A Wedding...that may never have been...Once Upon a Time to Happily Ever After

My life has changed and the blogging I once did daily happens so infrequently. I really need to get back....especially since some really BIG things have happened.

The Biologist married the Nuclear Engineer! Sunday, July 10, at 5 O'clock in the afternoon on a warm, sunny evening in Pleasanton- they said, "I do!"

But not in the ordinary fashion, but in their own, weird science way. They did it their way....they had no mixing of sand, lighting of one candle and extinguishing the singles candles- it was like a scene from Big Bang Theory or an episode of Bill Nye the Science Guy.....they put on gloves and goggles and mixed two liquid chemicals to create a BIG, foaming solid that bubbled a crawled up to the top of the tallest beaker and overflowed to form one solid mass. It was AWESOME.

It could have easily been over 100 degrees in the wine country this time of year...but it was only 80. The ceremony was under a wisteria arch and the girls and guys were highlighted by the sun. The flower girl was my great niece. Her mom was in my wedding and The Biologist was in her mother's wedding. The other girl was the ring bearer and carried the pillow I made.

The tables were labeled with elements from the periodic table of elements. The head table was bride and groom and parents....it was truly what these two wanted...unlike my wedding where I had no say in anything....I promised myself long ago that I would not plan my kids wedding unless they wanted help....and I kept to my promise.

My toast: One morning when Ali was around two, I woke her up so we could go to school and she opened her eyes and said, "I need a cookie." I knew she was my kid right then as I needed a cookie to get started too. And I thought, "I will say this at her wedding, the importance of cookies and happiness." And when Ali was dx with leukemia, I thought, "I may not have the chance to say that at her wedding! " But here she is. And here is Perry, who wrote his PhD thesis that his mom read all of, and understood some of it, and which I read some of, and understood none of it. May they have a long, happy marriage and always have cookies. Here's to a long happy life together! Cheers!

I only have a few photos that I took with my cell and ones that others posted on facebook....I will have more when the photographer is finished.

My great nieces and the solid that was formed....the little red-haired girl was the flower girl. The flowers were sculpted from metal.

A staged photo in the Barrel Room after the wedding.

Preparing for the chemical reaction.

The Captain and I prior to the wedding.

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER*MARRY OFF YOUR FIRST BORN*

Nothing Like a Little Time Off Work...

Christmas break.....although I have not been able to sleep in, and each day has been full of STUFF...I have enjoyed my break.

3 days were spent on wedding dresses....we have been to MANY bridal stores...and found not a single contender. So I expected a repeat when I drove an hour and 7 minutes in the pouring rain to Concord. BUT much to our delight, there were 3 special dresses!! Then Tuesday I drove to Campbell in the pouring rain and there was another dress to consider.

Christmas Eve, Christmas....and then back to Concord on Monday. This time I dragged The Captain...and we actually heard "YES" TO THE DRESS.....

The End :)

I also spent today mounting art for the California Kindergarten Conference....and one day painting my living room....tomorrow I am hiking with a friend in the morning, taking The Captain to an eye appointment and then painting my bathroom.....I think I will get to sleep in New Year's Day :)

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER*FULLY USE YOUR WINTER BREAK*

HIT and RUN- Caught!!

I have been away a long time...a lot has happened but the most important is that the hit and run driver was caught!! He did have insurance, and a valid driver's license....he did flee the scene, lie to insurance about hitting a pole....and the sad fact is, he will probably be declared incompetent. 

He's 80 friggin 6 years old.

When my mom's dementia took over her mind, she still needed to feel independent. So we left her car in the driveway, rendered in undrivable and she was fine with that. It was hers- she believed she had driven it to the store or the bank last week....to sell it would have upset her. It stayed parked in the driveway until she passed away and then we donated it. 

If this man is incompetent, I blame the person who loaned him the car. We know when someone is too old to drive, make wise decisions and be totally independent. We could never get my mom to move to an assisted living facility but we did make sure she did not drive, make financial decisions and do anything that would harm anyone else.

At the arraignment the judge was not pleased and the DA said this man needed to be evaluated and return Jan. 6, with results. This man needs to be sent to a care facility where he is monitored 24 hours a day so he can do no harm. His insurance and the owner of the car's insurance need to come up with BIG bucks to cover hospital bills, rehab bills, 3 years of lost sick days, a new bike and all the gear that was lost in the accident and pain and suffering. My friend can barely walk a bit before her foot is tired...she has a long road to recovery. He left her for dead on the side of the road. When you hear that big of a THUD, regardless of seeing a person or not, YOU STOP! 

