The Nerds Wedding Week: Day Four - The Reception! AKA: Nerd Party

After our grand exit from the ceremony, we spent a few minutes digesting what had happened (holy crap we're finally married!) and visiting with the few guests that were leaving and couldn't attend the reception. The thirty minutes following that were spent posing for pictures with our wedding party with the exception of a five minute break after one of the groomsmen had run off to check the Steam Summer Sales for the day. Did I mention that the members of our wedding party are nerdy too?

Isn't he wonderful? Stupid sock kept disappearing in to my shoe!

After our quick photo session (we were hungry, so we hurried), we all began to make the drive up to the country club. I used the twenty minute drive to update both TJ's and my Facebook statuses and update our marital statuses. Finally we arrived at country club and wearing sunglasses and dancing as silly as possible, we entered the reception to Weird Al's "White and Nerdy." Guests were laughing, clapping, and having a wonderful time as we all danced as dorkily as we could. As soon as the song ended TJ and I had our first dance to Christina Perri's "A Thousand Years." It was such a sweet and loving moment as we could hold each, look at each other's goofy grins, and sway to the music. 

When our first dance as husband and wife concluded, we took the moment to thank everyone for coming, and to make a toast. Inspired by the love from our friends and family, we had written this:

TJ

Thank you all for sharing this day with us! I'm reminded of a quote from one our favorite movies and plays, “No man is a failure who has friends.” Well in that case, Nicole and I will never fail, for we love and are loved by many friends. It is thanks to all of you, that we are where we are today. You have helped shape us as a couple and as individuals.

Nicole

Sadly, not all of our friends and family are with us today, and we'd like to take a moment to remember those that we've lost over the past few years. One of those friends in particular has inspired me to share this quote from one of our favorite musicals, “There's only us, there's only this, forget regret, or life is yours to miss, no other road, no other way, no day but today.” Let us all live life, no day but today.

No day but today!

We were followed by our best man (our good friend David) and our maid of honor (my sister Danielle), who made sweet, funny, and heartfelt toasts of their own. David even ended his toast with the live long and prosper sign, which was such a wonderful and geeky touch. 

Afterwards we were supposed to begin dinner, but instead the floor was opened for others to make toasts of their own. We were surprised at how many people stepped up to say something! Most of the wedding party, some family members, and quite a few friends all shared stories about TJ and I, hopes for us, and well wishes for the future. There was a lot of love in the room.

After running about forty minutes behind, we finally made our way to the buffet for dinner. It was definitely a wonderful meal, and such a relief to finally eat! It was often interrupted by guests rolling their wedding favor dice on the table to try and make us kiss. A roll of 1-3 would make us kiss, but if you rolled a 4-6 you would have to kiss someone! TJ and I quickly ate our food so we could begin socializing with our guests and have a little fun dancing. This was followed by pictures with our families and even more dancing. Time wasn't just flying it was supersonic!  

Though I swore I would never have a "dollar dance," my bridesmaids had an intervention the morning of the wedding and encouraged it. Though the dance came with the nice bonus of having extra honeymoon money, the best part was getting to dance with our guests. We had such a great time dancing with everyone and made the night even more special (you girls were right, I was wrong, thanks for helping me get over myself). When it was time for cake cutting, I was beginning to feel the strain on my knee, but I was having so much fun I didn't care. We cut into one of the most awesome cakes that I have ever seen, nicely fed each other (despite our guests egging us on to smash it, we left them disappointed), and ran back to the dance floor for bouquet and garter tossing. 

Dollar dance with my buddies!

Most awesome cake ever! Yes that is fondant versions of TJ and I on the dragon's back

There was nothing too eventful about the bouquet toss, other than the DJ telling me to fake them out on the first throw, and my friend Viviana caught the bouquet. The garter toss was quite funny, TJ thought it would be entertaining to pull his checkbook from out under my dress, how he got it up there I still don't know. He then decided to take his time getting the garter out from under the dress....with his teeth. I married a silly man, that is for sure! Finally the garter was out, he tossed it, and our friend AJ caught it. 

He's been down there for a while, think he's okay?

