Last weekend we were supposed to go to a wedding reception for one of my husband’s coworkers. They had gotten married weeks ago, but were having a reception for their friends and family. BUT, only the adult friends and family. The invite specifically implied (and the bride reiterated) to leave the kids at home.

I had nothing clean to wear to the wedding. My good clothes needed dry cleaning, so I scrambled on Friday morning to find a cleaner who would have my outfit ready to wear by Saturday evening. Then, I’ve already told you about how I needed a new coat so that I wouldn’t freeze in my newly dry cleaned clothes. And, I had to buy a gift too.

We dropped Zoe off at my brother’s house, and then raced to the other side of the city to get to the wedding dinner before 5:30 p.m., when it would start. Neither my husband nor I were very familiar with the area the hall was in, but we followed the directions on the invitation and were speechless when we turned into what appeared to be a dive bar. Neon Pabst Blue Ribbon flashed in the window.

Oh my.

Then the invite instructed us to follow the parking lot around to the lower level and to the red and yellow striped building in the back.

My pretty jaw fell into my freshly dry cleaned lap when I saw what appeared to be a pole barn — a red and yellow striped pole barn. There were two outside doors facing the parking lot, one read MEN the other read WOMEN.

Seriously? Should I have worn denim and cowboy boots?

I turned to look at my husband, and thank God he was thinking was I was thinking. What the hell kind of wedding reception is this?  Windowless building? In the middle of what appeared to be a baseball field? Outdoor bathrooms?

I said, “It’s not too late to go to the movies, ya know.”

So, we went to the movies instead. I have no idea what awaited us in that windowless pole barn, it could have been a gorgeous gala event. Or, it could have been a smoky bar with paper plates and Pabst.

Would you have gone inside?