How I Met Your Father

In 8th grade, a new family moved to the Napa Valley. Of the 4 children, Lissa Doumani was in my grade. We became friends because even though we lived about 4 miles apart, in Yountville that made us neighbor kids. We had the hour school bus ride home to bond and develop friendships. Lissa lived on a vineyard known as Stags Leap. Her father was a wealthy land developer from Los Angeles who had purchased the property with a producing vineyard and the old Chase Mansion (as in Chase-Manhattan Bank Chase) that he renovated into the "family home". It never occurred to me that they were wealthy (at the time), Lissa was just my friend and we road horses together, had makeup parties and talked about boys.
Lissa and I remained best friends throughout high school and she began dating my boyfriend's roommate. Her relationship lasted longer than mine but even after both boyfriends drifted down the road, we continued our friendship. In the summer of my senior year of high school, every time I would call the Doumanis house, some "guy" would answer the phone. Finally, I asked Lissa who was the "guy" and she said, oh, that's just Bob. He works for my dad and lives in the other house. Hmmm...guy. Well, like most teenage girls, the word GUY definitely got my attention. For now, however, "Bob" remained just a voice on the phone.
In September of 1974 I was over at Lissa's and finally met Bob. It was a Sunday and "Bob" was washing the ranch truck. Lissa and I went out and feigned interest in "helping" but in reality, it was our ploy to introduce me to Bob. Bob was 27 years old (YIKES), bearded with long blond hair - definitely my type. Working on the ranch had tanned his muscular arms and to me, he looked like Robert Redford in Jeremiah Johnson. Maybe that's why I've always called him Robert.

Robert Redford as Jeremiah Johnson

Robert Aitchison as Himself

We hit it off and dated a bit. After about our third date, though, he told me he had lots of girlfriends and didn't want me "getting hung up on him" Hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

You've GOT to be kidding! Well, what a coinkydink because I had lots of boyfriends too! We would see each other from time to time, but didn't really date again until he came back from Los Angeles in November for pruning time in the vineyards. I was doing the lights for our high school drama group and my girlfriend Nanette (now known as Shay Jardin) had met Bob and invited him to the play. We began dating a bit again but I was seeing another guy who was an identical twin of the bartender at the local music and restaurant where we all tended to congregate in Yountville. After some time though we both decided that we wanted to be exclusive to each other and started "going together". We continued that way through my senior year and when I graduated, because my parents were moving to Lake Shasta, we moved to Newport Beach and were married in Santa Ana. Robert was working at Ralph's grocery store at the time and since we were getting married on a Sunday and grocery stores paid double time on Sunday, we were married at the house of a Universal Life minister, came home and had hamburgers with avocado and Robert went to work in the late afternoon. I had purchased some flowers at the Market Basket grocery for my bouquet and bought a new pair of mint green slacks to wear. Robert wore his dad's old green suit. It wasn't fancy, but at least we were married. It was the first day of Spring - March 21, 1976. Thirty-eight years later, I still love him with all my heart.