wise since I knew I wouldn't give up, but I worried that altitude sickness cause me to have to give up. My next concern was injuring my ankle or worst case slipping or falling. I know it is rare, but from what I read, at least 2 people a year die on the trek, usually from either falling, lightening strikes, or hypothermia. I also have a fear of heights that I have been fighting since I was a kid that I knew I would have to battle. I try to stand up to it by riding the highest rollercoasters or going to the top of the highest buildings, but it still can make me freeze up at times. I know some of my concern was irrational, but considering we were not experienced, my main concern was safety and getting everyone back in one piece.  I tried to be the safety monitor the best I could and the most important part of safety is preparation.

The Characters

The characters on the hike were, myself, my brother Abram (the bachelor, four years younger than me and the outdoors type), Norbert (Abram's college roommate, my current roommate, who trained hard in the gym with a lot of running, but this was his first hike), Todd (Abram's friend who managers a very cool bar, 6ft 7in who has great endurance from playing basketball, was dealing with 10 stitches on his head from a recent game, but was experienced in hiking), and Cory (Abram's best man and college roommate who was coming off of a knee injury that had him bed ridden for over a week, but who was a strong athletic guy who coaches football among other things.)

Here are Abram's good friends that were able to make it:

 My Perspective of the Hike

My perspective of the hike is just that, mine and I don't mean to speak for any other people on the hike because although we all shared many of the same experiences, we also had very different ones and most people frankly did a lot better than I did. I know it is apparent that I'm an inexperienced beginner, but I'd like to note that when I describe my experience because I'm sure it will sound more dramatic than that of a more experienced person not encountering many of these obstacles for the first time.

The Journey Begins

The soft sounding alarm rang at 2am and we all woke up and got ready in the dark as Norbert graciously cooked egg tacos for everyone. I tried to hydrate as much as possible that morning and made sure I had my 5 liters of water for my hike. It was cold and I had wind pants over full leg running tights, a long sleeve workout shirt, wind jacket and my hiking boots. I put on my workout cap with the attached headlamp to see in the dark,which made me feel like a miner. I gave one walkie takie to Todd and one to Cory so that we could have communication if the group broke up. I had my reception-less cell phone in my bad to track the trip and "Don Diego," a small stuffed dog who I take on adventures like visiting Spain, Italy and France for photos.

The Forest 2.5 miles

We signed into the hike log at about 3:35am and headed out in darkness with our packs, a fog of sleepiness and a lot of hope and inspiration.

 The hike through the woods in the darkness is a bit of a foggy memory now. We hiked about 2.5 miles until we cleared the tree line tracking the path we had leisurely done the day before. The sun rise was a sight to be seen as it came up over the background of the Rocky Mountains. The group was mostly together until this point when Todd and Norbert continued in front at a faster pace while Abram, Cory and I went at a slower pace to conserve energy.

Granite Pass at 4.1 miles to Boulder Field at 6.0 miles

The next section was called the Granite Pass, and it felt like it went forever. At this point I was already feeling it, I felt winded and my breathing was more labored.  I wondered how I would be feeling hours later since there was still a lot to go. We finally got to Boulder field, something I wasn't quite sure would be like, and then traversed boulders for what felt like a long time.

 The Key Hole at 6.25 miles

About 4 hours into the hike, we approached the Key Hole, which was where the hike ends and the climbing really begins. It was the landmark we constantly talked about and were looking forward to reaching.  I looked up at the climb to the Key Hole from Boulder Field and thought that I was really in for it, not knowing that what I was looking at was a piece of cake compared to what was coming.

Todd and Norbert waited for us at the top of the Key Hole and when we got to the top, I could feel the fatigue.  I was also having an issue where I was peeing often and losing water that way which didn't help.  When I was at the top and looked around the corner, I saw the Ledges and knew I was in for a challenging experience.   There is a part near the end called the Narrows, where it is just that, narrow ledges with a huge drop off. Well I think that would be apt to describe the Ledges as well. I looked down at the steep fall into Glacier Gorge and fought the urge to let my fear of heights reaction take over. We had about 4 more hours to traverse the last 1.25 miles to the summit of Longs Peak. It made sense to me why only 30% of people who attempt to climb to the Longs Peak summit succeed and why the Keyhole is the point where most people turn back. This where it becomes a Class 3 mountain for those of you that understand those classifications.

The Ledges through the Trough

Todd and Norbert took the lead and we headed off for what we came to do. I stayed close to the wall along the ledges and was very careful to watch every step and make sure I had a hand hold whenever I could. My concern was that in my tired state, would I be as careful as I needed to be. You could see the Glacier Gorge down to the right. Slowly, but surely, we made out way until we hit an area of the mountain called The Trough.  You had to keep following the bulls-eyes painted on the rocks and sometimes they were hard to find, but they helped tremendously.  It all felt the same, just a lot of climbing over rocks moving up higher and higher and then sometimes having to go down to go back up. I now understand what scrambling means, as I was mostly on all fours climbing up over the rocks. I was with Abram and Cory for most of this time and Norbert and Todd were nowhere to be seen because they were pretty awesome and were far in front of us. I was also going through water at a faster pace than I anticipated and felt the effects of dehydration starting up, but knew I would be good for some time. It felt like it would never end, but it was also a lot of fun.  I had never done anything like that before and part of me felt like a kid in a jungle gym. At the end was a huge upward climb that felt like it just kept going with no end in sight.

The Narrows to the Homestretch

We finally reached the Narrows. From all I had read, this was my dreaded segment because of the drop off. A lot of people, including most people in our group thought it was fine and overrated, but for me it was my personal ghost I had to battle. I vowed to myself not to look down and stayed even closer to the wall than I had already been.  I thought about taking some time to look down and reflect on what I was doing, but I didn't want that imagine in my head on my way back.  I just wanted the particular section to be over, and I was proud of myself when I got past it, not wanting to think about how in the world I was going to get back later on.


We finally got to the final climb called the Homestretch, a 300 ft climb to the summit which I was told looks more daunting than it is.  There is an adrenaline rush feeling that comes over you as the summit is in sight. Abram moved ahead and Norbert and Todd I assumed correctly were waiting at the top already triumphant in their climb and enjoying their spoils at the top.

