26 Years
When I look at us, I can see the passage of time creeping in on our lives. Little lines on our faces, my extra 20-50 lbs., some physical aches and pains, and, of course, the three constant reminders getting taller, more vocal, and so much wiser than I would have thought possible are pretty good lagging indicators. But yet, when I think about the past 26 years, I don't feel the passage of time in the same way. In my head, we're still young, learning how to fall in love with one another blissfully unaware that we're viewed as "incompatible" and "likely to fail." But then I think about all the leading indicators we've had over the past 26 years and I realize that while it is a serious chunk of time, we're still only at the beginning of our love and have so many more years to experience one another and this shifting globe around us.
I love you more and more each day dear. Happy Anniversary!
26 Years
26 years and we're shifting from silver and headed to gold.
26 years and we've got a high school freshman?!?
26 years and our relationship is older than Halsey, who was born on our second anniversary.
26 years of stopping and staring; often in amazement, occasionally in horror, but always with love.
26 years of memories; old, new, and those yet to be made.
26 years and so many different ways to communicate, but we still prefer eye to eye and face to face.
26 years and more than 13 million minutes that you've taken my breath away.
26 years and with our three children getting older, having the joy of introducing them to traditions for even more memories.
26 years of growing older, wiser, and in some cases, grayer together.
26 years of reflection on who we were and what our love has grown into.
26 years of locking ourselves away from the outside world to recharge together.
26 years and the musical soundtrack of our love now contains so many songs it is a box set.
26 years of gaining and sometimes losing friends and family, but keeping memories forever.
26 years and finding we still act more like that annoying couple who just got together vs. a relationship as old as Nick Jonas, Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez, and Demi Lovato (who were all born in 1992).
26 years of trusting and believing in our love without fail.
26 years of sappy public displays of affection making family and friends ill with a sugar rush.
26 years of being able to harness "the awesome burning power of love" to our benefit.
26 years of shared history, experiences, and emotions...though you cry way more at television shows and movies than I ever will.
26 years of keeping love grounded in the present while honoring our past and securing our future.
26 years of sharing breakfast, lunch, and dinner and more than the occasional dessert as evidenced by my spreading midsection.
26 years with unparalleled intimacy.
26 years of wondering why us, what makes us different, and then looking in your amazing eyes and finding the answer.
26 years and there may be 50 ways to leave your lover, but I've discovered millions of ways of staying with mine.
26 years of knowing we'll never be free of each other and being totally ok and emphatically on-board with that.
26 years with a tenderness together that can't be replicated.
26 years and yet we still find new ways to love each other and for that I'll be eternally grateful.
So, here's to 26 years, 26 more, 26 after that, and another 26 for good measure.
"You're still the one I run to. The one I that I belong to. You're still the one I want for life. You're still the one I love. The only one I dream of. You're still the one I kiss good night. I'm so glad we made it. Look how far we've come my baby."
"Between now and then til I see you again, I'll be loving you. Love, me."
Saturday, September 29, 2018
Friday, September 29, 2017
25 Years
25 Years
25 years is a quarter of a century and when we started out on that fateful Tuesday night, neither of us would have even expressed thoughts of a quarter century. Hell, that span of time wasn't even part of our comprehension at that point. However, it's been that long and we've been together through it all and I wouldn't change a thing standing beside you.
25 years - a silver anniversary, but our time has been golden
25 years and not a day goes by where I don't feel our love
25 years and we've seen our relationship progress through a single decade, our pre-teen years, our teenage angst, driving a car, being able to vote, reaching legal drinking age, and now being able to rent a car. Wow, our relationship can do everything but the chores we hate.
25 years and though we're not young anymore, we're still young at heart
25 years and though we're still not beating The Simpsons, we've been together longer than NCIS and Friends combined
25 years and what few days we've spent apart during that time felt far longer than the whole of the 25 years
25 years and though the world fluctuates around us, we're still rock solid
25 years of different Monday and weekdays and holidays and everyday with you
25 years of shared experience in one heart and one soul
25 years and 300 monthly anniversaries during the 9,131 days of being together
25 years of making the mundane special just because we're together
25 years of side by side, up and downs, and all around
25 years with the last 13 years watching a bright inquisitive boy grow up before our eyes
25 years and 4 years after that watching his sister join the family with her own blend of Mommy and Daddy
25 years and 2 years after that rounding out the trio with the never ceasing young man
25 years of continuous amazement from all outside observers that we're still together
25 years and whatever that outside perception may be; inside our relationship we know
25 years of cuddling, hand-holding, hugs, and kisses that will go on for the rest of our lives
25 years and though it feels like we're still making up the whole adulthood/parenthood nonsense, at least we're sure about each other 25 years and the realization that we've been together longer than the entire Harry Potter phenomenon and our love clearly matches and exceeds that of Lily's
25 years and we know so much about each other and yet we're still able to surprise one another in so many ways
25 years of you being mine and me being yours and strolling leisurely through the years making up our happily ever after
25 years and you still have the ability to take my breath away
25 years and we're still in the honeymoon phase of our love
25 years and looking forward to 25 more and 25 more after that and, who knows, maybe 25 more after that. And it still wouldn't be enough.
“ They said ‘I bet they'll never make it,’ but just look at us holding on. We're still together still going strong.”
“Between now and then til I see you again, I’ll be loving you. Love, me”
I love you Teresa and I always will. Happy Anniversary!
25 years is a quarter of a century and when we started out on that fateful Tuesday night, neither of us would have even expressed thoughts of a quarter century. Hell, that span of time wasn't even part of our comprehension at that point. However, it's been that long and we've been together through it all and I wouldn't change a thing standing beside you.
25 years - a silver anniversary, but our time has been golden
25 years and not a day goes by where I don't feel our love
25 years and we've seen our relationship progress through a single decade, our pre-teen years, our teenage angst, driving a car, being able to vote, reaching legal drinking age, and now being able to rent a car. Wow, our relationship can do everything but the chores we hate.
25 years and though we're not young anymore, we're still young at heart
25 years and though we're still not beating The Simpsons, we've been together longer than NCIS and Friends combined
25 years and what few days we've spent apart during that time felt far longer than the whole of the 25 years
25 years and though the world fluctuates around us, we're still rock solid
25 years of different Monday and weekdays and holidays and everyday with you
25 years of shared experience in one heart and one soul
25 years and 300 monthly anniversaries during the 9,131 days of being together
25 years of making the mundane special just because we're together
25 years of side by side, up and downs, and all around
25 years with the last 13 years watching a bright inquisitive boy grow up before our eyes
25 years and 4 years after that watching his sister join the family with her own blend of Mommy and Daddy
25 years and 2 years after that rounding out the trio with the never ceasing young man
25 years of continuous amazement from all outside observers that we're still together
25 years and whatever that outside perception may be; inside our relationship we know
25 years of cuddling, hand-holding, hugs, and kisses that will go on for the rest of our lives
25 years and though it feels like we're still making up the whole adulthood/parenthood nonsense, at least we're sure about each other 25 years and the realization that we've been together longer than the entire Harry Potter phenomenon and our love clearly matches and exceeds that of Lily's
25 years and we know so much about each other and yet we're still able to surprise one another in so many ways
25 years of you being mine and me being yours and strolling leisurely through the years making up our happily ever after
25 years and you still have the ability to take my breath away
25 years and we're still in the honeymoon phase of our love
25 years and looking forward to 25 more and 25 more after that and, who knows, maybe 25 more after that. And it still wouldn't be enough.
“ They said ‘I bet they'll never make it,’ but just look at us holding on. We're still together still going strong.”
“Between now and then til I see you again, I’ll be loving you. Love, me”
I love you Teresa and I always will. Happy Anniversary!
Thursday, September 29, 2016
24 Years
24 Years
"Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more"
24 years that seem like 24 hours.
24 years with everyone groaning, "Oh, how long is it now?"
24 years and now our traditions have traditions.
24 years with so many "I love you"s that they can't possibly all be counted.
24 years with no routines, but a comfort level that allows us to be us.
24 years of sharing a bond strengthened day over day and year over year.
24 years with half of those watching our love outside ourselves in three small (and now, not so small) forms.
24 years with each year bringing a renewed sense of hope and love.
24 years is almost a quarter of a century.
24 years is older than The View, but not quite as old as The Simpsons.
24 years with new jobs, new careers, new companies, but still the two of us working as one.
24 years of living in the moment, but respecting the past and anticipating the future.
24 years of watching our family and extended family grow and love each other.
24 years of bumps in the road that have always had us landing side by side.
24 years of watching you from afar and still being amazed.
24 years of never losing sight of what's important to us.
24 years of hearing each other, but listening with our hearts.
24 years is 96 changes of season with everything coming back to fall where it all began.
24 years of having the complications of life melt in the simplicity of our love.
24 years of being aligned together in the best of ways.
24 years of refusing to give up on each other - no matter what.
24 years of never being insecure in our love and all that goes along with it.
24 years cemented into place sitting in a car at a red light with a simple yes.
24 years of saying yes to each other ever since.
I love you now and I'll love you always.
Between now and then til I see you again, I'll be loving you. Love, me
"Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more"
24 years that seem like 24 hours.
24 years with everyone groaning, "Oh, how long is it now?"
24 years and now our traditions have traditions.
24 years with so many "I love you"s that they can't possibly all be counted.
24 years with no routines, but a comfort level that allows us to be us.
24 years of sharing a bond strengthened day over day and year over year.
24 years with half of those watching our love outside ourselves in three small (and now, not so small) forms.
24 years with each year bringing a renewed sense of hope and love.
24 years is almost a quarter of a century.
24 years is older than The View, but not quite as old as The Simpsons.
24 years with new jobs, new careers, new companies, but still the two of us working as one.
24 years of living in the moment, but respecting the past and anticipating the future.
24 years of watching our family and extended family grow and love each other.
24 years of bumps in the road that have always had us landing side by side.
24 years of watching you from afar and still being amazed.
24 years of never losing sight of what's important to us.
24 years of hearing each other, but listening with our hearts.
24 years is 96 changes of season with everything coming back to fall where it all began.
24 years of having the complications of life melt in the simplicity of our love.
24 years of being aligned together in the best of ways.
24 years of refusing to give up on each other - no matter what.
24 years of never being insecure in our love and all that goes along with it.
24 years cemented into place sitting in a car at a red light with a simple yes.
24 years of saying yes to each other ever since.
I love you now and I'll love you always.
Between now and then til I see you again, I'll be loving you. Love, me
Thursday, April 21, 2016
This Is What It Sounds Like When Doves Cry
I have loved music since birth. The emotions a lyric or snippet of music can evoke, the power to transport you directly to a moment in time, the bond between friends, and the sheer unbridled joy are just some of the benefits of music.
Growing up, for better or worse - depending on their tastes, your first exposure to music comes from your parents and family.
My father had my childhood steeped in the country roots of artists like Johnny Cash, Buck Owens, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, George Jones, Lynn Anderson, Dolly Parton, and Barbara Mandrell. My mother had the market cornered on girl groups and 70s soft rock in the form of The Lettermen, The Supremes, Captain and Tennille, the Carpenters, Donny and Marie, John Denver, and Barry Manilow.
At the end of the 70s and the beginning of the 80s, I was discovering that music existed outside of what my parents listened to regularly. Seeing artists like Elton John on the Muppet Show and having my uncle introduce me to bands like Tears for Fears and the Police set me on my own musical discovery path. But it wasn't until the summer of 1984 when my older next door neighbor got a cassette of Purple Rain that something clicked. The blend of Rock, Pop, R&B, Funk, and Soul put together in ways I had never heard before instantly made me a fan and then some.
