Santa Catalina held all of the magic that a brunette girl could ever want!
It began February 28, on Wednesday morning, when Mr. Cop & Miss B boarded the Dana Point to Catalina Island ferry. We were told at the time that the ride might be choppy but everything would be fine. Famous last words!
We sailed beyond the Dana point break wall and started to immediately take on 6-8 foot waves! We wanted a view of the water so we were sitting with a few brave souls on the second deck. By the time we were out in the ocean, waves were pounding on the second level of the ferry so much that there were many times that there was zero visibility. Water was literally seeping in through the windows! What had began as as a fun little ferry ride to Catalina, turned into a wild hog tossing roller coaster ride! I had to sit backwards on my seat, sitting on top of legs, and holding the arm rest in order to not get caught in the motion of the ocean. I used all my best yoga breathing techniques to not get sick. Mr. Cop was holding a table in order to hang on as well. And let me tell you something, Mr. Cop isn't a small boy! There were several times that everyone on the second deck were literally thrown out of their seats! Wow! The lengths we go for love, right? We made it to the island but before we made it there were moments of sheer beauty that also made the trip worthwhile. We saw a white Buluga whale and scores of dolphins (on our last day in Catalina, we were graced with two American bald eagles flying less than thirty feet overhead!). That was magically between all the tossing waves. Yeah! Land ahead! Funny thing, a Catalina fireman would tell us later that day that he thought the ferry shouldn't have been operating. He told us that he hardly believed that it ran because the water was so rough. Boy! At least we made it! Land!!!
We arrived on the island and soon found out that Avalon is a small town. Tiny. I mean real small. There are probably fifteen streets that make up the city. As you might image, there were all these cute touristy shops and savoury smelling restaurants. Well, the high wind conditions were so severe that the cruise ships that dock on Wednesday had to abort dock. What do we care if Princess liners show up? Well, we didn't except that we found out that most of all those cute little tourist shops close shop if the cruise ships don't land. In a town that starts at ocean level and rises straight up a mountain side, that meant something. On Avalon, most people got around town by use of golf carts. I'm n0t kidding. It was great. However, the gold cart rental business closed shop when the cruise liners didn't dock. That meant that Mr. Cop and I could only rent beach bikes and ride straight up forty-five degree angle hills. We were out of breath in like less than five minutes! But, on those few flat surfaced road it was magic and it felt great to be adventuring on an island.
Closed shops, tired legs, and exhaustion from roaring ocean ferries, it was definitely time to hit the hotel. The hotel, Pavilion Lodge, had just undergone a 3 million dollar renovation. We arrived at our quaint room and I fell in love with it! I loved this hotel! It had style and it was comfortable at the same time. We bought loads of healthy snacks (Mr. Cop made that choice) and junk food (that was my choice, dear reader, I needed some real candy like starburst jelly beans, licorice, and York Peppermint patties! Yum!). We lounged and set a reservation at the Catalina Country Club.
Oh, I wondered. Was Mr. Cop really going to pop the question on such a crazy day! It hardly seemed possible while I was crashed out on a sugar high on our hotel bed. No way!
Catalina Country Club is located at the top of a hill which is no big surprise. It's absolutely beautiful but we had no idea how to get inside! There was no door, no receptionist desk, and people dining inside a very upscale room. I finally had to walk into the kitchen and ask the chef how we were suppose to get inside! It was that bizarre! The country club was built like a modernize french chateaux. What we were too shy to do was open up the one of five sets of french doors and just walk in! You try it! It was still uncomfortable to do even after the cook told us to do it.
We had the best meal that we've had since being in California. We had wine flights from Californian vineyards. The sommelier was an expert at pairing wines for our meal. The ambiance of the room was sultry like a country club but updated with modern scaled furniture pieces and textile choices. Okay, is he like going to ask? Hmm...I'm headed off to the restroom. Mr. Cop wants me to leave my purse so he can check out our cameras. No problem-o! I'm cool like that! Back at the table, the check arrives at the table. The drunken ex-waitress in me that has loved the whole dining experience reaches for the comment card. I grab my purse and reach for a pen. But! When I open my purse, sitting inside my bag is a jewelry box. What? I might be drunk but I know what a ring box looks like! That's like an engagement ring box sitting in my purse! Mr. Cop grabs my purse and says I wasn't suppose to look in there. Maybe, I'm not the only one feeling the wine because aren't girls suppose to look inside their own purses? He grabs my purse and runs off to the men's restroom! Wait, is the bill paid? HAHA! It was and I ran after him. He went into the men's restroom but I couldn't bring myself to cross that boundary. The boy's bathroom is definitely a no girls zone even if my purse was in there! I had to wait. In less than five, he rushed out and handed me my purse. I rummaged through my purse contents and it was like I was going mad! The box was gone!!!!
Let's Walk, That was all he said.
My mother likes to brag to friends and strangers that I can find my way out of a paper bag. It's a real asset but sometimes a curse. I couldn't help but point out to my dear Canadian lover that he was headed in the absolute wrong way. He looked me in the eye and said that he felt like strolling. It was a total lie. It was freezing out and we were both shaking from the Pacific Ocean wind that was rattling the island. The moon was almost full, the stars were brilliant, and the lights were dim inside the Catalina cottages. It was a romantic walk, like kind girls dream of. We ended up at the Catalina beach front that skirts the tourist shops and the boardwalk. We walk out onto the rocky beach and he pulls the box from his pocket. He opens it and a star-like light explodes from the center of the dark box. Diamonds are a girl's best friend! So what does Mr. Cop say...
MR. COP
(nervous)
Well, you know what that means.
MISS BRUNETTE
(gasps, it's the Tacori ring of her dreams and the man of her life standing in front of her. Ah, like why isn't Mr. Cop kneeling?)
MR. COP
(as if on cue, he drops to his knee, and speaks one of the most famous phrases known all over the world)
Will you marry me?
MISS BRUNETTE
Are you kidding?
(She gets lost in watching the moonlight reflect on the pacific ocean behind him, the swooping sandpipers, and gentle sea waves breaking on the shore. This is a moment she never will never forget in her entire life)
MR. COP
(patiently waiting on knee, shifting his weight, wondering what this girl from the OC is got rolling around in her head)
MISS BRUNETTE
Is this for real?
(she kisses his cheek)
MR. COP
Wait, you still haven't said anything. Is that like a yes?
MISS BRUNETTE
Yes! Yes! Yes!
Mr. Cop and Miss Brunette laugh, hug, and kiss. A near disaster of a proposal turns into magical laughter immediately.
See, I had always watched romantic movies and heard all the stories of proposals and marriage. I never thought a year ago that I would have meant such a wonderful man that I would truly want to spend the rest of my life with! The miracle of God happens as Jennifer Hudson said spell bound on Oscar night. A star that I had wished on that night answered back to me that night. And, I didn't cry like I had always expected! It was a proposal filled with laughter and adventure! I was laughing so hard when it finally arrived!
MISS BRUNETTE
So, why did you put the ring box in my purse?
MR. COP
I didn't think you'd look inside.
MISS BRUNETTE
What?
(laughing and shaking her head-what girl doesn't look inside her purse!)
MR. COP
The box was killing my leg. Look at it. That box is the largest box that I've ever seen in my life.
MISS BRUNETTE
Are you kidding me? You carry a gun for a living!
MR. COP
Ah...Well, I didn't think you'd look. You kind of ruined my plan.
MISS BRUNETTE
(hugging Mr. Cop on the beach)
I can tell you....I'll never fill out another comment card again in my life. Now kiss me fool, we're engaged!
THE END FOR NOW...
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