This was my view of the guys waiting for me as I was just about to summit:

We met a lot of new friends along the way and there was this father son combo who I spent a lot of time climbing near. They both had the blondest of blond hair, orange sun burned skin and hailed from North Carolina. At the bottom of the homestretch, the 17 year old son was done, he didn't want to keep going, even with the summit in sight, the last climb just looked impossible for him. The father, a built, late forties ex-military man, was disappointed and tried to motivate his son by telling him not to be a quitter, the same way he quit football and how he would regret quitting. We each took a second to impart a bit of wisdom to the kid as we passed by. Mine was that he needed to decided if he "wanted" to climb to the top. If he felt he "needed" to climb, or "should" climb, that that wasn't enough, he had to "want it" for himself and not his Dad. If he did want it, then there was no keeping him from going on.

What I was probably doing was talking to myself because I did question my ability to make up there, but I tried to turn that thought of and just keep moving. It just looked so upright and breathing was getting harder. Cory and I climbed up near each other and as I got closer, the feeling exhilaration gave me the extra energy I needed to make it to the top.  My chest swelled up with pride as I got closer and closer.

This is me reaching the summit with Cory in orange not far behind:

The Summit of Longs Peak

The moment I climbed past the last rock and got up there was better than I expected, complete joy and pride of accomplishing this feat. I could really give a shit for the actual summit, or even the beautiful views which I did later make time to take in, but it was the internal gratification of meeting my goal that meant everything. It had been 8 hours of very hard work and months of preparation.  I knew I was by no means done, but the most important and exciting component of my goal was achieved.

We all took pictures, signed the summit log and most importantly rested. Norbert gave me some of his water which helped a lot too. I know the altitude affected me and any altitude sickness I may have had I could not differentiate from exhaustion and dehydration. I felt foggy, but didn't have a headache or nausea.  The happiness also clouded out any ill effects I was dealing with.

I made some time to take Don Diego, my stuffed dog, out and get a picture of him on the summit, another adventure he joined me on.  The view was breathtaking:

 The Way Back

The way back is where my real journey of self discovery and determination began. I knew I had the energy and endurance to make it to my goal, but the feat would not be complete until I made it back to the trail head where I started.  This was a journey that tested me like I have never been tested before. Abram's fiancée, Ashley, had said that she was concerned that we would be able to make it to the top, but not have enough energy to make it back. That was a legitimate concern and coincided with the stats that 80% of climbing accidents happen on the way down and that you are not done at the top, you are done when you are back. This made me extra aware of each action I was taking, but it was hard to be careful when your body was depleting of energy and your knees hurt. 

The ironic part was that everyone talks about how the trip down is usually easier and faster than the trip up. That is normally the case, and was for most of my group members, but it was not the case for me. It all just felt harder and I felt like I had to be more careful since my body wasn't as tough. I probably should have eaten more energy bars in retrospect, but I really did have a lot of them.

Down the Homestretch back to the Narrows

The first part was working my way down the homestretch, the 300 ft wall that I just finished climbing. I was told that sliding on my butt was the safest way to move downward, so I tried that out. There was a lot of sliding on my butt for the next few hours, though there might have been parts I could have walked down, but I was not taking any chances. and utilized this slower approach. It didn't take long before I had a long slide where I hit a rock with my feet to stop my momentum downward. It hurt as my legs hit the rock with a thud instead of a spring like I imagined in my head. I didn't like the feeling of loss of control when I slide too far and knew I had to be more careful.  It was not a good time to be learning lessons by trial and error.

Everything on the mountain just felt longer than on the way over. I was constantly searching for makers trying to make sure I was going the right way, but I was mostly focused on the very next step or action right in front of me. My knees hurt, but I was proud of how well my ankles were holding up. Even with the water Norbert gave me, I was quickly running out of water, but I had left a bottle of coconut water at the bottom of the keyhole in the boulder field and I was just hoping that would be my saving grace.

I started the climb down with Cory and Abram, but they ended up going at a faster pace than I could keep.  I was very lucky that the blond father/son combo, who did finally summit, climbed down right behind me and the father gave me a lot of good advice and looked out for me I think. When we hit the narrows, I knew this was my most feared section, so I hugged the walls again and methodically kept one foot in front of other never lacking a hand hold. When we made it to the trough I was elated to be past that obstacle once and for all.

Back through the Trough through the Ledges

Next, we worked though the trough and at some points had to climb up to later climb down to make progress. My legs were really hurting and each descent down from one rock to another made an impact on my knees that I could really feel. They held up though, but I knew that I would pay for this later. This segment felt very long and wasn't as fun and exciting as it was on the way over.

We finally made it to the Ledges, which to me were too similar to the Narrows, just not as narrow. There was one point where I couldn't find my foothold and was supporting my body by my upper body strength. I lost my balance a few times, but I was lucky that it wasn't at an inopportune time. I was in good condition, just tired and at no point felt like I had no business being there.  There was this one rock that I had trouble figuring out how to get around without risking slipping.  We used team work at that point and made it past it.

The goal was to get back to the key hole, but it always felt so far away and each time I turned a corner and thought I was getting closer, it was still a ways off. Your mind spends a lot of time thinking about how far things are, which is why I keep mentioning it. 

The Keyhole

When I finally got back to the Key Hole, I felt so accomplished and knew that I was now out of the the danger of slipping, but it didn't mean all dangers had past. The rest would just be a hike back and I was looking forward to being back. I was still making good time, but it was the rest of the hike that would take more time than expected. We all rested at the top of the key hole and I glanced out at the boulder field and could see nothing but boulders for as far as I could see. This was where I started to really feel the dehydration kicking in, but my water bottle wasn't far away.

Boulder Field

Norbert and Todd waited for us at the key hole and we all talked about how happy we were to be back.  We all then started our way down the rocks to where boulder field began, but this descent wasn't too bad except for that I was moving especially slow.

