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Honeymoon, part 3

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Thursday, we were headed down the 1, so we watched the sunrise from the bedroom, packed up our car, hopped on the Golden Gate Bridge, and headed into the city by vehicle for the first time.

    
    
  
  
First, we headed to the Presidio for the part I was most excited about. Lucasfilm has an office there, and in addition to the lobby being open to the public, there was a Yoda fountain. Guys, Yoda is my favorite, and as most of the free world knows, I’m a huge Star Wars fan. I. Was. Stoked. And let me tell you — it didn’t disappoint.  

  
  
  
  
  
  
Can you believe I only posted a few that we took? So, Facebook friends, you have that to look forward to. 

Then we headed to Crissy Field to park, because last night’s Uber driver, Hoang, told us that was the only place in the city to park for free, which was great. What wasn’t great was that we didn’t know we couldn’t tip him through the app until after, so…sorry for being dicks, Hoang. 

We called another Uber (so fancy!) to take us to the Mission for brunch at Tartine bakery. Neither of us remembers how we heard about this place, but everyone we mentioned it to was so excited we were going. And everyone was right, as it was one of the best breakfast-type meals I have ever had. We split the Monte cristo and a coconut tart (recommended by Uber driver Leanna, who we DID tip) and each had a cafe au lait. 

  
  
  
So. Good. 

After our delicious brunch, we made our way to the Castro, where we met up with a friend of Chris’ from ITMI. He was so nice and suggested many things for us to visit while he squared away a friend who just got into town. We enjoyed all of the rainbows and some other random stuff, saw Harvey Milk’s old camera store/the current location of the HRC store, and got a yummy Philz Coffee. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
We didn’t end up getting a photo with Matt, which was sad. But next time!

So we Ubered back to our car, and I successfully navigated us out of town. Hooray!

We stopped at Half Moon Brewing for dinner, and it was spectacular. We saw the sunset from the car and finally got to our hotel in Monterey. 

  

  
  
  
Almost to Friday!

Honeymoon, part 2

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We planned on getting an early start Wednesday, but “early” ended up being around 11:00am. Hey, we are honeymooning. We should be relaxing. 

Before we started our day, we grabbed this photo for National Chocolate Day. 

  
We grabbed a quick breakfast and then hopped on ferry 5 in 24 hours. Joy. 

   
    
 
  

  
Beautiful views. 

  

‘Twas a little windy. 

  

Our treat? Breakfast ice cream from Humphry Slocumbe. 

  
Secret breakfast for the wife; candy cap for me; boats and bridges for everyone!

We fueled up with Blue Bottle coffee, and the guys working there were so nice. They gave us a ton of recommendations…none of which we used, but still. 

  
We headed into San Francisco and found the most important of all landmarks, the Fed. 

  

 My friend Kristin runs the Fed or whatever, and her boyfriend said this branch was nice, so when we passed by, I knew it was special.  
We walked around and touristed a bit, including Union Square, the financial district, and Chinatown. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The best cafe. 

  
For the assorted family who likes the Coach store. 

We popped in the store for ModCloth, where Chris got her wedding dress online. 

  
Then we headed to the Stinking Rose, famous for serving food with their garlic. Let me tell you — I love me some garlic. But…holy crap. When we finished, we stunk of garlic so bad, I had zero fears of vampires for the next seventeen days. The food was delicious, but the resulting burps and other assorted bodily functions were rough. For multiple days. Happy honeymooning. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
We stumbled in our garlic haze to a cable car and made our way to the waterfront. 

  
  
  
  
We went to this olden-timey arcade museum. People had a morbid idea about what was entertaining. 

 

    
 
  
  
We went into a candy store, where we found this gem. 

  
We hung out with the sea lions for a bit and then took our first Uber ride back to the house, like big-city folk. It was an awesome but tiring day!

Honeymoon, part 1

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“Honeymoon? What about the wedding?” you say? Yes, the wedding happened. And it was wonderful. Magical. Perfect. Amazing. And I’m still trying to process all of it. So that will be a bit later. 

