Anniversary

Our wedding anniversary is next week.

I am trying to think of something special for us to do to commemorate our nine years of wedded bliss.

There are some things we definitely should not do. We should not paint the walls of any room - no matter how small - together. We got the big idea to save money and paint our entire downstairs, including the stairway to the second floor and the hallway up there. Not good. Not only is painting much more painful than you probably remember, we almost killed each other. I was a little afraid that we may have trapped our anger in the paint where it will lurk until just the right moment (probably when we are assembling a piece of furniture.)

Also, I will not be giving Kenny computer lessons for an anniversary present - unless I hire someone else to do it. He is not a fan. As a teacher, he knows how to use his work computer, but take him out of that environment and try to show him some trick or shortcut and his face gets red and he starts to sputter about the evils of Facebook and Twitter (and he doesn't even know what Twitter is).

We also will not go to the woods to "sight" his guns in preparation for hunting season. Hunting was never part of my life until we got married. As I type this blog, two sets of glassy deer eyes are staring at me from across the room. Last year when we took his guns to the woods to sight them, he brought his handgun which he encouraged me to try out.

The gun was heavy. I leaned forward and tried to do everything he was telling me to do and I forgot that the gun might have a kick - because it is a .357 magnum. I pulled the trigger and the gun caught me on the side of my nose. After he stopped laughing and the stars circling my head retreated, I pouted the rest of the way home because he was more worried that something (my cartilage) may have scarred his gun.

So I have been thinking about something romantic and quiet and fun. I have not consulted him yet because I am afraid there will be a volleyball game or cross country meet or other event on Sept. 22. Work has a habit of getting in the way of life these days.

Whatever we do (or don't do) being Mrs. Rinker has been an interesting experience (in a good way, not like the Chinese curse). Having lived alone the majority of my adult life, stepping into the married world was a bit of a shock at first, but I have settled into this role quite nicely.

I'll let you know what happens next week.