Still Married after all these years!

I'd like to change a lot of things about you that don't fit or just dont work.

But if I did then maybe the whole thing would be wrong.

This way only parts dont work. ~ Unknown~

I carried that poem in my pocket for many years. I believe I cut it out of Women's Day Magazine or Family Circle. The paper eventually fell into pieces but I still remember the poem (sorta). I want to say the author is Lois Weis. But I am not sure and I am not sure the words are even right but I did try. The sentiment is perfect!

So we had our usual two days off this week. Well not really, actually. I spent all day Wednesday in the shop doing tax paper work and even though I was technically closed I had quite a few customers come in to see me as well. So Wednesday was a busy day for us. Yesterday on the day of the week we normally get to stop and see a movie, we spent shopping at Home Depot for things here in the shop and at Cash and Carry for our usual supplies. So no movie this week (at least on our normal days) but maybe Sunday.

So we are revamping our menu. I am looking for names for some of our blended drinks that may have some relevance to Rockhoppers or Whidbey Island. One of our suggestions was a Clinton beach combers delight or a Coupeville Crumb or something like that. Any ideas would be appreciated. Maybe we could turn this into a contest too. I have some ideas for new recipes and hope to introduce these next month along with specials. So come check them out and our lunches beginning the first of March.

In the meantime, I have a story for you. This is the story of young love. Dan and I met in high school. Actually we first met when I was just starting high school. Dan was interested in a girl friend of mine and he wanted to date her. I was invited (actually ordered) to be the third wheel while he hung around us trying to get my girlfriend alone. I was a good third wheel and eventually he left us alone! A year later my family moved to Mount Spokane and when we did I met up with Dan on the bus. It took a while for us to remember where we knew each other from but after that we became friends. I spent a lot of time talking to Dan on the long ride home on the bus and after I broke up with my boyfriend I started dating Dan. We dated for four years before being married. What most of you dont know is that Dan and I were engaged for over 2 years prior to getting married and when we did get married it was only after setting three wedding dates, planning three weddings, buying the wedding dress, ordering the invitations, and arranging the location that we finally eloped.

Dan and I were married here on the island and after being married for one year went home to tell our families we were actually celebrating our first anniversary. Do not follow our example children! This does not make for happy families or good feelings. The reason for eloping is long and involved and somewhat tedious but lets just say our families dissaproved. As a matter of fact, my mom said she was glad I was going to live with Dan because then they would not have to deal with a divorce in the family!

My story is actually about our first anniversary. First of all, you can imagine the angst and downright terror that we were facing having to go tell our parents (finally) face to face. We were under so much stress that for 8 hours (that was the length of the drive to Spokane where our parents lived.)of driving we spent yelling at each other and threatening to go see the justice of the peace to get an anullment. Then our parents would not need to ever know we were married. Well, when we got to Spokane we were so stressed and exhausted that telling our parents was a relief. The first person we told was Dan's mom. She actually took it pretty well. There was no celebrating but she did OK. Then we told my mother. Except for the puckering around the mouth she took in everything and decided that we needed to celebrate with a formal dinner... "would tomorrow be ok for us?" We could go to the restaraunt on the mountain.

Now the restaraunt on the mountain was my favorite. They had singing waiters and the view was wonderful and the food was terrific so I was convinced it would be a wonderful night. Dan's mother was invited as was his father however his dad could not make it. I should have known that this was not going to go well. My mom and Dan's mom are kind of the makeup of Chernobyl. But I was optomistic and well it was our anniversary.

The day of the dinner was beautiful and Dan took the opportunity to change the oil in our brand new Pontiac Firebird. It was sunny and we were happy and well there were a few things that came up and it made us a little late getting ready to go to the restaraunt but I called them and told them we would be a little late. I was unable to tell my mom as she was not home but I did inform the restaraunt and asked them to let her know.

We arrived at the restaraunt at 6:30PM. We were a half hour late but that was okay since everyone knew. We parked the car and since the parking lot was mostly empty we took up three spots. Car was new...didnt want dings...we were feeling froggy and well we were happy. The manager wasn't! He came out of the restaraunt spoiling for a fight! "You cannot park there!! MOVE YOUR CAR!!" Dan jokingly said " Well we would but there doesnt seem to be as good of a parking spot as the one we got!" The manager did not see anything funny about this statement and promptly asked Dan if he wanted to get into a fist fight or if he would just move his DAMN car. I could not believe anyone would be that way over some parking spaces especially when the entire parking lot was almost completely empty. Dan did not want to spoil the evening so he moved the car and we thought the incident was over.

Upon getting to our dinner we found a somewhat upset mom (mine) who had had one to many Manhattans and had had to spend the time we werent there socializing with Dan's mom. Turned out the restaraunt had not relayed the message about us being late at all. Mom was not pleased. So we did some stilted small talk and then we all ordered dinner. It was a very nice dinner and everyone enjoyed it except Dan's mom. She felt the potatoes were overdone and she would have enjoyed eating the potato but for the hard spot on the bottom of the potato. When the waiter came to ask about the dinner Dan spoke up for his mom. The waiter apologized and said he would let the cook know and this was fine for us, but the manager grabbed up the plate upon hearing Dan's complaint and within 5 minutes delivered an entirely full new plate of food for Dan's mom. We were all a little flabbergasted because we had all finished eating and our plates were empty except for the bottom portion of the baked potato on Dan's mother's plate. When Dan's mom said she didnt want the food since she was done eating the manager again grabbed the plate and whoosh it was gone into the kitchen. Now keep in mind this was done very beligerently and with NO panache` and well it was intended to just plain be rude! Dan was pissed, I was pissed but my mother WAS LIVID!!! She charged into the kitchen and proceeded to address the manager's attitude with her sharp half drunken wit and when she was done he was virtually flayed alive! He came back to see us later and apologized and brought free desserts for everyone. Dan and I finished up the evening by going to a park where there were fireworks and drinking a bottle of champagne. We should have stayed home and drank the champagne and celebrated the start of a wonderful marriage... But then maybe the whole thing would not have worked. Incidentally we have been married for 28 years now and will celebrate our 29th year in August.

Married and living on Whidbey Island.