When we got to the bottom, there was a small campsite in Boulder Field that we rested again at.  Norbert was able to find a guy who had a water filter and was able to fill up on some water. I found my coconut water and mixed that with water Norbert has gotten for me. I was very lucky to have him looking out for me and the water helped me a lot.

As we were hopping boulders making our way back for the last 6 miles left of the trip, I felt the worst pain in my left Achilles. It was unlike any pain I have ever had and I didn't need this complication. It was like a sharp burning pain that hit every third or fourth step. I couldn't figure what was different when I stepped that made it hurt or feel fine so I could make sure to step on it right.  I pulled out my trekking poles and started to use them.  This really slowed me down, so I took a walkie takie and everyone else headed back in front of me. I felt bad for holding people back and slowing down the group.  The next few miles was the longest period I spent alone, just taking one step at a time with my trekking poles which severed as crutches of sorts.  As time passed, it started hurting less and less.

 Rain, Thunder and Lightning through Granite Pass

We thought we were in the clear from danger, but then one of our biggest concerns, rain and lightning started.  It started off as rain, but it quickly turned to bb sized hail that stung as it hit. Everyone raced to the tree line ahead to get out of danger, but I just kept up the best pace I could hoping I wasn’t unlucky enough to invite a lightning strike.  At this point I really wished I knew more about how lightning works and what I should be doing.  Were my trekking poles a bad accessory?  Should I hide under a rock?  I just kept moving because I was already behind to begin with.  The rain would die down and I would get hope, but then it would just pick up again. Each lightening and thunder sound made me tense up.  While this was going on, there was also a beautiful rainbow that I took a second to appreciate.

 Wrong Turn

Six miles is a long way when you are stumbling along.  As I was approaching the end of Granite pass, I was so disoriented that I misread a sign and started up a hill instead of turning left towards the forest. Luckily, when I got to the top, Abram, who was kind enough to wait for me, spotted me and yelled up at me that I was going the wrong way. I turned around and headed back and missed my turn again, honestly, not a hard turn to miss, and ending up going the wrong way back towards Boulder field for a bit when I decided to turn around and I finally got it right.  I finally met up with Abram and we ran into a hiker who gave us a message from Norbert that their walkie talkie was out of battery.  That was kind of him.

Granite Pass to the Forest

I finished the rest of granite pass with Abram as the rain finally died down and we were happy when we hit the tree line where we ran into Cory.  He had hurried ahead of us to try to avoid any more possible rain. Then it was just 2.5 miles to go, but at least we were out of danger from lightning and knew it wouldn’t be long before we were done.

The End of the Hike

This was the second time I had hiked back through the forest, but it felt longer than the stroll from the day before. We actually had a fast pace and I tried not to take any more breaks. There was nothing that was going to stop me from getting to the finish line, but the idea of rest being on the other side was also inspirational.

Abram and I arrived at the trail head 16 hours 49 minutes from the moment we left that we hit the trail head the night before and were finally done. My goal was complete and I felt great, but my body was in a numb pain that didn't seem to matter anymore.  Abram signed out of the trail log that we had returned. This didn't have the exhilaration that being at the summit had, but it was a special moment of accomplishment for me.

Here is my tracking of the trip:  Every Trail Tracking

Back to Base Camp

When we got back to the camp, before we could even sit down, we found out that our that the insides of our tents were soaked from the rain. Apparently, my rain prevention tarp idea ended up causing rain to go into the tent when normally it wouldn't have. I had never been camping before, so give me a break.  It was cold, all our stuff was wet and we were wet, so I decided to just rent a hotel room and give up on trying to camp out that night. Everyone as in and we packed up the campsite, a task which isn't enjoyable in the best conditions, but is worse when everything is wet and it hurts for everyone to move. I probably didn't help as much as I should have, but we somehow got everything back into the Xterra. Somehow it felt like we had more stuff than we arrived with.

Back in Denver

We headed back to the same hotel in Denver that we had stayed at the first night. It was a long drive, but it was the only place we could find on such short notice now that it was 10pm.  We also picked up some fast food since we were done with energy bars, took showers and I had the best sleep I have had in years.

The next morning we had lunch, reminisced about the trip, and then checked out of the hotel.  Abram dropped me off at the airport a few hours early as the rest of the gang headed on their roadtrip back to Texas.

Closing Thoughts

I'm glad that Abram decided to make this his goal. At first it became a project where I didn't want to let my brother down, but as I got more into it, it became my own goal and something I wanted for myself.  I feel like I grew closer with his friends since we were able to share this unique experience together. I really challenged myself and pushed myself to depths were I chose to keep going instead of quitting.  I proved a lot to myself and it made me want to pursue more goals in many different aspects of my life. I look forward to what comes next.

Here is Abram celebrating his bachelor party at the top of Longs Peak Summit:

determination

Better than Reactionary

"Without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement, and success have no meaning."  - Benjamin Franklin

Now that Memorial Day has since passed and the halfway point of the year approaches, life is settling back into its regular routine.  I'm focusing on some personal projects and seeing if new habits will stick.  I've also been making more of an effort to go out with friends and be more social. I'm very lucky to have a lot of great friends in town who are willing to try new things or do the old things that are always fun.

This is going to be a meandering entry scattered with random thoughts and events, but a good catch all to get my writing back on track.  I haven't focused on my blog as much because I tend to do most of my sharing on social networks and writing about it can feel duplicative.  My blog has been relegated to entries about weddings or other big events.

I recently started going to the bars on Rainey St. and found a bar that has some great bar games I was introduced to.  Each time I go there I feel like I always meet the most random and interesting new people.  One person I met gave me a great restaurant recommendation.  We even went down there to celebrate Sarita's birthday a while back and I really enjoyed bar hopping to places I had never been before. I like the feel down there, but as it grows and becomes more packed I'm sure I'll enjoy it less.

I even recently tried stand up paddle boarding with Ricardo for the first time on Town Lake.  I had a great time, but about an hour in, my cockiness got the best of me and before I knew it, I lost my balance and fell over into the water.  It was funny I must say, but not how I imagined it going.  During Memorial Day weekend I went with Danny and his friend to the Greenbelt where we just hung out in the water and had some beers.  It was very relaxing and I learned that you can make sandcastles out of rocks.  I don't know why I don't go down there more often.

