Today was a momentous day. I finally knit both sleeves onto Aaron’s parka:
And it felt good.
August 2008
Monthly Archive
I was washing up some dishes this afternoon when once again I felt water dripping onto my toes.
My first thought was that the garbage disposal decided to die on us – and I jumped to this conclusion because I just had a nightmare where Aaron’s wedding ring was stuck in the disposal, and the disposal was on, and I could hear the ring pinging around and around and around. Flash forward to me holding the (now detached) disposal, tipping a never ending stream of nasty, disgusting gunk into the sink, sifting through it for the ring.
Ugh.
Anyway, back to reality. So I get under the sink, empty the cabinet of all our cleaning supplies one more time, and realize that the faucet is gushing water into the cabinet every time I turn it on. Great. I’m pretty sure I caught it before too much water was able to seep down through the back of the cabinet and onto the floor. But if not, eh, I guess we need new cabinets and a new floor anyway.
While we were picking out a new faucet at Lowes, we decided to replace the shower fixtures in the master bathroom as well, since the diverter is starting to give out on the tub faucet. I guess we know what we’re doing labor day weekend. Sigh.
Removing the old faucet was a bit of a pain, but Aaron finally got it off.
This is the new one:
It’s sooooo much nicer. Now we just need a new counter and backsplash…and perhaps a new coat of paint on the cabinets…and likely a new floor to go with it.
And then we’ll be set!
I keep thinking I should write more about our San Diego trip, but in so many ways it was such a precious experience I almost want to keep it to myself.
But I won’t.
I also don’t want to do a minute by minute report, since that would be tedious. So maybe I’ll compromise and hit the high points I find myself thinking about most often.
I remember we were so hungry by the time we sat down for dinner at the Hard Rock on Thursday night, that when Jennifer got her drink (a Hurricane, I believe), she grabbed the orange slice that was adorning the rim of the glass and devoured it, stripping the rind completely clean. It was quite the sight to behold.
And at the end of the meal, Don stated very calmly, “Well, dinner’s over!” and took his shirt off.
And then he put on another shirt he had brought with him. There was a half-second where we all forgot that he had brought another shirt with him (many drinks were consumed in the limo) and we weren’t quite sure what was coming next. But then he put on the second shirt and it all fell into place.
There was a great dane in the bathroom by the beach, anxiously waiting for his owner to finish using the facilities.
Aaron (Jennifer’s Aaron, not mine) acted out the post-shower toweling off procedure guys go through. (I almost posted the picture for this, but trust me, we’re all better off without it).
When Don and Mary Ann saw each other for the first time before the ceremony, Mary Ann’s mom’s voice broke when she said, “My baby’s all grown up!” and I started to cry. It was such a beautiful moment.
And now, some more pics.
Jennifer and Aaron, in newlywed bliss:
Aaron and me at the cove:
After a hard day of … vacationing:
Back together again:
Us:
Part of the wedding room decorations:
Sealing the deal:
Mary Ann and Don got married on Saturday!
But let’s start at the beginning…
We took an early flight in on Thursday and discovered we had been upgraded to a convertible.
Thanks Hertz! We checked into the hotel and took a nap. Jennifer and Aaron drove down from Sacramento and were rooming with us, and they arrived in the afternoon. It was so good to see them again! We had an absolute blast all weekend. Miss you guys!
We opted for Patron Silver instead of our traditional Don Julio Blanco to kick the weekend off right.
Thursday was the night of the joint bachelor/bachelorette party.
We partied in the limo for a while before hitting the Hard Rock.
Dinner was a ton of fun.
On Friday, we went to the zoo with Jennifer and Aaron. It was pretty hot, so some of the animals were just lazing around, like the tiger and the polar bear, but we did see a bad ass zebra fight!
The pandas were out and about, too!
Matt and Amy flew in Friday night, just in time for the rehearsal dinner.
Saturday was wedding day! What better way to start the celebration off than with mimosas.
And a stroll down by the cove.
At last, the wedding! Mary Ann was stunning, as usual, and had us all in tears during the vows. Everything was perfect.
The first dance was so romantic, complete with twirls, slides and dips.
