Living in the wildness of a desert isn’t so bad once a body gets used to living with little to eat or drink. Afterall, everything else out here is hot and dry. You just sort of get on with the living. There are memories of what it was like when it was lush and green, but those memories fade over time.
Last night we went to the Braves game in Atlanta. The boys did a great job and we had fun. By the time the rainstorm hit, they were ready to go, anyway. The rain poured down around the stadium and we waited about 45 minutes before it let up enough so we could go out, catch the shuttle bus and go home. I remember thinking that at least the garden would get some much-needed water.
We live a considerable distance outside the city, and as we drove home, the rain diminished more and more until we go to our area; it hadn’t rained a drop!
The symbolism was not lost on me. While it the stadium was getting drenched, our house continued to languish in the dryness and the heat. Being in the stadium during the first 5 innings, and seeing hoards of other people, you sort of see what else is out there. Couples on dates, the kiss cam, PDA, and then a body starts seeing the things that are missing. At one point they had a couple on the big screen who were celebrating their 55th wedding anniversary. Wow! I couldn’t help but feel a sadness about that. I was happy for the couple and their family. But I wondered: will Arwyn and I make it to our 20th anniversary? We’re about to celibate our 10th anniversary in a few weeks. Last year, we had talked about trying to do something special, but there has been no talk of doing anything the last 6 months.
And then there’s Arwyn’s birthday coming up in a couple of weeks. She is still lobbying hard for a digital camera. Before going to the game, we stopped at the Super Walmart and ate and then I bought a brace for my bum knee. She wanted to buy a disposable camera. I had my digital camera, but this was not acceptable to her since mine is an old Intel web cam that takes 480 x 640 pics. I’ve taken thousands of pics with it, but she wants a better one of her own. I told her I wasn’t going to spend the money on it, so she said she’d buy it herself. Trouble is, she will come after me for money for something else later because she squanders hers so easily. It’s part of her strategy to spend money that way, because that’s one of the reasons why I got her a digital camera in the first place. She was spending hundreds of $$$ on picture developing. I don’t think that will work this time. She could try to persuade me or entice me, but blackmailing and bullying just ain’t cutting it. I’ll give her a $50 gift card and she can squander that how she pleases. Her dad will probably send her ample birthday money, anyway.
Her attempting to use these aversive tools in order to get her way is pissing me off. Therefore, I don’t feel too compelled to give as much consideration to her wishes since she seems content enough to ignore mine. Unfortunately the good doctor was out this morning when I called. Stupid holiday week. Try again tomorrow.
D.
Reality & Redemption 
>>We’re about to celibate our 10th anniversary in a few weeks.
Freudian slip?
……. very good writing…… and thanks for including me in your blogroll…..Rod Smith,
Um, not really, So Gone. You’ll see that one a LOT when I speak of anniveraries and our marital celibations. In fact, Arwyn will be celibating her birthday in another week or so.
Thank YOU for stopping by, Rod! I am still working my way through your archives. I’m glad you don’t mind being included among this eclectic collection of other writers and websites who all share space here. It’s a very odd mix that I need to organize when I get the chance.
D.