Fifty-cent Dad
What happened after Les and I parted from the cruise? We married, but not right away...
After our final good-byes, we boarded the airplane. Notice, airplane. We boarded the same airplane, but Les was in first class, and I was in coach.
"He'll come back and talk to me." I felt pretty smug, especially after he had seemed so desperate to get my phone number on the shuttle.
One hour, two hours, three...No Les.
"Hmm, probably found a beautiful, first-class woman to sit next to," I thought, annoyed. "Time to go to the bathroom, the front one so I can peak in on him."
Mary Jane didn't think that was a great idea, especially since I probably had to climb over her.
As I waited for the bathroom vacancy sign to light up, I carefully pulled aside the blue, first class divider curtain . There he was, alone, sleeping. That was the last time I saw him on the trip.
That evening, back in Wisconsin, my astute (or maybe nosy) sister, Ann, asked if I had met anyone.
"No," I said.
She didn't believe me. She claimed I had a funny expression on my face. Well, I wasn't about to tell her I had met someone only to have that someone never contact me again.
In the middle of the next week my phone rang (I had my office in the basement). Ann picked up the phone only to hear, "Help me, help me. Save me, save me!"
"Oh, you must want Carol," she replied.
From there it was cards and letters from Les, long conversations on the phone, faxing each other (this was before email, Facebook, Twitter, etc.), dates, and meeting each other's families.
I met his oldest sister and her husband at their place over chocolate ice cream. Les revealed an insider secret on chocolate ice cream which made us stop and look down at the melting confection.
"Nah! Who cares," we said after a few minutes and started scooping it into our mouths again.
The families were pretty nice to us, but one of our biggest obstacles to marriage was Teddy.
No, he wasn't an ex-boyfriend; he was a 120 plus pound Labrador. My parents had gotten Teddy as a very cute, but very naughty puppy. I ended up with him.
Les grew up on a farm where animals belonged outside. I grew up in a small town where animals belonged inside.
Teddy moved in with us after the honeymoon. Les was gracious enough to let the hulking, smelly creature live inside. After being married for only a short time, I was starting to wonder if having Teddy with us was a good thing.
"Wow! I didn't know dogs were such chick magnets," Les said after walking Teddy one day. "I would of had one if I had known."
"You don't need a chick magnet any longer," I reminded him.
After that, he was very willing to take Teddy on walks...
Another challenge in our marriage was looking for a house. We both had different opinions on what a house should be. For me, I wanted a large home with a beautiful kitchen, living room, dining room, den, fireplace, basement, swimming pool, tennis courts, maids, butlers...Les wanted a house we could afford. Practical Les versus impractical Carol...
One house in particular I had fancied (no, it wasn't a mansion). I wanted to look through it, but he said no. In a mature, reasonable manner, I administered my silent treatment. He wouldn't budge.
There was an ugly house he wanted to look at. When we drove by it, we both cringed and told the realtor not to bother. A couple of weeks and fights later, the realtor encouraged us to go back to the ugly house. Today we live in that ugly house. But it's only ugly on the outside. After Les spent long hours sanding all the woodwork, and I painting and decorating, it's a beautiful home. Practical Les...smart Les (but don't tell him or he'll get a big head).
After our final good-byes, we boarded the airplane. Notice, airplane. We boarded the same airplane, but Les was in first class, and I was in coach.
"He'll come back and talk to me." I felt pretty smug, especially after he had seemed so desperate to get my phone number on the shuttle.
One hour, two hours, three...No Les.
"Hmm, probably found a beautiful, first-class woman to sit next to," I thought, annoyed. "Time to go to the bathroom, the front one so I can peak in on him."
Mary Jane didn't think that was a great idea, especially since I probably had to climb over her.
As I waited for the bathroom vacancy sign to light up, I carefully pulled aside the blue, first class divider curtain . There he was, alone, sleeping. That was the last time I saw him on the trip.
That evening, back in Wisconsin, my astute (or maybe nosy) sister, Ann, asked if I had met anyone.
"No," I said.
She didn't believe me. She claimed I had a funny expression on my face. Well, I wasn't about to tell her I had met someone only to have that someone never contact me again.
In the middle of the next week my phone rang (I had my office in the basement). Ann picked up the phone only to hear, "Help me, help me. Save me, save me!"
"Oh, you must want Carol," she replied.
From there it was cards and letters from Les, long conversations on the phone, faxing each other (this was before email, Facebook, Twitter, etc.), dates, and meeting each other's families.
I met his oldest sister and her husband at their place over chocolate ice cream. Les revealed an insider secret on chocolate ice cream which made us stop and look down at the melting confection.
"Nah! Who cares," we said after a few minutes and started scooping it into our mouths again.
The families were pretty nice to us, but one of our biggest obstacles to marriage was Teddy.
No, he wasn't an ex-boyfriend; he was a 120 plus pound Labrador. My parents had gotten Teddy as a very cute, but very naughty puppy. I ended up with him.
Les grew up on a farm where animals belonged outside. I grew up in a small town where animals belonged inside.
Teddy moved in with us after the honeymoon. Les was gracious enough to let the hulking, smelly creature live inside. After being married for only a short time, I was starting to wonder if having Teddy with us was a good thing.
"Wow! I didn't know dogs were such chick magnets," Les said after walking Teddy one day. "I would of had one if I had known."
"You don't need a chick magnet any longer," I reminded him.
After that, he was very willing to take Teddy on walks...
Another challenge in our marriage was looking for a house. We both had different opinions on what a house should be. For me, I wanted a large home with a beautiful kitchen, living room, dining room, den, fireplace, basement, swimming pool, tennis courts, maids, butlers...Les wanted a house we could afford. Practical Les versus impractical Carol...
One house in particular I had fancied (no, it wasn't a mansion). I wanted to look through it, but he said no. In a mature, reasonable manner, I administered my silent treatment. He wouldn't budge.
There was an ugly house he wanted to look at. When we drove by it, we both cringed and told the realtor not to bother. A couple of weeks and fights later, the realtor encouraged us to go back to the ugly house. Today we live in that ugly house. But it's only ugly on the outside. After Les spent long hours sanding all the woodwork, and I painting and decorating, it's a beautiful home. Practical Les...smart Les (but don't tell him or he'll get a big head).
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