Details of the Hitch

Finally I have a free minute to jot down the details of my "quickie" marriage to Demetrio. My week has been hectic. I arrived back from Las Vegas with a slight "airplane virus" that has kept my throat raw for about three days. While I am trying to pack, clean, work, have dinner with friends who want to say "goodbye" I am plagued with a hacking cough and the sniffles. My worst fear is being sick on the plane ride to Rome, first we connect in Amsterdam, a nine hour flight, then to Rome. I had the urge to double-up on my blood pressure medication this week.

Back to the wedding, yes it was in the back of a large, van style taxi. I arrive home Friday evening and see he had "Googled" Las Vegas on Expedia on our home computer, he does not say anything definite when I question him. After a trip to Home Depot and Lowes for a dryer and packing supplies, Demetrio "presents" the idea to me in the KFC drive-thru on 130th and Aurora in Seattle, not very romantic.....There was no proposal here. We get back home and after 2 hours I press "Book It" and we are on our way.

Our flight leaves Seattle on the 4th of December at noon and we land in Vegas at 5 pm. After freshening up and changing we catch a cab and are off, first to the courthouse, then to pawn shop #1 (which is closed), then to pawn shop #2 (the owner is a spliting image of the assain in Kill Bill Vol.II, the one who buries Uma Thurman alive in a wooden coffin.) He has 2 rings that are simple and Demetrio's fits him and mine has to be sized. The chapel is the last stop, the cab driver recommends one that he like and we are all trusting. At first we went into the chapel but there were two parites ahead of one, one was a petite, pregnant bride in a strapless white gown and the other was a blonde with a large entourage. We know we had a dinner reservation to make @ 10pm, so we opt for the "in" an "out" wedding, the DRIVE-UP!!!! We laughed at the idea but if one is to be married in Las Vegas, I guess the Drive-Up or an Elvis Wedding are as Vegas as you can get. We did not leave the taxi, the pastor never left the sliding window, we said our vows, exchanged rings, said "I do" and kissed all without every leaving the vehicle. The Taxi driver Dennis, grabbed my digital camera and started snapping away, with no coersion from us at all. He said he had done this hundreds of times before and was not shy at all. Demetrio thinks he got a small comission by taking us to this chapel, but how much of a commission can you make on a $25 ceremony. They offered us music but we declined. Our last stop was the Bellagio Hotel and Le Cirque, they told us they were full for the night but we decided to stop my and press our luck and since I have always been lucky and we got in.