Trying two-gut feline again

Thirty-seven years ago today, my wife and I were driving through northern Illinois in my orange Pinto.

We’d been married the day before in her hometown of Hannibal, Mo. After the reception, we had crossed the Mississippi bridge into Illinois and headed northeast toward Lake Geneva, Wisc., where I had reserved a room at a resort for three nights. The room cost $55 a night, a fortune on my $8,100 annual salary. A three-day honeymoon was all we could afford.

A few miles into Illinois, it had begun to snow. By the time we got to Peoria, we were worn out and pulled into a Holiday Inn.

The next morning was bright and sunny. As we drove toward Wisconsin, the sun reflected off the snow-covered prairie. We were listening to the radio. The disc jockey was telling a story that went something like this: "I went to a Chinese restaurant the other night where they served cat. Not just any cat, a cat with two stomachs, which is considered a delicacy in China. I’d tried it before and didn’t like it. But my friends convinced me to try it one more time. So I found myself ... trying two-gut feline again."

With that, he segued into one of the top songs of the day, Barry’s Manilow’s “Trying to Get the Feeling Again.”

It's funny the things you remember. I don’t recall much about the wedding. Or the reception. I do remember the St. Louis Cardinals Football team was in the playoffs and most of the male guests hung out at the bar watching the game.

But I will never forget looking over at my bride at the precise moment the disk jockey started playing that stupid song and seeing her nose crinkle as she laughed.

It still does.

Thirty-seven years ago today, I had no idea just how lucky I was.

But I do now.