This past weekend was a study in contrast. Saturday was chock-ful of activity, while Sunday was marked with lethargy. Saturday started with a 9:00 soccer game. My s-son's team, the Bulldogs, beat the Jaguars, 3-2, in a very exciting game. S-son's mom and I sat together and caught up with each other's goings on. In a strange (or maybe not-so-strange) twist of fate, her family and mine have a lot in common, aside for the obvious. This is probably why we get along well, better than the usual ex- and current relationship.

After lunch, hubby, s-son and I headed to his baseball game. While I enjoy watching soccer, baseball is too drudging for me. Maybe because it takes 2 hours longer than the hour of soccer? At the game, I brought long-overdue pictures of the flower girl at my wedding that her mom, who's the wife of s-son's baseball coach, has been asking for. I thought I'd show her our wedding album as well, so I brought the pocketbook version of it.

I sat next to s-son's mom again, and we picked up where we left off. Next to her is another baseball mom friend of ours, Angie. When s-son's mom asked what was in the package, I told her it's Shayna's pictures from our wedding. She lit up and asked if she could see them. She loved the pictures, and I tentatively asked if she would like to see the wedding album. She said "of course!" and she and Angie snatched the book I took out from my purse. They both loved the pictures! Then Angie said, "You know, we've been to many weddings over the years, I must say, yours was the best we've ever been to by far." I felt myself blushing and thanked her, but got too awkward that I told s-son's mom, "you know I really wanted to invite you, we just felt in the end we didn't want you or anyone else to feel uncomfortable." She said "I wouldn't have! I would love it, but I understand." So, disconcerting moment passes. They ask me more about the wedding, like where I got my dress, where I found the magician for the kids, and who did the beautiful album, etc. S-son's mom asks me "so, what's your wedding song?". I said "Oops, I Did it Again." She burst out laughing. "Good one!" That's because hubby has been married thrice before me.

So baseball time flies by with the three of us chatting, to be joined later by Rosemary, the flower girl's mom. We talk about anything and everything, from the boys' teacher to our vacations, from Survivor to Rescue Me. After the game ends, with our Baltimore Orioles shutting the opposing Red Sox out, we rush to a BBQ to the soccer coach's house, sort of a 'beginning of the season' party. I got to another round of socializing, with soccer moms this time, and at 9 pm I said goodbye to our hostess because I had a lot of housework to do. I leave hubby and s-son at the party and walk home, which was 2 blocks away) and start cleaning the china cabinet we just purchased. Although I ran out of Pledge, I'm happy with the results.

Hubby and s-son didn't get home until midnight, and by then I have bought velvet flatware storage and yards of flannel lining for the china over the internet and was just watching recorded shows from ReplayTV. Hubby told me about the rest of the party, and we watched several Reno 911's and Chappelle Shows before retiring at 2 am.

Sunday was veg day. Yup, a study in contrast. Hubby and s-son played Halo most of the day, and I just lounged around and saw more ReplayTV shows (I watched about 10 hours of TV, without the commercials of course). I justified this indolence with the cramps I was suffering due to my period. Around 3 pm I felt guilty and decided to clean my room. I got rid of a trash bag full of clothes and the same amount of paper (why am I subscribed to all these magazines?) At 6:30 pm hubby rounds us all up and we eat a not-so-healthy dinner at Dairy Queen.

Later that evening, when I found myself alone again, I couldn't concentrate on the book I was trying to read. My thoughts kept coming back to my husband's ex-wife, envisioning how it would have been if she was at the wedding. I imagined what it would be like to watch the man who vowed to love you 'til death do you part make the same promise to another woman, who is having the happiest day of her life.

I would've died inside.

Vangie Fuhrman got cold on 9.21.2004 9:45 PM. |