"Love consists of this, that two solitudes protect and touch and greet each other."--Rainer Maria Rilke.
I confess--I was a hopeless internet dater for many years. When I finally gave it up I found utter contentment with my cats, Syrus and Zoey and my surfboard, which I took to Old Man's at San Onofre Beach nearly every weekend (and where I met my most recent friend, Irene). My dear friends Marjie, Erin, Melissa, Ellen, Alice, Lori, Mariam, and Teresa (along with their respective husbands), my Godson, Ben and his sister, Rachel, and my beloved mother, and Aunt Eleanor,Uncle Julius, Aunt Irene, and my cousins, Susan, Karen, Elisabeth, and Adrian, made me happy with their love.
On August 11, 2013, while heading up to Ventura to spend the day with my mother, with surfboard secured to to top of my Honda Accord, I decided to do "dawn patrol" at "C" Street. After riding a wave to shore, I found myself paddling back out alongside another surfer...a handsome man with blue eyes, sandy blonde hair, and a warm smile. He informed me that his name was Brent, he lived in Las Vegas, and was doing construction work on the 101 Freeway, near Santa Barbara and although he never surfed a day in his life, he could not help his fixation on the surfers at Rincon, which he could see daily from his job site. He told me in the water that he was a beginner and wanted some tips. While I was stoked about his "stoke," I did not see Brent as a dating prospect (G.U.D.--Geographically UnDesirable). Moreover, it seemed to me that he was looking for a surf instructor--not a girlfriend--during his stay in Ventura County, which would end in October.
Not once did I consider this man dating material. But he was friendly, and it is always a bonus to meet another friendly surfer in the water.
I bid my farewell to him, left the water, and met my mom, who was patiently waiting for me on the boardwalk, for an avocado and cheese omlet at the nearby Crown Plaza Hotel. And so the two of us--mother and daughter--strolled down the boardwalk for much needed mother/daughter bonding time--we were remembering my late father's birthday, August 13.
Two Hours Later...
On our way stroll back up the boardwalk to our car, my mother nudges me and tells me she hears a man is calling. "Christina! Christina!" I think to myself, "Really? He is still here?"
My mother can be anything but subtle. She motions me over to go talk to Brent. She tells Brent that I will be staying the night and that we should exchange phone numbers to arrange for an early surf session the next day. AWKWARD! But, O-K-A-Y.
Although I was pretty sure Brent would flake out on me the next morning, he actually kept his promise and the next morning we surfed. Then he hit my surfboard with his. Surf session over. I left for Orange County thinking, "Well, that was fun...and now I have a dinged board!" Then I thought nothing more of the encounter. Brent, after all, lived in Las Vegas: G.U.D.
Three hours later, I received a text that no man from an internet dating site ever wrote me. It changed my life and it is the kind of text EVERY WOMAN only DREAMS to receive from a MAN. But I will let him tell you what he wrote :) |
And here is what I wrote after two hours and after two margaritas (liquid courage):
"I must say...You have dominated my thoughts since we first met and the only comfort I have is in knowing that I will see you again. So I was wondering if you would like to go out with me on Saturday, August 24th? I personally would like to go surfing and have sushi; however, if it is with you, I would settle for hotdogs and ant farming and would be happy just the same. I will come to you, or if you prefer you can come here. I guess it is safe to say that I am rather smitten with you. And that doesn't happen to me often. So I am kinda trying to seize the opportunity. I'm sorry if I seem overzealous."
And off the text went to Christina later in the afternoon. I hoped for a positive response. You see, I took the job in Ventura, California, to change my life as I had just buried my beloved father, "Shu." Watching the surfers at Rincon Point in Ventura and taking up a new hobby, surfing, was the start of a new life for me. And when Christina responded to my text with "Yes, yes, yes" I had a feeling she would BE my new life.
The rest is history. And as my co-workers from M2 Core Drilling and Sawing in Las Vegas put it, "I left Nevada and a good job for a girl."
I proposed to her at sunset at one of our favorite surf spots, Pipes, in Cardiff, a year later. |
Destination Wedding-Moon: December 21-27, 2014--Excellence Resort--Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. Wedding=December 23, 2014 at 5:00 p.m. Sunset=6:15 p.m. There is not special significance to the date other than it was the only date available at the resort.
We dedicate our marriage to our late fathers, William H. Shuman ("Shoe") and Igor Zubko--both of whom we lost in the last four years. Brent and I joke that the two must have arranged our meeting from Heaven...Igor and "Shoe."
Our ceremony will take place on the sand, in the Carribean--my father's favorite place to take our family every summer. The bride and her mother will be delivered by horse-drawn carriage to the wedding gazebo in the sand, where the groom will be waiting. In honor of my late father, my mother and I will wear Sbicca beach sandals (family knows his history with Sbicca Shoes), and Brent will wear his favorite flip-flops, along with his Tommy Bahama beach tux.
We will toast our family with Dad's favorite Carribean drink--the Pina Colada! After the ceremony, the bride and groom and with Christina's mother (unfortunately, Ms. Janice Shuman was unable to come) will have a special dinner and share a coconut cake (flavor in honor of the late Mr. Shuman who requested coconut cake for his birthday every year).
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Many thanks to Lori Larsen and to Marjie Blevins, Robin Oliver, and Erin Butch for showering Brent and me with love before we left for the Carribean You really made us feel special! You both honored me by celebrating this moment and by respecting my preference for small, intimate gatherings over a large production that would make me the center of attention.
We will toast Lori, Marjie, Robin, and Erin in the Carribean. We will be sure to send you a picture of your special pina colada!
And to all my friends at Sunny Hills High School, CHEERS! The same to my extended family in Canada who could not be with us.
Finally, to Patty Baillie, my travel agent, for making this big party possible in the Carribean! |
