On Wedding Rock at Patrick's Point
Something old (me), something new. I was a minister on Friday, and married Michaela and Damien so good they are going to stay married. Quite a wonderful affair, outdoor at Wedding Rock at Patrick's Point State Park, perfect weather, a perfect day.
Beauch had secured a group camping area for the week, so I drove up on Wednesday. Mike Fiore wanted a ride to Calaveras Big Trees to go camping with the Sheffer Clan, and I agreed thinking Calaveras was in Half Moon Bay. Oops, that's Butano State Park, Calaveras is east of Sacramento. An extra three hours driving to make for a thirteen hour drive, oh boy. Once I got to Patrick's Point it was 10pm, and I could not find the group camp area for the wedding, so I put up camp in some empty area. It turns out the group camp was no longer shown on the maps as a group camp, but that is where we were camping, and I moved there the next morning.
Once I got resituated, we spent the day traipsing the area, and then had a rehearsal in the afternoon where we ironed out the movements of the wedding. We feasted that night with a barbecue, but only a few of us camped, as most had friends in the area, or were staying in a hotel or at the spectacular house Michaela and Damien had rented for the reception.
On Friday I hiked around with Scott, one of the guests, then we all got ready for the wedding. We all marched out to Wedding Rock, a somewhat challenging hike for a seventy year old, maybe. There were about 20 guests waiting, and Joel, Mike B's nephew, was posted higher up in the rocks, playing violin and setting the mood. Patience was the Flower Girl, and she came up the path, carefully placing daisies an exact distance apart from the prior daisy, even going back to make some adjustments to daisies that were suddenly out of place.
Mike walked Michaela up the aisle to where Damien and I and the Best Man waited, and once she was ready we began the ceremony. Michaela and Damien wanted me to begin with the scene from the Princess Bride, where the minister begins, 'Mawwiage is what bwings us togethaw today. Mawwiage, that bwessed awwangement, that dweam within a dweam.' So I did, but then brought us back to the solemnity of the occasion, and it all went very smoothly, short and sweet.
Michaela, me and Damien
We then had a reception at this nice coastal house with tremendous views, decks and a great room that was magnificent. George cooked us up a feast of salmon and all the fixings, and when we realized there were enchiladas coming, it was too late, we were stuffed.
I hope to have some video really soon to put with this, and I may wait for that video before I post. (I didn't)
The Beauchemin Clan
It is now Saturday morning and I don't have video yet, but I do have these pics so I am posting. I just booked a trip back east to visit my Mom for her birthday (86!), from 9/14-9/22. Training for the half-marathon is getting more challenging, and I need to get a 5-mile jaunt in today. No team training today as many are doing the Montana de Oro 8K tomorrow, but I did not need to spend $25 to find out I am slow and out of shape. I have been humping up Islay Hill every other day as part of a 3-4 mile walk, and 2 miles flat on the off days.
It is amazing to watch my gut swell with steroids in spite of all this walking. I bounced up to 170 lbs from 160 when the steroid dose was increased, 50mg every other day, so I have to watch the nervous steroid snacking thing. I will see the eye doctor this week, and the local oncologist, as my liver function numbers remain high. I went through Scotland and Ireland without a drop, and the wedding without a drop, and for what? Is life fair? Heck no.
This is guilty week for me, as Dana prepares to go back to full-time teaching and Mike is off to PCPA training. Dana does not want to go back to work full-time, but there is the quandary of retirement based on your three highest-earning years. Each time I sniff at a job, I find I am over-qualified or have too diversified a background. Hah, what do these people know? So I have to clean the whole house and do yard work to show I have some value, but it doesn't get me anywhere. I am just playing out the string.
