Fifteen Years of Bliss...or something!

Hard to believe that fifteen years ago to do I said "I do" to my husband.  Of course, we were headed for Hot August nights, and as far as I know, had no intention of getting married.  The engagement ring he gave me, in his words, could be considered a birthday gift or an engagement ring...my choice.  I wasn't sure which it was, so when his classic car broke down and we had to take my Honda to Reno, I guess he figured we should do something to make the trip worthwhile.

Dressed in jeans and t-shirts, we stood before a justice of the peace with a little old clerk as our witness.  The ceremony had no frills or extras, just the basic, "do you take so-and-so and I now pronounce you..."  We spent the remainder of the weekend walking through endless streams of parked classic cars and celebrated our sexless wedding night on a futon in his friend's living room.  Not the wedding I dreamed of, but the end result was the same.

Now remember, this is a man who can't form a romantic phrase.  He's also the same one who denies he ever told me  my thighs were larger than women he usually dated...and we all know that women never forget something that painful.  I have to stop and and think about most of what he says and decipher what he really means, but I give him the benefit of the doubt and generally decide in his favor.  He married me and that says he was either desperate or loved me.  I elect to choose the latter.  :)

I look back on the time that has whizzed by.  His hair has gotten thinner, my hips wider, and I'm still thankful I found him...at least most of the time.  Sometimes I understand why he was swimming around in the throw-back pond of life, but then I was there, too.  As finding second mates goes, I did a good job.  He's a keeper and treats me well.  I try to ignore the fact that he is bothered by tags on his shirts, unwashed new clothing, hair in his nose and the fact that he is the original bull moose.  Heavy-footed, clumsy, and never in danger of being mistaken for feminine, he's all mine.  I can't believe we've been together for sixteen years, and I take delight in the day his ex-wife commented, "I'm really bothered by the fact that Kelly found someone before I did."  Well, it's been a long time and she's still single, so I guess it's a good thing I didn't wait for her to find her soulmate.  I'm just glad I found mine.  I love you Kelly B.