Prices in High Places: War and Peace and Independence

There’s a couple things you may not know about RP and me: one is that we’re creatures of habit. The other is that we like to fight on the 4^th of July. I tell you the former only to impress you with the fact that we got through this Independence Day still friends (with benefits).

I don’t know what it is about celebrating freedom, but it seems to spur RP and I into fightin moods. Take for instance the year we met; two months into our “casual dating” relationship, he casually invited me to spend the 4^th with him. I casually agreed, and then casually stood him up for a party in Newport. Thus ensued not only our first fight, but our first 4^th of July fight.

Independence argument #2 came when we were again separated for our Nation’s birthday and I was hopped up on painkillers. That should be enough said. Then last year, as our first married Independence Day, we had a little tiff over a text he had sent to a friend wherein he referred to his wife as “cranky.”

That is why I’m pleased to report that RP and I have officially broken our Independence Day fighting tradition.

Not to say I didn’t try to keep it alive.

For instance, I came home with yet another “necessary” kitchen gadget that I found wondrous and all but mystified RP. Am I really expected to dry my salad with paper towels?

Then I poured too much ice cream into the machine, thus requiring RP to stand by and eat the (totally delicious) soft serve as it expanded and threatened to overflow.

Not to mention that San Clemente itself tried to grate on our nerves. Not only did the inclement weather keep us from our scheduled day of basking on the beach, but the crowds and cars and lack of parking spaces made it so we couldn’t leave either.

But we made amends where we could. For instance, I faced my fear of pastry-making and baked this strawberry pie from scratch – much to RP’s delight.

He pitched in as well, by wearing his short-shorts for my viewing pleasure and demonstrating his grill-master abilities.

Oh, and bringing me 4^th of July flowers. Sadie also received a carnation. But she ate hers and I preferred to look at mine.

We ended the day with fireworks on the beach with the rest of the English-speaking (and Spanish – who am I kidding?) world. SC put up a good show, and I even stayed up past 10 on a work night.

Here’s to peace (and independence).