August 2003 Update
Rachel and Ed's Wedding, August 24,
2003
(Matt Fondiller, Susie, Bill Busch, Adrien & Paula, Rachel
& Ed, Nicholas, Stacy & Tim Fondiller, Chris & Ed Busch)
Friday, August 1: Tonight we had Irving and Sol Tupe over for dinner. Irving is a very old (not in age of course) friend and colleague of Adrien's from the good old Amdahl days. We got a late start (as is typical with Adrien and Irv) but we sure had a great visit. Adrien and Irv picked right up where they left off several years ago. It was quite an interesting and entertaining evening.
Saturday, August 2: Off to Aptos we went to the Hubbard's for a reunion of Amdahl/Cisco friends. The BBQ was actually in honor of Phil Glossip's Birthday and visit from the UK. Lots of great food, drink and conversations. Adrien even brought his guitar along and provided some musical entertainment for everyone. We even did a few sing-a-longs.
_
_
Sunday, August 3: This afternoon, Jeanie and Bruce came over for a BBQ at the house. He's the sailor who just finished the Around Alone race on Ocean Planet. Bruce brought a couple of his guitars along and we enjoyed some great music.
Monday, August 4: Golf day for Adrien with Jim (our friend from Hawaii) and my son, Matt. Catch up day for me. Terrible golf day...definitely time for golf lessons now.
Tuesday, August 5: We drove up to Elizabethann's (my godmother) house, today and had lunch with her. It's been quite a while since we'd seen her and she's doing great. We shared our wedding pictures with her before lunch and then showed her a brief picture show on our computer of some of the places we've sailed in the last year and a half. We left around 5:30 and headed back to San Jose. While driving out of San Francisco we drove by this most incredible vehicle. Adrien said "Get the camera, Paula, and take a picture of that." So I did!
I reckon the story on this bus goes like this. Gal hippy says to guy hippie "we need more room, the VW bus is too small" Guy hippie says "No way am I getting rid of the VW bus". As usual, when it comes to getting more space, the Gal hippie prevailed. The guy hippie just happened to own a welding machine!
Friday, August 8: Adrien and I met some AMAT friends for lunch in Sunnyvale. We talked and laughed and talked and laughed and talked and laughed, catching up with everyone. They haven't changed a bit, except Holly who is going to have a baby next month and this was her last day before her leave of absence. It was so good to see everyone.
Sunday, August 10: Tonight, we took Matt and Maureen out to dinner for Matt's Birthday. We went to a new steakhouse called Forbes Mill and it was terrific and the food was excellent. It's hard to believe I can be the mother of a 31 year old! I got holy hell for screwing up the birthday picture...damn camera!!!
Happy Birthday, Matt. Sorry the "group" shot didn't
turn out.
Monday, August 11: Merike and Monique (friends that use to work at Cisco) arrived mid-afternoon for their visit and overnight stay. They're also leaving for Oregon tomorrow and this was a chance to hook up. Tim and Daniella, and Matt Barletta (more ex Cisco-ites) joined us a little later. We were having a spur of the moment BBQ. We had cocktails and appetizers and then Adrien BBQ'd sausages, ribs and veggies. What a feast! And there sure was plenty of "old time" Cisco stories to be told. Another very entertaining evening. Unbeknownst (iz that a word???) to all, Monique and I had a full ping pong tournament ...on a somewhat regulation challenged table...after all the wimps went to bed. No one even heard the agony of defeat in the last set (whose agony I'll never tell)
Tuesday, August 12: A bit of a slow start this morning but Merike and Monique left around 10:00 and we were on the road to Bend, Oregon by 11:00. There was a lot of traffic most of the way, too, due to construction. We arrived at Rachel and Ed's at 7:45. It sure was good to get out of the car (since we only stopped for gas and potty breaks...that's toilet breaks for those who are unacquainted with really tiny people). We settled in and had a drink and then Ed BBQ'd steaks and corn for dinner...a la haute cuisine.
Wednesday, August 13: Big trip to Costco today for wedding activities provisioning. Cases and cases of beverages and few other things. It reminded me of the provisioning we did before we left Hawaii, although not the same kind of beverages, that's for sure. Ed made us another great dinner tonight, Chicken Chile with Polenta. Um, um good!
Thursday, August 14: Rachel and I did some "wedding" errands today. We bought some flowers at the supermarket to play with making our centerpieces. They turned out very cute. Ed and Adrien started on the "Bonus Room" project today. They are getting it ready for insulation and sheet rocking. Around 4:00 they abandoned the project, due to very hot temperature up there, and Adrien went to hit a bucket of balls and Ed went shopping for dinner. Tonight we had BBQ ribs, grilled squash and potatoes and a delicious dessert of grilled pears with a raspberry filling. Fantastic! Ed is quite the CHEF!!!
