A Simple Pleasure Remembered I stick my hand in the incredibly cold crushed ice and water in the old Coke box in my Grandfathers tiny grocery store. I pass over bottles of Grapette, Orange Crush, Mountain Valley Water, and RC Cola in search of a 7 ounce bottle of Coca-Cola. I swipe off the water and clinging bits of ice with the side of my right index finger before opening the bottle. Then, I take one drink of the ice cold Coke to make a little room in the bottle. It burns my throat, and brings a little tear to my eyes. Then I open up a package of salty Planters peanuts. I pour in the entire package of peanuts carefully, because I can see a layer of salty bubbles rising above the level of the peanuts, threatening to spill over the top of the bottle. Next comes the art of drinking Coke and eating peanuts from the bottle simultaneously. I have long mastered the ability to take just the right amount of Coke and just the right amount of peanuts in each swig, so my last drink will empty the bottle of both Coke and peanuts at the same time. Believe me, it is not as easy as it sounds. A salty burp later, and I am outside in the heat and humidity of a summer afternoon back in Arkansas.

TTPMO #2 My wife will be watching her recorded shows (Dr. Phil, Biggest Loser, Judge Judy, etc.) on the TV in the bedroom. I will be watching some movie in the family room. She will walk through the family room on the way to the kitchen. She will ask if I don't think the TV is too loud. I don't. But she will still pick up the remote and turn the volume way down and then go back to the bedroom to continue watching her shows. Aargh.

TTPMO #1 Things That Piss Me Off #1 My wife and I will be in line at the grocery store. We will be next in line for check out. Suddenly, my wife remembers something she needs. She tells me to go ahead and start checking out and that she will go get "whatever" and be right back. She walks off at a nice leisurely pace. I note that there are 6 people in line behind me. All with carts filled to over-flowing. I unload the cart. The checker starts running everything through. She scans all the items. She gives me credit for using my own bags. I put through the credit card. The bagger puts all the bags in the cart. No sign of my wife. I stand in the aisle and see my wife walking toward me. She carries a can of spray starch. She sees that I have already paid, and that the lady behind me has put her groceries on the conveyor belt. It is too late to add the starch to the other groceries. I did not hold up the line indefinitely to wait for her to stroll back. My wife slams the can down on the rack with candy and gum and double A batteries and teriyaki beef jerky. As she charges through the aisle, I can tell she is as mad as a wet hen. She wants to know why I had not explained to the cranky check-out girl that she would be back soon. Why had I not explained to the impatient people in line that she had ironing to go some time in the indefinite future? I bite my tongue and suffer through the righteous indignation. I know if I lose my temper, it will only make it worse. The next several hours will be either sullen silence or short tempered snapping at everything that is said. I will hide and kept my head down and hope it blows over sooner than later. I haven't done anything wrong. She was rude and inconsiderate. And it doesn't make a tinker's damn. I am weak and at fault. And it pisses me off. And there's nothing I can do about it.

Marriage I think most people are married because they don't want to be alone. I wonder how many are married because it is magic? Can you imagine what that would feel like? Seriously, try to imagine it. How many couples do you know that you can, in any way, imagine their marriage is "magic"? Maybe I hope for too much?

Forever? She asked me, "Do you think it is possible to love the same person forever?" I said, "Yes." She asked me, "Do you think I am that person for you? Your forever person?" I said, "I'm afraid you are. Even if you don't feel the same." She said,"Don't be afraid."