DAY 24 JULY 30 ROCKFORD FILES? NO ROCKFORD ROCKS!

Remember ol Jim Rockford???

Jim Rockford is a fictional character on the television series The Rockford Files. The character, played by James Garner, is a struggling private investigator operating in Los Angeles.  Did you like that  70's show?  Bubs was more partial to  Garner's other TV series...Maverick.  

And has absolutely nothing to do with Rockford Illinois. 

Rockford is a mid-sized city located on both banks of the Rock River in far northern Illinois. Often referred to as "The Forest City", Rockford is the county seat of Winnebago County, Illinois, USA. As reported in the 2010 U.S. census, the city was home to 152,871 people, the third most populated city in the state behind Chicago and Aurora.  So other than the cultural center of Winnebago County why did Bubba and Boca visit Rockford? 
 Boca's high school pal, Kathy-  in Post divorce- asked us to be her date for her niece's wedding.  Yeah, why take some schlub when you can have Bubba and Boca!

I must say it was my first time to Wedding Smash...as in I didn't know the bride or the groom. Have you ever been to a wedding where you didn't know the bride or groom?  Nevertheless, always fun to be with upbeat young people....glad I did those Zumba classes so I could keep up.  Good to see Kathy and  big sis Sue mug it up. Haven't seen Sue since 1968!  Boca loves the wedding party trolley concept...tried to tag along, but Bubs reminded me to mind my p's and q's as we were not in the wedding party.  Now how's that for a hottie bride.  A very handsome couple indeed.  Good prep for the upcoming Labor Day weekend wedding in Chi town that we are officially invited to.  Pace yourself Boca.  I did ask the young people why the vast majority (seems like 95%) of brides and grooms lived together pre engagement and pre wedding?  I just don't get it...the main answer was "for financial reasons."  And may I quote Bubba "I don't care what THEY are doing out there, all I care about is my little girl"....oh Alex.  God forbid- this would be a case where ignorance is bliss.

Kathy had heard about the 312 Beer.  312?  as in the Chicago land area code?  Yup.  Now owned by Budweiser and gaining national popularity.  That poor bagpiper....she insisted he pass her one of the 312's so she could be ONE BUD WISER. I did have the opportunity to meet one of the groomsmen who told me he was a Veteran.  Well thank you for your service sir.  And naturally I wanted the details of his service and  the next thing you know he tells me he is a member of IVAW.  IVAW?  IRAQI VETERANS AGAINST THE WAR.  This organization was founded in 2004 at the annual convention of veterans for Peace (VFP)- "giving a voice to the large number o active duty service people and Veterans who are against this war, but are under various pressures to remain silent"- oh my.  Feel free to check out their web site  www.ivaw.org.  Now you can imagine how the conversation started rolling.  Actually, I was quite civil and very curious about his thoughts and this organization.  Your take??

In the meantime this young crowd had a ball with Bubba ( 007), Kath (weighs less than in high school/looking mighty hot) and Boca's bling.   Glad to see we could still keep up!  We were handed so many business cards for some follow up fun but the next day in post wedding day fog- hard to remember who was whom?  I told Bubs, we must write on the back of the card date we met, where and some descriptor so our brain engages with the card.  What's your method to identify who belongs to those random cards you find in the bottom of your purse or wallet???

So long Kathy.  Had a great time with you and your family.  Good to know sis Sue and bro John live in Florida.  Another good reason to visit us more often.  And you can count on Bubs and me to visit you at least once every 30 years!  We will be sure to connect at our high school reunion Oct 15. and your skinny mini-ness has inspired me to jump up and down a lot more.  That divorce thing looks like it's working for ya babe.  And who out there is going to their high school reunion this year?