So many of Prince's songs form a backbone of my existence and memories that if I was trying to put together a soundtrack, I would find it a near impossible task to determine which songs made the final cut. There were a group of friends throughout high school who were just as enthralled with Prince's music. And though we've drifted in and out of each other's lives over the years, each and every one of them felt that same pain today. My facebook feed might as well have been covered in purple.
I could easily spend hours discussing his music, his influence, his eccentricities, and the ripple effect he's had on music in general. But when I try to articulate or even pinpoint what that's meant to me and my life, it's almost like trying to pick apart a piece of my own DNA. His music is so ingrained as a part of me and the gaping hole that's left has me stumbling in a haze since the news broke.
One of my colleagues is also a huge Prince fan and his approach was to flat out reject reality until he was ready to deal with it. We spent about twenty minutes comparing concert experiences, discussing the possibilities of what, if anything, could be in the vault and would it ever see the light of day, but no actual comprehension or acceptance.
My cousin Mary posted a poignant description of why artists and musicians passing away have an impact for those that have never met them. It ends with, "Artists have inspired us in endless ways and have been with us through stages in our lives. We've made memories with them. So when they die, a part of us dies." This absolutely resonated with me today throughout the twitter reactions, the facebook surfing, the google news alerts and various discussions with friends both near and far. There is a small part of me that will never hear his music the same way. The new melancholy attributed to lyrics that I've heard and sung along with so many times is very raw and sadly that too will change with time. I know now what April snow and springtime will remind me of for many many years in the future.
"God only knows where U are 2 night. Maybe time will tell me. Till then I'll close my eyes and say a prayer 4 U."
Rest easy O Purple One. I wish U love. I wish U heaven.
Prince Rogers Nelson 1958-2016 "And all good things, they say, never last."
Tuesday, December 08, 2015
Sometimes...
Life just fuckin' sucks. There's no way around it. There's no changing or denying it. Life can be cruel and sometimes a helmet doesn't even cover it. "Life is pain, Highness. Anyone who says differently is selling something." At this point, I would buy something/anything to change outcomes. Knowing that I can't somehow makes it even worse and that can't even compare to the real pain. See...fuckin' sucks.
Tuesday, September 29, 2015
23 Years
23 Years
Yet another revolution around the sun and here we sit at 23 years.
23 years of putting our love first
23 years and the list does continue to go on
23 years of just the right balance of predictability and spontaneity
23 years of hearing people ask if we're still together
23 years of celebrating month by month (276 btw)
23 years of having our love grow stronger day by day
23 years with 11 of those being 1st time parents to a bright articulate though occasionally sensitive son
23 years with 7 of those being 2nd time parents to a bright articulate though occasionally obstinate daughter
23 years with 5 of those being 3rd time parents to a bright articulate and way more often than occasionally mischievous son
23 years of memories, traditions, new ways, old ways, and perhaps most importantly, our ways
23 years is a long way from a high school soccer field and yet some things never change
23 years and we haven't needed a reboot, restart, or new franchise...just three new supporting cast members
23 years of breaking all the rules except loving each other
23 years and though I may have grey hair our love is still brand new
23 years of family, friends, and loved ones
23 years in 10 different apartments/houses but always together
23 years of renewing our love daily to never forget why we're together
23 years spanning two different centuries and it still feels like yesterday
23 years and so many more to look forward to
23 years of love, laughter, joy, tears, sorrow, sadness, hopes, wishes, dreams, and watching it all together
23 years of just starting our lives together
23 years of one heart existing in two bodies
23 years of you still being the one
I love you now and I'll love you always.
Love, me
Between now and then til I see you again, I'll be loving you. Love, me
Yet another revolution around the sun and here we sit at 23 years.
23 years of putting our love first
23 years and the list does continue to go on
23 years of just the right balance of predictability and spontaneity
23 years of hearing people ask if we're still together
23 years of celebrating month by month (276 btw)
23 years of having our love grow stronger day by day
23 years with 11 of those being 1st time parents to a bright articulate though occasionally sensitive son
23 years with 7 of those being 2nd time parents to a bright articulate though occasionally obstinate daughter
23 years with 5 of those being 3rd time parents to a bright articulate and way more often than occasionally mischievous son
23 years of memories, traditions, new ways, old ways, and perhaps most importantly, our ways
23 years is a long way from a high school soccer field and yet some things never change
23 years and we haven't needed a reboot, restart, or new franchise...just three new supporting cast members
23 years of breaking all the rules except loving each other
23 years and though I may have grey hair our love is still brand new
23 years of family, friends, and loved ones
23 years in 10 different apartments/houses but always together
23 years of renewing our love daily to never forget why we're together
23 years spanning two different centuries and it still feels like yesterday
23 years and so many more to look forward to
23 years of love, laughter, joy, tears, sorrow, sadness, hopes, wishes, dreams, and watching it all together
23 years of just starting our lives together
23 years of one heart existing in two bodies
23 years of you still being the one
I love you now and I'll love you always.
Love, me
Between now and then til I see you again, I'll be loving you. Love, me
Wednesday, June 24, 2015
Luke Rides Into The Sunset One Last Time
Anthony Geary Says Goodbye To General Hospital
I wish I had words as to why this saddens me. I've never met Anthony Geary (though I wouldn't turn down the opportunity - you know in case anyone has connections). I think the closest I've come is meeting Jonathan Frakes who is currently wed to Genie Francis who has starred with Geary on and off for the past 37 years on General Hospital.
A lot of people may not recognize the names Anthony Geary and Genie Francis, but mention "Luke and Laura" and recognition dawns for quite a few. In 1981, more than 30 million households tuned in to watch the two of them marry in spectacular soap opera fashion. And yes, I was in one of those households. Basically from birth my schedule involved watching both General Hospital and Days of Our Lives thanks to my mother. I grew up with families like the Quartermaines, the Bradys, the DiMeras, the Hortons, the Cassadines, and the Spencers and their stories were as familiar to me like a good book with one exception...they didn't end.
Soap Operas operate in a unique place in the pantheon of entertainment and pop culture. Whereas your favorite character from your favorite book lives on in your memory and may eventually be brought to life by an actor on a movie or television screen, they mostly have a limited (pardon the pun) shelf life. A television show may last for three episodes, a season, or two decades, but there are only up to 25 episodes a season and your favorite character may not be in all of them. A movie character could have endless sequels as long as the money holds out...I'm looking at you Rocky Balboa. But that's their life at 90 minutes a pop. Soap Operas generally produce about 245-260 episodes a year.
And, since the show typically incorporated an entire town you had plenty of characters interacting during these episodes. And yes, roles get recast, character continuity depends on your writing staff more than actor's conviction, and amnesia affects more people than the common cold, but it's meant to be fun. It always has been and hopefully always will be. Actors and Actresses of all caliber have started on soaps, came back to soaps, guested on soaps, etc. Hell, my first recollection of Dame Elizabeth Taylor wasn't in either of her Oscar winning performances. It was as the evil incarnate, Helena Cassadine, on General Hospital against Anthony, Genie, and Tristan Rogers as the incomparable aussie, Robert Scorpio.
Meg Ryan, Christian Slater, Leonard DiCaprio, Tommy Lee Jones, Brad Pitt, Demi Moore, Kevin Bacon, Morgan Freeman, and Nathan Fillion barely scratch the list of recognizable faces who started on a soap opera. However, much like actors who tread the boards for life, there are any number of actors who have dedicated the majority of their careers to entertaining folks on soap operas. Some to the tune of half of a century. Anthony Geary has spent 29 of his 68 years bringing life to the character of Lucas Lorenzo Spencer. And I've been along for the majority of those 29 years (I lost the habit of daily watching around the time fatherhood hit, but was drawn back to GH in 2013 with the 50th Anniversary).
Geary has decided that this year will be his last on the show and I believe him. He's always been watchful of his life, accepting larger vacations from the show instead of more money, taking opportunities to live abroad, star in plays, etc. And after all this rambling, I believe his leaving saddens me because I feel as though I'm losing a friend in Luke Spencer. I truly grew up with Luke. I may not have always understood the storyline (rape tends to be a bit beyond the mentality of a four year old) but Geary always seemed to draw me in to whatever crazy adventure he was on at the moment. I mean, really, freezing the world with a weather machine? Knight Rider had more plausible plot lines and that show starred David Hasselhoff (who also got his start on soaps btw).
So, to you Mr. Geary, I salute you and thank you for all the escapism you've provided to me over the past 37 years. May your exit be equal to your talent and if ever we do meet, please accept my speechless handshake with the respect and admiration that I put behind it even if I can't actually vocalize anything at that point.
I wish I had words as to why this saddens me. I've never met Anthony Geary (though I wouldn't turn down the opportunity - you know in case anyone has connections). I think the closest I've come is meeting Jonathan Frakes who is currently wed to Genie Francis who has starred with Geary on and off for the past 37 years on General Hospital.
A lot of people may not recognize the names Anthony Geary and Genie Francis, but mention "Luke and Laura" and recognition dawns for quite a few. In 1981, more than 30 million households tuned in to watch the two of them marry in spectacular soap opera fashion. And yes, I was in one of those households. Basically from birth my schedule involved watching both General Hospital and Days of Our Lives thanks to my mother. I grew up with families like the Quartermaines, the Bradys, the DiMeras, the Hortons, the Cassadines, and the Spencers and their stories were as familiar to me like a good book with one exception...they didn't end.
Soap Operas operate in a unique place in the pantheon of entertainment and pop culture. Whereas your favorite character from your favorite book lives on in your memory and may eventually be brought to life by an actor on a movie or television screen, they mostly have a limited (pardon the pun) shelf life. A television show may last for three episodes, a season, or two decades, but there are only up to 25 episodes a season and your favorite character may not be in all of them. A movie character could have endless sequels as long as the money holds out...I'm looking at you Rocky Balboa. But that's their life at 90 minutes a pop. Soap Operas generally produce about 245-260 episodes a year.
And, since the show typically incorporated an entire town you had plenty of characters interacting during these episodes. And yes, roles get recast, character continuity depends on your writing staff more than actor's conviction, and amnesia affects more people than the common cold, but it's meant to be fun. It always has been and hopefully always will be. Actors and Actresses of all caliber have started on soaps, came back to soaps, guested on soaps, etc. Hell, my first recollection of Dame Elizabeth Taylor wasn't in either of her Oscar winning performances. It was as the evil incarnate, Helena Cassadine, on General Hospital against Anthony, Genie, and Tristan Rogers as the incomparable aussie, Robert Scorpio.
Meg Ryan, Christian Slater, Leonard DiCaprio, Tommy Lee Jones, Brad Pitt, Demi Moore, Kevin Bacon, Morgan Freeman, and Nathan Fillion barely scratch the list of recognizable faces who started on a soap opera. However, much like actors who tread the boards for life, there are any number of actors who have dedicated the majority of their careers to entertaining folks on soap operas. Some to the tune of half of a century. Anthony Geary has spent 29 of his 68 years bringing life to the character of Lucas Lorenzo Spencer. And I've been along for the majority of those 29 years (I lost the habit of daily watching around the time fatherhood hit, but was drawn back to GH in 2013 with the 50th Anniversary).