Beauch had secured a group camping area for the week, so I drove up on Wednesday. Mike Fiore wanted a ride to Calaveras Big Trees to go camping with the Sheffer Clan, and I agreed thinking Calaveras was in Half Moon Bay. Oops, that's Butano State Park, Calaveras is east of Sacramento. An extra three hours driving to make for a thirteen hour drive, oh boy. Once I got to Patrick's Point it was 10pm, and I could not find the group camp area for the wedding, so I put up camp in some empty area. It turns out the group camp was no longer shown on the maps as a group camp, but that is where we were camping, and I moved there the next morning.
Once I got resituated, we spent the day traipsing the area, and then had a rehearsal in the afternoon where we ironed out the movements of the wedding. We feasted that night with a barbecue, but only a few of us camped, as most had friends in the area, or were staying in a hotel or at the spectacular house Michaela and Damien had rented for the reception.
On Friday I hiked around with Scott, one of the guests, then we all got ready for the wedding. We all marched out to Wedding Rock, a somewhat challenging hike for a seventy year old, maybe. There were about 20 guests waiting, and Joel, Mike B's nephew, was posted higher up in the rocks, playing violin and setting the mood. Patience was the Flower Girl, and she came up the path, carefully placing daisies an exact distance apart from the prior daisy, even going back to make some adjustments to daisies that were suddenly out of place.
Mike walked Michaela up the aisle to where Damien and I and the Best Man waited, and once she was ready we began the ceremony. Michaela and Damien wanted me to begin with the scene from the Princess Bride, where the minister begins, 'Mawwiage is what bwings us togethaw today. Mawwiage, that bwessed awwangement, that dweam within a dweam.' So I did, but then brought us back to the solemnity of the occasion, and it all went very smoothly, short and sweet.
Michaela, me and Damien
We then had a reception at this nice coastal house with tremendous views, decks and a great room that was magnificent. George cooked us up a feast of salmon and all the fixings, and when we realized there were enchiladas coming, it was too late, we were stuffed.
I hope to have some video really soon to put with this, and I may wait for that video before I post. (I didn't)
The Beauchemin Clan
It is now Saturday morning and I don't have video yet, but I do have these pics so I am posting. I just booked a trip back east to visit my Mom for her birthday (86!), from 9/14-9/22. Training for the half-marathon is getting more challenging, and I need to get a 5-mile jaunt in today. No team training today as many are doing the Montana de Oro 8K tomorrow, but I did not need to spend $25 to find out I am slow and out of shape. I have been humping up Islay Hill every other day as part of a 3-4 mile walk, and 2 miles flat on the off days.
It is amazing to watch my gut swell with steroids in spite of all this walking. I bounced up to 170 lbs from 160 when the steroid dose was increased, 50mg every other day, so I have to watch the nervous steroid snacking thing. I will see the eye doctor this week, and the local oncologist, as my liver function numbers remain high. I went through Scotland and Ireland without a drop, and the wedding without a drop, and for what? Is life fair? Heck no.
This is guilty week for me, as Dana prepares to go back to full-time teaching and Mike is off to PCPA training. Dana does not want to go back to work full-time, but there is the quandary of retirement based on your three highest-earning years. Each time I sniff at a job, I find I am over-qualified or have too diversified a background. Hah, what do these people know? So I have to clean the whole house and do yard work to show I have some value, but it doesn't get me anywhere. I am just playing out the string.
hate to point out the obvious but maybe this minister gig will take off for you...
ReplyDeletethanks for great pictures of the beauches! and please wish your mom a happy birthday for me--
I am sure you will be on a whirlwind tour of the smallest state, but if you get a chance, give us a call. september's the best beach time here, all the people and traffic are gone and the water is still in the 70's, hint hint.
wow--the verification is WARIC (to you southerners, the mispronunciation of the town where we did or didn't grow up, Warwick)
pat
word verification, SAWEI
ReplyDeletesawei i missed the mawwaige cewamony!!!!!!!!
great pics! i saw my brother steve who attended, and he said that you did a fantastic job, john!
all best
xo
p.s. have fun in waric! :*)
martha
Howee shit – a ministew. Wut kinda cwap did you have to go thwew ta qwawify for that.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy Waric.
Mac