Posts Tagged ‘food’

Day 92 and Counting…Food, Wine, and an MRI

Posted: December 3, 2012 in Love and Marriage
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Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Had my MRI yesterday. Now we wait for the results. Depending on what it shows, it could either mean surgery or rehab. I just want to get it fixed, so I can do the things I want to be able to do. I don’t want surgery, but I do want to get better.

After the marathon, I thought Ceecee would be really wiped. I also thought she’d be ravenously hungry. Turned out neither was true, which was both good and bad. I’ll explain.

I don’t know if I’ve ever mentioned it in this blog, but I’ve been a wine columnist and freelance food and wine writer since 2004. The wire service that used to run my weekly wine column succumbed to the poor economy and the general demise of print media two years ago, so I’ve just been doing some local stuff and freelancing ever since.

There are a couple of local publications that have me doing fairly regular stories, and this past weekend was one of them. Ozarks Public Television has a big yearly event here that I cover as a wine writer, and this year, I got my editor to agree to let Ceecee go also as a food writer, since she’s been to culinary school and used to cook in a big resort near Branson.

On Friday night, they had a dinner at one of the better restaurants in town. Then, on Sunday afternoon, they had their big food and wine celebration at a convention center downtown. This was the same day as the marathon, so we left there around noon and the food and wine event was to run from 2-5 pm. I figured that Ceecee would either be dead on her feet and wouldn’t enjoy it, or she would be starving and would eat and drink everything.

In the end, she was neither, but we enjoyed the event. I was glad for Ceecee to get to be there and share in the food and drink. Now she’s cooking at the loft and playing Jack Johnson on the stereo. Tonight we’re watching “Julie and Julia,” one of our favorite food movies.

Day 75 and Counting… A Beautiful Tennessee Fall Day

Posted: November 19, 2012 in Love and Marriage
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Saturday, October 23, 2010

Tennessee is so beautiful at this time of year. Ceecee and I brought our bikes and took a ride through the country near my in-laws’ house this morning. The scenery was spectacular and, at one point, we rode through a shower of leaves falling from the trees alongside the road. My knee can handle cycling, just not running at this point. When we get back to Springfield, I’ll have to find a doctor and find out what’s going on, but for now, I’m thankful to be able to ride.

We made our third visit this week to an Old Chicago restaurant today. They have a club called the World Beer Tour, and you get a card that keeps track of all your purchases. There are incentives and prizes you can win and they have what they call mini-tours throughout the year. Some are holiday themed, while others revolve around major events.

Currently, they are holding the Halloween mini-tour. Normally, we don’t spend this much money on beer, but you get a free t-shirt if you complete the tour and I really wanted the shirt. We only needed one more visit, and there was an Old Chicago just minutes from my in-laws” house, so we went for lunch today.

Now remember, we’re in Tennessee for a football game, and I’m a fan of the “other team,” so I got into talking smack with our waiter, who good-naturedly gave it right back. Our last beer to complete the tour was the “manager’s choice,” so we didn’t get to order it. We just had to take whatever it was. My wife got a really cool craft beer from New England, while I got something awful in a brown paper bag. I’m pretty sure it wasn’t the manager’s, but rather our Tennessee Titans fan server’s choice. Ceecee and I laughed over me “taking one for the team” and drinking it anyway.

It’s so wonderful to have found this new peace and to have rediscovered the fun in our relationship. There were so many years of tension and never knowing when one of us was going to say or do the wrong thing and the downward spiral was going to start again. The laughter had been missing for so long. I clearly remember one day very shortly before we separated when my wife asked me if I was happy and I told her honestly that I was no longer sure I even understood the concept. Looking back, I understand why she came to believe that she needed to leave. Now, I can’t be more thankful that I not only have another chance, but that we’ve both been so transformed and that we can make our future so much different from our past.

Day 68 and Counting… The Day Before The 10K

Posted: November 9, 2012 in Love and Marriage
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Saturday, October 16, 2010

Beautiful day in St. Louis today. Got here in the morning and went straight to Soulard’s, a huge farmer’s market down by the river in the French district. They serve jello shots, which in and of itself makes it probably the world’s coolest farmer’s market. Of course we went to the zoo and visited the penguins and had lunch on the Hill. The weather has been perfect, and the day has been relaxing and fun. The only thing we had to do today was pick up our race packets and shirts, but we drove up this morning so we could spend the day doing our usual “day in St. Louis” things.

