Weddings Adventure Part II: The Cast

Previous to the Mexico wedding we knew seven people who would be in attendance.  Nathaniel and Ariel are from Alaska and own the house Bo and Lia are currently living in.  We have spent more time in their house than we have hanging out with them, which greatly amused Nathaniel.  Bo and Lia are able to stay in their house as Nathaniel is currently away at farming school and loving it, two things that I don't remotely understand.

Bella*, the photographer, had taken taken Bo and Lia's engagement pictures.  She had recently given up a job in finance to start a career where she was more passionate.  We liked her work for them and commissioned  her to do our own engagement photos*. Bo and Lia liked her even more so they flew her out to Mexico to take their wedding pictures.  She got a nice vacation and some cash and all she had to deal with what the brutal taskmaster that is Lia (it is okay if you don't really feel like taking pictures, why not just spend the day in the pool?)

*While she was here we showed her our wedding pictures. While doing so, she asked if that was a Settlers of Catan cake.  Reason 27 I really like having had a Catan cake; you can determine if people are gamers by showing them your wedding pictures.

*She did not disappoint.  She shared our vision, was absurdly cheap, and produced outstanding pictures, some of which can be seen here.
 
Kevin and Ellen are our two really good Boston friends* who didn't spend the weekend getting married. Kevin really doesn't like going on vacations, but doesn't seem to have any objection to actually being on vacation.  After all playing Tichu while relaxing in the sun in Mexico is even nicer than playing Tichu in dreary Boston. Ellen on the other hand loves going on vacations, or rather loves having gone on vacation so she can show off how wonderful her vacation was in 6.2 million pictures.  At one point she was wandering around the resort while skyping, pointing the laptop at the majestic scenery.

*We actually met Kevin at Bo at the same time, on 11/11/08.  No I don't tend to remember dates like these, but this one I can look up.  Becky and I had gone to a local game night at Eureka, an outstanding game and puzzle store in Coolidge Corner.  There Kevin, Bo, and I played a game none of us had hear of before, a deck building game called Dominion.  We discussed afterwards getting together to play more games. Becky and I occasionally discussed this with other game night participants, but nothing ever came of it.  This time however, by the time I got home, I had e-mails from both Kevin and Bo about gaming the next night.  This is what is known as a good day.

Bo and Lia, our hosts, are Alaskan salmon fishermen* who spend half her year in Alaska and the other half in Boston where Lia works on a PHD program at BU.  I'm told Bo works absurdly hard as a fisherman, working upwards of 20 hours a day, but I only know him as someone who never has anything to do, which makes a rather useful friend.  Lia, on the other hand, we can sometimes with a concerted effort get her to take a 10 minute break from her studies.

*Yes like the show Deadliest Catch except no not really.