Today was the 13th anniversary of Howard and my wedding. In past years we’ve celebrated by saying “happy anniversary,” painting the house, or forgetting it completely. On our 10th anniversary Howard’s big gift to me was a mcgriddle. We just haven’t made a big deal out of the event. This year I wanted to do something. I wanted to go out on a date and spend time with just Howard. Our anniversary seemed like a good excuse to impose on a friend for free babysitting, so away we went.
Our budget has been very tight for the past two years. We have some more wiggle room now, but we still have to count pennies. We decided to splurge on a full price movie. We bought tickets early and had time to kill. Howard had noticed that the shirt I was wearing had a stain on it, (I meant to change, then forgot) so he sugguested that we wander into Sears and buy me a new shirt as a present. That shopping trip was a delight. Howard was focused on “get shirt for Sandra.” I was focused on savoring the experience of getting to select a brand new shirt for myself. It had to be a shirt I would love because I’d be paying an order of magnitude more money than I am accustomed to spend on any single item of clothing. Clearance racks give me sticker shock these days. Fortunately Howard was also focused on “make Sandra happy.” And I had a goal of “have fun with Howard.” So it worked out alright. We found a shirt I liked and then I was uncertain about and then liked. Howard was stable in his liking of it. We bought it and I changed into it. I’m still wearing it and I like it. We spent some of the rest of the evening laughing at each other for acting so typically male and female during the shopping trip. I don’t think we have ever gone clothes shopping together before and our different approaches and selections were amusing.
As an aside, I don’t know if there is any expression of love greater than a man volunteering to attend upon his wife while she browses through a women’s clothing section. I don’t think Howard realized what he was signing up for, but he never once complained. He teased me later. I teased him later. But He was honestly just glad to make me happy. It makes me sniffle to think of it.
We ate dinner at a mall chinese place. It was cheap, fast, close, and relatively yummy. I managed to not dribble anything on my new shirt. Then we watched Monster House. It seemed appropriate to watch a mildly spooky movie for a 13th anniversary. After the movie I didn’t feel quite ready to go home. Howard and I do lots of things together, but this evening had a real “date” feeling to it that I was loathe to relinquish. Going to movies together is a thing we occasionally do, but the focus is usually on the movie. We dash there and then dash home. Tonight the focus was on being together and it was wonderful. We stretched the evening just a little longer by stopping for ice cream.
Every penny we spent tonight fell under the category of “frivolous spending.” We didn’t need to see a movie, or eat out for dinner, or buy a shirt, or eat ice cream. But when I add it all up we spent less than $60. Was this evening worth $60 to me? Yes. Definitely. No doubt about it. Of course it has now whetted my appetite. I want to do more frivolous things. Some of them cost money, some of them don’t, but all of them make me feel care free and pretty and young. It’s nice to feel that way when the rest of my life is so stable and responsible and full of dishes and weeds.
Hppy happy anniversary!!!
Hppy happy anniversary!!!
A happy anniversary to you both. You deserve to be happy, and it appears to me (with no small amout of expertise in these matters) that you are going about it the right way.
Best wishes and good fortune to you and your family.
===|==============/ Level Head
A happy anniversary to you both. You deserve to be happy, and it appears to me (with no small amout of expertise in these matters) that you are going about it the right way.
Best wishes and good fortune to you and your family.
===|==============/ Level Head
Happy Anniversary!
I’ll echo the others in saying your night was well-deserved.
Happy Anniversary!
I’ll echo the others in saying your night was well-deserved.
Sounds like a wonderful evening! Even trying to save money as well as you can, I’m glad you and Howard aren’t completely denying yourselves an occasional indulgence or two.
Happy anniversary, and may you have many, many more ahead of you.
Sounds like a wonderful evening! Even trying to save money as well as you can, I’m glad you and Howard aren’t completely denying yourselves an occasional indulgence or two.
Happy anniversary, and may you have many, many more ahead of you.
If you ever want to go to a frivolous evening movie again I can get discount cinemark movie ticket through my work. They’re pass restricted so you couldn’t go see a new release but it would be cheaper than paying full price.
If you ever want to go to a frivolous evening movie again I can get discount cinemark movie ticket through my work. They’re pass restricted so you couldn’t go see a new release but it would be cheaper than paying full price.
Happy anniversary! You and Howard are so sweet together.
Happy anniversary! You and Howard are so sweet together.
Happy Anniversary!.
And aren’t anniversaries and birthdays designed specifically so that we can engage in “frivolous” spending and not feel guilty about it? Enjoy! It’s the journey that matters.
Happy Anniversary!.
And aren’t anniversaries and birthdays designed specifically so that we can engage in “frivolous” spending and not feel guilty about it? Enjoy! It’s the journey that matters.
happy anniversary!
happy anniversary!
Happy Anniversary!!
Happy Anniversary!!
Happy Anniversary!
When I think about it, most days feel like a special day to me. If Ross just reaches for my hand in a store or puts his arm around me it FEELS like a date out…even in the middle of Wal-Mart telling kids NO….sometimes ya gotta take what you can get!
But, sometimes it’s REALLY NICE to actually have a REAL DATE OUT with no kids and no worrying about them, and no worrying about when you need to go get them. Aaaahhh…. nice.
Congrats on a wonderful night out for your 13th Anniversary.
Ross and I can’t wait for our 13th anniversary next year… perhaps we can have a Goth Night Out…? 🙂
Happy Anniversary!
When I think about it, most days feel like a special day to me. If Ross just reaches for my hand in a store or puts his arm around me it FEELS like a date out…even in the middle of Wal-Mart telling kids NO….sometimes ya gotta take what you can get!
But, sometimes it’s REALLY NICE to actually have a REAL DATE OUT with no kids and no worrying about them, and no worrying about when you need to go get them. Aaaahhh…. nice.
Congrats on a wonderful night out for your 13th Anniversary.
Ross and I can’t wait for our 13th anniversary next year… perhaps we can have a Goth Night Out…? 🙂
I am so glad you enjoyed your anniversary – that’s about the only time I can make myself not feel guilty about frivolous spending.
I am so glad you enjoyed your anniversary – that’s about the only time I can make myself not feel guilty about frivolous spending.
This is why I actually used clothes shopping as an effective dating tool. It’s sneaky, I know, but the girl really likes you afterward, and you get to learn a lot about a woman by how she shops.
I married the one who was always willing to leave within 5 minutes of me saying, “Ok, I’m tired of this now.” 🙂
This is why I actually used clothes shopping as an effective dating tool. It’s sneaky, I know, but the girl really likes you afterward, and you get to learn a lot about a woman by how she shops.
I married the one who was always willing to leave within 5 minutes of me saying, “Ok, I’m tired of this now.” 🙂
You are a smart, smart man.
You are a smart, smart man.
Smart girl. Smart man.
Seems an awful lot like the “drag him around your sister’s kids as a test” game lots of girls play. Not that it’s a bad game; nothing worse than discovering after years together that you want kids, and he can’t stand ’em.
Smart girl. Smart man.
Seems an awful lot like the “drag him around your sister’s kids as a test” game lots of girls play. Not that it’s a bad game; nothing worse than discovering after years together that you want kids, and he can’t stand ’em.