Geary has decided that this year will be his last on the show and I believe him. He's always been watchful of his life, accepting larger vacations from the show instead of more money, taking opportunities to live abroad, star in plays, etc. And after all this rambling, I believe his leaving saddens me because I feel as though I'm losing a friend in Luke Spencer. I truly grew up with Luke. I may not have always understood the storyline (rape tends to be a bit beyond the mentality of a four year old) but Geary always seemed to draw me in to whatever crazy adventure he was on at the moment. I mean, really, freezing the world with a weather machine? Knight Rider had more plausible plot lines and that show starred David Hasselhoff (who also got his start on soaps btw).
So, to you Mr. Geary, I salute you and thank you for all the escapism you've provided to me over the past 37 years. May your exit be equal to your talent and if ever we do meet, please accept my speechless handshake with the respect and admiration that I put behind it even if I can't actually vocalize anything at that point.
Monday, September 29, 2014
22 Years
Another revolution around the sun and now we sit at 22 years.
22 years and each year this list gets longer as our love deepens
22 years and we're still discovering and learning and falling in love a little more each day
22 years and our love would absolutely earn a four chair turn on the voice
22 years and we give our children the opportunity to say ewww to our kissing every day
22 years and we're still inventing ways to say I love you
22 years and we've outlasted most of the musical acts we loved when we were first dating
22 years and it's hard to go more than a few hours without seeing you or talking to you
22 years and we have shorthand for our shorthand
22 years and I still enjoy telling our story most of all
22 years of you being you
22 years of me being me
22 years and the miracle of us being us
22 years and not feeling that we're any older than that first year
22 years and each hug, kiss, and touch still gives me that electric charge that the first hug, kiss, and touch gave me
22 years of staying up late and having you fall asleep in my arms
22 years of listening to you breath at night and realizing, I have trouble sleeping without it and more importantly you
22 years of craziness, silliness, and absolute love
22 years of feeling like we just fell in love all over again and again and again
22 years and we're just starting down the path of band lessons, parent teacher conferences, and apparently common core mathematics
22 years and I'm so greedy I'm looking forward to multiples of 22 more
22 years and I love you even more than I thought possible that first week and every one of the 1,100+ weeks since
22 years and I'm going to retire this tradition to start a new one for the next 22 years
I love you now and I'll love you always.
Love, me
Between now and then til I see you again, I'll be loving you. Love, me
22 years and each year this list gets longer as our love deepens
22 years and we're still discovering and learning and falling in love a little more each day
22 years and our love would absolutely earn a four chair turn on the voice
22 years and we give our children the opportunity to say ewww to our kissing every day
22 years and we're still inventing ways to say I love you
22 years and we've outlasted most of the musical acts we loved when we were first dating
22 years and it's hard to go more than a few hours without seeing you or talking to you
22 years and we have shorthand for our shorthand
22 years and I still enjoy telling our story most of all
22 years of you being you
22 years of me being me
22 years and the miracle of us being us
22 years and not feeling that we're any older than that first year
22 years and each hug, kiss, and touch still gives me that electric charge that the first hug, kiss, and touch gave me
22 years of staying up late and having you fall asleep in my arms
22 years of listening to you breath at night and realizing, I have trouble sleeping without it and more importantly you
22 years of craziness, silliness, and absolute love
22 years of feeling like we just fell in love all over again and again and again
22 years and we're just starting down the path of band lessons, parent teacher conferences, and apparently common core mathematics
22 years and I'm so greedy I'm looking forward to multiples of 22 more
22 years and I love you even more than I thought possible that first week and every one of the 1,100+ weeks since
22 years and I'm going to retire this tradition to start a new one for the next 22 years
I love you now and I'll love you always.
Love, me
Between now and then til I see you again, I'll be loving you. Love, me
Thursday, September 18, 2014
No Subtlety At All I Tell You
Last night was Gage's open house at the intermediate school. It was the first time we'd been inside the school We hadn't been able to make orientation when he moved up from 4th to 5th grade. And, since the school is a bit further away than three blocks, I had a bit of drive time with the family. After hearing about everyone's day and homework updates, the "normal" chaos of a car ride took over and my mind began to wander. The shuffled iPod hit a random selection of two or three songs and all of a sudden, I was thrown back into my own head with some things I hadn't really given much thought to in a while.
This week 22 years ago, I was in the midst of my senior year of high school. I was getting mail from every college in the U.S. (and some outside of the U.S. as well). I occupied a nice spot on the bench for the varsity soccer team with practice 3-5 times a week and I was the section leader in the marching band.
I was enjoying the time I had left in high school because I had come to the realization the month before that once I departed for college it would be a long time before I landed back in town, if ever. Outside of family and a few friends, there was nothing tying me to this area. I was looking pretty intently at writing programs at colleges like USC and Stanford. Colleges were just starting to use this newish program called email which seemed to make it pretty easy to keep in touch with anyone else at a college or university so I could keep in contact with folks in my class and the few above me that had already moved on.
Now, I don't know if the events of that week stick out to me because of the eventual outcome, the fact that most of the events were anomalies in and of themselves, or they just made for a good story in my head. But, if you stick with me a bit longer, you'll see where I'm going with this.
The soccer team was practicing drills that didn't really complement the style of play we were putting on the field. The coach was fairly insistent for some reason and so we all lined up for slide tackle drills. Now, I don't know if you've ever had the opportunity too see a great slide tackle, but it involves skill, timing, some deception, and a bit of luck. As the tackler, you're leaving your feet for a slide which means you've given up control of your section of the field and hoping you've timed everything correctly to move the ball away from the opposing player. As the person being "tackled," you often times have the opportunity to pass, move, or divert from the tackle entirely. Best case scenario, tackler sees an opportunity, moves in, slides briefly on soft grass, connects with the ball, makes the play, and bounces back up in time to get into position. There are any number of worst case scenarios and that's where I found myself that week. I moved up on the player, saw the opening, and went for the slide. However, instead of my leading cleat staying parallel through the grass, I hit a patch of hard earth and caught the cleat. This had the effect of partially standing me back up in the midst of the slide. I was in the process of bringing my trailing leg around to complete the line for the tackle when I was abruptly caught and stopped. I felt all the vertebrae in my back pop in succession when they were wrenched. As I lay there spewing a nice selection of four letter words, one of the first faces I saw through the blur of pain was the sophomore manager who had been feeding out the balls for the drill. I thought about that face in the ambulance on the way to the hospital.
The hospital made sure I hadn't broken anything and released me with a restriction to take it easy for at least a week. This effectively cancelled soccer practice for me as well as the next game. It also meant that I wasn't going to be able to practice or march with the band that Friday. It would be the first football game I would miss marching in and the only one I missed throughout the four years of high school band. And, since I now had the walking pattern of an octogenarian with osteoporosis, it meant I was going to have to leave class early to shuffle through the halls to get to my next class reasonably on time. And, I usually got to rescue someone to take with me to handle my books. So, a few close friends and I had 10 minutes or so every period just to talk about what was going on that week. Two friends, in particular, took that time to talk to me about that same sophomore soccer manager. At this point it is relevant to mention that these two friends were already dating. I realized that they had both been bringing her up in conversation quite a bit the past few weeks. He used soccer practice and some classes to chat me up. She used band to do the same. However, now they were doing more than just hinting and suggesting. And, they were doing so with all the subtlety of a...you know what, there's not a good comparison here. There was absolutely no subtlety at all.
Now, it might have been the fact that I was counting the days until graduation and leaving town. It might have been my own complete inexperience and lack of acceptable social graces. It could have been the fact that I had the current range of motion of a full body cast. Or, it might have been the fact that this beautiful girl they were attempting to set me up with was about three stratospheres out of my league. Whatever it was, I was fairly resistant. By Thursday of that week, however, they had essentially talked me into a single date. Since the other section leaders of the band knew I couldn't dress and march, they asked if I would attend the game, sit in the stands and critique the show so we could make it better. So, I agreed to ask if said soccer manager wanted to attend with me and maybe grab dinner since refreshment stand food at a high school football game is horrible.
Now, I don't know about your high school, but ours was pretty small. Less than 500 kids total for the whole school and everyone knew everyone else. Maybe you didn't talk to everyone and you certainly weren't friends with everyone, but if someone asked, "Who's that guy over there?" nine out of ten could easily answer whether they were in the same grade or not. This is pre-cell phone so the rumor mill was all word of mouth. Our school was basically two stories with one long parallel hallway sitting on top of the other for all the classrooms with the auditorium, gym, and cafeteria sitting off to the side in an L shape. So, as I was shuffling out of first period band, I had only just confirmed to said female friend that I would "ask" the soccer manager out for Friday. I had taken no action and wouldn't even potentially see the soccer manager for another few periods and that's if I went out of my way to do so. However, within the 10 minutes it took me to shuffle upstairs to my next class, I learned that she had been informed of the lobbying on her behalf, told of my intentions to ask and basically accepted all without me even being there. It was, by far, the easiest time I had ever gotten a date in my life.
When I did finally manage to see her face to face, she confirmed I was asking, I confirmed she was accepting and the only things left to work out were parental approval on her part and if so, what time should I pick her up.
Well, I picked her up shortly after school and we headed to Washington to grab some dinner since Bentworth was playing Wash High that night. We had a pretty uneventful dinner and talked quite a bit all the way to the game. The game itself was fairly uneventful. Bentworth hadn't won a game in over two seasons and even the usual rivalry with Wash High was hard to muster up. I got good notes on the band's performance and the final score ended up being Wash High 69 Bentworth 8. We made it back to the car, through the game traffic, and I took her home and walked her to the door to say goodnight. I don't really remember how the date for the next day got set up. She had cousins staying at her house for a few weeks while they moved from New Jersey and they were stationed at the front door and window in a style that would have made the NSA proud.
But even with all the resistance I had initially put up, we ended up spending the next 11 days going out almost every night and talking on the phone when we weren't together. Throughout those 11 days, I completely re-evaluated everything in my life from top to bottom. From academics, to family, to my hometown, to my choice of colleges, to friendships, to running away, no topic got left out. By Monday the 28th, I finally decided to ask her to be "exclusive" and "steady" and potentially see where a relationship might go. I figured she'd laugh it off and we'd be done after a few more casual dates. And, even though that was the outcome I expected, I was wallowing in teenage melancholy at that thought. So, it took me a day to kind of snap out of that reverie and just ask.
Turns out that she had been waiting, not so patiently, for that very question. So, even though I had planned on driving down to the truck stop, which was basically the only "restaurant" in our town back then, and asking her while we sat in the booth having coffee, I didn't even make it on to Main street. We were sitting on Washington street at the only damn red light in town when she turns to me and asks if I want to be exclusive. I guess it was a good thing I did have the car stopped since I probably would have wrecked the car out of surprise. I said yes, we kissed, and over two decades later that week still has a powerful hold on my imagination.
So, for anyone who stuck around to the end of the rambling, that sophomore soccer manager was/is/always has been my lovely companion through this crazy weird journey of life. That first date and those 11 days after with all of the re-evaluation caused me to choose a better program at a better university. It gave me different perspectives on my hometown and family. It kept me grounded in the thought that life wasn't all about me, no matter how much I wanted it to be. These decisions, these arbitrary turns, brought me to today. And, even though nothing will ever shake the foundation of my life for her, I will never be able to express in words, thoughts, or actions how much the pressure she applied those few weeks in September all those years ago to our mutual friends, who in turn applied it to me, has changed me for the better.
