What A Weekend!!!!!!

We started it with a royal wedding, and ended with the assassination of one of the most evil people in recent history.
Today seems downright dull, by comparison!

I did see a little bit of the wedding as it happened.  I'd woken up at 3:20 (insomnia strikes again) and figured I may as well watch.  They were already wed at that point, and singing some hymns.  After about 20 minutes I decided to try and go back to sleep, as I had to teach 2 hours of Pilates in the morning and wanted to be, y'know, conscious for it.
So I turned on BBC America when I got home, before I had to pick up the kids, and watched the replay.

And cried through the whole darn thing!

Honestly, I REALLY don't know why.  It's not as if I know them, or have even met them.  Sure, my friend Maria dragged me into Boston with her one day in the 80's, all gussied up, because Prince Charles was paying a visit to the Burberry store on Newbury St. and she wanted to catch a glimpse but didn't want to go alone.  Since she was my partner in "Doctor Who" geekdom, I went along.  Yes, I was her enabler in her fascination with all things Windsor.
We did catch that glimpse, though.  She was holding an enormous bouquet of flowers that security wouldn't allow her to give him.  I think he stepped out of the limo and saw this poor 15 year-old holding flowers, looking slightly dejected, and took some pity on her, giving her a look right in the eyes & letting her snap a photo before being hustled into the store.
But that, and nearly getting trampled by the Queen's guard in Hyde Park at the age of 10, having just watched the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace and walking along not paying ANY attention to what was in front of me, is as close to the royal family as I've ever gotten.

So WHY the tears?

I guess I'm just getting soft.

And I got TOTALLY sucked in to the whole thing: from the dress to the cute bridesmaids/dudes, to Harry sneaking a peek as she walked the aisle, to the cheer that went up after the Archbishop announced they were married, to the kisses on the balcony (and the little girl covering her ears and scowling during the flyover), and especially the two of them driving in Charles' Aston Martin convertible.  I cried from the moment she walked down the aisle with a death grip on her dad's hand 'til the moment they left for the reception.  Luckily that left me 45 minutes to get a hold of myself before I had to drive to the school.

But I think I also cried a bit for Diana.  She was, what, 36 when she died?  Leaving her beloved boys behind.   I, like pretty much everyone else, would like to think she had a front-row seat to the wedding.  But, as a mom, I kept thinking about her not being there to watch her sons become the men they are now.  I imagine she would, and does, take great pride in them, and would heartily approve of Kate and also of the time she and William have spent getting to know each other. But one of my greatest fears, and that of any parent, is dying before my kids are adults.

I actually had a dream about it last night, in which I discovered that I am actually an android.  That the real Alyssa had died from cancer, but before doing so, had built and programmed an android to have all of her memories and feelings.  To the point that I, as the android, believed I WAS her.
And I was happy, because it meant that I wouldn't die.  Not this version of me, anyway.  I would stay alive for as long as my kids were alive, and then I'd be de-programmed when I was no longer needed.  And I was so relieved!!!!!!
(I also thought, upon awakening, that this would make a pretty cool science fiction short story! So if you're reading this, DON'T STEAL MY IDEA, lol!!!!!!!!!!!!)

But back to the wedding for a sec: there was one teeny-tiny moment, as I listened to the Archbishop of  Canterbury, that I half expected him to break out with "Mawwiage.  Mawwiage is what bwings us togethew today.  A Cewebwation of twue wove.  So tweasuwe youw wove!"
Because "The Princess Bride" has just RUINED it for me, lol!

Anyway.  I'm not going to get into the OTHER Big Event, because it's just too much, and I'm kinda tired.  So I will leave you to think of your favorite lines from "The Princess Bride" (mine are too many to count) as I start dinner for the urchins.

Have fun storming the castle!