Friday, August 15: This morning Rachel and I drove to meet with the florist to talk about what and how many flowers we will need for our centerpieces. She was very helpful. Then we went to Goody's which is this very decadent candy/ ice cream store in Bend. Also, very popular. Rachel was getting little gift boxes (30 of them) for all of the people coming from out of town to put into a "Welcome to Bend" bag, to have waiting for them when they checked into their hotels. Rachel thought they would just give us the candy and the boxes and then we would assemble them at home. No, they put them all together and even tied ribbons on each package. What a great surprise that was!. Since it was going to be over an hour for them to be ready and it was lunch time, we decided to have a bite to eat at the Pine Tavern Inn. The boys worked in the Bonus Room all day. Adrien got all the electrical outlets installed and Ed got the storage area finished. This was a very productive day for all. Adrien even got to his bucket of balls this afternoon. (That's GOLF balls...if anyone's interested) We decided Ed needed to take a break from his "chef" duties so we went downtown to Marz and had a very nice dinner.
Saturday, August 16: The four of us went kayaking on the Deschutes River today for about 2 hours. The tandem kayak Adrien and I had wasn't very good so we switched halfway with Rachel and Ed. Theirs was much more comfortable.
We're trying to decide what kind to get when we get back to NZ. It was a beautiful afternoon on the river. Tonight Ed outdid himself in the kitchen. He made a wonderful salmon mousse appetizer on endive or crackers and the main course was scallops wrapped in bacon (pancetta...for the food snobs out there...hope I spelled it rite!!!) Bon Apetit. We sure have been eating well and with such great presentation, too.
Sunday, August 17: Rachel and I did a little clothes shopping today for me, mainly looking for hiking shoes. We found the shoes and a lot more. Around 2:00 we all left for a little hike in Shevlin Park. I got to wear my new hiking "outfit". We took Elsa with us, too, so she could play fetch in the creek.
Back to the house to clean up and get things ready for dinner. Chris and Ed (Ed's parents) arrived into Bend around 5:00 and came over for dinner. It was my turn in the kitchen and the menu tonight was Steak Diane, Caesar Salad and some steamed veggies on the barby. It was all very good, even if I do say so myself.
Monday, August 18: Wedding stuff for most of the day. Adrien went to play 9 holes of golf and Ed & Ed checked out a fly fishing trip they want to do.
Tuesday, August 19: We had a group (3 sets of parents) "wedding planning" meeting this morning, to be sure everyone is on the same page (or at least in the same book). Rachel and Ed went to a concert tonight at the amphitheater. They rode their bikes down and said they'd call if they needed a pick up. We met Chris and Ed at their hotel and then walked downtown to have a bite to eat. We ended up at the Pine Tavern Inn with an outside table overlooking the river. It was a beautiful evening and as it turned cooler the waiters lit the outside heaters. Our meals was delicious and the atmosphere was so calming. I wasn't to pleased with my "OREGON" steak. The cows are kinda tough here...as are the local rednecks.
Wednesday, August 20: Lisa, Rachel's Maid of Honor, arrived around noon today and then we all went to Aspen Hall to do a walk through and get a better idea on table and decoration placements. The guys continued to work on the Bonus Room. They are making amazing progress and it's really starting to look like a real room.
Thursday, August 21: More wedding errands for the "girls". The guys, Ed, Ed, Bill & Adrien, finished the insulation installation today. Ed and Adrien celebrated by going out and hitting some golf balls. Adrien and I met Vicki and Steve (my sister and brother-in-law) at their Hotel this evening. We walked downtown to Merenda's for dinner. I'm so glad they could be here for the wedding. We got back to Rachel's around 10:00 where she and Ed were entertaining some of their friends from LA, Serge and Deb, that they used to work with. It was fun to meet and visit with them.
Friday, August 22: Let the games begin! This morning a few people went rafting and had a great time. Look at the expressions on some of their faces.
This afternoon we went to Aspen Hall for a quick walk through with the caterer and then a quick rehearsal with the officiant. Both went very smoothly. Tonight we went to Tim and Stacy's (Rachel's dad and stepmom) for a family and close friends' cocktail party.
It was a great party and it was so nice to meet and spend more time with Ed's side of the family. I was the "COSMO" bartender for the evening...had a sizable fan club by the end of the evening.
Saturday, August 23: Picnic Day! Some of us got to Tumalo Park early to set up the tables and games. Guests started arriving around noon time. We had snacks, drinks, salads and ribs all set up for people to eat in their leisure. The creek was very inviting, especially for some of the kids. Most everyone was gone by 4:30 so we started cleaning up and loading up the cars. It was a wonderful day and gave Rachel and Ed a chance to visit with lots of family and friends in a more relaxed environment. Horseshoes, Badminton, and Fly-casting lessons were big hits.
Sunday, August 24: The BIG Day! And what a beautiful day it was. Rachel's hairdresser came to the house to do her hair (since it was Sunday and the salon wasn't open).
