Saturday, 07 July 2007

• Beautiful Bine's Birthday

  
  

  
  I will be taking a couple of days off blogging, but this is surely the most important entry of the week.  All of my friends, and regular readers of this space know about my friend Sabine, Bine for short.  You know what a tough time she had this spring at Virginia Tech.  You know that her inimitable style and always positive attitude have gotten her, and indeed our entire group of friends, through the best and the worst of times.  She is a breath of fresh air in an otherwise polluted world.  She approaches everything she does with passion and fervor, and is the glue that bonds us all together.  Marcelo put it better than I could in an email to her this morning:
  
  

  Querida amiga!  Happy birthday to you!!!  And thank God and Carey, if they are not the same dude, for the Yahoo reminders :)  I hope you are well, healthier, with most of your toenails in place, and getting closer to finishing your data collection with the poo tanks!  May you keep on blessing all of us with your sweetness, solid character, most excellent sense of humor, and, of course, good stories!  Beijos carinhosos, marcelo

  

  What you may not know however, is that she is my wife!  Yes, it's true.  We were married in a small civil ceremony in Italy on August 19, 2000.  The ceremony was officiated by the great great grandniece of the Red Baron.  Her name was Baroness Andrea Von Richthofen.  Mick was the maid of honor, Miggl the best man and Eva the flower girl.  Now, some background:
  
  I met Sabine at the aforementioned Marcelo's house in Piracicaba Brazil in 1997.  That Christmas many people had converged at the "Casa Diversi"; both friends of Marcelo and friends of his sister Adriana.  Many of us did not know each other, but we all soon became great friends, and began our tradition of traveling together for every New Year's.  I was "homeless" at the time, traveling the world with my job, all expenses paid.  One day, we were all sitting by the pool in the backyard eating mangoes as they fell off the trees, and I was telling this assembled group of new friends my life story.  At the end, Sabine said, "Honey, I should marry you.  What a great life!"  To which I responded, "Honey, the only way I would ever marry you, is if we were in Florence Italy, at San Miniato at sunset, overlooking the Ponte Vecchio!"  We all laughed.
  
  Wouldn't you know it, that three years later, we all found ourselves in Florence, Italy at San Miniato at sunset, overlooking the Ponte Vecchio.  Our friends had bought some truly rinky dink rings on that same famous bridge earlier that day, and as the sun sank into the horizon, we said our vows.

  

  

   

  LOL, so there you have it.  The story of my phony wedding in Italy.  This year Sabine, the two timing tramp, got engaged to Alan.  In all honesty though, I can't say that I've been entirely faithful in this marriage.   So here's to you Bine, on your birthday.  I wish I could be there with you to celebrate.  I know that you will have a wonderful day.  You always do. GLY!!!
  
  And now for the obligatory embarrassing pictures I've taken of you over these past 10 wonderful years darling! (And some not so embarrassing this time...just to show how wonderful you are!)
  
  

  
  The early years
  
  
  

  The Bavarian Princess and Cesar

  
  

  
  After 2 years in Virginia you've become a true redneck!
  
  
  What's up Doc?
  
  
  That's certainly not me doing the writing!
  
  
  Partying with the Vikings
  
  
  Another drink please!
  
  
  Peace brother!
  
  
  Caught again
  
  
  Muahhhhhh
  
  
  LOST again!!!!!!!!!!!
  
  
  Treating your husband they way a wife should treat her man
  
  
  Just one of the guys
  
  
  I will love you, until my dying day....come what may
  
  
  Feeling a bit sad
  
  
  GLY!!
  
  
  Just happy to be in LA
  
  
  Pajamas & beer
  
  
  Too much beer!
  
  
  Dream car
  
  
  One of my favorites of us
  
  
  Your true character, and a smile that could light Christmas
  

  Here's a more up-tempo version of "our" song, for your party today

   

  Currently Listening Rent (1996 Original Broadway Cast) By Jonathan Larson, Jeff Potter, Anthony Jackson, Daniel A. Weiss, Ira Siegel, Kenny Brescia, Steve Skinner, Adam Pascal, Aiko Nakasone, Anthony Rapp, Byron Utley, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Fredi Walker, Gilles Chiasson, Gwen Stewart, Idina Menzel, Jesse L. Martin, Kristen Lee Kelly, Rodney Hicks, Stevie Wonder, Taye Diggs, Timothy Britten Parker, Wilson Jermaine Heredia Seasons of Love - How do you measure a year in the life of friends? see related

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