Wake up fuzzy. Decide that McDonald's from the food court would make a good breakfast. Must still be fuzzy. It's not bad but good's a stretch. We're gonna pyramid out this morn cause what the hell, we're here. Check out the men who are bluish (Are you bluish? You don't look bluish!) Man, $75. buck's a lot for a show. Have to think about it. We check out the replica of the Tomb of Tutankhamen. It's really a true replica down to the most minute detail, except for maybe ...sand, heat, people with Egyptian accents. Just $5. a head though. Reasonable, no? It's really cool as tableaus go. Next stop, or go, if you will . Go, that is. Please go. If you will. Yo. Just Go! No. Not you. You can stay. OK. What I mean to say the next thing we do is go on one of Douglas Trumble's  media/ride thingies. A shaky romp through the old tombs. In 3D. Whee. A lot of bouncin. Just a $7. trouncin. Decided that we hadn't lost enough money yet. It is Vegas. So we make the dubious investment of $150. for two Blue. True. What will it do. Delightfully ensue or regrettably screw. After Wednesday nights 10 o'clock shoew, we knew. Whew!

      The shower moistens Marylou while I write my Best Man's speech about how Joe and Dawn are the luckiest couple on earth. Then I iron my shirt, we get all gussied up and leave at 12:45. We drive over to the Aladdin to pick up John and Deb who we are supposed to meet by the valet parking. But we go in the wrong entrance. So we leave, drive around the block and try again. This time we get close enough to see where we are supposed to meet but can't get from the garage to the pick up spot so, try again. Around the block one more time but this time we got directions which lead us to a gate marked NO ENTRY - AUTHORIZED VEHICLES ONLY. So we try another gate but, egad, we can't get to the doors where we are supposed to meet again. So I reverse and go back, enter the AUTHORIZED VEHICLE ONLY gate and whammo, we're there, but they're not, even though we're late. This entrance is big with lots of traffic but it's underground and you would not know of it's existence if you hadn't been there before. So Marylou goes inside to find the missing folks. A big white limo arrives and parks behind me. Marylou emerges with no company saying they were nowhere to be found but she left word with the desk to tell them where we were if anyone should inquire. I ask the limo driver if he is waiting for the same people we are. Yup! But where the hell can they be?

     Then all of a sudden everything comes together at once. Aladdin rubs his magic lamp and Poof! In a flurry of activity the wedding party appears as if out of thin air. Corporeal. Right in front of us. Ready to roll. Well almost. Two out of three ain't bad. Looks like this thing might go off after all. Dawn looks radiant in her gown. She got it from a place called David's at Rts. 1 & 320 in Delco. Don't go looking for it. It burned down. This may have caused some consternation on her part but the gown was saved from the flames and delivered intact.  She had to get it dry cleaned though. No, not because it smelled like smoke, but because all the women checking to see if it smelled like smoke got makeup all over it necessitating the cleaning. Crazy world, huh? Deb decided to ride in the limo so John and Augie got in the car with us. I had made an arrangement with the limo driver to let him lead and I would follow to the Chapel of Love. He drove like a madman but I can do that too so I stuck like glue to his rear bumper for the quickest ride up the strip we had our whole time in Vegas.

     We arrived at the Graceland Wedding Chapel on time. Something I thought impossible but the quick driving limo guy had a lot of practice making up lost time with a lead foot. Didn't matter anyway as we had to wait for Mike & Lynn and Juvie & Mary. Finally they showed, better late than never but there was still one crucial absence. Someone without whose presence the ceremonies could not proceed. Elvis! Waiting around outside Dawn's mom came up to me offering an unusual gift, handcuffs. She told me that when the minister says, "You now may kiss the bride" to give them to Dawn and she will cuff herself to Joe. Sounds good to me. I take the cuffs and the keys. We went inside and talked to the Minister. They had the option to be married by Elvis, but it cost more and with the Minister doing the marrying it leaves Elvis free to do other things, like sing. The Minister informed Dawn that she can have a religious or a civil ceremony. "What's the difference?" she queried. One mentions God and the other doesn't he replied. Not having any beef with God she decided he could be in the wedding too. Then the Minister talks to Joe's dad because he is giving Dawn away. The Minister tells him, When I ask who gives this woman away? You answer "I do."  Then you can kiss her on the cheek and give her to Joe. "I'm gonna kiss her on both cheeks" Joe's dad says. "Just don't kiss her on all four cheeks" quips Joe.

     Still waiting for the King. I find my way to a side room and watch some of a Western Conference NHL playoff game with some of the chapel's employees. The Dallas Stars and somebody else were fighting to bring Lord Stanley's Cup to town. Finally Elvis shows up. I guess royalty has to keep the commoners waiting a little. So as the King tunes his axe and the Minister practices the pronunciation of Joe's name, I ask Dawn how's she doing. "I'm really nervous," she says. As the seconds tick down on his bachelorhood, Joe looks a little nervous too.
 

A lovely Dawn

It's almost time