meg, acting out: Public Display of Affection

You may notice that I mention my husband around this joint from time to time (and he makes a rare occasion, especially when we're talkin' wedding anniversaries and traveling). We're not huge over-sharers when it comes to our relationship and some other stuff, mostly because we try to be cautious about how public his job is and the wackos that may or may not hunt down our family. You think I joke. It's creepy enough that folks he's never met refer to him as "Dave" at the grocery store (or shout to him from a busy garage sale at the corner of our street) and treat him like a long-lost friend that they can bitch to. Even creepier when people chase us down in Kmart to take a gander at the baby; that one makes my skin crawl a bit.

But, I've gotta give credit when it's due. For the most part, I married an A+ guy. He tries SO hard. He does SO much for his family. He keeps his chin up and deals with major work stresses only to pick up a crying baby and schlep home in the dead of winter to...me. A lady who, odds are, is already in her comfy nighttime clothes (far from sexy, closer to Punky Brewster frumpy) with my wet, uncombed hair in a messy bun...and probably exhausted and in need of dinner ideas. Last thing he needs. But, he deals with it in such a sweet, loving way, I have to remind myself to try to pick up the slack sometimes. 'Cuz goodness knows he'd never tell me to. Maybe he just knows better. Maybe he knows how Rita I can be when provoked. Either way, he's incredible.

Just last week, before heading back from our luxuriously long holiday break, he went grocery shopping for me. Sure, I had to remind him NOT to buy ANY seafood unless it was on sale. (He's also fully aware of which types of seafood to buy and from which origins, to say nothing of his religious following of the Dirty Dozen/Clean 15.) And, sure, he had to call or text a few times. But, he purchased thoughtfully and made life easier for me. He accidentally got Stonybrook yogurt's soy strawberry (have you tasted that stuff?! And why, oh why, create something soy-based that still has dairy in it? I just can't wrap my head around it) and the wraps he purchased were rye (yeah, I'm not a fan unless I throw some Thousand Islands on that sucker to make it Reuben-ish), but he tried so hard and everything else was stellar. I also saw that he sneaked a few Chobani yogurts for himself. I love that a deed well-done is self-gratified with such a healthy, delicious treat.

But, that's not all. He's one of the best friends I've ever had. I've been wanting to soup up the ol' blog as part of a fun, exciting opportunity or two coming down the line. While many husbands would raise an eyebrow (especially with a needy almost-6-month around the joint), he welcomed it. I've seriously gotta buy that guy some pom-poms. He's a frickin' cheerleader, that one. Even when I'm being my usually "realistic idealist" self, especially when my admittedly low self-esteem rears its ugly head (even when an absolutely wonderful opportunity arises), he's more "rah rah!" than "blah blah" about it. My successes are his successes, and he's like a proud papa when good things happen. It's nice to have a buoy around when you should be enjoying a moment, rather than questioning whether you deserve it and why it couldn't possibly work.

When it comes to that shared successes thing, I guess you could say I'm pretty darn proud of his, too. Particularly when he achieves things that are in his realm of happiness (we're both creative people, so when we're able to nurture those tendencies), it's an awesome thing.

Here I thought he was wary of blogdom, especially when I first started this venture -- I can't count how many he writes for these days, from All-Star Comics to Dorky Daddy (admittedly, my favorite) to his newsroom one (which I'm so happy that he's using to try to find missing animals for heartbroken families; a news guy with heart). From here, I've also gotta brag about a venture with his friend, Andy, that I find simply incredible. If you're into comics, check this out. If you're not...still check it out. It's an idea that he's been incubating for years about a very adult web comic series revolving around the bar that caters to all those holiday characters that make childhood what it is. I'm not biased here -- 'cuz if one of his projects is a flop or lacking, I'm pretty honest about it (at least he knows he can give me something to read through and I'll be a reliable judge). It's hysterical. And the art that Andy has done for it? Amazing.

So, just for $#!@s and giggles, let's take a moment to appreciate...the awesomeness...that is...Dave. (Feel free to start a slow clap...or view this pictures with any number of hilarious songs, like "You Are the Wind Beneath My Wings" or "All Star" .)