Marriage Karma

Husband and I had a delightful Thanksgiving weekend in Charlotte, NC with family. We missed the daughters who were off with other families and friends, but it was nice gathering with a slightly smaller group than usual. We all fit around one table!

One key to a successful marriage is putting up with and sharing each others quirks and passions. Husband and I do a pretty good job with this, albeit with plenty of eye-rolling and audible sighing. I am a sucker for small, independent bookstores. Husband has developed a fanaticism for all things craft beer. Being off my usual game, I had not researched small, independent bookstores in Charlotte (besides, I really like to stumble upon them.) Husband, however, had two goals for our trip: Tour the Olde Mecklenburg Brewery and visit the Charlotte location of the Flying Saucer (his very own “cheers bar” in Houston – you know, the one where everybody knows your name). He REALLY wanted to go to the Saucer on Wednesday night to get the Turkey-of-the-Year glass (more on beer glasses in an upcoming rant post). After much eye-rolling and perhaps some defiant words from me, we did not drive to the Saucer on the way (not) from the airport to his sister’s house, where they had dinner waiting for us.

The brewery tour was Saturday at 2pm. With flights and long drives ahead, most of the family would not be able to go to the tour at 2 (even if they had been interested), but they were all willing to drive over there for lunch on Saturday on their way out-of-town. The food was great, at least if you like bratwurst and pretzels, and husband got to sample most of their beers. Still, he was a little pouty that we didn’t stay for the tour.

That night, three of us trekked 40 minutes thru and across Charlotte to visit the Flying Saucer. His sister happily drove, exploring parts of Charlotte she hadn’t seen before, and husband got to say hello to the manager, both acting like they had long-lost friends in common. He was a little pouty to learn that they didn’t sell out of the Turkey of the Year glass until about 9 pm and we could have SO made it there by then, even after dinner.

For what seemed like very good reasons at the time we booked our flights, we actually flew in and out of an airport about 80 miles away from Charlotte. On the drive Sunday we saw a billboard for Hub City, Spartanburg’s indie bookstore. We had some time to kill, so husband pulled over, pulled out his smart phone and we looped thru downtown looking for the bookstore. It was closed on Sundays, but we still parked and got out and peered in the windows and decided it was worth stopping again sometime to actually go inside.

Getting back in the car I had to call him on it, “This is how you appease me? You take me to bookstores that are closed?” In retrospect, I realize that the marriage karma just wasn’t with me. Maybe I should have stayed for the tour.