Saturday, July 10, 2010

Happy Anniversary Trails

It is around 7:00 on this Saturday morning and it is already hot and humid in Houston town and the birds are singing and -- well there are a couple of mourning doves cooing. Marilyn,  my wife, used to think that cooing was owls and she kept looking for those owls until her mother informed her of what they really were. Now she is cooingly educated. I am sitting at my computer but my attention is drawn to the little Kodak video camera setting on my desk mocking me. It is a Kodak Play Sport and it is a little thicker than a cell phone and records HD video. That doesn't impress me since I don't have a HD TV and not too interested in getting one. But it also records at the slum level, that is non-HD too which is right up my alley as soon as I figure out how to use it. It only has five buttons so it can't be that complicated and has a square flat battery and 16 GB flash card in it so it can record hours of stuff if I can get past step 1. I read the nine pages of English in the manual before it switched to Japanese and French and Spanish and Chinese. I didn't learn much from it but I did actually get it to record my bare feet propped up on the desk last night for a few moments. I just don't remember how I got it to do that.

You see, it is pretty important for me to figure this thing out pretty soon. The week after next I am leaving town for my annual sojourn which this time will be in Utah and it would be good to be able to record video when I do this because that is why I got it. But there is a more immediate problem. When the TSA agent opens my briefcase in the airport and sees this electronic device and asks what it is and I tell him it is a video camera and he says show me -- it would be smart to be able to turn it on and record something or he might not let me on the plane. So today I will figure it out and take more video of my feet.

I will be having a busy time for the next two weeks. Next weekend Marilyn and I will be venturing to Louisiana to the casino in celebration of our tenth wedding anniversary. When you go to the casino on your anniversary they make a casino-wide announcement that we are there celebrating the fact and "would everyone please give them a round of applause" and sixteen people out of the two thousand will clap their hands and it is pretty heady stuff.

Anniversaries are really arbitrary things and is based on a calendar that only works right here on earth. If we were on Mars we would be celebrating our 4.628 year anniversary or if on Pluto it would be our 0.344 year anniversary. Okay, I made that up but you know what I mean -- it's just a calendar thing -- 3,650 days since we wed so -- oh never mind, this argument will hold no water with Marilyn.

The reason we have been married for ten years is that we like each other which is almost as important as loving each other. We do that too even though I got Marilyn lost yesterday while she was following me to take my car to a specialist to make my sunroof stop leaking. In fact she mentally prepares for us to get lost whenever I try to go someplace new but it doesn't bother me because I look at the built-in compass and figure what direction we are supposed to go and just sort of head that way. I could use my GPS but most of the time I forget about it and leave it home. So in spite of this minor perturbation in behavior she still loves me. We can easily say that the past ten years have been the best of our lives and we can talk about anything with each other. She even reads my blog now and then. If she likes something she will say "that was a nice blog that you wrote the other day", otherwise I guess it doesn't pass muster because she doesn't say anything. To sum it up I can't think of anywhere I had rather be than with my wife. One of our favorite pastimes is to sit on the sofa and complain about our aches and pains. We have developed the notion of hypochondria to a fine art and we each work hard to get the other one to feel sorry for our wretched condition.


So we'll be at the casino sitting in front of video machines trying to outdo each other while kibitzing each others play and get our free meals and free lodging because the casino thinks that they have a couple of suckers on the hook. We get free drinks too not counting the tips that you give to the little ladies in the really short shorts that serve them, but then we are not much for alcoholic things. Somewhere is the venture Marilyn will get one Pina Colada and I will get a Cuba Libre and we will be pleased that we are acting like grown-ups. Our video poker hours will be long late into the night and early the following morning and we end up arriving back home feeling like zombies. But this is our choice for anniversary celebration.

Then the following week I head out on my annual sojourn to southern Utah with my digital video camera and my digital camera -- which I know how to operate. I've mentioned before that every year I embark on a trip somewhere by myself. I like going to state and national parks and wander around and rejuvenate which usually means that I get stuck on a trail somewhere and look up at a hill I have to climb and wonder why I am doing this when I could be sitting in an air conditioned house griping with my wife about my aches and pains. But it is part of the process -- the getting away into a completely new environment. Marilyn gets me out of the house and I think enjoys the serenity which I interrupt with a daily phone call whenever I can figure out how to use my prepaid cell phone. She has little interest in climbing sweaty aching trails and confronting bears and mountain lions. She loves to travel, but not this way. If I had one of those IPod things with those little earphones I probably would be playing Happy Trails To You sung by Roy Rogers and the Sons of the Pioneers over and over because that would set the mood for conquering Utah.

Since I usually write this blog thing on either Saturday or Sunday morning because that is the quiet time I have figured out that it will be probably be a couple of weeks until I post again. So you won't have to read this and then turn and mutter to your spouse or significant other or whoever else is nearby, "What the hell is he talking about?" for a little while.  

20 comments:

  1. I definitely know what the hell you are talking about. I am a mere 28 years old and 5 years into marriage, but we compare injuries daily. :o)

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  2. Have a blast Jerry. Utah is beautiful, so many things to see and enjoy. Hope Marilyn enjoys the serenity.

