My cousin Mike's wedding
A couple of weeks back, we loaded up the family, and headed for northern California for my cousin Mike's wedding. A brief synopsis of the trip and subsequent vacation in the San Francisco area follows for those who are interested.
Monday, June 17: I woke up to agonizing pain in my left leg (except for my heel, which was completely numb), unable to stand or walk to the bathroom. I'd been having pains in the leg before this, but it had been bearable. I called my doctor, and went to see him (my mother and father were able to drive me). He diagnosed a compressed disc in my back, and a pinched nerve. He gave me steroids, painkillers and something to prevent the other pills from upsetting my stomach. Then he told me I would have to spend a week on bedrest. I told him that I had to board a plane for California on Thursday. He said I probably wouldn't be getting on the plane. I told him that I was going to board the plane, one way or the other. I went home, took my pills, and settled on the couch with Christina's laptop, called my boss, and told her I would try to get my work done from home before I left. She told me not to worry about it, and rest. I didn't rest, but coordinated with my staff to reassign work, and prioritize.
Tuesday & Wednesday: I took my pills religiously, and stayed on my back in bed or on the couch. Christina and Austin took care of me, in between going to their final exams. By Tuesday, I had no more pain, but the numbness remained in my heel.
Thursday, June 20: We headed to the airport, courtesy of Amy's nephew's excellent chauffeuring. Austin did a bang-up job helping me with our bags, and we gave ourselves extra time for getting through security and for my limp. The numbness in my foot had expanded to the entire outside of my foot from heel to the two smallest toes. We flew United to Houston, and then just made our flight to San Francisco. The flights were without incident, and I was able to remain fairly comfortable with sufficient legroom on an aisle seat. We picked up our rental car; a very sweet 2013 Chevy Malibu, paid for with American Airline miles that American had not allowed me to spend on actual airline tickets. Then we had a 2.5 hour drive to Grass Valley, where we would be staying in a terrific little rental house with my parents, my three brothers, my aunt and my niece. We went over to the house where Mike, his parents (Uncle Jim and Aunt Sheila), brothers and sister were staying for a little BBQ and family time. Overall, it was a very long day, but a good start to the trip.
Friday, June 21: We spent much of the day around the rental house. There was a great family room with a pool table, foozball table, board games, videos and DVDs, and wifi for the kids. Through the day, new guests arrived, and we spent some time with my cousins Dan, Jeff and Ali(cia), as well as Dan's S.O. Vanessa, Ali's husband Curt and their kids Dylan and Ryan. Later in the day, Dylan came to our place, so my parents could babysit him while his family went to the rehearsal dinner. We all took turns with him, with Austin playing pool with him, Amy playing cars, and he and I playing Candyland (I'll note that it was just the two of us playing for two rounds, then he pulled out another playing piece, saying it was Mommy - Mommy who proceeded to cruise right through the entire board in one card flip, landing on the finish to the cry of "MOMMY WINS!" - You gotta love a kid who cheats but does so in a way that means his mother wins). Late in the evening, my brothers, aunt, niece and our family went out for dinner at a local restaurant, Five Mile House in Nevada City. We had a table on the lawn, where we were entertained by a terrific live blues group. When the hostess said she was seating us on the lawn, I joked, "I hope we don't get in the way of the bocce game." As we came outside, lo-and-behold, there actually was a bocce court. So, my brother Brian and I taught Christina, Austin and my niece (as well as some interested onlookers) how to play bocce. Lovely evening.
Saturday, June 22: Wedding day. We all dolled up in our best Brooklyn wedding duds - suits for the guys, dresses and heels for the ladies, except for Christina who decided to wear this particular cream-colored dress and cowgirl boots that she found in Kohl's the week before, marked down from $100 to $10, with an additional 30% off. It needs to be said here that my cousin Mike is a bona-fide cowboy. He's worked on ranches, cattle drives, etc. He currently lives in Austin, Texas doing construction, but he's a serious country boy, and his new wife, Sommer, is a country girl. The wedding was to be outdoors at a ranch. It was a lovely location, with the vows exchanged on a patio setting overlooking the trees and valleys. The guests were kept cool with iced tea and lemonade. The guests were each asked to inscribe a piece of advice for the couple on pieces of foot-long 2x4, which Mike plans to incorporate into the house they are building.
The groom and groomsmen were all dressing in identical green cowboy shirts, jeans and cowboy boots (yes, Austin, my brothers, father and I were "better" (if not more appropriately) dressed). The maid-of-honor and bridesmaids, however, were dressed identically with Christina. She was tickled to fit in so well. The officiant (I'm still not clear whether she was a minister or not) made a really touching ceremony, and in short order, I had a new cousin-in-law. We retired to the "hall" (a re-purposed barn) for cocktail hour and dinner, which was served buffet style, and very hearty. Uncle Jim gave a very heartfelt toast to Mike and Sommer, as did the bestman, maid of honor and father of the bride.
