At Last…
After 22+ years together, we finally “made it legal”. Short visit with a judge and our 2 witnesses at the Issaquah King County Courthouse. Took about 20 minutes to sign papers, check ID’s, take a couple of pictures, etc. The judge said he always tells folks they can dance, while waiting for him to finish his paperwork, but no one ever had. We thought we’d be different. So Jeri played Etta James’s At Last, and we managed to dance about 10 seconds, before Mark started laughing and couldn’t stop. Then…
Paperwork done…~35 second “wedding ceremony”
Judge: Mark, do you want to be married to Gail?
~90% accurate transcription of actual “Wedding Ceremony”
Mark: Yes.
Judge: Gail, do you want to be married to Mark?
Gail: Aren’t we already? Yes.
Judge: Are you sure?
Mark & Gail: Yes.
Judge: Just to be clear, once I say you’re married, there are no Take-Backs, no Oopsies. If I fall in a ditch and loose the paperwork, you’ll still be married. So pushing me into a ditch won’t change things. Can you count back from 3 to 0 for me?
Mark (dazed and confused) is silent.
Gail (confused, wondering if this is a sobriety test): 3, 2, 1, 0
Judge: You’re now married!
Jeri (old friend of Gail’s), Mark, Gail, Alyson (Gail’s daughter)
A couple of congratulatory hugs & handshakes and pictures with the judge, and then out for dinner at a local Thai restaurant with Alyson, Jeri, and Jeri’s daughter. While there, we ran into Mark’s only Northwest relative, his cousin Michael & his family! Too Funny!
One last note, no rings were exchanged. Gail will just keep wearing her mother’s reset diamond, as she has for the last few years.
12 Comments
gretta · December 7, 2023 at 10:49 am
Congratulations, about time, living in sin!! shame on you. lol So happy for you, if you don’t know each by now, give it up! Love you both. Only took a lot of milage
Gail · December 7, 2023 at 10:56 am
Thank you! I tried calling your house, to tell you, before I posted this. Anyway, my Aunt Carolyn said, “It’s always a good idea to get to know each other a bit, before you tie the knot, I always say!!!”
Jacky Stromg · December 7, 2023 at 10:55 am
Happy, happy, happy for you both. Congratulations
Gail · December 7, 2023 at 4:14 pm
Thank you.
David Singer · December 7, 2023 at 11:07 am
Congratulations!
Are you both keeping your last names? 🙂
David and Diane
Carolyn Weigel · December 7, 2023 at 11:12 am
Congrats!! Love and hugs…
Gail · December 7, 2023 at 1:40 pm
TOO FUNNY!!! And Yes, we’re both keeping our last names. What the Judge asked, was, “are either of you planning to take the other’s name or to hyphenate?” When we said, “No”, he recycled the instruction sheet on how to do it, that came in our wedding packet, along with the instructions on how to get a divorce.
Mark Schmetzer · December 7, 2023 at 7:24 pm
Congratulations, happy for you guys.
Albert Hanna · December 11, 2023 at 11:50 am
CONGRATULATIONS MARK and GAIL!!!
AND THANKS bringing Danny here, YOU TWO WONDERFUL PEOPLE!!!
Gail · December 12, 2023 at 7:48 am
Aw, Shucks. Thank you!
Ron Fleck · January 16, 2024 at 8:50 am
Congrats!! After all that time together in confined spaces I guess you became crazy enough to tie the knot!! Was it a cLOVE hitch?? 🙂 (bad climbing pun)
I waited 64 years, 11 months, 1 week, and assorted minutes before my one and only marriage (after 6.5+ years together), so perhaps I got you beat there. Keep traveling and having great adventures together.
Gail · January 16, 2024 at 12:01 pm
Definitely bad, but cute, climbing pun!
I’ll call it a tie…you win on time before marriage ALL together.
We win on time together before marriage.