Kelly Rose Got Married

So right shortly after Lt Dan left the sunny place Lisa and I left the sunny place for Maine and Kelly's wedding. Now I guess I need to say who Kelly Rose is -- she's my Kelly girl, and she was my son Zach's girl and best friend for a very long time. I am reasonably sure, that Kelly was "the one." Zach told me she was, and I think that marriage is where they would have ended up had Zach's story not ended so abruptly. Kelly was the one who made Zach look "for the next right thing to do." She is a very special and charming young lady.

I wouldn't have missed the wedding for the world and I am so happy and glad for Kelly and her husband. Still, it was a milestone for me and a bittersweet one at that. Returning to Maine, to all the places and spaces that we had been with Zach, driving the same roads, seeing our old house. Phew. Then watching Kelly being escorted by her Dad, I am so proud of me for holding it together and not sobbing or anything awful. Lisa was a big help in keeping me focused on the joy.

Some observations...damn we drove a long way to just go to the grocery store or ANYTHING. LOL I guess when you live there you don't realize that you live on a mountaintop in the boonies until you return and see just how far it is! The other thing is -- when we moved our old neighbors kept in touch for a long while. They did not especially like the people who bought our house because they had chickens...chickens running around loose chickens. I don't know, chickens are ok with me, but anyway. So when we were at the wedding someone told us that the people who bought our house have alpacas. I didn't even know what an alpaca WAS. Yeah, I looked it up. We went by, and sure enough...alpacas. I guess the barn and pastures weren't enough so they fenced the beautiful front and side yards for the alpacas too. *blink* Ahhh well, to each his own I guess.

There was one funny Zach story from the wedding reception too. Kelly's Mom made sure we were sitting with people I knew and who knew Zach. There was a young man and his wife and his mother that were seated with us who knew Zach very well. I didn't really know this particular kid, he didn't hang out at our house. Anyway, when they figure out I am "Zach's Mom" (funny how that never really goes away even when Zach has, I am still and always Zach's Mom) his Mom says "OMG your son is the one who lent Andrew his ID so he could go get a tattoo when he wasn't 18!" I just had to laugh. That sounds exactly like Zach. Mostly harmless stuff...but still, always something. So apparently Andrew was going into the military as well and using Zach's ID he went and got himself a Marine Bulldog. I guess Kelly was furious with Zach for lending Andrew his ID. Andrew's Mom was none too thrilled either. It ends up Andrew didn't go into the Marines, rather he went into the Air Force...complete with his Marine Bulldog tattoo. Compliments of my child and unbeknownst to me. Yep...perfect Zach story.

A lot of the trip to Maine was an adventure. I drove more miles in severe thunderstorms than I do here at home in the land of thunderstorms. I actually had to pull off the 95 one time because it was hailing and blowing tree branches and I couldn't see...that is actually a first, never had to do that before. Then the radio goes into emergency broadcast mode and tells us we're pulled off the side of the road for a tornado. Of all things, in Maine, a tornado. Ok fine.

Lisa and I stayed at a couple of really great hotels and watched thunderstorms from our balcony on a cliff overlooking the Atlantic and that was just killer. Then she went off to Quebec for a month and here I am, at the sunny place again blabbing away.