Cleaning and Prepping - 1992

Twenty Years Ago today, we were cleaning our apartment.  Small apartments were scarce in the university town, and we knew it would be all but impossible to find one in the middle of the year.  At the end of the summer, when we found a nice one-bedroom apartment in a brand-new complex, we signed up quick.  I still lived at home, but Jay and his brother stayed in the apartment during fall semester.  After finals, I wanted to clean up the bachelor pad and get it ready for newly-wed living.

It really wasn't as bad as I just implied it was, but it's always nice to start out clean.  We spent the day helping Jeff pack up, tidying, putting my dishes in the kitchen cupboards, vacuuming, and cleaning the bathroom.  It was exciting.

When we were mostly done, it was time to have the wedding dinner and a chance for our families to really meet each other.  It was a small dinner at an historic home turned into a bed-and-breakfast.  It was a lovely evening, filled with delicious food and lots of dinging on the goblets by Jay's dad to get us to kiss.  Didn't mind that one at first, but after a while...  ;-)

When the dinner was done, we ran back to the apartment to finish up the last little bit.  My mother had invited Jay to stay overnight with our family (gasp!), so we packed his bag and headed off to my last night at home.  When we got there, the house was strangely silent.  We sat on the couch and visited, full of plans and ideas, waiting for my family to get home.  It didn't take long to get uncomfortable.  Where was my family?  Where was my mother?  She had done such a good job of chaperoning me with boys - and now she's leaving us alone?

I couldn't wait any longer.  I had to shower.  My hair was thick and long - about down to my waist.  I was putting it up in rollers for the big day, and I knew it would take a while.  I came out with dripping hair, and my family was still gone.  Jay was the one who helped me roll the locks up in the plastic tubing I got at the hardware store, to make spiral curls.  Still no family.

Finally, finally!  They came home.  It was nearing midnight, and they had all been out!  With my little brothers!  Jon was only 9, and Mom never allowed him to stay out until anything that even resembled late, and here it was, in the middle of the night!

And where have you been...?  At the church, decorating for your reception.  ...oh...  ...oops... didn't even think about that.

When we got engaged, nine months earlier, we had agreed to a night-before-the-wedding plan.  If either of us got cold feet, we would call the other, sneak out and talk it over with a Slurpee.  Jay loved 7-11 Slurpees.  I guess we didn't have to do it, since we spent half the night rolling up my hair instead.  And he didn't even get a shower!