And I must say, that even though things have changed over the last 22 years, our love has only gotten stronger and more intense. And, it has grown over the years to include three very visible reminders of the love we have for each other and our family. And even though I thanked them then, I realize looking back on this story, my two friends that helped set and keep this ride in motion could never actually be thanked enough. So, to them, another thank you from the bottom of my heart and to my wife and best friend Terri...here's to another 22 years of whatever life has in store for us.
This week 22 years ago, I was in the midst of my senior year of high school. I was getting mail from every college in the U.S. (and some outside of the U.S. as well). I occupied a nice spot on the bench for the varsity soccer team with practice 3-5 times a week and I was the section leader in the marching band.
I was enjoying the time I had left in high school because I had come to the realization the month before that once I departed for college it would be a long time before I landed back in town, if ever. Outside of family and a few friends, there was nothing tying me to this area. I was looking pretty intently at writing programs at colleges like USC and Stanford. Colleges were just starting to use this newish program called email which seemed to make it pretty easy to keep in touch with anyone else at a college or university so I could keep in contact with folks in my class and the few above me that had already moved on.
Now, I don't know if the events of that week stick out to me because of the eventual outcome, the fact that most of the events were anomalies in and of themselves, or they just made for a good story in my head. But, if you stick with me a bit longer, you'll see where I'm going with this.
The soccer team was practicing drills that didn't really complement the style of play we were putting on the field. The coach was fairly insistent for some reason and so we all lined up for slide tackle drills. Now, I don't know if you've ever had the opportunity too see a great slide tackle, but it involves skill, timing, some deception, and a bit of luck. As the tackler, you're leaving your feet for a slide which means you've given up control of your section of the field and hoping you've timed everything correctly to move the ball away from the opposing player. As the person being "tackled," you often times have the opportunity to pass, move, or divert from the tackle entirely. Best case scenario, tackler sees an opportunity, moves in, slides briefly on soft grass, connects with the ball, makes the play, and bounces back up in time to get into position. There are any number of worst case scenarios and that's where I found myself that week. I moved up on the player, saw the opening, and went for the slide. However, instead of my leading cleat staying parallel through the grass, I hit a patch of hard earth and caught the cleat. This had the effect of partially standing me back up in the midst of the slide. I was in the process of bringing my trailing leg around to complete the line for the tackle when I was abruptly caught and stopped. I felt all the vertebrae in my back pop in succession when they were wrenched. As I lay there spewing a nice selection of four letter words, one of the first faces I saw through the blur of pain was the sophomore manager who had been feeding out the balls for the drill. I thought about that face in the ambulance on the way to the hospital.
The hospital made sure I hadn't broken anything and released me with a restriction to take it easy for at least a week. This effectively cancelled soccer practice for me as well as the next game. It also meant that I wasn't going to be able to practice or march with the band that Friday. It would be the first football game I would miss marching in and the only one I missed throughout the four years of high school band. And, since I now had the walking pattern of an octogenarian with osteoporosis, it meant I was going to have to leave class early to shuffle through the halls to get to my next class reasonably on time. And, I usually got to rescue someone to take with me to handle my books. So, a few close friends and I had 10 minutes or so every period just to talk about what was going on that week. Two friends, in particular, took that time to talk to me about that same sophomore soccer manager. At this point it is relevant to mention that these two friends were already dating. I realized that they had both been bringing her up in conversation quite a bit the past few weeks. He used soccer practice and some classes to chat me up. She used band to do the same. However, now they were doing more than just hinting and suggesting. And, they were doing so with all the subtlety of a...you know what, there's not a good comparison here. There was absolutely no subtlety at all.
Now, it might have been the fact that I was counting the days until graduation and leaving town. It might have been my own complete inexperience and lack of acceptable social graces. It could have been the fact that I had the current range of motion of a full body cast. Or, it might have been the fact that this beautiful girl they were attempting to set me up with was about three stratospheres out of my league. Whatever it was, I was fairly resistant. By Thursday of that week, however, they had essentially talked me into a single date. Since the other section leaders of the band knew I couldn't dress and march, they asked if I would attend the game, sit in the stands and critique the show so we could make it better. So, I agreed to ask if said soccer manager wanted to attend with me and maybe grab dinner since refreshment stand food at a high school football game is horrible.
Now, I don't know about your high school, but ours was pretty small. Less than 500 kids total for the whole school and everyone knew everyone else. Maybe you didn't talk to everyone and you certainly weren't friends with everyone, but if someone asked, "Who's that guy over there?" nine out of ten could easily answer whether they were in the same grade or not. This is pre-cell phone so the rumor mill was all word of mouth. Our school was basically two stories with one long parallel hallway sitting on top of the other for all the classrooms with the auditorium, gym, and cafeteria sitting off to the side in an L shape. So, as I was shuffling out of first period band, I had only just confirmed to said female friend that I would "ask" the soccer manager out for Friday. I had taken no action and wouldn't even potentially see the soccer manager for another few periods and that's if I went out of my way to do so. However, within the 10 minutes it took me to shuffle upstairs to my next class, I learned that she had been informed of the lobbying on her behalf, told of my intentions to ask and basically accepted all without me even being there. It was, by far, the easiest time I had ever gotten a date in my life.
When I did finally manage to see her face to face, she confirmed I was asking, I confirmed she was accepting and the only things left to work out were parental approval on her part and if so, what time should I pick her up.
Well, I picked her up shortly after school and we headed to Washington to grab some dinner since Bentworth was playing Wash High that night. We had a pretty uneventful dinner and talked quite a bit all the way to the game. The game itself was fairly uneventful. Bentworth hadn't won a game in over two seasons and even the usual rivalry with Wash High was hard to muster up. I got good notes on the band's performance and the final score ended up being Wash High 69 Bentworth 8. We made it back to the car, through the game traffic, and I took her home and walked her to the door to say goodnight. I don't really remember how the date for the next day got set up. She had cousins staying at her house for a few weeks while they moved from New Jersey and they were stationed at the front door and window in a style that would have made the NSA proud.
But even with all the resistance I had initially put up, we ended up spending the next 11 days going out almost every night and talking on the phone when we weren't together. Throughout those 11 days, I completely re-evaluated everything in my life from top to bottom. From academics, to family, to my hometown, to my choice of colleges, to friendships, to running away, no topic got left out. By Monday the 28th, I finally decided to ask her to be "exclusive" and "steady" and potentially see where a relationship might go. I figured she'd laugh it off and we'd be done after a few more casual dates. And, even though that was the outcome I expected, I was wallowing in teenage melancholy at that thought. So, it took me a day to kind of snap out of that reverie and just ask.
Turns out that she had been waiting, not so patiently, for that very question. So, even though I had planned on driving down to the truck stop, which was basically the only "restaurant" in our town back then, and asking her while we sat in the booth having coffee, I didn't even make it on to Main street. We were sitting on Washington street at the only damn red light in town when she turns to me and asks if I want to be exclusive. I guess it was a good thing I did have the car stopped since I probably would have wrecked the car out of surprise. I said yes, we kissed, and over two decades later that week still has a powerful hold on my imagination.
So, for anyone who stuck around to the end of the rambling, that sophomore soccer manager was/is/always has been my lovely companion through this crazy weird journey of life. That first date and those 11 days after with all of the re-evaluation caused me to choose a better program at a better university. It gave me different perspectives on my hometown and family. It kept me grounded in the thought that life wasn't all about me, no matter how much I wanted it to be. These decisions, these arbitrary turns, brought me to today. And, even though nothing will ever shake the foundation of my life for her, I will never be able to express in words, thoughts, or actions how much the pressure she applied those few weeks in September all those years ago to our mutual friends, who in turn applied it to me, has changed me for the better.
And I must say, that even though things have changed over the last 22 years, our love has only gotten stronger and more intense. And, it has grown over the years to include three very visible reminders of the love we have for each other and our family. And even though I thanked them then, I realize looking back on this story, my two friends that helped set and keep this ride in motion could never actually be thanked enough. So, to them, another thank you from the bottom of my heart and to my wife and best friend Terri...here's to another 22 years of whatever life has in store for us.
Sunday, September 29, 2013
21 Years
I can't imagine anyone carding our relationship, but that's usually the typical dream of every 21 year old.
21 years, our relationship can drink
21 years, one million seconds is a drop in the bucket...we're now closing in on a billion
21 years, and all off those seconds only bring us closer
21 years, and almost that many cars in the same time span
21 years, watching extended family grow, marry, and have families of their own...happy first birthday Austin
21 years, seeing bands and musicians come and go...which probably means we'll outlast the Miley hype as well
21 years, of accumulated memories and some stuff here and there too
21 years to reflect back on with clarity and fondness
21 years of having our own version of date nights and never having to worry about who we're going home with that night
21 years of mostly giving and s some taking with all kinds of love behind it
21 years and our three little ones are not quite so little anymore
21 years and being required to replace old traditions with new ones since not all things last as long as we have apparently
21 years and our tradition of buying a single Christmas ornament is almost to the point of forcing us to upgrade the Christmas tree again
21 years of hugs, kisses, squeezes, and tickles
21 years may have visibly lined our faces, but could never touch the growing love in our hearts
21 years in the ring of fire without getting burnt
21 years of doing it our way and still coming out on top more often than not
21 years of watching you cry at movies, television shows, and even commercials and even though I make fun of you, I still want to be the one to dry those tears for you and make it better
21 years of our favorite things
21 years of being my best friend, my wife, my partner in crime, and basically my life
21 years, could be 221 and it still wouldn't be enough
And though the words and the sentiments seem to be close to repeating, there will never be enough new ways to say that I love you!
Love, me
"Between now and then til I see you again, I'll be loving you, Love, me"
21 years, our relationship can drink
21 years, one million seconds is a drop in the bucket...we're now closing in on a billion
21 years, and all off those seconds only bring us closer
21 years, and almost that many cars in the same time span
21 years, watching extended family grow, marry, and have families of their own...happy first birthday Austin
21 years, seeing bands and musicians come and go...which probably means we'll outlast the Miley hype as well
21 years, of accumulated memories and some stuff here and there too
21 years to reflect back on with clarity and fondness
21 years of having our own version of date nights and never having to worry about who we're going home with that night
21 years of mostly giving and s some taking with all kinds of love behind it
21 years and our three little ones are not quite so little anymore
21 years and being required to replace old traditions with new ones since not all things last as long as we have apparently
21 years and our tradition of buying a single Christmas ornament is almost to the point of forcing us to upgrade the Christmas tree again
21 years of hugs, kisses, squeezes, and tickles
21 years may have visibly lined our faces, but could never touch the growing love in our hearts
21 years in the ring of fire without getting burnt
21 years of doing it our way and still coming out on top more often than not
21 years of watching you cry at movies, television shows, and even commercials and even though I make fun of you, I still want to be the one to dry those tears for you and make it better
21 years of our favorite things
21 years of being my best friend, my wife, my partner in crime, and basically my life
21 years, could be 221 and it still wouldn't be enough
And though the words and the sentiments seem to be close to repeating, there will never be enough new ways to say that I love you!
Love, me
"Between now and then til I see you again, I'll be loving you, Love, me"
Monday, July 01, 2013
Searching For New Memories
Sadly for the past five years, this blog has been a once a year stop. I make an anniversary post on September 29th and then it falls by the wayside for another 365 days. However, something happened today that I realized I needed a long form of communication to convey this particular story.
