Nagel 1

Aja Nagel
Instructor Anna McLauchlan
English 103
29 March 2016
A Night to Remember
When someone you know describes a night as one they will remember forever,
people generally think of a fairy-tale night of magic and wonder. This night is not one of
those nights. My mind could not stop thinking about it. The memories kept replaying over
and over. These thoughts raced through my head as the song Something About the
Way You Look Tonight by Elton John played through the radio once again. It has been
on non-stop since it was released, especially since it hit Top 10 in Billboard
(Whitburn

). And here I am going through the motions yet again...

It was December 28, 1997. I woke up to the sound of Ironic playing on full blast.
My husband knew I hated the song, but ever since it won the Juno award for Single of
the Year (Junoawards.ca) he would consistently tease me by doing this exact thing
every morning. God, the song pissed me off.
John, I fucking hate you sometimes! I call out to him before quickly getting up,
turning it off, turning on the television, and getting dressed.
It's expected to warm up today with flurries or showers. With temperatures
hovering around the freezing mark, roads are icier than usual... (Christmas Season
27). The words echoed from the TV. Great. More snow. Not like Prince George had
enough already. Feeling my stomach growl, I head downstairs to start making breakfast.
Hey honey, enjoy your morning? John surprises me with a kiss as I round the
corner to the kitchen. I push him away.

Nagel 2
Oh yes, babe, it was absolutely amazing. My voice leaked with sarcasm. I grab
the utensils and food necessary to make an omelette. I noticed he was dressed in heavy
clothes and a coat. You're heading out?
Oh, the boys were begging me to. They're forcing me to watch a rerun of the
Detroit game. You know they won the Stanley Cup for the second year in a row? They
won't let me forget it! Scotty Bowman is an amazing coach! (Gerry Brown 418). He
does his best job at imitating his friend Michael. I frown. Alice, I didn't forget. You know I
won't be late for our anniversary tonight. And I swear I'll make it up to you.
I turn back to my cooking, pretending to pout. After waiting a few seconds, I turn
and say, Alright, but be back by six, ok?
It's a promise, he responds, a smile returning to his face. I knew you couldn't
stay mad at me! I love you. He gives me a quick kiss, grabs his keys, and drives away
in his car. I let out a long sigh as I finish making my egg. I bring it out to the table and
begin stuffing my face. After gulping it all down, I take a look at some of the magazines
lining the table. For some reason John loved them. Grabbing the one nearest my grasp,
I open it up to a random page. In recent news, Bill and Hilary Clinton are getting a 3month-old chocolate Labrador! (Sorry, Socks 6). How is this news? I put it back. One
more chance for these magazines to impress me, John, or I'm cancelling your
subscriptions. Maclean's catches my eye. Snatching it close to me, I peruse through,
trying to find something worthwhile.
An Ontario judge ruled in favour of a 40-year-old Toronto man for the right to
grow, possess, and smoke marijuana in order to help control his epilepsy. In the judge's
words, it does not accord with the fundamental justice to criminalize a person suffering
from a chronic medical disability (Toker's Rights 68). Another marijuana case. Typical.

Nagel 3
I personally have no opinion on the subject. What other people do in the privacy of their
own homes has nothing to do with me, especially if it's for medical reasons. Alright,
John, you win this one: you can keep your dumb magazines. I laugh, but quickly stop
myself. Laughing alone at my own joke feels like such a lame thing to do.
Only now does the weight of being alone in my home on my anniversary start
weighing down upon me. My friends were always stressing how important a day like this
is, and were so excited I would finally get to experience my first one after marriage. They
always told me it's going to be out of this world; the man is supposed to treat you like a
princess and make the day become a memory to last a lifetime. However, my man has
left me for his jackass friends to watch some dumb hockey game. Another sigh. Stop
thinking like this. He promised he would be back to make my night amazing, and he's
never really let me down before...
Now, don't get me wrong. I love John, but everyone has their issues. He has a
huge heart, but sometimes he lets people influence him and he can make some poor
choices, but it's always with good intentions. I love the way we can play jokes and tease
each other without getting upset, and then two seconds later be making up in the
bedroom, laughing all the while. He always does this sly, stupid grin whenever he has a
grand plan in mind. It's always a dead giveaway, but I never know what exactly he's
gonna do, and he gets me every time. I try to get back at him once in a while, but it's
never as great, although he pretends to act like he didn't know beforehand just to make
me happy. I don't regret taking his hand in marriage, and I think his little quirks make him
more appealing.
I'm torn back to reality by the sounds of laughter from the TV.

Nagel 4
Works Cited
Christmas Season 'One of the Warmest'. Prince George Citizen. 27 Dec. 1997: 1.
Microfilm.
Gerry Brown and Michael Morrison, eds. ESPN Sports Almanac 2009. New York:
Ballantine Books, 2008. Print.
Junoawards.ca. Canadian Academy Recording Arts and Sciences. 2016. Web. 18
Mar. 2016.
Sorry, Socks. Newsweek 130.25 (1997): 6. Academic Search Complete. Web. 18
Mar. 2016.
A Toker's Rights. Maclean's 110.51 (1997): 68. Academic Search Complete. Web. 18
Mar. 2016.
Whitburn, Joel. Billboard Top 10 Charts 1958-1997. Wisconsin: Record Research, 1997.
Print.