Big Day Coming

"Tomorrow's the big day," I said setting the breakfast plates on the table. 

"Today is," Mr Wonderful said slicing the bread.

"No, tomorrow's the big day because that's when my book will be available on Amazon."

"But today the plumber's coming." 

It had devolved to this. I was excited about publishing a wine book of my own and my spouse was thrilled to have a stranger roam our property discussing water pipe widths. After several years of couplehood, clearly our interests had diverged. 

Actually one part of me couldn't blame Mr. Wonderful. It was my life--not his--that had been consumed by writing, editing and publishing this wine book, so naturally he'd have different thoughts about it, if he had any thoughts about it at all, which he clearly didn't. But the other part of me thought he'd gone off the deep end with the never-ending DIY project that is The House.

Case in point: this month for his birthday I bought Mr. Wonderful gifts so classy the Three Magi wished they'd given them to baby Jesus, plus I got reservations at a hard-to-get-into sushi restaurant and I made a special dessert. But all he wanted was a reliable plumber. Our interests had met at the altar but now were going in opposite directions. 

Maybe the problem was with me? After all we had bought this fixer-upper together and we had both promised to love, honor and DIY The House until death do us part. Mr. Wonderful was still doing exactly what he'd promised. Thus it must be me who had changed. Maybe I was replacing my enthusiasm for improving The House together with my husband with my happiness about writing a book.

Something had to change. Someone had to compromise or else--

The door bell rang. I let the plumber in and together Mr. Wonderful and I showed him the work we wanted done on The House. Actually I was standing there but the two men were doing all the talking. The plumber monologued about the benefits of using a 1 inch pipe over a 3/4 inch one, how great the pipes were on his last job and the beauty of natural gas. Then Mr. Wonderful explained where the pipes needed to go, how we'd pull the permit, and that his wife--me!--would dig the two foot deep trench for the pipes. The plumber smiled and promised us an estimate within the hour.  Mr. Wonderful beamed; he had fallen in love with this plumber. The love fest was so hot and heavy fireworks were going off in the background.

"That went well," Mr. Wonderful said closing the door on the workman. His big day with the plumber had been officially made.

Although I didn't do the talking during the plumbing chitchat love fest,  I was tasked with following up with the plumber. Before lunch there wasn't an estimate. So after lunch I called the plumber and left a message about needing the estimate. By 7:30 PM I'd left two more messages. Over dinner with Mr. Wonderful I told him the plumber had dropped out of phone contact and we did not have the promised estimate. 

"He didn't seem like that kind of... plumber," my spouse said disappointment dripping from his words. But was the disappointment from the plumber's inaction or his own naïve belief in a workman's promise? I'd say both.

We ate dinner silently. 

"Hey, don't you have a big day tomorrow?" he said with a sudden realization. "Something about a wine book being published?" I smiled. And boom! Our interests made a U-turn and met, just like old times. And there were fireworks. Big ones that lit up the night sky!

P.S. My book, Evolution of a Wine Drinker, is now available on Amazon.com!