I was neck deep in work and just got back to my desk after a meeting I didn't actually need to be in, and I noticed I had a text message on my phone. It was Tom telling me that the Georgetowne Inn was closing on July 7th. I had an audible gasp and exclaimed, "That sucks." out loud in my cube. Our PR professional in the cube next to mine asked what was wrong and I explained that the restaurant was closing. She asked what my connection to the restaurant was and I had to laugh. I then told her the story recounted for your (hopeful) enjoyment here...
It was September of 1993. I was a freshman in college and Terri was a junior in high school. We had been in a "long distance" relationship for approximately 3 weeks of our almost 1 year relationship. I knew I wanted to take her to dinner on our actual anniversary, but it was a Wednesday night which made it difficult to get out of class in Pittsburgh, drive home and have any kind of night before a normal curfew. This meant I had to get her parents involved to make sure she was allowed to go out and stay out a little later.
Once I had cleared that little hurdle, I only had to actually find a place to go, find a way to get there, find a way to pay for it, procure a gift for said anniversary, and keep Terri just enough in the dark so that she didn't think I'd see her until the weekend. No problem for a college freshman with no car, a part-time work study job, and very little idea of what ranked in the culinary world beyond the allure of Ponderosa or TGI Fridays.
I decided to call my Uncle David. He had lived in and around the city of Pittsburgh for the 10 years or so prior to that and culturally was both my guide and mentor. I asked for a restaurant that was upscale and nice, had a romantic atmosphere, and wouldn't cost me three years to pay off for one dinner. He thought about it for a few minutes while we chatted about other things and then decided that the Georgetowne Inn on Mt. Washington would fit all my criteria pretty nicely. He said that it had excellent food, the atmosphere was what I was looking for and for an extra touch of romance, I could park at the bottom and take the incline up Mt. Washington since the restaurant was located right next to the platform on top. He also told me that it was reasonably priced and shouldn't break my budget too much. I told him that was perfect and proceeded to finalize the restaurant arrangements.
I called the restaurant and made reservations for a conservative time of 8:00 since I had to finish afternoon classes, drive from Oakland to Eighty-Four and then back to Mt. Washington for dinner. The restaurant had an opening and I could check one more item off the list. This left finding a way to get there, actually paying for it, finding a gift, and keeping it a surprise.
Since it was to be a surprise and it was a school night, it wasn't going to be easy to have Terri actually dressed for a dinner out. So after giving it a bit of thought, I decided that an outfit would be a nice gift and would be easier to obtain due to the department store charge card I had. That solved the issue of paying for dinner since I didn't have to split the money between that and a gift and went toward keeping everything secret. Now I had to figure out how to get there.
Being a weeknight, I was able to borrow a car from Joed (my roommate's brother). He said he'd catch a ride to his off-campus apartment and I could park the car in the garage where I found it and give the keys back to Tom (his brother). Granted, I've known their family for many years, we all pretty much grew up together, but we were all taking the chance on a). breaking the rule of anyone but Joed, and occasionally Tom, driving the car in Pittsburgh, b). having it been seen and/or recognized by driving it within 5 miles of their house and c). being back home mid-week without a real great excuse.
Now I've got everything in place with a week left to go until said anniversary. I had earrings, a dress, and a pair of shoes wrapped up and ready and Terri is, thus far, none the wiser. My last class on Wednesdays ended at 2:30. I had planned on showering and having the bottom half of a suit on and ready for my last class after my lunch break. That would allow me to get back to the room, change into a shirt and tie, grab my jacket, the keys, and the gifts and be in the garage at 2:45 and out of Oakland before heavy rush hour traffic started.
Wednesday came and my mother-in-law was expecting me at the door somewhere around 4-4:30ish which was just as they were to start dinner. That would have worked well since Terri could be surprised, change into the gifted outfit and we'd be back on the road before 5:00 with plenty of time to get through Pittsburgh traffic, to the incline, and ride up to the restaurant.
Morning classes sped by, I laid everything out, showered and was to my afternoon class a few minutes early to get an exit seat by the door. Class over, out the door, back to the room, completely ready to go, keys in hand and double timing it to the 3rd floor of the garage to get the car. Search up one side and down the other clicking the alarm button...no car. Ok, slight panic, but maybe he couldn't park on this floor. Up one floor to the 4th floor, same routine...no car. 1st floor, same result. 2nd floor same result. 3rd floor again, just in case, same result. Now, I'm in a full on panic. It's just after 3 and my timetable is slipping greatly. I hustle back to the dorm and call Joed's apartment (this is pre-cell phone for everyone). No one was home. Tom wasn't back from class yet so I headed to the engineering buildings on campus to see if I could spot Joed, Tom, or anyone that knew where either one might be. No dice. Once more around the buildings and I start heading back to the dorm. At this point, I actually find Tom, but he hasn't seen Joed or the car.
I head back to the dorm for another call and still no answer. I've called my mother-in-law and she said she'd stall for as long as possible, but didn't know how she could stop Terri from having dinner with the rest of the family. I'm just about ready to admit defeat when I see Brett walking down the hall of the dorm. Brett is a senior with a car. I quickly lay out the situation, helped by the fact that I'm in a suit and holding a gift and he agrees to lend me the car on the condition of gas and some music copies from my collection. I toss him Joed's keys, grab his and head to the garage. This car is actually where it was supposed to be and I climb in and start heading for Terri's house.
By now, it's after 4 and I'm in full on rush hour traffic. Now, it is Pittsburgh which means it isn't bumper to bumper gridlock until late evening, but every minute from Oakland to 79 seems to take multiple hours. As I finally rid myself of traffic, I notice Brett's car is shaking a bit and starting to overheat. I nurse it down the highways and back roads and instead of heading to Terri's, I detour to my parent's house. I attempt to summarize the situation to my dad while explaining that I needed to not only take one of their cars, but have him fix Brett's car so I could return it. I finally arrive at Terri's house close to 6:00 and find out that yes, she's surprised to see me, but she's had a full dinner against the protestations of her mom. She quickly heads upstairs to change while I attempt to explain to her parents what has transpired. She comes downstairs, looking breath-taking I might add, and we get the actual course of the night underway.
On the drive back into the city, she listens to my day thus far and laughs at all the difficulties knowing that we'll have a phenomenal night to celebrate our first year together and she'll have a great story to tell in school tomorrow. She also tries to figure out exactly where we're going all dressed up. I refuse to give up the last detail of the evening, I only tell her that it's going to be romantic and everything she deserves.
Now, if you remember back to the conversation with my Uncle, he suggested adding the incline ride for a bit more romance. So I follow the west end, park at Station Square and get on the incline headed up to Mt. Washington. For those of you familiar with Pittsburgh geography, yes...it is ok to start laughing now. Because about halfway up the face of the mountain, it occurs to me that my Uncle didn't specify which incline and I didn't ask. I went to the one I was most familiar with. The Monongahela Incline starts at Station Square and drops you off on the platform at 1 Grandview Avenue. The Georgetowne Inn is at 1230 Grandview Avenue. It is approximately 1 mile from the Monongahela Incline platform to the Duquesne Incline platform (which is where I should have been). And yes, Terri and I walked the entire mile to the restaurant arriving about 3 minutes before our reservation.
The food was excellent and after our evening exercise, we were both famished. We made an even deeper connection that night and it served to strengthen a love that has grown since that day. The rest of the evening passed uneventfully, a cab back to Station Square from the restaurant, a ride home with no traffic, my dad fixing Brett's car, my return to campus and returning all cars/keys, etc. Turns out Joed had been running late and parked in a lot behind the engineering buildings forgetting he was supposed to be in the garage. Everyone on the floor had an excellent laugh at the rest of the story and went on about their evenings.
When the time came in 1994 to to decide what we were going to do for our yearly anniversary, there was no question. We returned to the Georgetowne Inn on September 29th in 94-99, again from 01-09, and 11-12. 18 out of 20 years. We only missed the two years due to being out of state on the 29th.
We celebrated good things there in addition to our anniversary and on the platform of the Duquesne Incline a few years after our first anniversary dinner, I put a quarter in the view finder on the platform and told Terri she had to see the view. While she was adjusting the lens, I pulled a ring box from my pocket got down on one knee and told her I needed to ask her a question. She said yes on that platform in view of everyone from the Georgetowne and the couples dining closest to the side window applauded when they realized what was going on outside.
So yeah, when I saw that text message today and found the article in the paper confirming the closure, I called Terri to let her know and she suggested we simply take the kids and have dinner there tonight since we'd be out of town from the evening of the 3rd to the 7th and she works Tuesday nights. Luckily, I was able to get a reservation and we were able to once again dine in "our" restaurant and have the kids see a little bit of their parent's past. And, I was able to buy the pewter souvenir plate with the embossed name of the restaurant so that we'll have a lasting tangible memento to go with all of the memories that we've made there. From tomorrow it will be 90 days until the 29th of September this year. 90 days to narrow the search for a new restaurant to make new memories for the next 20 years of our lives together. Recommendations start...now.
I was neck deep in work and just got back to my desk after a meeting I didn't actually need to be in, and I noticed I had a text message on my phone. It was Tom telling me that the Georgetowne Inn was closing on July 7th. I had an audible gasp and exclaimed, "That sucks." out loud in my cube. Our PR professional in the cube next to mine asked what was wrong and I explained that the restaurant was closing. She asked what my connection to the restaurant was and I had to laugh. I then told her the story recounted for your (hopeful) enjoyment here...
It was September of 1993. I was a freshman in college and Terri was a junior in high school. We had been in a "long distance" relationship for approximately 3 weeks of our almost 1 year relationship. I knew I wanted to take her to dinner on our actual anniversary, but it was a Wednesday night which made it difficult to get out of class in Pittsburgh, drive home and have any kind of night before a normal curfew. This meant I had to get her parents involved to make sure she was allowed to go out and stay out a little later.
Once I had cleared that little hurdle, I only had to actually find a place to go, find a way to get there, find a way to pay for it, procure a gift for said anniversary, and keep Terri just enough in the dark so that she didn't think I'd see her until the weekend. No problem for a college freshman with no car, a part-time work study job, and very little idea of what ranked in the culinary world beyond the allure of Ponderosa or TGI Fridays.
I decided to call my Uncle David. He had lived in and around the city of Pittsburgh for the 10 years or so prior to that and culturally was both my guide and mentor. I asked for a restaurant that was upscale and nice, had a romantic atmosphere, and wouldn't cost me three years to pay off for one dinner. He thought about it for a few minutes while we chatted about other things and then decided that the Georgetowne Inn on Mt. Washington would fit all my criteria pretty nicely. He said that it had excellent food, the atmosphere was what I was looking for and for an extra touch of romance, I could park at the bottom and take the incline up Mt. Washington since the restaurant was located right next to the platform on top. He also told me that it was reasonably priced and shouldn't break my budget too much. I told him that was perfect and proceeded to finalize the restaurant arrangements.
I called the restaurant and made reservations for a conservative time of 8:00 since I had to finish afternoon classes, drive from Oakland to Eighty-Four and then back to Mt. Washington for dinner. The restaurant had an opening and I could check one more item off the list. This left finding a way to get there, actually paying for it, finding a gift, and keeping it a surprise.
Since it was to be a surprise and it was a school night, it wasn't going to be easy to have Terri actually dressed for a dinner out. So after giving it a bit of thought, I decided that an outfit would be a nice gift and would be easier to obtain due to the department store charge card I had. That solved the issue of paying for dinner since I didn't have to split the money between that and a gift and went toward keeping everything secret. Now I had to figure out how to get there.