Adrien drove Rachel, Lisa and me over to Aspen Hall around noon so we could check out the set up and get ready for the photographer. (The ladies had their own trailer...a la movie star...to facilitate the primming and prepping process...NO MEN ALLOWED NEAR THE DAMN THING!!!) Everything looked great and only a couple of modifications were made.
_
1) Table settings; 2) Guest book/check-in table
3) Lisa putting Rachel's veil on, very carefully!
_
4) Anyone recognize the arch? Adrien & I used it for our
blessing and wedding. It's becoming a family tradition. 5) The cake
The photographer arrived at 1:45 and we had a few pre-ceremony pictures taken.
The Busch Family
The wedding began a little after 3:00, as scheduled. It was so beautiful. Ed escorted his mom and me down the aisle together and seated us and then waited next to the officiant.
It was absolutely breathtaking to see Rachel being escorted by her very proud father down the aisle. It's a feeling that's very hard to describe, but it brings tears to my eyes as I try to explain it.
The officiant did a wonderful job and the kids looked so happy.
_
After the ceremony more pictures were taken by the photographer and the guests mingled, picked up a cocktail and had some appetizers.
_
1) Adrien, Paula, Steve & Vicki Allen (my sister and brother-in-law);
2) Maureen, me, Matt
A little while later we all moved inside and sat at our tables to listen to Bill, Ed's brother and the Best Man, and Lisa, the Maid of Honor, do their toasts. Then the buffet began and boy what a spread. Everything was absolutely delicious, and unlike my own wedding I was able to enjoy the food. The rest of the party went so well. Lots of dancing, drinking, cutting and eating the cake, more dancing, drinking and a very special Mandolin recital by Bill.
_
_
_
1) The first dance; 2) Dedication on the mandolin; 3) The cake
cutting 4) Tim & Stacy having a wonderful time.
5) We're really in our element now!
He had even written a song especially for Ed and Rachel on their wedding day. It was beautiful. The kids left in a limo about 8:30
Who's that in the background?
and some of the stragglers stayed on for another set of dancing. It was such a terrific day/evening. Now we had to tear down the decorations and load up the car and take everything home. Normally not a big deal, but in this case Adrien had forgotten to get the keys for the Jeep from Ed before they left sooooooooo we recruited some of the folks that had stayed to help us out. I think we ended up with a caravan of about 6 cars back to Rachel and Ed's loaded with decorations, food, gifts and people. We unloaded the stuff from all of the vehicles and invited everyone in for a drink. I think the party broke up around midnight. What a longggggggggggggg and wonderful day. FLAWLESS, LOT'S OF FUN, WITH A DASH OF HAPPY TEARS...AAAHHHHHH!!!
Monday, August 25: Brunch Day! Another successful event with lots of friends and family stopping by on their way home via plane or car for a last chance to see Ed and Rachel and of course imbibe in food and drink. We tried to give people little "food packages" for their plane or car trips and in most cases it was graciously accepted. (Is there a story here???) This whole weekend was such a wonderful success and a great tribute to Rachel and Ed for so many of their family members and friends to travel so far to help celebrate their marriage.
Tuesday, August 26: Adrien and I got up very early this morning to take Rachel and Ed to the airport for their 7:30 AM flight to Kauai for their honeymoon. Later this afternoon Adrien and Steve went to play a round of golf while Vicki and I went shopping at the outlets. I don't know who had more fun, but it was a great day for all of us.
Wednesday, August 27: Vic, Steve, Adrien, Elsa and I went to Tumalo Falls and Shevlin Park to do a little hiking/walking. We had fun with Elsa as she always likes to fetch a stick in the creek. She gets soaking wet and then comes out and shakes it all off to whoever is the closest to her. She is so much fun to take out and she is so good.
_
1) Vic, Steve, Adrien & Elsa at Tumalo Falls; 2) Elsa retrieving her stick.
_
3) Adrien balancing on a log; 4) The hikers
Thursday, August 28: We met Tim for breakfast at the Westside Cafe before he and Rick went flyfishing. Adrien and Steve took Elsa to Smith Rock and did the Misery Trail (no explanation needed apparently). They were all exhausted when they got back including Elsa. Vic and I were the smart ones, we stayed home and relaxed. Paula and Vic missed out on some very exciting stuff here!!!
1) The Crooked River
2) Another hiker
3) Smith Rock
4) Monkey's Head Rock
Friday, August 29: Adrien and Rick went flyfishing today while Vic and Steve went to the High Desert Museum, which they enjoyed very much. I had another day of rest.
Sunday, August 31: Vic and Steve packed for their trip home and we all went to lunch at the Red Robin before their drive to Portland to catch their flight back to Virginia. Adrien and I spent the rest of the day and evening relaxing and enjoying this quiet time after the past couple of weeks of busyness.
Wow! What a month. It's been non stop since we got home in May but this was the busiest time and the most exciting time sharing in all the activities of Rachel and Ed's wedding. They are a wonderful couple and we wish them all the happiness in the world!
Adrien's personal
achievement summary: