Proud Husband

This will be my first blog post without pictures because my beloved MacbookPro is in for repairs. So, here I am stuck with my wife's little Gateway Netbook, without access to either my photos or my bookmarks. It's maddening. I feel like I did in those childhood dreams where I'm stuck in a glass phone booth naked and late for class. Everybody's had those right?
But, all five of my blog fans insisted I write and give them an update after more than a year hiatus from this blog.
The BIG NEWS is that amazing wife, Tami, has been promoted to manage one of J.C. Penney's largest stores in Springfield, V.A. For those of you that have been keeping up, yes, that's exactly where we moved from 2 1/2 years ago when I left a good position at Army Times and came to O.H. to become a "kept man."
Moving here, and giving up some of my globetrotting ways has been quite an adjustment and the lack of photojournalism opportunities a serious blow to the self-image. But, I found the people of the mid-Ohio Valley warm, welcoming, and extremely helpful. The town of Marietta took me in and and made me their own, and I've learned as much in these last two years, both about myself, and the craft of storytelling, than in any other time in my life. (That will be the subject of my next post.)
Most importantly, I've had a chance to watch my wife succeed in a role that she seems made for. For the last two years she's developed into an excellent manager, motivating and counseling over 160 associates, maintaining high customer service scores, and keeping profits up during a difficult economic downturn. I've watched her agonize over the decisions she's made, and learn from her few mistakes. She's helped win numerous awards for her store. On top of all that, she's found time to stroke my fragile ego, manage this household, hike with me on icy trails and even learn to fish from a canoe. Evidently I'm not the only person who recognizes the abilities of this amazing woman. In Springfield she'll be managing one of Penney's largest stores during a complete remodel of both the store and the mall. Now that I know how smart, and capable she is, it completely boggles the mind, that she could be duped into marrying me. Just goes to prove that love really is blind.
The plan right now is for Tami to move to Springfield in the first week of April. I'll stay behind with the dogs and get to work selling the house, making frequent trips to the D.C. area to shop for a new one. To my Marietta friends, I'm extremely grateful to you all and will be in contact with you over the next few weeks. As, for my work, I'll look forward to getting back to my photojournalism roots with a whole new skill set...I've got some ideas, but those will have to wait for another blog. The whips snapping, and I have to get back to work. Congratulations Tami, I'm very proud of you!