Congratulations William & Kate

I had planned to get up early this morning to watch the royal wedding.

But things don't always work out as planned.

Yesterday, we had a violent wind storm in this area.

It took out our power at about 1:15 in the afternoon, 45 minutes before my boys of summer were due to play a game (they won anyway)!

So, I sat and read, using the sunlight that streams through the windows of my sanctuary.  That effort resulted in my curling up and sleeping for about an hour.

When we discovered that the power was not expected to be restored before 8:00pm, we went into town to have our favourite pizza dinner.  On our return, we learned that power would be out until at least midnight -- we were a group of 88 homes among some 150,000 customers who were without power.

So we fired up the generator long enough for me to set the PVR on the television to tape the royal wedding coverage, just in case I didn't wake up on time to watch it.

Apparently, that wasn't going to be a problem though.

Our power was actually restored shortly after 9:00pm so I sat and watched Bones, which is a favourite show of mine (one of many favourites).  Then I caught up on the news of the day; I felt like I had been cut off from the world!

I finally crawled into bed just before midnight and resumed reading, turning off the light shortly after 1:00am.

That's when the tossing and turning started.  Both hips were giving me fits; neither one letting me get comfortable long enough to fall asleep.  So I tried my back.  That must have worked for a bit because I woke at 2:00am, this time because of the pain in my hands.  They didn't appear swollen but the pain, which emanated up to my elbows, felt like they were badly swollen.

And that was it.  Since it was almost time for the wedding coverage to start, I got up and checked a few things on the computer before I settled down on the sofa to take in the ceremony.

I managed to fall asleep briefly some time after 4:00am, but woke again about a half hour later -- because of the pain in my hands.

And that pain continues still.  I know not from where it comes, or why I have it, or what it means.  All I know is that it is very painful, right through to my elbows, yet there is no visible swelling.

So, while I had planned to "get up to watch the coverage," I didn't have to "get up" -- I've effectively been up all night.

I did see the coverage of the wedding, and how beautiful Kate looked as she joined her Wills at the altar.

I can't believe how she managed to maintain her composure throughout that long walk down the aisle, with so many people's eyes on her, knowing the world was watching her. 

And she said her vows without a wince or a gulp (or a giggle)!

All I can say is, "That girl has balls!"

Congratulations, Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.  Well done!