I'm hoping that we'll be able to get to Toronto City Hall tomorrow afternoon to pick up our marriage license. It will ease my nerves to have it in hand.

There will be a short, somber side-trip during our travels. My aunt Julie died on Monday, and Deb and I will be renting a car and driving to my Uncle Dan's house in extreme upper western New York for the memorial service on Friday. Julie had intestinal cancer, and we knew it was just a matter of time. We weren't very close, but only because that side of the family lives so far away. The last time I saw Dan's family was at my father's funeral six years ago. My mother and one of my sisters are driving up.

As long as we have the car, and we have to drive through Niagara to get there, Deb and I will stop in Niagara Falls on the way back to Toronto. I'm hoping that will lift our spirits a bit and get us back into the fun, happy wedding weekend mood. I've even browsed a little about stuff you can do at Niagara Falls, and the rates for a 20-minute plane tour aren't too bad. I'll just have to see if I can talk Deb into it. After the next morning, we'll be on foot or on mass transit the rest of the time.

We don't have any other solid plans other than our marriage ceremony on Monday, so I guess we'll spend the weekend walking around and shopping and sight-seeing and scouting for interesting-looking restaurants.

Last week, my company held a wedding shower for Deb and me. It was a lot of fun, and wonderful to have all of the support. Even our Mormon CEO came and offered to loan us his pop-up 10x10-foot tents for our party. They Deb into another room and had her answer some obscure questions about her past then brought her back and had me try to answer them, a la The Newlywed Game. I only got five out of eleven correct. That's not too bad considering that Deb said she had to make up some of the answers because she couldn't remember the answers herself.

So, I thought I'd leave you with some photos from that party.

I think they enjoyed having us in the hot seat. When my personnel manager told me they were planning to do this, I warned her to think carefully about what questions she would ask Deb. Because Deb would answer them. Honestly. So all of the questions were squeaky-clean, no chance for a ribald answer type of questions.

They also had a massive cake for us.

We gave some to Ricky and Lucy and another big hunk to Jake and Sara, and we'll finish the last of what we kept from the leftovers tonight.

Thank you to everyone for the wonderful notes and comments of support and for the donations to our charities.

Moving on - 12:11 p.m. , 2007-08-14

Where the hell have I been? - 12:10 p.m. , 2007-02-19

Holy shit! - 2:24 p.m. , 2006-01-11

Stuffing recipe - 6:17 p.m. , 2005-12-13

Good Life Update - 10:22 a.m. , 2005-11-11