DRINKING ALCOHOL TAUGHT ME HOW TO FLY
THEN IT TOOK AWAY THE SKY

Thursday, May 28, 2009

DINNER(S)

DINNER ON SANIBEL--OURS AND HIS


DINNER

Today was Prayer-Girls and my 18th wedding anniversary. Years ago a counselor told me and either my second or third wife, that I was a "three-year" spouse. I never gave it much thought then, but after 18 years, well, I still haven't given much time to the predicted "three year" syndrome.

We drove the new small SUV to Sanibel Island, to a place called "Sanibel Cow". It is a restaurant, the kind which--midst very loud C & W music--sports signs on the wall, e.g., "Unattended Children Will Be Given A Double Espresso, and a FREE PUPPY!"

It is a place where I found out the rooms for "HEIFERS" and "BULLS" were NOT Hockey players' Locker Rooms.


Did I tell you the music was LOUD? Did you HEAR ME? I really truly LOVE Country Music (in lieu of my usual Bach or Beethoven or Dvorak or Mozart--all in my head) but I also enjoy knowing whether I'm still breathing--or not. Also, I wish to be aware if we have been hit by a suicide bomber or if the walls are shaking from quake-like vibrations of Reba McIntyre plus a two-thousand piece orchestra of guitars and basses.

My AA program of recovery has enabled me to sit uncomplainingly with cotton in my ears, as PG and I 'mangaied' on EXCELLENT Lobster Tails. A scrumptious dinner we enjoyed--yes, I broke that nasty, bad, old "fasting" thing after a couple weeks, and just added back five of the lost 15 pounds this evening...almost.

Whoever is reading this and does NOT have a GPS system in their vehicle, ya gotta get one. It is fabulous! I'm sitting here right now, still in awe over that technology. Of course, now I want--yes, really WANT!--an iPhone, or Blackberry or something similar...just GOTTA have it! Maybe someone out there who is upgrading has a "used" (called "nearly-new?") which they could format and sell?

"In five hundred feet, turn left, then get into the right lane for one hundred feet, then turn right..." (What a sweet-sounding voice!) "go straight ahead for thirteen miles..."

Driving home, we pulled back the roof door--well, it is an electrified sunroof--and sat in the cool breezes from the Gulf of Mexico. A Sea Gull passed directly over our sunroof--car moving--with a fine-looking fish dinner lodged in his beak. I mean we could have reached out and touched the bird--or could have stolen his 'catch'.

It is these brief moments in life which we cherish forever, and one day say, "Do you remember when....?" "Oh yes, that was back when we were......" "...And we were sober then, and are sober still..."


And Thursday morning I shall attend meetings at 7 and 8, and do yard work, and prepare some music stuff--read: practice violin! And I will do my best to stay sober and hope you will also.

Peace, and LOVE,
Steve E

22 comments:

Rainbow said...

happy anniversary!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

hugs - rainbow~

Just Be Real said...

Happy 18 Annivesary!!!!

Sanibel Cow, love the name!! I gather the music was loud....or did you already say that, I could not hear you?

A few months ago I was introduced to my first GPS system. Sometimes one can get really annoyed with the back talk that system can give you if you insist on going another way!!!

Amen Stevie.....thanks for sharing....

Shadow said...

you always manage to pull the good from every situation. happy anniversary!!! oh, and what's the 3-year syndrome???

Lou said...

My daughter just bought herself an iphone for her husband's birthday.(LOL..like mother, like daughter) She said once you have one there is no going back

Like blogging, I guess!

Happy Anniversary. Doesn't it feel good to prove those mental health professionals wrong.

steveroni said...

All you RAINBOW girls, stay with us!

LOU, yes, I believe even the mental health pros are in some cases, happy to be proven wrong.

SHADOW, Counselor said I was in a mentality that three years was a marriage limit. It was then time to "move on"...Hence(?) the 3-yr syndrome. It really just "gave me license" to move on.

