"I'll be home a little later tonight," Casey said. "I told Dad I'd have a drink with him before dinner."

And that's when it hit me. People are here. It's happening.

It's 1 a.m. Friday morning. In less than 48 hours, we'll be married.

People say it all the time, but that's because it's true. When you know, you know. I knew very early on. I think she did too. We hit it off from the start, no doubt helped by our familiarity with one another because of these very virtual pages. Looking back, I think our pace has been perfect. I probably would've proposed earlier, but I dragged my feet a bit until I decided on a when and a where and forced myself to carry it out by that deadline. "Forced" may not be the right word, but I clearly didn't have to talk myself into taking this step. We're right for each other and I couldn't wait to marry her.

Our lives have picked up over these past few months. Work and side projects have sucked my attention, my down time that might otherwise be spent posting here about the daily happenings and weekend outings that we enjoy. I feel like I should've chronicled our engagement better -- at least the silly, amusing anecdotes we already find ourselves chuckling over. But I didn't. I was busy. Busy writing about fantasy baseball, busy keeping up with two baseball blogs, busy going to games and sitting by the pool. Busy enjoying summer.

Now work is done. I'll be out of the office until October 3rd. If you need immediate assistance ... Tomorrow we see the first of the arrivals. The friends and family who're checking into the Courtyard Marriott. The dinner on the dock, drinks at the seaside bar. The celebration starts tomorrow.

What we're most looking forward to, though, is the time together. Seeing everyone will be a thrill, but landing in San Francisco Sunday afternoon will begin the peaceful, relaxing week together we haven't had ... ever. We've had days, weekends away together. We've gone on weeklong vacations but usually spent at least a few nights visiting friends and family. Our destinations have been predecated upon events or acquaintances or joint trips with others. Now, finally, for the first time, it's seven straight days, Casey and me. Just the two of us.

I know she's given up a lot for me. This wedding is more my event than hers, and I admire her more than I can say for going through with it. I owe her favors and sacrifices on my part for the first five or 10 years of our marriage. It's our compromise.

This certainly hasn't turned out to be as heartfelt and eloquent as I'd imagined. The point now, though, was to leave one post before September passes into October and our life together settles into something other than securing photographers and DJs and assigning tables and writing thank-you notes for the lastest batch of gifts.

There are moments together that still stick in my mind like the digital photos that flash on my computer screen when it's sat here idle for five minutes. Even when I write them from the third person point-of-view. I went back and looked for other posts, other ramblings, other feelings saved here. And what makes me smile now is I can look back at some of them and not care about those things in the past that once unsettled me, however irrational that reaction was.

That's then, that's past. This is now, and now is good.

Soooo good.