Around this time a lot of guests were starting to make their exit, but the ones that stayed shared a special moment on the dance floor as we all put our arms around the person next to us and swayed back and forth as we sang along to Fun's "We Are Young." It was such an awesome moment, one that I'll never forget. In what seemed like the fastest four hours of my life, the reception was over and we made our way to the Mini that had been decorated by Mindy and Brendan (the decorations will be discussed tomorrow in our honeymoon blog post). Exhausted but exhilarated, we made our way to our hotel as husband and wife. 

 

The Nerds Wedding Week: Day Three - The Cermony from TJ's Point of View

As I got ready to walk down the steps toward the stage I started getting shaky in anticipation of the big moment. We had a little bit of trouble with the music queuing us to descend the steps but Doug (our efficient officiant) and I quickly solved the problem and waited for our ques. While going up on stage I progressively got more emotional and by the time I turned around to see all our guests I was a wet mess on stage. Waiting for Nicole's processional to start seemed so long, but when it did start my heart jumped because I knew she would be within view soon.

As I saw her walk towards me I could feel the anticipation continue to build within me. First seeing her face poke out over the chairs, because I had not seen her the whole day leading up to the ceremony. Then seeing the dress, because I was not allowed to see it at all till then. And finally seeing Riley and Darren flanking her in their kilts (Katelyn proceeded them as the flower girl, she was so cute!).

 Finally she was with in my grasp as she walked up the steps (that we used for our play Its a wonderful life) and I could not take my eyes off of hers. We stared at each other as Doug read his speech to the guests and as Valinda read her Apache prayer. We nodded and laughed as we vaguely heard what was going on around us.

Our hand fasting ceremony was conducted by our wonderful friend Silent Wolf, that made the whole thing so much better and more “us." Then I had a little something that I said to the kids, it almost got me to crying again and was one of the most special moment in the ceremony. Then came time for our vows to each other, we had to be ourselves so not only were we sincere but mildly amusing as well. Then the official ring ceremony sealed the deal with an awesome kiss and embrace and then we ran off to get ready for the party.

 

 

The Nerds Wedding Week: Day Two - The Ceremony (From Nicole's Perspective)

Hello again! Today we're going to talk about our nerdy and very awesome wedding ceremony from Nicole's point of view! The ceremony was held at the Beekay Theatre, which has a very special place in our hearts. We performed in three productions on the Beekay's stage, and it was also where TJ chose to propose.

Appearing one night only!

The bridesmaids wore black dresses and black Converse shoes, the groomsmen and ushers wore black cut-away coats and trousers with green vests and ties while rocking the black Converse as well. The adorable flower girl (my daughter) wore a cute green dress with black Converse low tops and the bridal escorts (my sons) wore kilts (Black Watch tartan for those interested) with black Converse high tops. Everyone looked awesome.

Not like I noticed though, because as soon as I walked down the right aisle making my entrance in front of the stage, all I saw was TJ. He looked absolutely handsome in his black cut-away coat, grey vest and grey ascot. He looked like he could have been getting married in the English countryside, if it were not for the black Converse high tops I could see peeking out at the bottom of his trouser legs. He already had tears in his eyes, and in those eyes I could see pure happiness and excitement.

As I got to the center stairs, I gave my two handsome escorts a quick kiss on the cheek before they took their seats with Nana. I then carefully navigated the steps as I took my place in front of my groom.

Our officiant was a friend of ours that we had met while auditioning for the play, "It's a Wonderful Life." He happened to be the director, and as time has gone by, we've become very close to his family. When we were trying to decide on who would officiate, we knew that we would need someone who is not afraid to speak, who understood our feelings about what we wanted for the ceremony, and someone that meant a lot to us. Doug is all of these things.

I honestly can't remember what was said at first, all I can remember is looking up at TJ's face, watching as his eyes would glisten until the tears would finally need to be wiped away. I began to feel my own eyes well up, the feeling of happiness was just overwhelming.

After Doug finished with his opening and his charge to TJ and I, we had the "Apache Wedding Blessing" read by our friend Valinda. The blessing goes like this:

Now you will feel no rain
For each of you will be shelter to the other.
Now each of you will feel no cold
For each of you will be warmth to the other.
Now there is no loneliness for you
For each of you will be companion to the other.
Now you are two persons
But there is one life before you.
Go now to your dwelling place to enter into the days of your togetherness
And may your days be good and long upon the earth.