Memorial Day weekend marked my one year anniversary of moving into my new home in south Austin.  I can't believe I've made a years worth of mortgage payments.  29 more years to go.  This is a goal that I am very happy I achieved and when I think back to my days in Miami back in 2004-05, I think about how I took the time to hand write a list of goals I wanted for myself.  I'm proud to say that I've marked many off of that list, but I still have more to go, not to mention the ones I keep adding as I mature.

This coming weekend in June, it will be my Cornell Ten Year Reunion.  I will not be attending, but the idea that it has already been 10 years since I graduated college, NOT HIGH SCHOOL, BUT COLLEGE is mind blowing.  I mean wow, how time has flown by.  I've thought a lot about it, but college was an experience that was shaped by my friends and the people around me.  It is such a huge part of who I am.  I care more about planning a trip to see all of them as my reunion rather than returning to the place where we made those memories. It doesn't mean I wouldn't like to go back one day, but I still haven't found an occasion. People are not kidding when they say that those are some of the best years in your life.  It was like a four year summer camp.

I recently saw the HBO documentary Weight of a Nation on the national obesity epidemic.  It was overwhelming at times, but very informative.  I don't know how parents do it because I would be so stressed if my kids were obese and on their way to type 2 diabetes.  It seems like everyone knows the problem and can tell you what to do, but yet no one seems to be doing it. The interesting fact was that obese people don't even consider themselves obese, a technical term based on BMI, not a slur, because by comparison there are people that much worse.  I guess the best thing I can do is just work on my personal health and see what improvements I can make. That is what my brother always tell me when I worry about this type of stuff.

This documentary also coincided with my signing up for a gym membership, but they were not causally related.   This is a habit I'd like to start up again, but I know my own history, so I won't get too excited until I've really started to see a past where it has become part of my routine. I have even tried waking up at 5am each morning to run, something I have sworn to many people is just an impossible feat for me.  So far, I have been able to disprove myself, but each morning it is still a struggle to make the right decision.  I have missed a few days, but I forgive myself and stop viewing it as "having to wake up" or "must wake up tomorrow," but instead, "I want to wake up."  There is a nice calm feeling about being out when the sun isn't even up yet.  I take my dog to run with me some mornings, but has been a bit difficult.

The other day I was going though an old journal from college and I saw some notes I had made after a class.  The page was empty and there was just one note that said, "new thinking does not change behavior, new behavior changes thinking."  That is such an important concept that I have lost sight of.  I'm always working hard on developing new ways of thinking and understanding things, but I'm always lacking on the behavior side.  I need to focus on just doing more things and watching my thinking following suit. I want to focus more on just changing my behavior instead of just thinking I can think my way out of things.

Along that vein, I've been making an effort to try and do a lot of things outside of my comfort zone.  From being more social and spontaneous when I'm out, to volunteering to go on stage, and other various efforts that I consciously try. I have gotten pretty decent at learning names, but it is always a work in progress.  Sometimes it is like there are two parts of me that are in constant conflict.  One part of me wants to change and grow and the other part of me wants to stay the same and protect me from the unknown threats of change.  I don't like the idea of not growing and improving, so I hope they can work together better.

As you can tell, goals have been on my mind a lot.  Maybe it has to do with reading a lot on this topic recently and trying to figure out ways to continually improve myself.  I heard this great example about how taking a helicopter to the top of Mt. Everest wouldn't be as fulfilling as making it there yourself.  You would see what was at your final goal, sure, but it wouldn't mean anything and you wouldn't be equipped for climbing another mountain.  Earning something means more than taking shortcuts and probably teaches you more that can prove to be helpful in other parts of your life.

For example, my experience from Jr. High through college playing football helped me a lot.  I know people say this a lot and our coaches loved to tell us this, but a lot of it rings true.  I personally learned many important skills like mental toughness that has helped me throughout my life in school and my career.  The feeling of having no energy, wanting to quit, but keeping on and trying your best is something that just doesn't come natural.  How to follow orders and when to step it up and become a leader.  Another good thing I learned was about the routine of working out and pushing myself.  It is true that they have fallen by the way side dramatically in recent years, but as we all know when it comes to bad habits, they never go away and once you can get them started again, it is like riding a bike. I could make this same analogy about life and poker, but I'll save you that one right now.  The mathematical certainty that making the right decision despite the outcome will pay in the long run is the closest I probably come to having faith.

My brother Abram turned 28 years old last week.  For some reason I have kept myself in my mind at a stationary 30 years old even though I'm older and now it feels like he is catching up to me.  We had dinner with a group of friends on Saturday night and then went to a bar where Abram's friend got him a bottle.  It has been many many years since I have had bottle service at a bar.  I had a great time and since it had been a while since I had seen him, it was good to see he was doing well.

We went to this place I found out about by chance.  When I went in the night before to make a reservation, I ended up chatting it up with the hostess and bartenders for about two hours.  I know it is their job to talk and have fun with me, but we had some enjoyable conversations and it made for a nice night.  The next night when I went in it was nice to see them again.  Too bad they were quitting and that was their last day.

I have decided to try salsa lessons again.  It has always been something I have never been able to get past the beginner stage from, much like guitar.  People tell you to learn salsa to meet girls, but I don't actually care about that part.  (Don't get me wrong, I love meeting girls, it just isn't my motivation to trying to learn salsa.)  My friends have always been so great at it and I've always felt like the kid that can't swim with how often it comes into my life.  The place I signed up for lessons also had a yoga class the hour before, so I figured since I'm into getting outside my comfort zone, why not also try yoga.  It was a pleasant experience, but much harder than I expected.  The instructor was very helpful and kind to me. I'm sure most people get yoga crushes on their instructors, but her husband has nothing to worry about.  I'll probably compare every yoga instructor to her as a comparison.  I hope to try it again.

