The Things We Do For Love

My first love, the ocean.

If I am a beer widow then Reed is an ocean widower. Since I was a child I have loved the ocean and been drawn to it. Whenever possible, at home and when we travel, I am in the water swimming, snorkeling or scuba-diving. Reed turns purple and gets out into the sun long before I’m done. I volunteer at the Birch Aquarium at Scripps and my favorite thing to do is wander the hall of fishes and say hi to the cuttlefish, abalone and giant sea bass. I chose a job that sends me out to sea all over the world for 3-5 months a year. Even when I’m out for months at a time, I still find my peace each day by spending a quiet moment gazing at the horizon, where the water meets the sky.

It’s important to involve yourself with your spouse’s passions. Considering what Reed has had to say “yes, of course dear” to, it really is only fair that I reciprocate. He stays home and takes care of the bills, the pets and our life here in general when I get sent off for work – so I can smile and nod when he goes on about mashing and yeast varieties. And there’s perks for both of us in this, proportionate to our sacrifices. I have been pleasantly surprised by how many beers I do enjoy. I never would have spent time on this sort of research if it wasn’t done in support of Reed’s hobby/obsession. And in the past 15 months Reed has met me in Alaska, South Africa and Japan for vacations scheduled around my work trips.

Support Your Spouse: Oktoberfest in Tokyo.

And so it was with his sacrifices in mind that I said “of course dear” when he proposed the idea of a kegerator. A full-sized second refrigerator now lives on our back porch and will supposedly have up to 15 gallons of beer in it at all times – from now until eternity. It required a small monetary investment - the fridge on craigslist, a carbon dioxide tank and a kit of accessories - and a couple of hours of work on his part to drill the hole and plumb the whole thing. And you know what? I kind of love it. It looks professional and Reed plans to make a custom tap handle for it, some sort of family crest or something. I told him he should just get a Miller High Life one; it's our last name, not our favorite beer or anything - but I think he just can't handle the implications. A friend pointed out to me that any keg could go in there, like perhaps a cider. I know better than to hold out any hope of that, but I enjoy pouring beers out of our new addition - even if I won't enjoy drinking any.