 After the blessing we had a handfasting performed by another friend of ours who we had also met through "It's A Wonderful Life." I had made the handfasting cord myself and on each end was a charm that signified TJ or me. TJ's charm was the fleur de lis, a symbol of his French heritage and love of medieval symbolism. My charm was a Celtic knot, a nod to my Celtic heritage and a symbol of the timeless nature of our spirit. The handfasting went like this:

Above you are the stars, below you are the stones, as time doth pass, remember...

Like a stone should your love be firm like a star should your love be constant. Let the powers of the mind and of the intellect guide you in your marriage, let the strength of your wills bind you together, let the power of love and desire make you  happy, and  the strength of your dedication make you inseparable. Be close, but not too close. Possess one another, yet be understanding. Have patience with one another, for storms will come, but they will pass quickly.
Be free in giving affection and warmth. Have no fear and let not the ways of the unenlightened give you unease, for the God and Goddess is with you always.

 After the handfasting, TJ made a vow to love the children as his own, to love them and to care for them. It was a very tender moment, and we all sealed the vow with a family hug. The kids then took their seats once more and we began the vows we had written ourselves. Just a warning, we used our nerdy sense of humor in writing them, and these were mine:

In the words of Ben Folds: “I don't get many things right the first time, in fact, I am told that a lot. Now I know all the wrong turns, the stumbles, the falls, brought me here.” Nothing could be truer about this moment. As a believer in fate, I know with everything that I am, that we are meant to be together. In you I have not only found a best friend, companion, and partner for the zombie apocalypse, but my one and true soul mate. With you I have found something that is just as valuable as love, peace. We have encountered many obstacles in our relationship, but hand in hand we climbed each mountain, weathered every storm, slayed each dragon, strengthening our bond with each hurdle. In the campaign of life, you are the cleric to my ranger, and with our combined modifiers and skills we will crit whatever the DM of life throws at us.

As we are about to legally commit ourselves to one another, these are my promises: I promise to always be more understanding, than critical. I promise to encourage rather than dishearten. To trust you and respect you. To always be by your side no matter what obstacles may be in our path. And to love generously and selflessly every day even in that sleep of death what dreams may come, when we have shuffled off this mortal coil. I look forward to every moment as husband and wife, beginning with this.

 TJ, not one to be upstaged, countered with the sweetest, nerdiest, and funniest vows I had ever heard. Try and count the nerdy references he makes:

On this most excellent occasion, we declare to our friends and family our everlasting love for each other. Although before this day we have been practically married, this ceremony makes my declaration of love for you official. No one can tell us who we are to love but us, no authority can deny our affections, for there is no thing greater, imagined or real, than love shared.

These things I vow to you now:

I promise that I will take up the master sword to defeat our Gannons. I will be your paladin to protect and heal you. I will be your phoenix down when you have fainted.

 When you are cold and lonely, I'll cover you. When you got one nickel only, I'll cover you. When I touch you I feel happy inside, it's such a feeling I cant hide. Never gonna give you up, Never gonna let you down... sorry. (Yes, he rickrolled me!)

I will be your scruffy looking nerf herder. Hear this now: I will always come for you.

 

After this we exchanged rings, and were declared husband and wife and sealed our commitment with a kiss, after nearly thirteen years from when we had started this journey, we were finally there. We walked back down the aisle as husband and wife, to the sound of applause, cheers, and Taio Cruz's "Telling the World." 

 Ever part in my heart I'm giving out

Every song on my lips I'm singing out
Any fear in my soul I'm letting go
And anyone who asks I'll let them know

She's the one, she's the one
I say it loud
She's the one, she's the one
I say it proud

Ring a bell, Ring a bell
For the whole crowd
Ring a bell, Ring a bell

I'm telling the world
That I've found a girl
The one I can live for
The one who deserves 

To give all the light, a reason to fly 

The one I can live for, a reason for life

 

The Nerds Wedding Week: Day One - The Rehearsal and Rehearsal Dinner

Hello everyone, the nerds are back! Today we're going to kick off a week of wedding updates, so make sure to check back if you want to read up on the happenings that took place last week! Today Nicole is reminiscing about the Rehearsal and Rehearsal Dinner!

We had planned for everyone to be at the Beekay around 4:45 PM to make sure that we'd be started by 5:00 PM so we could arrive at the Rehearsal Dinner by 6:00 PM. But as anyone who has ever been a part of one of these things knows, things never happen according to schedule. 