Being a weeknight, I was able to borrow a car from Joed (my roommate's brother). He said he'd catch a ride to his off-campus apartment and I could park the car in the garage where I found it and give the keys back to Tom (his brother). Granted, I've known their family for many years, we all pretty much grew up together, but we were all taking the chance on a). breaking the rule of anyone but Joed, and occasionally Tom, driving the car in Pittsburgh, b). having it been seen and/or recognized by driving it within 5 miles of their house and c). being back home mid-week without a real great excuse.
Now I've got everything in place with a week left to go until said anniversary. I had earrings, a dress, and a pair of shoes wrapped up and ready and Terri is, thus far, none the wiser. My last class on Wednesdays ended at 2:30. I had planned on showering and having the bottom half of a suit on and ready for my last class after my lunch break. That would allow me to get back to the room, change into a shirt and tie, grab my jacket, the keys, and the gifts and be in the garage at 2:45 and out of Oakland before heavy rush hour traffic started.
Wednesday came and my mother-in-law was expecting me at the door somewhere around 4-4:30ish which was just as they were to start dinner. That would have worked well since Terri could be surprised, change into the gifted outfit and we'd be back on the road before 5:00 with plenty of time to get through Pittsburgh traffic, to the incline, and ride up to the restaurant.
Morning classes sped by, I laid everything out, showered and was to my afternoon class a few minutes early to get an exit seat by the door. Class over, out the door, back to the room, completely ready to go, keys in hand and double timing it to the 3rd floor of the garage to get the car. Search up one side and down the other clicking the alarm button...no car. Ok, slight panic, but maybe he couldn't park on this floor. Up one floor to the 4th floor, same routine...no car. 1st floor, same result. 2nd floor same result. 3rd floor again, just in case, same result. Now, I'm in a full on panic. It's just after 3 and my timetable is slipping greatly. I hustle back to the dorm and call Joed's apartment (this is pre-cell phone for everyone). No one was home. Tom wasn't back from class yet so I headed to the engineering buildings on campus to see if I could spot Joed, Tom, or anyone that knew where either one might be. No dice. Once more around the buildings and I start heading back to the dorm. At this point, I actually find Tom, but he hasn't seen Joed or the car.
I head back to the dorm for another call and still no answer. I've called my mother-in-law and she said she'd stall for as long as possible, but didn't know how she could stop Terri from having dinner with the rest of the family. I'm just about ready to admit defeat when I see Brett walking down the hall of the dorm. Brett is a senior with a car. I quickly lay out the situation, helped by the fact that I'm in a suit and holding a gift and he agrees to lend me the car on the condition of gas and some music copies from my collection. I toss him Joed's keys, grab his and head to the garage. This car is actually where it was supposed to be and I climb in and start heading for Terri's house.
By now, it's after 4 and I'm in full on rush hour traffic. Now, it is Pittsburgh which means it isn't bumper to bumper gridlock until late evening, but every minute from Oakland to 79 seems to take multiple hours. As I finally rid myself of traffic, I notice Brett's car is shaking a bit and starting to overheat. I nurse it down the highways and back roads and instead of heading to Terri's, I detour to my parent's house. I attempt to summarize the situation to my dad while explaining that I needed to not only take one of their cars, but have him fix Brett's car so I could return it. I finally arrive at Terri's house close to 6:00 and find out that yes, she's surprised to see me, but she's had a full dinner against the protestations of her mom. She quickly heads upstairs to change while I attempt to explain to her parents what has transpired. She comes downstairs, looking breath-taking I might add, and we get the actual course of the night underway.
On the drive back into the city, she listens to my day thus far and laughs at all the difficulties knowing that we'll have a phenomenal night to celebrate our first year together and she'll have a great story to tell in school tomorrow. She also tries to figure out exactly where we're going all dressed up. I refuse to give up the last detail of the evening, I only tell her that it's going to be romantic and everything she deserves.
Now, if you remember back to the conversation with my Uncle, he suggested adding the incline ride for a bit more romance. So I follow the west end, park at Station Square and get on the incline headed up to Mt. Washington. For those of you familiar with Pittsburgh geography, yes...it is ok to start laughing now. Because about halfway up the face of the mountain, it occurs to me that my Uncle didn't specify which incline and I didn't ask. I went to the one I was most familiar with. The Monongahela Incline starts at Station Square and drops you off on the platform at 1 Grandview Avenue. The Georgetowne Inn is at 1230 Grandview Avenue. It is approximately 1 mile from the Monongahela Incline platform to the Duquesne Incline platform (which is where I should have been). And yes, Terri and I walked the entire mile to the restaurant arriving about 3 minutes before our reservation.
The food was excellent and after our evening exercise, we were both famished. We made an even deeper connection that night and it served to strengthen a love that has grown since that day. The rest of the evening passed uneventfully, a cab back to Station Square from the restaurant, a ride home with no traffic, my dad fixing Brett's car, my return to campus and returning all cars/keys, etc. Turns out Joed had been running late and parked in a lot behind the engineering buildings forgetting he was supposed to be in the garage. Everyone on the floor had an excellent laugh at the rest of the story and went on about their evenings.
When the time came in 1994 to to decide what we were going to do for our yearly anniversary, there was no question. We returned to the Georgetowne Inn on September 29th in 94-99, again from 01-09, and 11-12. 18 out of 20 years. We only missed the two years due to being out of state on the 29th.
We celebrated good things there in addition to our anniversary and on the platform of the Duquesne Incline a few years after our first anniversary dinner, I put a quarter in the view finder on the platform and told Terri she had to see the view. While she was adjusting the lens, I pulled a ring box from my pocket got down on one knee and told her I needed to ask her a question. She said yes on that platform in view of everyone from the Georgetowne and the couples dining closest to the side window applauded when they realized what was going on outside.
So yeah, when I saw that text message today and found the article in the paper confirming the closure, I called Terri to let her know and she suggested we simply take the kids and have dinner there tonight since we'd be out of town from the evening of the 3rd to the 7th and she works Tuesday nights. Luckily, I was able to get a reservation and we were able to once again dine in "our" restaurant and have the kids see a little bit of their parent's past. And, I was able to buy the pewter souvenir plate with the embossed name of the restaurant so that we'll have a lasting tangible memento to go with all of the memories that we've made there. From tomorrow it will be 90 days until the 29th of September this year. 90 days to narrow the search for a new restaurant to make new memories for the next 20 years of our lives together. Recommendations start...now.
Saturday, September 29, 2012
20 Years
"525,600 minutes
525,000 moments so dear
525,600 minutes
How do you measure, measure a year?" - Seasons of Love
20 Years
20 years.
20 years = 2 decades = a considerable passage of time.
20 years of watching you from the corner of my eye so I don't miss anything you do.
20 years means our relationship can almost legally drink.
20 years of standing side by side but really being almost a single entity.
20 years with 3 hockey lockouts.
20 years of growing, maturing, changing, adapting, but never falling out of love.
20 years with everyone we know still trying to figure out why you're with me.
20 years and still undertaking new and different adventures (hello house).
20 years of waiting on the world to change and realizing a) that's a crappy song and b) we don't need anything to change as long as we're together.
20 years of not being able to smile without you.
20 years of dancing closely, singing softly, and having the tunnel vision of love.
20 years of ever changing communication methods (letters, land line phone calls, cell phones, skype, email, texting, IM) all of which just make it easier to say, I love you!
20 years of partaking of a love written just for us.
20 years with 3 ever growing children creating more of a bond between us.
20 years and you still amaze me.
20 years and we still mark each month's anniversary (That's 240 for anyone keeping track. I know we are.)
20 years of Never gonna give you up, Never gonna let you down, Never gonna run around and desert you. (Yes, you have just been rickrolled)
20 years and it doesn't even compare to our parents and grandparents who set the original template of how to love.
20 years - not even remotely enough time.
At this point, it should go without saying that I love you, but I say it because you should hear it and know how true it is. We couldn't possibly have looked forward 20 years ago and seen where everything was going and where we'd be in the future, but even at that point, we pretty much knew whatever or wherever it was, we'd be together. So, once again, I loved you then, I love you now and I'm always going to love you.
Between now and then til I see you again I'll be loving you, Love me.
525,000 moments so dear
525,600 minutes
How do you measure, measure a year?" - Seasons of Love
20 Years
20 years.
20 years = 2 decades = a considerable passage of time.
20 years of watching you from the corner of my eye so I don't miss anything you do.
20 years means our relationship can almost legally drink.
20 years of standing side by side but really being almost a single entity.
20 years with 3 hockey lockouts.
20 years of growing, maturing, changing, adapting, but never falling out of love.
20 years with everyone we know still trying to figure out why you're with me.
20 years and still undertaking new and different adventures (hello house).
20 years of waiting on the world to change and realizing a) that's a crappy song and b) we don't need anything to change as long as we're together.
20 years of not being able to smile without you.
20 years of dancing closely, singing softly, and having the tunnel vision of love.
20 years of ever changing communication methods (letters, land line phone calls, cell phones, skype, email, texting, IM) all of which just make it easier to say, I love you!
20 years of partaking of a love written just for us.
20 years with 3 ever growing children creating more of a bond between us.
20 years and you still amaze me.
20 years and we still mark each month's anniversary (That's 240 for anyone keeping track. I know we are.)
20 years of Never gonna give you up, Never gonna let you down, Never gonna run around and desert you. (Yes, you have just been rickrolled)
20 years and it doesn't even compare to our parents and grandparents who set the original template of how to love.
20 years - not even remotely enough time.
At this point, it should go without saying that I love you, but I say it because you should hear it and know how true it is. We couldn't possibly have looked forward 20 years ago and seen where everything was going and where we'd be in the future, but even at that point, we pretty much knew whatever or wherever it was, we'd be together. So, once again, I loved you then, I love you now and I'm always going to love you.
Between now and then til I see you again I'll be loving you, Love me.
Tuesday, May 08, 2012
All We Need Is Just A Little Patience (cue whistling)
I am not a patient man. (Go ahead, I'll wait for the laughter to subside) Granted, having children has forced some patience, but it's not like it would be my choice of super power like Mr. Smith. Tonight Job would have looked at me and said, "Dude, I'm out. You win."
On Tuesday evenings, Terri works late and I have the children. I was working on a project at work. I look up, it's 4:15. I look down and up again, it's 5:05 and I'm supposed to be out the door to get the kids. I shut down and throw everything in my bag intending to finish at home. As I'm walking toward the door to the car it begins to rain sheets of rain sideways. Figuring I'm heading home, I just walk outside and cross the lot to my car. By the time I close the door, I'm mostly soaked. My hair is dripping and my glasses need their own wipers. I pull out of the parking lot and head toward home and within 3 minutes the sun is shining and there's not a drop of water coming down.
As I pull up toward the house the radio reminds me that we're well into May and Mother's Day is this weekend. May is notoriously busy in our family to begin with. Mother's Day for 3 mothers and birthdays for my brother-in-law, father-in-law, Gage and Parker.
So I think, I'll grab the kids and run a few errands and maybe pick up a gift or two. The kids get ready fine, we're in the car for two minutes and two out of three are asleep. This wouldn't normally be an issue except that I planned on everyone walking when we arrived at the store. No strollers in the car. We get to the first store and I gently wake everyone up. That is like flipping the switch in my daughter. She went from sweet to, um, not-so-sweet in less than a second.
