My wife’s name is not really Imelda. Neither is it Winchester. Nor is it Steve.
Do you remember Imelda Marcos? Is it because she was the beautiful wife and confidante of Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos, or do you remember her for her purported love of shoes?
“What’s wrong with shoes? I collected them because it was like a symbol of thanksgiving and love.” Imelda Marcos- Associated Press article, in The Eye, November 1997.
It’s the shoe thing I remember. And I am reminded every time I try to wedge my way into our closet. It’s not really a small closet by any account, but my “half” is really only about a quarter of the space and currently being threatened to further reduction by a growing pile of shoe boxes.
When questioned, my Imelda informs me that “these go so much better with my taupe skirt than my other shoes”. Apparently none of the other 453 shoes don’t work.
Being a guy, sometimes the nuances elude me.
453 shoes?? All my shoes add up to an even number, you know….divisible by 2…
So I’m not always fond of the “Imelda” side.
The Winchester tag comes from the famed (and somewhat looney) Sarah Winchester. Wife of Oliver Winchester, inventor of the legendary Winchester Repeating Rifle.
After Oliver passed away, Sarah spent a boatload of her mammoth inheritance on a home improvement plan of truly epoch proportion. She was obsessed with trying to fool the ghosts of all the folks that had met their maker(s) through the assistance of the Winchester rifle. Check out the site: www.winchestermysteryhouse.com. I toured the house several times while living in the area.
Now I feel that I’m living in my own version of the place. We bought a BRAND NEW home years ago and like the Winchester house, it’s been undergoing an endless series of remodeling projects since. My Mrs. “Winchester” has an endless supply of ideas for changes that she envisions.
My problem comes from the fact that I’m a pretty good carpenter, plumber, painter, electrician, etc., etc. I’ve installed marble tile, brick pavers, baseboard, new outlets, new staircase railings, new kitchen layout…..you get it… Next it’s 980 square feet of hardwood floors…… I’m spending more time on my knees than a prom queen.
I’m not always fond of the “Winchester” side either.
Calling her “Steve” comes from some silly thing said by my then teenage son, Alex, that, while the context has long since been forgotten, the nickname has stuck around. The Steve is funny, warm and my very best friend. Steve has stuck by me through everything imaginable. Steve holds my hand every minute of the day, even when we’re miles apart.
Steve is really the best person in my life. I can’t imagine life without her.
However, I wouldn’t mind it if those other two took a hike.
The Desert Curmudgeon 