My unexpected Pavlov's dog experiment

Last night I was sitting on the couch enjoying the Mentalist, while Kath was on the other end on the computer. As I do most nights, I stretched out my legs, took off my socks, and wiggled my toes. (I like my feet to breathe at home - they like fresh air.) Katherine did not even look up from the computer and immediately started massaging my feet.

Now, I was not at all expecting or needing a foot massage at that moment, so I told her so.

She said that she did not even think about it - she just saw me wiggle my toes and instinctively started massaging.

Apparently, I've been wiggling my toes prior to requesting a foot massage fairly frequently over the past 2 months when she's been forced to rest on the couch.

I wonder what else I can train her to do?

Maybe it's my friendly and welcoming personality

I had a dream that I had colon cancer and lymphoma two nights ago, and I woke up crying because of it. I spent all of yesterday marveling at the fact that I was alive and healthy and so happy that I was not going to die and leave Katherine behind.

I told Katherine that it's fun to have these moments when you realize truths in your life that you take for granted.

She responded by telling me that she just had a moment when she realized I was not Canadian. Apparently, she often thinks of me as Canadian.

I do not know why this would be. I do love hockey and come from a place where people talk like Canadians.

I take this as a compliment, though. Since I have never been to Canada, my only knowledge comes from the Olympics. And apparently people in Canada are very friendly, welcoming, and unassuming.

I wonder if she thinks I married her to get my green card?

My funny Valentine

On our first Valentine's Day, I put a Valentine's message in the newspaper for Katherine, we bought each other romantic (identical) cards, exchanged flowers, and enjoyed a romantic dinner at a new restaurant in Iowa City.

This year, after 8 years together, we went shopping at the best-outlet-mall-ever near us and ate a late lunch at Friendly's on Valentine's Day.

Today, I was watching some fluff TV in which one of the main characters commented that "I just want someone to make out with." So, I turned to Katherine and told her, "I just want someone to make out with."

"Fine with me," she said. "As long as it's just making out." Then she turned to Ty and said, "I'd like to see her go out and find someone."

"Fine," I retorted. "Just wait until I get hot."

Katherine, not missing a beat, says to Ty, "I've already been waiting a long time for that."

...

There is no love in Mudville tonight, folks. Hmph. :)

My nemesis

Every morning when I wake up, one of the first things to greet me is the ever-multiplying pile of laundry. Sometimes it's only a laundry-bag-full, sometimes it's a laundry-bag + a laundry-basket-full. And sometimes, like this morning, it's a laundry-bag + laundry-basket + giant-overflowing mounds that are so high that my little Dory is able to hop from the laundry basket onto the laundry bag pile for a little nap (normally this would be an impossible feat).

I do not know how this happens.
Just the other weekend I had almost conquered my nemesis and nearly vanquished all laundry piles.
I think the problem is that we continue to wear clothes.

You know how you can get everything else in the house clean and neat but you always have that one nagging area that just never quite gets done... well for me, that would be laundry.
It's always been my nemesis.

No longer! My Valentine's Day present to myself will be to finally vanquish this demon once and for all (well, not really, unless Katherine and I start living life as nudists).

I wonder if not doing laundry is a reason people have for becoming nudists? I must say, it's very tempting.

February blah

What is it about February? This month comes along and no matter how happy and jolly I might be with all of the leftover goodwill from the holidays, this time of year hits and blah, bleh, blegh. I just want to curl up in a little ball under my bedclothes and come out only when it's spring.

Even the lovely thought of a 3 -day weekend for the next 3 weeks is not pulling me out of the doldrums today.

Maybe that's why we have February. Or whatever your funky month is. Maybe we just need that time to let ourselves get all wallowy and miserable and eat loads of chocolate cake that's been staring me in the face for the last week and drink 2 glasses of red wine that's sitting on the counter at 3-in-the-afternoon-people!-that-is-way-too-early, and soak in a hot, hot, hot bath while reading People magazine and then curl up on the couch in my pajamas and watch a way-too-sappy romantic movie that's really actually pretty good despite poor reviews and is good for a good cry because the main character's wife has died and he's coming to terms with it after 3 years, and then it makes me think that what if Kath were to die and it makes me cry more. Maybe we need these kind of days. Good for the emotional equilibrium and all.

Hmmm. I feel pretty good now.

Which is good because I made reservations for us tonight at this neat looking restaurant that we've been wanting to try.
I have just enough time to get rid of the evidence that I polished off the rest of the chocolate cake, clean up the kitchen and the bathroom, and get gussied up and ready to go out tonight.

It could just be that post-chocolate cake serotonin surge. Whatever. At this time of year, I'll take anything that works.

My Big

I was watching Sex and the City last night while Kath was grading papers. I had an A-ha moment when I realized, much to my chagrin, that I have some of Carrie's qualities - mainly her emotional ranting and raving qualities, sometimes fueled by too many martinis.
But then I realized that Katherine has some of the great qualities of Mr. Big - the ability to defuse any situation with humor, sometimes infuriatiatingly so... and of course, dark good looks... (hee hee... she will not be pleased that I wrote that, as she gets embarrassed.) :)

Folks, I am lucky. I think that every day, and since it is now the romantic month of February starting today, even more so today.

To have someone who gets you and loves you, when you are lame, and when you are shlumpy and greasy, and when you apparently can only make dried-up squash, then I say it's best to grab ahold of that person and never let them go (I did... it worked... :).

So, my Ms. Big will be getting chocolate stout cake, maple glazed salmon, baked potatoes, and spicy broccoli tonight.

Unlike Carrie, I can cook. Thank goodness. We're not completely alike.