I want to speak for a few minutes about the wedding of Greg and Sarah Lee, of which I was a small part this past weekend. When Greg asked me to be a part of his wedding, I was surprised but very flattered. I have always thought of Greg as a good friend and someone I would have in my wedding, but never really thought I'd be asked to be in his. Don't get me wrong, we've seen each other grow up and go through a good bit over the years, but Greg is very spiritual. I fail at that 99% of the time. But that is just the thing, that hasn't mattered to Greg. He has never been a judge of folks. He has heard me curse for years, seen us all drink and watched Erich go through a difficult divorce. Regardless of everything we've been through or done, Greg has never once judged me or any of the rest of us. He is an amazing guy, and every chance I have to visit with Sarah is a nice blessing. She is a wonderful woman who has found one of the greatest men on earth.

It was an emotional wedding for sure. Actually, I can say the most emotional wedding I've ever been a part of. First there are the challenges Greg's mom faced, raising three kids on her own. Then the tragic passing of Mr. Lee when all of his kids were very young. Seeing all of the families there, all celebrating in the union of one new family was heartwarming. Greg and Sarah deserved to be honored by so many great people, and they were. Of course, Greg and Sarah both had eloquent words for each other. And then Greg said a little about each of his groomsmen. I was pretty much in tears throughout the entire rehearsal dinner. It was beautiful.

I was also able to share in the friendship of some dear old friends and several new ones. Any chance I have to visit with my old skool Winston-Salem peeps is totally enjoyable. We have a great bond. There are about eight of us from high school that still keep in touch. I have some great friends from college, no doubt, but my W-S peeps will always have a special place in my heart. I was fortunate enough to not only have Erich and Greg there, but Newp, Kacie, Karin and Scottie. It was an honor to be around them all. They have always been a tremendous support system. I'm blessed.

It was an emotional weekend, yet it was amazing. I say this often, but I always admit it every chance I get ... I am very lucky!

First off, when I refer to a team as "State," I'm talking about NC State. When I refer to a team as "Tech," I'm talking about Georgia Tech. And for every reason I am supposed to despise Tech, I found just as many reasons to appreciate their efforts this past weekend I was fortunate enough to be asked to serve as a site rep for NCAA tennis at the Tech regional this past weekend.

I was able to work with four new coaching staffs and several other great folks from Tech. Each of the four coaching staffs was great. All very polite and appreciative. They should've been. The Tech folks put in some hard work to ensure a championship atmosphere for their student-athletes. And speaking of those folks ... it is always reassuring to go to other universities (or in these case, institutes of technology) and meet new folks who are dedicated to their craft. Unfortunately we had to move the Saturday match indoors. We tried really hard to play that thing outside, but the rain just kept coming. And it wasn't even large downpours ... just enough to be a pain in the ass.

After it was all said and done, Georgia Tech advanced to nationals at Stanford. Well deserved, as they just clobbered both teams they played. Coach Shelton is a heck of a guy, and it was great to work with him again. I wouldn't have had the opportunity without the help of Brick and Tom. Both of those guys haven't forgotten old Jay. I appreciate it and I hope i did everything to their standards.

I was able to spend most of the weekend with the little lady. When ever I have a bad day or am just frustrated, I know I can turn to her for support. She is very good to me, and I try to do so for her in return. I miss her already. She will be moving up here in early June. This is a big step ... for her, for me, for us ... but it is the correct step. I can't wait to have her here and us being involved in each other's daily life on a consistent basis. After spending so much time apart, I know we will cherish the opportunity to spend time together.

Tomorrow morning, around 8:30, I will jump on a plane and head east to Virginia Beach. Greg is getting married this weekend. It'll give me a chance to carve away another small piece of my liver, while also enjoying time with old friends. I'm always up for a good party and a fun wedding, and I think this one will be no exception.

I've returned from the Kentucky Derby. I think. Maybe next time, I won't drink as much. Actually, we got back fairly early yesterday. I did have a good time, but I suppose I thought the Derby was going to be a little bit more than it was. I had several good friends around me, so that made the weekend more enjoyable, but i can easily see how it would be a different experience in the stands vs. in the infield. Just a few observations:

- Just never stay in a Microtel hotel. Seriously. I don't care how much cheaper it is. The place is a dump. And never, NEVER try and cram nine people into a Microtel room. It's wrong ... it's wrooooong.

- We bought tickets for the infield. Actually, I think they would've sold infield tickets to anyone in Louisville that wanted to go. They just kept cramming people in there. It really did feel like a cattle-call.

- Once we were in, I felt like I was at the state fair, not the Derby. People everywhere ... most without any shirts on. Numerous vendors hawking merchandise, food, and yes, beer. You couldn't see the track at all, so if I hadn't looked back toward the spires, I would've had no idea there was an actual grand stand.

- Speaking of the grandstands, those people dress nice. They dress really nice. Understandable. They are in the big money seats. I'd dress nice too ... if I had money enough to buy a suit like that. Anyway, the infield is a different culture. More like a rock concert. People getting piss-ass drunk and doing stupid things. But then you have these people ... people who come into the muddy infield with NICE clothes. Suits, dresses, Kenneth Cole shoes ... I mean, who does that? Word of advice ... if you go to the Derby and are in the infield, just wear shorts and a t-shirt. It is too hot and there is too much potential for getting your nice clothes dirty. This isn't rocket science.

- I couldn't see the track, but I could see the horses. Well, at least their heads. And the heads of the jockeys. As we stood at turn three during the day, you could hear the horse power but good luck trying to watch them run. Most of us were regulated to watching it on the several jumbotrons which were set-up at the turns.

- So you sit in the beating sun all day. You place bets on the horse that has the worst odds or the coolest name. You drink beer and have at least one Mint Julep. You are there, taking in the atmosphere of the big day and 15 minutes before the big race, you leave. What? Yes, people started leaving before THE Derby race. It makes no sense. They wanted to beat traffic? Not a good enough excuse. If you are there for damned 8 hours, you can waste a little more time. Stand your ass in the infield with the rest of us idiots who can't see anything and watch the tron to see if your horse actually has a shot. Don't leave early.

- As you exit the infield, you have to pass through one of the two tunnels they have from the main gates to the grass. As you pass through the tunnel closest to the 4th turn, you look up and there they are ... all of the rich people. They look down on you, literally and figuratively. They are the blessed few who found their way into the grandstand. They are rich, and they know it. It was just a strange feeling to be walking under them, as they looked down at us. A parade of the commoners. Well, at least I know where I stand. As I left the Derby, I realized I could cross one more cool event off my list. Would I do it again? Sure, but I think I'd rather sit in those rich seats. At least I'd get to look down at the commoners and remember where I came from.

I'm off to Atlanta this weekend, serving as a NCAA site rep for regional tennis at Georgia Tech. I'm excited to be able to be a part of NCAA tennis this year, even though the championships are in California. That is all thanks to Brickhouse, who hasn't forgotten me ... even though he's all big time at Georgia. It should be a good trip, and I get to spend some time with the little lady. That is always a good thing.