What Did We Do On Our Anniversary? Lots...Including The Laundry

A few months ago I was sitting in the green room of our local community theater chatting with cast members as we waited our entrance. A fellow actor was on her laptop checking out China.

"China, huh?" I said (of course, I might have said something different--its been a few months...).

"Yeah. I'm checking out where my husband and I want to go for our anniversary in November," she said. "We're thinking of going to a place neither of us have ever been to, so we're considering China."

"That sounds like fun," I said.

And it does.

It make me think of the anniversaries my wife and I have celebrated. Today is #26. We didn't go to China. We went to Red Lobster and then I had to go to work. In those twenty-six years my wife and I have traveled maybe twice and only once have we left the state to celebrate our anniversary. The time we did leave the state, we never went more than 2 miles from the state line.

And we're okay with that.

Years ago my wife and I decided to homeschool. What does that have to do with traveling for an anniversary? When you homeschool you usually can only have one income. I didn't realize, back when we made the decision, how it would impact us as a married couple. My income wouldn't send us to China. It barely sent us to Nevada.

Today my wife and I had a great day. We spent the morning and half the afternoon together. We had a delicious lunch and we did laundry. I put in seven hours of work and now the last embers of the fire that was September 22 are dying out. 

Twenty-six years. It's been amazing, and I'm so glad she said, "yes."

What I Didn't Do This Weekend...

I can't remember the last time when I didn't watch at least one college basketball game during the first round of the NCAA National Basketball Tournament. Sure, I have my favorites, usually local teams that have earned the right to compete. The locals fell short of the Big Dance, and bowed out early in the not-so-big-dances.

On a normal Thursday through Saturday late in March I would be at least watching a game or two, usually with my computer plunking out something on a story. This year, I've only checked scores--no games. It was because I was preoccupied with another event in town, one that took so much time and energy. The event's over, and I am as tired as I can be.

Like almost everyone who works during the week, I look forward to weekends. We do grocery shopping, get the laundry done, take kids to the places they need to go. Didn't do any of those things either. It throws things off, messes up the schedule. But is that bad? I suppose it could be. I like having several days to get all those things done. I like helping out with the dishes and the shopping and the laundry.

As our kids have gotten older, I thought things would slow down, but jut the opposite has happened. It could be that things are just as crazy and we're just getting old. After a weekend of standing on my feet talking to people about what they like to read sure makes me feel old.

After a "normal" weekend, I'd go to work early Monday morning a little sleepy, mostly because of the lack of sleep. Personally, I'll consider it a triumph if I can get out of bed tomorrow. Time will tell.