On July 30 my bride and I celebrated our 24th wedding anniversary.

This one, like many of the others, occurred in the middle of challenging events and lots of change.

Historically over the past 7 years we have been apart due to international assignments, business trips, family crisis, etc....  This time we were able to celebrate the day together.

Our new friend, our real estate agent, sent us a congratulations email wishing us well and telling us to enjoy our special day.  I responded with "Nothing special.  Just a McD's dinner, a kiss on her cheek and a rose from the homeless guy on the corner during my commute home".  That got a lot of laughs and snarky comments.

I did actually deliver.  My FIL passed on June 19th and my wife had been commenting that Emeralds were his favorite stone because deep green is his favorite color.  A few comments since his passing indicated that studs for her sexy ears were in order.  I got her a set of natural Emerald studs with diamond accents, a bouquet of Ivory roses with some purple flower that is my MILs favorite... and .... a nice dinner at a Brazilian steak house (don't recall the name of it) near our new home.  We met a couple at dinner who were also celebrating their anniversary (7yrs) so we exchanged contact info with them and are setting up a dinner soon.

Then we went home to our campsite in our new very empty house.  So far ..... we have only beds in the two bedrooms, 4 bar stools at the island in the kitchen and our patio furniture set up in our living room.  The place echoes.   

I am a blessed man.  I have an incredible, beautiful, wicked smart woman to share my life with, a great kid, wonderful parents, my baby bro (48) and his family are doing great, a beautiful new home that makes my wife smile, an exciting new job (5mos) with a new company to put the next and hopefully last decade or so of my career into, and I am shrinking in dimensions though that has slowed way down.

All that and .... I met a longtime friend for dinner on a business trip recently.  We were able to have dinner and spend a few hours taking our friendship from the virtual Step community world to the real world (the second STalker I have met IRL).  What a beautiful and accomplished lady she is.  On a future business trip DW will join me and she and the friend intend to do some power shopping.  Why is it that I get wrapped up in shopping trips with the women in my life?

Any way... for Rags... life is good .... DW and I had a great anniversary.... and are looking forward to a couple of dozen+ more