The Relationship Ninja Vol 4 Part 2 - Marriage and the Wedding Meal

 Not for lack of trying, but here again, sometimes we get busy doing things, living life and being distracted, and I hate to admit it, but it happens to all writer's at some point...we just get writer's block and even the stories that we know and love to tell and talk about, just don't seem to fit correctly on the page. After a bit of thought, a smidge of writer's block, and of course all of life's distractions; I want to finish telling you about "Marriage and the Wedding Meal."  Follow me.
  
    After lunch and coffee ( I love that about Nina...there's always coffee), we go back to work on the menu.
    "It's hard to talk about or think about food, right after you eat, no?" I nod my head. I'm stuffed, and thinking I should be looking for a treadmill or we should go for a walk. Nina grabs a remote and turns on some music. 
    As if on cue Earth, Wind, And Fire's 'September' promptly begins, and we're dancing...Seriously? How we could not be? I bet you are right now. It's just one of those grooves that make you groove. She turns the music down after a few minutes.
"This meal, needs an antipasto, and more bread." Nina says matter-of-factly. She looks at me over her thick rimmed glasses. "You know it too, Baby Girl." She doesn't wait for my answer "We'll make room." She says. I look over her shoulder and read as she writes and dictates aloud. "Mozzarella, grape tomatoes, green and black olives, in a nice vinegar & oil with pepperoncinis on the side,...You don't need to be Italian to know this meal needs an antipasto."
    "And bread." I remind.
    "Hmm, of course." She's in the 'trance.' It's kind of a deer in the headlights look. Interrupting her trance, I ask 
    "What do the antipasto items represent?"
   "The in laws." Is all she says. I don't have the heart to ask why. She looks so serious, writing the items on her list. I chuckle under my breath and patiently wait for her return. It's slow, but she finally begins to speak "Lasagna with meat, and Eggplant Parmesan for the vegetarians, for the main course." She announces. "Why are so many people Vegee..tear..ian" she drags out the word with thick enunciation "these days? What's wrong with meat?" I shrug my shoulders. I know she means me, since I haven't eaten meat in over two years. I have my reasons, whatever anyone else's reasons are, I have no idea.
"The Eggplant Parmesan with wide noodles. Charlie will want the angel hair pasta, but I hate that. It get's all 'mushy.'" John interjects quietly from behind his rattling newspaper in the other room 
     "For goodness sakes, let the girl have what she wants." 
     "Mind your business, Johnny." she calls. I just smile at these two. She turns back to me and says "Now, the lasagna will have meat. I think sweet Italian sausage. I like hot but I agree with Charlie and most people will like the sweet better."
      Nina digs in her extremely impressive recipe box. She still has one. It's kind of old school and cool. I am still dismayed that a load of people can't or don't bother or learn to cook these days. 
      She finishes her list and hands it to me to make sure that she hasn't missed anything for the main meal. I approve and hand it back. "Now, coffee and dessert." She says. 

continued from part 1
    
    

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The Marlboro Man - Opinions

Sometimes we are overly obsessed with pleasing people or living up to their standards or expectations. My first experience with this thought was delivered to me from a man I look up to on every level. Sometimes the simplest words, can make the biggest impact on you.       

Most of you have "met" the Marlboro Man through me at some point, and know that he is one of my ultimate heroes. He is the one who gave me direction in my life, when I really had none and was quite clueless. If we could pick our own relatives, I'd pick him more than once! 

      Nick (the Marlboro Man) is a striking force of nature. He's one of those men that you hope will live until they are a hundred and twenty just so you can listen to their advice and learn from them, 

       He is the Shi Fu of cowboys, all things cowboy, and represents his life lived here on earth as a cowboy. For those who have never met a real cowboy, think John Wayne, direct, right as rain, and comfortable in his own skin. 

      There are four of us. Marlboro Man, me, Wade and his brother Jesse. We are in Tombstone, playing cards. It's 2 a.m. and no one has won the pot yet. Marlboro Man lays those piercing blue eyes on me, and with perfect clarity, let's me know I am the target of something he is about to say. He glances at his cards for a second and pulls one from his hand, as he lays it face down on the table and says 

     "You look distant, Cupcake, what's the skinny?" He winks at Wade. Wade smiles and Jesse chuckles into his arm. Marlboro Man shoots them a glare and they immediately settle into a hush. I watch the smoke from his cigarette nub rise and engulf his face, his eyes never leave me. He's waiting for an answer.

     "I've been thinking about what I wanna be when I 'grow' up. If I feel like growing up that is." Wade chuckles. It seems as if he knows what's coming next.

     "Who says you gotta do anything at all?" The old cowboy asks.

     "Unwritten societal expectation." I say, as if I know something.

     He lays his card hand face down on the table, snubs out the cigarette, draws another from the pack in shirt pocket, lights it, sits back in his chair. Wade fills the shot glass in front of MM with Jack Daniels. They all look at me and then Marlboro Man leans in, puts his elbows on the table, slams the shot and says

     "Opinions are like Assholes and drunk relatives, everyone has one. You don't need anyone's approval to do or be anything, Cupcake." He pauses, sits back in the chair, changes his mind, and then leans in again. “If you listen to what everyone else wants, you'll find yourself always chasing your tail and gettin' nothin' done; Or worse trying to make everyone else happy. That's not your job. You got one life, one job, yours. What makes you happy? What things do you wanna do, be, or have? At the end of this life, the only ones you gotta answer to is yourself and God." He winks at me, and then flips over his hand to reveal a full house of Aces over kings.

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