On Monday, May 14, bride to be Priscilla Chan graduated from Medical School. On Friday, May 18, the Facebook IPO was launched. Finally on Saturday, May 19, Priscilla Chan married longtime boyfriend, Facebook CEO, Mark Zuckerberg. The COO of Facebook, Cheryl Sanderson, said that the couple waited nine years to be certain they had financial security before they married. Or perhaps Zuckerberg conveniently protected his billions from California’s communal property law.
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I have a single friend who lives in Canada. About 50 years ago we both lived in New York City. He was a graduate student in computer science at Columbia University and I was a Lt. Commander in the United States Public Health Service.
My friend dated a very nice lady of Japanese descent. But as with many love relationships, they both eventually moved on with their lives. He moved to Montreal and she to California. She never married.
Forward 45 years when she spotted him in the newspapers and on TV news. She found him via the Internet and they dated frequently over the next five years. They considered marriage but just couldn’t work out the dynamics of an East Coast-west Coast romance. Last February she told him the relationship was over. She would not accept any type of email, snail mail or flowers.
As a last resort he called me for advice.
“If you want her to take you seriously after all the disappointments, you’re going to have to go all in,” I said.
He took my advice, flew westward, and appeared on her doorstep with a diamond ring and roses, knelt down and rang the bell. Pleasantly surprised, she took the ring with the understanding they had to work out a few things.
End of story! Not exactly!
That night while walking outside, she fell and hit her head and ribs and wound up in the hospital! That not being enough, she also broke out with a case of shingles. The next day she came home and is now resting comfortably.
The final chapter is not quite written yet but it shows that love does conquer all – even 50 years later.
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Recently at a Southern California technology meeting titled, “Red Herring,” new and interesting technology was presented by company presidents. For instance, there is now an app for the police to locate cars parked past their time. Fortunately (or not) there is also a new app that will tell the owners of parked cars when their time expires. So, in the future if you see a police meter maid and a local with an I-Phone in a mad dash to the same car you will know the reason why.
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In my last column (June 2) I asked for reader comment on the doggie doo story. One writer from LA wrote that she is working on a “Doggie Manners” book that should be out this year. Others were concerned that dogs and what they “do” has become a health and sanitation issue. The other Dr G. at the NBI.com and myself hope to do a whole column on this overlooked issue soon.
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We recently visited Los Altos Hills to see family. Coming home we had to get to the San Jose Airport. I didn’t know the directions so I asked a local gas station attendant, “Do you know the way to San Jose?”
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As you know Christopher Trela covers the NBI restaurant beat. He is allowed to take two guests when he has the rough job of eating for free. Chris has a lot of friends at the NBI and is a popular fellow.
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And finally, another comment from my 3-year-old granddaughter, Brooke. I was on the phone with my daughter when I heard some loud background noise that was Brooke admonishing the babysitter, “Why are you watching me? You don’t need to watch me. You should be watching my brother, Eli. He is the one that always gets into trouble.”
Michael Arnold Glueck, M.D. is an onery curmudgeon who has written extensively on medical-legal issues locally, nationally and internationally. When feeling silly he writes “Deep Thoughts from Dr. Mike,” for the NBI.com.