Then we repaired to the other half of the hall, where the DJ got everyone dancing until near midnight. It was a great mix of country music, oldies and recent dance music. No line dancing, but you can't have everything. I couldn't dance other than a couple of slow songs with Christina and Amy, and to shuffle back and forth to some of the faster songs. Christina and my niece Alyssa danced all night with my brothers and cousins, and we just had a fine old time. It ended too soon, but we did gather the cousins for a once-per-decade group photo, as well as one with the bride and groom.
Sunday, June 23: We had to check out of the rental house. My parents were going to spend a day with Uncle Jim and Aunt Sheila. Brian was going back to L.A. to await my parents' arrival for a visit with him on Monday. My brothers Joe and Rob, my Aunt Bonnie and Alyssa went into San Francisco for some quick sightseeing. Our family headed down to the San Jose area, where we had a hotel booked for the rest of the week. We settled in for a relaxing evening. Amy and I enjoyed a quick cocktail and we had dinner, then lounged in the pool, after a short visit to the fitness center (where I managed 3 miles on the recumbent bike, despite still having a numb left foot).
Monday, June 24: We went into San Francisco for sightseeing. We parked near Fisherman's Wharf and took a Hop-On/Hop-Off tour bus. That let us see the sights without driving all over town. It was damp and chilly, and none of us were dressed appropriately - so, it was a perfect San Francisco visit. The kids enjoyed the sights, particularly the foggy Golden Gate and Lombard Street, which we drove down ourselves on the way back to the hotel. We had late lunch at Fisherman's Wharf, which we worked off in the fitness center and pool that evening. And yes, my foot remained numb.
Tuesday, June 25: The weather was absolutely miserable - rainy with very low visibility. Still, we headed for our last scheduled sightseeing spot - The Charles Schulz Museum in Santa Rosa. It was a long ride, but we are all big Charles Schulz fans, so we were looking forward to it. As luck would have it, the bad weather meant that the place wasn't very crowded. We got to meet Mrs. Schulz, who was visiting with family, and were given a docent tour by Mr. Schulz's good friend and former next-door neighbor. It was really something special. Then it was back in the car, through the rain back to San Jose to relax before our flight home.
Wednesday, June 26: We dropped off the wonderful rental car, and found our gate. The bad weather delayed our flight, but it was a direct flight, so we were back home around midnight New York time. Amy's nephews picked us up, and we arrived home safe.
All-in-all, we had a great time, weather not withstanding. It was good to spend time with my brothers and my cousins, and to see Mike & Sommer off to a good start on their married life.
(P.S. the numbness in my foot is only now fading. It's still in my heel a little, and I still limp, but the rest is coming back.)
Monday, June 17: I woke up to agonizing pain in my left leg (except for my heel, which was completely numb), unable to stand or walk to the bathroom. I'd been having pains in the leg before this, but it had been bearable. I called my doctor, and went to see him (my mother and father were able to drive me). He diagnosed a compressed disc in my back, and a pinched nerve. He gave me steroids, painkillers and something to prevent the other pills from upsetting my stomach. Then he told me I would have to spend a week on bedrest. I told him that I had to board a plane for California on Thursday. He said I probably wouldn't be getting on the plane. I told him that I was going to board the plane, one way or the other. I went home, took my pills, and settled on the couch with Christina's laptop, called my boss, and told her I would try to get my work done from home before I left. She told me not to worry about it, and rest. I didn't rest, but coordinated with my staff to reassign work, and prioritize.
Tuesday & Wednesday: I took my pills religiously, and stayed on my back in bed or on the couch. Christina and Austin took care of me, in between going to their final exams. By Tuesday, I had no more pain, but the numbness remained in my heel.
Thursday, June 20: We headed to the airport, courtesy of Amy's nephew's excellent chauffeuring. Austin did a bang-up job helping me with our bags, and we gave ourselves extra time for getting through security and for my limp. The numbness in my foot had expanded to the entire outside of my foot from heel to the two smallest toes. We flew United to Houston, and then just made our flight to San Francisco. The flights were without incident, and I was able to remain fairly comfortable with sufficient legroom on an aisle seat. We picked up our rental car; a very sweet 2013 Chevy Malibu, paid for with American Airline miles that American had not allowed me to spend on actual airline tickets. Then we had a 2.5 hour drive to Grass Valley, where we would be staying in a terrific little rental house with my parents, my three brothers, my aunt and my niece. We went over to the house where Mike, his parents (Uncle Jim and Aunt Sheila), brothers and sister were staying for a little BBQ and family time. Overall, it was a very long day, but a good start to the trip.
