Cars and Weddings

I was doing pretty well with all the crazy-car stuff yesterday until, while waiting to hear back from the mechanic, MY WIFI WENT DOWN and it would NOT come back up. Thus, I had to spend the entire afternoon completely cut off from the world. Previous to that, everything that was happening was a super-duper hassle, but I could sort of see how it would all make and awesome story later, you know?

But without wifi my world turned dark and grim. It suddenly felt like everything in the whole world was broken!!

And then I found out that the mechanics *wouldn't* be done in time for me to pick up the car before having to get to school to pick up Mason. I'd been feeling fairly competent and cool and in-control because, knowing that the afternoon could be tight, I thought to start diner early (I pre-cooked Swedish meatballs), Suddenly, without the Internet my brain froze! How will I get ahold of anyone? Do I even have naomikritzer's cell phone number somewhere not online, so I can call and try to desperately beg for a ride?? And, if I can't reach her or she's busy, how do I figure out what the city bus schedule is like?

Ultimately, I will say that it all worked out. seanmmurphy had Naomi's number and, after I left my panicked, probably incoherent message, she called me back to say she could help. There was a little extra crazy involving a standing date with one of Mason's kuk sool friends because I could not get ahold of his mom (even though I had actual paper and pen notes about phone #s), but even that turned out fine in the end. A little crazy, but no one cried, not even me. So that's a WIN.

And as soon as everyone left, the car was home, and diner had been served the internet spontaneously returned--as if to say, "Okay, yes, it's all officially all over, and you can go back to your regularly scheduled LOL cats."

There are only a few lingering side effects.

This morning I woke up with a sore calf muscle. I realized it was from all the slipping and catching myself I had to do yesterday. My butt is somewhat sore, but considering how often I fell on it, I feel pretty okay about that. One knee has a small bruise, but, again, given all the acrobatics I unintentionally performed on ice, I'm feeling like I got off easy.

Ironically, there is still a rattle in the car. The back end is noticably improved, but because that part is smoother it accentuates the wheel bearing problem in the front. *SIGH* But, I've stockpiled all sorts of recommendations for good mechanics, so when we finally decide what to do about that I will try out some new places and hopefully have a better experience. I suspect I'll miss being able to walk home, but possibly I'll discover the joys of waiting at a library or taking the city bus.

One thing I did managed to do yesterday despite the chaos was go to Wyrdsmiths. That was a great deal of fun. After we critqued the one very short peice that had been handed out, we fell into our usual fun chatter. Someone brought up (possibly in relation to the new Pope) gay marriage. I don't know if you've been following Minnesota politics, but all of a sudden there's a bill(?) headed to the House floor to legalize gay marriage in our state. It passed the Senate House committee hearings and, like a ninja, has jumped out of nowhere to send my dear, beloved partner into a bridal tailspin.

As I may have mentioned here some time ago, Mason, when he was very young, made Shawn and I SOLEMNLY SWEAR that if gay marriage were to become legal that we would get married so he could have a proper family. Since he had been in tears at the idea we didn't want to "ape the patriarchy," we both quickly agreed thinking: "Ha, that'll never happen!"

Well.

In the middle of the night the other day, I get an elbow in my rib. I blink awake and Shawn is leaning over me asking, "Did we REALLY? Did we REALLY promise to get married?" I assured he we had. When I was able to pin point exactly where we were when Mason asked us, she finally nodded seriously. I thought, okay, I can shut my eyes and go back to bed. Another poke. "So... do you have any thoughts about what kind of wedding you want?"

One thing that's always been true about me is that, even before I realized I liked girls THAT WAY, I was never the girly-girl sort to pour over Bride Magazine pictures and moan breathlessly about the perfect wedding. So, I said, "Not really. You?"

She told me that she'd decided on a minister.

At which point I fully woke up.

Keep in mind that this is pretty much how it happened that we started planning to have a baby. Shawn percolates ideas quietly (sometimes, it turns out for YEARS,) and when she speaks them out loud, it's a kind of final decree because it has the commitment of time and often a great deal of research. I remember doing the dishes in our old apartment on Girard when she turned to me and said, "I want to have a baby." It took us a while to figure out some of the mechanics, but, obviously, what Shawn wanted, Shawn got.

This prouncement had that same kind of final ring to it. A minister had been chosen. We were getting married.

So, I had to wake up and pay attention. We talked about ceremony details. Neither of us, it turned out, was at all interesting in anything resembling a Church wedding. There was talk of just having a ceremony and a party at our house. But, then I confessed that my favorite thing about other people's weddings is getting to DANCE. If I wanted anything, it was a big dance hall, music, and any friend I've ever had that wanted to be there to be able to come and whoop it up with us.

Honestly, as I told Wyrdsmiths, while fighting back the tears: it only seemed fair. SO MANY amazing and wonderful people braved their own misgivings and fears and who knows what to stand with us to bury Ella. We should give them all a chance to smile with us, too. To be happy for us. And DANCE.

Shawn is looking into dance halls. We can apparently become members of the Czech-Slovak Association and get affordable use of their hall. I'm at least Czech, though Shawn wondered if they'd really want to host a gay wedding reception. I figure anyone will take our money.

My job, should I chose to accept it, is find out if LEGO Land has a wedding regestry.