We ate a long leisurely lunch outside at Guido’s and I couldn’t help thinking of the day back in July when we sat at the same table with my daughter and the tide had really begun to turn for us. That day, I was facing the fear of never being able to work things out and the upcoming school year looming before us. Today, we were as relaxed and happy as two people could be and we just basked in the spirit of love and celebration.

In the afternoon, we picked up our race packets and t-shirts. Of course, we’ll be wearing our costumes during the race. We’re staying at a Drury Inn and they have free food and drinks in the evening, so we decided to go for it. Being foodies, it was a pretty funny experience. They had hot dogs and chips, Bud Light (which was ghastly), and a lot of stuff that we normally never eat. Then we spent some time in the hot tub and indoor pool. After a while, we got overrun with kids and my wife offended somebody by calling the kids critters, but we didn’t care. It was all in fun.

Day 64 and Counting… Party Crashing!

Posted: November 5, 2012 in Love and Marriage
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Saturday, October 9, 2010

One of my wife’s best friends is in town today and they are spending some time together. Last night was totally unexpected and really funny and amazing.

A guy who teaches in the school where we work is in an 80’s cover band and they were playing at an outdoor party outside the Bistro Market, our downtown grocery store. We thought we’d go check it out when I got home from Macy’s, so we walked down there about 10:00.

There was a big tent set up out in the parking lot, and we could hear the band, but couldn’t tell where they were. We saw two guys taking stuff into the tent, so I went up and asked them if we could go through there to get to where the band was. They said to go ahead, so we did.

Inside the tent, there were all kinds of tables of food and drinks. We went on through and they had a stage and a dance floor set up outside on the other side of the tent. We watched the band for a little bit and kept seeing people going in and out of the tent and carrying drinks and plates of food, so I went to check it out.

I went up to a counter where a guy was making all kinds of drinks and asked him what was going on. He said to help myself to whatever I wanted, so I took a drink for me and one for Ceecee, along with some finger foods. A little while later, I went to go back in and a guy at the door stopped me and asked me if I had a lanyard. I didn’t know what he was talking about and he told me the tent was VIP’s only.

I went back and told Ceecee that apparently I wasn’t supposed to have gone in there before. The band took a break and we went over to talk to our friend and we told him what had happened. He said, “Do you need a lanyard? Take mine,” and just handed his to me. When they started playing again, I went back in the tent with the lanyard and got a plateful of food and two glasses of wine.

I’ve never been one to dance, and Ceecee and I have never danced anywhere in our entire marriage, even though I know she used to go clubbing when she was younger. Somehow, she got me out on the dance floor, though. She was amazing, how she moved out there, even after so many years. I felt a little awkward, but just went with it and did the best I could. We ended up staying and dancing until around 1 AM.

The next morning, I walked to the bistro to get something and saw that there was a sign left over from last night that said there was a $10 cover charge for people who didn’t have VIP passes. So we had just walked in for free and ended up with a VIP pass (in someone else’s name) and didn’t pay a thing for the whole night. We hadn’t intended to crash the party, but that was exactly what we did!

Day 52 and Counting…Booking Our Chicago Holiday Trip

Posted: October 24, 2012 in Love and Marriage
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Monday, September 27, 2010

We booked our room for Chicago today. It’s a place we love to go ever since we found out they have a Christkindl market there over the holidays. My wife grew up in Germany (yes, her Dad was in the army) and had always told me that her favorite memory was of an outdoor Christmas market that they would go to where there was food, ornaments, and the like. She has always said how much she wants to take me to Germany some time so I can see it.

Back in the early 2000’s, she found out that they bring a market to downtown Chicago from Thanksgiving through Christmas Eve. We went in 2003 for the first time and I’ll never forget the look on her face when we first walked up. She said the sights and smells were just like she remembered. I took a picture of her that I had made into an 8×10 and it’s still my favorite picture of her to this day.

Since then, we’ve gone several times, usually over Thanksgiving break from school. Once, we went to the Thanksgiving Day parade and we’re going to do that again this year. We’ll be staying right off Michigan avenue, just a block from the start of the parade route.

