took for granite

Did you know that when I was really little,
(okay, fine - until I was about 18)
I used to think that expression - which you use when you take someone or something to be always available to serve in some way without thanks or recognition -
was "to take for granite."
Back to that in a minute.

This past weekend, as I gallivanted from organic, local picnic lunch,
to rehearsal dinner cocktails and dinner on the town,
to after-dinner drinks with all of MY friends from college,
to a girls-only-night-before-sleepover-with-the-bride,
to a bridesmaids morning run,
to a day o' beautification and relaxation,
to more socializing with all MY college friends,
Stefan was left somewhat on his own.

After we took the red-eye Thursday night, drove from Boston to Newburyport, and then had a quick power breakfast at the local diner,

Starbucks caramel macchiato, eggs, bacon,

and a side of jumbo pancakes

How does he stay so sexy??

Stefan had to head into the local library to spend the day working while I got to go lounge at the bride's mother's farm: eating, drinking, and socializing in the sun.

That night, post-dinner (which he spent chatting it up with all sorts of people he'd never met before), I left him (with more people he'd never met before) to go back to the farm for a night o' beauty rest.  (He, of course, charmed my college girlfriends dancing the night away with each one of them.)

The next day, while I was off with the bridesmaids living the life, he went -
wait for it -
bird-watching with the MOH's boyfriend: the lovely Scott MacKenzie.

They didn't have quite the equipment,

but they came with double the excitement

Despite the perfect company, I'm sure this activity didn't rank top of the list for my adventure-loving, mountain-biking, marathon-running, activity-junkie husband.

While I was off playing bridesmaid, getting ready to walk down the aisle and such, he was making his way to the ceremony, sitting and socializing with more people he didn't know (in a language that isn't his own).

Now he's a pretty self-sufficient guy so I usually never worry about him. 
And this weekend, I took him, and his efforts going with the flow, being comfortable in uncomfortable situations, and being just generally easy to please, for granite.

See this expression actually makes quite a lot of sense the way I mean it. 
Because I mean I literally took him for stone, hard and tough, not easily breakable. 
I didn't need to worry about him because I knew he was tough enough, but also malleable enough (there's a reason they so often choose this compound for carving monuments), to get through whatever obstacles and challenges came his way.
In fact, instead of me worrying about him, I was leaning on him - my strong, massive structure - to get me through the weekend's challenges (a toast, a reading, little sleep).
I literally mean: I took him as my rock.   

So anyway, in all of this I really mean to say:
I'm sorry for taking you for granite.
And for granted.

xoxo
KK