Sunday night, after doing a hasty load of laundry, packing up everything we thought we would need for two weeks, and jumping in the car with SIL Amy, we headed to my friend Sarah’s hotel by the airport. It was super nice! We were sad to only spend about five hours in it, what with our 6am flight and all. 

  

  
In addition to identifying the bag to me, it lets potential thieves know there is nothing worth stealing inside. 



The flight was good. There was more than McDonald’s open that early, a change from most early-morning flights I’ve taken, so we dined on tasty breakfast burritos…that didn’t end up making me sick, despite my anxiety that 5am chorizo was maybe a bad choice. 

  
We managed to wake up long enough to snap this photo. 

Then we landed,  got a Peet’s Coffee, grabbed our luggage, located our rental-car shuttle, and made our way to the hotel which housed Sixt. I was a little nervous because I was unfamiliar with the company, but they were great. They had the car we reserved (the European gentlemen after us weren’t so lucky and were dissatisfied with the replacement she offered because “I drive a Volvo every day”), the staff was extremely friendly, and it was less expensive than the “traditional” rental-car companies where we couldn’t reserve a specific car. So after a quick tutorial (“how do we open the trunk?”), we were on our way. 

  
We look pretty good for seven hours of sleep in two days. 

No one else had the top down because it was kind of chilly, but you can’t rent a VW Beetle convertible and not put the top down as soon as you get in. 

We made our way to the house in Sausalito, our home until Thursday, which meant we drove across the Golden Gate Bridge. 

  
It was so cool, I forgot to be terrified. 

Then through the Robin Williams tunnel. 

   
Featuring rainbows!

We settled into the house, which is owned by the in-laws of my friend Raven. Who I’ve never technically met. Who I know from blogging. About a wedding to someone else that never happened. Could the only reason for dating someone else be that Chris and I had this lovely home to stay in on our honeymoon? Maybe. Worth it. The house was gorgeous, and I’m so grateful for the opportunity to stay there. Such an amazing experience. 

We left our car and walked to the town, a mistake we would never make again. “It’s .3 miles. How far could it be?” Pretty far down the winding hills, and even further up. My Fitbit clocked us at 7.72 miles that day, and keep in mind that we were on a plane for five-plus of those hours. I finally stopped wearing it because we are supposed to be relaxing!

We went to a little restaurant for fish tacos and beer, one of the best choices we made that day. 

  
Yasss. 

We walked around Sausalito and shopped a bit, then decided to head back home. There were multiple snapchats of our climb, recording the bad decision. When we finally got back to the house, we literally laid on the floor for at least 10 minutes to try to not be dead. 

We jumped back in the car and headed to Rodeo Beach to watch the sunset, our first beach sunset as a married couple. It didn’t disappoint. 

  
Zoinks. 

Then we did boring stuff like buy shampoo, but I was amused to find Trader Joe’s sells liquor. 

  
Do-do, do-do-do-do. Do-do-do-do-do-do-do…

We found a local brewery for dinner, Marin Brewing Company. Delicious beers, delicious food, and a waitress who pronounced everything “bomb.”

   
It actually was pretty bomb.

Then, back to the house for our first full night’s sleep in what seemed like months. 

The next morning, we ate on the little deck overlooking the ocean, then hopped in the car and headed to Muir Woods. I can’t remember seeing a more beautiful place. We also got National Parks passports because we are giant dorks. Nothing wrong with that!

It was so calm and quiet and beautiful and peaceful here. The majority of the other visitors were also pretty laid back and surprisingly not obnoxious, which helped. 

   

 
  

  

 
  
  
  
Redwoods selfie!

We had a 3:20 tour at Alcatraz, so we headed back to Sausalito to park the car and catch the ferry, the first of five ferry rides in 24 hours. I am not a big fan of boats/the water/falling to my death/drowning, so I was a bit apprehensive. But it was okay. 

  
Quick stop at Muir Beach, and then…

  

Alcatraz ferry selfie!

Alcatraz was very cool but kind of surreal. “Here is this crazy place that housed all of these horrible criminals but now appreciate its beauty and birds but try not to think about all of the violence and bad stuff and please buy a commemorative metal cup.”

  
  
I preferred the beautiful view of the city. 

   

   
This guy hitched a ride back. 