To begin with, a wedding party member was running late and caught in traffic. One wedding party member was flying in right around the time the rehearsal would begin. Another had to work, and one was kept at work later than originally planned. It's okay, these things happen, and thankfully we had plenty of people to fill in for the time being. 

Prepping the theater

Since TJ and I were getting married in a theater, we wanted the entrance to be a little dramatic and of course, choreographed. So as the curtain was being set in place we were trying to explain how to execute this entrance and what kind of timing we should have. Sadly this took a half hour just to figure out, but miraculously we only had to run through it once because it was perfect! 

Success!

At this point we're coming up quickly on 6:00 PM so we skip any actual "vow" practice, figure out basic blocking for the stage, and do a basic tech run of the whole thing. The rehearsal is a success and we all head off to Triassic Legacy Vineyard for our rehearsal dinner.

Let me tell you how awesome this vineyard is. Normally they're not open on a Thursday, but they opened just for our group. They also took the time to plan what kind of wine tastings we'd want to do (we opted for a half flight since people would need to drive shortly after), and offered our group discounts on bottles of wine. That's just how awesome their staff is, their wine was really good too!

Triassic is one of the few wineries I've been to that has an area for picnics as well as complimentary propane BBQ grills. Have I mentioned lately how awesome this place is? So in between wine tastings we would eat grilled hot dogs and hamburgers grilled by David (our best man) and Mindy (one of our bridesmaids). The food was awesome, the wine was awesome, and the company was awesome. Overall an awesome evening! 

Just as we're getting ready to head off to the Bachelor/Bacheloretty Party the kids come running into the winery yelling, "There's a whole rainbow outside!" Sure enough, there was a complete rainbow on the hills beyond the winery. A good omen for sure.

Our wonderful friends and family

Crap Happens

Okay, we all know that I've had more than my fair share of troubles, and I have long joked that I'm cursed with bad luck. But the fact of the matter is, sometimes crap happens. Some people believe that this "crap" is brought on by attracting negativity, and that the power of positive thinking will help you be as successful as say, a millionaire. I disagree. Despite my mini freak outs and moments of stress, I'm a pretty positive person, and I certainly don't attract negativity. After my meltdown, I regroup (sometimes with the help of loved ones), buck up, and soldier on. I may not know what my future holds, but I have faith in my family, faith in TJ's and my love, and faith in myself. TJ and I have proven that we're an awesome team who can get through dark times, as long as we work together.

But back to the issue, crap happens! I can't blame the boys' recent diagnosis' on bad luck or negativity, they inherited these medical problems, which sucks but it's true. I can't blame my knee surgery on bad luck or negativity since I'm the one who damaged my knees over a decade ago when I played competitive soccer. I can't blame bad luck or negativity for TJ's pneumonia, but I can blame him for not listening to me when I told him to go to the doctor when he first got sick (haha, love you TJ!).

Instead of going through life, worrying about whether your positive or negative thinking is going to bring about certain events (good or bad), we should just deal with these events when they happen. It is important to be positive when dealing with a crisis, but thinking that your positivity will ward off any future bad events isn't realistic. Just believe in yourself, and find those wonderful people that will always have your back.

I have wonderful friends that have reminded me lately that I am incredibly strong, and you know what? They're right. I can get through anything, because damn it, I feel like Super Woman! I also know that these friends are there for me when I need to take a break, they dust me off, help me back up, and cheer me on.

I know that the "crap" I'm dealing with won't be the last, and I know it won't be the worst. However, I'm positive that I'll get through it just fine, and hopefully with minimal frustrated Facebook posts.

Guess What?

We apologize for the lack of posts in the past month or so, things have been a little crazy. First we had two children's birthdays to celebrate, and then we were sick the following weekend, and the weekend after that something awesome happened.

On February 18th, we had made the trek up to Tehachapi to visit with friends and to see our friends perform "The Sunshine Boys." It was such a great day, first with sushi at one of our favorite sushi spots, then gaming with our best geek pals at Just Games, followed by wine tasting at Souza Vineyard. With an hour or so to kill before the show began, we took advantage of our friendship with those at the Beekay Theatre and decided to hang out with the cast before the show began. It was their final show so there was a celebration among the cast. TJ decided to take advantage of this by calling out for everyone's attention. Then he began to talk about how much he loved everyone, how they are family, and how he wanted to do this in front of them. Then a spotlight was put on us, and I think I said out loud, "Oh crap, he's going to do this." Next thing I know, TJ's on bended knee with tears in his eyes, and his grandmother's ring in his hand. He asked me to marry him. I tearfully said yes.

