That's Love

This is Milo. He's my dog. My littlest dog, my baby. We went for a walk together tonight. He gets so excited when he knows that he's going to get to go. His feet prance. It's adorable. 

He's a tough little bugger, but sometimes he gets tired when we go on walks together. Sometimes, he just needs a little rest. So, sometimes I carry him for a little bit. 

People may laugh at us, but that's what you do for the ones you love. You pick them up and carry them when they are tired. 

And, of course, when they wiggle their butts you know they're okay to carry on by themselves again. 

Rhyming

The husband and I were watching Best Week Ever on VH1 this morning. They were talking about the controversy between Perez Hilton and Miss California. 

According to Best Week Ever, Perez called Miss California "the C-word."

The husband turns to me and says, "The C-word? Does the 'c-word' rhyme with cunt?"

Yes. Yes, husband, the c-word does indeed rhyme with cunt.

He followed that with, "Oops. I meant 'punt.'"

Yes. On both accounts.

ETA: When I read this blog to the husband he said, "I said 'bunt', not 'punt'. Bunt. Bunt. Punt isn't even a word." 

Thank God he's pretty.

Ah, Ms. Austen

I just got done watching the movie version of Persuasion. 

Pride and Prejudice is probably my favorite of all her books, but Persuasion probably runs second for me. I saw the BBC version of Persuasion. It wasn't even very good, but still, even mediocre Austen is better than most. 

Whatever else you might say about her, she was the master of yearning. So little amounts to so much.

And, just a little sigh is reserved for her men. 

Mr. Darcy ardently admired Elizabeth Bennett, in spite of everything.

Captain Wentworth never stopped loving Anne Elliot, even after 8 years of heartbreak.

Maybe more than a little sigh is reserved for her men.

Talky-talky

Everybody thinks my husband is a quiet, nice guy. And so he is, until you get to know him. 

Now, granted, sometimes the husband can be a real bastard (who isn't sometimes?), but this post isn't about that. The thing to know about the husband is, once you get to know him, he won't. shut. up. He is one talky son-of-a-bitch. He talks to me. He talks to the dogs. He talks to himself. Once he gets home, sometimes he just won't quit making noise. 

We started watching Band of Brothers last weekend (which is really good so far and you should see if you haven't already). Tonight, we were watching another couple of episodes and the husband just kept right on talking. 

I had to make a rule. There is no talking during Band of Brothers. 

I know. I'm the big, bad mean wife, right? That's fine as long as you shut the fuck up during Band of Brothers. He's allowed to (and does, unfortunately) talk during other movies. There are only certain ones I ban him from speaking during, so don't feel too bad for him.

It isn't for nothing that they say, "Silence is golden."

Only one more day...

Only one more day of work and then I'm on vacation until the new year. Thank goodness!!

I was going crazy at work all day today. I was barely able to sit still or concentrate on anything. We had a deadline last Thursday and I'm completely uninterested in starting to work on something new. To my credit, I got little to nothing done today. 

I don't know why I'm so excited to be on vacation either. It must be the total euphoria of not having to be at work. I can tell you this, it's not because we have some plans that I'm looking forward to this week. 

Wednesday, we're driving up to stay with the husband's family through Saturday. I like the in-laws for the most part, but here's the thing, visiting them is boring. It's watching paint dry boring. I usually bring four or five books and make it through all of them while I'm there. I think his family must think I'm some sort of crazy bookworm because I'm constantly reading when I'm up there. 

For the most part, there's NOTHING else to do. 

Plus, there is Country Roads.

I hate Country Roads, with a passion. Country Roads is the local diner where the husband's parents live. His parent's LOVE that place. We usually eat up there at least twice when we visit. 

What's so bad about this local diner, you ask?

It's not the food. While nothing to write home about, it's not the worst stuff I've ever had either. 

It's not the atmosphere. CR is clean and well-lit. 