After calming her down we get into the store. I find the section I'm looking for and proceed to start comparison shopping. Then comes the bathroom announcement. So everyone gets gathered up and we head to the bathroom. We get back to the first section and there are no salespeople anywhere in sight. After a trek through two other sections, we finally locate one who says she is knowledgeable about the product I'm looking at. But, she's busy and she'll get there shortly. Over 12 minutes later she finally shows up.
By this time keeping the kids contained at all is almost hopeless. And, of course, she wants to socialize with them. Because, as she explains 4 times over the course of a two minute conversation, she's a retired kindergarten teacher who loves kids. Apparently she does not love sales commissions. I ask again for her to explain the differences between the levels of the three products and she proceeds to read the three little signs posted up in front of the products. Because apparently I couldn't do that myself?
Finally I give up on making an informed decision and do a quick cash to bells and whistles ratio and make a choice. She punches a bunch of information into her iPad and says they have 3 in stock. She rings me up, all the while still trying to engage with the kids. Then she tells me I have to drive around to merchandise pickup.
So, all three kids get herded toward the door, where it proceeds to rain again on the way to the car. Not as bad, but enough that all I hear from Parker is, "it's raining dad, it's raining dad, it's raining dad" over and over and over. I drive 20 seconds around the building and unload all three kids again. We get inside and the three kids run straight over to a vending machine and start pushing buttons. I hand the receipt to the runner and he punches in the code and their little clock starts ticking.
I see the sign on the door saying that 100% of the people who picked up merchandise yesterday had their transaction completed in under 5 minutes. I watch the clock while trying to minimize hurricane children and it stops at 48 seconds. Great, that means my item is headed out the door. 1 minute goes by, 2 minutes, 3 minutes. Finally after 6 1/2 minutes the runner and two other young kids come through the door to tell me that they actually have none of my item in stock and the cashier made a mistake and I should take this return slip and head back to the cashier to either return or exchange the item I never had to begin with. So much for service under 5 minutes.
I look at this kid while Parker tries to flip himself out of my arms and Kiara opens and closes the automatic door. Calmly I ask if there is some way that she can come to me so that I don't have to get the kids in and out of the car again. He says, "Sure, no problem. I'll go get her." Cue another 5 minute waiting period. She comes through the stockroom and Gage looks up and says, "Ugh, you again." After having him apologize, her reply was, "Everyone makes mistakes." Now, at this point, I've been stuck in this tiny room with no air conditioning for close to 20 minutes. In my head I can see my arm raising quickly and backhanding this woman so I turn and pick up Parker and just quietly say, "I'd like to return this." Now I'm down an hour and I've got nothing to show for it. At this point all 3 kids start the hunger complaint.
Across the street I've got a Denny's and a Wendy's. Knowing they haven't even remotely had behavior good enough for kid's meal toys, I opt for Denny's. We get seated and the waitress asks for our drink order. The kids attempt to order smoothies (in flavors they won't even drink) and she writes it down. What type of waitress looks to a 3 year old to order her own food? I correct the order to chocolate milk and she goes to get the drinks. I attempt to get Parker strapped into the high chair (which I liken to Sirius Black's description in Potter 3...It's like trying to catch smoke with your bare hands). Before he's even seated she's back with the drinks asking if we're ready.
At this point, both Gage and Kiara start chattering about what they want and again, she's writing it down. I quickly ask for a minute and get the kids menu. Gage actually knew what he wanted, pancakes, bacon and yogurt. Not my choice, but if he's going to eat it, fine. Kiara wants spaghetti and grapes. Again, fine. I decide on chocolate chip pancakes and grapes for Parker and she's back again. So I let Gage order his while I pick the first thing on my menu. To her credit, she did bring out the yogurt and grapes first so the kids had something to snack on. The yogurt came with this tiny cup of cut up strawberries and syrup. I'm guessing it was just a bit of ice cream topping to mix with the yogurt. Gage set it aside and proceeded to eat the yogurt.
As I'm getting Parker set with his grapes and chocolate milk the rest of the food arrives. The waitress sets down two full containers of maple syrup right in front of Parker. Has this woman never had a table with children before in her life? I'm quick enough to grab one, but he's got three fingers in the other one starting to tip it over before I catch it. So before I can eat, I need to get Parker's food ready and then clean up his mess.
At this point, Kiara has eaten half her grapes and three spaghetti noodles and she's full. Fine, no more food for the rest of the night. So she finishes the grapes. Gage actually eats all his dinner and goes back to the yogurt. Parker eats a few bites of the pancakes, rips through the bacon and the grapes and then tries to get Gage's yogurt. Gage, wanting to be a helpful big brother takes a spoonful to feed to Parker. Half of it ends up in his lap after he grabs the spoon. So now I'm cleaning up Parker again. During this fiasco Kiara manages to dump the strawberries onto the seat of the booth.
I quickly grab a stack of napkins and ask Gage to move. He leans forward. So, I pick him up off the seat and move him to the other side of the table and clean up her mess. I tell them that bedtime occurs as soon as we hit the door of the house. Then, I quickly start gulping down my food and Gage looks over and says, "Dad, we're sorry about all the bad behavior tonight."
I pause and look up ready to condemn that statement as a desperate attempt to get out of an early bedtime and realize that he's being aware of what has gone on and sincere in his apology. So I thank him for the apology and hustle everyone toward the door. Of course, everyone wants the kids menus, crayons and chocolate milk. So Gage and Kiara are juggling all of their stuff while I'm trying to get my wallet out of my pocket holding Parker and his milk. I pay the check, we get out the door and into the car to more rain, I might add.
We get home, I get the kids out of the car and get them onto the porch. I turn to lock the car and hear, "SPLAT!" Gage dropped his milk cup and split the side wide open. Of course, Parker tried to run right at it. So I have hold of his collar, two glasses of milk, my keys and Kiara jumps back away from the milk into my knee which immediately buckles. I set Parker down and line the kids up holding hands to minimize further damage while I unlock the door.
Needless to say we cut the bedtime routine down to under ten minutes. When I took my shoes off and laid back on my bed to decompress, I was so rigid I had to stand back up and stretch before I could fully enjoy laying down. All in all, complete and epic utter FAIL on the evening. Oh yeah, and Terri got caught up in a work emergency and won't be home on time. Joy.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
19 Years
19 years ago today, on a random Tuesday, we were sitting on Washington Street waiting for the red light to turn green on our way to a building that doesn't exist anymore when you decided to jump the gun and decided to ask if we were going to be exclusive. Even though I was irritated I didn't get to ask my way (12 minutes...you couldn't have waited 12 minutes?), of course I said yes and now here we are with 3 gorgeous children and a love that grows a little more each day.
19 Years
19 years.
19 years since that Tuesday night.
19 years that brought us to a place I wouldn't trade.
19 years of achieving whatever we put our minds to.
19 years of partners and friends.
19 years that would seem like 19 days without our three tangible expressions of love.
19 years where one touch has more meaning between us than anyone could ever guess.
19 years of proving everyone wrong.
19 years of shared travel.
19 years of loving you more than life.
19 years of never regretting a second.
19 years would mean our relationship can drive, vote and be drafted.
19 years of agreements, disagreements and compromises.
19 years of shared seasons.
19 years of battle changing robots...ok, not really, but we've got to save something for next year, right?
19 years of developing our own level of communication.
19 years of stolen glances.
19 years of viewing you through fresh eyes every day.
19 years haven't been nearly long enough.
I love you completely darling and I always will.
Between now and then til I see you again I'll be loving you, Love me
19 Years
19 years.
19 years since that Tuesday night.
19 years that brought us to a place I wouldn't trade.
19 years of achieving whatever we put our minds to.
19 years of partners and friends.
19 years that would seem like 19 days without our three tangible expressions of love.
19 years where one touch has more meaning between us than anyone could ever guess.
19 years of proving everyone wrong.
19 years of shared travel.
19 years of loving you more than life.
19 years of never regretting a second.
19 years would mean our relationship can drive, vote and be drafted.
19 years of agreements, disagreements and compromises.
19 years of shared seasons.
19 years of battle changing robots...ok, not really, but we've got to save something for next year, right?
19 years of developing our own level of communication.
19 years of stolen glances.
19 years of viewing you through fresh eyes every day.
19 years haven't been nearly long enough.
I love you completely darling and I always will.
Between now and then til I see you again I'll be loving you, Love me
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
18 Years
18 years
18 years of shared moments
18 years with everyone saying, "Are you freakin' kidding me? You've been together for 18 years?"
18 years with 3 gorgeous children
18 years defying expectations in our relationship
18 years watching the craziness of the world passing by while holding on to one another
18 years picking up bad habits from one another
18 years = almost 9 1/2 million minutes and each one feels both new and yet comfortable
18 years with 16 anniversary dinners at the same place (and almost the same dinner)
18 years of arguments, agreements, allusions and all our love
18 years with countless automobiles, apartments, collections, but our love staying strong and steady
18 years of watching everyone trying to fathom what we already know, love is all powerful
18 years having so many things become obsolete, but realizing that no matter what may come and go, our love is here to stay (and hopefully that cliche will go at some point)
18 years with my friend, my wife, my love
18 years with your heart next to mine
18 years with my temper and you're snoring (maybe it is a wonder why we're still together)
18 years of laughter far outweighing the tears
18 years never wondering, "what if"
18 years with one steady consistent presence, our love
I love you! We've seen a lot go by in our 18 years and I'm glad I get to experience it all with you. Just think, in another 18 years, we'll have seen all 3 of our children graduate from high school. At least, I hope so. Who knows what the future will bring, but whatever may come, I'll have you by my side to face it all with me.
Between now and then til I see you again I'll be loving you Love, me
18 years of shared moments
18 years with everyone saying, "Are you freakin' kidding me? You've been together for 18 years?"
18 years with 3 gorgeous children
18 years defying expectations in our relationship
18 years watching the craziness of the world passing by while holding on to one another
18 years picking up bad habits from one another
18 years = almost 9 1/2 million minutes and each one feels both new and yet comfortable
18 years with 16 anniversary dinners at the same place (and almost the same dinner)
18 years of arguments, agreements, allusions and all our love
18 years with countless automobiles, apartments, collections, but our love staying strong and steady
18 years of watching everyone trying to fathom what we already know, love is all powerful
18 years having so many things become obsolete, but realizing that no matter what may come and go, our love is here to stay (and hopefully that cliche will go at some point)
18 years with my friend, my wife, my love
18 years with your heart next to mine
18 years with my temper and you're snoring (maybe it is a wonder why we're still together)
18 years of laughter far outweighing the tears
18 years never wondering, "what if"
18 years with one steady consistent presence, our love
I love you! We've seen a lot go by in our 18 years and I'm glad I get to experience it all with you. Just think, in another 18 years, we'll have seen all 3 of our children graduate from high school. At least, I hope so. Who knows what the future will bring, but whatever may come, I'll have you by my side to face it all with me.
Between now and then til I see you again I'll be loving you Love, me
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
17 Years
17 Years
17 years side by side
17 years never once second guessing my decision
17 years grounded in a life of love
17 years of a relationship between Stanley Cups
17 years living around the city we've chosen as home
17 years of making new friends while keeping old friends
17 years playing together
17 years of pictures of our lives
17 years now with two beautiful children (and counting?)