The salsa lessons were fun, but unexpectedly, there were more guys than girls there.  Probably because guys can't just pretend to dance salsa.  We practiced some of the basic stuff and hopefully it will be able to stick. Dancing is not a skill that is in my natural wheelhouse.  One thing I've always had trouble with, assuming I just don't lack a sense of rhythm and have a tin ear, is staying on beat.  I just can't ever get that right.  Once I learn that, I feel like I'll be able to learn anything.  I had a lot of fun and that is the most important part.

Finally, I just started listening to the new John Mayer album and really enjoy it.  There are a few songs on there that I really like.  I won't get into it, but I think it is worth a listen.  That reminds me, I bought my tickets for Austin City Limits this year, so I have a lot of new artists to learn about so that I can be prepared.


And that concludes my litany of random snapshots in my life that came to mind while I was writing.

"But with the will to work hard and a library card"

A Perfect Match

"Love: the irresistible desire to be irresistibly desired." -Mark Twain

The Weddings

I like to refer to 2012 as the Year of Love.  For some reason this has been the year of many weddings for the people closest to me.  My string of weddings started at Sam and Lauren's wedding I attended last summer in San Diego. Things really revved up in late 2011 when my cousin Rino got married to Jessica, then there was Ricardo and Kate's wedding just weeks ago in early April, Oscar and Clarita's Wedding this April, and Herbert's April Wedding.  Add to that my friend Ita's upcoming wedding in the fall, my brother's upcoming wedding in October and my friend Juan Carlos's recent engagement and it makes sense why I call this the year of love.  To put this in context, I had been to approximately three weddings total over the past ten years before this.

Oscar and Clarita's Wedding

In late April, I attended my friends Oscar and Clarita's wedding in San Juan, Puerto Rico. I was honored to had been asked to be a groomsman. They both live in Austin, but decided to have a destination wedding which made me very happy.   I had been to Puerto Rico a few times in the past, but it had been many years since and there was still a lot I had not taken in. Plus, who doesn't want to go back to Puerto Rico?

My Oscar Story

I met Oscar freshman year at Cornell.  We hit it off right away and it didn't take long for us to figure out we had a lot in common.  He was a Mexican-American from San Antonio, Texas, went to Boys State, loved football, the Spurs, and we both had the same birthday. We were also different in many ways, but we got along great. People actually thought we were related at times. We ended up living in the same dorm freshman year and we had many adventures during our college years.  From trips to Daytona Beach, Miami, to a Spurs game in San Antonio and a trip to Monterrey, Mx to visit his family. I even spent a summer at Cornell where he was kind enough to let me join the meal plan at his fraternity.  Oscar is good person and the quintessential nice and hard working guy.  He was a great student who, unlike me, always put his studies first, and was and is the kind of person without an ounce of malice in his body. It is easy to get along with Oscar, something you will hear many of his friends say.

Freshman Year at Cornell

Post-College

After college, I went out on my own path and didn't keep in that great of contact with a lot of my friends including Oscar.  He moved to Austin to make use of his engineering degree.  About 5 years later when I was a vagrant with a law degree in DC trying to figure out what my next step was, Oscar invited me into his home in Austin to study for my Texas bar exam.  I remember being so impressed with what an adult he had become with a home, stable career, investments and a very cool car.  It meant a lot that he was willing to help me out like that.  My temporary stay eventually became a more permanent one and it was great being able to pick up our friendship where it left off.  I eventually found my own place, but Austin became my new home.

I was quickly impressed with the mad salsa and golf skills Oscar had gained since college.  It even spurred me to take some lessons of my own for salsa, which sadly did not overcome my two left feet and weak sense of rhythm.  Golf I'm still working on.  I'll never forget when he first introduced me to his girlfriend Clarita.  She became a friend of mine in an instant and we got along really great. Clarita also became quick friends with my friend Christina.  As Oscar and Clarita's relationship grew, I could not believe the transformation I witnessed in both of them.  The were perfect complements for one another.   Oscar and Clarita became a formidable force who was always doing something to better themselves as a unit.  I was in awe watching how supportive they were of each other as Clarita was taking on new business ventures and Oscar was doing things like training for triathlons.  They both even influenced my eating habits for the better.  My most pleasant observation was how happy they both seemed around each other and how well they meshed.

I was very happy to hear the news that they had become engaged.  Oscar gave me an interesting primer on diamonds soon after and considering Ricardo and I also talked about that part of the process, I'm happy I know who to ask if I ever needed one. They were very organized in their wedding planning and made sure to get an early start.

The Wedding Shower

Before the wedding, Oscar and Clarita had a Wedding Shower in Austin that I attended with my friend Christina.  We had a good time and even got to meet some nice and interesting people.  Here are my Facebook Photos and Flickr Photos from the event.  The reason I have two links is that I tend to only put a few photos on Facebook and all of them on Flickr, but if you are from the web, you can probably only visit my Flickr photos.

At the Wedding Shower

The Wedding in Puerto Rico

I would have usually taken more time for a trip to Puerto Rico, but I was supposed to have a trial when I got back, so I had to cut it short to a Thursday - Sunday trip.  The trial later got moved, but my tickets were already purchased.   I left on a Thursday morning and the flight wasn't too bad, but I probably shouldn't have stayed up the night before packing and making sure my house was presentable for my sisters and cousins who were coming into Austin that weekend to spend time together.

When I arrived I was picked up from the airport by the mother of an old friend.  I hadn't seen her in many years and it was nice to spend time with her and try some authentic Puerto Rican food.  She was exactly how I remember.  I always appreciate how good some people can be to you.  It made for a good start to my trip.

By the time I arrived in Old San Juan, I had already missed the rehearsal at the Cathedral of San Juan where they were getting married the following day.  I was staying at Hotel El Convento, which was a very nice place where the reception would be held. The guys filled me in on what I had to do as a groomsman and it seemed manageable.  I met a few new friends and worked on learning as many names of friends and family as possible.  By the end of the trip I had most of them down.