It's the fact that the husband's parents are completely content to sit around CR and gossip with all the locals for HOURS! I'm sorry, but breakfast is not a 3 hour event! 

The last few times we've been up to visit, I've made the husband drive separate so we can leave. I love his parents, but sometimes enough is too much. 

Yet, I'm still completely jazzed to be done with work after tomorrow. Doesn't say a lot for my job at the moment, does it?

For the Record: Part II

I don't like to brag (who am I kidding, I love to brag), but sometimes I am an awesome wife. Not very often, but it has been known to happen. 

Last night, it snowed. A lot.

I didn't have to go to work today, so when I got up I decided to do something about the snow situation in our driveway. I tried to use the snow blower, but the husband can be kind of an ass sometimes and refused to show me how to do it the one time I asked. I tried to figure it out on my own, but there are a lot of buttons and switches on the snow blower. I pressed a few buttons, flipped a few switches, but I didn't know what the hell I was doing so I gave up when I didn't have any immediate successes. 

So, I got out the shovel to work on it the old-fashioned way. I'm going to be honest, I didn't initially plan to shovel the entire driveway. I planned on shoveling out the end of the driveway and the high parts, so I could get the Prius in and out of the garage. But, I got started with the end of the driveway and I was having... um, fun? No, fun is not the right word, but I was making some good progress, so I decided to continue until I got sick of it. 

While I was working, one of my neighbors (who is totally awesome, by the by) saw me working by hand and came over to help out with his snow blower. So, he finished snow blowing my driveway and I shoveled off our front walkway, front porch and then worked on making a path for the dogs from the deck in the back of our house. 

(Yes, the dogs get a path. Milo stands about 6 inches off the ground. If we don't shovel him a path, he would probably just sink down and get stuck.)

So, when the husband came home, there was no work required. It had already been done by my neighbor and me. 

What did he have to say to this miracle of the ages? 

The husband: "When I shovel off the deck, usually I make the path a little bigger."

Totally worth it?

Materialism?

Christmas, according to my television, is all about presents and rampant consumerism. 

A lot of people seem to get caught up in this holiday for all the wrong reasons. And by all the wrong reasons, I don't really mean the presents. Like most things in life, it's not the thing itself, it's the idea behind the thing that usually gets off course. 

I was reading a blog this morning and I couldn't help but think, really that is what's wrong with Christmas. Kids making their mother buy back the gift cards she got for them? Are you kidding me? 

Maybe it's just me. For me, gift giving is an act of love. The gift itself isn't the point. It's the fact that I spent time, effort and money on you. (The money being the least important component.) I thought about you. I thought about what you like. I thought about what you would like. I thought about how I feel about you and what you mean to me. 

When I get a gift from you, I hope that you've done the same. 

When I talk to people about this holiday, so many people are just focused on getting everyone on their lists checked off. I know, I feel the pressure too. But, if you can, just take a moment and think about why those people are on your list at all. 

It's a lean year. The husband and I spent less on Christmas this year, than we have for many, many years, but we didn't skimp out on the important part.

What brought all this on?

I came home tonight and found a box of apples and pears from my grandfather. It made me smile. Heck, it almost made me cry. 

He was thinking about me.

For the Record

Since, it doesn't happen very often I just wanted to record the effort. 

I was TOTALLY a good wife today. 

We had a bunch of friends over this weekend. Yesterday, the girls and I all pretended that we're domesticated Betty Crocker types and baked tons of cookies and made some candy and fudge for Christmas. Then, after our intrepid baking adventure I made dinner for everyone. There was some wine involved and we played some games after dinner, so the dishes were piled high and left overnight. 

This morning, the husband wanted to get the dishes done so he could watch the Packer game when it came on at noon. 

Brace yourselves.

I helped him do the dishes. 

He washed, I dried. 

I have no idea what came over me. 

I even wiped down the counter tops. 

In case the husband ever forgets, now I'll have a written record to remind him with.