After the celebration I was asked if I knew that he was going to propose, my answer is, I didn't know when, nor where it would happen, but we've been talking marriage for quite some time now. I really don't understand people who are completely blindsided by a proposal, don't people talk about their future together and such? Anyways, since we've had a date in mind for some time, we decided to quickly move forward with the wedding planning, which is what we've been doing the past two weekends. 

There is so much that goes into wedding planning, and if it wasn't for our wedding planner, my good friend Valinda, I don't know how we'd do this! I apologize if this blog takes a detour from nerdy science experiments for a bit, but there will be nerdy stuff on here. It just might be nerdy wedding stuff.

Coming soon! The wedding of Nicole and TJ!

Project 1: Can You Take Water Out of the Air?

Welcome to the first project of the Saturday/Sunday Science Project. The project that our readers chose was: Can You Take Water Out of the Air? As a family we performed the experiment this afternoon and this is what happened. 

Intro (from the book)

Putting water into the air is something you have done often. For example, when you wash your hair, the water doesn't stay on your hair. It evaporates. But have you ever taken the water out of the air? Water vapor is in the air. When water vapor is cooled, it collects into water droplets. Here is a way to change water vapor to liquid water.

Materials                                             

• Empty metal can
• Water
• Ice cubes
• Spoon
• Paper towel
• Food coloring

Procedure

1. Fill the can halfway with cold water. Put in 3 drops of food coloring and stir. 

2. Add the ice cubes. Wipe the outside of the can with the paper towel. Make sure the can is dry. Wait a few minutes. 

Drawing conclusions (our answers are in green)

1. What forms on the outside of the can? Water droplets. What color are the drops? Clear.

2. Did they come from inside the can? How do you know? Previously speculated they had, but ultimately determined that they couldn't have possibly come from the can as the water in the can was blue and the water droplets were clear.

3. Where else have you seen water droplets collect? Lots of places, windows, soda cans, glasses, bathroom mirrors.

Two terms that the kids learned today, evaporation and condensation. 

Don't bother me, I'm hypothesizing!

 The kids had a great time doing this experiment, and we all learned about condensation. When I say we all learned, I include myself, as you can see if you watch the video we posted, I make a big mistake about where the water vapor came from. I have since corrected myself and informed Darren that he was right, that the water vapor was already in the air. As someone who loves science, it's embarrassing to admit that I missed something so basic, but now we know, and knowing is half the battle! 

Before our experiments this week, I found these great science experiment notebooks at the Learning Store we frequent, I figured they'd be a great way for the boys to document their experiments.

UPDATE! The Wheelchair Has Been Found!

Just received a call from Disneyland, apparently my wheelchair has been located! They were contacted by a couple in Fresno, who for some reason are just now figuring out that they have the wrong wheelchair. I still don't understand how that's possible, but I don't care, I'm getting my wheelchair back! Within a week it will be making the trip from Fresno to Disneyland, and I'll be picking it up as soon as they get it in. I'm also going to be investing in stickers, bumper stickers, and a chain with a lock to distinguish and protect my wheelchair from further instances of mistaken wheelchair.

You Get to Decide the Project!

Yes our few faithful readers, you will get to help us choose our science projects! Each week I will post a poll on what science project should be performed that week, and you will have a few days to vote for what you'd like to see us do. So what are you waiting for? Vote now!

Oh and here's a quick update on my knee. At my follow-up appointment today I learned that my ACL is also torn. Guess who's going back in for more surgery? This girl. 

Also as many of you are aware, today is the day of the largest internet protest in history. This protest is against the alleged "anti-piracy" legislation known as SOPA and PIPA. While you're exercising your right to vote for our projects, you should exercise your right to join the many voices in the protest. If you haven't already, please sign Google's Petition to End Piracy, Not Liberty. 

Brand New Day

It's a brand new day! Not to be confused with the song from the awesome "Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog," which I've been watching and singing along to a lot lately.

