Everyone grab your ice skates.......

........Hell has officially frozen over!! Something happened today that I NEVER thought would happen.

HAGS GOT MARRIED!!!

Now, for those of you who don't know my very crazy and adventurous friend Hags, let me just give you a few highlights.

I first met Hags (Bob is his REAL name but who cares, right? - Hags is so much more fun to say) in 2000 on my trip back from Switzerland, where I had just spent 2 weeks with a friend. For whatever reason, my girlfriend and I had separate seats on our last leg from Newark to Raleigh. So there I sat....at the front of the plane and right next to me was 1 of the only empty seats left. Initially, I was hoping the doors would close and my girlfriend could sneak up next to me so we could bypass small talk and catch some much needed zz's from our journey across the Atlantic and many many time zones later......but alas.....Hags shuffled on board and scooped up that seat.

Despite my jet-lagged self, "Mr. Social" met his match and we didn't shut up the entire flight. It was the fastest 2 hours ever. I'm not quite sure we even took time to inhale/exhale. And NEVER did I think that at that moment, I was chatting it up with someone who would become such an ever present friend and comrade.

But let me just say, this guy knows how to live life. He's a pilot, but I swear......it seems as though he never works. However, I will give him this.....he's done many many tours to the middle east for the Air Force so a major salute to him there! Otherwise, seems like he's always going somewhere exotic, doing something totally crazy, and having an absolutely awesome time. Since the time I've know him, I feel like I've vicariously lived through him.....and I would consider myself to be somewhat adventurous and fun. But he wins hands down, that's for sure!

And he knows people everywhere. I remember driving cross country and I would be out in the middle of NOWHERE (hello?? has anyone ever been on I-80 thru Nebraska?? Eeks!) and he would call my cell phone to chat....next thing you know....he's telling me he has a friend who lives in the next city that would be more than happy to let me crash there overnight. Just makes me laugh! Gotta love him.

On top of that, his best friend Wasco lived very close to where I went to school in NC so we also became good friends. He just got married in June (CONGRATS AGAIN) and that's a whole different shocker in itself. In fact, Wasco and I took a trip together to visit Hags while he was doing one of his military stints in Germany. After being an excellent tour guide to the hot spots in Germany, we all spent Thanksgiving skiing in Austria with a group of his military friends. It was SO much fun!

Wasco, me and Hags riding the Gondola at Stubai Glacier in Austria. Yes - I caught a lot of flack for my Dallas Cowboys toboggan.






Apres Ski










Hags and Wasco during a guys ski trip to Lake Tahoe last January. Jim and I (and Kellyn) went up and had dinner with them so they could make fun of my pregnant and out of shape self. Which, of course, they did!! They never let me down! :-)

Well, moral to this story........Hags is a very free spirit. One that I didn't think would EVER "settle down" despite how much I hate that term. There are few things in life that just feel like "constants" and Hags and Wasco being "not married" was one of them. So, they both proved me wrong this summer and I'm just speechless (FINALLY).

Hags, your beautiful bride Angela is a lucky woman (you be good to her) and I have no doubt the 2 of you will live out your lives together traveling the globe exploring every nook and cranny. You're going to have some majorly cool photo albums at the end of it all!! :-)

I can't believe I'm not their to witness this momentous occasion. I should be.....I was supposed to be....but I'm not. SO SAD!!

I'm SO happy for you guys and my best wishes to you both and can't wait to hear all about it!