JUST BE REAL...Sistah, WHAT DIDJA SAY? Can't hear you! ...About GPS, I rather enjoy having somone else in the car--helps to keep me awake

Jess Mistress of Mischief said...

My first two marriages lasted less than 2 years (in fact both were just shy of two) so I guess I 'had' a syndrome too, now I am almost to 3 and I love my husband more now than I did when I met him and was in full on twitterpated mode (thanks Disney for a whole new set of adjectives.)

I'm grateful to God for the marriage I have, and for the friends I'm surrounded by, and for the program of recovery that helps me to understand how to see by a Spiritual Light that I ignored for so long.

And, I have a "crackberry" which really is a great tool, and it has GPS installed in it, this terrific lady with a british accent tells me where to go :O) lol. It also has facebook installed on it and twitter, two other networks that work for the socialization of the world... that's social as in "hey there how are ya" not socialist (at least not socialist that I know of)...

Happy Anniversary!

Ed G. said...

Happy anniversary.

Like you, my wife and I survived our respective "itches" to leave and will have, God willing, 20 years together this fall. What an amazing demonstration of God's grace and the power of AA's wonderful program of recovery.

Blessings and aloha to you...

Banana Girl said...

Steveroni,
Careful there big boy...you may fall in love with that woman whose voice is in your car and then you will have proven your therapist correct, times 6. Happy Anniversary. I take comfort in the fact that I too am the third wife! hahaha J.

Akannie said...

Happy Anniversary, ya old softie. Yummm...lobster.....

When you and Anna get here, you can help Patrick and me celebrate our 17th!!! It's the same day as my AA anniversary, so I could remember it. lol I too, was a syndrome serial monogamist. About 2 and a half years...right between you and Sweet Jess. Funny how we can laugh about all that NOW...

Happy happy, to you and your blushing bride.

xxoxoxox

wolfie185 said...

Happy Anniversary!!! What's the biggie about country music, in Nebraska it is the background music of even the most upscale restaurants, hey nothing like a little Brad Paisley with your prime rib fresh off the hoof ;-D

GPS is for tractor's to make sure you get the rows straight not for cars and blackberries are imported to be eaten with fresh cream.

Enough corn humor. Thanks for a nice post and WOW 18 years maybe someday my soul mate will show up and 18 years later I will remember your post.

Scott

Sage Ravenwood said...

Happy Anniversary! (Hugs)Indigo

Gin said...

Happy Anniversary! Hope you have many more happy ones!

clean and crazy said...

wow, what a great evening, thanks for sharing these beautiful moments with us. Happy Anniversary, and by the way, you just got tagged.

Laura said...

Happy, Happy Anniversary to you both! Many more blessings are coming your way!

Anonymous said...

Happy Anniversary Steve. Yes, GPS is nice, but be careful, mine sent me off the expressway on to an alternate route through Columbus one time! (Not Fun) At the time I had never been in the area, so I figured that was the way to go. Always good to use a map as backup too. They are really good for finding restaurants,hotels,campgrounds and the like.

Mary Christine said...

Happy Anniversary.

I love my blackberry. And my iPod Touch. And I think some day I am going to end up with an iPhone. But for now I have a 2 year contract with Verizon, and can't get an iPhone.... I love gadgetry.

Oh, and my blackberry has GPS and my Touch has something else. I am overnavigated.

dAAve said...

GREAT!!

Kathy Lynne said...

Awww...Happy Anniversary!! xo

Syd said...

Steve, congrats to you and Mrs. PG. It seems you both have found each other as God intended. Sometimes it takes a while but all works out. Glad that you had a good dinner. And yes, I like my car and my boat GPS.

Lois said...

Happy Anniversary!
Blessings,
Lois

Judith said...

Happy Anniversary to you both!!!

Joanne@ Blessed... said...

I found you thru your wife's blog. Wow...two bloggers in the home. What a neat thing to share.

Maybe there's hope for my husband after all.