Deidre Hall

Catching Up with Carolby Carol SilvaA Little Off TargetI’m going to be married 20 years comeSeptember. Pretty remarkable. Not because I don’tbelieve in marriage. I very much do. In fact my husbandand I have been teaching PreCana (marriagepreparation taught by married couples to engagedcouples getting married in the Catholic Church) fortwo decades.I just can’t believe we finally got in the same placelong enough. I met him when I was 17. We workedin the same department store; even used to double date with my boyfriendand his girlfriend. We went our separate ways – I guess to grow up. Thenin the late 1980s, he was working at WNBC-TV when there was a strike. Tofill his time, he came to work at News 12 – such a great old friend, I set himup on dates with my friends!It took a few years for our “friendship” to become something more. Butthe earliest stage of “something more” was tricky–the part when you’re notsure if you’re dating. One day we agreed to meet for lunch. He told me hewas working on his sailboat so we shouldmeet outside Cocco’s Restaurant on theI’m going to bewater in Huntington. I picked the perfectmarried 20 yearsoutfit: nautical blue striped shirt, a whitecable sweater around my shoulders,come September. adorable cuffed white shorts. Yes, Iremember. He showed up in a pair of oldPrettyblue gym shorts, white t-shirt, a bandanaaround his head. He looked like Paparemarkable.Smurf! He was covered in blue dust fromsanding the bottom of his boat. I’m notsure who was more embarrassed when he said, “Oh, the boat is in theboatyard around the corner, but I never thought you’d find it.” Off we wentto the deli for sandwiches so I could perch on a ladder in the boatyard. Nice.But I got even. Didn’t mean to. I was working the 4am shift at News 12while he worked the 2-11pm shift at NBC. I told him to meet me around1-PM (his breakfast) in a Northern Blvd., Manhasset restaurant. Perfect littlesalad shop, light meals. Except I gave him the name of a restaurant severaldoors away. We both walked into heavy duty Italian port wines, thickvelvet curtains. I was too embarrassed to suggest, “Wanna move down theblock?” Although he could have had that pasta dish they make with eggs.Then there was the time he and Lea Tyrrell’s husband dropped us off in themiddle of Little Italy and went to park. About 45 minutes later the guysshowed up – realizing we had walked into the other Italian restaurant onthe block with the big windows and brass trim.So where do we go for our 20th? Even if we stay home, I’m afraid he’llshow up at the kitchen table, while I’m all decked out, waiting in the diningroom! ◆News 12's Carol Silva has been bringing Long Islander's their local news formore than 20 years. Watch her weekday mornings at 5:30am on News 12Long Island.To advertise: 516-505-0555 x1 or ads@liwomanonline.com LONG ISLAND WOMAN • April 2011 • 21