My wife, at least since I’ve known her, has always looked young for her age. When we were married she was 23 and looked 14. She continued to get carded until her mid thirties. Once, while grocery shopping with Beck, I ran into the mother one of the girls I’d coached. We exchanged pleasantries and as I started to introduce her to Rebecca, she blurts out, “So, is this your oldest?” She’s been mistaken for my daughter in obvious fashion a couple of times like that. When we are out in public I’m convinced that half the people assume that I’m her father.
Part of the effect comes from her skin. She has the most amazingly soft skin I’ve ever had the pleasure to touch. There are really no wrinkles on her face and that’s not from surgical stretching or Botox. Although it’s broken by copious moles (sexy!) it is a velvet glove stretched over her petite but muscular frame. When she was younger, her body fat ratio was down in the numbers reserved for top athletes.
We have no scales in our house. We really don’t want our daughters to obsess about wieght. Haven’t had one for over a decade. I wiegh myself at the gym somestimes, but I never fluctuate more than a couple of pounds. I get flabby, but I don’t put on wieght, I just lose density.
When I tended bar, the waitresses were convinced that I would notice a five pound wieght swing. Like most of us, I like to look at peoples bodies. At that time I’d spent hours and hours drawing nude models, so I chalked this skill up to my understanding of the figure. Or was it hereditary, the same genetic combination that allowed my dad to judge cattle so precisely?
What I’m getting to here is that Rebecca lately has lost a significant amount of wieght. She hasn’t looked at a scale, but it’s obvious looking at her. She has not been on any specific diet, she walks and climbs the stairs at work, and works furiously in the garden. So there’s been no obsessive talk about Adkins or whatever the latest diet craze is, just that unstoppable force, Hard Ass Norwegian tough minded willpower. “I just started eating less.” The Norwegians are not loquacious by nature.
That’s the same Hard Ass Norwegian attitude that she brings to her job when she’s saving the client a hundred grand on a talent negotiation, and as Hard Assed as she is, all the vendors love her as well. Because she holds up her end of the bargain and is always fair. Just Hard Nosed.
Today is the nineteenth anniversary of my last drink. I am a very lucky man.
Hey congrats on the drinking thing, and the having such a great wife. Some guys make great decisions, some open their own businesses.
Some guys stumble into things too. That’s me, born lucky.
This is a wonderful anniversary. I’m proud of you, babe. Your wife sounds like a wonderful woman – I’ll bet she keeps you in line.
I came here because after reading your comment on sportgoddess’s site, I knew you had to be a great person. Now I know you are. Congrats on having a great wife, a good marriage and staying dry for that many years. That is the greatest thing to hear!
Congratulations on nighteen years of sobriety, it takes more than luck to accomplish that, and Rebecca sounds like a great inspiration for you.
We also keep the food / eating business very low key with our five year old. She’s already much much too image conscious for her age, and a picky eater on top of it.
I’ve had my own best luck with simple caloric management. It’s not rocket science, you pile up the plate and don’t exercise, then you get wider… it’s a matter of how much input the system gets, and how much you burn off. Atkins schmatkins as far as I’m concerned.
i work off all the extra candy by kicking the kids’ asses extra hard. win-win, i say.
happy anniversary. that’s no small feat.
Right rache, no small feet.
Congratulations on your achievement!!! My last drink was 12/5/84. Pretty close. I can’t believe the miracle that I was able to walk away from it after over 25 years. Quit smoking 3 years later. Great to know you’re also on the “road ot happy destiny.”
Wow! congrats all around, makes me proud to know you!
Good for you, man. On both counts. Heike has that same sort of hard-nosed determination that I often lack. And she, while ostensibly the one who is being restricted by her probation, has been far more matter-of-fact about not having alcohol in the house than I have. One day at a time indeed. Really, though, I commend you on having so many successful years of both marriage and sobriety.
No words are coming to me, just waves of respect floating your way.
Congrats on the drink free life style.
Very heartfelt congratulations.
Quite an accomplishment – the not-drinking part, that is. From what I’ve read, I tend to think that your wife is pretty lucky too.