Ye Gods party, April 2006, A tangled braid of life and technology

On 4/1/2006 my friends M and P (who happen to have the same initials as my sister and her husband, but are entirely different people) threw the first annual Ye Gods party. Guests were supposed to dress up as gods and goddesses. The party culminated in a big surprise — and it wasn’t an April Fool’s joke! At the end of the evening, their friend Ginny invited everyone to step outside. And there, by the pool at the apartment complex where they live, P and M were joined in marriage. The wedding was officiated by Ginny, who happens to be a mail-order minister (perhaps from Universal Life Church, I’m not sure).

Regan was dressed as some kind of Japanese Shinto goddess that has to do with cherry blossoms.

Regan as a Shinto goddess — CIMG1774 Regan was dressed as some kind of Japanese Shinto goddess that has to do with cherry blossoms.

M, the hostess, preparing her awesome vegan dishes. I thought she was a Hawaiian goddess, but this was not a costume!

M, not in a costume, at Ye Gods party — CIMG1776 M, the hostess, preparing her awesome vegan dishes. I thought she was a Hawaiian goddess, but this was not a costume!

Jeff was well into his role as Bacchus, making sure that nobody’s wine glass remained empty. And Jill was dressed as a Nigerian goddess of yams, whose name I unfortunately forgot.

Jill and Jeff at the Ye Gods party — CIMG1782 Jeff as Bacchus, making sure that nobody’s wine glass remained empty.

Marian was a “generic” Roman goddess.

Marian as a Roman goddess — CIMG1784 Marian was a “generic” Roman goddess.

Left to right: Marian, Jill and Jeff greet Mary and Tim. Tim was Thor, as is obvious from the hammer. Mary… I don’t know. A Viking bellydancer?

CIMG1797 Marian, Jill, Jeff, Mary, Tim in various gods' costumes — CIMG1797 Left to right: Marian, Jill and Jeff greet Mary and Tim.

No escape from wearing a costume! There was lots of cheesy costume gear floating around, and in no time, S (left) donned an armor and a helmet with braids. To the right of S are Ashley and Kim, who was dressed as a “goddess of graduate school”.

S, Ashley and Kim — CIMG1808 S (left) in armor and helmet with braids that migrated from person to person throughout the evening. To the right: Ashley and Kim.

I was just a two-headed goddess of strappy attachments. That contraption E is sitting in is a Hip Hammock. To the right of me: Regan the Shinto goddess, and Jeff, dressed as Bacchus.

Russell (right) and his son were fencing, while the Tim-who-was-not-Thor (Tim S) and Ashley looked on.

Russell, his son, Tim S, Ashley — CIMG1814 Russell (right) and his son were fencing, while the Tim-who-was-not-Thor (Tim S) and Ashley looked on.

S with a sword in his nose, after having one too many of Bacchus’ gifts.

Allan (left) and Tim the Thor-sans-helmet-or-hammer.

Allan and Tim-as-Thor — CIMG1823 Allan (left) and Tim-as-Thor-sans-helmet-or-hammer.

The host P (right), and S, who admitted his pose did not mean anything in particular.

CIMG1825 S with a viking helmet with braids, and P, the host

Me and S acting a bit like we are in 5th grade.

E plays with B, who knows how to attract ladies: dangle shiny things in front of them!

E contemplates the mayhem she can do with a box of costume gear (left).

E and a box of costume gear — CIMG1830 E contemplates the mayhem she can do with a box of costume gear (left).

That’s a very appropriate costume E is pulling out of the box, if you read the label.

CIMG1836 E gets interested in a witch costume

Russell, clad in the migrating armor.

Russell in armor — CIMG1841 Russell, clad in the migrating armor.

Left: Marian; center: a woman of who I knew neither her name nor the name of the god she personified; right: Ginny, the goddess of bling.

CIMG1842 Marian, someone else, and Ginny

Russell and Ginny, the goddess of bling.

Kim (left) and Mary chat.

Little B puts hard hat on E

Left: Tim S (the non-Thor Tim. That’s the other Tim’s hammer sitting in the foreground!). Right: Ashley

Tim S and Ashley — CIMG1863 Tim S — the non-Thor Tim — and Ashley

Regan, dressed as a Shinto goddess, and her husband Mike

Regan and Mike — CIMG1867 Regan, dressed as a Shinto goddess, and her husband Mike

The hosts, P and M, make an entrance, dressed in their costumes.

Two people in horned helmets whose names I did not have a chance to find out.

Aaron in a Bela Lugosi pose. In the background: Regan as a Shinto goddess.

Ginny (left) gestures to everybody to go outside for the, uh, surprise. M (right), apparently, fortifies herself for the ceremony.

Ginny and M — CIMG1882 Ginny (left) gestures to everybody to go outside.

The migrating armor made its way to Mary. Meanwhile Thor (a. k. a. Tim) reincarnated into Samson and lost his hair.

Mary in armor, and Tim — CIMG1883 Mary clad in migrating armor, and Tim

The Ye Gods party culminated in M and P’s surprise wedding by the apartment complex pool. Here, Ginny joins P and M in marriage. Unfortunately, that’s the best shot I have of their wedding ceremony. There were too many paparazzi jostling to get a better shot, and I was left behind.

M wore a Statue of Liberty costume, and P, some kind of toga with a horned helmet, for their wedding.

…is P’s face saying “what have I done”?

P kneels. This was right after the wedding ceremony.

Tim S (left) and P

Tim S and P — CIMG1911 Tim S (left) and P

M (in a Statue of Liberty costume) and P (in a purple toga) are being congratulated by the guests on their marriage.

M and P receive congratulations — CIMG1913 M (in a Statue of Liberty costume) and P (in a purple toga) are being congratulated by the guests on their marriage.

The bride, M (left), and S with E, offering her congratulations.

The groom, P, and me in a viking helmet with braids. The helmet was one of those spare costume parts that floated from person to person throughout the evening.

P and M talking with guests after their wedding ceremony

M and P dance

M and P dance. On the right: a woman credited with making many of the wonderful vegan dishes that were served at the party.

Mary (left) dances with someone who is holding a harpoon.

Mary and someone with a harpoon — CIMG1942 Mary (left) dances with someone who is holding a harpoon.