Last night as I went to bed, I started crying, the stress finally overwhelmed me, and depression was setting in. I've been fighting these negative feelings for a few months now, but the theft of the wheelchair finally broke my spirit. TJ, ever my knight in shining armor, held me and listened to me cry about the stresses in our lives and my frustration with our recent rotten luck. Afterwards, as I was trying to fall asleep, I was trying to figure out how to find some positive perspective in my life and find something positive to write about. Today I woke up, got through most of the day without my pain meds, and even went on a job interview (ironically for the State Disability office). After I got home my boys (TJ included) were waiting for me and we decided to run a few errands.

Since I haven't been out much, especially the past week, I decided we should stop by the Learning Store to look around. I love these stores, I could spend a fortune in there on fun science stuff, arts and crafts supplies, and teaching tools. I swear these stores are science nerd crack. Anyways, while we're browsing through the store, I come across the Science Fair section. I'm unsure if the boys will be required to do a project, but I decided to check it out anyway. I found these great little books with simple science projects, and I began to think how much fun it would be to do these with the kids. As I continue to browse through the store, I think more and more about how this could be a positive thing for me, not to mention the time spent with the kids. It would also give me something positive to write about, and bring this blog back to it's nerdy roots. For a while it seemed like the "Things or people that annoy us" blog. So science will be my therapy, a cathartic outlet for my frustrations.

The Saturday/Sunday Science Project

One day out of the weekend, we will do a science project as a family, and post our findings on here. I'll even try to get some pictures and video on here of our endeavors. We will be using the book: Steck-Vaughn Science Projects Grades 3-4

Darren holding our new project book

Update: The wheelchair is officially stolen

Here's my pathetic update, called Disneyland, my wheelchair was not turned in and is considered stolen at this point. Filed a police report, and complained all over the internet. Now to sit back and lose faith in humanity and fight the urge to throw myself a pity party.

And I thought people who are rude to those in wheelchairs were bad....

I really want to post a positive story on here, really I do. Apparently my luck just really sucks lately. If you read the blog regularly, you've read about my disdain for people who are rude or inconsiderate to those in wheelchairs, on crutches, etc etc. Many people who have spent time in a wheelchair or in need of physical assistance truly understand how hard it is, and would never knowingly hurt someone in a wheelchair. Or so you'd think, right?

Wrong. 

We normally spend Sunday mornings at Disney as a family (apparently we worship a mouse), and today was no exception. Today was extra special as my sister and her fiance joined us for our Disney fun. We were having a blast! Sure, my knee was killing me, but my sister and I had a great time cracking jokes throughout Indiana Jones and Pirates, and TJ and I kept screaming like the Twihards behind on us Space Mountain. We even checked out the new Jolly Holiday cafe, complete with stained glass penguins. Our only annoyance for the day at that point was the fact that we were tired of going to Kashyyyk (Wookie planet) and Naboo whenever we went on Star Tours (I'm dying for some Hoth). Anyways, we decided to ride Pirates, and as I'm still using my wheelchair for excursions like Disney, we used the wheelchair accessible entrance, parked our wheelchair and boarded our ship. As soon as we got off the ride, something was irritatingly wrong. My wheelchair was gone. We checked the area twice, but sure enough, it was gone. There were a few wheelchairs, one of them similar (but not really) to mine, and the rest totally different. We notified the cast members, who notified security, and tried to stay calm. 

At this point I'm thinking, "I'm sure they'll be back any minute, all embarrassed and saying 'whoops' and 'I'm sorry' and we can switch chairs and be on our way." By the time security had shown up, still no wheelchair. The very kind officer took my report, listened to me worry and fret a bit, reassured me it will be okay, and arranged for me to have a complimentary wheelchair until mine is found. In perfect timing, Pirates breaks down and every wheelchair is claimed but the one sort of resembling mine. Really, the only things our chairs had in common were the color and the small transport wheels. The other chair was thinner than mine, lacked the side satchel that hangs over the left arm rest, and had a different style of arm rests. Not to mention it was fairly old and used and mine is still new and shiny (oooh shiny). This brings a temporary relief, because we all assume that it was just a case of mistaken wheelchair, and that they'd be turning my wheelchair in at any time now. Just in case though, the officer takes me to Lost and Found to file a report, and I'm sent back into the park to try and enjoy the rest of my day. 

