Wedding Registries and Wedding Gifts

Today, Aviva and I went out in search of a wedding present for two good friends of ours who are getting married on July 1st. We really wanted to attend the wedding but getting there will be nearly impossible as they've chosen a rather out-of-the-way location for the event: Heckman's Island, Nova Scotia. It would involve either a very long drive or a flight combined with a shorter drive in a rental car. Either method would be an expensive proposition. And, we'll have just returned from visiting Aviva's family in La Palma/Germany and I can't imagine finding someone else to look after our menagerie while we are away for another trip. If we weren't already going to Europe, I would have suggested a road trip, camping along the way with the dog. It would be so nice to travel up the coast, stopping to eat some lobster in Maine, perhaps? And given that I haven't been back to the Maritimes in many years, which is where I was born, it would be nice to visit a few old haunts. Although it may seem like a very unusual choice of location for a Rochester couple's wedding, one of the brides went to school in Halifax and, apparently, she now loves the place. Not surprising. I've heard similar stories from other friends of mine. I'm sure that Bill C-38 also had something to do with the decision to marry in Canada. Anyway, we'll be going to a desert and champagne party tomorrow for all the invitees who won't be able to attend the actual ceremony. We bought them a big basket, which we've filled with kitchen gadgets, some of which were on their registry list. Others were weird things that we thought they'd like and that seemed to fit with the kitchen theme: a beautiful bamboo cutting board, a few OXO tools, a retro double timer, a silly ice-cream scoop, etc, etc. We also threw in a few treats for their pets as they have a zoo that's even larger than ours! The whole concept of wedding gift registries is rather strange, though. I couldn't help but wonder what they would be doing with two sets of kitchen tongs, one 12'' and one 9''. Or, why they would want people to buy them all this cumbersome stuff given that they are moving to start new jobs in the fall. In trying to make our selections from the ever-shrinking gift list, Aviva and I also felt a bit of envy. I mean, really, who wouldn't like to request a Kitchenaide stand mixer in robin's-egg blue or canary yellow? Only weddings really give you an excuse to ask for such useful but indulgent things. In any case, I wish them all the best with the wedding and their impending move to Georgia, where it may be a long time before two women can experience a legally-sanctioned marriage.

In other news, I went on a very long run this evening. I left the house at about 4:50, moving at a slow and steady pace, and returned home at 6:05. It felt really good to run and enjoy the spring air. The sky was overcast but the rain held off and there was enough sun to keep me from getting cold. And perhaps most importantly, I had absolutely no problem maintaining my pace or my enthusiasm. Now what remains to be seen is if I can stick to a regular routine. Now that I've begun to find some nice running routes in the new neighborhood, I think it will be much easier to get my butt out the door! I also wantto enter my name in the NYC marathon once again but it's happening on November 6th and the Modernist Studies Assocation Conference for which I submitted a panel proposal is on from Nov 3-6. Sigh. I don't think it's wise to bank on going directly from an academic conference to a marathon, huh?