Licensed to Wed and Independence Daze

It's been another busy, busy holiday weekend here in Omaha, with fireworks, parties, and dancing outdoors. The excitement first started on Wednesday evening, when Vivian and I took a pretty big step toward matrimony: we went to the Sarpy County Court House and filed for our marriage license! We aren't official yet, of course. We still have to go through the ceremony, and my Uncle Ben has to sign some of the paperwork, but we're just a couple "I Do's" away from tying the knot.

We had been hoping to go enjoy Shakespeare on the Green with some of our Jitterbug friends afterwards, but it was unfortunately canceled due to "inclement weather," (AKA LIGHT SPRINKLES). We had a great time, despite our weenie thespians bailing on us, as we found an empty picnic table and enjoyed goofing off and having a picnic dinner together. Eric has all the important details of this lemons-into-lemonade event over on his blog.

On Thursday night, we kicked off our three-day weekend by heading over to Jenny's house to set off fireworks in the backyard. It was loads of fun, watching Hugh's Roman candle tip over and send sparks flying over to the neighbor's back yard, then running around waving sparklers like little kids. I got to experiment with the fireworks setting on my camera, too, capturing some of the pretty colors that celebrate our nation's independence.

On Friday the Fourth, Vivian and I were back in Ralston marching and dancing in a parade with a bunch of our Jitterbug friends. The weather was very nice for July, with a cool breeze most of the way. Vivian unfortunately twisted her ankle twice before the parade was finished, and wound up hobbling about for the rest of the day. We still made it down to tenth street to watch the fireworks over Rosenblatt Stadium that night, always a beautiful sight.

On Saturday, Vivian and I spent most of the day unpacking and cleaning up our new apartment, making the living room fit for company at last. Then we went down to Shakespeare on the Green afterward to celebrate. It was a packed house, of course, since it was the last show of the season and a holiday weekend to boot. They were playing Much Ado About Nothing and put on a good how. Vivian unfortunately cut herself with a knife, and the two of us spent the first scene of two with the friendly first aid people patching her up. In between acts, we got to sample our wine, cheese, and fruit together, lounging about like Elizabethan royalty as the rest of the play went on. I'm so glad we didn't miss it.

Sunday was supposed to be a "catch-up" day for me, but I wound up getting distracted having fun with friends yet again. We were down dancing on the Gene Leahy Mall Sunday afternoon, enduring the steamy July humidity for a couple hours of dancing outdoors. It seems like ages since I've danced indoors on a real dance floor rather than on asphalt in my sneakers. Afterward, most of us wandered south to Bellevue for Eric and Ben's house warming party. We got to gorge on hot dogs and hamburgers while playing Guitar Hero and Apples to Apples. Who would have guess that Hugh would connect "Hot and Heavy" with "My Mother." (Apparently, Sarah did. Lucky guess.)

All in all, it was a fun-filled weekend. Now all we need is another one so we can actually prepare for this wedding thing coming up in less than two weeks.