Tully's Corner: Meet Lily and then Jan and Larry Brown

At Tully's Corner, meet Lily and then Jan and Larry Brown. In that order.

Thursday morning was particularly gorgeous climate-wise, so although I didn't know who I would interview, I knew on my drive over my “who” would be outside, so I could soak up some awesome sunshine.

Ah, lovely lady with the cute dog.

I’ve mentioned this before, but Pleasanton is like the dog capital of California. I like to tell people, “It’s mandatory. No dog, no live in Pleasanton.” But of course, I don’t own one. I mostly observe them from a distance.

And in this case, a very short distance, because I invited myself right over to a table at which Lily and her owner were sitting. What a cutie! She is a blenheim-colored Cavalier King Charles spaniel. If you read about them, (and I’ve provided a link for your convenience), you’ll learn they come in only four colors: blenheim, tri, ruby and black n’ tan. Lily, it turns out, has two male siblings she shares her home with, one tri-colored and the other ruby. They were being groomed and would be picked up later. I imagined Lily returning home to her brothers, and in dog speak, sayin’ something like, “Well, don’t you both look handsome, but guess who got her picture in the Pleasanton Patch, boys!”

Actually, she didn’t have a sassy personality at all. She was very great natured.

And by the way, I’m writing this story, true to how communication takes place for dog owners here in Pleasanton. Dog(s) always get introduced first; name, then breed, then disposition, then a few pictures, mention of awards, cute stories from the morning walk, etc. And owners, if they introduce themselves at all, it's always after dog introductions, never before, and first name only, unless you ask...

...which I did. So since I’ve honored dog/people etiquette by introducing you to Lily first, now I am most happy to introduce you to her proud owner — the beautiful Jan Brown from Livermore. She’s hangin’ out at Tully’s because she is a little early for a beauty treatment at Heavenly Day Spa.

But wait. Who's this?

Well, I must introduce him, too, then, because her husband just joined us: Larry Brown.

And now I have to turn this story into a Tully’s Corner/How They Met hybrid, because as we all got to talkin’, and I learned their love story, it was too good to pass up!

Let us shift then to HOW THEY MET:

They’ve been married 31 years, so put yourself in around whatever year that is when you subtract 31 from 2011 and subtract another year or two to count pre-marriage dating — late '70’s, early '80’s.

Jan is divorced with two young daughters. Larry is divorced with two young sons. Jan was working as a front-office and chair-side assistant for a dentist in Livermore, Dr. McFarlane. He’s retired now, but enjoyed a successful practice and had an excellent reputation, which included being known for his faith. “The Mormon Dentist,” colloquially speaking.

So one day, Larry goes in for his six-month check up. And don’t we love him already for being so proactive? I only go when something hurts.

Anyway, Larry goes in for his well-check, which includes some routine X-rays and crosses paths with Jan before seeing Dr. McMormon. Has his appointment. Schedules his next one (because he’s that kind of guy), and goes home with a nice, clean, healthy smile.

But meanwhile! Back in the office, turns out that Dr McFarlane-McMormon is also, like, Dr. McMatchmaker.

He realizes his divorced patient with two young sons who just left would be a perfect match for his divorced assistant with two young daughters, so he runs his idea past Jan and masterminds a way to get Larry back in the office.

Next thing you know, Larry is getting a very important, life-changing phone call that went something like this:

“Hi Larry, this is Jan from Dr. McMarlane’s office. I’m afraid your X-rays didn’t turn out and we’ll need you to come back for some retakes.”

Larry, being the responsible proactive man he is, takes the bait hook, floss and sinker.

I’m projecting here for sure, but I’m guessing on the day of Larry’s return, Jan dressed up just a little bit, accessorized, put on a little extra lipstick, maybe, or leaned in a little closer when she shoved those yucky cardboard/film things in his mouth.

No matter — it worked. When Jan left the room to look at the fake X-rays, (which, “we didn’t charge for,” she is very careful to point out), Dr McMatchmaker entered the room to talk in more detail with Larry. Told him how wonderful Jan was, how he thought they would be great together. He gave Larry Jan’s telephone number and the appointment was over.

We need more dentists like this, don’t we?

Larry, who described himself as a “drinkin’, smokin’” man at the time, thought because Dr McFarlane was Mormon, Jan was too, and wondered why she would want anything to do with him. But he called her anyway.

He was on the tail-end of a luke-warm, long-distance relationship, so why not?

Jan, who was not Mormon, described herself as just a seeker at the time. Larry had been raised Catholic, but was not practicing. Those are a few of the things they learned about each other on their first date at the Livermore Station, which was an old train station converted into a restaurant.

They did fall in love, blended their families — her two girls, 5 and 7 years old, and his two boys, 11 and 13 years old at the time — and have been married now, as I mentioned, 31 years.

That’s beautiful all by itself, but made even more so when I learned that in 1999,  Jan and Larry were invited by friends to the nondenominational Calvary Chapel of Livermore.

They rededicated their lives to the Lord, and were both baptized. “That’s the reason we are still together,” Jan said. “God is our glue.”