Pottery Barn premonitions

I'm currently sitting in the living room of one of my oldest friends, Lydia, who I've known since first grade. I'm in my hometown of Oneonta because another of our friends, Malorie, is getting married today.

The church she's getting married in is down the street from my childhood home, next door to the home of another of my oldest friends, Joe. We used to carpool together to school. He used to make fun of my lisp. His family, the Tannenbaums, still live in that house. Malorie, Lydia, and I were part of a group of a dozen friends who sang Christmas Carols around the neighborhood one year, stopping to sing "O Tannenbaum!" at Joe's house. Witty, weren't we? We then walked the three blocks back to my house for my mom to make us hot cocoa. (Seriously.)

The same street will be the site of Malorie's wedding in a short few hours. I've been looking forward to Malorie's wedding all summer and I took two days off of work to extend my weekend with old high school friends. Malorie is the first of my friends to get married and I'm not sure that it's quite become real to me yet.

Last night, Lydia and I got two pints of Ben and Jerry's ice cream (Phish Food and Half Baked, in case you wondered) and watched "I Hate Valentine's Day." We weren't even trying to be cliche. It just happened.

Two nights ago was Malorie's Bachelorette party. I won't be sharing details.

Three nights ago, I had a terrifying nightmare. I was stuck inside of a Pottery Barn, frantically searching for the perfect wedding gift for Malorie. The walls of the store were closing in on me, and the lights shattered, one by one, leaving me scrambling in the dark to find the perfect item for Malorie's new home and new life.

The implications of this nightmare are far-reaching and obvious. I'm proud to say, however, that I faced my domestic fears and went to a Pottery Barn yesterday to get Malorie's gift. It was calling to me, even though Malorie did not register there. The candle votives weren't so terrifying in person; nor were the matching kitchen sets. In fact, I quite liked the beige apron and potholder duo. The electric salt grinder was also neat.

And now my gift, chosen by my very own subconscious, is professionally wrapped, with a big green ribbon on top, waiting to be enjoyed for years to come.

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Congrats and best wishes, Malorie and Orlando, even if my subconscious is a bit slow on the uptake!