That night was the rehearsal dinner at a nice restaurant.  We had our own private room upstairs and an endless supply of wine that seemed to refill the glasses on their own.  The maid of honor/sister of the bride, Sarita, did her toast speech.  It was heartfelt and moving and had most people in tears. It was the emotional insight into their close relationship.   Then the best man Danny, Oscar's best friend since he was little, did his speech and I agreed with every word.  A lot of family members stood up to share a few kind words.  It was so wonderful how much the all accepted each other into their respective families.  Oscar's sister put it best when she declared that they were a perfect match. Oscar even got up and said a few kind words.  I also got to meet the cousin of the bride, Blayre, who is also an attorney in Austin.  It is always fun to meet attorneys.  Then there was a slideshow that Sarita put together for Clarita and Oscar.  It had photos set to music starting from when they were babies until the present day.  It was so good you would think a professional had done it.  My first thought was, wow, I don't even have that many pictures of myself growing up. I felt so privileged to have been a part of the experience.

Clarita and Oscar listening to Sarita's Maid of Honor Speech.

After dinner that night the guys had drinks at this dive bar near the hotel.  It was Oscar, Danny, Chris, Alex and myself.  This is where I got to really meet Chris, who was a friend of Oscar's from San Antonio.  We got along with great. It was nice to be able to hang out with Oscar before his big wedding day and they filled me in on what they had been up to the nights before.  I was introduced to this beer called Medalla, which from what I can tell is a Puerto Rican beer.  It was my light beer of choice that weekend when I wasn't drinking Vodka soda.  I miss my Maker's and coke, but I'm trying hard to stay away from coke so I had to move to whiskey on the rocks.

Danny and Alex chatting at my favorite dive bar.

The following day, on Friday, was the big day and there wasn't much going on until 3pm when the groomsmen had to meet up before the 5pm wedding.  The girls got up early to get their hair and makeup done and Oscar was running around trying to make sure all the last minute items were taken care of.  I decided to take a personal walking tour of Old San Juan.  I walked the streets and found my way to El Morro.  I had been there once before, but this time I feel like I really took in the history.  It was a relaxing afternoon with the perfect breeze and sunshine. People were flying kites and enjoying the day. There is a nice peaceful calm about sightseeing in a foreign place all alone.

When I returned to the hotel, I helped Oscar out with some minor things and even steamed and ironed his suit and shirt while he was getting ready.  It feels good to help out in any way you can.  They had reserved a hotel room for the groomsmen where we had sandwiches and beer and where we finished getting ready in our tuxes.   It was fun and a nice touch.  Oscar's friend Ish was also there and it was fun to hang out with him.

Here I am right before the wedding.

Before we knew it, it was time for the wedding.  The highlight of the trip.  The Cathedral was grand and it had been some time since I had been to a Catholic wedding.  The small flask in my jacket didn't show, but the idea of having it was probably better than being able to drink from it. As a groomsman, I had a great view of the action.  There was a small orchestra playing the walking in music and this just cemented my view that they need to be at every wedding. The groomsmen stood in line next to Oscar at the front of the church. The moment Clarita came walking into the Church in her wedding dress was one I would not forget. The light coming in the back door added to the grandeur of the moment.  Oscar was quite overcome with emotion, a feeling that was contagious and moving.  He pulled himself together as her father brought them together and the mass ceremony began.  We then moved to sit down in the first row of pews and up in front of the church were the bride and groom and the best man and maid of honor.  It was a very nice mass and everything seemed to go so perfectly.  This definitely had all the trappings of a Catholic wedding.  I had met the priest at rehearsal dinner and really liked him.  He did a great job officiating the ceremony and it made me understand why it meant so much to bring him to PR for the wedding.  For some reason I never feel a marriage is official until the bride and groom kiss, though I'm sure there is a marriage certificate that would differ with me.  Once the priest declared that Oscar kissed the bride, they both kissed and then walked out as man and wife having taken their vows and wearing their new wedding rings. It was the type of church wedding I would imagine when I think about church weddings.

This was the same priest that married many other family members in Clarita's family.

After the wedding, it was time for wedding party pictures.  The bride and groom also went through their set of photos with friends and family and more family and then a few more with different variations of family.  I bet they never smiled so much in their life, but that had good reason to on this day.  We then proceeded to the reception for cocktail hour while the bride and groom went off to do more pictures.  I got to visit with many people and even made a few new friends. I also got to visit some some of Oscar's cousins from Mexico Chivis and Claudia. They were both so nice to me and I liked them a lot. It gave the opportunity to practice my Spanish.

After filling up on mojitos,  it was time for the dinner reception.  We all walked in as our names were announced and then came the bride and groom to much applause.  They had even prepared a dance for everyone that was impressive.  There was the usual dinner which tasted great and then time for the toasts, which were of tequila shots instead of champagne which was a nice touch.  Both Sarita and Danny did more than just reprise their speeches from the night before and their words were really touching.  Danny's words about Clarita were really sincere.  Clarita's younger brother Yayo got to do the final cheers as we all took our shots.

The rest of the night involved dancing the night away as the band played some great music.  It was probably the first time I've been to a wedding with a wedding band. I think it is more fun to dance in rented clothes because don't have to worry about keeping them nice and neat.

One of my favorite moments of the night was when the mariachi band came in.  They played some great songs, but then out of nowhere, they pulled out a mic and Clarita started singing as a surprise gift to Oscar.  I knew about her past as an amazing singer (a small part of the list of her many accomplishments), but man was I impressed when she started singing a song to Oscar.  It was remarkable and everyone cheered.  When the song was over and people started chanting, "otra, otra," so she sang another song, unrehearsed and I was even more blown away.  Oscar married a gifted woman with many talents.

There was the traditional bouquet and garter toss toward the end of the night and I did not catch the garter upholding my streak of getting very lucky or maybe just being sure to stand near the back  The wedding cake tasted great and I definitely made good use of the open bar that night.

After the reception, a group of us went out to the bars and had quite the epic night.   At one point we even ran into Puerto Rican celebrity Benicio Del Toro at a local dive bar.  I did not bother him for a photo, but it felt cool to be in the same bar as him.  The night ended right before the sun came up in the hotel hot tub where I was probably more sleepy than inebriated.

