Paige and Damien - Damien's Wedding Party

Curtis Brown Best Man	I met Curtis while we were members of the Saint John's Men's Chorus. In fact, I think that the first time we chatted was as we passed through North Dakota on our way to Montana. Curtis is a great singer, linguist, and canoe paddler. While the Men's Chorus was on tour in Helena, Curtis and some of the other Men's Chorus members had the great idea of breaking into the Senate chambers to look around. All was well until some of the Senators found us and asked us to sing to prove our identities. Curtis is an Eagle Scout, and I was fortunate enough to witness him walking his first little old lady across the street. Curtis and I are members of the Twin Cities based Chamber Choir, Kantorei, and we recently relived the glory days of collegiate tours past by traveling with the choir to Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Several cans of Schell's beer and one Harley-ambitious sound man later, we live to tell the tales.
Michael Henderson Groomsman	Mr. Henderson is da flyest whacked-out fella dis side of Compton, y'all. I had the privilege of being Mike's Resident Assistant at NDSU, and life has not been the same for me since. He's led me on several hijinks, including taking his Ford Escort and us airborne in the center of one of Minnesota's finest stretches of Interstate 94. After stalling our vehicle, walking to the nearest farmhouse, and waking a middle-aged, grumpy farmer greeting us in his "whitey tighty" underwear, Mike stated the following epiphanous thought: "I think this happened for a reason." Hmm. Maybe the reason is that we shouldn't fall asleep while we drive? Mike also made a brief appearance as world-famous wrestler "Leafy Scourge" at the WCW Thursday Night Thunder at the Fargodome. Randy Morman and I accompanied Mr. Scourge on an evening of doing good, including changing a sign that once read, "PERMS ON SALE - $25". It's amazing how one rearranged "S" on "PERMS" can change the meaning entirely. Mike has spent the last year in China, Nepal, and other various Asian locales. He is going to be kind enough to return stateside for our wedding. Incidentally, he and my personal attendant, Kendra, will be married on July 14, 2001 (which happens to be Curtis Brown's birthday). Coincidences abound. If you see a man at the ceremony in a sari and exclaiming that he didn't mean to milk the sacred cow *that* way, it's likely Mike.
Michael Riehl Groomsman	Mike Riehl was my first friend, though you might not have recognized it when we were younger. Mike is an excellent hunter and mechanic. I think he's been hogging all the "guy's guy" genes. When I was an toddler, I fell of the couch and hit my head. As a stroke of bad luck, Mike happened to be sitting there with a hammer in his hand when my parents walked into the room to investigate my cries. He was unfairly punished, but I like to think that he was paying for all the times that he would get away with wrongdoings later in our childhood.
Kenneth Riehl Groomsman	Kenneth is the third of four strapping Riehl boys. "Ken-boy" slowly evolved into being "Ken-man" and his pacifier, or "bab-iers" has transformed into an electric guitar. Ken is a Senior at St. Mary's, and he will soon make the transition to the real world, whatever that is. Ken is probably the most physically fit of the Riehl boys. He likely spends more time at the gym in a week than I did my four years in high school. I still have bigger pecs than he does, though. Or not.
Dominic Riehl Groomsman	Dominic was called "Baby" so often in his infancy that it was difficult to make the transition to "Dom" when he stopped drooling and pooping himself. After all, he was fourteen at the time. Dom is still periodically called "Skeeter," though I'm not sure that he appreciates that term very much. Dom has an impressive sense of humor, which he has honed throughout the years. I can't help but think that perhaps he will one day be as witty as I am. Let's hope he's a bit more modest.
Kendra Curry Personal Attendant	Who says that the groom can't have a personal attendant? Kendra and I were RA's together at good ol' NDSU. I thought that she was a good Rollerblader^®, so Ericka Bohnel and I introduced her to Mike Henderson, who enjoys taking perfectly good roller skates out of the trash. It was a match made in heaven (or the Residence Dining Center), and I got two wedding party members out of the deal. Kendra received her pharmacy degree from NDSU (which means that she spent six years learning how to count pills. Anybody can to that, Kendra. Jeez.) Kendra is currently doing some fascinating pharmaceutical work for a Allina Health System. However, no matter how nicely you ask, she will *not* give you any smack. Believe me. An excellent friend, she makes sure that the hijinks are rolling high at the various 768 Grand Avenue parties like that depicted in the photo to the left.
Eric Gustafson Usher (Ush-es like a mofo)	Mr. Gustafson and I first met when we lived at the legendary domicile at 901 College Street. We lived in the lap of luxury, and the beer flowed like wine. Eric is a mechanical engineer, though he breaks the mold by being interesting. You can tell that he's an extroverted engineer because he looks at MY shoes when he's talking to me. After the bad dream associated with 901 College St., Eric decided to subject himself once again to the punishment inherent in living with me. I think that the thing I like most about Eric is his undying love for our new misunderestimated Chief Executive, "Dubya." Eric can't say too many good things about the honorarious fella from Texas. The strategery that he's been implementing is unparallellogrammed. Mega-dittos, Rush. Living with Eric has been a great experience, and he's given me exposure to great music as diverse as Leo Kottke, Radiohead and Björk. His outfits for our various costume parties are without comparison. (See the attached picture, and think of the Beastie Boys' video for "Sabatoge".)
Gregg Wilmes Reader (reads real good!)	Gregg ("G-R-E-double Guh") is fellow Bismarckian who I had the privilege of knowing throughout high school and afterward. Though he has gone to such low-rate schools as Notre Dame and Stanford, I've still found it in my heart to hang out with him. Gregg is currently working on his doctorate in Chemistry at Stanford. He and his fiancée, Maria, will be married in August in Maria's native Wisconsin. Gregg is likely the most intelligent person I know, able to as quickly quote Goethe as Ferris Buehler.
Randy Morman Gift Carrier / Ticket Person	Randy and I have been partners in crime for many, many years. His sense of the ridiculous has served as amusement for me since we were freshmen in high school. Once accused of allowing his conversation to consist primarily of recycled movie quotes to fit the situation, Randy has become a learned and witty conversationalist who is fully capable of forming an original thought. Randy now works for a technology company, Online Benefits, in New York City, and is generally regarded as an Internet guru of sorts. He and his company are working toward an IPO, dispelling the conventional wisdom that dot-coms have become passé. When Randy overtakes Bill Gates as king of the world, it's my hope that he will remember the little people who went with him on a hike that lasted a bit too long. (See the before and after pictures on the left)