Yesterday, November 22nd, was what we consider to be our 28th wedding anniversary. Even though I have been legally married twice since then, we have always considered ourselves married to one another.
It was November 22, 1980. We were both 18 years old. J had come to San Marcos to visit me at college for the weekend. Instead of staying in my dorm, we went to a motel for the night of November 21st. At around 5:30 the morning of the 22nd, J turned to me and asked me to marry her. How could I say "no"? She was my entire life. At exactly 5:45 a.m. we said our vows to one another. I don't remember exactly what we said, but I remember being ecstatically happy. Later on, it made me kind of sad because I couldn't tell anyone about being united with my soulmate.
Friday night, J and I went away for the weekend, back to San Marcos, where we lived together for three years. (We were a couple for five of those years) When we got to Luling, about 24 miles from San Marcos, I started to cry. As soon as we exited the interstate, everything started to come back. We passed Stairtown, which still smells awful. I was trying to hold back the tears, having stopped crying from the first time. And then I saw them, the lights of Martindale, population 953, where we had lived together at one point in a tiny trailer. I have lots of stories to tell from living there. On our way home from Houston on Sunday nights, I had always anxiously looked for those lights, a place where I longed to be. We drove past twice. The trailer is no longer there, but I just couldn't help it. I just kept crying. J says that of all the places we visited over the weekend, Martindale is where I got the most emotional. I am not sure why. We moved to Martindale, I believe, to isolate ourselves further from people who we thought did not accept us.
We got to San Marcos around 8:30 p.m. Friday night. The hotel was fabulous. I could have spent the night in the lobby and been happy. We ordered room service and had a very romantic evening.
Saturday we went to the trailer park. This was our first home off campus; and, believe it or not, 29 years later, the trailer is still there. I think it looks better than it did when we lived there! It was a dump back then. I think we paid about $200 a month for it. #67. Wow, it must be 40 to 45 years old! It has held up better than me!
We then drove through the edge of campus, and J found the place where we both used to work. I could not believe she remembered how to get to that house!
Then we drove to Devil's Backbone. If you are in the San Marcos/Wimberely area, this is a place you must see. Our favorite "picnic area" is still there with a lookout of a breathtaking view, especially when you are with the one you love.
We then proceeded back to town to hunt for our old apartment, the last place we lived together, the place of our breaking up. I had been to San Marcos in August and drove around in circles trying to find it but couldn't. J found it on the second try!!!! I could not get emotional about this place. While it was one of my favorite places to live, it held a bad memory for me, and I just could not connect with my feelings at that point.
We then visited Gil's Broiler, Home of the Manske Roll. I COULD NOT believe it was still there, but J said that places like that never close. We had a Manske Roll for lunch. Simply marvelous.
We went back to the hotel for a nap and then to one of our most favorite restaurants in town, a romantic spot called Palmer's. They don't have fried mushrooms anymore, but the strawberry dacquiris where great! I could not remember the inside of the restaurant, but J remembered everything, even the fireplace. How in the world we saved up enough money in college to go there is beyond me. It was very romantic, and J said that a couple of people were looking at us. I LIKE THAT A LOT!!!! I love people knowing that we are together as a couple.
Today we went to Grin's for lunch, the best place in San Marcos for a hamburger and wine coolers! Then we went to Aquarena Center, formally Aquarena Springs, which, to me, was depressing. We spent a lot of time there back then, just walking around and talking. It is not the same anymore, and if I wrote about the changes, I would start bawling, so let's just leave it at that. I wrote our initials on the bridge, near where they used to be, but it did not cheer me up. A helluva way to end a beautiful weekend.
J thought that I would cry as we were leaving town, but I purposely read the university newspaper as we made our way back to I-10. It was a weekend to remember always. It could not have been any more special. We have made new memories that we will never forget. I love San Marcos because of the time we spent together, and now we are talking about retiring near there. That would be a dream come true for me. I'm ready to move now!!!!
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