Mary Ann was not thrilled that people wanted Don to shove cake in her face.
Mary Ann’s mom was so happy and proud.
We all had a great time.
FEMA!!
The venue had a great ocean view.
Roomies.
All of us with the happy couple.
All in all, it was a perfect weekend. Aaron said he wouldn’t mind living in San Diego, so it’s on the short list of moving destinations now. We were constantly surprised by how nice everyone was – such a drastic change from DC. It was refreshing being surrounded by laid back, happy people. I think we could get used to that.
We took the red eye home Saturday night, after a brief visit with my sister and her family, and now we are trying to stay awake so we can get back on our normal sleeping schedule.
Congratulations again to Mary Ann and Don!
We’re off to San Diego tomorrow for Mary Ann and Don’s wedding. I’m so excited! I know it’s going to be amazing. They are just so in love, how could it not be? They’re getting married in La Jolla, which is such a cute little area. And our hotel is just two blocks from the beach. What could be better?
I’m doubly excited because our good friends Jennifer and Aaron are staying with us! It might get a little crowded, but I know it’s going to be a blast. Our first order of business after picking up the rental car at the airport is to hit the liquor store and pick up some Don Julio Blanco. And then, let the games begin.
One of my all time favorite trips was the camping trip we took with J&A back when they still lived here. It was only for two nights, but we had a non-stop-laughing blast, and we all came home with nicknames. I can still remember sitting around the fire, drinking and telling stories, and just being flush with happiness. Good times.
I can’t wait to see everyone again. It’s gonna be amazing.
I volunteer at an animal rescue on the weekends. Well, most weekends. I interview people who are applying to adopt a dog. Usually it’s pretty fun – I get to spend time with a bunch of dogs (and puppies!) and talk to people about the dogs they want to adopt. We end up discussing different approaches to dog behavior, obedience, vet visits, everything. It’s a little draining talking for 3 hours straight, but I enjoy it.
It’s always interesting to meet new people and hear about the dogs they’ve owned, or currently own, and to learn a little bit about their lives. Usually it’s very uplifting, since people are really excited about adopting a dog.
This weekend was a little different. I know it will haunt me for a while.
I was standing out front, holding a dog, since there weren’t any interviews scheduled yet. I had a small, 12 pound dog, and I bent down to pet her. She snuggled right up to me and looked up at me with the sweetest, saddest eyes. I am not usually drawn to small dogs, but this one captured me in an instant. There was just something about her.
I looked up from petting her, and I saw an older lady just standing and watching us. People usually mill around, checking out all the dogs, but this woman had seen this little dog snuggle up to me and it caught her attention, and her gaze locked on us.
She came over and started asking me about the dog. She bent down, and the dog walked up to her and snuggled up to her, and started licking her face. It was really sweet.
I told the woman about the application process, and she filled out an app – and it turns out I was the one to interview her a little later.
Now, this woman was quiet and withdrawn, so I wasn’t sure what to make of her. I have met some very strange people at these events, but some are just soft spoken. I wasn’t sure which side she would lean towards.
Then we started talking.
I asked her what made her want to adopt a dog. She paused for a few seconds, looked at me and said, “Well, I don’t really know”.
She looked lost. I could see that she was just aching inside.
You know how when you are grieving someone, it’s incomprehensible to you how the sun can keep rising after you have had to say goodbye to a loved one? How just the fact that you’re supposed to exist and function without this person in your life is perhaps the cruelest cut of all?
I realized that in those raw moments when every breath is a struggle, and it’s hard to piece together sentences because you are so crushed by absence, you can actually see grief etched on a person’s face. You can see how lost someone is when they look in your eyes.
Through the course of the interview I found out that her husband had passed away a short while ago. When we were talking about her existing animals (3 cats and a dog), she told me that one of her cats now sleeps in her husband’s favorite recliner.
She paused and said softly, “It’s been hard on her, too.”
And that broke me.
Now I am aching just a little bit, too.
Sweater 005, originally uploaded by MissRancher.
9 balls down, 8 to go.
However, someone’s super long arms might require me to purchase yet more balls of yarn.
