Was it a going away party or a wedding?

We pulled a fast one.  Well at least we tried.  On August 19 Connie and Scott threw a going away party at the Greenwood Masonic Lodge at 80th and Greenwood Avenue.  We invited about 50 friends and asked them to BYOB.  Ocho Pies arrived at 5:00 and set up and a few friends arrived and helped us get the food and bar ready.  Then at 6:00 PM people started to filter in. Ocho started playing and we started to fill the little hall.  When the band finished the first set just after 7:00 PM they took a break and our friend Lorree took the microphone and called on Michael Olson and Daneen Balcirak to come up to the stage...  as witnesses.

"You people who came up from Olympia know that these are my marrying people clothes .You all think you are here for a going away party, which you are, but this is also my first time doing a surprise wedding.  And now we'll ask for the bride and groom to take the stage."  At this time Michael pretended that he was the one getting married and Daneen laughed and blushed.  Then Connie and Scott came up to the stage.  Connie had changed into a creme colored sari and Scott put on a fancy shirt.

Mr and Mrs Connie Bunyer

There was a surprised gasp from the crowd and then we proceeded with the nuptials.  After the exchange of vows and rings and the long sweet kiss we jumped over a broom, tied ourselves together with a rope, exchanged coins, drank some wine out of a stemmed glass then smashed the glass on the floor.  We were married! Yahoo!

What followed was dancing and music and cheese and good feelings and good times. At one point everyone in the room formed two circles and danced around and around to the Tarentella.  Later Scott whipped a chair out into the room and motioned to Connie to take a seat. She did, then four strapping men lifted her up in the air and we danced around the room to Gogol Bordello's "Start Wearing Purple."

At the close of the evening everyone had that warm loving glow.

Thank you friends for joining us and for those that were not there we wish you well and miss you already.  And thank you friends for your generosity and love.

We're leaving Seattle in about three weeks and are shedding possessions left and right. Next we'll have our on-line virtual garage sale, then an actual garage sale, then a trip to Goodwill. And we'll be free to head south in the little Honda, headed for California and then Ensenada where we'll be on the boat at the marina until we muster up enough courage to head out into the deep blue Pacific Ocean.