During the trip I feel like I got to know Oscar's best friend Danny better.  He is a great guy, was the perfect best man, and we had a lot of fun.  Clarita's sister Sarita brought her friend Chrystal to the wedding and she was quite the character and I enjoyed her company.  I don't think I've ever met a person originally from Wisconsin that was quite like her. She loved salsa dancing.  Sarita I had first met when Oscar and Clarita started dating.  Our first meeting did not go well, as we did not get along at all for reasons I don't even remember.  The next time we hung out we got along well, but it wasn't until the wedding that I felt like I really got to know her.  She was as cool as her sister Clarita had always said.  We had a lot of fun and had some great conversations.  You could see how hard she worked to be a great maid of honor for her sister.  I was happy we all got along so great because things are so much more fun when in the company of good friends.

Saturday morning was a day in which they had fun events planned for us.  We took a shuttle to a brunch at a restaurant over looking the beach which had an amazing view. The food was great too, but the atmosphere was perfect for being on a tropical island.

The groom and groomsmen at brunch.

Then we were off to El Yunque Rainforest on a tour bus.  I had never been before.  I enjoyed the the trip to the Rainforest a lot and was so impressed with the nature, the trees, the mountains and the views.  We even got to see a waterfall. 

When we got back from the Rainforest tour, it was our final night in town, so we all went out for one last dinner with authentic Puertorican food and then went out and had drinks. Since it was a Saturday night, we hit up the main bar strip in Old San Juan.  There were so many people, but I forgot how young the drinking age was there because a lot of them seemed so young.  As the night progressed, we ended up at a salsa bar where I witnessed some impressive salsa dancers.  It is times that like that motivate me to learn to salsa dance.

That is how they roll.

The next morning as Oscar and Clarita headed off for their honeymoon, I flew back to Austin with only memories and pictures.  I ended up being on the same flight as Clarita and Sarita's parents and enjoyed visiting with them.  It was an amazing vacation and a wonderful wedding.  I had such a great time.  I didn't even make it to the beach, or to see the algae that lit up at night, but I didn't care.   I enjoyed myself very much and am so very happy for Oscar and Clarita. The best part was how happy they looked.

Trip Photos

If you want the short version of the photos from my PR trip, check out my Facebook photos and if you want the longer version, here are my more complete Flickr photos.  I look forward to seeing the professional photos and maybe one day the wedding video.

Herbert's wedding

The very same weekend I was in Puerto Rico, my college best friend Herbert got married to his fiance Carolina in California.  I was sad that I missed such an important event, but I was happy that I got to celebrate with him in NYC the month before.  I hope they enjoyed my gift.  I talked to Herbert after the wedding and he gave me an update on how great the wedding went and it sounded like he and my friends who went, Jorge and Juan, had a great time catching up. I wish Herbert and Carolina all the happiness in the world and hope to finally get together with all of the old college gang at Juan Carlos' Wedding next year, which I hope might also be in Puerto Rico.

Well that about does it for me and weddings until my brother's wedding in October.  It is so wonderful to see such great things happening to your close friends and seeing them going through the different important milestones in their lives.  I would not have anticipated this when we were all just kids hanging out as college freshmen.  We have come very far in the decade since.  2012 has been such a happy year and I hope it continues.

passionate

A Lovely Wedding

"This 4th of February will be the mightiest day in the history of our lives, the holiest; the most generous toward us both -- for it makes of two fractional lives a whole; it gives to two purposeless lives a work; doubles the strength of each whereby to perform it; it gives to two questioning natures a reason for living; something to live for; it will give a new gladness to the sunshine, a new fragrance to the flowers, a new beauty to the earth, a new mystery to life; Livy it will give a new revelation to love, a new depth to sorrow, a new impulse to worship. In that day the scales will fall from our eyes; we shall look upon a new world. Speed it!"

- An excerpt of a letter from Samuel Clemens (better known as Mark Twain) to his wife Olivia Langdon five months before their wedding. Thanks to Mark and Ashley for introducing me to this passage at their wedding.

On April 13, 2012, my best friend Ricardo married a wonderful woman named Kate in Austin, Texas.   It was one of the most beautiful weddings I had ever been to and was truly a testament to the hard work they put into it.  It was a fitting celebration of their relationship, love and commitment.

I was honored to have been selected as Ricardo's best man.  I had never been a best man before and I did not take the privilege lightly.  The wedding was also a big moment for me because I was watching my best friend who I had known since we were little taking what I consider to be the most important step in his life.  The feelings of joy, pride and admiration continue to fill me.


I was lucky enough to have been kept apprise of stories about the trials of some of the planning process, but it wasn't until the big day did I fully recognize the amazing feat that Ricardo and Kate pulled off.  The wedding was absolutely gorgeous, with the outdoor gardens as the backdrop and the perfectly set tables with carefully selected flower arrangements.  It was the perfect tribute to their union.  I was happy to play a small role in helping select the whiskey for the event, and that was an experience in itself that I'll never forgot.  


The wedding was on a Friday in April here in Austin, TX at a very nice sculpture garden. Thursday evening was the rehearsal and the rehearsal dinner, Friday the wedding, and Saturday, an assortment of enjoyable events the couple planned in Austin for their guests.


I was given the wedding rings during the rehearsal to hold on to.  I felt very important to be able to hold for 24 hours to the symbols of their love that they will wear for the rest of their lives.  Needless to say, I took special care of them.  At the rehearsal dinner I was able to meet Kate's family, who were some of the nicest people I had ever met.  I'm always impressed by very smart, thoughtful and caring people.  I also got to meet Kate's little sister and Maid of Honor Emily.  She was as sweet as described and had an air of gentle kindness about her.  I also got to spend time with Ricardo's family who I hadn't seen in quite some time and who have always been so great to me over the years.  I especially enjoyed seeing how happy they looked to be celebrating their son's marriage.


One of my favorite parts of the wedding was that so many friends I hadn't seen in so many years gathered together for this great occasion.  It was a pleasure catching up on people's stories and great lives.  Kids, careers and love. There was a lot of reminiscing about old times.  I enjoyed my time with friends like Juan, his wife Vanessa, Jerry, his girlfriend Leonor, Carlos, his girlfriend Isis, Brad, his wife Rose, Itamar, his fiance Kelly, Ben, J.R., Sam and Rebecca.  I even got to meet a lot of Ricardo and Kate's friends and co-workers.