We got back to the harbor and touristed pretty hard.   
  

   
 
Can’t take me anywhere. 

Then we booked it back to the ferry building to catch the last boat to Sausalito. We were disappointed that Humphry Slocombe was closed, so we consoled ourselves with the view from the water (and ice cream from Lappert’s). 

  
We walked ten miles that day, so sleep was very welcome that night as well. 

That’s all for now. More to come!

Wedding Eve — Live Blog

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7:43am — alarms were set for 8/8:30, but excitement and nerves woke us up before 7:00. I checked FSIL Amy’s flight and saw that it was delayed, so I texted with her a bit. A broken toilet has delayed her flight, which is one of the signs of a lucky pre-wedding day, right?

7:46am — number of shits Graham gives that his mothers are getting married — zero.


Whatever. Fill up my bowl. 

7:50am — it’s really hard to believe that the phrase “we are getting married tomorrow” is a thing I can say.

9:25am — breakfast has been eaten. Chris is doing dishes, and I started packing because “maybe it’s best if we do it separately.” I tried to give her a hug, and she demanded that I go pack my toiletry bag instead.

9:54am — toiletry bag packed. I used my dad’s old LL Bean one, so there’s a nice thought of him with me all weekend.

10:28am — FSIL left a comment on Facebook that she wonders what will happen next. We are running around like crazy people and getting our stuff ready to leave, that’s what. Good sign — no fighting. No serious tears. When one of us freaks out, the other calms down. Teamwork. I’m so lucky.

10:40am — I’ve been dispatched to locate Oxford heels.

10:41am — I realize I do not know what Oxford heels are.

10:42am — I am happy to report I am very good at guessing.

11:49am — at the nail salon! A woman is doing needlepoint, which is fun.

11:57am — the Dremel has just been brought out.


Aubrey and I in the customary hand-holding position of the pedicure. 

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Pre-wedding bullet points

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So, I’ve been awful (just autocorrected to “awesome” — nope) at blogging. In my defense, I’m getting married in two (!) days, so we have been a bit busy. 

  
Hanging on Mt. Washington, killing time until nighttime parking rates take effect. 

So here are some random musings. 

  • A lot of people have asked me if I’m nervous, and one asked if I wished I had eloped. I’m nervous about getting everything done and weather and everyone getting there and such, but not about marrying Chris. So anxiety about the wedding but not about the marriage. And really not that much about the wedding — not enough that I wished I had eloped. Not even close. 
  • We are doing a lot of crafty DIY projects for the decorations, and it’s been time consuming. At the beginning, I thought it was silly, but now, man, I can see how great everything will be. 
  • Why would we plan a wedding at our busiest time at work?! It’s been difficult to get any free time.
  • I am so excited to get and be married! I really am. I guess when you wait 38 years, you really have waited for the right one to come along. 
  • I had to buy two pairs of pants for my suit because who knows which will fit by the time Sunday rolls around. So today is a big pants trying-on day. I know. The whirlwind of fun never stops. 

  
Thanks for telling me about this app, Nate!

Time to get moving. Lots to do!

Happy my wedding week! Two days and counting!

What Do August Showers Bring?

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Awesomeness, that’s what. 

  
And super-hot ladies, my friends.

The picture above is from our family shower, thrown by FSIL Amy and Chris’ mom and aunts.  It was at a local restaurant, and it was filled with our family and family friends. 

   
   
   
   
I loved Chris’ dress at this one. She looked so pretty! My mom helped me pick out my outfit, which is why I look fancier than usual. The only sad part of the whole day was that she wasn’t able to make it. She had a compression fracture in her spine, probably from wrestling a bear or something. But my brother recorded all of the present opening, and they took her a meal to go. We visited the next day, which was nice. 

Mom is feeling much better now, still improving. Sad that she wasn’t at the shower, but happy that this means she will be at full power at the wedding. 
A few weeks later, our wonderful friends threw us a shower! It was at the Wigle Whiskey barrel house, so the location and the drinks were excellent. 

And the company, of course. 

  
Chronica knows how to party. 

