I spent the weekend in Ottawa for my uncle’s wedding. It was his second wedding, after a fairly traumatic first marriage, and everyone was basically really thrilled about it because we love his new wife and she’s great with his two kids.

During his toast at the reception, he said to her: “The first night I met you, it was like meeting up with an old friend. It was extraordinary and it continues to be extraordinary.” She was beaming. They kissed a lot.

The last wedding I went to was his first wedding, when I was four. I have determined I more or less like weddings, but wish I just had to sit through the highlight reel, not the long tedious reception parts.

My mother and aunt made my cousin (who is a year older than me) and I go “try to catch the bouquet.” My other cousin (who is maybe three years older than me) almost caught the bouquet, but missed. When it came within three feet of me, I did that hands-raised, stepping-away thing that volley ball players do to indicate that they haven’t touched the ball.

Today my new aunt’s parents had a barbecue for family and close friends. My mom and girl-cousins interrogated me about Alex. He got points* for being nice, having good personal grooming habits, having things in common with me, carrying things when we go shopping, and paying for dinner; he lost points for having never bought me flowers. (Which he can apparently no longer afford.)

*There are apparently points.