The Week that Was
Operating a small nonprofit that’s running out of funding and being otherwise retired often leaves a significant chunk of time in my days, affording me opportunities to volunteer for causes I’m passionate about.
Right now, as I’ve mentioned in previous KTKs that means working remotely for the Beto O’Rourke team to unseat Ted Cruz. Last week I wrote that I had just joined the texting team and a week in I’m starting to get familiar enough with the whole process so that I can actually edit the recommended responses and know exactly how to spot someone who’s trying to goad me into apoplexy.
Things are downright enjoyable when your assignment is contacting Beto supporters to see if they’ll sign up for a phone bank or block walk or to attend a Beto event. But when you’re assigned a few thousand Voter ID texts to sign up potential Beto supporters, things can get damned ugly when you reach a MAGA or Cruz voter. It’s absolutely necessary to take a break during these stints because some of these folks just don’t want to accept your “Got it. Have a great Day.” response. They have found a platform to vent their vitriol and eventually you just have to Opt them out for abusive and foul language.
All in all, texting for Beto has been a great diversion for me during these few weeks when life has been throwing spitballs my way. Having too much time on my hands means I can ruminate to over such matters as:
- The housing situation is once again up in the air as the deal which guaranteed I’d be able to stay downstairs fell through
- That October retreat with the “yoga diva” remains something I continue to obsessively equivocate over. how can I get out of it?
My anxiety reached unbearable levels with the arrival Friday of the long-dreaded invitation to my nephew’s black tie wedding at the Metropolitan Club in New York City. (The ‘save the date’ announcement had arrived well over a month before so I knew I’d made the cut.)
The Invitation
It was several days before I could bring myself to open the envelope and take out the formal ivory 100 lb. cardstock matte classic invitation.
And then before I did open it, I received an email from my brother asking if I planned on coming to the wedding.
So then I finally opened the envelope and there it was, just to the right of “Dinner and dancing to follow” — the ominous “ Black tie.”
First thing I did was to check out the RSVP and note, as I anticipated, there was no “And guest”
From The Knot on who should get a plus one invite:
A VIP Guest Who Won’t Know Anyone
Say one of your very best friends from childhood who lives across the country is a VIP guest, and single. While she knows you and maybe your parents and partner, none of you are likely to have much time to spend with her. Give important guests who fit this description a plus-one so they can feel comfortable and have fun too.
So I am not an important enough guest to warrant the courtesy of bringing along a guest? He hasn’t invited any of his cousins which means my daughter and god-daughter won’t be there. I’d have to fly out to NYC just a few weeks after returning from Morocco (if I do go), check into a hotel room, and go to the wedding solo.
This really got my dander up so I put on my editor’s glasses to read through the engraving for any errors in style or format. With great satisfaction, I discovered they didn’t realize that in writing out the year, in this case 2018, one never puts “ and “so written properly it would read “Two Thousand Eighteen” and NEVER Two Thousand and EIghteen. (emilypost.com/...)
Few events require as much glamming up as a black-tie wedding. When an extremely fancy wedding invitation arrives, you already know you're in for a black-tie affair before you even open it up and see "Black Tie Required." And with those three little words, you know you're going to be dressing to the nines
When you wear a floor-length dress, the goal is to have the hem graze the ground.
You can only wear a cocktail dress if it's very formal. It can fall above-the-knee, but it shouldn't get much shorter than that for a black tie wedding … keep the hemline modest and keep any cleavage to a minimum. ... As a finishing touch, pair your cocktail dress with sleek heels, gorgeous jewelry and an elegant clutch so the overall look is formal.
For men, the elements of black tie are: A white dress shirt. A black bow tie. An evening waistcoat or cummerbund. A dinner jacket (called a tuxedo in the United States), of black or midnight blue wool, in which the jacket lapels and trouser braid are of silk or other contrasting material.
Yesterday, I finally marked the RSVP ‘Regretfully Decline’ and ordered a lavish present from their bridal registry.
And responded to my brother’s email that as I would be in Europe and Morocco in October I would not be attending the wedding.
Then I spent the rest of the afternoon being polite to Ted Cruz supporters on the Relay Texting program.
This morning I spoke with my other brother’s girlfriend. Their invitation is en route because they just moved to California from Long Island. She doesn’t think they are going either.
“The Metropolitan Club?” she said. “Are you kidding me? I’m going to call them up and pretend I’m thinking of having a wedding there and find out the cost. I can’t believe this.”
What do you figure a wedding for 200 might costs?
She called me back this afternoon. The invitation arrived stuffed inside a huge orange envelope splattered with a fistful of stamps with their new address, sent not from the groom but by his father. The invitation itself was addressed to my brother and guest.
Kinda warms your heart, huh?
Some of the special features which come complete with each wedding at the Metropolitan Club:
- Separate, unique spaces for each component of your day- Ceremony, Cocktails, Dinner and Dancing
- Two palatial ballrooms, the West Lounge & the Presidents' Ballroom, overlooking Fifth Avenue and equal in size (3,400 square feet) accommodate up to 240 guests with dancing.
- For larger weddings with up to 320 guests or for clients who want a non-traditional reception, dancing can take place in the Great Hall, directly adjacent to the West Lounge ballroom.
- Personalized menu and wine tasting in the months before your wedding
- A luxurious Bridal Suite included for two nights with complimentary snacks the afternoon of your wedding
- White gloved servers to greet guests with a specially designed cocktail
So, what’s going on in your world today?
Kitchen Table Kibitzing is a community series for those who wish to share part of the evening around a virtual kitchen table with readers of Daily Kos who aren’t throwing pies at one another. Drop by and tell us about your weather, your garden, or what you cooked for supper. Newcomers may notice that many who post diaries and comments in this series already know one another to some degree, but we welcome guests at our kitchen table, and hope to make some new friends as well.