I tried, really I did. However, I spent most of my time there looking for my wheelchair, stalking people in burgundy wheelchairs, and hanging out near wheelchair access lines. After six hours and no wheelchair, I gave up. I spoke with security one more time and there are three things that may have happened. 

1. My chair was stolen. These people may have seen my chair as a free "upgrade" and I am now out a chair. 

2. They are not very bright, and may not be aware that they have the wrong chair. 

3. They know they have the wrong chair, but are too lazy and may dump it somewhere in the park sometime this evening. 

So now I wait. I will call Lost and Found tomorrow and see what has turned up. If it's there, I'll be relieved, though still incredibly annoyed I had to deal with this. If it's not, I have to file a police report, and hope I can get it replaced. 

Not like the wheelchair thief is going to read this, but if by some slim chance they could, here's what I'd say:

To the assholes that messed up my day, screw you. Sure you may have been confused and picked up the wrong chair at first, but seriously did you think the side bag appeared out of nowhere? Did you think your chair had magically widened? Or that someone had shined up your chair for you as a courtesy? Really? Or if you knowingly took it, why? I'm not riding in a wheelchair for shits and giggles, I need it! Of all people I think you would understand how important a wheelchair is to someone who uses it! I'd like to think maybe you needed it, but no, I need my chair, and you already had one. You know what you need? A conscience. Thanks for messing up my family's day. When I could have been enjoying rides with my family, I had to fill out paper work and give statements. Not to mention the great deal of stress and grief you brought my family today. I hope it was worth it, because I'd hate to be you when karma catches up to your ass.

The last picture of me in my chair. I miss my chair.....

Updates from the Couch

Hi everyone,

Not going to lie. Nothing extraordinary happened this week. So I'm just going to give an update about the knee surgery and submitting proof that my family does indeed have the worst luck ever. 

When we last wrote, we were preparing for my knee surgery (arthroscopic meniscal surgery) and being generally optimistic about the new year. My surgery was originally scheduled for January 10th at 11:45 AM, but the day before ended up being bumped up to 9:00 AM. This actually worked out a lot better, given that the boys would be in school during the whole procedure and post-op recovery. Sure enough though, things never work out the way they're supposed to. 

We went to bed around 11:00 PM, trying to fall asleep, which was difficult as I was as excited as a kid on Christmas eve. Finally though, we slept until we heard retching sounds in the kids' bathroom at around 3:00 AM. Next thing we hear is a pitiful sounding Darren saying, "Mom....TJ....I'm not feeling good."

I'm sure wherever you're reading this from, that there have been nasty stomach bugs going around. According to my Facebook feed, many of my friends from all over the country have been hit with these nasty viruses, and sure enough just hours before my surgery, my son had been hit with it too. 

TJ decided to let me sleep so he could care for Darren and eventually they were both able to sleep. We were hoping that Darren would be feeling up to going to school when he got up, and figured that we didn't need to panic just yet. At 6:00 AM that all changed. As we got up to get ready to go to the hospital and get the kids ready for school, we realized that TJ was now sick with the stomach virus. We began to panic and tried to figure out how to get through the day. We called for reinforcements (both of our moms) but with the morning traffic they wouldn't arrive in time to help. The kids made it off to school, though poor Darren had a rough day since he was still recovering and also very worried about my surgery. TJ was such a trooper and stayed by my side, even though he wasn't feeling well himself. As they were getting my IV into place, TJ almost passed out, and for a little while, he was my neighbor on the gurney next to me.

After joking with my geeky, yet fun anesthesiologist, I was finally ready for surgery. Next thing I know, I woke up, and in a great deal of pain. I have a resistance to pain medication, and it took three different pain medications to finally dull the pain. This became quite an issue later as I battled with my doctor (who couldn't even grace me with his presence) over the pain medication prescription, I lost. As far as the surgery, I'm assuming it went well, as I mentioned before, my doctor didn't take the time to speak with me or TJ, so I'm sure I'll find out more after my appointment on Wednesday. 

The recovery is going well so far, it's painful and the recovery is slow, but I'm able to bend my knee as I walk, and I can walk on my own for up to 5 minutes at a time. I'm still stuck on the couch more than I'd like to be, however I've made a discovery that will make this recovery far easier. Netflix has Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis, as well as every Star Trek episode ever made!