On the lighter side, 6 more days until Christmas Break :)

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*

LAUGH HARDER*LOOKING FORWARD TO CHRISTMAS BREAK*

Hit and Run Update

A car matching the description of the one that hit my friend, was brought to a collision center for repairs. An "anonymous" tipster called the police, who came with the missing mirror, which, as the detective put it, "fit like Cinderella's slipper!"

The car was impounded and the owner retained a lawyer. He had previously told the collision repair shop and his insurance that he "hit a pole." Now he has a lawyer to figure out, who was driving his car.

First of all, he could not have hit a pole in the bike lane....unless my friend was Polish, which she is not. On this road, there is one lane for traffic in each direction- then a bike lane, THEN an area to park cars before the curb and sidewalk. If you hit a pole, in the bike lane with such force that it knocks the side view mirror from your car, wouldn't you stop? He would have to travel past the part where you park cars and onto the sidewalk to hit a pole.

No arrests were made as of Friday. The car was impounded on Wednesday after the tip.....thanks to the person who called in anonymously so "he wouldn't lose his job."

I am hoping by the time I post next, an arrest has been made.

*LIVESTRONG* LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER*YAY TO SAN DIEGO POLICE DETECTIVES*

Click here for the news report :)

htmlhttp://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/Update-in-Case-of-PE-Teacher-Hit-by-Car-Hit-And-Run-329014881.html

Hit and Run in San Diego

My college roommate was cycling Thursday morning before work with her husband....she was hit by a car while in the bike lane...totally in the right place. Some impatient ass, passing a car on the right, swerved into the bike lane, hit her and sped away....leaving her in a heap with her ankle pretty much severed from her leg.

Just like The Captain, the doctor on call was the right person to do the job...she is back together with hopes of having a working ankle  when healed.

Watch the San Diego News report here:
you can skip the ad after 5 seconds...

http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/328138561.html

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER*FIND THAT DRIVER*

Summer...Glorious Summer!!!

I have walked with a friend in The City, 

 Hiked in a local preserve,

and saw lots of Banana Slugs....note my sunglasses for scale.

I have gone to 7 a.m. yoga, tried out a boot camp type class on the pool deck complete with tractor tires to flip over, push ups and sprinting and all kinds of torture in 10 centers over the course of an hour. I can now touch the top of my feet when I am warmed up....the goal at the end of summer is to touch my toes....I am one of the most inflexible persons in the world!

I have sewn, embroidered and played around in my sewing room, I have sold things on craiglist and ebay...I have avoided cooking, have been getting my dog fix by dog sitting this cutie...

who has stolen the hamburger buns off the counter and devoured them...but he has been forgiven and he now cannot be left in the kitchen unattended.....Goldens always behave like they are starving!

Soon we head out on the road trip we had planned for last summer...the summer spent in the hospital, with little sleep and worried that The Captain would not recover and taking years off my life. But in comparison, this summer we are beyond excited to be going on our trip...and I have had time for myself...and us.

Yes...school looms on the horizon, but first- v.a.c.a.t.i.o.n!!

*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*LAUGH HARDER*ROAD TRIP*

Week 3- The Gutt Punch

Every August 27th I am reminded of dx day....as cancer mom's know, the day of diagnosis that changed your life forever. Kids should not get cancer....over the years the day causes less anxiety and I come closer to forgetting the puch in the gut I got when the asshole doctor told me  "it's cancer. It's in her bone (pointing to his hip,) in her blood, (and the kicker,) there are spots on her lungs."

Just like that, point blank, in the E.R. Then he said, "we will be admitting her to Lucile Packard. You can call your husband now."

Over the years this hurts less and I bounce well so a little ill feeling and I get on with the day.

I had no idea July 2 would kick my ass the way it did. I re-read text messages. Re-lived the hours The Captain was in surgery. Re-lived the phone calls and what the doctors told me prior to surgery.

Dr. Harmon- who I DID NOT LIKE then, came up to me- stanidng a good 3" shorter than me, looked into my eyes from about 10" away and said, "We know what it is, it's what John Ridder had- AND HE DIED>"

Dr. Castro was cool....walked up, smiled, said what he was going in to do and I looked at him and said, "Save my husband." He said, "Okay," and turned and walked to O.R.

I have come to like Dr. Harmon. I recently told Dr. Castro what Dr. Harmon said and he shook his head and said, "He's not supposed to say that." 

So it has been a year. I cannot believe what I lived through, let alone what The Captain lived through. Our lives have changed and there's no going back. I think back to the morning of July 2. We woke up early. talked in bed. We walked up to the curb and I kissed him good bye and I ran to meet my friend to walk a few miles before I taught camp.