Still happy,
despite the solemn anniversary of the Lying Psychopath's most-overt assault on our democracy a year ago (effects of which continue to present),
Harriet and I are
downa
freeways
Solano
80,
37,
Sonoma,
Petaluma Plain and
River to
Marin
and
the
Frank
Lloyd
Wright (1867-1959)
designed
Civic
Center (1960)
Hall
of
Justice
County
Clerk's,
ascending to the
second (a.-could-be-k.-a. fourth)
floor.
Since the instructions are to drop off non-online forms and check at Dropbox C, and we don't see the outside box exactly so-designated, but find a notice on same that suggests that the Recorders Office is open w/o appointment (not so for the Clerk) --
we proceed as suggested. Initially the desk person seems to be giving us contrary information, but then when mention the concept "online ceremony" (which is actually the only type offered at present) ismentioned, all is made clearly a different color, and
we are
miraculously invited into the "by appointment only" Clerk, as there have been luckily (for us, at least), multiple cancellations today and environs are quite quiet.
James Gilardi, who may officiate at the ceremony, expedites all,
including making driver's license copies (done at home, but somehow never making their way into the packet we've brought) and correcting no less than 4 minor errors on the online marriage application.
Voila!
Mission accomplished here (and thank goodness we made this trip -- initially due to not exactly totally trusting the DeJoy [lock him hup!] postal service, but also simply wanting to move the situation along... dropping off would have accomplished nothing, given our several transgressions!), making appointment for a 2pm, Monday, January 10, online ceremony, which can be attended by friends and family near and far.
A celebratory kiss,
only truly effective after we unmask beyond these doors,
Update Bette and Cliff w/ the news,
then
off via the only FLW Post Office,
North San Pedro,
101 South,
Lincoln,
Laurel past
236, with its great views,
where we first brought Cliff home from Marin General Hospital,
downhill,
Mission, past the Historical Museum / Boyd Gatehouse -- locale of which is featured in
Dan Cook Canyon, Op. 285 (2018) --
which, years ago, was my regular walking commute (thinking that we had truly arrived in Paradise),
a route passing
First Presbyterian Church San Rafael, where we were choir members under the expert Byron Jones and later became Choir Director / Minister of Music, to where church member / doctor Chuck Fisher had his office and
Marin Academy,
the cause of our permanent move West in 1986,
in service there as Music Director (Instrumental / Vocal / Music Appreciation) through
1989.
A brief circle up into the campus to the Annex, with formerly unobstructed views of San Rafel Hill,
and downslope past giant sequoias to obscured-today
Mt Tamalpais and
Corte Madera Ridge beyond
Cottage Palm.
Onward to the salt box we contemplated buying,
near the mysterious
San Rafael Improvement Club (a refugee from the San Francisco 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exhibition, re-assembled the next year in its present position, and idle from 1997 to at least 2018.
Fifth Street into
Sun Valley in view of our old 9 Crestwood San Rafael Ridge aerie,
over Grove Hill on Raquet Club (still no Mount Tam) and
Forbes into San Ansemlo,
Red Hill
to
The Hub,
tooling
around
town
towards
a
rendezvous
with
Cliff!
We proceed to a classic eatery and decide on a few group selfies,
but, no, we don't need the masks in the parking lot and
no, Mark shouldn't be larger than everyone else.
Leave it to the self-styled Millenial to do it right...
perfect as the source for invitation to the upcoming nuptials! (or does that sound odd?)...
Lovely lunch, admiring the certificate and helpful information therein (the pregnancy info, not so much), and talking about everything under the sun (or gloom, I guess, given meteorological conditions today, but all is engaging, happy, substantive sunny talk).
Eventually out again, in view of 23 Marquard on Moore Hill (there, I've alluded to all 3 former San Rafael residences..),
back to San Anselmo to bid Cliff a fond adieu,
then
homeward,
101
North,
Sonoma
and
Solano
on
37
East,
angling
to
I-
80
northeastward --
Ah! 6th day of spring, high plummeting down 10 to 51 (coldest day of year, tying w/ the 2nd)
Fairfield / San Rafael, 53
Vallejo / Novato, 52
San Anselmo, 56 (Whew! Comparatively sweltering!)
Begin editing, in preparation for the wedding, as a gift to Harriet,
Palms to Pines Proposal, Op. 353 (2020)
and continue composing (page 6)
Book of Dreams, 2022, Op. 376 (2022)
I. January 1
3am Gallon of Milk / 5am Musical Comparisons Flute-Oboe / 9am Waiting for the Thunder
adding to this latter work additional text
VI. January 6
2am Driving in American Southwest, Electical Storm Comes Up, Mom Driving, Pulls Over,
Should She Drive a Little Further to Get Under Deserted Gas Station Shelter, That's It,
I'm Driving, She Is Outside Passenger's Side w/ Key, But Someone Hostile Comes Up,
Can She Toss Key to Me?....
9am A Fire in a Dennys on Golf Club Road DVC, and It Is Gone...
also futther matrimonial endeavors -- all over continued January 6th Anniversary activities including
fine commentary from Ari Melber,
Joe Biden's brilliant / forceful / powerful (whoops, last 2 sound like Former Lying Psyhopath Guy descriptions) speech,
an alarming lack of Republican support for the 1/6 Memorial
-- only the Cheneys... and previously-multiply-suspect father Dick never has looked better -- and added wise perceptions from
daughter Liz,
Pramilla Jayapal,
Nancy Pelosi (interviewed by Anderson Cooper),
Kamala Harris, and
Harry Dunn.
Double Zoom break: first with Springfield High '75 alums experts in tech, botany, law and music Frank Splane, Bob Clark, and Don Gosnay; then with
Emma Turnbull and the Davis Community Presbyterian Church Cnancel Choir, rehearsing the first and last selections of the European Sacred Music (1966, Oxford, ed. John Rutter) anthology, to wit:
Giorgio Allegri - Misere Mei (1638 -- composed for exclusive use during tenebrae in the Sistine Chapel, w/ a musica reservata tradition
Tomas Luis Victoria - O Vos Omnes (O You All, 1572)
also a nice warm-up, where we can provide a visual volcanic background for
"Popocatepetl,
Copper-plated kettle"
Then more perceptive pronouncements in these still-dire days from
Colin Allred,
the divine Stacey Plaskett,
the Congressional Choir (OK, it's just John Stafford Smith's To Anacreon in Heaven (1780) / The Star-Spangled Banner, but still nice, although Harriet is slightly less sanguine about it),
Bennie Thompson (with Jake Tapper and Miz Liz again), and
Jamie Raskin and family members (with Coop again on the unsuccessful-for-now Coup)...
+ Stephen Colbert in fine form (as the going gets tougher again, he responds with his best), re the Benito-Mussolini-wanna-be and his various shameful criminal-minion-toadies including
insane Paul Gosar,
cowardly Ted Cruz,
hero-turned-just-another-one-of-the-traitors Rudy Giuliani, and
Mini-Me, Jr....