Friday, June 21: We spent much of the day around the rental house. There was a great family room with a pool table, foozball table, board games, videos and DVDs, and wifi for the kids. Through the day, new guests arrived, and we spent some time with my cousins Dan, Jeff and Ali(cia), as well as Dan's S.O. Vanessa, Ali's husband Curt and their kids Dylan and Ryan. Later in the day, Dylan came to our place, so my parents could babysit him while his family went to the rehearsal dinner. We all took turns with him, with Austin playing pool with him, Amy playing cars, and he and I playing Candyland (I'll note that it was just the two of us playing for two rounds, then he pulled out another playing piece, saying it was Mommy - Mommy who proceeded to cruise right through the entire board in one card flip, landing on the finish to the cry of "MOMMY WINS!" - You gotta love a kid who cheats but does so in a way that means his mother wins). Late in the evening, my brothers, aunt, niece and our family went out for dinner at a local restaurant, Five Mile House in Nevada City. We had a table on the lawn, where we were entertained by a terrific live blues group. When the hostess said she was seating us on the lawn, I joked, "I hope we don't get in the way of the bocce game." As we came outside, lo-and-behold, there actually was a bocce court. So, my brother Brian and I taught Christina, Austin and my niece (as well as some interested onlookers) how to play bocce. Lovely evening.
Saturday, June 22: Wedding day. We all dolled up in our best Brooklyn wedding duds - suits for the guys, dresses and heels for the ladies, except for Christina who decided to wear this particular cream-colored dress and cowgirl boots that she found in Kohl's the week before, marked down from $100 to $10, with an additional 30% off. It needs to be said here that my cousin Mike is a bona-fide cowboy. He's worked on ranches, cattle drives, etc. He currently lives in Austin, Texas doing construction, but he's a serious country boy, and his new wife, Sommer, is a country girl. The wedding was to be outdoors at a ranch. It was a lovely location, with the vows exchanged on a patio setting overlooking the trees and valleys. The guests were kept cool with iced tea and lemonade. The guests were each asked to inscribe a piece of advice for the couple on pieces of foot-long 2x4, which Mike plans to incorporate into the house they are building.
The groom and groomsmen were all dressing in identical green cowboy shirts, jeans and cowboy boots (yes, Austin, my brothers, father and I were "better" (if not more appropriately) dressed). The maid-of-honor and bridesmaids, however, were dressed identically with Christina. She was tickled to fit in so well. The officiant (I'm still not clear whether she was a minister or not) made a really touching ceremony, and in short order, I had a new cousin-in-law. We retired to the "hall" (a re-purposed barn) for cocktail hour and dinner, which was served buffet style, and very hearty. Uncle Jim gave a very heartfelt toast to Mike and Sommer, as did the bestman, maid of honor and father of the bride.
Then we repaired to the other half of the hall, where the DJ got everyone dancing until near midnight. It was a great mix of country music, oldies and recent dance music. No line dancing, but you can't have everything. I couldn't dance other than a couple of slow songs with Christina and Amy, and to shuffle back and forth to some of the faster songs. Christina and my niece Alyssa danced all night with my brothers and cousins, and we just had a fine old time. It ended too soon, but we did gather the cousins for a once-per-decade group photo, as well as one with the bride and groom.
Sunday, June 23: We had to check out of the rental house. My parents were going to spend a day with Uncle Jim and Aunt Sheila. Brian was going back to L.A. to await my parents' arrival for a visit with him on Monday. My brothers Joe and Rob, my Aunt Bonnie and Alyssa went into San Francisco for some quick sightseeing. Our family headed down to the San Jose area, where we had a hotel booked for the rest of the week. We settled in for a relaxing evening. Amy and I enjoyed a quick cocktail and we had dinner, then lounged in the pool, after a short visit to the fitness center (where I managed 3 miles on the recumbent bike, despite still having a numb left foot).
Monday, June 24: We went into San Francisco for sightseeing. We parked near Fisherman's Wharf and took a Hop-On/Hop-Off tour bus. That let us see the sights without driving all over town. It was damp and chilly, and none of us were dressed appropriately - so, it was a perfect San Francisco visit. The kids enjoyed the sights, particularly the foggy Golden Gate and Lombard Street, which we drove down ourselves on the way back to the hotel. We had late lunch at Fisherman's Wharf, which we worked off in the fitness center and pool that evening. And yes, my foot remained numb.
Tuesday, June 25: The weather was absolutely miserable - rainy with very low visibility. Still, we headed for our last scheduled sightseeing spot - The Charles Schulz Museum in Santa Rosa. It was a long ride, but we are all big Charles Schulz fans, so we were looking forward to it. As luck would have it, the bad weather meant that the place wasn't very crowded. We got to meet Mrs. Schulz, who was visiting with family, and were given a docent tour by Mr. Schulz's good friend and former next-door neighbor. It was really something special. Then it was back in the car, through the rain back to San Jose to relax before our flight home.
Wednesday, June 26: We dropped off the wonderful rental car, and found our gate. The bad weather delayed our flight, but it was a direct flight, so we were back home around midnight New York time. Amy's nephews picked us up, and we arrived home safe.
All-in-all, we had a great time, weather not withstanding. It was good to spend time with my brothers and my cousins, and to see Mike & Sommer off to a good start on their married life.
(P.S. the numbness in my foot is only now fading. It's still in my heel a little, and I still limp, but the rest is coming back.)