Paging McDreamy…

Well not quite but the last week at the chateau brewed more stories than the Private Practice spin-off. Beating this group in the wildest stories category will be difficult! I’ll explain… my most favorite of the art teachers Barbara and her husband Charlie have been regulars at the Chateau and always bring the BEST guests. This year was no different with a brood from Austin, Texas!

Their home town and the location of the sweetest people on earth. Couples, all of them, the most notable being the 53 year old type A woman with the 85 year old husband who tells her she works too hard. They’ve been together 13 years and have an 11 year old together. Lucky # 6 for old man rivers, who has 5 from his previous wife of 40 years. I know what you’re thinking but it couldn’t be farther to the truth. They really DO love each other. After all I spent two weeks with them, I’m the expert ;). This man has his engines a blazin and is the most alert, rambunctious 85 year old I’ve ever come across and the only the Chateau has ever seen. Also in the mix a return couple who warm my heart, Dana and Ed. The two cutest people on earth. I felt as though I was their guest, they’re so kind and adorable. With 26 years of marriage under their belt and a special toast at the first dinner to celebrate, the 2 weeks were nothing but smooth sailing and all laughs.


Now back to the Dr’s. Charlie is one of those people you ask if he knows if there are aliens and he says something like, “I can’t confirm or deny that.” I know it may sound like he’s a bit of a crazy but with 20 years at Nasa, I believe every word that comes out of his mouth. He’s incredible, commands any room but is a total softy and is most definitely the smartest person I’ve ever come in contact with. With his extremely talented and kind hearted wife by his side, it’s a good thing these two never had kids as they’d be running the world. Charlie now works for the U.S. Army and decided that after all the artsy fartsy weeks were finished, he’d bring in the real men of the Excited States and their wives of course.

We were fortunate enough to house and make puke (too much breakfast and a hard bike ride up a death hill) some of the most incredible head of surgeons working for our military today. With stories of Baghdad, trauma unit life changing decisions and Head of surgery GSW’s, the week progressed with little boredom. One of the guests was the head of surgery at a Seattle hospital before working for the Army and I was fortunate enough to sit by him at one of the dinners and the following is what I acquired:

Me: “What’s the wildest thing you’ve ever seen in your whole career as a doctor?”


Fancy Pants’ response: Well this one time this guy shot a cop and then tried to evade the police. When they finally caught up to him, (they always do) they beat the living crap out of him. Rodney King style. This gentlemen, was obviously in need of some medical attention after such a rigorous exercise in Mortal kombat, so they brought him to the ER. Whist waiting, this fine specimen of the human race decided even shackles, handcuffs and a room full of officers was no match for his brawn and intellect. So he decided to get up and slowly inch towards the door. And by slowly I mean you can’t go very fast when you’re feet are handcuffed together. So he begins his long journey and the officers of the ‘peace’ sit and watch him MacGyver his way out of his predicament.


Inch by inch he creeps towards the automated doors of freedom. All the while, the cops sit and watch. Within a foot of his independence, the door opens and too much dismay of the gentlemen, I’m sure, the cops open fire. ONLY IN AMERICA! Apparently once you cross the threshold of the door, you become a dangerous and wanted felon (shackled) evading the police. Now we can’t have that, can we. Being conveniently placed in the hospital, this moran is then escorted into Emergency surgery where his GSW’s are mended and he lives to spend god knows how many year in jail for attempted murder of an officer of the ‘peace.’ Classic. Now let’s hope none of the fractured soles in the waiting room decided to become cops.

BANG BANG


Nathalie