Love Actually

The husband and I watched Love Actually this evening.

I am just chock full of the kind of warm, fuzzies that this movie always gives me.

At this moment, I love puppies and rainbows and babies... and I love, love this movie. 

The music is amazing.

Emma Thompson is brilliant, as per usual for her.

Wisconsin girls (for once) are skewed towards being portrayed as hotties.

"Kids, don't buy drugs. Become a pop star and they give them to you for free." - Billy Mack

"To me, you are perfect..." - Mark

 

Sigh. 

Did I mention I love this movie?

There is only one problem with it and it bothers me every time I watch. 

Sarah's (Laura Linney) story. 

I get it; she loves her brother.

I love my siblings. 

I even have a certain amount of experience with sacrificing a piece of your own happiness for that of your siblings. 

I might help them cover up a murder. I would definitely take in their crack babies. 

But, if I had the opportunity to sleep with a man I had secretly been in love with for 2 years 7 months 3 days and 2 hours, then I would shut my cell phone off.

Their problems would still be there when we're done, right?

So, what's the harm?

I don't mean to burst your bubble if you thought otherwise, but there you have it. 

Thankful

In honor of the day and to spread a little good karma around, here are a few things I am thankful for:

1. Our home loan

Sometimes it takes my breath away to think how close the husband and I came to being caught up in the current housing crisis. Buying a house is hard and confusing. We made a lot of mistakes when we were buying our house, but the one mistake we didn't make was taking out an ARM (adjustable rate mortgage) on the house. Our loans are fixed rate, which we decided on because I am suspicious of anything that is "adjustable." Looking back, it could have so easily gone the other way. 

I'm thankful to have a home that I can afford to pay for. 

2. My job

Times are hard economically. People are being laid off. Jobs are hard to come by. Good jobs are even harder to find. My job is not my passion. It isn't something I ever thought I would do. That being said, it's a good job. I'm good at it. It's a job that makes use of a lot of my natural talents and gives me an outlet for some things I really enjoy doing. It's stable. 

I'm thankful to have a job I can count on. 

3. My Gym

I don't know what I would do without the gym. I don't know what I did before the gym. There are so many benefits. It relieves stress. It's part of living a healthy lifestyle. It makes me feel good about myself. All of the ladies at the front desk know me at the gym. I think if the husband ever tries to do away with me and cover up my murder, the ladies at the gym will be the first to notice and alert the police. 

I'm thankful for my gym and everything that goes with it.

4. My iPod

I love my iPod. I've told the husband on several occasions that if anything happens to it, that we will have to find the money to replace it because I'm not going back to an iPod-less life. It has introduced me to so many new songs and artists. It entertains me on the way to work. It helps me block out my co-workers. It keeps my ass moving on the treadmill. 

I'm thankful for my little red buddy. 

5. My co-workers

I know. I should be grateful for my family and friends before I'm thankful for my co-workers, but frankly I spend 40+ hours with them every week. They have the ability to make my life miserable. The great thing is that they don't. The Saint shares my workload. FancyTalker is helpful and makes me laugh. GameBoy listens to me and is a good collaborator. JR just plain old rocks. Even the Hammer is supportive and a good co-worker. 

I'm thankful for the people who hang with me in the trenches. 

6. My sisters

It's strange. Sis-C is nothing like Sist-A, and yet they are two of the closest people to me. I have always said that Sis-C and I are different sides of the same coin. We are so different in our tastes and outlooks, but at our core we are much the same. She knows me better than anyone else. It's good that we have each other, because there are very few people who get the jokes we have for one another. Sist-A, on the other hand, is my little grasshopper. It's often strange and eerie how much we have in common. We've really gotten to spend more time with one another this year and grown a lot closer, which makes me really happy. 

I'm thankful for two awesome ladies who I love very, very much.

