Jeanine: Pregunta numero uno on everyone’s minds - will the wedding be during rhubarb season?

JT: Sadly, no. Rhubarb season in Versailles has long passed - pobrecito rhubarb! But we still expect everyone will have a muy bueno time. You know, there’s a saying back home: “When life gives you no rhubarb, make bourbon.” So that’s our plan.

Thomas: Agreed.

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Jeanine: So, caballeros, how did this whole love story begin?

JT: It all started in Chicago back in 2019. I was doing about three things at once: school, work, and a very serious commitment to showing up at Scarlet at least once a week.

Thomas: I had recently moved to Chicago for a new job - not as a lawyer.

JT: Somehow, in the middle of all that chaos, we met. The spark was immediate - one of those connections that just clicked. We started talking, and honestly, we’ve talked every day since.

Thomas: That part’s true.

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Jeanine: Was it love at first sight, or a slow burn?

JT: Oh, definitely a slow burn - but the good kind. We took our time, got to know each other, and pretty soon we were spending much of our free time together. Exploring Chicago, meeting friends and family, and laughing way too loud in public places.

Thomas: People would look upon me as a scullery maid with a foot condition.

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Jeanine: Speaking of travel - you two have been everywhere. Does it get exhausting?

JT: Not really. You just have to build in some nap time. We’ve been to 25 states, driven the full loop around Lake Michigan, climbed the misty hills of Scotland, belted Taylor Swift in London, rung in New Year’s in Canada - multiple times - and chased sunshine and fog up the California coast from LA to San Francisco.

Thomas: Don’t forget Florida!

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Jeanine: Where is your "happy place"?

JT: Home is our happy place. I bake, Thomas provides color commentary whether anyone asked for it or not. We love old TV shows, movies, building Lego masterpieces, reading, crafting, cooking… and yes, karaoke.

Thomas: It's The Paper Source for me.

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Jeanine: Living so close to Wrigley Field in Chicago, I have to ask - what do you think of America’s pastime, el béisbol?

JT: I don’t really like baseball - I find it a little boring. But I’ve always loved the name “Willie Mays.”
When I first heard it, I thought it was spelled “M-A-Z-E,” and I love mazes. Games too.
Wait… no. I think I’m actually confusing him with Billy Mays, the late, great pitchman for beloved household products like OxiClean and Kaboom!.
That’s my kind of American pastime - high energy, slightly chaotic, and over in 30 seconds with a strong call to action.

Thomas: Quality, comfort, and price!

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Jeanine: Okay, next question - JT, Tomasito says he loves Chicago because you two can watch all your CBS primetime favorites an hour early. Do you agree?

JT: I’ve always been intrigued by the Central Time Zone. It’s mysterious. Efficient. Slightly underrated. It’s the only time zone that respects your bedtime and your right to watch “60 Minutes” at a reasonable hour. Back in Kentucky, the 10 o’clock news didn’t start until 11 - by then you’d already fallen asleep and missed the weather.

Thomas: I really miss Morley Safer.

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Jeanine: Ahora you’re making it official. How does that feel?

JT: Amazing. Over the past six years, our story has stretched from Norwell, Massachusetts to Lexington, Kentucky, and plenty of places in between. It’s been the best adventure of our lives...so far!

Thomas: Amen, sister!

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Jeanine: After all this - the planning, the traveling, the rhubarb heartbreak - what are you most looking forward to about the wedding weekend?

JT: Honestly? Seeing everyone we love in one place. We’ve got friends and family coming in from all over, and there’s something really special about that. I’m excited for the laughter, the stories, the dance moves good and bad - all of it. It’s going to be a big Kentucky-meets-Chicago-meets Massachusetts-meets-Loyola-meets-Duke-meets GAY celebration, and if we do it right, nobody will ever look at bourbon and disco balls the same way again.

Thomas: I am almost out of minutes on my phone plan. I’ll call you next month.