17 years pretending our respective families aren't crazy, but knowing that they really are
17 years wondering how two people seemingly so incompatible on the surface can fit so perfectly
17 years of shorthand relationship notes
17 years of aging and changing...for the better
17 years of watching the world change around us, knowing in our hearts our love will never change
17 years of secrets only we'll ever know
17 years and yes, you are still the one
17 years knowing I could spend 17 lifetimes with you
For 17 years we've watched the world go by safe and secure in the knowledge that whatever else was going on, it wasn't going to touch us. Our foundation has only strengthened over those years and will continue to do so for the next 17 years and beyond.
I love you more today than I ever thought was possible 17 years ago, but now I know that our love knows no bounds.
Between now and then til I see you again I'll be loving you Love, me
17 years side by side
17 years never once second guessing my decision
17 years grounded in a life of love
17 years of a relationship between Stanley Cups
17 years living around the city we've chosen as home
17 years of making new friends while keeping old friends
17 years playing together
17 years of pictures of our lives
17 years now with two beautiful children (and counting?)
17 years pretending our respective families aren't crazy, but knowing that they really are
17 years wondering how two people seemingly so incompatible on the surface can fit so perfectly
17 years of shorthand relationship notes
17 years of aging and changing...for the better
17 years of watching the world change around us, knowing in our hearts our love will never change
17 years of secrets only we'll ever know
17 years and yes, you are still the one
17 years knowing I could spend 17 lifetimes with you
For 17 years we've watched the world go by safe and secure in the knowledge that whatever else was going on, it wasn't going to touch us. Our foundation has only strengthened over those years and will continue to do so for the next 17 years and beyond.
I love you more today than I ever thought was possible 17 years ago, but now I know that our love knows no bounds.
Between now and then til I see you again I'll be loving you Love, me
Monday, September 29, 2008
16 Years
16 years
16 years of intertwined hearts
16 years of changing technology but unchanging love
16 years building a loving family
16 years working toward a long and prosperous future
16 years of shared stories and events
16 years of stolen moments
16 years of holidays
16 years means 5,840 days together
16 years that can't be erased (nor should they be)
16 years of arbitrary twisting and turning in sync
16 years means our relationship can drive
16 years of sharing everything possible
16 years of wondering why you'd stick with me
16 years of gratefulness that you have
16 years feels more like 16 minutes
To us, my love.
She glided softly down the stairs, only a slight whisper of material and a small click of heel on stair to announce her presence. He glanced up feeling the familiar rush at seeing her, undimmed by the passing years. At the bottom of the stairs he held out his arm, they headed down the hallway to the foyer where he casually draped a wrap over her shoulders. He opened the door and she smiled as she saw the driver holding open the door to a classic Bentley. "And where are we headed?" she asked. "Somewhere special." he answered quickly. He gently closed her door and nodded to the driver, "No reason to hurry. We have plenty of time prior to the reservations." "Very good sir."
He climbed into the backseat and picked up her hand. "I love you!" he whispered. "I know." she answered smiling slightly. As the car headed toward dinner they sat in a comfortable silence enjoying the time. When they pulled up in front of the restaurant she kissed his cheek and said, "I can't believe you remembered." "It's only been 16 years, hon." he answered. "To some, 16 years is a lifetime." "Yes, but to me, it's only a small step at the beginning."
I love you!
Between now and then til I see you again, I'll be loving you. Love, me
16 years of intertwined hearts
16 years of changing technology but unchanging love
16 years building a loving family
16 years working toward a long and prosperous future
16 years of shared stories and events
16 years of stolen moments
16 years of holidays
16 years means 5,840 days together
16 years that can't be erased (nor should they be)
16 years of arbitrary twisting and turning in sync
16 years means our relationship can drive
16 years of sharing everything possible
16 years of wondering why you'd stick with me
16 years of gratefulness that you have
16 years feels more like 16 minutes
To us, my love.
She glided softly down the stairs, only a slight whisper of material and a small click of heel on stair to announce her presence. He glanced up feeling the familiar rush at seeing her, undimmed by the passing years. At the bottom of the stairs he held out his arm, they headed down the hallway to the foyer where he casually draped a wrap over her shoulders. He opened the door and she smiled as she saw the driver holding open the door to a classic Bentley. "And where are we headed?" she asked. "Somewhere special." he answered quickly. He gently closed her door and nodded to the driver, "No reason to hurry. We have plenty of time prior to the reservations." "Very good sir."
He climbed into the backseat and picked up her hand. "I love you!" he whispered. "I know." she answered smiling slightly. As the car headed toward dinner they sat in a comfortable silence enjoying the time. When they pulled up in front of the restaurant she kissed his cheek and said, "I can't believe you remembered." "It's only been 16 years, hon." he answered. "To some, 16 years is a lifetime." "Yes, but to me, it's only a small step at the beginning."
I love you!
Between now and then til I see you again, I'll be loving you. Love, me
Friday, May 23, 2008
Twelve Down Four To Go
Ottawa - check
New York - check
Philadelphia - check and double-check.
Detroit - Here we come.
I'm already weary of the time between series. I want to see hockey and I will tomorrow night. I'm tired of listening to the broadcasters talk about the precision, the puck-possession, and the shut-down defense of Detroit. Detroit's about to get a taste of what depth looks like on offense. Of the forwards only Tyler Kennedy hasn't scored at least one goal for the Pens and it isn't for lack of trying. The Pens aren't going to have the easiest time in the series, but I say they close it out in 6 on home ice in front of 17,132 screaming fans.
New York - check
Philadelphia - check and double-check.
Detroit - Here we come.
I'm already weary of the time between series. I want to see hockey and I will tomorrow night. I'm tired of listening to the broadcasters talk about the precision, the puck-possession, and the shut-down defense of Detroit. Detroit's about to get a taste of what depth looks like on offense. Of the forwards only Tyler Kennedy hasn't scored at least one goal for the Pens and it isn't for lack of trying. The Pens aren't going to have the easiest time in the series, but I say they close it out in 6 on home ice in front of 17,132 screaming fans.
Thursday, May 08, 2008
When The Puck Drops, The Cradle (Of Liberty, That Is) Will Fall
Bye Bye New York. Tee times vary by clubhouse. Please call ahead. Don't worry about getting enough guys together for doubles, the Flyers will soon be joining you.
That's right, in 6 short games or less (hopefully less) the Flyers will be giving statements to the press wondering what happened to their season.
I'm also predicting that Dallas will push their series to 7 and come out over Detroit.
The four remaining teams are halfway to the ultimate goal, but only two will survive to keep going.
One of the local sports talkshows has a host (and I'd love to have this soundbyte) and he opens a lot of segements and goes to commercial break with "The only thing better than advancing to the Stanley Cup Finals is stepping over the dead carcass of Philadelphia on the way there."
And, of course, there are other things going on besides hockey, but I just haven't had the energy to log on recently in trying to get the house ready for baby and get Gage's birthday invitations out and getting stuff ready for Adam's wedding and etc. etc. etc. Everyone seems to be well so that's an update at least.
That's right, in 6 short games or less (hopefully less) the Flyers will be giving statements to the press wondering what happened to their season.
I'm also predicting that Dallas will push their series to 7 and come out over Detroit.
The four remaining teams are halfway to the ultimate goal, but only two will survive to keep going.
One of the local sports talkshows has a host (and I'd love to have this soundbyte) and he opens a lot of segements and goes to commercial break with "The only thing better than advancing to the Stanley Cup Finals is stepping over the dead carcass of Philadelphia on the way there."
And, of course, there are other things going on besides hockey, but I just haven't had the energy to log on recently in trying to get the house ready for baby and get Gage's birthday invitations out and getting stuff ready for Adam's wedding and etc. etc. etc. Everyone seems to be well so that's an update at least.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
I've Seen The Lights Go Out On Broadway, Or At Least I'm Gonna
Alternately titled: I'm Not In A New York State Of Mind
Or maybe: Running On Ice
(Can you tell Terri and I attended the Billy Joel concert Friday night?)
There's much in the way of past weekend wrap-up, but I'm a little too jumbled in those thoughts at the moment so here's the round 2 hockey action. I went 5 for 8, which is a little above my normal 50%.
And, in case anyone's forgotten, the remaining teams are 4 wins closer to holding this.
In the West
Detroit
vs.
Colorado
I'm disappointed that Nashville didn't make it out of the first round, but they shouldn't fret because Detroit won't make it out of the second. Once again, they're showing their age with visible wear and tear. Dominik, I'm retired, no I'm not, yes I am, no I'm not, Hasek is playing like he's already looking forward to summer forcing Osgood to come in and spell him. It's anyone's guess as to who starts round 2. Colorado, even with all their respective aged ones should be able to pull through this in 6 games.
San Jose
vs.
Dallas
It's a shame Calgary didn't make the most of game 7, but then again, no one I wanted won the game 7. I'm predicting that since Turco has a taste of what it's like to win a series, Dallas in 7.
In the East
Montreal
vs.
Philadelphia
Well, after taking their foot off the gas and allowing Boston to make a series of it, Philadelphia liked what they saw and did the same thing for Washington. Turns out Boston missed the memo on what they were supposed to do after getting everything all tied up. Washington made a bit more of a game out of it. Huet just couldn't catch that last one. Two very tied clubs, but I don't think Biron can stand up to Montreal's firepower. I'm saying Montreal in 5.
Pittsburgh
vs.
New York Rangers
Both teams are well rested so one team being rusty shouldn't be a factor. Neither team took major injury losses so that won't matter. And, even though the Rangers aren't quite Pittsburgh East anymore, they still have Jagr, Straka, and Rosival. All in all, it's going to be Pittsburgh in 6.
And, if you didn't get the title...see here and here.
Or maybe: Running On Ice
(Can you tell Terri and I attended the Billy Joel concert Friday night?)
There's much in the way of past weekend wrap-up, but I'm a little too jumbled in those thoughts at the moment so here's the round 2 hockey action. I went 5 for 8, which is a little above my normal 50%.
And, in case anyone's forgotten, the remaining teams are 4 wins closer to holding this.
In the West
Detroit
vs.
Colorado
I'm disappointed that Nashville didn't make it out of the first round, but they shouldn't fret because Detroit won't make it out of the second. Once again, they're showing their age with visible wear and tear. Dominik, I'm retired, no I'm not, yes I am, no I'm not, Hasek is playing like he's already looking forward to summer forcing Osgood to come in and spell him. It's anyone's guess as to who starts round 2. Colorado, even with all their respective aged ones should be able to pull through this in 6 games.
San Jose
vs.
Dallas
It's a shame Calgary didn't make the most of game 7, but then again, no one I wanted won the game 7. I'm predicting that since Turco has a taste of what it's like to win a series, Dallas in 7.
In the East
Montreal
vs.
Philadelphia
Well, after taking their foot off the gas and allowing Boston to make a series of it, Philadelphia liked what they saw and did the same thing for Washington. Turns out Boston missed the memo on what they were supposed to do after getting everything all tied up. Washington made a bit more of a game out of it. Huet just couldn't catch that last one. Two very tied clubs, but I don't think Biron can stand up to Montreal's firepower. I'm saying Montreal in 5.
Pittsburgh
vs.
New York Rangers
Both teams are well rested so one team being rusty shouldn't be a factor. Neither team took major injury losses so that won't matter. And, even though the Rangers aren't quite Pittsburgh East anymore, they still have Jagr, Straka, and Rosival. All in all, it's going to be Pittsburgh in 6.
And, if you didn't get the title...see here and here.
