The First Day of Our 17th Year

(editor's note: Settle in, this one's a doozy.)

Dear Boo,

Before I go any further I would just like to point out that when we jokingly made up pet names, mine for you went on to sweep the hip hop world. Because despite the fact that I'm a goober, I can totally start trends. Decorated vests for women? That was me, too. Sorry about that.

Ummm... where was I? Oh yes. Today we celebrate our 17th wedding anniversary. Pretty weird, huh? Time is a strange and complicated thing. On the one hand, it seems like just yesterday. (What? I'm not still 19? This can not be!) On the other, it seems a lifetime ago. (Good grief, I feel like I'm a hundred.) But in a good way. We started out young, you cradle robber, you. Fortunately, we grew up together and not apart. Ours is a "Princess Bride" sort of romance - heavy on the humorous banter and dry wit. Flowers and cards have never much been your style. Instead, luckily for me, you have a talent for giving the fabulously unexpected. If our audience will indulge me, I will submit a few examples.

I admit, I can't remember if this and this were for our first Christmas or my birthday. I do remember that I cried, because these were pictures I took in Germany in 1987 and you knew how much the memory of that trip meant to me. We were completely broke that year and I wasn't expecting much. Major points, babe.

With Christmas 1991 came one of my favorite gifts of all time. I miss him.

Thank you for taking this out one day to get it washed, and coming back with this. Wow. WOW. Seriously.

Thanks for coming here with me. I very much enjoyed showing you this and this and this (despite your seeming complaints of "basilica butt" and the overabundance of the depiction of Mary and The Christ Child). To be able to share a place that I love so much with you was a gift in and of itself.

The best was a gift we gave each other. This one showed up a little early. And, boy, is it the gift that keeps on growing and growing and Holy Adolescence, Batman, growing. Even though I can't remember you changing one diaper ::AHEM::, thank you for being a great Dad.

Thank you for putting up with my bad traits and (mostly - heh) appreciating my good ones. And for your patience when I freak out a little about life's R.O.U.S's. (Really, people, it's just a little - in general I'm pretty low maintenance. Right, hon? RIGHT?) Thank you for all the hard work you've put into our house. And for putting the toilet seat AND lid down, right from the beginning. Let's work on the beard hairs all over the bathroom sink, though, shall we? Thank you for cooking me some fab meals. I miss you doing the grocery shopping, though. I hate going to the grocery store. ::SAP ALERT:: To sum up, (and to wrap up, so as to not bore the masses) thanks for being the sort of husband I need to traverse the Fire Swamp. You're too good to me.

Love yer body, Larry.