I still have some more to write about the honeymoon; I haven't forgotten!
So I was on my cell phone having a tow truck follow me while I
was sweating out the details for the Rehearsal and Rehearsal Dinner that
night, picked up tuxs for groomsmen who called and couldn't swing by to get
theirs, get a White House tour for my Aunts, while my buddies were rolling
in from CA and Chicago and wherever and were hanging out with me adding to
an incredibly fun but intense pressure level. It all worked out great, but,
even in just remembering it now my blood pressure has picked up a point or
two! This was after months of all the other details, the invite list and all
the tough calls on why you put friends on or not, getting a judge, planning
the honeymoon, on and on! So I was in a bit of a fog now that I look back on
it. And I wouldn't have it any other way, but I'm glad its all a warm memory now! I watched the video of the ceremony and was more nervous now watching than when I went through it!
But through all the planning craziness, fortunately Pamela and I always had each other. Since our relationship is as
solid as the rock she has on her finger, all the concerns were external to
us. I see now, that was the most important part about it. As it should be.
We're lucky, I hear women talking about how their fiancee
argues about what they are registering for or they are looking for apartments
together and the guys don't want to let go of their bachelor life, that
just doesn't cut it. I saw in Entertainment Weekly a review about the Robin
Williams movie "Jack": "There is a word for a ten-year-old boy in a grown-up
body, its called a 'husband." So many women settle for such Doofusses. I can
almost understand if they have the looks of that Jordan Catalauno from "My
So Called Life" or Jeremy Londons (Pamela says they're the current screen "crushes") but I
just can't see how so many men choose to remain boys after getting this far
along in Life. Especially in this day and age where it is rare that I meet
ditzy women that have graduated college. Women are so much stronger in so
many ways than men, and they will accept so much more because of that emotional
maturity. Why not give back the emotional stability that women give so readily, the rewards are so very rich.
I know its easy for me to say that now that I'm set for life and all that,
but believe me, I went through emotional hell wondering why I couldn't find
anybody for me. I guess I just never really revealed myself because I was
too scared of it all somehow so I put on this toughguy facade because I was
a typical guy so afraid his fragile little ego would be shattered by these
together women. What a crazy world we live in! I'm just so lucky Pamela came
along. Here's to the Fox and Hounds, a dive bar where Pamela and I met! Its a fun sorted tale. I'll share it sometime.
Saturday, July 20, 1996:Well, Pamela and I had a great wedding! The ceremony went off without a hitch, except my ring with a little hard to slip on so that was fun. It was a civil ceremony but we had her Uncle Marty close with a Hebrew prayer and Pamela stepping on the glass so we still carried on some great traditions. We did pictures beforehand so it was right into the reception. Everything came out perfect. The flowers (done by a good friend) were beautiful - Pamela did all Cawl lilies; the food was definitely the best I ever had at such a function, and everyone else said so. The 1920's/30's theme really worked with Peaches O'Dell's 9-piece swing band. It's all about "Peaches."
So we had a blast. There were rumors of some members of the wedding party making out in the rooms upstairs and I've heard of a coulpe dates between guests subsequent to the event so it was evident romance was thick in the air.
Pamela and I left the reception about 11:00 PM and then I drove us down past our house and she said you missed the turn, John(we were both wiped out!) I said we were headed for our next destination. She said, "What?!!" We then pulled in at the Hay-Adams Hotel and privately proceeded to our top floor room with a view directly across from the White House. Chilled champange and beautiful red roses awaited us in the luxurious and quiet room. It was a wonderful wedding night in the lap of luxury. It is definitely the best hotel in DC.
Tuesday, July 23, 96: We took off early for Los Angeles. We got in about 10:30AM PDT and picked up our red Mustang convertible. On our way north to Santa Barbara we stopped first at Venice Beach to take in the freaks. They were shooting the show Malibu Blue, a cheesy mountain biker cop show on the USA network. That was fun. We proceeded on to Malibu where we got lunch along the PCH on before our stop at the J. Paul Getty Museum. The museum is gorgeous but we were a little too wiped to enjoy it. So we jumped back in the rag and proceeded to our destination, the San Ysidro Ranch north of Montecito, CA(next to Santa Barbara). This place is incredible! We had our own cottage called the "Rose" cottage because of the beautiful roses growing all around it. We checked in and were waited on hand and foot. They put your name on the cottage in little wooden block letters to make it "yours" during your stay. We were directly across from the Kennedy Suite where Jack and Jackie O and later Bobbie and his wife stayed.
I love the Santa Barbara area, it is magical, maybe its because they are all so stinky rich that they just don't care what goes on in the world. The setting for the ranch are these cabins that are placed in a manner that makes them secluded from one another along this tiny windy drive with their own mountain towering behind you. Your cabin is perched about 600 feet above sea level about 4 miles from the ocean. So you get this sweeping view of Montecito, Santa Barbara and the Pacific basically at your feet. They have a wonderful country decorated restaurant (the Stonehouse) serving 4-star noveau cuisine. We ate there one night and one morning but we usually chose to get breakfast and dinner served on our front porch, surrounded by rose bushes. We had two birds who we named Frick and Frack who shared our bread after we were through. The ranch has an Italian villa style pool and tennis courts at the top of the property above the terraced herb and citrus gardens and a private hiking trail into the mountains above that. At the foot of the gardens there also is a wedding lawn about the size of a putting green. It is manicured to that level also.
The cottage was decorated in country antique style with a living room that opens through french doors to a private sunning deck. Both the living room and bedroom have fireplaces to keep that lovelight burnin'! One night Pamela was awakened to what I believe was a racoon trying to visit us in our bedroom. Pamela woke me and I scared him off , probably it was startled by my alabaster tan. Anyway, that savage's visit added to the rustic charm of this place's natural setting (the wild, wild, West!)
The bathroom was done in all white and gray marble with antique-styled silver fixtures. A skylight over the tub bathed us in sunlight while we bubble bathed.
I've got much more to add about our shopping trips into Santa Barbara, our jaunt to Hearst Castle, the bizarre stay at the Madonna Inn in Christian Right San Luis Obisbo, and all the fun we had in not so religious Los Angeles the second week
Don't forget to stop by and see some of the Honeymoon photos!
Something interest, insult or otherwise stimulate you?
