13 Years Ago My Life Began...

13 years ago today I married my best friend.  Best friend, soul mate, kindred spirit... all of those are appropriate, but don't even begin to encompass how I feel about David.  Yeah, this post might get all sappy.  Still being madly in love with the man I married 13 years ago entitles me to make sappy posts.  (sorry sweetie) 

I am indeed barefoot, dragging my dress through the sand and surf.

It was a really lovely day.  It started out overcast-which was fine.  But then after the ceremony, we had perfect pictures on the beach weather.  So much of the day is a blur.  I remember getting ready, I remember regretting some of the choices I had made regarding some of the people present for said getting ready, but even then said people didn't ruin my day.  Once that dress was on, and I was permitted to scuttle (really, it's hard to do anything but scuttle when you are hurrying in a really heavy dress) into the church so David and I could see each other and do pictures before the ceremony.  I remember David seeing me in my big poofy dress for the first time.  I remember standing in the same place for a really long time as people are paraded around me and my huge dress for an assortment of pictures (which I treasure now-even if my smile is tired in a a few of them). 

Aren't we cute?

I remember it being time to walk down the isle, and I remember looking at David through all the talking during the ceremony.  I remember the friends and family that came, because there had been so much other stuff going on (another wedding, a birth, a death) that I was surprised anyone came at all.  But through all of that, and some of the sadness that loomed, my David was ever steady.  

Yes, those are stained glass birds attacking us, but we don't care!

A pretty amazing day has turned into a pretty amazing 13 years.  We have been through a lot, and have weathered it all.  I can't imagine life without him.  Thank you, David, for putting up with all of me.  I'm not the easiest person to live with sometimes.  I really do fall in love with you all over again every day!  Bring on the next 13 (and more) years!

Off we go!

Just When You Thought It Was Safe

As I was getting ready to start my maneuver to go up the driveway and into the garage I noticed a dead bird in front of our neighbors house.  Not only did it upset me, as those of you who know me know I have a thing for several of our feathered friends, but I also didn't line up just so in the garage and had a bit of a grumpy about that.  I climbed out of my car and went down to see what kind of feathered friend it was.  My initial fear was that it was a crow, but saw it was too light.  Then I thought it might be our Cooper's Hawk that visits and eats a small bird or two.  Upon examination I realized (*sob*) that it was a mallard hen (*sob*).  She was smaller, so I think she was a younger hen.  She was on her back with her wings point up and her feathers were beautiful in the later afternoon sun. Her poor little head was turned to the side and barely attached to the rest of her sweet little body.  I was broken hearted, to say the least.

The neighbor, who's basketball hoop she was resting in front of, was outside mowing his lawn.  He saw me and came down to add to the story.  We have another neighbor that is elderly, retired, and likes to be in everybody's business.  Seriously.  If we are having work done on our house, he's outside talking to the workers asking about having things done at his house.  This is going to get confusing, I'm going to call the neighbor with the basketball hoop Clyde and the busybody neighbor Jones.  Clyde tells me he had discovered the duck earlier, as had Jones.  He said Jones had been outside almost watching for him to come out.  He came over and told Clyde not to worry, he had already called the police and was going to be looking into the matter.  He had also drawn a chalk outline around the duck.  By this time, David knows I'm home and is wondering why I haven't come into the house so he comes out looking for me.  I, of course, urge him to come over to where Clyde and I are talking.  Clyde feels him in and we are back to the chalk outline of the crime scene.

Seriously.  Look:  

Pardon any gore-I took this picture the following morning after she had been taken care of.  

I find this outline to be incredibly sad.  *sniff*

Jones also told Clyde he would be increasing his patrols.  Great.  

We do have some little shit heads living in the neighborhood, but I'm hopefully that they wouldn't be so evil as to kill a duck.  Clyde believes it made hard contact with his basketball hoop because there was evidence on said hoop that he was going to have to clean up.  But the lack of connection between head and body was concerning.  I don't want to think about it; it makes me feel weepy and icky.  

I will mourn for the sweet (possibly daft) duck, and hope it was a very unfortunate accident rather than the stuff that makes a Mike Myers.  

Shit I Can't Believe I Deal With at Safeway: Express Lane Coupon Lady

Yes, it is again time to share another "Shit I can't Believe I Deal With at Safeway" story.  On this occasion I was just running into the store for a bag of ice.  I anticipated it would be a quick stop.  I walked into the store and got right into the express lane.  I was a little alarmed to see the store as busy as it was; there were several 'normal' lanes open with lines and there were two express lanes open, also with lines.  I got in the express lane that had the smaller line.  There were only three people ahead of me and thankfully they only had a few items each.  I was actually thinking how refreshing it was to be in a line where the people understood the concept of 12 items or less (or however many "or less" items it was).  Then all my patience and faith in my fellow shoppers was once again crushed by the inconsiderateness of one person.  Express Lane Coupon Lady ("ELCL").  

ELCL was in line with, I'm assuming, her husband.  They only had about 8 items.  First she told the checker she wanted plastic.  Than halfway through she told him she wanted paper, double-bagged.  To add to the fun, after almost every item she asked the checker if he had scanned in her Safeway club card, which he had done after he scanned in the first item.  After getting the club card and groceries scanned, and safely stowed in double-bagged paper bags she asked him two more times if he scanned in her club card.  He explained to her (for probably not the first time) how she could tell the card was scanned by looking at the screen.  She wasn't even listening to him at this point.  She turned away and starting digging in her purse.  I wasn't sure what she was doing, her wallet was sitting on the counter.  She finds what she was looking for. She whips out a coupon and says, "last time I was here you forgot to take this off and scan it."  He looked at the coupon for a minute and said, "I'm sorry ma'am, I'm not going to be able to help you with this" and he handed the coupon back.  "I'd like you to fix this, or let me speak to a manager" she said.

By this time the lines are starting to get even more backed up, there were at least eight people behind me. ELCL's husband looked around and urged his wife to drop it for now.  She told him to shut up.  The checker ducked out to speak with someone at customer service for a moment.  The checker came back and asks ELCL if she had her receipt with her.  She looked at him like he was an idiot and told him that it was from a week and a half ago and that she most certainly did not have it with her.  He politely told her he would need that in order to give her the credit because if he were to try to added it to her current transaction it wouldn't let him because she had not purchased the item this trip, so he would need to look up the transaction where she had made the purchase.  Bless this patient checker, he looked to see how backed up his lane was before turning to ELCL to apologize that he was unable to help her, that he was unable to do a search like that, and that she should speak to customer service.  ELCL was oblivious the the dark looks she was getting from the people in line behind her.  She got all snotty and said to the checker "I thought that's what the club card was for, so you could look up my past transactions."  It looked like the checker was just about out of patience.  The husband must have known because he was now trying to pull his wife away from the counter so the checker could take care of someone else (ME).  She thankfully relented, but grabbed at her purse in a manner that suggested she was not happy.  I purchased my ice and as I was leaving, noticed she was having a heated debate with the poor gal that was working customer service.

What a bitch.  Seriously, the coupon was for 30 cents.  I realize every little bit helps, and maybe they really needed that 30 cents... but she didn't have to be so rude and snarky about it.  And really, is the express lane the lane to do that in?  /end rant