I guess I could start digging right now...

July 27, 2011

For those of you keeping score at home, July 27, 2011 is the 20th anniversary of the Beth and Steve nuptials.  We also got married that day.  Har dee har.  20 years together.  While no one said out loud that they did not think it would last, I gotta believe that many people out there thought Beth would someday come to her senses.  I am happy to report that Beth has not yet become sensicle.

What big plans do we have for our anniversary?  Not much really.  I have to work and Wednesdays at work sometimes turn into 11 hour days.  CJ has band camp until 9pm, so he is out of the picture should we choose to renew our vows.  Our church is having their monthly last Wednesday service, and I know Beth would like to go, so that may be our big outing.

Whenever I mention to people that is my wedding anniversary, they always want to know what gift I am giving Beth.  It is usually women asking, so the expectation is high that it be something like jewelry, perfume, or a pony.  I usually disappoint since I choose not to lie.  Being truthful does not mean I say her gift is being married to me, but it also means that I do not easily get away with the "nothing special" response.

Therefore, I have looked up some online help for what the best gift to give Beth for the best 20 years of my life.  Here are the suggestions:

Traditional gift, China.  That is a long drive and I have to work on Thursday, so China is out.

Modern gift, Platinum.  The atomic number of Platinum is 78 and the music in 1978 was not good for me.  Night Fever by the Bee Gees was the number one single of the year and I am still trying to get over being sick.  Plus, Olivia Newton John-my first celebrity crush-sang with John Travolta and I cannot revisit that disappointing time in my life.

Gemstone, Emerald.  I like his cooking, but the whole "Bam!" thing is annoying.

As I look at some of the suggestions on how to throw a 20th anniversary party, I wonder if Beth would have rather had a husband prone to more romance and/or surprises.  I think I know her well enough by now that I would guess not, but I am not taking any chances if I am wrong. 

Therefore, do not tell Beth, but here are my big plans for tomorrow:

First, I will leave work early since I rarely ever do that for her.

Second, I will pick up some Chinese food.

Third, I will download Three Times a Lady by the Commodores and Kiss You All Over by Exile onto my IPod so we can each have an ear bud to listen to while we eat.  That should really set the mood, no?

Finally, I will rent the top movie of 1991 (the year we got married for all of you who did not follow the math), The Silence of the Lambs.  Perfect date movie.  Also the punch line to one of the better You May be a Redneck jokes. 

I guess it is a better movie choice than the first movie Beth and I went to see together on a date, Fatal Attraction.

So Beth will be sufficiently wooed you think?  I think so too.  I know you are all way jealous right now, but I assure you I am all Beth's.  Not available am I.  (You saw what happened to the rabbit, right?)

So tomorrow should be the culmination of 20 awesome years together.  I love Beth today even more than I did back then.  She is beautiful, funny, smart, and a great mom.  She is my best friend and the best wife a man could ask for.  I will forever be grateful for the grace God has shown by helping a schmuck like me land such an incredible woman. 

Plus, she is outside cutting the grass right now since I have typed this Tuesday night, so how can anyone argue that I have married well.  I think Beth will be getting the extra egg roll tomorrow.  I know, right!  Lucky woman.

Looks like trouble!!

This a picture of CJ and his Great Aunt Rhetta. She is a retired Sister of Charity and is in her nineties. She looks great, doesn't she? She is as sweet as she is cute.
CJ has had the good fortune of being a mutt of the family. He has gotten all the good parts. I have discussed this in previous posts, so we will jump forward to today.

September 25, 2009

Today is the 22nd anniversary of when Beth and I had our first date. Beth has now known me longer than she didn't know me. She was 21 when we started dating. She says she would not change a thing, and neither would I. All the places we went on our first date or that were involved in the beginnings of our relationship are gone-McAlpins, Garcia's restaurant, Barlycorns bar, and the apartment pool where Beth and I would hang out and drink Busch Light. However, we have outlasted all these places and hope to go at least another 22 years.

Speaking of trouble, CJ was disciplined today for the 4thish time in his 12 year life span. Beth took away PS3 privileges for the entire day today when he woke me up by using his blue tooth at 6:30am. I worked late last night and did not get home until midnight, and did not get to bed until 1:30am (suddenly I have a Call of Duty addiction). Beth was hoping to give CJ a memorable enough punishment that he would remember to respect sleep next time. I think it will work.

Today was not without some fun for all though. CJ has a band thing tonight and will be playing with his class before the football game. He is practising as I type, and no, I am not sad that he chose drums. He sounds great and I feel like marching right now. It is hard to type with this head bob going right now. I am so HIP. So we needed to get him some jeans as he has grown since last winter and wears mostly track pants. A mom at work calls her son's track pants "swishy pants", so you get the idea of what kind they are. Her son wears little else (even though he attends a Catholic school, hmm), and when she tried to put him in khakis for class picture day, he complained that his boys couldn't breathe. I like track pants too, for this reason mostly. So, we shopped for jeans, and 12 pair of try ons later, have a winner. (I accidentally typed winer, which is actually closer to the truth when boys are trying on clothes-whiner).

We then went to Target to deliver some goodies for the United Way bake sale. I did not realize that it was a baking contest, so my cookies from Fresh Market should have been on a plate and not in the box still. I would have felt bad winning though. But since we were there, CJ and I had to do some sampling to help decide the winner. Number 2-the Mountain Dew sauce cake-was our favorite. After 4 samples, one of which was Mountain Dew laced, we were ready for some more shopping. Whoooo, bring it on!

After Target, we did Chipotle for lunch. CJ has not had a bad day away from his PS3. I hope we haven't reinforced the behavior that when you wake dad up early in the morning, you get lots of desserts and Chipotle. During those PMS days, Beth may be waking me up early just to get some...Chipotle.

Anyway, we have to go to the football game soon, I will let you know how it goes. I once thought I would be going to football games to watch my son play football, not be in the band. As it turns out, I am more excited to see him out there with the drum line than I would have been seeing him on the Offensive line. BEE BOP with me now...pah pah pow, bom bom bow....come on, you know it....

Until someone takes away my pah pah pow...