IT'S BEEN THIRTY TWO YEARS -- BUT WHO'S COUNTNG?

Today is January 1, 2009 - In addition to being New Year's Day, it is Kim and Larry's thirty second wedding anniversary.

Yeh, thirty two years ago, we tied the knot. Got married on New Year's Day so that I would be certain to remember our anniversary. At the time I jokingly told Kim that this way when I woke up with the biggest hang over of the year, I would know it was our anniversary time again.

Well, the days of going out and joining the throng for New Year's Eve are long gone. We never really did that anyway because most New Year's Eves I was working a club somewhere -- and that will dull the shine of hanging out with amateur drunks to all hours of the night.

Now we are lucky if we make it past the 10 PM news.

My chiropractor, Jerry Retzlaff has the right idea. He goes to a little bar on the north side of Eau Claire where they celebrate New Year's Eve with the Irish -- at 6PM -- when it is midnight in Ireland.

So it is our anniversary. We don't do much to mark it. We both express aloud that we are interested in renewing our subscription for another year and we wish each other well throughout the day, watch a few videos and then I make the same thing for our anniversary dinner that I always prepare.

Since almost all restaurants are closed on New Year's Day (we didn't think about that), I prepare what I would probably have ordered on such a special occasion had we gone out: steak and lobster. This year I have two rock lobster tails and two nice tenderloins in the refrigerator and when I finsih writing here, I will be going over to get the baked potato started.

Truth is, our marriage is still working pretty damn well! There is something to be said about mature relationships. You get comfortable with one another. Marriage becomes like a well worn pair of shoes.

It's a great way to start the new year. To be with the one person I would rather be with than anyone else!

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