����So I'm reading Outbox and she looks to be in the throes of Brand Spanking New Will You Look At All The Chrome On That Baby LOVE.

����It would be small and petty of me to be jealous of someone else's happiness, so of course I won't be. No, not me. I'm too grown up for that.

����Hey, I realize how ephemeral yet magical the part is where every time you look at a new love you can hardly breathe because you so very badly want to sink your teeth into that new butt, drag said butt off to your cave and ...

����Ooops, did I just say something about teeth and butts out loud? Me?

����Well ...

����We had our daughter here visiting for a few days last week and the night after she left I mentioned to the spousal unit, "Well, now that the kid's gone we can go back to having all that wild sex on the kitchen table."

����He knew I was joking and all, BUT DID HE HAVE TO LAUGH QUITE SO HARD? HUH?

����So um, er, ah, yep, I might be a tad wistful when I think about what Outbox has written. After all, new love is such a rush. You're both on your best behaviour, all you focus on is each other, and the air is ripe with pheromones. Unexpected things happen on kitchen tables, or outdoors by ponds.

����Long term love is so ummm, well, you've seen how he looks at night when he drools in his sleep, you know? He's seen you with bedhead so bad that it's spooked the cats. We won't mention the inappropriate scratching you've both done in the other's presence or the odd body noises. Oh no. We won't.

����I have been with my sweetie for 30 years, married for 25, and that counts for something, and I know it. I mean, we've seen each other at our absolute worst and not run screaming off into the night.

����(There may have been the odd bout of quiet moaning while huddled in a corner, but so far no running off screaming in the night.)

����I know how rare it is for two people to hold it together and I love it that I have someone in my life who knows all my history, who gets all my jokes no matter how obscure.

����I would be lying, though, if I didn't say that there are times when I yearn for the spontaneity of new love. I'm sure he feels the same. At one time or another almost all our friends have given in to this urge. Almost all our friends are divorced.

����Sometimes I wonder why we haven't.

����Sometimes I wonder what it was that kept us together during the low times that every couple has. Whatever it is, I'm grateful it exists.

����The sight of him doesn't make my heart flutter like it did when I was 19. But you know, if he's late coming home at night I start looking out the window for him and fretting.

����Oh, and it gets worse.

����When he goes away I have trouble sleeping at night. Why? Because he's not here snoring and the house is way, way too quiet.

����How sad is that? Wait, don't answer ...