People dream up some pretty crazy things about love.  Some times those things are right.

There is no doubt in my mind that my heart was pierced  on a school bus 22 years ago.  Then I laid eyes on you.  Things have never been the same.

Over the years, you have believed in me.  You even believed in me when I was wrong.  We have been through the best and worst times of our lives together.

I don’t know the words to tell you how much I love you.  No gifts or gestures do it either.  But somehow, I think you just know.

Tomorrow there is a big Dr. Pepper birthday party in Dublin Texas. There will be free Dublin Dr. Pepper and much rejoicing.

So you ask, “Zane, didn’t you swear off that stuff. Why do you want to go blow your diet?” Yes, I swore of the stuff. I don’t want to blow my diet but this aint about me.

See, my bride is Dr. Pepper Crazy. I took her to the Old Factory in Waco and she considered it a religious experience. I would love to take her a few miles down the road to Dublin. But that aint going to happen. We can’t do it for multiple circumstances beyond my control. That is a crying shame.

For those who do not know: Dublin Dr. Pepper is not made with Karo syrup (High Fructose Corn Syrup) like Dr. Pepper from other factories. It is still made with cane sugar. That really sets off the flavor. Dublin Dr. Pepper is highly prized and cost as much as premium beer.

Let me add that knowing what Dr. Pepper does to blood sugar I considered a person’s normal work day.  I conclude that the folks who proposed to drink 8oz at 10, 2 and 4 were way ahead of their time from a biochemistry standpoint.  8oz of Dr. Pepper would sure bring a blood sugar plunge back into range.

I hate it when a plan falls to pieces.

I have been looking forward to taking the wife out for dinner and the fights tonight. It did not happen. I’m more than a little disappointed.

Getting us out of the house is a tall order. We don’t get to do it much. I aint whining but, that is the truth. I’ll have to find some way to make a night out happen soon.

• Baby sitter?  Done.
• Shirt, slacks and boots ready?  Done.
• Pick up cleaned?  Not done yet.
• Reservations?  No bone in ribeye this year, she wants lobster.  I have to find a good place for lobster.
• Humble attitude for putting up with me all these years?  So very done.

Other posts about my bride.

See you later.  I have work to do.

Since Echo has gone back to work, we don’t have those Monday lunchtime dates that we used to. We were missing these so today I drove from our suburban home down to uptown Dallas to pick her up for lunch.

She wanted to share something special with me. We drove down to Oak Cliff to a local legend. We went to the Charco Broiler. The atmosphere was interesting and nostalgic. It was like a time warp back to 1975.

The only problem was the party next to us. It was a large group from the Dallas Zoo. They weren’t misbehaving. But there was just something in the air.

It gave me a new idea for a restaurant.

Go ahead. Click on it. That cheetah is feasting on one fine piece of prime beef gullet.

I once heard a coworker tell me he never suffered a cold. The next week he was out for three days with one. Things work that way.

My wife and I share a running joke about celebrity couples. As soon as they show up on the cover of some women’s magazine giving marriage advice, they are falling in the shadow of an attorney’s door. This proves to be true most of the time.

That being the case, I don’t give marriage advice.  If you want to get advice on marriage go ask a white haired couple. They know seem to know what their talking about. I really don’t.

My own marriage has been far from perfect. Our problems have been far from small. If we didn’t love each other so much, we would have given up a long time ago.

I recall the words of a counselor that gave us some pastoral care a few years ago. He told me, “Boy, you two really love each other. That is the only thing that is going to get you through this. Statistically you are headed for divorce. But, you really love each other. Boy, you two are going to do alright.”

I think he is right. The problem I see with a bunch of folks is that they don’t love each other. They just settle for each other. Then when somebody changes, the situation is no longer what they settled for. You can’t make somebody love you. And you can’t love somebody for who their not.

The preacher started a series Sunday. He calls it, “Desperate Households.” He of course referred to the statistics that show marriage to be in trouble in America. There is no difference in the divorce rate between folks that do and don’t worship regularly. He shared some good ideas about why this is. He stated that we are tired, flawed people who neglect each other and have false expectations. I figure that about sums it up.

The preacher also offered up some scripture that really speaks volumes about why marriage is important. Consider Ecclesiastes 5:7-12.

7 Again I saw something meaningless under the sun:

8 There was a man all alone; he had neither son nor brother. There was no end to his toil, yet his eyes were not content with his wealth. “For whom am I toiling,” he asked, “and why am I depriving myself of enjoyment?”

9 Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work:

10 If one falls down, his friend can help him up! But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!

11 Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But, how can one keep warm alone?

12 Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

One last thing the preacher said struck me. He said when he counsels folks, he makes them move from opposite sides of the table to the same side. He says folks need to know that these problems can’t stay between them. The problems are from outside of them. I think couples need to slay our individual giants as a team. Otherwise, we will just keep flinging rocks at each other.