In which we win by losing
Jul. 29th, 2010 05:19 pmI have sore feet. I also have a long motorcycle leg to make (440 miles to Ottawa). Before doing the prep work on the bike last night (top up the oil, move it from the garage to the street,etc.) I looked at the weather.
The odds did not look good. Half a dozen possible storms, some in the low 30s for probability, most in the 50s, and two (thunderstorms) in the seventies. It didn't look promising. So I called
commodorified and told her I was going to delay a day. Better to be prudent, and lose a day, even if the weather didn't break that way, than to gamble and get drenched, or, worse yet, zapped.
After I saw
ladymondegreen off to the train, so she could go to work, and thence to Toronto, I headed for the Brownstone Diner to get some brekkie. I got turned around, and so was standing in front of City Hall when a guy hailed me. Seems he needed a witness to get a marriage license. He wondered if I'd do it.
How could I refuse?
So he made sure my not being a resident of The Garden State wasn't a problem and we put my bag in his car; because I had a pocket knife. Fifteen minutes later (after vary carefully answering some questions. i.e. how long had I known him... he said, "about a year and a half." I allowed as that, "sounds about right." When asked if there was any reason they couldn't get married, I said, in all honesty, "not that I know of.") I was raising my right hand and swearing the required oath.
Monday they can pick up the license.
So, mazel tov to Oliver Connor, and Carabella Lirriana Pedrina.
I asked the woman at the metal detector where the Diner was, and they gave me a ride. I couldn't refuse. Nor yet could I, in good conseience, refuse the ten-spot he pressed on me.
During my breakfast,
ladymondegreen called to one, ask just what I meant when I'd told her earlier I couldn't talk because I had to help someone get married, and two, that she'd discovered she'd forgotten three things, in order of importance: her Canadian Wallet (with some walking around money, so as to not need a bank immediately), her phone charger (she's going to be in Canada for a week; she could get a new one but...) and her passport.
All of these were in known locations, so I went back to the house, collected them up, and delivered them to her in the city.
I shall now go to the garage, and do some PMCS on the bike, get some supper (sort of PMCS on myself) and the like. Tomorrow I shall hit the highway (the predicted weather looks lovely).
But it was a great day for failure to turn out well.
The odds did not look good. Half a dozen possible storms, some in the low 30s for probability, most in the 50s, and two (thunderstorms) in the seventies. It didn't look promising. So I called
After I saw
How could I refuse?
So he made sure my not being a resident of The Garden State wasn't a problem and we put my bag in his car; because I had a pocket knife. Fifteen minutes later (after vary carefully answering some questions. i.e. how long had I known him... he said, "about a year and a half." I allowed as that, "sounds about right." When asked if there was any reason they couldn't get married, I said, in all honesty, "not that I know of.") I was raising my right hand and swearing the required oath.
Monday they can pick up the license.
So, mazel tov to Oliver Connor, and Carabella Lirriana Pedrina.
I asked the woman at the metal detector where the Diner was, and they gave me a ride. I couldn't refuse. Nor yet could I, in good conseience, refuse the ten-spot he pressed on me.
During my breakfast,
All of these were in known locations, so I went back to the house, collected them up, and delivered them to her in the city.
I shall now go to the garage, and do some PMCS on the bike, get some supper (sort of PMCS on myself) and the like. Tomorrow I shall hit the highway (the predicted weather looks lovely).
But it was a great day for failure to turn out well.
Raising a glass to ships passing in the night
Date: 2010-07-30 02:50 am (UTC)And a glass of fine scotch. Or port it be too.
(I'll be flying in to Newark tomorrow night, and immediately hieing myself off to manhattan, there to spend a couple of days finding out what my seeester loves best about NYC).
Re: Raising a glass to ships passing in the night
Date: 2010-07-30 02:53 am (UTC)Manhattan is a lovely place. Much nicer than I expect. One of the next personal posts will be about it.
One of the things I don't like... restaurant service, and the price of good scotch.
But I will, most decidedly, be back.
no subject
Date: 2010-07-30 02:56 am (UTC)