The machines will soon take over

So, Mandi and I got a Roku as a wonderful wedding present - awesome, since we're big Netflix users, and just discovered we can also use and watch Amazon videos on it, too. We also had some gift cards we exchanged for a Wii Fit, because we both discovered last year that it's actually a lot of fun and- if you do it while not otherwise impaired and you don't get competitive with your sisters such that you ignore all your body's warning signs to stop- it's probably a good way to get a little exercise, which we desperately need.

Personally, I love video games. I also have carpal tunnel syndrome, so video games played with minimal repetitive hand use are much appreciated. Aerobic exercise and health are side benefits. But all that is beside the point.

The point is, to set up the Roku, we had to set it up to connect to the wireless internet (easy to do). Then we had to sign into the account on the laptop, and the Roku talked back and forth a while so we could connect it to our various accounts. Today I set up the Wii to connect to the internet, so it too can... I don't know, surf the net while not in use.

This probably sounds mundane to the majority of our users, but Mandi and I were so in awe of the Roku and my laptop talking to each other across the room- instantly, so far as our little human brains could perceive- that we had to celebrate with KFC and Supernatural Season 5 episode 1.

A few years ago (when I was in high school, I think? When did USB ports start showing up on computers?), I bought a 4GB backup drive so I could back up all my computer data. CDs weren't working for me, though they were a step up from the Zip drive. I think the 4GB backup drive cost a couple hundred dollars. It was a little larger than a normal pack of gum, it ran so slow it took most of the day to back up my files, and it got hot enough to the touch that I had to use a cloth to pick it up when it was done. Yesterday, Mandi grabbed a 4GB card for her camera for less than $20.

I still have a vintage box for Roberta Williams' "King's Quest IV: Perils of Rosella," which is the first computer adventure game I can remember playing (for the record, my mother never allowed consoles in our house). Perils of Rosella was released in 1988, and rocked the world of computer gaming with how advanced its graphics and sound were. The game came on four floppy disks (the smaller, hard ones, though I had older games on the other kind). The box boasts:

Includes an entire 215k of game data! Hard drive recommended. Mouse optional.

All I can say is, wow. The world has changed.

In the blink of an eye

The wedding was wonderful - perfect. The closest thing I can compare it to is seeing particularly good visual fan-art, and having that moment of, "Oh my god, here in front of me is that person I imagined," except it was nothing like that.

If I had dreamed the wedding... well, it would be nothing like this, because in my dreams/anxiety-prompted nightmares, nothing went right. On the day itself, everything went right. I could not have wished for it to be any more beautiful.

We had tons of friends from a variety of places fly in-- Alaska, Washington, Minnesota, and Ohio represented-- and many of them stayed with us before the wedding. I was nervous beforehand about having house-guests, but they were all wonderful. The two who came in early and stayed with us a while (Mace and Devon) before the wedding were seriously the best house-guests you could ask for; they made those last anxiety-filled days so much easier. We all laughed so hard we probably seemed like crazy-people. It was wonderful - and then even more friends came in, and then family I haven't seen in years. Remarkably, air-travel cooperated; several people were early, and not a single person got into the airport late, so our five trips into Logan were relatively easy.

The day of... everything was beautiful. The anxiety dissipated during my hair-and-makeup appointment, after which the sentimental feeling made me nearly cry every time I saw a new person in the bridal party. Have you ever seen women fanning their faces with their hands, usually in silly TV shows and such? I never thought I would actually do that, but lo and behold...

There are a bunch of pictures posted in the Chatter forum on the Message Boards, and I'm sure more stories will come out there if you want to know more. For now... I'm checking back in to real life, with some of the best memories of my life to cherish and hold on to.

Yours,
Mrs. Atwater-Rhodes

PS - yes, we're each keeping our own names, but yes, I am using the Mrs. I fought for the right to be a Mrs in the Massachusetts State House. I'm wearing the title.