Valentine's Day sentiment

Happy 4th of July!

When I get home from work today, there will be 150 people in my back yard, eating mountains of food and waiting for the big fireworks display. My husband loves the 4th of July and has a party every year. He has spent the last 3 days cooking and setting up. There is 50 pounds of barbequed pulled pork, 30 pounds of smoked chicken quarters, 20 slabs of beef ribs, 500 boiled shrimp, and about 10 pounds of fresh-made coleslaw. Then there's the huge fireworks display that he's spent weeks putting together "just so". He's a crazy man, I tell you.

It is SO not "my thing". All those people, most of whom I don't even know. They're friends of his from high school, customers of his lawn service, hunting buddies, fellow airboaters, pool league teammates...my husband is a very social animal. (I do get to catch up with relatives that we don't see other than at this party, and I really look forward to Aunt Peggy's orzo pasta salad!) Rick knows it's not "my thing", and provides special accommodations to ease my discomfort. No one is allowed to park in my spot in the driveway. He puts a "Reserved for Wife" sign on the table and chairs with the best view. And best of all, he rents a Port-O-Let. You might think "eww", but seriously, do the math: 150 people, with an average bathroom requirement of maybe 3 or 4 times each in the 6 or 7 hours they're there (depending on how much they're drinking), that's roughly 500 times people would be traipsing through my house, flushing the toilet and (theoretically) washing their hands. And maybe rummaging through the medicine cabinets and critiquing the way I make my bed! No, thank you!

I asked Rick last night if he knew what my favorite part about the 4th of July was. He said, "The 5th of July?" Made me laugh. I said, "No, although that's probably a close second." My favorite thing about the 4th of July is how much HE enjoys it. He loves to cook for a lot of people. He loves to socialize. He loves to blow things up. So he loves the 4th of July. And I love him. So there.
_______

Wedding Anniversary

Yesterday was my wedding anniversary. Eleven years. To an amazing man that I continue to adore more and more every day. He's responsible and generous, hardworking and loving, and he makes me laugh. I'm a lucky, lucky girl.

Let me just tell you one quick story about Rick. There was one time, back when we were first dating, that I happened to mention that one of my pet peeves is having to turn socks right-side out before putting them into the washing machine. I don't even remember how the subject came up, and it was a totally off-the-cuff remark, but to this day I have only had to turn his socks right-side out MAYBE half a dozen times. In more than 11 years. It's paying attention to those "little things" that keep a relationship healthy, don't you think? Oh, and he doesn't leave the toilet seat up, either!

We're going out to dinner at a local steakhouse tonight. Leaving the kid with Grandma and spending a couple of hours alone together. I'm going to be sure to tell him how much I appreciate not having to wrestle with nasty, dirty, inside-out socks!
--

My Big Boy's Big Toy

My husband is an avid airboater. Loves big, loud things that go fast. Calls the alligators that populate the St. John's River where he normally runs, "redneck speed bumps". Loves to camp out and sit by a fire swatting mosquitoes and cook steaks on a makeshift grill.

Me? Not so much. I'm really not the "pee in the woods" kind of gal. Fires are nice, as are steaks on the grill, but I'd just as soon have an air-conditioned bathroom 30 seconds behind me!

I did go out on the airboat with Rick once. He'd been offering to take me out for years, and I'd always declined. That one time, it was right around our anniversary, so I told him it was his anniversary present. It was okay. Not horrible. But not something I can say I really enjoyed.

To be honest, he's probably just as happy that I DON'T want to go all the time. That's his relaxation time, his alone-time or out-with-the-guys time. Likely not as much fun if he has to watch out for what I might be getting into, or listen to me whining about having to pee in the woods! I can stay home in my air-conditioning, reading or watching TV, and he can go out and run those redneck speed bumps. Better for our sanity and our marriage!

--

Leftover Heaven :D

Wow...my lack-of-leftovers-distress was wiped out big time last night! When I got home from work, my darling hubby had been to the grocery store and brought home FILET MIGNON to cook out on the grill! And even after he had worked all day and then spent a couple hours in the garage working on his airboat trailer, he still whipped up a most excellent dinner. Yes...filet mignon, plus baby peas and seasoned rice. Not only was there more than enough to eat, we didn't get to it until nearly 9:00 p.m. It was hard to put down the fork--everything was so delicious--but I certainly didn't want to stuff myself.

By the time I got to work this morning, I could hardly wait for lunch time and my luscious, luscious leftovers!

-

I Had No Leftovers Today :(

My husband used to be a chef. For like, 12 or 13 years. He's an amazing cook, and consequently does about 90% of the meals at our house. Not fair, you think? Well, it's partly his own fault, because when we first got married, he TOTALLY intimidated me in the kitchen. He'd hover in the background while I was cutting vegetables or selecting spices, making these vague fluttering motions with his hands, like he wanted to snatch away whatever I was doing and do it himself. Well, after awhile, I just LET him!

We've been married 10 years now, and I've gotten comfortable enough so that when I do feel like cooking something and he starts hovering, I just tell him to get the heck out of the kitchen! Most of my cooking, I do have to admit, consists of opening a bag, box, or can and following the directions. Hey, I'm no fool...I may be able to cook something "fancier", but Rick can do it so much better! Why would I cut off my nose to spite my face? LOL Plus he always makes more than we can eat at one meal (the last remnants of restaurant mentality?), and so I have lovely leftovers to take for lunch the next day.

Rick quit "chef-ing" when I got pregnant with our son, a little over 9 years ago. He decided that he'd rather be a father than work every night, weekend, and holiday that the restaurant business requires. He now owns and operates a lawn service. But we live in Florida. It's HOT here in the summer. My poor hubby comes home filty and exhausted, and the LAST thing he wants to do is stand over a hot stove. So I do more of the cooking. Or at least more of the bag- or box-opening! Last night my son wanted his leftovers from the previous night--biscuits and gravy. I had a hot dog. Rick was working in the garage until very late, and I think he threw some spaghetti in a pot and covered it with sauce out of a jar (he calls that his bachelor dinner). So I had no lovely leftovers for lunch today. Boo hoo.

Maybe I can entice him to cook some time this weekend...?

-