Wife-Beaters, Waffle House, & Dead Armadillos

In a rented Grand Am w/a cracked side view mirror we crossed the Land of Lincoln, and braved the wilds of the Show Me State. 8 miles from the Kansas/Oklahoma border, nestled in Ozarkland, sits Joplin, Missouri. Peck and Imma, good friends, decided after 14 years together that maybe they should get married. Family & Friends all gathered in a factory building to brave the heat and wish the couple well. The only thing sexier than a tuxedo clad man drenched in his own sweat is 5 tuxedo clad men drenched in their sweat. The vows were exchanged, and the rings slid into place and a life together... well, pretty much continued along the same path it had always been on except with a little more jewlery.

A few highlights:

- Collinsville, IL is home to the World's Largest Bottle of Ketchup. ("Excuse me, this might be a silly question but is there a really big bottle of Ketchup in this town?" It's hard to find, but only because it's actually a water tower that looks like a bottle of Ketchup.)

- Spotting my 1st Armadillo. Then my 2nd. Then my 3rd. I soon lost count. Can you say Road Kill?

- Crashing the Bachelorette Party wearing wife-beaters 2 sizes too small, and the groom wearing a blinking tiara and waving a blinking wand. The Party ended up at Murphy's Bar in Joplin. Apparently a neon shamrock qualifies a bar as being Irish. Beers were consumed, and the Karaoke Community of Joplin will never be the same.

- Stumbling into Waffle House at 2 O'clock in the morning for a cup of coffe, and some hashbrowns (Covered Peppered, and Smothered!).

- Meeting the Peck Brothers. Three good old boys who laugh a lot, enjoy life, and drink Bud out of their pick up trucks.

- Attending the after party hosted by a pony keg named Leroy V.

- Watching 2 friends, whom were obviously made for each other, get married... as if there was ever any doubt. I was proud to be Best Man. Congratulations, my friends!