Aubrey, Heather, Michelle, and Beth threw us a lovely shower. It really was a lesson in Pinteresting. The took the travel theme and ran with it. So lovely!

   
    
    
   
 Both were awesome and lovely and special and perfect. Chris and I are so, so lucky. 

Thank you to all of the people who made these happen, attended, or sent their wishes from afar.  We love you all. 

45 days to go. Let’s plan a wedding! #Chronica2015

Trip to Raleigh — live blog

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Chris and I are headed to Raleigh, and I will attempt to live blog it!

10:53 — left work. Hooray!

11:15 — left Starbucks, PSL in Chris’ hand. This basic girl is happy.

11:26 — in traffic already on 79, and a funeral procession just passed, which included a hearse, a pickup truck with a giant Italian flag in the bed, an SUV limo, then multiple other trucks with an assortment of Italian, American, and rebel flags…and sometimes a combo of all three. Who was this person?!

11:52 — lunch stop at Sheetz. In Waynesburg. We are hungry!

12:16 — back on the road! Our napkin supply is building up quite nicely.

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I am messy.

12:35 — West Virginia! Anyone who thinks this is a small state has bever driven from the top to the bottom.

1:36 — just woke up from a short summer’s nap, which was amazing. I missed a call from my mom, whose voice mail said she was about to take a nap. Great minds think alike!

1:46 — it takes about 37 years to drive through this state, but it sure is pretty.

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1:59 — current music is from RHPS, which makes me want to share this awesome picture Erin made Chris for her birthday!

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So ridiculously talented. And we are so lucky to have her as a friend.

2:55 — this live blog is a little boring, my friends. I’m simultaneously sad that it’s not more interesting and happy that nothing bad has happened. 

3:52 — on the road again after a pit stop in Beckley. Starbucks count — 2. 
4:06 — it’s raining! Glad Chris is driving. 

4:19 — I needed to charge my phone — because of the blogging — so now it’s Postmodern Jukebox time. The best time of all. 

4:28 — just got off the phone with FSIL Amy, who thinks it’s funny we brought ingredients for a kale salad with us. She’s making us dinner when we get there, which is pretty sweet. 

4:47 — we have seen so many cops. I realize it’s a holiday weekend, but there have been a lot!

5:22 — “That looks like a monkey in a jacket praising the heavens on the back of that truck.”

5:43 — refueling stop. Sheetz count — also 2. Who will win this epic road-trip battle?!

5:46 — in addition to selling wine, this Sheetz has a drive-thru. What?!

  

5:52 — a true sign of fall.  

 

6:01 — rainbow! Gayest road trip ever!

  

6:13 — Pilot Mountain and a torrential downpour.  

 

6:57 — weather has cleared up a bit, thankfully. We have about an hour to go. Almost there!

7:46 — I got excited to post something from Graham, NC, and then the app went nuts. Now Chris is singing to herself. It’s been a long drive. So close!

7:56 — was just referred to as Dolly the dog’s FAIL (future aunt-in-law). Funny, Amy. Funny. 

7:58 — this just in: everyone is driving like an insane person. Except my lady, obviously. 

8:01 — regretting the decision not to put this beer in a cooler so we could consume it immediately upon arrival. 

8:10 — safely arrived! Thanks for joining us!

10:29 — I was chastised by FSIL Amy for not saying that they had wine waiting for us. The finest Charles Shaw vintage was offered to us when we arrived. Thanks, Fern and Amy!

Luck

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I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how lucky I am. Like, not “find a four-leaf clover on my way to cash my million-dollar lottery prize” luck, but the luck that gets me through each day with such incredible people; the luck that got me the family that I have.

Growing up a fat, nerdy, pretty gay kid in a small town in West Virginia is not for the faint-hearted. And I definitely had some amazing friends, but I was so lucky to have the parents that I did. They loved me (and even liked me most of the time!) no matter what — mouthy teenage years, gay, bad girlfriends, car wrecks, and everything in between. I was…a handful, to say the least. Different parents would have turned their backs on me, tried to pray the gay away, tried to talk me out of dating someone. Well, maybe that last one would have been a good idea…

Anyway, I guess what I’m saying is that I feel so lucky to have who I do. My thoughts always turn kind of sad this time of year, so I guess that’s what this is all about.

