The deed is done

Originally uploaded by sf2london.

There’s me, Gülay, Steven, and Jane in the Registrar’s office at Chelsea Old Town Hall. Gülay and Jane had to wait outside while the Registrar reviewed all the details (Does Patty have a middle name or doesn’t she? Steven’s an Advertising Director, correct? Etc.) and we looked at our ceremony options:
A) The Short Ceremony: I, ______________, promise to share my life openly with you, ______________.
B) The Full-Length Ceremony: I, ______________, will go antiquing with you, _______________. Then we’ll move to the country, open a B&B, adopt a couple of Guatemalan babies, and live in connubial partnered bliss civilly and happily until death do us part so help me God amen blah blah blah etc. etc.
C) The Very Short Ceremony: Yo! We’re civil partners, dude!
We chose D) None of the Above.
Then the Registrar had to copy lots of stuff into the Register while we all sat there. To while away the time, Jane explained why she and Gülay were dressed the way they were to the Registrar and her assistant. Steven had a difficult time explaining it all to me, using the blanket excuse of “after X glasses of wine, ...” Lots of signing ensued, and then we were done.
After inspecting the Bridal Powder Room, Steven & I exited the building and our wititnesses pelted us with potpourri (apparently confetti is a no-no in these green times) while a poor, unsuspecting Italian tourist was conscripted to snap a couple photos for posterity.
We then hopped in a taxi and headed to a secret destination for lunch. The only clue was that Steven & I had to wear jackets & ties. Somehow this must have compensated for the ladies’ extreme cleavage, as we were actually admitted to (and served at) the R.A.C.
And, you know, that’s pretty much it. Now we’re hitched!

Where it all started

Originally uploaded by sf2london.

(well, sort of). The story goes that one summer day Steven was sitting on this bench when I came out of the RISD mail room (which was across the street at that time), saw him, and went over to say “hi.” We had previously been introduced at an ID class picnic (he was going to go home to New Jersey but stayed in Providence when he heard I’d be there). I don’t remember whether we were already working in the BEB (me in the now-obsolete DAS office, he painting desks in the studios) or if that was still to come. Somehow the trash can and PVC pipe weren’t there in my mental picture of THE BENCH. Maybe I’ll Photoshop them out...
The reason for this trip down memory lane, for those of you who haven’t been paying attention, is that we’re about to do our Civil Partnership ceremony. Trying to keep the whole affair low-key, so not making a big deal about it. I mention the CP for information purposes only, just so you all know and don’t feel left out...

My home town

Originally uploaded by sf2london.

This is about five minutes from where I grew up. It used to be the A&P, but now the A&P is across the street and ten times bigger. The image is a little bit deceptive, because if you walked five minutes in the other direction you’d be in a park with big beautiful trees and very tall cliffs along the Hudson River stretching all the way up to New York State. The forecast for the duration of my journey is cold, grey and drizzly. I’ll be taking the train up to Providence on Saturday morning, then making my way to Boston on Monday for my flight back to London...

Car for anorexics...

Originally uploaded by sf2london.

Sorry. Bad joke. But seriously, this is pushing the whole motorized wheelchair thing a bit far, don’t you think? And while it’s so diminutive the driver could have pulled right up to the till at Tesco, they didn’t. Got out and walked into the store. To me it seems like something out of Wallace & Gromit. Or France...

NSPD 51

One of the reasons we don’t live in America right now...
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/05/20070509-12.html
Think it could only happen in Burma or Pakistan?

Two days later

Originally uploaded by sf2london.

Gone. Almost without a trace. And I never even got a chance to take a picture of the “hardware store” window at the Progresso coffee shop. Oh, well...