Journal mcgrew's Journal: -- Valentines Day in Springfield 2
Oh, Valentines day, whe we nerds and other single men are smug in the knowledge that we don't have to buy roses and candy. I can't help but think of the Valentine's Day I spent with Meg, the most beautiful woman I ever met.
But in Springfield, however, the cartoons have other ways of celebrating. They're probably thinking of the Chicago way.
A 42-year-old man attacked his wife -- from whom he had been separated for about two years -- inside a home in the 1000 block of North Sixth Street on Monday.
The incident happened about noon. The victim said her husband entered the house and cornered her in a bathroom, police said. He then grabbed her by the throat and shoved her before kicking her in the right side of her ribcage when she fell.
She refused medical treatment, police said.
A 19-year-old man attacked a 29-year-old woman at an apartment in the 1800 block of South First Street on Sunday.
The attack happened in the apartment's living room, police said. It happened just before 11 p.m.
The man reportedly hit the woman, causing her to have a knot on her forehead, police said. She refused medical treatment.
"She refused medical treatment". Of course she did, you can't hurt a cartoon!
The cartoons here don't always slap each other around. There are even more romantic activities.
A Virden man has been sentenced to more than 4 years in federal prison for his role in the March armed robbery of United Community Bank of Divernon.
Dale Giardina, 38, aided his wife, Skipper S. Giardina, 37, in the robbery that netted more than $7,000.
Dale Giardina pleaded guilty on Sept. 23 to aiding and abetting his wife in the armed robbery.
U.S. District Judge Jeanne Scott sentenced him to 4 years and 3 months in prison and ordered him to pay $7,552 in restitution to the bank.
Skipper Giardina was ordered on Aug. 12 to pay the same restitution and to serve 4 years, 10 months in prison.
Dale Giardina admitted he created a paper Illinois license plate image to cover the real license plate of the vehicle driven by his wife to commit the robbery on March 27. Dale Giardina was employed as a computer-aided drafting (CAD) operator for City Water, Light and Power in Springfield at the time.
But like I said, my all time favorite Valentine's day was in 2006, back before Meg moved to Florida. God, how I miss that woman! Stand her next to a movie star and the movie star looked like a hag. She's the only woman I met since I've been divorced I'd even consider marrying. And her personality and heart were as beautiful as her face and body.
God, but I miss her. I'm ashamed to say I miss her more than Linda, and Linda was a great cook. I could have sworn I've journaled about that VD, but I can't find it, so this may be a dupe. If so, sorry.
We used to drink together a lot, and often drank a lot together. Our favorite haunt was George Ranks, and it closed that Valentine's Day.
If I remember correctly, we'd had a BIG snowstorm the night before, a snowstorm that cost me a hundred dollars, sixty of it for having my car towed... out of my driveway. We had at least a foot of snow.
I got to work about two hours late, as all the tow trucks and taxis were busy. Hell, the phones were busy, I couldn't even call for a tow or taxi. Shortly after I got to work she called - "My car's stuck in the snow, can you give me a ride to the gas station at lunch so I can buy some cigarettes?"
Meg was a businesswoman, and not the kind of businesswoman I've hung around with since. She owned a commercial building on 6th Street and a gift shop inside the building, and lived upstairs from the gift shop. She had leased part of it to a beauty shop operator, but the recession had started hitting and the shop had gone out of business, and her gift shop business wasn't doing too well by then, either.
I picked her up outside the big building, and she was hopping mad. "That son of a bitch, that's the last straw. We're done!"
"Who?" I asked. The son of a bitch was, of course, her boyfriend. "He didn't get me any anything for Valentine's Day, and he came by when I was trying to dig my car out and didn't even offer to help!"
"What a gentleman," replied sarcastically as I opened her car door for her.
After she got her smokes she got in a bit of a better mood, and we decided to go to the VD party at George Ranks that night. Her BF seldom took her out, which is why I was able to spend so much time with her.
"We can laugh at all the fools in love!" she laughed. I said I'd pick her up at home at four thirty. "You know what I'll be doing at 4:20!" I said.
I've come a long way since then when it comes to women. If I'd just met her now I'd probably be able to get her in bed, but at the time I had a hard time getting any kind of woman. Guys, light their cigarettes and open their doors, buy them little, inexpensive things. That seems counterintuitive, but if you lavash expensive gifts on them it makes them feel like whores. I bought a two dollar heart shaped box of chocolates on the way back to work from lunch.
We went to Rank's -- and it was closed. It never reopened again. I miss that bar; it was where I'd met Chris, my first post-divorce girlfriend, and where I met the whore that stole my car and traded it for crack. It's where I met Danny, who introduced me to my second girlfriend Robyn, who I fear has died of chirrosis. The last few years of my life would have been completely different had George Rank's never existed. There are signs of its reopening, and I'm hopeful. I miss that place.
"Well, hell", I said disapointedly. "Where now?"
"I don't know," she said. "JW's?"
We drove by there and the parking lot was packed. We went by NitWit's, and it, too was packed.
We wound up in some little bar I never was before or after, and had a good time. I don't remember how the night ended, as we got REALLY drunk.
God, I miss Meg. I think I'll get drunk tonight in her memory.
Beautiful (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Actually there are two volumes already, I just need to publish.