12-13-14: Anti-Climax

After the ceremony, we decided to grab a bite to eat.  Unfortunately, the minister and her wife had already left so it was just the four of us.  Star knew a place that had a nice brunch and was only two or three blocks away.

So we walked in our wedding finery to the restaurant.

Star was right: brunch was very good.  And in spite of it being kind of crowded with families and couples, no-one paid any attention to the overdressed happy couple at the corner table.

Oh... I've noticed a change in myself over the long years.  When I was in high school, photography was my hobby.  I'd roll my own film which I'd develop and print.  I'd get proof sheets of color work so I could just print the few (if any) pictures I liked from a roll.  I took a lot of pictures.

Now, I'm taking fewer pictures, even when Meg is out.  Sometimes, I'll get a picture before leaving the apartment and completely forget while I'm out.

I only have this from the restaurant, which Star was nice enough to take.

I took off my veil; Charity kept her tiara.

I Meant to Take This Picture at the Park!

Can it be a wedding dress without this?

It's Official Now! The Lady in the Robe Said So!

You may now kiss

or anything else that feels right

Can we go home now?

12-13-14: Almost There!

Simple is good.  Different from last time is also good.

We had no flower girl and no ring bearer.  We turned each other's ring around (as I wrote last week). 

Charity made our bouquets, her sister made announcements, we picked dresses and shoes together, I bought us matching necklaces (silver with "Mrs") to wear.

From Shabby Apple

Our attendants wore what they wanted.

No rehearsal dinner (we both know how to eat), no rehearsal, no "giving away."

No processional, no recessional.

No throwing bouquets.  No flinging garters.

Two brides, no bridezillas.

I was happy with everything.  Charity was happy with everything.

And I've been happy ever since.

Today is our first memeversary, and the third anniversary of our spending some time together.

Our wedding, in a nutshell.  Pics below

I "rotated" her ring...

...she "re-oriented" mine.

12-13-14: Getting Started

It was cold but not horribly so on 12-13-14.  Standing in front of the Potomac River for a half-hour was tolerable, and the reward at the end made any discomfort worth it.

Our guests included the minister and her wife, and our friends Star and Pooch ~ our oldest friends in this area.  In a new look for her, Star wore a dress (over trousers).  Pooch aka Andrea, I think would self-describe as "gender fluid" and I never know how they will present.  For the wedding, Pooch went classy and wore a tuxedo.  When some joggers yelled out "congratulations" I wondered if they knew when the happy couple were.  There were options, although only one of the small group presented male.

Both manned cameras, so the minister's wife filled a most important role, for me: guest.  And I'd rather have one guest than a roomful.

The reverend, who I knew from my neighborhood was ordained as a Unitarian Universalist minister was wonderful.  Her wife (they wed last Valentine's Day) was there and she also came to the Transgender Day of Remembrance where she met Meg.  This was the minister's first encounter.

As part of the ceremony, we did a brief reading.

Virginia law does not require a witness nor anything other than a licensed officiant to pronounce us married.  Except one thing.  The officiant has to administer a "willingness" statement.  No shotgun weddings in Virginia!  At least, any more

The minister had an outline for a ceremony and she worked hard to ensure it was gender-neutral (yes same sex marriages are now legal in Virginia!).  The original wording of the willingness statement from her outline said "[Name], do you wish for this man or woman to be your spouse?"  The idea is to strike one out, but we left it as written for Charity, and struck "man or" for the query to me.

The happy brides and our minister.  Charity made the bouquets.

I didn't know the bow should face out!

Around 11 on 12-13-14

I posted a picture a while back of my new ring.  It's a variation on a Claddagh ring, which we purchased at the Renaissance Faire in October.  A Claddagh ring has a heart, hands, and crown.  The artisan replace the hands with swans, which mate for life.  I bought one for Charity; she bought one for me.  We put them on in the "engaged" position (keep reading).

Charity and I were looking for an interesting looking ring at the Renaissance Faire.  I was thinking

My ring in "engaged" position

about an infinity motif but didn't see anything I really liked, then this caught my eye.

 The Claddagh is worn in one of four positions, with four meanings:

• right hand, base of the heart away from you: looking for love
• right hand, base of the heart towards you: dating
• left hand, base of the heart away from you: engaged
• left hand, base of the heart towards you: married

kind of what I was looking for

If you look at the picture I posted earlier (copied here) the ring is in the "engaged" position.  My divorce was finalised a few weeks earlier.

