Chapter 21…My Wedding.

Everyone I knew was happy for me. My parents were glad that Larry and I were getting married. Larry was a level headed responsible person that would keep me in line. I needed someone to put a hold on me and keep me out of trouble. I didn’t know much about Larry at all, so we spent the next two weeks getting to know each other. I found out that I was going to be wife #4!! Larry was 33 years old and had two kids from previous marriages and who knows how many from affairs. He doesn’t communicate with his former wives or children. That bothered me, but I figured I could encourage him to send birthday cards and Christmas presents to the kids. I made a mental note to remind him to. I went out and got drunk the night before our wedding and ended up at an old roommate’s house. I was getting cold feet and was crying! I told Ellie that I was scared and that I didn’t really love Larry, but I loved the idea of getting married and settling down. I was getting tired of the party life. I was 25 years old, almost 26. It was time to change. A few of my drinking buddies weren’t happy about it. They threatened Larry that he better treat me good or he would have to answer to them!!



We went to a Judges chamber to get married. My Mom & Dad, Larry and me and my old friend Ellie were in attendance. After the vows we all went out to dinner at the “Captain Whidbey Inn” on the water on Penn Cove. It is a quaint old place.
Larry took me to meet his parents in Edmonds about 40 miles away the following week. He introduced me as his new wife. He never told them we were getting married, but it didn’t shock them at all. I guess they were used to it. Larry was an only child. I felt very awkward, but they welcomed me with open arms. They were great people.
I had a 1967 red Thunderbird with black cloth roof & black leather tuck & roll upholstery. I loved that car. It broke down and I was told it would cost $500.00 to fix it, so Larry convinced me to trade it in on a better vehicle. We went to the Ford dealer and he traded it in on a 1972 brown Pinto station wagon!! OMG what did I marry??!! That should’ve told me then to get out!! But nooooo, I had to endure more humiliation!!
I continued to bartend at the Legion and Larry would go to work at the base. He would come in on his lunch hour and drink a beer or two then head back, or I would call his Chief and tell him Larry has a flat tire or something and he would stay at the bar all day. I would get off work at 6:00 and have a beer. Then Larry would order another beer, so I would too. This kept up just about every night, then we would go home around 10 or midnight or 2AM and he would ask what was for dinner. One night I was tired and drunk and he asked what was for din-din, so I opened the refrigerator door and started throwing frozen food all over the kitchen and said “Take your f---ing pick”!!!! Then I went to bed.
We moved to a trailer and it was a lot nicer than the apartment we were staying at, so I decided to throw a housewarming party. I planned the appetizers and mixed drinks and beer, cleaned the house, sent out invitations to his boss and people he worked with, my parents and just about everyone we knew. I worked until 6, the day of the party. When I got home I asked Larry to go get some ice. Everyone showed up and still no Larry. I was getting really worried. I called the police, the hospital, his parents, all the bars, and still no Larry!! The party broke up about 2AM and Larry never came home until the next day. I asked him where he went and he said to the beach! I asked why, and he said he didn’t like parties. I told him it was a fine way of telling me!! He never let on once that he preferred if we didn’t throw a party! We had a huge fight and I ran home to mom & dad. I was crying with mom when dad was backing out of the driveway and ran right into my …er…Larry’s station wagon!! What a day that was!!!