I am sad and happy today. Sad that my dad died. Grateful that my mom is so awesome. Sad that it’s been 12 years. Happy for the 26 that we had before that. Angry that he’s gone when it seems so unfair. Lucky that my mom has done such a good job of being two parents since then.

 

 And looking great while doing it.

  My graduation from college.

I remember the first (only?) time my dad had a Primanti’s sandwich. We were going with a work friend of his, Dave, to Italian Oven, but it had closed, so his friend suggested Primanti’s. Having gone to college downtown, I was familiar, and so was Dave. Dad said, “That’s all your going to order — just a sandwich?” Thinking that wouldn’t be enough, he also ordered a bowl of chili. Too many years have passed to remember the exact conversation that followed our food being brought out, but needless to say, he soon understood why “just a sandwich” would probably have been okay.

At Christmas every year, my family somehow ends up talking about some strange topic, often sexual. And that’s how the task of explaining what a tossed salad was to my mom. By the end of it, we were both in tears from laughter, barely able to speak. Whenever I see that item on a menu, I always think of that Christmas Eve.

If you have parents, hug them. Call them. Enjoy them. If you don’t, give yourself a minute to think about them and just feel — be happy, be sad, be grateful, be honest — let yourself feel how you feel, have a good cry and/or a good laugh, and remember something fun.

Cheers to my parents — sorry you got stuck with me, but I’m grateful that you did! 

The Bachelorette

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So, Chris has been gone for over two weeks, taking a class in San Francisco. So I’ve been “baching” it, as Laura Ingalls Wilder was known to say. I miss the good old days when a lady’s wife was out of town and everyone showed up with casseroles. I had to feed myself! 

Okay, that’s basically a lie. Everyone has been lovely — texting me and asking me to do stuff. In fact, I’ve had so many offers that I haven’t been able to accept them all. Rain check, people I haven’t seen!

One of the highlights of the week was a trip to Sarris with some old friends and their kids. 

  Soul sister Marissa, who I haven’t seen in four years, back when…
  This guy was just a baby. 

Despite driving a dozen hours to get to Moundsville, she agreed to drive one more to Canonsburg and go to Sarris, the happiest place on earth. Or in Washington county. 

  
Except when I attack children for their ice cream. 

Chris joked when she left that I would find a new series to binge watch. She was half right, as I started in the middle of season 4 of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.” Several episodes later…still going. Watching Willow come out to Buffy for the millionth time simultaneously makes me realize how far we as a society have come and realize how far ahead of its time this show was. “Buffy” is my security blanket, a comforting, familiar, and appreciated one this week. 

Note to self — don’t ewatch “The Body.”

Chris is back Wednesday morning, and she’s coming home to a much cleaner house. We had our shower replaced, and everything was covered in dust as far as the eye can see. That was my project — and a successful one at that, which means when she gets home, none of our regular frenzied cleaning and such. Just a happy reunion. 

And also an AC tune-up. 

I know. I’m so romantic. 
Happy Monday, friends. 

Equality

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Marriage equality, bitches!

Ahem. Excuse me.

Today, the Supreme Court ruled that marriage equality is the law of the land. No more gay marriage ban.

All of the gay marriage!!

  Eh, close enough.

I made the mistake of reading some internet comments, and that brought me down a little bit. I’m getting tired of reading that gay marriage will be the downfall of us as a society, that it will bring the apocalypse, that it’s immoral and it should be illegal. Those are what are called opinions, not facts. Believing homsexuality is wrong is just that — a belief. I am entitled to marry Chris, and the fact that we are two women shouldn’t — and now won’t — stand in our way.

And to those people who think it’s a choice, I encourage you to change your sexuality. Go ahead. I’ll wait. I hear it’s easy.

In the sage words of a true visionary, “There’s only one true judge, and that’s God. So chill and let my father do His job.”

  “Preach, Salt-N-Pepa,” says Graham.

Chris and I have 120 days until we get married (!!!), and I have to say, knowing the bans have been struck down is a good feeling. Nope. Great feeling.

  

 We can do it did it!