7. My dogs

My dogs make me happy. They are sweet, loving and cuddly. There is not a mean bone in any of their furry little bodies. They are naughty and spirited. They trust me to take care of them. All they require from me is food, water, being taken out and a few belly scratches. I adore my rotten angels. 

I'm thankful for my doggies who give so much and expect so little in return. 

8. My friends

I pay attention to people. Some people find it disconcerting because I pay attention when people talk and I notice what they do and remember what they say. So, when I say that all my friends are really good people in their own way, I mean it. I'm not just saying that because we are friends. There are these little moments when they do something kind or sweet or generous and it makes my heart melt, just a little bit. 

I'm thankful that a really great group of people continues to hang out with the likes of me. 

9. My family

My grandfather sends me cards every so often because I send him cards every so often. They kind of break my heart. He is really trying to make an effort because he wants me to know that he appreciates the effort I'm making. My dad is brave, taking on a new mortgage and a new business in unsure economic times and to my knowledge hasn't had a complete melt down about it. My step mom is always taking care of everybody but herself. My mum is supportive, always. 

I'm thankful for these people were in my life by fate, and are in my life by choice.

10. The husband

Always the husband. My playmate and partner, I never appreciate you as much as I should. We've been together so long sometimes I forget what it's like to see you. I'm really a terrible wife and marrying me is not evidence of good decision making on your part. Yet, for whatever reason, you seem to love me anyway. Sucker. You're stuck with me now. 

For what it's worth, I'm thankful for the husband, who I love endlessly. 

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours! 

Mushy, Mushy

Some couples are all mushy, mushy. (See Snoop and DaisyDukes as Exhibit A)

The husband and I are not one of those couples. We opt for a slightly more antagonistic version of "I love you."

Here's an e-mail exchange just from today:

Me (9:18 AM): Are you going to the gym tonight?

The Husband (9:28 AM): That is the plan. 

Probably going to "run" and shoot hoops tonight... 

I'm thinking about wearing my white spandex...

Me (12:10 PM): You can wear white spandex if you want, but I'm going to pretend we're not married when we're in public.

TH (12:13 PM): I will be sure that EVERYONE knows that we are married.

Me (12:16 PM): I'll start crying and then you'll feel bad.

TH (12:25 PM): Possibly... but I don't think that will stop me.

Me (12:26 PM): You're a bad, bad man. :(

I'm crying right now. 

TH (12:26 PM): Doesn't really affect me. 

Can I get an "awww"?

Passing the Time

Today the husband is away at his 10 year high school reunion. I graciously agreed to stay home, so we didn't have to kennel the dogs. 

I had no idea what to do with a whole day by myself. 

The gym? (Of course!) Check.

The grocery store? Check.

But, that only got me as far as 11:30. 

I'm pretty proud of myself. Instead of sitting around and wasting the whole day watching tv or movies, or some other equally mind numbing pursuit, I actually spent the day painting. 

So, I turned on the radio (and eventually my iPod, when I got annoyed with the songs they were playing on the radio) and mixed colors, sketched shapes, cleaned brushes, got paint EVERYWHERE. I finally finished the painting I started... when was that?... 2 years ago, I think. 

It's all shiny because it was done with oil paints and they aren't dry yet. Also, the wings are darker in person, but they appear brighter in this picture because of the flash. This painting was more an exercise in color and to see if I could take a fairly simple image in my head and put it on the canvas, than it was about the content itself. I'm going to call it "Dirty Wings" and overall, I'm pretty happy with the way it turned out. 


 
This is my new project. It's still in it's infancy, but I'm happy with the shapes so far. 

I really need to remember to do this more often. Every personality/career test that I take ends up labelling me as a "creator." I thrive on the creative process. It excites and fulfills me in a way that not much else can. You don't have to be "good" at something to make it worthwhile to do it, you just have to enjoy it. 

Puppies!

Puppies, puppies and more puppies!

That was our house this weekend. 

I'm not going to lie to you. I love puppies. I have a giant soft spot for the soft and furry, but even I thought it was going to be crazy and awful. Instead, it was crazy and kind of fun.

