Intense labor, sweat, and miles of driving: this has been my situation for the last little bit. The days and nights have been long. Between working for the brewery, writing for the site, and working at a Lowe’s, life has been hectic. Guess which one of these situations I find objectionable. But we all do what we have to, and I’m trying to keep good spirits.
Anyway, I had a particularly long day on Friday. I went into the brewery at 8:00 am, then went straight to Lowe’s after that. I pulled into the apartment at 11:30 pm that night. Worst of all, I had to get up at 6:00 am the next day to go to work again at Lowe’s. Am I saying this to make you feel sorry for me? No! No, a thousand times. I’m actually about to emphasize something far different.
So, I walk into the apartment and think, “I’ll take a shower, have a beer, and call it a night.” I knew that I would have to chill something. Or did I? When I got in, the wife was (understandably) asleep…I know that I would have been if offered the choice. Wait, what’s this? A note. What did that note say? Simply put, it stated that there was a chilled beer in the refrigerator. My wife had considered my hard day and chilled the one respite that my soul desired. It would have been rude to refuse the most gracious offering, so I drank that beer (my homebrewed ESB) with a simple pleasure that can be hard to recapture no matter how hard I might strain toward that effort. A beer was more than a beer that night, it was an expression of empathy, love, and grace. What an experience.
Thank heaven for a loving wife, thank heaven for an honest day’s work, and thank heaven for beer.
Good post Mike! I just celebrated the sixth anniversary with my wife last night!
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We have our 7th in 6 days. We’ve both evolved in ways I’ve never expected. The beer evolution is one of the best.
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Awesome, y’all! My 7th is tomorrow. We’re heading down to Mt. Rainier tomorrow with the kids, and then to a yet to be determined family-friendly brew pub. Early August… a great time to get married!
And Mike, I’ve had days many times where I come home to find a chilled beer in the fridge. I understand your sentiments all too well.
Happy anniversaries, fellas!
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My 7th is in two weeks, crazy. My wife doesn’t drink much beer, but she went to one of the best liquor stores in town (Carmel Crown) to buy my Father’s day present. $120 and seven bottles later, I was pretty happy. She also helps me pick the order I drink things in, but it’s usually based on the labels.
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Wow! This sounds kismet. So many anniversaries so near to each other. We’re rolling triple sevens, let’s hope the luck doesn’t run out.
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It’s amazing what they put up with.
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Great post Mike. Sounds like you have a keeper!
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I think maybe she is.
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You certainly found “the one”. As a fellow beer traveler (with a patient beyond belief wife), do whatever you have to do to keep her.
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I will Sean. I’m really glad to see a new participant on the site. A patient wife is terrific. I almost wrote “patient wives are terrific”, but I’m close enough to Utah that saying that could be a problem.
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To the wives, keep it up and you will be like me, one week away from our 23rd anniversary. My husband took off on his harley for Sturgis on sunday. He will be back this sunday, and one of his homemade chocolate brews will be waiting for him. Thank you beer-scientist / my precious nephew, for teaching him your great techniques on home brewing. Everyone has loved it.
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Thanks Ellen. That felt a bit like a digital cheek pinch, but you guys are welcome. I’m happy that you like it and are doing well. Isn’t it cool, ladies and germs, that my aunt is on our beer website?
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