Day 40 and Counting…Racing a Storm

Posted: October 13, 2012 in Love and Marriage
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Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Today, we rode our bikes to work and on the way home, we could see a storm approaching right where we were heading. We raced it, and right as we were reaching downtown, it hit.

I almost got blown over by a powerful wind gust and we were still trying to get to the loft when the rain started. We were right on the corner where our favorite cupcake place is, so we went for it and dashed inside. After the storm, we went home and Ceecee made Italian wedding soup!

Day 14 and Counting…

Posted: September 27, 2012 in Love and Marriage
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Friday, August 20, 2010

Well, it seems I was right. The last 2 days, Ceecee has written loving things about me on her Facebook. We had our Einstein Bros. Bagel Friday this morning on the way to work and we went for cupcakes and cheesesteaks downtown this evening. Life is good!

Day T-14 and Counting…

Posted: August 23, 2012 in Love and Marriage
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Friday, July 23, 2010

Went to GNC last night and bought some supplements. Then I had a brilliant idea. Back when we used to live in Dodge City, there were a couple of things we really loved that you can only get in the Mexican stores. One is a cake called tres leches and the other are these marinated steaks. I decided to get them for Ceecee and bring some back as a surprise. The Mexican bakery was out. but I got them to agree to come in early in the morning and make one just for me to take back to Missouri!

This morning, I went and picked up the cake and stopped at a grocery store for some dry ice. I had the steaks and some Mexican candy also. When I got to Ceecee’s loft, she didn’t have the reaction I hoped for. She said I shouldn’t be so nice to her and that she doesn’t deserve it. I told her nonsense and that I did it just because I wanted to. We’re supposed to go out tonight, so hopefully it will be a good night.

Day T-27 and Counting…

Posted: August 5, 2012 in Love and Marriage
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Saturday, July 10, 2010

Tomorrow I’m picking Ceecee up and we’re going to have tapas night at her place. I went to Spain one summer and loved the food, so since I’ve been back, I’ve learned to make all kinds of Spanish tapas. I pair them with different Sherries and we haven’t done it for quite some time. I’m so excited that I started making some of the cold stuff today so it will be ready.

Tonight she’s letting me take her to Branson to eat at Famous Dave’s on the landing. Things have gotten better again and we haven’t really talked about what happened Tuesday morning. I’m just trying to show her that I’m changing and trying to love her in the way she needs to be loved. I know I used to be too needy, so now I’m working on getting my needs met by God, so I can just give to her without needing anything back.

It’s so frustrating, though, to have so much love that I want to give and not to be able to give it. I’ve never known this kind of love, but now she doesn’t really want my love. The verses that I wrote down about love, I’m still saying every day, but now I’m turning them into a kind of a prayer and declaration of faith. I dont’ just say the verses out loud. I put our names into them and speak them out as prayers.

Yesterday, I went to my first counseling appointment. It was amazing. I spent the first 45 minutes thinking it was a total waste of time and money and the last fifteen just completely blown away. He sat at a computer and just asked me questions off a list and I didn’t get to talk about anything I wanted to talk about. He was asking me about my childhood and how I got along with my Dad and all this stuff and I was thinking that this was a stupid idea to come here. Then he just kind of connected the dots with everything I had told him and I’m pretty sure my mouth must have dropped open.

I don’t know what any of it meant, but he sure showed me a picture of myself that made me realize that I do have some issues and some things that need to change. I was pretty eager to make the next appointment and I really want to talk to Ceecee about it, but I’m afraid she’ll just think I’m trying to tell her that I have an excuse for why I was the way I was, or that I’m all fixed now because I went to counseling once. I called Joe and told him that either this guy is really good or really lucky or God just directed the whole conversation.

Day T-120 and counting…

Posted: June 5, 2012 in Love and Marriage
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Thursday, April 8, 2010

MAP is kicking my butt. Ceecee’s too. It’s been a really sucky week. At least she’s enjoying cooking. Man, can she make some great food. It was penne with salsiccia last night and three cheese risotto tonight. Coming home to that and a good glass of wine makes it not quite so bad.

I wish I could figure out what’s going on with her. We’ve never been like this and I’m getting worried. I know her job is stressful, but this is beyond problems at work. She’s angry all the time and she won’t let me in. How can I help her if she won’t even tell me what’s going on?

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