Blogging From The In-Laws, 2005 Edition (Days 3,4 & 5, Recap)

We left Dallas and headed to Longview, TX on Friday to make our way to my wife’s grandmother’s house. Friday night, Will and the wife spent time with the extended family, as this was the first time for many of them to get a chance to see Will. Oohing, aahing and general compliments were in adbundance. My father-in-law and I, on the other hand, hit the road again and ventured to Nacagdoches, TX to pick my brother-in-law up from Stephen F.. It was there that I learned of my son’s apparent new nickname, Bob Sapp, Jr., given to him by my bro-in-law’s roommate upon first seeing pictures of Will.
Saturday morning, we headed to Bossier City, LA (pronounced Bo–zhurr by most of the locals, although I heard a Boo–zhurr or two as well) for my wife’s cousin’s wedding. Home of Barksdale Air Force Base, which is in turn home to the USAF’s B-52 fleet, this sunny little hamlet lies just to the east of Shreveport, the Atlantic City of the South, apparently. (Stupid Yankee Carpetbagger Question: Every implementation of organized large-scale gambling that I have ever seen has invariably involved the Mob. Does this hold for Shreveport? Is there a Shreveport Mafia? Huey Long Follow-Up Question: Might not the importation of hundreds of Mafiosi actually lower the per capita corruption rating for the state of Louisiana?) The wedding ceremony was held in the Air Force base’s chapel, as the cousin-in-law’s fiance is an AF captain and, from what I saw of it, was a good one. Will started fussing about half way through and, since I’m not a blood relative, I offered to take him outside so as not to disturb those who are so connected. Will and I enjoyed the cool afternoon Louisiana air and caught snippets of the service through the closed chapel doors.
We stuck around after the ceremony and helped clean up, then headed to a hotel for the reception and dinner. A good time was had by all.
Yesterday involved a good amount of lying about, eating entirely too much and chatting with relatives, as is par for the course at “Nana’s” house, while today included more eating, more talking and a search for Christmas presents. Wheee haw.