So there you have it, we survived the day of the surgery, and I'm on the road to recovery, hopefully we'll have more exciting and fun things to share in the future, until then you have to deal with the updates from the couch. 

Lessons from Disneyland: Kindness and Courtesy to Disabled Guests

I've actually learned a lot about people by going to Disneyland. Sounds crazy but it's true. Ever since my knee injury in November, I've been on crutches, and for longer excursions to the mall and Disneyland, we invested in a small transport wheelchair. 

I know some Disney fans out there may be thinking "Sweet! You get to use the Guests with Disabilities line! Shorter lines! No walking!" And I'm here to tell you, it's not all it's cracked up to be. To begin with, in the bathrooms there are only one or two stalls for those with disabilities, and sadly I've had to wait quite a few times while a mom uses the bathroom as her private changing room for her kids. Another downside is the looks of disgust and hate from guests in the regular line as I roll up. These looks are probably for two reasons, one, most of the time I did not have to wait as long as they did; and two, most of the time they have to slow the ride down so I can get on safely. I've also heard a few rude remarks about me, "She doesn't look like she belongs in a wheelchair! I'm sure she's fine! Why do people in wheelchairs get priority over everyone else?" Sadly, I've heard the last comment a lot. Which is downright depressing that people think those who are disabled (either temporarily or permanently) are second class citizens.

If anyone reading this has ever been in a wheelchair or has had to push one, you know that they do not maneuver very well in crowds, and yet people expect to go right through us and have ran into the chair (both moving and stationary). I've also witnessed people trying to cut ahead of us in lines for things like elevators, bathrooms, and food. This wheelchair may mean I'm disabled in my knee, but not disabled in the mind. 

Another classic thing I've seen happen not only to me, but other guests in wheelchairs are people trying to block our view of shows, fireworks, and parades. They will literally stand in front of us, which leaves little recourse other than to politely ask someone to move. Many people are surprisingly rude about it, and a woman attempted to start a confrontation with TJ over it. 

There's also the case of not being aware of those in wheelchairs, I can't tell you how many people have crashed into me, almost fallen on me, whacked me in the head with a bag or elbow, or run out in front of us as we're moving. I've seen so many small children almost get run over by us, because their parents were not holding on to them, and most of the time, we get the dirty look, as if we're gunning for rogue children. Perhaps I should start adding hash marks to the side of the wheelchair for every hit we get?

Finally, something I've seen both in Disneyland and out of Disneyland, are people standing idly by as someone in a wheelchair, on crutches, or using a cane or walker, struggles to get through a door, or needs assistance in another way. Thankfully, there are people who will rush to the assistance (a very kind man that rushed through half of Starbucks to open a door for me comes to mind), but most of the time I struggle through the door as people watch in amusement. 

I can't wait for my time as a temporarily disabled person to end, and I'm thankful it will end, and when it does, I'll make sure that I extend kindness and courtesy to all I encounter as I've rolled a mile in their wheels and understand the frustration and rudeness they experience.

2012 Reflections and Resolutions

Happy New Year everyone! Hope the first day of 2012 has been good to you! These are our annual R&R's aka: Reflections & Resolutions. Here we go!

Nicole's R&R

This year I learned to take a step back and look at things from a different perspective. This was incredibly useful when dealing with conflicts or disagreements. I also learned to back up everything I say, and how to properly discuss and debate. I learned to keep my head up and keep moving forward, no matter how hard things got. I learned to ask for help and depend on others, and how pride isn't necessarily a good thing. 

My resolutions for the year are to get through my surgery and work towards strengthening my knee after it is repaired. I want to get back my stamina and be active again. I hope to complete some hikes this summer, if my knee is ready. I also resolve to continue my education, as well as assist in the education of my children. I also would like to become more "crunchy" and be more aware of my carbon footprint. I resolve to continue volunteering in various organizations to help make a difference. My final resolution for the year, is everyday tell TJ  how special he is to me, and how much I love him.

TJ's

2011 Reflection:
Well after having a rocky start (first half (ok 2/3)) I find myself building back up again. The last year was tough but with support from the ones who love me I made it through. I can honestly say that I would not want to go through last year without the one I love.

2012 Resolution:
This year I want to continue building, make new friends and keep being the awesome (so I'm told) person I am.