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  3. Happy Anniversary to you and Marilyn; TBG and I are celebrating 35 years of "does it hurt a lot" "are you okay" "where did THIS come from" at the end of the month. You are right; only someone who loves me could listen to my litany of complaints! Travel well.
    a/b

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  4. While in Utah you should really check out Arches National Park. Nancy was born in Moab, her grandparents owned the Red Rock Lodge; all the great western movie stars used to stay there when filming; John Houston, John Wayne, Jack Elam and the rest. The Red Rock Lodge is still there, if you can book a room it would be like living in a bit of film history. Enjoy your trip, it will be HOTTTT!

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  5. Happy ten year anniversary!! I think liking each other is of major importance. As someone, who very recently was forced to evaluate my marriage, I'm happy to say I adore my husband also.

    Enjoy both of your vacations! And I will be anxiously awaiting some video. It's okay if it's just your feet, because they will at least be walking somewhere different. I hope you have a wonderful time!

    ♥Spot

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  6. Okay so have some good times and while you're away I'll just reread this post again. I'm old and I need repetition. This blog has so much in it I will do well to remember the 365 x 10 part! Got a new camera too and I will be like you trying to push the right buttons to get something more than toes. LOL! Have fun! Hey if you had an iphone you could use one tool for everything (even blog) but that would spoil the fun of remembering which gadget to use and how!

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  7. It has been a nearly 34 year journey for my wife and myself. The key has been laughter. Mostly, we both are able to laugh at ourselves. Well, actually we laugh at each other, and then the one being laughed at joins in. We laugh a lot. I sure understand the "get away by yourself" thing.

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  8. Hey Jerry, sorry to post this here, but as you alread know, I've been posting stories (later to be chapters, I hope), relating to my experiences in boot camp. Due to some gremlins in blogger, most of them didn't show up on anyone's dashboard. (including mine). So I posted links to them on a page called "USMC Boot Camp," it's right under the header. They all posted this morning in one big batch. I'm not sending you this as "pressure" to read them, but rather to let you know they are there, if you want to.
    thanks

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  9. Happy anniversary Jerry!! And although a couple of weeks is a long time to wait - I will. Have a great vacation. And after you figure out your camera can you tell me how to work my remote controls?

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  10. Have a great time while you're away. I'd be one of those 16 people - I'm a sucker for romance.

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  11. Happy Anniversary to the both of you, Cindy and I will celebrate our 13th on the 24th

    I hope you have a great time on your trip and look forward to your return.

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  12. Best Wishes on your anniversary. The Journey continues.

    Relieved is the only way to describe reading your blog this evening. I was forced for many years due to my job to know every in and out of every little button, on every new machine that came into our communications center. Not to mention distinguishing between every little beep and booping noise that alerted one to various emergencies. The minute I retired the tech support in my brain shut down completely. After my most recent tech nightmare my cell phone malfunctioned. Corrosion on the sim card due to high humidity (high was not the word for it, lately we could walk out the door and snorkel...). The salesperson starting showing me new phones. "This model has blah, blah, blah..." I suddenly realized I had been mentally redoing my grocery list, nearly fifteen minutes had passed and he was still listing features on this phone he is trying to sell me. "Oh, is that like the one my sone has, apps and all that and he can actually watch TV on it?" "YES!" thinking he had a sale in the bag. "No. I just want a phone, like to call people."

    All the new stuff has so many features that most people never use, that even when it is stated the device is simple to use, it is usually not.

    When I am bored I push buttons on my camera just to see what wil happen... I don't have it in me to read the 52 page manual. Meanwhile I await the return of my old fashioned, outdated, 35mm SLR. I am having it cleaned and returning to my film roots!

    Have fun. CANNOT wait to see pics!

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  13. Happy anniversary - the casino sounds like a fun way to celebrate. Good wishes to Marilyn too!
    I really enjoy seeing other people's travel photos, and am so looking forward to seeing some photos of your sojourn in Utah.

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  14. Aw. Happy Anniversary, you two lovebirds! I hope you have a great time gambling, aching and drinking...although not necessarily in that order.

    Jerry, please be careful of rattlesnakes, fire ants and anything that growls, hisses or farts a funny smell because it's a dangerous world out there. And make sure your pre-paid cell is all....ya know, pre-paid and stuff.

    we'll miss you and expect a full report upon your return, so take copious notes.

    Be well!

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  15. Happy anniversary Jerry and Happy Trails in Utah. I love the description of your marriage. It sounds a lot like mine...happy. We always spend our anniversary in Vegas...however I am usually off on my own individual adventures there because my husband has a real love affair with the Crap table! I have been married to tim for 22 years...quite blissful ones at that. Look forward to your stories after your adventures.

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  16. Well Happy Anniversary! Hope you have a fabulous time at the casino and on your journey to confront bears and such!

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  17. Happy anniversary! Please please post some videos and photos of your sojourn on the blog--I will look forward to them. :)

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  18. Great post! Happy anniversary! I'm sure you will some posts relating to your soon to come adventures! Looking forward to them...

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  19. A very happy anniversary to you both!
    Have a great time xx

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  20. Well, Happy Anniversary to you both!
    I guess by now you are off hauling your aching bits & peices up & down mountain trails or somesuch, so hope it was all worth it. Also hope the camera or video machines were well behaved!

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