Mike Pirnat

viel glück liz.jpg
Originally uploaded by mikepirnat.

I should know better than to stay up late playing with Photoshop, but...

Here's a little extra good luck for your exams tomorrow/today!

Go kick some ass, hon!

xoxoxo

Mike

Liz brought me food! And a ThermaCare wrap for my shoulder/neck area! Hooray for being married to my own personal angel of mercy! Happiness!

If someone had told me on my wedding day just how quickly the years would flow by, I don't think I would have been equipped to comprehend or fully appreciate it. In fact, I'm fairly certain that at least one or two people did tell me things to that effect, but the bartender at the reception poured those drinks way, way too heavy, which is my official excuse for not being entirely clear about who said what to whom, other than that Liz and I both said yes to a life together. And really, with that, does anything else matter?

So, it has been five years, or maybe one thousand eight hundred and twenty-six days, nearly 43,824 hours, which is practically 2,629,440 minutes--157,766,400 seconds!--of married life. Exactly one half of a decade, one twentieth of a century, a two-hundredth of a millennium. What to say on such an occasion?

I find that the depth of my love is such that it surpasses my meager vocabulary; my chances of repeating myself become pretty significant over time. This paragraph is the replacement for one that suddenly, unbidden, had become almost a word-for-word duplicate of a post from May on the occasion of our six-year "hookupaversary." While such repetition may make for redundant and potentially boring reading, I think there's something to be said for consistency in matters of the heart; for feeling the same joy in May or November or July; whether the skies are crisp and blue, or grey and stormy; whether the sun smiles radiantly upon us, or we're huddled under blankets by the fire while the winter blows cold and icy outside. Maybe it's not such a bad thing that what that I've said before is just as appropriate and meaningful today on this perfect Autumn morning.

Quite simply, this true, abiding, eternal love that I have had the good fortune to stumble into kicks serious ass.

Love you, honey, for always and ever.

Six years ago today, Liz and I became an official "item". I knew almost immediately that I was in True Love, and that as long as we were together, the universe would be slightly more correct.

Six years of good times and bad, joys and sorrows, of adventures and plans for the future have passed in what seems like both the blink of an eye and an eternity; I feel graced by the easy comfort of our being together, and I am constantly in awe of how much more of the mysteries of ourselves we have yet to discover.

These six years I would not trade for all the world. I can't wait to see how our future unfolds.

Liz and I have been married for four years. Jeepers!

It feels like a fleeting eyeblink; it feels like a joyous eternity.

Most importantly, it still feels absolutely, completely, exactly right, and though we have been through our share of sorrows together, I am in awe of how blessed that I have been to share my life with her.

So, because talk is cheap, let me just say this--thank you, for everything.

And here's the part that ties into the title of this entry...

Anyone who wants to barf profusely (and has QuickTime installed) can see my half-assed attempt to "rally my base" and "get out the vote" on this most important day.

For the record, let me make it perfectly clear...

aquamindy, you are the coolest, most wonderful woman in the universe, and I love you so much that it's almost stupid. Whether we're off on some adventure in bizarre and distant time zones, combatting kitchen entropy, or just going to the movies, or even splitting a pizza and a bottle of wine, you make the whole world worthwhile.

I'm happiest when I'm with you. I wouldn't trade my time with you for anything.

Welcome home. :-)

BEGIN MISSION REPORT

SATURDAY, 11-08-2003

0829: Clean, dressed, packed, breakfast made and eaten. Operation: Super-Secret Ninja Early Anniversary Celebration is a GO!

1416: Morning beautification phase complete. Massage and facial treatments for Agents M and L; special eyebrow, hair, and toe glamorization applied to Agent L; aerodynamic dorsal modifications to Agent M successful, minimal damage incurred. Funds transfer and vehicle refueling complete. Will begin next phase of operations once Agent L's naptime is done.

1645: Checked into the Intercontinental Hotel. Dressed to kill. Dining phase to commence in 15 minutes, a multi-course gastronomic assault at Classics. Take no prisoners.

1909: Dining phase complete. Achieved the following mission objectives:

• Amuse bouche: cucumber with parma ham, puff pastry with parmesan cheese
• Wine: 1992 Signature pinot noir -- fruity, silky, marvelous
• Bread: olive, whole-grain, raisin-walnut
• Amuse bouche: crab meat gelee topped with salmon, creme fresch, Iranian beluga caviar
• Agent M - appetizer: foie gras marinated in sauterne, served with apple marmalade, miniature greens, and warm toast
• Agent L - appetizer: Charlotte gelee of blue crab
• Agent M - salad: balsamic-glazed quail with roasted red pepper and greens
• Agent L - salad: white truffles with porcini mushrooms and greens
• Agent M - main course: long-bone veal chop, scallopped potatoes, chantrelle mushrooms, and mixed steamed vegetables
• Agent L - main course: sea bass with tomato confit
• Amuse bouche: Absolut lemon sorbet in flower-shaped shortbread cookie with raspberry sauce
• Dessert: bananas Foster, accompanied by assorted miniature desserts

1947: Mission vehicle stowed securely at Playhouse Square Center parking lot. Tickets obtained, surprise sprung -- Agent L is treated to a night at the ballet.

2355: Cultural phase complete to the satisfaction of all parties. Returned to staging location at Intercontinental Hotel for mission debriefing over wine and chocolates.

SUNDAY 11-09-2003

1000: Post-mission wrap-up operations begin.

1130: Tear-down of staging location and packing of mission supplies complete.

1202: Emergency ration stop at Brendan O'Neills for brunch.

1305: All agents successfully returned to base -- MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!

END MISSION REPORT

Had an entertaining hour with aquamindy just now. She discovered that in migrating all of her old email from her Windows box to her Powerbook that she still had all of the email from when we first started dating, all the way through my summer of IBM hell, winter of my IBM discontent, and more. It was quite a delightful experience, and it's a good reminder that, at least at some point, I was a pretty sweet and charming guy. (Or a reasonable facsimile thereof.)

Love ya, honey -- incrementally more with every passing day. Or, should I say instead:

while 1:
  objMike.intLove++;
  print "Love you!\n" * objMike.intLove