45 Years...and Counting!

 Yep. We've been married for that long. Thinking about it, these days, that's a REALLY long time. Of the people at our wedding, I think that there are only three couples who are still together, other than us. 

Were we really that young? 

And now, we have a new challenge. As I reported last time, Marianne has cancer. She's been undergoing chemo and radiation for three weeks as of this posting and the GOOD NEWS is that the (as she calls it) Cancer Bitch is shrinking. The doc is quite pleased. She still has a lot more, including four rounds of "internal radiation" treatment. Since it's in her Lady Bits, I'll leave it to your imagination just what that might entail. It not gonna be much fun. 

And what, you might ask, does that have to do with Road Trippin'?

A whole lot, of course. 

First, there's planning how to get to USC/Norris down by LA County Hospital. NOT the best location to get to by 7AM on a weekday. This is where my years of driving buses for Embree back in the '70s comes to the fore. 

The gal at the desk of our treatment place in Arcadia was trying to give me directions: "Take the 10 to LA..."

"No I don't."

She looked at me funny. 

"You take Huntington Drive to Mission and turn left on Soto." 

Her jaw dropped. "Uh, really?"

"Yeah," I replied, "never drive the freeway into DTLA on a weekday morning."

She'd never heard such madness. 

heeheehee...

Then, there was what to do for our Anniversary. Chemo/radiation whacks your immune system...HARD, and going out to a packed restaurant  to eat is a VERY BAD IDEA. So...

Marianne had a memorial service to attend in the afternoon, so we couldn't make our usual getaway, so I had to get creative. 

On our wedding night, after a monumental reception that involved champers and TWO bottles of Glenfiddich Single Malt Whisky and a continuation of the reception at the auld Loch Ness Monster Pub, we were, uh, just a little tired. Our hotel for the night was in Pasadena so off we went. Now, I don't know about your weddings, but when you're the star attraction, NOBODY lets you eat the magnificent repast laid out in front of you. EVERYONE want's to congratulate you, you have photos to be taken, the first dance, the toasts... You don't get to eat much. So, we "napped" and went out and found a place to have a hamburger. 

Now, remembering this, I thought we could just go get In-n-Out. No eating with a crowd, no unmasking, no risk. 

But, hell. Why just go to the local one? So, I searched the web and hit on San Clemente. Great, a short jaunt, we could eat at...lessee...AH, a parking lot at the beach! By the Metro Station! 

Then I spotted the Beach Hut Deli, right there by the station! EXCELLENT! 

So, with The Association's "Cherish" (our song!) blaring away, we set out into the usual LA freeway traffic (yeah, ok, we took the freeways. I know, but...) and an hour later we pulled in, ordered a pretty tasty pulled pork sandwich, parked at the beach by the station and listened to the surf and watched the sun go down. 

Coming home, we slogged along PCH, into the setting sun, to about Corona Del Mar and up to the freeway and home. 

We were saluted by a Dragon on the way home! 

To a bottle of Moet, a slice of chocolate ganache cake, and "Casablanca." Yes, we killed the bottle and cried as Rick told Ilsa to get on the plane. 

So, the point of all this is no matter what the circumstances, all it takes is a little planning and a little imagination.