NO WHINNING
This is my marriage:
Unfortunately, this is me whenever I drink enough to feel it:
(I found these GIFs last week, while hungover. I was looking for one that showed Nora ordering five martinis, then asking what hit her. It does not seem to be out there, which makes me sad.)
These are actual things I have said, to the last (only) three dudes* who told me they loved me. Poor Will must have been so surprised when he found out later what a smart-ass I am.
*Not including Sam.
Happy anniversary, Will. I love you.
Thank you for hearing my pleas to the universe and going to bed at a decent hour last night. That was very considerate of you and allowed your father and I to actually spend some time together when, for the first time in weeks, I was not panicking over a deadline.
HOWEVER.
For future reference, please know that it is generally understood that if you GO to bed, you ought to STAY in bed. Waking up two hours later, interrupting our Parks & Rec viewing enjoyment, and destroying the chance of any other type of, ahem, enjoyment, is just plain RUDE.
Love,
Mama
Seven years is wool. Since I already have enough wool to make a few sheep, Will gave me a shawl pin from Designs by Romi and I gave him a picture of the sweater I’m going to knit him. (Will is also buying me a set of Addi Clicks, but I was responsible for ordering them and I forgot. Oops.)
Ten years ago, give or take a week, I flew to Los Angeles on one of the first commercial flights post-9/11 to see my boyfriend and Slim Cessna’s Auto Club. Airport security was strange and frightening, and for the first time ever Will did not meet me at the gate, but in a remote parking lot they bused us to. He and I had only been un-broken-up for a couple of months, but I felt an intense sense of togetherness and was weary of the 2200 miles between Chicago and LA.
The Auto Club show was amazing. Will had never seen them before; I had seen them twice, which in no way diminished my enjoyment.
After the show, we said hi to the secondary front man, Munly. He recognized me and said, “What are you doing here?” I explained that I lived in Chicago, where we’d met before, and my boyfriend lived here.
“No,” he told me. “You can’t be so far apart.”
That was September, 2001. In March, 2002, I quit my job and flew to Los Angeles. In July I flew back to Chicago and packed all of my things into a truck. Will flew out to meet me and we drove the truck to LA. In September, 2003, we got engaged, and in October 2004 we were married. Now we have two children and we still love the Auto Club.
Last month, almost ten years to the day, we saw Slim Cessna’s Auto Club play for the first time since Munly told us to stop living apart. When we walked into the club, he and Slim were sitting at the bar. Munly stared at me. After the show, Will and I went over to buy their latest CD. Munly said he’d known we were there to see them, even though we’d arrived so early. I wanted to tell him the story I’ve just written down, but it was late and I was tired and although he’d recognized a kindred spirit when we’d walked in, he didn’t remember us from ten years ago.
But part of me thinks maybe he did. I should have told him.
W: Which one’s Claudio?
A: The one who’s supposed to marry Hero.
W: Denzel?
A: Robert Sean Leonard.
W: Oh. Claudio’s a dick.
A: Yup. You know who he reminds me of? Romeo.
(Heh. I just did a quick search to see if I ever posted about the Shakespeare house rule, and found this post in which I called Claudio a dick.)
(House rule, in brief: we do not talk about Shakespeare.)
When I met Will (13 years ago this week OMG), we were introduced to each other as “both liking movies.” Which is really the dumbest basis imaginable for pushing two people together, but since we still discuss movies on a regular basis obviously it worked.
One of the movies we discussed fairly early on was Much Ado About Nothing. It had come out just a couple of years earlier and we both loved it. Will quoted it at me: “Thou and I are too wise to woo peaceably.” Benedick says it to Beatrice, and while I liked the quote I had been unimpressed with their romance in the movie (I’ve read a lot of Shakespeare, but never that one, so my opinions were solely based on the movie). Even though I thought Claudio was a dick, I related more to Hero, the wronged lover, than to Beatrice, squabbling with her enemy-cum-lover (and yes I just saw what I did there oops). Their romance didn’t excite me at all.
Now? I think that line is just about the sexiest, most romantic thing anyone has ever said to me, I love Benedick and Beatrice (even though I still don’t relate to them exactly) and I can’t believe Will put up with my immature ass. (It was a really cute ass, though.)
I’m late in mentioning that Saturday was our six year wedding anniversary. Which means we are less than four months away from 13 years together.
Yeesh! How did THAT happen?
Six is the iron anniversary. Because we had to prove that we’ve been together forever, we secretly purchased each other coordinating gifts: I bought him a grill press
We also had dinner at our favorite Spanish restaurant (warning: site plays music), where we ate tapas (which is what was served at our reception). I had a bowl of amazing gazpacho and Will had the mixed grill plate o’ meat. We brought home dessert to share with K, and I have to say theirs is the best chocolate mousse ever.
Next year is the wool anniversary. I CAN’T WAIT.
Photo copyright © Diana Jeong October 16, 2004
Tonight! Will and I! Are going! On a date! I’M SO EXCITED!
I wish I owned tights. I’d like to wear a dress but we’re going on the Vespa.
After much debate of the pros and cons, we’ve decided to get a pitcher of Guinness rather than ordering a pint at a time. It’s economical.
Oh gosh, I should shave my legs!