At around 11am, on 12-13-14, Charity and I had a small ceremony in which we reversed each other's rings.

On facebook, I changed my status and someone asked "who's the lucky lady?"  I said "clearly, I am."  I meant it.

I'll have more photos next week.

I SAID I should do something unique or interesting on that date.  This covers both. :)

OK, Bob.  I WILL

More Shoes, Glorious Shoes!

Today is 12-13-14.  Not only does Friday the 13th fall on a Saturday this month, it's the last sequential day of the 21st century.  Next up is 01-02-03, in 2103. I have something planned, Bob

More shoes and a (repeat) bonus at the end.  Between Friends, In The Bleachers (surprise!), Rubes, Speed bump, Real Life Adventures, Sherman's Lagoon, and a repeat from Howland and Churchy.

Churchy's full name is Churchill LaFemme but everyone calls him Churchy, which is how you'd pronounce the French Cherchez.  Cherchez La Femme literally means "look for the woman" and comes from a French novel.  The reference is to the fact that when there is a crime, or irrational or out-of-character behaviour and one needs to find a reason, "look for the woman."

I just think it's cute that his last name is "the woman."

Click or zoom to enlarge.

I WANT A PAIR!

Close Shave

(another aside: in less than two months, the final "sequential" day of the 21st century will occur: 12-13-14.  Sorry, Rest Of World.  Your final day has passed.  I really feel I should do something important and unusual to mark that day.)

While I'm talking product, I found something I love.

First, let me share an article my dear friend Sharon sent me, regarding the difference between men's and women's shaving products.  I will add that, the one time I tried a women's blade (Venus, I believe) on my face it cut me badly.  I will also say that I prefer women's shaving gel, even if they are the same and cost more!

The longest and most bothersome part of getting ready to go out is shaving.  Chest hair seems to grow at the rate of about an inch a minute.  I try to decide what I'll wear and shave my arms and legs a few inches further than I think I'll need.  The beach was definitely an experience.

I do sometimes wax, mostly my back.

I usually use an electric razor on hands and feet because the contours are difficult with a hand razor.  There are parts I cannot shave with an electric razor so that's not a complete solution.  My face benefits from a new blade.

Epilators, for me, are EXTREMELY itchy.  Depilatories have started to react with my skin.  Waxing is good but not something I can do to myself.

So mostly I shave.

And often I have nicks or cuts or other unpleasantries when I'm done.  Or I skip parts because there's just too much risk of nicks or cuts or other unpleasantries.

When I returned from the beach, I picked up some new blades.  I have two hand razors.  One (a five-blade fusion) is exclusively for my face because I want to ensure the cleanest shave and don't want to dull the blade on, say, coarse chest hair.  The other (a three blade Mach 3) I use for everything below my neck.

I wasn't sure what blades I needed.  I did get the five-blade fusion but I couldn't remember what I got for the other razor.  As I said, I tried using a women's blade in my face razor and cut myself something awful; I'm still not sure why.  But for body hair, I figured I could use the "Venus" blades.  From a product review in InStyle magazine, the Gillette Venus Embrace handle is the best.  Maybe next time I need a handle I'll get one and give it a whirl.

I didn't see the three-blade heads so I got a package of five-blade heads that looked like they'd fit on the handle I have.  The package said "Gillette Venus & Olay" and I figured, why not?
 
When I opened the package, the blades were in individual boxes and each head had what looked like

pontoons on the side.  I tried to gently run it over my skin and it stuck and the pontoons folded over and I thought I just wasted my money.

I checked the package.  It didn't say a lot but it implied you should wet the blade and, well, go for it.

I did.  I wet my arms and wet the blade and...

...it was wonderful.  It did a fantastic job.  It glided (glid?) over my skin.  It left a lotiony/soapy residue but that could be rubbed in or washed off pretty easily.

Normally, I do arms one day and legs another and chest right before going out.  Instead, I stood in the shower and did EVERYTHING.

I will not recommend this blade for your face.  The sharp curve going from neck to chin causes the pontoon to catch.  But it felt good on my neck itself and maybe fine on parts of the face.  I haven't tried yet.

But I didn't have a single nick and shaving was actually pleasant.  Caveat: the lotion does not last as long as the blade.

Does anyone out there have anything better?  I'm a convert!

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