Lori and I didn't get to celebrate our 24th wedding anniversary in the same city. I was in Dallas, and she was in Columbus. I was helping lead an ideation workshop for a restaurant client, and she was helping Jeff move into his fraternity. We called each other and said, "Happy Anniversary! We can celebrate when we are back in town." She gets back tomorrow after visiting with her family in Minnesota. While in Dallas, I got to catch up with an artist friend. We were in Africa together...he painted the mural for the kids. His name is Ro Diaz, and you have go to his website and check out his stuff. I dragged a work colleague to his studio, and then took him to dinner. He ended up giving us each a signed poster of a commemorative piece he did after 9/11 using molten glass from Ground Zero. Then he let me pick out an original painting for Lori for our anniversary. I had it framed yesterday, and Melanie and I hung it up as a surprise for Lori. No need to worry about her seeing it here...she never reads my blog! Ha! Here it is...it is called "Face". It is charcoal and oil paint that Ro dilutes with Linseed oil so it is more like watercolors in effect.
Everytime I go back and look at it, she looks different...Ro is amazing. He also signed a limited edition print that is also being framed. If you go to his website and search his portfolio of work, it is the one entitled, "Road to Batuna". It is beautiful.
24 years of marriage is humbling when I think about it. I can't believe that is is more than half my life, and I can't believe how quickly it has gone by. I am seriously on the back side of life. Jeff in college, Melanie looking at schools, me looking at retirement options, feeling the aches and pains of life, and measuring life's results v. life's expectations. Did I do what I wanted to do? Is there enough time to accomplish what I set out to do in life? Actually when I really look back, I had pretty low expectations for myself, and when I see the kids, I realize that I don't need to accomplish anything else. It would be nice to hit on this little start-up, but not a necessity.
I got to enjoy a few special moments with my kids these past few weeks. Jeff had his buddy Mark (guitar player and lead singer in their band) visit us in early Sept. They hit the Bumbershoot festival (indie music), and then we showed him around the beautiful Pacific NW. Then Jeff and I went to the UW/OSU game last Saturday with a friend of mine from Cincinnati and his daughter, whom Jeff met last year in the dorm. What a small world! They became friends not knowing that their dads were friends 15 years earlier. Earl got tickets to the game and flew out with his daughter Erika. I was the only unhappy one as the 3 of them got to enjoy a Buckeye pounding of my Huskies. It is hard when the Huskies had to play against the #1 defense AND the referees, but who's complaining?
Melanie and I have been enjoying the house to ourselves after Jeff and Lori took off for Columbus after the game. Mel took good care of herself for a couple of days while I was in Dallas. I have been on her to get her driver's license, but since she was gone during the summer (Europe), she didn't get much of a chance to practice. I think she is worried about parallel parking, so today I took her around town. We parked in every spot we came across that gave her a chance to parallel park. She did a good job. She will be the best parallel parker amongst her friends...trust me. So we have been cooking for each other, and chatting about life in general. I have been giving her advice about boys (believe it or not, she asked me). It has been fun just talking to her. We went to the Highline High football game last night, and were treated to a thriller as the Pirates pulled out a win with 32 seconds to go! Melanie plays in the band, and afterwards the group she hangs with asked her to go to Denny's late night...she got home late, at night.
Thanksgiving is approaching and I got the best news I could hope for...we will have visitors! Yay! I love cooking for a crowd! This year I will have an outlet to post my all-time favorite recipes for my Chestnut Stuffing and Double Bourbon Sweet Potatoes, so look for them in early November as you wonder, "what should I do this year for Thanksgiving?". My parents will be flying out from DC with my sister and her 3 girls. My brother, his lovely wife and 3 of the 4 kids are also coming. I am sure my aunt will feel compelled to visit, and I expect a single straggler or two from our extended network of friends. Lori is groaning from the expectation of a crowd, but I love it!
Personally, I have lots on my mind...but that will be for later posts. For now, all I can do is ask you all to keep me in your thoughts and prayers...big decisions coming up.
Chow!