My dear friend Christina accompanied me as my date and I was very lucky to have her there celebrating with me.  Even though she had only met some of my friends briefly in the past, she got along so great with them. It is always advisable to have a person that can class you up.

My duties during the wedding were easy, I had to walk up to the alter, stand, smile and hand the rings to the officiant. I did my best to knock it out of the park knowing that I and the Maid of Honor were setting the background for the event unfolding before us.  The string orchestra they had playing was superb and something I think every wedding should have. There was nothing like the moment of the bride coming out and watching the groom set his eyes on his wife to be in her beautiful white dress.  Kate looked stunning and you could really see the joy in Ricardo's eyes and the awe in the audience.  There were two readings which were both poetic and humorous.  Kate's friend has the most enchanting British accent that made her words sound even more profound and Sandy's recital of Ricardo's selection really captured the humor.


The highlight, of course, was when the couple was pronounced man and wife and they shared their first kiss as a married couple before they walked down the aisle together. There was such a great feeling of happiness and joy in the air.

After the ceremony, there was a cocktail hour and reception.  I was a bit nervous because I would be sharing my best man toast/speech, so I tried not to drink too much.  In the end, it ended up going well, but there is always the feeling that you could do better or have said more.  Since the speech captured a lot of my feelings about Ricardo and Kate, I decided I'd share an excerpt here which is a rough estimation of what I tried to say.

[Click’s champagne glass] I hope everyone is having a great evening tonight. For those of you that I haven’t met, my name is Marty and I am the incredibly lucky person who is honored to be Ricardo’s best man. I first want to congratulate the parents of these two wonderful people for having raised such caring, thoughtful and accomplished individuals.

 Kate you look absolutely amazing today.   Ricardo you look sharp as ever my friend. You two look so great together and I hope you remember this moment always.

 I also want to take a second to say thanks to all the friends of the bride and groom that made it out to celebrate. As the old saying goes, “tell me who your friends are and I will tell you who you are.” And judging by the many of you that I know, that statement couldn’t be more true. 

Now my original plan was to just play it by year, but instead I decided to prepare a few quick words. I have been friends with Ricardo since we were in the second grade which Ricardo likes to refer to as his “glory years.” Growing up, Ricardo and I did a lot of things together like defending our lunchtime pington champion status, an elementary game that is basically just badminton with small tennis rackets. It was the beginning of a great team. As we got older, we even once decided to do a magic show in the 6th grade with the tricks we learned from his father. Since Ricardo was the magician, in retrospect I guess my role was more of the lovely assistant who got to point to stuff. The show almost got canceled when we almost burned his house down when we plugged in the “magic radio” into a power outlet making it explode. We have come a long way since then. I could talk to you all about memories at length, from various summer camps away from home, his love for 80s music, our trips to Valley Bowl, the hyadus club lunch meetings or even our one comical attempt at cruising on 10th street. But I would be remiss to not mention high school cross-examination debate.  Ricardo was so talented that our senior year a school even violated its own rules to allow him to be a judge. There was no question Ricardo would become a great lawyer. 

Ricardo, you have been a friend, competitor, mentor and role model my entire life. You taught me important lessons like how to play chess while talking smack, tell an interesting story, but most important about the value of loyalty and friendship.

Now being the best friend of the groom for so long, there may have been a time or two over the years that we talked about women and relationships while drinking. There is one story I’d like to share. One time when we were younger, Ricardo shared with me what he thought was important in relationships. He said, “the ideal couple are NOT two people that need each other to be strong, but instead two independently strong people that are now stronger because they are together.” He was wise even then. But the thing that I really took to heart was when he summed it up what he was looking for by saying, “the most important thing for me is that I find a woman who is lovely.”

 Kate, you are one of the loveliest people I have ever known. From my experience, Kate really understands Ricardo for who he is and when you factor that in with her kindness, her warmth, and her patience, it brings me great joy to know that Ricardo has found the lovely woman he was always looking for. 

Kate, You two really do make a great team. You have definitely found the smart, funny and charming guy. I’m proud of you Ricardo for finding and marrying someone as smart, thoughtful and beautiful as Kate. 

May you never forget that you are each other's greatest gifts. I would now like to propose a toast to Mr. and Mrs. Ricardo and Kate [last name]. [lifts glass] Here’s to their happiness and all of yours. Cheers!

Emily, the Maid of Honor, went up and did her speech after and it was great, heartfelt and funny.  The memorable part for me was when I learned that Kate was a formerly a vegetarian before she met Ricardo.  After the speeches, I felt a lot better, and the rest of the night we just danced the night away with Ricardo and Kate and had a great time.
 
As the night came to a close, everyone lined up and threw flower petals as the bride and groom entered their gateaway car.  It was a fun send off.


Considering the night was still relatively young and we were all dressed up, a group of us headed to the W hotel bar downtown to have a few drinks.  It was a fun night of hanging out, talking about the wedding, sharing old stories and creating new ones.

The next morning there was a brunch cruise on Town Lake/Lady Bird Lake.  It was my first time on Town Lake and I enjoyed the relaxing atmosphere as the Beatles played in the background.  

My friend Sam whose wedding I attended last summer in San Diego stayed with me for the weekend.  It was great getting to spend time with him and catching up.  That Saturday night there was a beer social event at the Gingerman downtown for all the wedding guests.  The beer selection was great and I got to see even more friends that didn't make it to the wedding.  It was a perfect way to end the weekend and a lot of fun. 

I put a lot of my photos on Facebook, but here are more of my photos of the weekend on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/hyadus/sets/72157629463251444/



It was an amazing weekend I'll never forget. I am very happy for Ricardo and Kate.  There is something about being able to look back on a person's life and see them in your mind's eye as a young kid  and watching through the years what he has done, what he has accomplished and ultimately how he ended up finding the love of his life.   I know this isn't the end of the story, much more like the middle, but it has a storybook feel to it.

absolutely honored