This is Bunji (pronounced "bungee") who we dog-sat this weekend for one of the husband's co-workers. He was an absolute sweetheart and I think he might be Emmy's new boyfriend. Plus, I think he might have been the softest dog I've ever petted. 

He was a really well-behaved dog.  Which led the husband to look at me repeatedly and say, "We are not getting another dog."

But the husband should know better. This experience didn't make me want another dog (much). Milo and Bunji loved to play together, which is awesome. I'm glad they had fun, but at the end of the day I want Milo's attention where it should be... on me. Another dog would just be competition, so BAH to that. 

Poor Bunji. He loved to attack little Milo. They were pretty evenly matched. But, when the big dogs, Joe and Cash, came out he was scared of his wits. He suddenly got very cuddly when they were around.  

Poor big dogs. They are so friendly and sweet. They just get a bad name because of their size. 

See! This is the husband and Cash right now. They are two of a kind. Constantly napping. 

On Saturday, the newlyweds came to visit with their dog, Emmy. Can you do the math on that one?

Yep, that's right. We were a 5 dog household for a little bit this weekend. 

This is a picture of the three little ones. Notice Emmy sitting nicely. Notice me holding the other two down and forcing them to stay for the photo. 

The newlyweds came up so we could go to the Badger-Michigan Tech hockey game, which was awesome. Badgers won 6-0. Let me translate that for you if you aren't a hockey fan, that's what we call an ass-kicking. 

How long do you think it would take for four college graduates to figure out how to work a digital camera on a timer? 

Hint: This took several tries. 

 

Cleaning the House

The husband and I finally faced the music today and cleaned the house. 

I hate cleaning. A LOT.

He's lazy, but hates for things to be dirty.

The combination means we often go for a few months without cleaning the house. We would probably go longer, but somebody (not me) gets their panties in a bunch about the house being dirty and whines until I finally agree to help.

Cleaning sucks, but having a clean house is awesome.

If I had the money, I would totally pay someone to do it for me. 

It takes a long time to clean the house when you don't do it very often.

It takes even longer when the husband is downstairs "vacuuming" the basement for three hours, which involves a lot of watching the Badger game (and very little cleaning). 

Before you feel too sorry for the guy (his mean old wife making him clean the house instead of watch the Badger game), it was his nagging that finally got us to clean the house AND I wanted to clean the house last Sunday when there was no Packer game on. HE wanted to wait until today. 

Blinded by that light? Yeah, that's my halo. Because I was actually cleaning while the husband pretended to. 

The Husband

It's the husband's 29th birthday today.
Happy Birthday, Honey!

Only One More Day...

Only one more day and then I get to be on vacation!
We have Friday and Monday off of work and we're going up to stay in a cabin in Spring Green for a few days and see Midsummer Night's Dream at APT.
Then the husband and I are staying over on Sunday night as well to celebrate my birthday.
Should be fun. I'm looking forward to it. :)

The Way to my Heart...

Today is my four year wedding anniversary. (Yay us!)

Some women are romanced by flowers and jewelry.

My husband is much wiser than that.
He brought me home Glarner Strube mashed potatoes.
He's no dummy. He knows that the way to my heart is paved with those mashed potatoes.
What a yummy surprise!

He also got me a gift certificate for a manicure and pedicure to a spa, so the potatoes weren't some sort of cop out. They were a bonus!

Hopefully, I won't be cursing his name in another half hour when I jump on the elliptical at the gym! :)

The Way of the Future

Just got done watching the Aviator with Jeff, in all its 3 hour long glory.

Recap of the movie - Howard Hughes descends into madness and the movie ends with him repeating "It's the way of the future" over and over again, as it seems he's a little OCD.

For those of you who know my husband's OCD-ish tendencies, should I be concerned he's been wandering around the house muttering "it's the way of the future" since the movie ended?